Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh (Psy/Changeling Series, Book 3)
I’ve had this post in draft for ages, and I’ve decided to turn it into a quickie or it may never see the light of day. While Slave to Sensation is still my favourite book in this series, Caressed by Ice is a great read. The Psy hero/changeling heroine combination has a very different dynamic from the pairings in the previous books, and if you like your heroines to be dark, inscrutable and very alpha, you won’t be disappointed.
It took me a while to warm up to the characters in this book, and I had to read it twice to get a better understanding of what made them tick. Judd is a much colder hero, and while I can see how he’d appeal to other readers, I prefer the changeling heros of the previous books. I liked Brenna only after the second reading, because at times I found her irritatingly clingly (though she had good reason to be). I wasn’t certain how Singh was going to resolve the very huge problem of Judd’s need for the Silence protocol, and I found some of the explanations about how dissonance was affecting him confusing. But the book doesn’t take an easy way out, so I’m happy with the way it was resolved, although I would have liked to have understood Judd’s reprogramming of his brain better.
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Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
I’m not gonna lie. I love this book. Mine doesn’t seem to be a popular opinion when I look it up on the blogs, but J. T. Wilder is just … swoonable. He’s just so … manly. And no flowerly dialogue, thank god. (Also, I learned a new word: clusterfuck.) I wish we had more men like him in romance.
It took me ages to warm up to Lucy, however, and that’s unusual for a Crusie heroine. I found her slighty shrill and felt that she didn’t really change much during the book. Some of her scenes with Wilder were so melodramatic, I felt like rolling my eyes. Still, a bad Crusie heroine is far from a write-off, and I loved some of her conversations with the movie crew.
I also loved the tight writing–every scene here has a purpose, even though it got farcical at times. This isn’t your typical romance, and the “I love you” comes out of the blue. Best if they hadn’t included it–I just read through and ignored that bit. But this book is a keeper because of Wilder. As a result, I may have a teeny-weeny crush on Bob Mayer.
If you’re thinking of picking up a romance(ish) novel that a guy might like, try this one. Click here to read the first chapter.
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Lady of Light and Shadows by C. L. Wilson (Tairen Soul, Book 2)
After reading Lord of the Fading Lands, all shame flew out the window and I begged e-mailed the publisher to see if they’d be willing to part with an ARC of the sequel. If at all possible, these two books should be read back to back because while Lord of the Fading Lands focuses on Rain’s courtship of Ellie, Lady of Light and Shadows develops the external plot further and adds much more complexity to the story.
The heroine
Ellie Baristani has been claimed as the truemate of the Lord of the Fey, but as far as Ellie’s concerned, she’s a woodcarver’s daughter pretending to be a queen. Her first official engagement as queen ended in complete disaster when she accidentally wielded magic–of the lusty kind–right in the middle of dinner! Hers is an unpredictable skill that seems to get her into trouble time and again. Now, amidst the suspicion of her own family and friends, Ellie struggles to accept and control the magic she has always feared.
The hero
Rain Tairen Soul, King of the Fey, is convinced that his most bitter enemies, the Mages of Eld, are preparing for an attack. But despite his relentless campaigning, his allies are unable or unwilling to see the danger that is imminent. Meanwhile, he must continue to court Ellie so that she might fully accept their mating bond–for she is now his greatest vulnerability.
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Beat of Temptation by Nalini Singh (Psy/Changeling Series) in An Enchanted Season
Beat of Temptation is part of an anthology, An Enchanted Season, but I just had to post about it. I cried. I can’t remember the last time I cried while reading a romance novel or when I last read in the car, but I did both. It was that good.
Beat of Temptation is a stand alone novella set in the Psy-Changeling world, and while it isn’t essential to the series, it offers a glimpse into the changeling mating bond. There’s an external plot dealing with the relationship between Psy and changelings, but it’s peripheral to the story. Beat of Temptation is about Tamsyn and Nate (introduced in previous books in the series), who recognised the mating bond when Tamsyn was only fifteen and Nate much older (twenty-five?). Now, nineteen-year old Tamsyn wants to … well, get the party started, but Nate wants her to enjoy unmated singledom for a while because he’s scared she’ll end up like his mother, who married young and ended up committing suicide.
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Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day (Warriors of Poseidon, Book 1)
The heroine
Riley Dawson is a social worker with a special gift. She’s an empath, able to link minds with warriors who seem to have appeared out of the water.
The hero
Conlan, high prince of Atlantis, has spent the last seven years under hideous torture by Anubisa, daughter of Chaos and goddess of the vampires. When he returns home, he discovers that the Trident of Poseidon, the instrument of his ascension to the throne, has been stolen.
The setup
Conlan surfaces from the depths of Atlantis in search of the stolen Trident when he rescues Riley from danger … and realises that she’s an empath. Their mental and emotional connection is overwhelming, but Conlan knows that, when he ascends, his duty requires him to submit to an arranged marriage.
And other stuff
Seven–count them: seven–warriors, an Atlantean priest who’s having trouble with his vow of celibacy, blood and guts
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Shadow Hawk by Jill Shalvis
Shadow Hawk has been doing the blog rounds. Jill Shalvis is an engaging writer–you only have to visit her blog to know that–but I’m sure the yummy cover also has something to do with the popularity of this book. (Hey, notice the different cover on the Aussie Blaze? We don’t cut off the sexy model’s head!) I’m not really into beefcake, but even I was mesmerised. (The comments I got when I added this book on Facebook!) The suspense in this story is a bit thin, but the wooing and the cavorting are fun to read.
The heroine
Abby Wells used to be a great ATF field agent until she was captured and tortured by the bad guys. Now, she’s not quite sure of herself, and even though she’s back on the job, she still carries some heavy emotional baggage. She’s also sworn off personal relationships, even if the sight of Hawk makes her … sweat.
The hero
Conner Hawk is an ATF field agent who’s determined to nail the mastermind of a scheme to blackmail corporations using kiddie bombers. Hawk suspects someone high up within the ATF but has no proof.
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Lord of the Fading Lands by C. L. Wilson (Tairen Soul, Book 1)
I won an ARC of Lord of the Fading Lands via Dear Author, and it’s taken me a while to blog about it because I wanted to read it a few times to do the book justice. Lord of the Fading Lands is a blend of epic fantasy and good old-fashioned romance–two of my favourite reading pleasures. I expected great things from this novel on the strength of Jane’s review, and for the most part, it didn’t disappoint. C. L. Wilson’s writing is lush without being bloated, and the romance … well, it made me giggle and blush in very good ways.
The heroine
Ellie Baristani, adopted daughter of a Celierian woodcarver, was plagued with nightmares and torments as a child, which has caused her to fear magic. With one year to go before she’s considered a pitiable spinster, Ellie’s marriage prospects are grim. Her family isn’t rich enough nor is she beautiful enough to attract suitors, and Ellie is tricked into a betrothal with a man who repulses her.
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Lover Unbound by J. R. Ward (The Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5)
Because it takes me almost a day to write up any sort of response to J. R. Ward’s BDB series, I’ve liveblogged this one. Well, it’s technically not “live” because I’m posting my thoughts in one hit, but I wrote them up as I went along. I’ve tried to avoid spoilers in the liveblog, but after I read the book, I couldn’t resist and I’ve posted my overall reactions afterwards. Those contain spoilers.
Anyway. On to V’s book. Ready? Here we go…
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High Noon by Nora Roberts
It’s clear why Nora Roberts is beloved by so many romance readers. Her voice is gentle but not wussy, and her characters are interesting but real. While I have some stylistic issues with this novel, they weren’t enough to distract me from a well-crafted storyline and believable, lovable characters.
I bought this book on the strength of Rosie’s post here. What struck me most about the story is that even though the characters’ circumstances are sometimes unusual—Phoebe’s mother has agoraphobia, Duncan won a bazillion dollars in a lottery—they still felt very real to me. Roberts does an excellent job of keeping the characters consistent, and I never felt that any one of them, including the secondary characters, acted out of character throughout the novel. The suspense plot isn’t shoddy, either, although it sags a little in the middle. Roberts gives enough information for me to understand what’s happening and to create the right atmosphere. It *felt* right, which is all that matters to me since I know nothing about law enforcement.
I do have an issue with some of Roberts’s POV choice because not all of the transitions in the narrative are smooth. Readers who hate head hopping will probably find this a problem.
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Demon Angel by Meljean Brook (The Guardians, Book 2)
I debated whether or not to write this up as a quickie or post in detail about this book. But I’m going with the quickie because if I try and write down everything I love about Meljean Brook’s Demon Angel, it would be a humungously long post and will probably sit in draft because I’ll never get around to finishing it.
In case I’m not being clear: go and read this book.
This book is the best cross-genre (paranormal romance) novel I’ve read bar none. The paranormal elements are well fleshed out and the world building is extensive but woven into the story without bludgeoning me with details. Other bloggers have complained that this is a weakness of the book, that it slows down the pace, but I disagree. And that’s from someone with a relatively short attention span for world building. The romance is given centre stage, and the paranormal conflicts are intrinsic to the romantic conflicts. In my opinion, this is how a paranormal romance should be. You can’t take the paranormal out, and you can’t take the romance out–they both have to be there for the story to work.
The romance in the story is heady. It’s exciting and it’s complex. The central characters are immersed in shades of grey. I was filled with dread as I neared the end because I couldn’t figure out how the Brook would pull it off. But she does, and it’s glorious, and I can’t stop raving about this book.
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