This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

 Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
 Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
 Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5

I like your imprint, an enormous comforting purr that wraps around me

First Impressions
So Primal Mirror is the most recent release in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series by Nalini Singh. This is definitely one of my more anticipated releases for 2024 and I had such a blast with it. I am very glad I was able to get this one read and it definitely was worth the wait. This also showed aspects of the changeling world that we haven't really seen before and I appreciated what the author did in that. The pack that we see, is also a brand new pack and very new and young and still establishing themselves. They are a smaller unit, but finding their own strength and I really valued the context of it. This also had a feeling of a classic changeling romance, there was something so classic about many aspects of this book while still being mindful of the more modern readership that this author has developed. There is still a heavier focus of consent in her books here. I don't mind that, but sometimes having it mentioned so many times in one page gets a bit annoying. But other than that, I found this book so refreshing and the romance was breathtaking. Fans of this world and this author, will have a blast with this one here.

First Line
Remi swore under his breath.

The Main Protagonists
 The Hero: Remi, Alpha Leopard
 The Heroine: Auden Scott

 Remi was in this to the end. For Auden. for her cub. And for the whispered promise of a future that clawed at his heart

Summary
The story begins with our hero, Remi, who is the new alpha of this new pack in a very remote forest near some mountains. Their borderland is taken over by a lone Psy woman, a woman that is intriguing but her mind is fractured, but Remi and Auden have a brief moment of intense connection. Now its been months later, and Auden has been pregnated by a associate of her mothers, but Auden is determined to protect her baby no matter the costs. She knows that there is something not right about their plans for her baby, and she is a damaged daughter of a powerful elite family in the Psy world and she will break free and find a place of safety for her daughter. She comes to the remote mountains to escpae and she runs into Remi, who is protective and attentive, but respectful and she starts to build a bond with Remi. Remi is the alpha of his pack and a powerful leopard, who knows that Auden is his mate and that child she is carrying is their cub and they will protect both no matter the cost to themselves and he has his whole pack behind him as cubs always come first. Auden doesn't know what to make of Remi, but she does know that she makes her feel intense emotion, the like of which she never imagined for herself. Their bond grows into something much more intimate and packed with love and strength, but Auden will have to defeat her family and the damage done to her own mind before she can have any sort of happy ending with the man she loves and the daughter she would die for...

 He was Remi Denier. Alpha....father....and mate.
he was living a life farm more extraordinary and joyous than could’ve been dreams of by the lonely and grieving boy whose anger had once driven him to race and race in an effort to outrun his pain. There was no more to need to run anywhere.
He was home
in his pack
in her arms

What I Loved
So many aspects to this story that just completely worked for me. The first being, is there is not a book from this author that I don't love and there is something about her writing that will always work for each and every time. I also couldn't get enough of Auden and Remi. But especially REMI.....there was just something about this author, who literally stole my heart from the very beginning. Even though you sense that he has a connection to Auden, he is still wary of her because of her fractured mind. But his leopard is always wanting to fight for Auden just like Remi is wanting to. And the bond that Remi makes with Auden's baby, Liberty, was just beautiful. I couldn't seem to get enough of those sweet moments he bonds with this adorable little baby girl. The romantic relationship between Remi and Auden was just a delight. Now fair warning, that this is a slow burn so it might not be for everyone, but I promise that if you stick with it, it definitely will be worth it because even though the moments that Remi and Auden have aren't many, as due to the circumstances they aren't able to be intimate until after Liberty is born, you also see that emotional connection being built and then once we get to the smexy moments, the intimacy just fully connects with them and it packs such a powerful punch. Even though I am not big on intimate scenes, this one just was worth reading because of how this story was gradually built. I fell so hard for Remi and Auden and they might be one of my favorite couples and also seeing other characters in this pack....I fell so hard for and we got to see KIT!!! And boy is he so grown up and I can't wait for his book. I know it might not be for a while, but it is definitely getting closer to happening and I am so fascinated to see what his contribution will be to this pack.

 She smashed into him and he was primal heat in her arms. Remi, my remi. Her mate had a heart bigger than the sun. His love for his pack a vastness no one but a alpha or his mate could understand. He was hers and she would allow him into every corner of her soul


What I Struggled With
The only thing I struggled with at times was the slow burn nature of the romance, as it was REALLY slow burn and it could have not been so dragged out. And the focus on consent was WAY too much. I know this is a newer trend with Singh in this series, and while I don't mind it, the amount of times consent is mentioned got a bit annoying at times which is why this book isn't a five star book. It just was a bit of overkill here.

Narration
Powerful narration and really brought out the character dynamics just right. It also portrayed the emotion and level of intensity of the story that was needed at just the right time to truly build on the connection and suspense in how it was meant to be displayed in audio for the story.

Overall View
Primal Mirror is a gradual built romance that feeds into the heart of the changeling soul, digs deep into the emotion of love and intimacy, it explores the beauty of a parent's love and brings a world to life which is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings and captivate the senses! TRULY A THRILLING RIDE OF THE SOUL!

 She was a storm wind that brought him to his knees, with her violent beauty and endless spirit. She was love, such love. She was a warrior ready to battle for her mate and their child. She was a lover who saw him in masculine beauty. They became one, their hearts and minds forever linked.


Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Paranormal Romance
Character Types: Shape Shifter, Alpha Male, Psychic Abilities, Leopard shifter
Themes: Heart/Touching, Slow Burn, Tear Jerker, Danger/Suspense elements, Praise Kink
Tropes: Fated Love, Opposites Attract

Book Perspective
3rd POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot Conflict

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Christine Feehan
Paige Tyler
J.D. Tyler

Song This Book Inspires
Wake Up Love by Teyana Taylor

Recommendation For Reading Order
Either. They can be read as a standalone, but this world does better being read in order.

Steam/Spice Explanations

Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.

Narrators:
Angela Dawe