It was pleasant. Of course there was some of the usual bullshit. Particularly the fact that dominant females apparently don't work with less dominant or submissive males, whereas the other way around is no problem.
And I didn't always like what either Drew or Indigo did, but overall Drew was charming and even gave a real apology to Indigo (although sooner would have been better), and Indigo was cool. ( )

I really enjoyed these two characters together. Indigo and Drew are both dominant and the story of them making their relationship work despite that made sense.

I noticed the gender essentialism a bit less in this one, how the women are all "feminine characteristic" "purely female" and the men the same but "masculine strength" and "male characteristic", even though the attributes they describe are not necessarily confined to one or the other gender. ( )

Another good one from NS. I liked this one better than the last two. Mostly I just prefer the stories with the changlings in them. The Psy and the Forgotten, while okay, are just not as interesting to me. I really love the whole fated mates thing and this book has that is abundance. I also really like when the wolves (or whatever shifter) is really possessive and does the whole get your hands off my woman thing. Usually I prefer to see a shifter mating with a non shifter because I find the whole learning a new species and how to interact thing interesting. But NS does a wonderful job in this and her other shifter stories of making a mating between two wolves as interesting. The dominance issue replaced the newness issue here. Although she did use the phrase 'he was a dominant predatory male' quite a few times too many. But what else was she going to use? So I forgive her. :-) I love this series and there are certainly characters whose books I can't wait to read. Hawke for instance and Riaz who I don't remember reading about before but whose story seems very tragic so I hope we get that one. ( )

As good as I remember. ( )

Play of Passion is the ninth full-length novel in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series. This one follows SnowDancer wolves Indigo and Drew. Indigo is a dominant female and a pack lieutenant, while Drew is the pack’s tracker. Drew has been crazy about Indigo for a while, but she’s been trying to keep their relationship friends-only. She worries that getting involved with a male who is both younger and less dominant could lead to disaster. But tired of waiting for her to come around, Drew pulls out all the stops to prove to Indigo that she’s the only wolf for him. Meanwhile, the threat from Pure Psy, the Psy faction that’s determined to maintain Silence no matter the cost, is rising, and Indigo and Drew discover evidence of a Psy incursion onto SnowDancer land. With the help of their alpha, Hawke, and the rest of the pack, they must figure out what the Psy’s new game is and stop it before serious damage is done, but a climactic battle with the Psy could put Indigo and Drew’s relationship in jeopardy before she’s even had a chance to decide whether Drew is her perfect mate after all.

Indigo is the most dominant female in the SnowDancer den, and as a lieutenant, she’s one of Hawke’s right-hand people. The other wolves look to her for leadership, and cognizant of her role in the pack, she doesn’t allow skin privileges easily. She hasn’t had a lover for a while, so Drew’s flirtations are tempting. But she’s also keenly aware of the fact that Drew is four years her junior, and although as tracker, he’s not in her direct line of command, he’s a less dominant male. Indigo has spent the last several years watching her aunt, who is equally as dominant as Indigo, in an unhappy union with her mate who is less dominant. There’s a constant push and pull between them that has soured any love they once shared, so Indigo believes that in order to maintain the health of the pack, she must mate someone who is her equal in the pack hierarchy. However, she didn’t count on Drew pulling out all the stops to romance her and to prove that he’s willing to do anything to be with her, even reign in his own wolf. Indigo is a female who isn’t unlike human women who find themselves in powerful positions in a male-dominated world. She’s respected by the male members of the pack, but at the same time, she places a lot of responsibility on her own shoulders for making sure the pack is a healthy, functioning group. She knows that if she’s unhappy in her mating that could lead to disunity in the pack. While Drew is hard to resist, they do butt heads on occasion as they and their wolves try to figure out if they can fit together in harmony. Occasionally I felt just a tad frustrated with Indigo for being so stubborn, but I generally understood where she was coming from and the feeling usually didn’t last long before she was finding a way to compromise. I also very much respected the fact that she was willing to make concessions in order to find true love and happiness.

As the pack’s tracker, Drew hunts down Changelings who’ve gone rogue and also deals with some pack business outside their immediate area. As such, he reports directly to Hawke, so there isn’t a conflict of interest with him getting involved with Indigo. Drew is also a real charmer who is popular with the ladies, both human and Changeling. But for a long time, he’s only had eyes for Indigo. Drew may not be dominant enough to maintain a higher position in the pack hierarchy, but he’s still a dominant male who finally decides to go after what he wants. Convincing Indigo that he’s sincere about a serious relationship proves to be a major challenge, but one that he’s more than up for. He screws up on occasion, making the female wolf snarl at him for his audacity, but he always more than makes up for it with a full-on romantic and sensual assault. However, just as he’s starting to make headway and thinks that Indigo might finally be his, Pure Psy invades their territory, threatening not only the pack but also his and Indigo’s future. Oh my goodness, I think Drew might be my favorite hero of the series so far. He may have a dominant side, but he’s also a real sweetheart, who totally wears his heart on his sleeve for Indigo. I love a hero in pursuit and Drew definitely pulls out all the stops in his pursuit of Indigo, holding nothing back. His courtship of her is swoon-worthy romance at its finest. Even though he knows he could be risking a broken heart if both the woman and the wolf don’t accept him, he’s also convinced that it will all be worth it. And he’s determined not to give up until he’s won them both over. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s an incredibly romantic guy and a passionate lover.;-)

As is typical for this long-running series, Play of Passion has a stellar supporting cast with lots of characters past and future who have their own stories in the series. Pack alpha Hawke is the most prominent, and it’s obvious that although he’s fighting it, he’s still carrying a torch for Sienna, one of the Psy they adopted into their pack and a young woman who definitely has a thing for him, too. These two finally become the hero and heroine of the next full-length book, Kiss of Snow. Drew’s sister, Brenna, and her mate, Judd, (Caressed by Ice) are key players as well. Drew’s brother, Riley, and his mate, Mercy, (Branded by Fire) are away on a sort of honeymoon, but show up near the end of the story. Pack healer Lara’s skills are put to the test, saving someone’s life. She and Walker, who appears briefly, become the hero and heroine of the novella, Texture of Intimacy. DarkRiver alpha Lucas and his mate, Sascha, (Slave to Sensation) show up at the end, too. Dorian (Hostage to Pleasure) puts in an appearance, helping with tech issues. Emmett and Ria (Whisper of Sin) share a scene with Drew and Indigo. Max and Sophia (Bonds of Justice) appear a couple of times, still working for Nikita. Lastly, Dev (Blaze of Memory) plays a small but important role while also trying to forge an alliance of sorts with SnowDancer.

Play of Passion was an awesome read, a great addition to the series, and perhaps my favorite so far. Indigo is a strong female whose love and sense of responsibility to her pack is admirable. She may have her doubts about Drew but bravely gives him a chance, gradually opening up and tearing down her walls for him. Drew would be impossible not to love. He’s definitely one of the most romantic and passionate heroes I’ve ever read and totally lovable. I adored Drew and Indigo together as a couple and thought they complimented each other perfectly, while finding ways to compromise to make their relationship work. It certainly didn’t hurt that there were plenty of smokin’ hot love scenes, too.;-) With Pure Psy ramping up their efforts, the events of this book were also a nice addition to the greater story arc. By the end, it becomes very clear that the Psy Council has completely and irrevocably fractured. Things are definitely heating up, inexorably heading toward a probable climactic battle, and I can’t wait to see where things go from here. It’s left me very much looking forward to reading Hawke and Sienna’s story soon. ( )