Danielle
Available here:
https://nalinisingh.com/extras/deleted-scenes/
Favourite moment:
Leaning back in his chair, his arm along the back of Sascha's, Lucas shook his head. “No—you put your life at deadly risk to protect this city. It's not something the pack will ever forget.” His eyes never broke contact with the star-filled black of Kaleb's cardinal gaze. “In point of fact, my mate thinks we should be friends.”It wasn't quite what Sascha had said, but she watched in interest for Kaleb's response. It wasn't, however, the cardinal who answered. “Of course you should be friends.” Sahara's smile was dazzling. “Otherwise, it'll make my visits to DarkRiver very uncomfortable.”“There,” Kaleb murmured, an ice-cold shark in his black on black suit, “the decision is made.”
Gosh, I am swooning.
Another sweet moment:
“Maybe,” Sascha teased, her toes well and truly curled. “Now, let's go talk to your other feral friend.” Lucas growled, the sound so deep it filled the room. “Stop calling Hawke my friend. He's a wolf. It's against the laws of nature.”
Today, more than fifteen years later, he first entered her father's home to check she wasn't inside. Thankfully, it appeared Leon Kyriakus had gone off to his medical practice already so Kaleb didn't have to interact with him. It wasn't as if Leon had anything against Kaleb. It was more that Kaleb didn't understand how to act with a man who was quickly developing a tendency to call him, “son”.
***
One hand on the side of his face, she kissed him, and for that instant, the world didn't matter. The fall of Silence didn't matter. The fact that Kaleb was holding the PsyNet together through sheer strength of will and violent power didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were here, in the middle of a dream that belonged to the girl she'd once been—a dream held safe by the boy become a man who was her heartbeat and her forever.
Freda is a bitter judgmental insecure bitch. For a book that critiques gender expectations, there is a lot of bitchiness among the female characters. A lot of it was centered around “getting the guy.” Such a disappointment.
Re-read: 1 star
Some books you shouldn't read again :/
*****
Actual rating: 4.5
Definitely worth the read!!
This book absolutely hits the feels. It delivered everything I often find missing in fated mates stories, and then some.
What I Loved:
- Green flag energy: The Hero is sweet, kind and considerate. He shows zero toxic masculinity, or “alpha-hole,” traits.
- No sketchy consent issues. Yes, there's a heat element but the hero never intends harm or is blasé about the heroine's distress. For me, that distinction matters.
- The bonding! We actually see the H and h spend time together. The author takes the time to show their quirky interactions.
- Their wolf sides have a real presence and interact with other characters. I'm an absolute sucker for scenes where one mate is in shifter form and the other isn't (most probably the pet-lover in me).
- Great writing.
What Might Annoy Readers:
- The heroine struggles with PTSD, and her inner turmoil, especially at the start of the book, is quite extensive. I might have skipped a page or two, but by the second part I found it worth sticking through.
- Smut-light. Compared to other shifter romances, the steam is pretty tame and scenes are brief. But honestly? I didn't miss it. There are plenty of other books out there for a spice fix.
I would highly recommend this book.
Hopefully, Leia pulls a S.J.M. move and Ash and Kohen don't end up together. Please. Please. Please. Plot twist, Kohen is the antagonist.
Re-read: this book still hits all the feels. In its honour I've created a new tag “favourite-of-favourites.” Enough said.—-Some books stand out in the “psy-changeling” series, and [b:Shards of Hope 17159943 Shards of Hope (Psy-Changeling, #14) Nalini Singh https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1414670964l/17159943.SY75.jpg 42797145] is one of them. If I am honest I only still follow this series for the well written romantic matches that are made in the fascinating world of psy and changelings. After a while, the political/detective elements becomes a little bitMainly because by the time you've reach book 14, you have seen enough defeated villains to know that this one will also be defeated at some point. What set this book's villain apart, for me, was how it chose their apprentice. Without giving away spoilers, my heart went out when I read about its manipulative plan and I was hooked.I went from reading its pov like this:to this:The main characters were also amazing. Some the tropes from the previous books were used, but the overall awesomeness of the characters made it possible to turn a blind eye to it. Zaira is strong, possessive, independent, fierce and surprisingly gentle. I appreciated how protective she was of our hero. And after reading [b:Branded by Fire 5628753 Branded by Fire (Psy-Changeling, #6) Nalini Singh https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1334968711l/5628753.SY75.jpg 4606059] where Riley had to learn to trust that Mercy can take care of herself, this book was so refreshing. “Sleep,” she whispered. “I'll keep you safe.” Aden never doubted Zaira's ability. This book embraced a pair that was equal to each other. They have different strengths and weaknesses, but Aden did not shield Zaira or treated her differently because she was female. He trusted and respected her strength, and accepted her faults and all. Even when she could not give all of herself. He would take her exactly as she was, because one thing was true, would always be true: “I am yours.” It was his turn to stop her words. “Just stay with me,” he said. “In any way you want.”“You deserve better.” Rough, broken words.“There is no one better than you.”“I'll be the best soldier you ever have,” she repeated in a shattered whisper.“I know.” It would have to be enough. Aden, in turn, is honest, loyal, strong, dedicated and selfless. “He [Aden] has no capacity to care for himself,” Vasic said. “He believes everyone else is more important and that's what makes him a great leader. But he needs someone to watch over him, to make sure he doesn't lose himself in his responsibilities.” And he has it in Zaira: ... her voice fierce, “I'll allow him [Aden] no arguments. I'm doing the looking after even if I have to tie him up.”
Re-read: a proud addition to my newly established “favourite-of-favourites” category.
***
Brilliant!
"”Never underestimate the resourcefulness of a vampire, darling,” Chance murmured. Then he led her quickly to the nearby confessional box, squeezing them both inside.
The panel slid open at once on the priest's side, and a pale blonde head appeared next to the privacy grill.
“What are your sins, my child?” a smoothly accented English voice asked.
Chance laughed. “Too many to list, Bones, and so are yours. If you don't mind, I'd like to add to them.”
“Indeed. Desecration of the confessional, coming up straightaway.”“
