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X-Ops #0.5

Her Secret Agent

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John Loughlin, the Director of the Department of Covert Ops, is in New York City on a recruiting mission. He’s been tracking and evaluating one shifter in particular for some time. Cree Forest is a clever fox shifter—and very foxy. Cree is a translator for the UN and John is keen to recruit her brilliant mind and persuasive skills to join the DCO.

But Cree isn’t what she seems. Just as John has been watching her, Cree has been spying on him. She is working with a rogue shifter and John is getting too close—professionally and personally! On opposite sides professionally, can they trust each other with their hearts?

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2014

203 people are currently reading
984 people want to read

About the author

Paige Tyler

186 books2,065 followers
Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines who fall in love with them.

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5 stars
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210 (27%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
Profile Image for Annie .
2,506 reviews940 followers
July 4, 2015


In this prequel novella by Paige Tyler, she kicks off her X-Ops series with a feisty heroine named Cree Forest and a hunk of a hero named John Loughlin. Both are badasses in their own rights, but what makes them extra special are the abilities they possess.

What sets this series apart from other Romantic Suspense is that it has a paranormal side to it as well. Cree is a fox shifter so with her skill and knowledge, this puts her at the top of her class. I’ve quickly learned that Paige Tyler has a certain style that she has when creating heroines. It’s a style that I really enjoy because they are so full of life and don’t let the strong men around her try to control her. This is one of the reasons why I enjoyed this story so much. Cree really made it something special.

But that’s not to say that the men also don’t offer anything unique or are lackluster in comparison! There’s plenty to love John! I have a feeling that these guys will be just as amazing as the author’s heroes in the SWAT series. I cannot wait to read the rest and find out!

I’m so happy that I’ve discovered Paige Tyler’s novel. Sexy, sweet and suspenseful, you have everything you’ll need for a great escape.
Profile Image for Keri.
2,103 reviews121 followers
October 12, 2022
Going to have to reserve judgment on whether I like this series or not. The ILYs came too fast for me and I didn't feel that the length of the story gave enough time to flush out the characters. I didn't even have a complete picture of what John even looked like. Also, French Canadian mafia??? Cree was for sure the Alpha in this relationship...gurl power!!! :-) So having said that, I will probably pick up the first full length story and see how that plays out.
Profile Image for Sophia.
Author 5 books399 followers
March 16, 2015
I had already read the first two books in the series when this little Freebie prequel gem was put out. I was ecstatic to get the story of the operations director, John Loughlin. At first I wasn't sure what to make of him once I realized that the NCO organization wasn't necessarily on the up and up.

This was fun to see the spy meet his match with a woman who is definitely more than she appears to be and the two of them get to know each other sharing adventure with the Russian mob on their tails.

It's meant to be an introduction and a taste of the series while giving a brief telling of the story for a few of the series' characters. It does the job nicely. This is a series that is a well-balanced blend of paranormal and romantic suspense. Love it and I can recommend it!
Profile Image for Debra Johnson.
11k reviews179 followers
March 11, 2023
Purch Amazon April 13, 2018
Her Secret Agent by Paige Tyler
Genres: Adult, Crime, Paranormal, Romance.
3 Solid Stars

The story has a decent flow and I didn't find any editing errors of any kind.

It definitely has me interested in the series, but.... It needed more intensity and there were several areas where that could have happened.

I know 95 pages is short, but I have read shorter that had me more connected to the main characters and the world they live in.

Bottom line⤵
I liked it but didn't love it and feel the author could have done a better job.
I will be continuing to the next book in the series before I make a final decision about the series.
Profile Image for RachelW (BamaGal).
746 reviews77 followers
June 4, 2017
Ehhh, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything to write home about. It didn't leave me wanting to read any more in this series. Feeling generous because it was free...
Profile Image for Under the Covers Book Blog.
2,840 reviews1,343 followers
November 21, 2015

In this prequel novella by Paige Tyler, she kicks off her X-Ops series with a feisty heroine named Cree Forest and a hunk of a hero named John Loughlin. Both are badasses in their own rights, but what makes them extra special are the abilities they possess.

What sets this series apart from other Romantic Suspense is that it has a paranormal side to it as well. Cree is a fox shifter so with her skill and knowledge, this puts her at the top of her class. I’ve quickly learned that Paige Tyler has a certain style that she has when creating heroines. It’s a style that I really enjoy because they are so full of life and don’t let the strong men around her try to control her. This is one of the reasons why I enjoyed this story so much. Cree really made it something special.

But that’s not to say that the men also don’t offer anything unique or are lackluster in comparison! There’s plenty to love John! I have a feeling that these guys will be just as amazing as the author’s heroes in the SWAT series. I cannot wait to read the rest and find out!

I’m so happy that I’ve discovered Paige Tyler’s novel. Sexy, sweet and suspenseful, you have everything you’ll need for a great escape.

Reviewed by Annie

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Profile Image for Christi Snow.
Author 69 books739 followers
December 17, 2014
My Review:
This is a super-quick little novella that gives a glimpse into John's world. John is the director of the DCO, a covert and very controversial black-op agency within the government where things are not exactly as they should be. This agency works within the paranormal world of shifters.

Like I said, this is a novella and it just basically gives a teaser about the start of Cree and John's relationship. This reader definitely WANTS MORE because I loved the dynamic between the two. Cree is a fox shifter that John is trying to recruit, but there's so much more to this girl than he knows. I can't wait to read more of their story.

This is a FREE novella, and as such is just an intro into Paige Tyler's incredibly sexy, creative, new world. There are excerpts from two of her other books that I've already read. The good news is that both these series are also EXCELLENT and the excerpts in the novella are huge (both go over at least 5 chapters) so you get a great taste as to whether you will enjoy those novels before you have to spend any money on them. Although, I'll give you a hint...if you like sexy alphas set within paranormal romantic suspense, you are going to want to read Paige Tyler's new series..both of them...the X-Ops that's introduced here and the SWAT series which begins in January!
Profile Image for All Things Urban Fantasy.
1,921 reviews620 followers
June 15, 2015
Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

Why the low rating for HER SECRET AGENT? Well, there just wasn't enough story and what was there was either confusing because I didn't remember much from HER LONE WOLF (book 2 in the series), or was just not compelling enough for me to be really invested in what was happening. It was also the complete lack of reference for just who John was and if he was actually in the novel I read a year ago that had me frustrated and confused about what was going on.

Granted the small glimpse into this world with the novella was a pretty good introduction into what the whole series is about. HER SECRET AGENT is an interesting game of cat and mouse that eventually leads to some fun sexytime moments and not much else. John and Cree fit well enough together though it sort of felt like they were just thrown together and there wasn't much room for them and the plot to breath and develop much.

HER SECRET AGENT just didn't have enough plot for me to stay too interested in the storyline or John and Cree. It does a decent job at introducing readers to the series but that's about it.
Profile Image for Kelly at.
1,145 reviews13 followers
December 3, 2014
Review will be posted at www.books-n-kisses.com .

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
REVIEW:
John Loughlin is a man that prides himself on always being prepared. So when he sets up a meeting with one very foxy Cree Forest, John thinks he has it all worked out. But unfortunately or maybe fortunately for John things don’t go according to plan.

Oh this story was way too short!!! I want more of John & Cree. I hope that by releasing this novella it means that John will be getting a full length novel soon and a very happy HEA!

If you have read the first 2 books in the X-Ops series you will love this short novella and glimpse into John’s life. If you are new to this series feel free to start with either the novella or book 1.

Disclaimer:
I purchased a copy of this book. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.


Profile Image for Meiwilli.
1,643 reviews5 followers
August 2, 2015
Fast and furious pace (takes place in roughly 24 hours). But mildly entertaining. I read this prequel after I had already read books 1-3 which is probably best because this story didn't have enough momentum to entice me to continue the series. John and Cree come together so quickly it's completely unbelievable and what ensues with the Russian mafia is pure madness. However we do get a bit better insight on the DCO and John is fleshed out a bit more. On my Were Scale of Hotness, 2.5 stars.
Profile Image for Leanne.
126 reviews30 followers
May 12, 2020
Romanceopoly 2020 Challenge
Moon pack: 
Fang Alley Read a PNR with a vampire or shifter H/h

I'm sorry for the low rating but I couldn't bring myself to give it any higher. I had to force myself to finish and it was only 94 pages long! I'm very glad I managed to get this for free on Kindle :(

John is a stalker and a crappy spy (they spend all the meal noting that the waiter is watching them and acting nervous and he never once thought to question that? He just assumed the waiter had a crush on him! What an ego). The attraction was fast, the romance was fast. I'll let it off a bit for that because it is a novella and constricted by its page count but still. Not a great read

One star for Cree though, I did like her.

Edit
Okay so one star was a bit harsh. The action scenes were good and Tyler can write, I just wasn't bowled away with the romance or the hero. So one star for the writing and one for Cree.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Elisa.
3,227 reviews40 followers
May 11, 2018
This was a good lead-in to the x-ops series, a bit to short for my liking but as it's a prequel they tend to be short, the story gave a brief guide to what the series would be about and the characters were ok, I would have have preferred more descriptive writing and I have to say there were a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes which while they didn't take away from the story they are distracting for me as a reader.
Profile Image for Wild_irish_rose.
494 reviews9 followers
April 4, 2018
Way too short...especially since I wanted to know a lot more about John and Cree. But the story was good as far as it went. It helped that I'd already a few of the books. This story helped me get a better feel for John.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews131 followers
Want to read
May 12, 2020
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/12/2020)! 🎁
Profile Image for BookAddict  ✒ La Crimson Femme.
6,917 reviews1,439 followers
February 16, 2025
I thought this novella would be completely on John and Cree. I was wrong. Only the 1st one is about John. I wish there was more. The others are several chapters of longer novels. I have read all the books so they do not interest me as much. It was a nice refresher.
Profile Image for Miki.
1,026 reviews42 followers
May 5, 2020
It was an interesting novlla which gave us quite a good opening into the universe of the series to explain the major players.I loves how loyal and protective John is.This sure made me want to discover the series even if the novella isn't a favourite for me.

It felt a little too short and unbalanced between the information/story part and the steamy, very steamy part ( in a book it would have been good but in this novella it seemed too long in comparaison to the story itself)
Profile Image for Laura.
Author 15 books613 followers
January 28, 2018
Review posted on Got Fiction?

This is a free prequel for Paige Tyler's X-Ops series (which I really like).

This story gives you a quick romance and a bit of backstory on the characters you'll see coming up. Cree is a fox shifter and is meeting John for an interview. He's had her in his sights for a while and wants to recruit her, except she's more than she seems.

The story is primarily the two of them talking and connecting, and through their conversation you learn about what's going on in the series as a whole, which is why I recommend reading it once you're already one or two books in.

Many reviews have mentioned not liking how short it is, but really it feels like a teaser. If you read this, you'll be hooked enough to go into the series. However, I think it's a good idea to read one of the full-length books first. It stands alone, but you get more out of it if you've already started the series. It'll feel more like bonus material to you.

It's good, it's interesting, but I did want to see more with Cree and John. Since I like the series so much, I'll have to keep reading!
Profile Image for Eva Millien.
3,115 reviews45 followers
January 3, 2015
John Loughlin is on a recruiting mission, tracking and evaluating fox shifter, Cree Forest, but not everything is as it seems and the tables have been turned in this exciting paranormal romance.

There is never a dull moment in this fast paced and smooth flowing plot that keeps readers on their toes with suspense, action and romance. John is acting on his own without DCO’s knowledge thank goodness as Cree turns the tables on him and he discovers that she’s been tracking him. The reader can’t help but get caught up in their story as Cree and John’s attraction burns up the pages but the fact that they are on opposite sides might be a small problem.

The well written scenes and details capture the imagination and the well orchestrated suspense and action draw the reader in and compels them to read every last word. Spine tingling excitement builds throughout the story as danger from John’s past stalks the couple as they are trying to work out just who they are working for and of course some red hot sex scenes ensue during the negotiations as well.

I was completely engrossed in this prequel novella to the thrilling X-Ops series and I am can’t wait to read more.

4 ½ STARS
Profile Image for Jasmyn.
1,604 reviews19 followers
January 29, 2016
I seriously love the concept behind these shifters. But I can't tell you exactly why they are different - it's fun figuring it out on your own. Cree is a shifter that has some very special skills, skills that John from the DCO (Department of Covert Operations) thinks will be nice to have. At least that's what they both say going into their first meeting.

They quickly find out that there are a whole lot of somethings running beneath the surface - including an incredible sexual attraction. But, Cree's shifter status and John's reasons for recruiting her may prevent them from figuring out if they could be anything more.

This is a very quick wham bam thank ya ma'am type of story. We have a couple really good fight scenes, a little bit of suspense (the story just wasn't long enough to really draw it out), and a really hot couple. I do wish that it had been longer - but I understand that it was a prequel to set the stage for the future books. Great start - I know I want more now!! And the last time I looked - this was a freebie on Amazon and B&N - so go give it a try!!!!
Profile Image for Melindeeloo.
3,268 reviews158 followers
September 27, 2020
3.5 stars = I liked it. This was a quick steamy little X-ops story, things don't go exactly the way he planned when John attempts to recruit the foxy Cree to his cover government organization. Cree ends up even more than he'd hoped, which is its good thing since trouble is headed his way. Cree is a very intriguing leading lady and the couple has good chemistry, the pair have had their eye on each other for a while which helped me to accept the fated mate fueled attraction. This was a freebie so the fact that the story ended at 28% (and the rest of the content was extended excerpts for two other books) didn't irk me the way it would have if I'd payed for this.
Profile Image for MK.
1,620 reviews22 followers
December 4, 2014
Amazing, fast paced book.. Paige Tyler has brought us the director John Loughlin at the DCO in an attempt to bring Ms. Cree Forest over to the DCO..When he meets her for the first time, he needs to be very careful on how that goes down..

What happens will both shock you, and make things really exciting. I said before it's fast paced..get ready for it.
They both have something in common, and they both fess up so the other knows what the truth is..It get's really interesting. A little attraction develope between them and it's really hot.


Trust me when I say you need to read this book. I also highly suggest the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Madison Warner Fairbanks.
3,397 reviews495 followers
January 7, 2015
Her Secret Agent by Paige Tyler

Prequel novella with a lot of depth and passion. Even if you don't plan to read her full length novels, this short story is worth reading for the romance and intrigue. Spies, Russian Mobsters, shifters and yes, a hot sexy bedroom scene.
This definitely made me glad I've got more books by Paige on the shelf. I'm looking forward to reading them.

This prequel version included the first 5 chapters each of Her Perfect Mate and Hungry Like The Wolf which introduce you to her two current exciting series.
Profile Image for Steph.
2,157 reviews305 followers
June 2, 2015
I've been curious about this series, so I was happy to grab this free prequel.

Sometimes I wonder if it's better to read prequels after you've started a series so it's more of a look back at how things got started for characters you already know. I think I might've enjoyed this short better had I done that instead of reading it first. However, I did like the concept and characters, so I'll continue to read on a bit.
Profile Image for N. Kuhn.
Author 66 books411 followers
December 8, 2014
This was a great Paranormal romance with some plot twists that keep you turning pages and enjoying the story. It's a short book, but gives you a lot of insight into what the series is about, as well as a look at the other books in the series. I haven't read any of the X-Ops Series, but plan to now! Grab this freebie, it's worth it!
Profile Image for Jackie.
3,956 reviews128 followers
July 31, 2016
When I say short I mean super short as in this read took only 28% of the file and the story was over.

While there was a great deal of dialogue between John and Cree that shared with the reader a lot of information there are still a lot of unanswered questions for readers when this story ended.

Questions that open up to lead intro for the series of course as this was only a teaser.
Profile Image for Rinou.
1,001 reviews42 followers
August 14, 2016
First of all I hate it when I realize the book is much longer than the story. Here the novella takes less than 30% of the book, the rest is preview of other novels. I feel cheated.
Secondly the story is too short to really get a feel about the characters, as interesting as they seem to be. reserve my judgment on the series for after I've read the next book.
Profile Image for Katter.
345 reviews9 followers
April 27, 2019
First off I'd like to say this isn't the kind of book I usually read. I'm not really into the whole "secret agent" or “special forces” thing, but this was my book clubs choice of the month so I decided to give it a shot. And while I wasn't impressed by what I read, it wasn't completely terrible either.

So this little novella is decently written and the characters are level headed and smart, which is a boon. But all the other stuff in the story, however, was pretty 'meh'. Basically it's about a man named John and a fox shifter lady with the terrible name of Cree, who tail each other for months. He wants her to work for his shady organization, while Cree has been following him to keep him safe from his shady organization.

Later after John contacts Cree with a fake job offer, the two hit it off while having dinner and constantly make googly eyes at one another. Soon enough they both learn what the other has been up to, which then leads to some action scenes with some goofy mobsters who want John dead. He of course gets wounded in an altercation, and then after they get away, has his wounds tended to by Cree, who is in her underwear for some strange reason.

It makes no sense at all really, but apparently John and Cree make one another so hot and bothered that only after a couple hours of knowing each other, have a roll in the hay. Yikes. I get that some people are into that, but it does nothing for me. There was no build up to the moment and it just felt empty.

Now if this was just supposed to be a booty call that could slowly morph into something more, then the story would be more believable. But for some reason, after some hot lovin', Cree decides that John is ‘hers’ and vice versa. Seriously? One good romp and your sold to commitment with someone you don’t really know? K.

The romance aspect of this small story is absolutely ridiculous. The rest of the plot isn't too bad, but it leaves something to be desired. And the ending was actually kinda lame. During the epilogue when John is gazing at Cree and thinking about their future, I just



It honestly makes no sense. Apparently great sex equals eternal love or some sort of garbage like that. BLEH!

Needless to say I will not be reading the rest of the series. This "secret agent" stuff bores me to tears and was used a terrible excuse to write poor paranormal smut. X-Ops is getting the boot!
Profile Image for A.M..
Author 7 books58 followers
July 13, 2017
Ex CIA officer John Loughlin works at the new agency DCO. The super secret one that employs more than a few shifters. They are still mostly unknown in society, but their special skills make them perfect agents; strong, fast and with extra skills depending on their animal type.
He’s in NY to offer Cree Forrest a job. He’s fairly sure she’s a shifter, but he’s not sure what type.
Turns out she’s a fox.
***
Her apartment was small, but nice. A little more sparsely decorated than he expected, maybe. Modern yet classic, casual without seeming shabby, and sexy, but in a demur and understated way. (Kindle Locations 514-516)

No. That should be ‘demure’.
This is one of those novellas that probably should be read after the first few books, as it assumes rather a lot of knowledge.

3 stars
43 reviews
February 18, 2018
This book concentrates on John and Cree’s romance, how they meet etc. John is the Director of a secret government covert ops department and there are some higher powered members of the organisation who are using his team for their own purpose. The book left too many loose ends for me.

I then went on to read the next book in the hopes that it would continue the story, nope, it didn’t. I’m still left hanging!

If this is how you like your books then go ahead and buy it and enjoy the rest of the series. If you enjoy shifter/scifi you’ll enjoy this series it’s fast paced, full of action with a good romance, bearing in mind you’ll have to buy more to tie up the loose ends.

I do buy other books from authors who write a series but only when they write a complete story and the follow up books are about other characters introduced in the prequel/book 1 or with a similar theme. If the author had written in her synopsis that this is how she writes I wouldn’t have read the book and consequently written a 2 star review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews

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