Sandy S.
3.75 stars-- YOU HAD ME AT JAGUAR is the sixth instalment in Terry Spear’s contemporary, adult HEART OF THE JAGUAR paranormal, romance series. This is she-jaguar Enforcer Valerie Chambers, and United Shifter Force (USF) Agent Howard Armstrong’s story line. YOU HAD ME AT JAGUAR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Told from dual third person perspectives (Valerie and Howard) YOU HAD ME AT JAGUAR follows the building relationship between she-jaguar Enforcer Valerie Chambers, and United Shifter Force (USF) Agent Howard Armstrong. Valerie Chambers’ latest assignment as a member of the Enforcer Team is to hunt, and take down a killer; a jaguar male who killed his newly turned mate, then ran to places unknown. While on assignment Val will come face to face with former Enforcer, and new USF agent Howard Armstrong, whose own assignment is to shadow and protect our story line heroine. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Val and Howard, and the potential fall-out as several investigations cross paths in Belize, placing the Enforcers and USF team in the line of fire. As a Enforcer, Valerie’s job is to take down the worst rogue shifters, and sometimes the human who were killing jaguars or shifters in the wild but never had Valerie suspected that the USF would assign backup, on her latest solo mission. Howard Armstrong’s attraction to Valerie began during Valerie’s training as a jaguar Enforcer. Now, months later Howard ‘volunteered’ along with his USF partner and wolf-shifter Jillian Greystoke, to cover and protect the woman with whom he is falling in love. Meanwhile Valerie’s parents, and jaguar Guardians are on an assignment of their own, tracking a drug dealer in Belize, who may or may not have connections to the jaguar shifters, and the man for whom Valerie and Howard are on the hunt. The relationship between Valerie and Howard is one of mutual attraction; a friends to lovers romance heightened by their current working assignments that forces our couple to work and live in close proximity. The quick building romance is fated, passionate and hot. There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including human homicide detective Rowdy Sanderson whom we have met on a number of previous occasions; wolf shifters Jillian Greystoke and her mate Vaughn ; Valerie’s parents; Izzie Summerfield- a woman whose life is about to change, and jaguar female Emmie Bancoft. The requisite evil has many faces including jaguar and murderer Benny Canton. The world building continues to look at the law enforcement and secret society of shifters; their private police and investigative forces, as well as the political hierarchy of the shifter nation. YOU HAD ME AT JAGUAR is a character driven story line of family, friendship, betrayal and love but a story line with more telling than showing driven by the conversations between most of the characters. There is some redundancy and repetition when the characters restate or explain previous conversations. The premise is engaging; the romance is seductive; the characters are numerous, colorful and energetic. YOU HAD ME AT JAGUAR is a fast paced and intriguing story of shifters and the human world of which they inhabit.
1 person found this review helpful
Eva Millien
He’s been given the impossible task to protect the fierce jaguar Valerie while on an international take down. He can guard Valerie all day long, but he doesn’t stand a chance of guarding his heart in the thrilling new shifter series by Terry Spear. The United Shifter Force has the wolves and the jaguars working together to take down rogue shifters and this time they are after a killer. The characters are strong, bold and easily draw readers into their story and the romance is sweet and the passion is hot with lots of sizzling chemistry between Howard and Valerie. Their relationship is hampered by the mission they are on but that doesn’t stop the magnetic attraction and the undeniable feelings from keep these two apart. The plot is fast paced and full of thrilling suspense and dangerously exciting events as the case Howard and Valerie are on is more complicated than they could have imagined. The single suspect becomes a group of suspects when he flees to meet up some drug dealers and the danger escalates with some unexpected twists adding even more excitement to the story. Terry Spear has joined her two shifter worlds into another exciting world full of suspense and action for readers to enjoy and the first one is a thrilling read that readers can’t put down.
Cali Jewel
Emotionally thrilling, sexy, witty and engaging adventure filled with heart pounding danger, exciting twists and unrelenting passion.... was a great read from beginning to end. Highly entertaining reading that was so hard to put down (house work was left undone.... LOL) was a great read!