#BookReview: Veiled Target by Robin Bielman - 4 Wine Glasses

Title: Veiled Target 
Series: Veilers #1
Author: Robin Bielman
Format: ebook, 354 pages
Publication: July 22nd 2014 by Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 161922173X
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Source: Author
Reviewer: Linda
Rating: 4/5

"Never take Fate along on a date. The kiss goodnight could be deadly. " - A Veilers Novel, Book 1

Tracking down Veilers-non humans-is only a sideline for Tess Damon. Vengeance for her fiance's murder is her reason for living. But with two botched jobs on her record, if she fails to eliminate her next mark, she's dead.

She's not afraid to die, but not before she gets even. Too bad fate has a really bad sense of humor.

Hugh Langston, a wolfen half shifter, lives to keep both humans and his pack safe. But when rogue humans kidnap his apprentice, his rescue mission is compromised by a hot-as-hell, kick-ass woman who makes him think only one thing: "mine."

Tess tries to ignore her feelings, but temptation trips her up. Especially when Hugh figures out he's her next target and forces her into an inconvenient alliance that tests all the laws "against" their attraction.

Now, with the line between good and evil getting blurrier by the minute, it becomes clear Tess's only hope of living to see another day-and finding a murderer-lies with the one man she's supposed to kill.

Warning: Contains one obscenely hot alpha and the woman who wants to love him before she kills him. Look out for a blind date, scorching sex, humor, lies, and untamable attraction. 

Thoughts:
Blind Date or  a Twist of Fate?

VEILED TARGET is the first book in Robin Bielman's new Veilers series.  It marks Robin's first foray into the urban fantasy/paranormal romance genres and is an awesome beginning to this series.  I'm an unabashed fan of her books and I do a happy dance whenever she announces a new release.  It's got something for everyone:  romance, steamy sex, lots of sweet, wolf pack dynamics, dirty politics,  and a hero and heroine who will find their way into your heart!  This is the story of Tess Damon and Hugh Langston.

Tess is a mercenary, an eliminator for Private Investigations and Elimination, or P.I.E. --- the clandestine government-sanctioned organization that investigates and removes dangerous non-humans, or Veilers.  She is a free spirit, used to working alone and has a fearless live-for-the-chase mentality.  She has had issues successfully completing her last two assignments and Christian, her a**h*** of a boss, has let her know that if she doesn't complete her current assignment, taking out Hugh Langston, she'd not just be fired, she'd be eliminated.    

Hugh Langston is a Veiler, a brawny alpha wolfen, and a pilot who lives in Los Angeles.   Running Langston Aviation was only one of his jobs.  He also leads his pack, the Night Runners, 24/7.  With Trey, his assistant pack chair, missing  and searching for any lead as to where Trey might be, Hugh decides to attend Trey's blind date... with a woman named Tess who instantly captivates him AND challenges him to an arm-wrestling contest.  

"Do you come here often?"...
"Often enough, but I've never sat across from such a beautiful woman before."
---
"You arm-wrestle?"  she asked.
"What?"  His brows furrowed.  His smile waned.
"Can you arm-wrestle?" She had the feeling she wouldn't beat him at verbal sparring, but no one could beat her at arm-wrestline.  Not even a two-hundred-pound, muscle-clad, hunk of man....
"You comfortable?"  He didn't shift an inch.
"Give me ---"
"Because I wouldn't want you blaming your loss on wrong positioning."
"--- a second," she bit out while settling into the prime spot for a win, "And for your information, I'm not going to lose."...

I loved Hugh;  he was swoonworthy to the max and I connected to him immediately.  He was an outdoorsman, a true hero, routinely rescuing hikers in dire straits, in addition to running his business and leading his pack.  He had been shaped by his fear of ending up like his older brother, dying of a broken heart so he unequivocally didn't want a mate.  However, once he met Tess, he gave it the good fight, but, in reality, it was obvious he was a goner from the get go.    Tess had a strong and feisty personality too.  She was different;  I mean, how many women would challenge a man to an arm-wrestling contest on their first date?  She certainly wasn't a frail, girly girl.  She was self-assured and loved the outdoors.  To relax, she routinely enjoyed hard-core physical challenges like sky diving and bungee jumping.   The book begins as Tess is working an assignment where she was to take out two vampires in a plane.  

She'd jumped out of plenty of planes.  Albeit with a parachute in place, but she pushed that worry aside.

That was quite the exciting start.  Even with that riveting beginning, the story was a little slow at first and it took me a little while to get into it.  But... then it incredibly picked up pace and I totally forgot the prior slowness.  Once the romance ignited, I absolutely couldn't put the book down, no matter what.   

My very favorite scene is when the two were holed up at Langston Aviation's offices waiting out a rain delay.  Oh my, things got deliciously HOT fast!  Let's just say that they had an intense, set-your-sheets-on fire chemistry.  :-)  As a bit of a tease, following please find a few more quotes illustrating the sizzling HEAT and delectable humor in this book:  

"I figure if I do all the cooking you can't poison me."
---
He kissed her more thoroughly, more deeply, more deliciously than she'd thought possible.  Everything vanished for her.  Nothing existed anywhere else.  It was only the two of them.  Lost in a time and place where no one could see them or touch them or harm them.  The world as she knew it didn't matter.  Nothing was as real as the two of them in each other's arms, Hugh kissing her like he might die without her.
---
Something potent, something that fused them together, that made her beginning entwine with his end, passed between them. He'd marked her his.
And she didn't want to fight it.
---
"I’m the only one who gets to kiss that sexy mouth of yours....The only one who gets to taste between your legs. And I’m the only one who gets to bury himself inside you...and make you come." 

The supporting characters were well-defined too.  My favorite secondary character was Blanche, Hugh's nice nosy neighbor.  Blanche lived in a cozy log cabin with a wraparound porch and took care of Hugh's get-a-way when he wasn't around.  She had a way with words telling it like it was as evidenced by the recanting of these two conversations about Hugh between Tess and Blanche.  

"You try asking him naked?"
Tess choked on her Irish coffee.  "I beg your pardon?"
"Men can't think straight when a woman's naked.  Something about their brain cells getting jumbled.  And then their favorite word become 'yes'"
---
"Whatever is going on between us is only short term.  Sorry, Blanche."
Blanche chuckled.  "That's what I thought when I met Artie."
"Artie?"
"My husband and the love of my life.  He passed away a few years ago.  Told me on the day we met it would never last because he'd surely screw it up.  We were married for fifty-three years and the only thing he screwed was me."

Robin already writes the sweetest contemporary romances and, with VEILED TARGET, she has now made her original and refreshing mark in urban fantasy/paranormal romances.   Her writing, as always, is first-rate.  With nonstop action, thrilling suspense and danger, this story will keep readers guessing right up to a very satisfying ending.   I can't wait to read what Robin comes up with next!   I highly recommend VEILED TARGET to lovers of fun and sexy paranormal romances!