Review: "Kiss of Snow" by Nalini Singh

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


First off, let me say that I'm completely biased when it comes to Hawke, so don't expect this to be a sensible and impartial "review". ;)



Hawke alone deserves 5 stars, and I'll just be honest and say that I'd love this book even if the plot was utter crap - which it isn't, of course.

I became obsessed feel in love with Hawke the moment I met him in Slave to Sensation, the first book in the series:

Hawke was muscular and he was lethal. A predator to the core. His eyes were the same icy blue whether he was in wolf or human form, his hair a thick silver-gold that had nothing to do with age. It echoed his pelt. Of all the changelings Lucas knew, it was Hawke who resembled his beast the most in humanity.



Lucas, the hero in that book, was yummylicious on his own way, no question about it, but it was Hawke who grabbed my heart then. I'd been anxiously waiting to read his book ever since, but I knew it would take some time before he was ready...

Sascha took a breath and let her eyes flutter shut. (...) The wolf's emotions struck cold terror into her heart. She'd never felt such pure, unadulterated rage. Dark and violent, it was a scar across his soul. Hawke could function, could rule, but this man would never love, not so long as he was blinded by the red veil of blood and death.

Cold, dangerous, ruthless, tortured... Is it any wonder I fell hard and fast for him? *sighs*

Sienna was introduced in that book too and I immediately sensed she would become a major player in the series, even though she only had a few lines. I didn't see any sexual spark between Hawke and her - thank the gods, because she was only seventeen back then - but it was clear that he let her get away with more than he normally would.



The tension between them became more evident in Visions of Heat, the following book in the series, and I began to wonder what Ms. Singh had in store for them. Hawke's description of Sienna was almost like a declaration of love:

"Sienna's so damn much trouble, I'm starting to think the brat's a she-wolf in bloody disguise."

Aww, comparing her to a she-wolf... High compliment coming from a wolf, don't you think? ;)

The tension escalated in Caressed By Ice and I had no more doubts about their pairing.

Sienna could make Hawke lose his cool faster than any other man or woman in the den. (...) Hawke's face darkened. "Keep that damn brat away from me — she's more trouble than a pack of rabid cats."

Yup, it was true love, LOL.

Naturally, Ms. Singh had to throw another major obstacle in their way...

"Can I ask you something?"
Hawke rubbed a hand over Brenna's back. "Go on."
"Why haven’t you taken a mate?"
(...)
Hawke didn't respond for a long time. "She was two years old when we met. I was seven. I knew she was my best friend straight away. As I got older, I also knew she would grow up to become my mate."
Brenna didn't want him to continue, a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"She fit me in a way no one else ever will. And she died when she was five and I was ten."
A single tear rolled down her face. She wished anything that she could turn back time and save that life, because mating was a one-shot deal. Hawke had found the woman who was meant for him. That didn't happen twice.

No, no, no! What kind of future Hawke and Sienna could have if she was never to be his mate, the one and only woman in the world meant for him? Oh, the pain!

Ms. Singh, who must be a sadist (I say that with love, LOL), did nothing to soothe my poor nerves in Mine to Possess, as neither Hawke nor Sienna made a single appearance in that book. Big bummer!

Fortunately, Hawke and I didn't have to stay apart for long, as he was back on the scene in Hostage to Pleasure. Sienna was still MIA, but one particular dialogue between Lucas and Sacha made me perk up and smile like a ninny:

"That damn wolf. He sent you a present last week."
Sascha smiled at the thought of Hawke's flirting. The SnowDancer alpha did it only to jerk Lucas' chain. "I never saw any present. What was it?"
"How the hell should I know? I stomped on it and threw it into the deepest crevice I could find." Lucas smirked. "Then I called him to ask how Sienna was doing."
She burst out laughing. "Wicked, wicked man." Everyone knew Sienna Lauren was the short fuse on Hawke's temper. The Psy teenager appeared to have made it her mission in life to get on his last nerve. "What did he say?"
"That she's planning a party for her eighteenth birthday." The laughter in Lucas's tone told her exactly what Hawke had sounded like as he shared that tidbit.

Woohoo! Sienna was turning eighteen and Hawke wouldn't be able to hold her at arm's length anymore. But what about the darn mating bond they could never share? Oh, the agony!

As expected, a eighteen-year-old Sienna proved to be dangerous - but not only to Hawke. A Cardinal Psy with undisclosed powerful abilities, her conditioning and shields were crumbling, putting everything and everyone around her in danger.

"I'm the horror in the closet, Sascha, the nightmare even Psy hide from."
"Your uncle has extremely powerful abilities — he's learned to control them. So will you."
"I’m not like Uncle Judd. I'm worse. You know it and so do I. One slip and boom, I take out the entire den."
Sascha held the girl closer, disbelieving. Cardinal Psy with furious combat abilities were beyond deadly. Sienna could possibly take out the SnowDancer den if she lost her grip on her powers. "You've been trying to manage it?"
"I shut up everything inside. Everything. I thought if I could hold it, just hold it, it would be fine. But it's not."
"Why?" she asked. "Why are you losing control this badly?"
The answer, when it came, broke Sascha's heart.
"Hawke." It was an almost soundless whisper.

So, another obstacle was thrown on Hawke and Sienna's way... As a Psy with a strong and virulent ability, she couldn't exist without Silence. But she couldn't hold on her conditioning and be around Hawke at the same time either. Darn! Wasn't the impossibility of a mating bond between Hawke and Sienna bad enough? *pouts*

To my dismay, Branded by Fire ended with Hawke and Sienna apart. It looked like their story was over, especially after she started hanging around with a gorgeous, loyal, charming DarkRiver cat. Hmmm...

Once again, the sadist in Ms. Singh kept me on the verge of a breakdown when neither Hawke nor Sienna made an appearance in the following book, Blaze of Memory. They weren't even mentioned! That was cruel! I needed to know if they were really over, if Sienna had found a new lover, and if Hawke was free to be mine. Mine!

Bonds of Justice seemed to cement their separation. They were still MIA, but at least they were mentioned:

"Kit would be the better choice for Sienna," Lucas said in a quiet tone that did nothing to hide the depth of his concern for everyone involved. "Hawke isn't going to be easy on any woman he takes as his own. And the fact is, he lost the girl who would've been his mate as a child. I don't know if his wolf will allow him to accept another female on that level."

As much as I wanted Hawke to be mine, I can't say I was happy with that. Despite all the obstacles, I still wanted Hawke and Sienna together, but I began to wonder if Ms. Singh was laying the ground to introduce a plot twist - like, Hawke's mate's unexpected "resurrection"... :-/

Silly, silly me! Play of Passion put things back in place again. Hawke and Sienna were definitely meant to be together, yay! The stubborn man was still trying to fight the unwavering pull, but his wolf was tired of waiting and ready to claim what he saw as his:

(...) he surrendered to the wild hunger within and headed out for a run in wolf form.
He'd barely cleared the doorway when he caught a scent that instantly ruffled his fur the wrong way. She smelled like autumn fire and some rich, exotic spice. Far too potent a scent for someone so young, someone from whom he should keep his distance. Instead, he drew the spice-laced air into his lungs and ran at a ground-devouring lope that brought him to a small rise from where he could watch his prey.
(...)
He should step back, should move in the opposite direction.
He should.
He turned and angled down through the trees until he appeared on the path beside her instead. Jerking back in surprise, Sienna stared at him with wide eyes. When he did nothing but wait for her, she continued on the trail, shooting him small looks filled with suspicion until it became clear he was intent only on keeping her company.
Then her stride relaxed, and they walked.
In silence.

Sweet!!! Call me crazy, but I can't resist a stalking hero, LOL. And as soon as I finished reading Play of Passion, I started counting the days until the release of my beloved Hawke's book. Oh, the anticipation! Four and a half years, that's how long I had to wait for it. What if it didn't fulfill my sky-high expectations? I'd die! (I'm such a drama queen, LOL.)

Then, to my surprise and utter joy, I was able to get an early copy of this coveted gem, Kiss of Snow. Finally! I'd finally get the answers to the questions that had been plaguing me... Would Hawke be able to claim Sienna as his mate or would they have to settle for a "regular" relationship? ... What would happen when she was no longer able to keep her destructive Psy abilities under control? ... How would the Psy Council's dissolution affect the world? ... Would there be anything left after the Pure Psy unleashed their massive attack on the changeling packs? ... Did the book answer all those questions? Well, you know I can't won't tell you. ;) But I'll let you know this: the series is definitely not over and I can't wait to see what will happen next.

As with almost all the books in this series, there isn't much I can say here about the continuing story arc that started in Slave to Sensation without giving away spoilers, so I'll keep this short. Unlike some of the previous books, Kiss of Snow showed that the Psy weren't as "weak" as the Changelings (and I) had thought. By "weak", I mean that as much as the Psy had been presented as ruthless and deadly before, I'd never fully felt a real threat to the Changelings. That changed in this book, as it was shown that the Psy could take down the Changelings. Plotwise, Kiss of Snow marks the end of the original story arc of the series. I'm sure all the major players we've met over the years will still be around in the next books, but the series' main focus is likely to change after the latest developments in the Psy-Changeling war.

Considering Hawke and Sienna's history, Kiss of Snow is filled with sexual tension. They had been dancing around each other for a long time, and it was time to set things right. Hawke, the man and the wolf, had reached the breaking point. He still tried to convince himself to let Sienna go, thinking she deserved better than a man who couldn't give her the mating bond, but the thought of seeing her with another man was enough to drive him insane. He couldn't let her go, not after he claimed skin privileges...

"You want to dance?" Husky words that stroked along her skin like the softest fur.
She nodded.
"Then we dance." Reaching out, he switched on the vehicle's sound system and input a selection before stepping out.
Her door opened as a slow, smoky ballad began to play. "Come."
Not sure this wasn't all a dream, she placed her hand in his and, fighting the wild rush of sensation engentlered by his touch and his scent, allowed him to tug her around to the front of the vehicle. "Arms around my neck."
The command released her voice. "I thought you weren't being alpha here."
"I'm not." Oh.
As she raised her arms, she realized her boots gave her enough height to cup his nape with one hand, while she placed the other on the muscled warmth of his shoulder. When he shifted position so that his jaw rubbed against her temple, her heart began to thud fast as a jackhammer.
Teeth nipped at her ear.
She jumped.
"Pay attention." A rumbling growl.
(...)
"Sienna." A deep murmur against her skin, his lips brushing her temple. "This can't be. You know that."
"No," she said. "Not tonight." She wanted to dance with him, be a woman in the arms of a man who made every part of her awaken in a hunger she'd never expected to feel and who, for this magical moment, was hers.
His jaw, heavy with stubble, rubbed against her temple again as he shifted his hold to press her closer. Then, as the music played, as the night grew softer and quieter, they danced.



Oh Hawke, you romantic beast! Call me "baby", chase me, bite me, mark me... You've ruined me for other men!

As for Sienna, her maturity came as no surprise to me. She was "only" nineteen, but she was no teenager. Sure, she had a couple of hissy fits that could be labeled teen-ish, but she was mostly old beyond her years, due to the life she'd had before her defection from the PsyNet. So the age issue - Hawke was thirty-four - was never a problem to me. She was strong, level-headed, unafraid to go after what she wanted - and willing to cut loose if that was proven to be out of her reach. She was done hanging around Hawke and waiting for him, so he either claimed her or stopped acting possessive about her. Good for her! If only she had more time before her deadly Psy ability took over...

Sienna unleashed:



Now, I have to say that I could have done with a little less sexual tension. Hawke and Sienna were on the verge of going for the ultimate skin privilege only to be interrupted so many freaking times, I was pulling my hair in frustation when they finally managed to go through with it. Halfway through the book, I began to worry about his health. Thankfully, dying from blue balls is only a myth, or he'd have perished on the spot. ;)

Besides the two main storylines (Hawke and Sienna's relationship and the Psy-Changeling war), there was also a surprising (to me) and sweet secondary romance between Walker, Sienna's uncle, and Lara, the SnowDancer healer, that made reading this book even more enjoyable. I liked both of them and was very happy to see them together.

And for those die-hard fans like me, who have been following this series since the beginning, you'll be glad to know that all the heroes and heroines from the previous books had their share in Kiss of Snow. A few of them were only mentioned, but most shared some scenes with Hawke and/or Sienna. Lucas and Sascha's participation was special and I was thrilled for them. And for those who love Judd, well, get ready for a smoking hot scene with the Man of Ice. Yowza!

Last but not least, let me tell you how much I loved the final scene in the book:

"What's your full name?"
Hawke's wolf flashed in his eyes, the ice blue glittering with the same amusement that had his cheeks creasing. "What brought that on?"
"I refuse to be in the dark. Tell."
Leaning down, he nipped at her jaw, a quick, affectionate bite that had her jerking. "No distracting me, I want to know."
Another small bite before he whispered it in her ear.
She blinked.
"No."
He growled, but it was playful. "Don't you like it?"
"It's beautiful, you know it is." Perfect for him.
(...)
"What about me?" she asked. "Do I take your last name?"
"Do you want to?" A tilt of his head, the wolf watchful but not demanding.
She considered the question with care, thinking of who she'd been, who she was now.
"Yes," she said at last, "but I'd like to keep mine, too. It's a part of me."
Lips against her own, a wolf's kiss. "That works fine for me... Sienna Lauren Snow."

I think I'll have to change my last name too. Dina Snow. Yeah, I like the sound of that. ;)

Considering how much I had anticipated this book and how high my expectations were, I'm glad to say I was more than satisfied with it. Ha, what an understatement! I loved it! Loved. It! It wasn't perfect and I thought Ms. Singh could have handled a couple of things differently, but that didn't dampen the enjoyment of this read.

Final verdict: It's a keeper!

Note: As I was writing this, I was aware that it was nothing like a review should be. It was just my gushing, incoherent and deranged collection of thoughts on Hawke, my favorite shifter ever. What can I say? I had to pay hommage to him and I hope I did him justice.


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Review: "Mr. Impossible" by Loretta Chase

Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a very fun historical romance set in an "exotic" location (Egypt), with charming and adventurous characters. The 2nd book in the Carsington Brothers series, Mr. Impossible is about Rupert Carsington, the reckless 4th son of the powerful Earl of Hargate.

Here's what we learn about Rupert in the 1st pages of the book:

In the month and a half since the Earl of Hargate’s fourth son had arrived in Egypt, he had broken twenty-three separate laws and been jailed nine times. For what Mr. Carsington had cost the (England) consulate in fines and bribes, Mr. Salt (His Majesty's consul general) might have dismantled and shipped to England one of the smaller temples on the island of Philae.

He now knew exactly why Lord Hargate had sent his twenty-nine-year-old offspring to Egypt. It was not, as his lordship had written, “to assist the consul general in his services on behalf of the nation.”

It was to saddle someone else with the responsibility and expense.

LOL! Yes, Rupert Carsington is the ultimate "Mr. Impossible".

When Mrs. Daphne Pembroke, a 28-year-old widow who's (secretly) a linguistic genius and has been trying to solve the mystery of Egyptian writing for years, seeks Mr. Salt's assistance to rescue her kidnapped brother Miles, the "helpful" consul general finds the perfect opportunity to get himself rid of the troublemaker Mr. Carsington and offers the gentleman's services to her. Daphne isn't sure about Rupert when she meets him because he seems to be, well, dim-witted, but she takes him anyway - after all, she's intelligent enough for both and all she needs from him are his brawny body. No, not for that! At least, not right away. ;)

That's how Rupert and Daphne get together and start their adventurous quest for her brother Miles - and what a bumpy and fun ride that turns out to be!

Cliché, but I have to say it: Rupert and Daphne were perfect for each other. He was tall, dark, handsome and, yay!, not as stupid as he pretended to be. She was a bookish, no-nonsense, beautiful woman "trained" by her deceased husband to hide her figure and her passions. He made her laugh and set her free of her misconceptions about herself, and she helped him find a purpose in life: to love her and make her happy. Yup, that was it - and that was my "problem" with this book. I loved Rupert's antics and his sense of humor was contagious, but I'm not sure I got him. I didn't undertand why he acted the way he did, pretending to be an idiot when he was clearly an intelligent man. What good came out of it? His family thought he was a helpless hellion. They loved him, but I don't think they respected him much. Luckily for him, Daphne saw through his façade and fell in love with him. :)

Besides Rupert and Daphne, this book also has a charming set of secondary characters. Daphne's crazy servants were hillarious and the villains - yes, there was more than one - were conniving and ruthless. I was surprised at the body count in this book, but Ms. Chase didn't dwell on that so I decided to let it go. I wasn't going to let that pesky, gory "detail" ruin my fun, LOL.

As for the plot, this story had it all. Action, intrigue, suspense, humor, romance, mayhem, you name it. All events were aptly connected in the end, even the ones that were mentioned for no obvious reason at first. I love it when an author keeps all the facts in line and doesn't get lost somewhere in the middle of the road. (Yes, Lora Leigh, I'm talking to you! LOL) The ending was a little vague to suit me. The HEA was there, but I didn't get enough of it to see what kind of life Rupert and Daphne will have. I can't say more, you'll have to read the book to understand (or not) how I feel about it.

Overall, I had a great, fun time reading this book. It didn't make my keepers shelf, but I highly recommend it for everyone who loves fun historical romances.



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Review: "Slow-Play" by Carol Lynne

Slow-Play by Carol Lynne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Poker Night series features a group of 6 gay men (Zac, Bobby, Trey, Angelo, Marco and Kent) who have been friends for almost 4 years and get together to play poker, drink beer and have fun every other Saturday. As the series starts, they're all single, but it's obvious that each of them is destined to find their HEA as the series progresses.

The 2nd book in the series, Slow-Play, is Bobby's story and picks up right after Texas Hold 'Em ended.

Bobby Quinn comes from a wealthy family, but his relationship with his parents and his half-brother is strained at best. Unfortunately, unexpected circumstances have forced him to accept a job from his obnoxious half-brother, taking tourists on charter cruises around the San Franciso Bay. He hates working for his half-brother and catering to all those rich tourists, but his surly mood is boosted when he meets this new client, Dr. Jules Peters.

Jules is Bobby's friend Eric's boss. At 43 years old, he's somewhat older than Bobby, even though the book doesn't state the younger man's age clearly. Jules has lived a very lonely life since his partner Morgan died 16 years ago, and Bobby is the 1st man to spark his interest after all those years. He's also a very wealthy man, which could be a problem considering Bobby's prejudice against rich people.

So there you have the main conflicts in Bobby and Jules' relationship: Can Bobby believe Jules' love for him, considering the older man has been mourning his deceased lover for such a long time? Will Jules' wealth raise Bobby's insecurities?

As it happened in the previous book, all conflicts here were quickly solved, mostly because Bobby and Jules didn't hold much back and talked openly about what bothered them. Okay, they had a few misunderstandings along the way, but they cleared them up soon enough and didn't hold a grudge. If I had one big problem with the story, it was how long Jules had mourned his 1st lover. 16 years is a long, long time! That made me doubt how quickly he fell for Bobby. Anyway, I loved both Bobby and Jules, so I'm willing to let a lot go just because of that.

This was another sweet, feel-good entry in the series. It was better than the previous book because there was no more need to introduce all the characters, something that almost always "harms" the 1st book in any series. As I already knew all the players in advance, all I had to to was relax and enjoy this story. :)



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Review: "Miss Wonderful" by Loretta Chase

Miss Wonderful by Loretta Chase

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Knowing that several readers think that this book is one of Ms. Chase's weakest releases, I didn't have high expectations when I started reading it and I admit I decided to read it only because I wanted to read the next books in this series and I'm OCD about reading series in order. Well, I owe my OCD a big thanks, because I really enjoyed reading this book.

The Right Honorable Edward Junius Carsington, Earl of Hargate, is worried about his 3rd son, 29-year-old Baffle to All Human Understanding, the Honorable Alistair Carsington. The "boy"'s Episodes of Stupidity have cost his lordship a small fortune over the years and it's time he put a stop to them. So Alistair is given an ultimatum: he must find a way to earn his own money to support his expensive way of life or his younger brothers will be "robbed" of their inheritances so their father can keep paying his bills. Of course, the Earl of Hargate's fortune isn't in any danger, he just wants his son to "reform". Faced with such ultimatum, Alistair decides to join his friend Lord Gordmor in business, hoping to become financially independent as requested demanded by his father. That's how he finds himself in Derbyshire, to convince the landowners to approve the building of a canal in the area.

Miss Mirabel Oldridge, the 31-year-old spinster daughter of the largest landowner in Derbyshire, is strongly opposed to Lord Gordnor's canal - and she isn't shy to state her position when she meets Alistair. Even though she's "a mere woman" and has no vote in the matter, Alistair's sense of honor demands that he seek her approval because, due to her father's absentness, she is the actual manager of the Oldridge estate. Unfortunately, she refuses to explain why she's so set against Lord Gordnor's canal, telling him that that would give Alistair an unfair advantage in the negotiations, so he's given no other choice than to spend time with her in order to extract, understand and counteract her reasoning. And thus the battle of wills begins...

The title of this book should have been "Mr. Wonderful", not "Miss Wonderful". Alistair was charming, honorable, funny and oh-so-wonderful. (Sorry, but you knew this was coming, LOL.) He was definitely a dandy, but he wasn't shallow. It was clear that his obsession with clothes and fashion hid something deeper, something related to his war days and his almost death at the Battle of Waterloo. I loved him!

On the other hand, I had problems with Mirabel. She was capable, practical and smart, but she confused me. I finished the book without understanding why she was so opposed to the canal. Even after she finally told Alistair what allegedly bothered her and he made all the changes in the project to appease her worries, she kept protesting and fighting the whole deal. Why? Just to be contrary? Silly woman! I also didn't like all the tricks she used to thwart the building of the canal. One of them was particularly too ruthless and I don't know how Alistair forgave her that easily. He should have made her grovel... and grovel.

Given the premise of the book, I expected the confrontation between Alistair and Mirabel to be the primary focus of the story. Gladly, I was not disappointed. Even though I wasn't Mirabel's biggest fan, I enjoyed her interactions with Alistair, loved their easy banter and, especially, the way Alistair was driven to distraction by Mirabel's lack of fashion sense. She dressed dreadfully, her hair was constantly on the verge of falling down, and he went mad trying to control the urge to fix her. Funny stuff, LOL.

All things considered, this was a very good read. I loved Ms. Chase's writing, Alistair was great and the story was fun. Too bad Mirabel wasn't as wonderful as promised by the title.



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Review: "Texas Hold 'Em" by Carol Lynne

Texas Hold 'Em by Carol Lynne

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Poker Night series features a group of 6 gay men (Zac, Bobby, Trey, Angelo, Marco and Kent) who have been friends for almost 4 years and get together to play poker, drink beer and have fun every other Saturday. As the series starts, they're all single, but it's obvious that each of them is destined to find their HEA as the series progresses.

The 1st book in the series, Texas Hold 'Em, is Zac's story.

Zac Grainger is a high school football coach and the regular host of the bi-weekly poker night. As he answers his door for the pizza delivery guy during one of these poker nights, Zac's interest is more than piqued by the tiny little blond Adonis holding up 4 pizza boxes at his door. Mmm, yummy! Zac will definitely be ordering pizza more often. ;)

Eric Stanton is a medical intern who moonlights as a pizza delivery man for his uncle, so he can make enough money to pay back his student loans. That means that he's basically dead on his feet most of the time and has no social life. He doesn't fall in lust with Zac at 1st sight, though. Not that Zac isn't yummy enough, it's just that Eric is barely awake then. (I couldn't help thinking how dangerous it is to be driving when you can barely keep your eyes open, but anyway...)

When Zac and Eric meet again - because, you know, Zac's been ordering pizzas all week so he can "catch" his blond Adonis again -, Eric is more alert and reciprocates Zac's interest. But how will they make it work considering how hectic Eric's life is? Will Zac's instinct to take charge and fix everything scare Eric away? Will Eric realize that there's more to life than work?

That was the basic conflict in Zac and Eric's relationship. I was glad to see them working it out fairly quickly, even though a little more angst would have added more depth to the story. I loved Zac and all his poker buddies (especially Bobby and Marco), but Eric was too "intense" (aka stubborn) for my taste. All in all, this was a sweet, feel-good read. I liked CL's writing and will read the next books in the series.



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Review: "The Wicked West" by Victoria Dahl

The Wicked West by Victoria Dahl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this quick, sexy little read. Sheriff Tom Hale and Mrs. Lily Anders were made for each other: he was a closeted Dom trying to control his kinky urges and she was a wicked sub bent on making him let his "inner beast" run free and spank her into orgasmic oblivion.

The sex scenes were all good and steamy hot, even though their kinkiness was slightly tamed - I mean, there was no "backdoor" loving, which I admit I had expected to find considering the premise of the story. Mind you, I'm not complaining, I'm just sayin'... ;)

I liked Ms. Dahl's writing style in general, but the way she described some of the sex scenes turned me off. So, I knew that both Hale and Lily got off on pain - he enjoyed delivering it and she loved receiving it - and that was more than OK for them. Ms. Dahl left no doubt that Hale's punishments hurt Lily, the harder the better. They were in heaven, while I was cringing like a wuss... You see, I live in my own delusional little world where pain has no place in the bedroom, so I need my authors to sugarcoat the BDSM scenes for me. It was all in Ms. Dahl's choice of words: if she had used the word "pleasure" instead of "pain" and "hurt", I'd have been blissfully happy - despite the fact that those words were synonyms in Lily's mind. Anyway, that's just a quirk of mine and it didn't bother me enough to ruin this read for me.

All things considered, this was still a very good and enjoyable story.



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Review: "The Wedding Journey" by Carla Kelly

The Wedding Journey by Carla Kelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


4 1/2 stars

This was my first book by Carla Kelly and now I'm wondering why I've waited so long to give her a try. I have to thank my dear GR friend Danielle for bringing this book to my attention. :)

Captain Jesse Cameron Randall, assistant surgeon of Marching Hospital Number Eight, has been in love with Elinore "Nell" Mason for years, but the battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars are no place to woo. Plus, he's just too shy to act on his feelings. Fortunately, fate decides to get these two together and plays its hand...

Due to her father's irresponsability and her mother's weakness, Nell has been taking care of her family since the tender age of ten. She's no stranger to the hardships of war, but things get worse when her mother finally dies after a long-suffering illness, her father proves himself to be unreliable once again and Major Bones (ugh, what a despicable man!) sets his sleazy, lustful eyes on her. Nell could have been fairly safe against Major Bones if it wasn't for the upcoming retreat. Thanks to Nell's father, most of his fellow officers wouldn't care about his family under ordinary circumstances, but during a retreat, they would be concerned only about themselves and their own families, so Nell would be completely left on her own and an easy prey for Major Bones.

In order to protect Nell against Major Bones' clutches, Jesse marries her right before the retreat. Obviously, the heinous Major isn't one to accept defeat easily and, taking advantage of his position, manages to trick all the English Army Units into leaving Jesse's medical unit (and some sick patients) behind during the retreat. And that's how Jesse and Nell's wedding journey begins... Will they be able to escape the approaching French Army and reach the Portuguese border safely? Will Jesse agree to an anullment and let Nell go once they're there? Will she want to leave then?

This was one of the best Trad Regency novels I've ever read. I loved Jesse, the ultimate beta hero. He was painfully shy, kind-hearted, protective, average-looking and quite unique. When I learned that this story took place during the Napoleonic Wars, I expected to find a chest-thumping, know-it-all, bigger-than-life alpha hero. Boy, was I wrong! Jesse was nothing like that and while I love an alpha hero, I couldn't help falling hard for him. I think that the fact that most of the story was told from his POV helped me to really connect with him, as I got to see how much he loved Nell, cared for everyone else and struggled with his feelings.

As for Nell, I liked her and she was perfect for Jesse, but I'm not sure I got to know her very well. She was as good-hearted as him, calm, efficient and, thankfully, not bound to hysterics. Not that I'd blame her if she was, considering what she went through on her "honeymoon", LOL. It was easy to believe she fell in love with him - hey, I did! - but something was missing. I can't quite put my finger on it, though.

All the secondary characters were well-drawn, adding more depth to the story. Captain Mason (Nell's father), Major Bones (the master villain), Major Sheffield (the chief surgeon), Harper, Wilkie, Leger, the Spanish peasants they met along the journey... All of them had individual personalities and lives, and it was interesting to see how the war affected each of them. Some sad and heartbreaking moments there, that's all I'm going to say.

All in all, this was a very good read, with remarkable characters and a story with the right amount of romance, action, suspense and drama. This wasn't a light read, as Ms. Kelly didn't skirt around the dreadful consequences of war. That doesn't mean that this was a heavy read either, because somehow these people found a way to lighten the mood now and then. Not in a silly and inconsequential fashion, but in a heartwarming way.

I really enjoyed Ms. Kelly's writing style and I'm definitely going to track her backlist, even though I don't see myself reading her books back to back. Why? Because I need some smut every once in a while and a steady diet of Trad Regency novels would make me very antsy, LOL.



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