Flirtation of Fate

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Synopsis

Kenji Tanaka and Garnet Sheridan are SnowDancer lieutenants who each run their own den. The pair were close while growing up. By the time she was a teenager, Garnet was falling for Kenji and she thought he felt the same. However, he stood her up for their first real date on her twenty-first birthday with only a lame explanation. Although there's still an underlying current of attraction between them, Garnet has kept Kenji at arm's length ever since.

Several members of SnowDancer's leadership were scheduled to meet at Garnet's den, but only Kenji was able to make it before a freak thunderstorm hit, washing out roads. Then a shockwave runs through the den, when a packmate is found murdered. Since Kenji and Garnet are the only ones in the den qualified to run an investigation, they must work closely together to suss out the killer, leading to their old feelings for one another resurfacing. Garnet begins to suspect that Kenji is hiding something from her that may have to do with why he stood her up seven years ago. This time, though, she's not letting him get away without finding out the truth, but will she see Kenji differently once she finally knows?

Review

"Flirtation of Fate" is a long novella in Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling world that takes place after Heart of Obsidian. This one features Kenji and Garnet, both of whom are SnowDancer lieutenants, running their own dens in the wolves' extended territory, and if memory serves, they've both been seen in other books of the series as supporting characters who needled each other. Kenji is best friends with Garnet's brother, so throughout their growing up years, they were close. By their teen years, Garnet was totally falling for Kenji, but he was a bit of a player. Just as she thought he might finally be coming around to committing to her, he broke her heart on her twenty-first birthday by standing her up for a date. For the past seven years, they've had each other's backs when it comes to pack business, but avoided any personal entanglements. Now a lieutenants' meeting is scheduled to take place in Garnet's den. However, only Kenji arrives before a major rainstorm hits, preventing the others from reaching them and stranding everyone already in the den, so the close proximity begins to wreak havoc on both of them. When a packmate is found dead of a stab wound and another pack member appears to be the culprit, Garnet and Kenji, as the only personnel on site qualified to investigate, must work even closer to solve the mystery. Garnet swore never to let Kenji hurt her again, but she can't seem to stay mad at the flirtatious man who captured her heart so long ago. Kenji, it seems, though, is keeping a secret that could derail any possibility of them getting back together, but Garnet is determined to get to the bottom of it before he leaves.

Overall, "Flirtation of Fate" was a very enjoyable novella. Kenji and Garnet have a delicious sexual tension running just beneath the surface, waiting to burst into passion if only they can give it a chance. For her part, she's still mad at him for standing her up with a lame explanation all those years ago and fears getting hurt by him again if she lets him in, but at the same time, no one else really compares to her childhood crush. As for Kenji, he fell in love with Garnet a long time ago, but some devastating news that would have affected their future together made him let her go, thinking it would be the best thing for her. But of course, they simply can't deny their attraction to one another, and working in such close proximity stirs up all their old feelings. The mystery gives them something intriguing to do that they're both good at. However, I have to admit that I pretty much had it all figured out quite a ways before the reveal, which is rare for me. I also figured out Kenji's secret, so that was just a case of getting to his confession and seeing Garnet's reaction. Even though these two parts of the story were a little too predictable, I still very much enjoyed it. I think that's owing in large part to my love of the friends-to-lovers and second-chance tropes. I also can't deny that Kenji and Garnet were simply perfect for each other, and their love shone through in all their interactions. When we finally get to the mating scene, it gave me all the feels that I look for in a romance, wrapping up this novella on a high note, so I couldn't help giving it keeper status. "Flirtation of Fate" can be found in the anthology, Wild Embrace.

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Nalini Singh

Themes

Friends Before Lovers
Light Mystery
Reunion Stories