Under the cover of wintry dark shadows, passion's magic ignites a fire too hot to touch -- and too wicked to die....
Deep Kiss of Winter
Two never-before-published paranormal stories to delight the senses and tantalize the imagination!
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?
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....
Note: This review focuses solely on the second part of this book written by Gena Showalter. You can see the first part of this review about Kresley Cole's story here.
Obtained: Bought
Genre: Paranormal Romance
My Rating: 
My Opinion:
Gena has done it again. I'm surprised that it took me so long to finally start reading this book (when I had bought it literally within the first month that it was released). I would like to believe that I wanted to procrastinate, since Daniela's story was one that I was genuinely looking forward to. Gena's story was unfamiliar to me, and while I love her writing, I felt no true initial excitement for the plot...
...Until I actually read the story. In true Gena fashion, readers are introduced to a strong, determined heroine, and an equally strong, sexy alpha male. Aleaha is not your typical earth woman. In fact, it would be surprising if she was human at all. She has the special ability to shift into any person she comes in contact with. If we met, she could probably shift into me, you, or even your annoying kid brother. It sounds nice, right? Wrong. Instead of being able to live her own life, Aleaha has been living other peoples' lives, forced to always live in fear. For you see, her true appearance has a warrant out for her arrest. Apparently, Aleaha wasn't such a good girl.
Breean, on the other hand, is your typical alien--if you count gold skinned, tall, muscled, and sexy as hell as a typical alien look. If that's the new fashion sense amongst aliens, then please, abduct me any day now. He had me under his spell within the first page of reading about his character. Which is weird, because I'm not much of an alien fan girl (no, I have not read her Alien Huntress series yet. But I will! ...when Darkness Eternal comes out in September). In fact, my initial reluctance delayed my reading of this tale by a week because I was so wary.
Would just like to say that once again, in regards to Gena's writing, I'm an idiot. I should have more faith!
Aleaha is the heroine who must resist the male's advances. One can't blame her, however, since these unwelcomed guests paid a surprise visit to earth, and then proceeded in killing a few of her team members. The story continues on from there, with our beloved and sexy alpha trying to seduce Aleaha every chance he gets. This leads to some amusing scenes later in the book.
It also leads to one of the best sex scenes Gena's written in a while. This was so creative and amazing that I'm still floored when I look back and ponder over it. I enjoyed it much more than the icicle scene in Kresley's story (I JUST UTTERED BLASPHEMY). I know. I can't believe it. I think Gena just surpassed Kresley in my mind after reading this book.
Surprisingly, I have no complaints. For a shorter length story, it was enjoyable, although I do wish the ending was more dramatic, and less convenient. Fans of Gena will love this tale. New fans will have no problem adjusting to this world, since it seems (haven't read the AH series though, so I'm not sure if these characters already made a debut in that universe or what) that the reader needs no prior knowledge of this alien infested world. At least, I didn't wonder if I was missing any vital information.
- Paperback - 436 pages
- Price: $21.99
- ISBN-10: 1439159661
- ISBN-13: 978-1439159668
- Released: October 13, 2009
- Gena Showalter's Website
- Buy it at Simonandschuster.com
- Buy it at Amazon.com
About the Author
What a good review! I haven't read any Gena Showalter books yet but definitely will now.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I remember reading that book and I was so shocked at the icicle incident =) crazy. Also now I realize I never read Gena's story...I forgot it was a 2 story book. I have a Kindle and buy a lot at one time and forgot about it. Thanks to your review I remembered I have it. lol
ReplyDeleteThanks for this review!
ReplyDeleteBill ;-)
http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/2010/06/help-settle-bet-ok.html
Author of "Back to the Homeplace"
and "13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories"
Kelli, you're missing out. Give her Lords of the Underworld series a shot. You won't regret it :)
ReplyDeleteTanya, thank you! The icicle scene was very interesting, I'll give you that. Something about Daniela and Murdoch's story, however, didn't quite resonate with me. I'm not sure why. Will post a review up of that eventually lol.
Dr Bill, no problem :)
I loved both stories! I have read the first book in the Alien Huntress series and it's really good!!
ReplyDeleteI have this book in my TBR pile, lol. Great review you gave honey!
ReplyDeleteWill be trying to get to it soon!!!!
Hope all is well and wanted to touch base with you to see if all was going well!! Hugs to you!
It is? Argh! I really want to wait until Sept for Darkness Eternal (the cover is pretty, and it's 2 in 1). I mean I have enough books to last me, and it's probably good that I pace myself and stretch out all of Gena's books.... but you're making me want to read it now. Dang it Karen!
ReplyDeleteHeey Cecile!! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you're well! :) It's been in my TBR pile for AGES! I kept looking at the pretty blue cover, and the hottie. It was nicer just sitting on the side of my pile, staring at me. But then I had to finally give in and read it. I was in the mood for both Kresley and Gena's writing haha.