ARC Review: Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh *cue fangirl screaming*

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would've been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules-and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other's secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight...

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna's darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home-and the alpha who is its heartbeat.

Note: I received an ARC from the author for review.

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Penguin
Pub Date: May 31, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Book is #10 in the Psy/Changeling series
Buy links
Amazon: Kiss of Snow (Psy/Changeling)

Book Depository: Kiss of Snow

Author's Website: Nalini Singh

Ms. Singh's prose are always lush and evocative. A sensual delight one cannot help but revel in. And boys and girls, I did me some revelin'....let me tell you. ::dreamy sigh::

I don't want to get too spoilery with this one (and we all know I loves to get spoilery) so I'm going to try to be extra good, and possibly extra vague this time around. Wish me luck...

Let's just break it down:

Hawke: Is the hotness. He is so controlled, but the boy is on the verge of breaking. Everyone and their baby sister knows it, but that man is one stubborn son of a gun. Good thing for us that he melts like butter when our sassy heroine turns up the heat. I really enjoyed watching Hawke struggle in this one. He's so ruthless and logical and commanding. He's like a wildfire that consumes everything in it's path until it smacks into the wall that is Sienna. She has a strength of spirit and will that both infuriates him and captivates him. He wants to dismiss her out of hand, but he can't. She's not like anyone else he has ever known and she reaches places in him that no one else even knows exists. What I loved was that he put up a good fight, but the man's no fool, he knew when he was done for. Once he knew the gig was up, he launched a full scale, take no prisoners assault that had me sure that I'd set the page on fire the next time I touched it. Slow and steady, but relentless is Hawke's strong suit.

Sienna: Do not dismiss this girl out of hand. Hawke gave it his best shot and couldn't do it. She's been through hell. Things even her family didn't have to undergo. She's had less of a childhood than even normal Psy. She's dangerous and she's haunted by that fact. She's a trained tactician and killer and she's good at it, but she also wants to be more. She wants to be a useful and valued member of the group. She wants to feel like more than just a freakish weapon of destruction, but she's afraid. She knows what the price of letting go of her iron control could be and she's not willing to pay it. Yes, she throws down the gauntlet with Hawke and yes she matches him step for step, but she always keeps a part of herself out of it, she always has a backup plan. How much do you wanna bet that that's not good enough for the uber demanding alpha that is Hawke? She's tough and strong and she's seen more than people twice her age, but she's also vulnerable and fragile. I really enjoyed her character and seeing her get a chance to shine.

I loved seeing all the people that rallied around Hawke and Sienna. We all know how loved and admired Hawke is, but I really wanted Sienna to get some love. She's been so isolated, so guarded and misused for so much of her life that I really wanted Hawke and the pack to work to deserve her trust and show her love. Sure, they're willing to capitalize on her strengths and use her as a soldier, but can they show her the love and acceptance that she never dreamed of having?

Many of our favorite couples from past books make appearances in this entry and it was so great to see them and what was happening in their lives. There is one couple in particular that had a huge development happen in this book and it was so great to see. It made my mind whirl with possibilities for later in the series.

The secondary romance of Walker and Lara was wonderful, too. It's so nice to see this scarred and damaged family not only interacting with each other and strengthening their own bonds, but also integrating into the Changeling world and finding happiness and love where they least expect it.

Sienna and Hawke's road to happily ever after is hard fought and hard won. They come up against a lot of obstacles and sometimes the reader can't see how they can possibly overcome, but have faith, Ms. Singh has never let us down before and she certainly doesn't start now.

I couldn't stop re-reading this book for a week. I was ruined for all others. The only real disappointment I had was that I wished there would be more Hawke and Sienna centered books. An entire series of them like Elena and Raphael from the Guild Hunter series and I still wouldn't be bored with them. Hawke surprised me with his playful tenderness that he mixed so well with his blazing passion and possessiveness and Sienna blew me away with her fierce loyalty, determination and all around fire. These two are a fabulous match.

Here's one of my favorite snippets (that hopefully isn't too spoilery):

He lifted his hand to run a strand of her hair through his fingers.

Fighting every cell in her body, she stepped back. "Stop it. No touching. No acting possessive."

Hawke's wolf prowled to the surface, a primal presence behind the human skin. "Oh?"

"All or nothing." She held her ground though she was shaking inside, her blood going alternately hot and cold. "If you want me, take me. Or let me go."

Grade: A all the way, baby.