Sub-Genre (primary)
Heat Factor: There’s a lot of sex. It’s graphic. And most of it isn’t between the protagonists.
Character Chemistry: So, the book isn’t actually focused on Mack and Jason’s relationship as such
Plot: Sociopath vampires wreak havoc on a ranch in colonial Australia. And then it’s the 90s.
Overall: WUT
Heat Factor: Well hello, on page sex, I did not expect to see you here
Character Chemistry: Uh, grumpy cynic is soft for tortured cinnamon roll. YES PLEASE
Plot: The relics are BACK! With an aura-sucking vampire paranormal, a rude English Viscount who finds himself in the middle of a situation he knows nothing about, and a Puerto Rican nullification magic paranormal who has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility and a tragic past
Overall: I am so delighted I might go back and read Magic in Manhattan all over again so I can get some more vibes
I started reading Nalini Singh’s psy-changeling series after Erin binge-read them all and then texted me every day about how amazing they were. I thought the first two were mildly entertaining, but I promised Erin I would read up through Book 3 before I gave up on the series.
I think I’m giving up. So here are some notes on Caressed by Ice from someone who didn’t love it.
First, I do agree that the worldbuilding is excellent, and I love that Singh expands out what we know about both psy and changeling politics in each book. If I were to read another book, it would only be to follow the continuing story of the psynet. (However, I thought the one-book mystery of who was killing pack members was underdeveloped—the villain wasn’t actually a real character, so I didn’t care when he was revealed.)
However, the gender essentialism in this series is…a lot. So if you feel your skin crawl when characters say things like, “Well, you know that women are more in tune with their emotions than men” (ugh, Faith Nightstar, ugh), then this book might not be for you. If you hate it when characters refer to “her innate female sensuality” or “his male dominance”, then this book might not be for you.
If neither of those things are dealbreakers, then read on for Erin’s enthusiastic take about how awesome this book is.
Continue reading “Review Revisited: Holly’s Take on Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh (2007)”Region Two, Book #2
Heat Factor: There’s some sex at the beginning, and then a really long dry spell
Character Chemistry: Their relationship is going through a lot, so their chemistry comes and goes
Plot: Uh. Let’s destroy the HEA from Book 1.
Overall: The first half of this book went some seriously unexpected places, which made for a very unusual romance reading experience.
Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers, Book #4
Review of Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers, Book #1
Heat Factor: Well, they have a lot of sex, and it’s very descriptive…
Character Chemistry: They had a one night stand five years ago and even though he has fully embraced his “bachelor lifestyle” (ahem), she is the one who has always stuck in his memory
Plot: Dragon shifter has super baby dragon finder powers, discovers his secret baby, becomes fully invested in his new family (even when the baby’s mom runs away to Cuba), and also there are evil witches
Overall: What even is this series? This book was exactly what I expected it to be – totally bonkers
The Smut Report 