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A review by divapitbull
Deep Kiss of Winter by Gena Showalter, Kresley Cole
2.0
Untouchable by Kresley Cole
I enjoyed Untouchable because I'm hooked on the IAD series. I remember while reading Dark Needs at Night's Edge there was allot of cryptic talk about Murdoch being on the phone with his mysterious bride and I wondered why everything was so secretive because a Wroth brother having a bride is a very big deal. Being a nosey sort of person I was curious and Untouchable answered all those nagging questions.
It wasn't however one of my favorite IAD installments. The whole ice fey storyline left me somewhat...cold. For some reason I can find rage demons with lickable horns oddly titillating, but the whole body temperature below zero was a turn off. I understand that Danii's inability to experience any sort of true intimacy left her feeling lonely and alone; but it also made her appear desperate and needy. I like a strong female lead and Danii was almost too vulnerable.
I liked Murdoch even though I'm generally not a fan of the manwhore/rake character. I completely understood his reluctance to jump headlong into a relationship with Danii. He was portrayed as having commitment issues; however I can't imagine anyone wanting to willingly tie themselves for eternity to a partner they can likely never touch. I thought Danii's insistence that they would just "find a way to make it work" was unreasonable (and again, smacking of desperation). Understandable - just not attractive.
Untouchable wasn't one of my favorites; but the epilogue with all 4 Wroth brothers and their brides united for the holiday was a treat.
Tempt Me Eternally - by Gena Showalter
This was my first exposure to Showalter and the Alien Huntress series and based on just this story...meh...nothing special. I may feel differently if I had read the other installments, had some back story and sense of characterization...but TME was weak in the plot department and the romance was unimpressive.
I thought I might like TME because it has been likened to a Stockholm syndrome plot and I really enjoy that trope...but it was just lackluster. Macy, who's really Aleaha was captured by the alien Breean because her AIR (alien investigation and removal) team just happened to ambush his arrival on earth mistaking he and his men for bad aliens while in fact they were actually good, peaceful aliens. Breean takes Macy/Aleaha prisoner because it is apparently love at first sight for him. End of plot.
Breean was a really nice guy (for an alien) and there was no "will he kiss me or kill me tension" that one expects to find in a good hostage/Stockholm syndrome story. He was kind of bland. A peaceful fisherman looking for a new home after his had been destroyed by the bad aliens. His most notable features were his golden skin, his blood which tasted like syrupy sugar (when Macy/Aleaha bit him) and the fact that when he is aroused he gives off a honey, cinnamon, wildflower scent that acts like a pheromone. There was nothing in his character that made him stand out or appealing in any way and from his description he sounded like...a waffle. The characters were under-developed so I have no idea why either of them liked the other so much...other than that I really do like waffles.
I still plan to try the Lords of the Underworld series.
I enjoyed Untouchable because I'm hooked on the IAD series. I remember while reading Dark Needs at Night's Edge there was allot of cryptic talk about Murdoch being on the phone with his mysterious bride and I wondered why everything was so secretive because a Wroth brother having a bride is a very big deal. Being a nosey sort of person I was curious and Untouchable answered all those nagging questions.
It wasn't however one of my favorite IAD installments. The whole ice fey storyline left me somewhat...cold. For some reason I can find rage demons with lickable horns oddly titillating, but the whole body temperature below zero was a turn off. I understand that Danii's inability to experience any sort of true intimacy left her feeling lonely and alone; but it also made her appear desperate and needy. I like a strong female lead and Danii was almost too vulnerable.
I liked Murdoch even though I'm generally not a fan of the manwhore/rake character. I completely understood his reluctance to jump headlong into a relationship with Danii. He was portrayed as having commitment issues; however I can't imagine anyone wanting to willingly tie themselves for eternity to a partner they can likely never touch. I thought Danii's insistence that they would just "find a way to make it work" was unreasonable (and again, smacking of desperation). Understandable - just not attractive.
Untouchable wasn't one of my favorites; but the epilogue with all 4 Wroth brothers and their brides united for the holiday was a treat.
Tempt Me Eternally - by Gena Showalter
This was my first exposure to Showalter and the Alien Huntress series and based on just this story...meh...nothing special. I may feel differently if I had read the other installments, had some back story and sense of characterization...but TME was weak in the plot department and the romance was unimpressive.
I thought I might like TME because it has been likened to a Stockholm syndrome plot and I really enjoy that trope...but it was just lackluster. Macy, who's really Aleaha was captured by the alien Breean because her AIR (alien investigation and removal) team just happened to ambush his arrival on earth mistaking he and his men for bad aliens while in fact they were actually good, peaceful aliens. Breean takes Macy/Aleaha prisoner because it is apparently love at first sight for him. End of plot.
Breean was a really nice guy (for an alien) and there was no "will he kiss me or kill me tension" that one expects to find in a good hostage/Stockholm syndrome story. He was kind of bland. A peaceful fisherman looking for a new home after his had been destroyed by the bad aliens. His most notable features were his golden skin, his blood which tasted like syrupy sugar (when Macy/Aleaha bit him) and the fact that when he is aroused he gives off a honey, cinnamon, wildflower scent that acts like a pheromone. There was nothing in his character that made him stand out or appealing in any way and from his description he sounded like...a waffle. The characters were under-developed so I have no idea why either of them liked the other so much...other than that I really do like waffles.
I still plan to try the Lords of the Underworld series.