Nalini Singh – Tangle of Need

Book 11 in the Psy-Changelings series, published May 29, 2012.
Genre: paranormal romance



The first cover is the UK cover, the second the US cover, and the third the audio book cover. Upon reflection, I thought I liked that last one, but what is with all the flowers? And that strange border? It has nothing to do with the content of the book, or I must have skipped some pages? I hate all three covers.

Adria, wolf changeling and resilient soldier, has made a break with the past--one as unpredictable in love as it was in war. Now comes a new territory, and a devastating new complication: Riaz, a SnowDancer lieutenant already sworn to a desperate woman who belongs to another.
For Riaz, the primal attraction he feels for Adria is a staggering betrayal. For Adria, his dangerous lone-wolf appeal is beyond sexual. It consumes her. It terrifies her. It threatens to undermine everything she has built of her new life. But fighting their wild compulsion toward one another proves a losing battle.
Their coming together is an inferno...and a melding of two wounded souls who promise each other no commitment, no ties, no bonds. Only pleasure. Too late, they realize that they have more to lose than they ever imagined. Drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter the fate of the world itself, they must make a decision that might just break them both.


Adria has put an end to her unhappy marriage at last. And now she is rebuilding her life and her self esteem as a senior soldier for the SnowDancer wolf pack. She loves her job, and is good at it. She is a dominant wolf, and her husband was not, and he grew to dislike her strength, and as she loved him, and he once saved her life, she tried to conform to be what he liked. But in the long run, she really could not keep hiding who she is. And now Riaz has come back home, a lone wolf who is often alone and only occasionally comes back to the pack headquarters. She is attracted to him, but tries to fight it. Adria does not need a man in her life right now when she is still grieving and building her new life.
Riaz has found his mate in Venice, only to find out she is already married to someone else, and really totally in love with that man, and vice versa. Working together for any longer was torture, so he came back home to the pack, to heal. Being so viciously attracted to Adria, who seems to ignore him, is painful. As a mated wolf, he should not desire any other female at all. But he does, and it makes him angry, as he feels he is betraying his mate. That she will never in reality be his mate does not matter. And so Riaz throws his temper at Adria a few times, but Adria knows she deserves better and tells him so. Still, they cannot fight their mutual attraction. A brief affair is what they agree to, but it quickly becomes a lot more, and the both of them don’t know how to handle it. Adria knows of his mate, and that he cannot have her. She doesn’t like being second choice, which makes her withhold a part of herself from Riaz. And what happens when the woman suddenly appears in San Francisco? And Riaz has to work with her again, while she is in a divorce? Adria tries to set him free, but Riaz will not have it.

The relationship between Adria and Riaz is only a part of the book, and I loved the fact that it took the time to grow, spanned over multiple weeks and meetings. There is a lovely continuation of the love between Hawke and Sienna, and their mating ceremony is finally being celebrated. Sienna has to learn what it means to be married to the alpha of the pack, and the new duties and privileges that come with it. And the fact that Ming is still hunting for her. Hawke will also learn how to give her some freedom and not smother her as he would love to do. But luckily, Sienna is not intimidated by him, and can stand up for herself.

The Psy World is also not standing still. A lot is happening, and the disease in the Psy net is spreading rapidly. Councillors are plotting and planning, and none for the good of the Psy as a whole, but for personal gain and power. Who will end up standing? The Arrows are looking to the future, they won’t be controlled by a Councillor they do not believe in.
Lots of threads and lots of action, I loved it all.


I was planning to wait with reading this book until the paperback came out in December, but I have read a not so enthusiastic review about this book, and I just had to find out for myself, so I borrowed the book from my best friend.
And I am glad I did, as I really loved this book, and totally disagree with the review I have read recently. I love this series, and was dreading of disliking the book. Now, keep in mind that I often love a good story itself more than the romance part, especially in paranormal romance/urban fantasy. So feel free to disagree with me.

I loved the interaction between Adria and Riaz, how she decided she would not be treated like Riaz treated her, that she deserved better, and stuck to it. And how Riaz struggled with his conscience, and came to an understanding with her. How he surprised her with daily little gifts and treats, I loved it. Like the normal domestic things Hawke and Sienna get to do for the first time. It gives a sense of hope for the future, that there is still time to enjoy the simpler things in life, while life is hectic and dangerous and totally unpredictable.

I can gush over this book for a few pages more, but I just loved it, and this series keeps on being one of my favourites of all times. Nalini Singh is an awesome writer, she comes up with such a perfect mix of the original story, with great characters, action, humor and love scenes. She made up a great world, with room for the pups to grow and learn, and a tight community filled with rules but especially love for each other.

9 stars.

© 2012 Reviews by Aurian