REVIEW: Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter

Gwen’s review of Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter
Paranormal romance duology hardcover released by Pocket 13 Oct 09

Two of my favorite paranormal authors in ONE BOOK? Dang. How could I NOT read this?! This book has one long story set in Cole’s Immortals After Dark world and another set in Showalter’s Alien Huntress world. A terrific combination and way, way fun to read.

Untouchable (Immortals After Dark, Book 7) by Kresley Cole (256 pages)

This story/book (long for a story) takes place roughly the same time as several of the other Immortals After Dark entries. This one tells the story of the “man-whore” brother of the Wroth Brothers – Murdoch – and his downfall to the Queen of the Icere fae, Daniela.

The heroine and her world are so very different from anything I know. Ice, snow, skin that burns from other’s body heat, etc., that it was difficult for me to relate. Remember, though, that I moved to central Texas because I hate, abhor, and generally detest cold weather. She is a good heroine, but I would have liked to see her kick a little more butt (personal preference, not a criticism).

The hero is the rake brother of the Wroth brothers. Murdoch is used to women falling all over him and to being able to dispose of them like a used tissue. He doesn’t want to do that with Danii and this completely perplexes him. His normally smooth moves have all the grace of a pig on roller-skates, so you can imagine how this goes over with Danii.

The romance between these two is intense and believable. The action is a little less than we’re used to in Cole’s other books, though it’s still fun. Untouchable introduces a new species into the Lore – the Icere, or the ice fae. Their world is a little “out there,” but I suppose there’s not a lot in this series that isn’t.

I enjoyed this story, though perhaps not as much as the other IAD entries. Nevertheless, I highly recommend reading it if you’re following Cole’s saga. I suppose this story could standalone, but I’m not sure if I’d recommend it. You’ll get a lot more out of it if you’ve read at least one of the other Wroth brother books.

Grade: B

Summary:

KRESLEY COLE delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time…and a Valkyrie aching to be touched.

Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden — the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can’t be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?

Read an excerpt here.

Tempt Me Eternally (Alien Huntress Series) by Gena Showalter (169 pages)

I have got to read more of this series. This is the second book I’ve read so far and I really like this world. From what I can gather, the first one I read, Seduce the Darkness, takes place just after this story.

The hero, Breean, is a Rakan – a gorgeous male who smells like honey and cinnamon when aroused. His blood is golden and tastes like sugar. He’s also practically unkillable because of special abilities. He’s puzzled by the heroine because he feels that he wants her and no other – apparently something unusual for his kind.

The heroine, Aleaha, is of unknown extraction and is a shapeshifter. Out of desperation, she’s impersonating a member of AIR (Alien Investigation and Removal) named Macy, and is hiding from unknown bad guys her mother warned her about but didn’t specify.

The romance evolves well, but feels a bit convenient. I enjoyed the story but felt like very little outside of the plot moves forward. This may be because I haven’t yet read the other books in the series – contrary to my vow in my review of StD and for which I feel eternally remorseful. I think I’d get a lot more out of the story if I did.

I recommend this story if you’re following the Alien Huntress series. It stands alone, but I think a reader will get more out of it if they’re reading the series.

Grade: B

Summary:

GENA SHOWALTER puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted…and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.

Aleaha Love can be anyone — literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identity switch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself….

Read an excerpt here.

I enjoyed this duology quite a bit. I like reading anthologies and the stories in this one are particularly nice because of their length. If you’re following these series, you do not want to miss it, though you may want to wait for it to come out in paperback.

Gwens Icon Overall Grade: B