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Thursday, August 18, 2016

Really Short Reviews: Psy-Changeling Novella Edition Part One!

Guys! We're less than a week from the release of Wild Embrace, the latest novella bind-up for the Psy-Changeling series, and I couldn't be more excited! In celebration, I decided to review all of the previously published Psy-Changeling novellas. Since these are novellas or novella bind-ups, I'm going to review these a little differently. I'm going to make a comment on where each story falls in the series and give you my overall opinion of the novella. That way I don't spoil them for anybody.


Whisper of Sin
(Psy-Changeling #0.6)
Nalini Singh
Release: February 2, 2014
A PSY-CHANGELING NOVELLA BY "THE ALPHA AUTHOR OF PARANORMAL ROMANCE" (Booklist)

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her phenomenal Psy-Changeling world as a woman in peril finds herself in the arms of a dangerously beautiful shapeshifter…

San Francisco is under threat from a violent gang…a gang that has no idea who they’re challenging. The DarkRiver pack of leopard changelings has already claimed the city as their territory, and they will fight with wild fury to protect its residents. Emmett, a lethally trained leopard soldier, isn’t about to let outsiders muscle in on his home ground—especially when they target a human named Ria.

Emmett has one word for the smart stranger with her curvy body and tough spirit: mine.

Possessive, dominant, unyielding in his demands and desires, Emmett is unlike anyone Ria has ever before met. But while the sexy leopard changeling makes her body ignite, his kisses molten and his touch addicting, she’s no pushover and she has a few demands of her own. This leopard has met his match…

"Please note that Whisper of Sin is a reissue. It was first published in the multi-author anthology, Burning Up. This is the worldwide stand-alone ebook release for those who wanted to buy only this novella from the anthology.

For those of you who have Wild Invitation, this novella wasn't in that collection."
- Nalini Singh

Review by Rose Red:

Place in Series: Whisper of Sin was previously published in the Burning Up anthology and is also available as a separate ebook. The story is set before events in Slave to Sensation while DarkRiver is first establishing its hold over San Francisco. In my opinion, you'll probably have more appreciation for the characters if you're already familiar with the world building so I would recommend reading at least book one first.

Opinion: Whisper of Sin is the first Nalini Singh novella I ever read and while it's good, it's not my favorite. I loved Ria and her family! They're a bunch of firecrackers! I'll be honest that my favorite part of this novella is Ria's grandmother! She had me giggling every time she made an appearance. As for the romance between Ria and Emmett, I thought it was cute. I ship it. What I really loved is that we got a glimpse of how DarkRiver became such a power in San Francisco. They weren't always the powerful Pack that we see in the series.
Rating:
   
  4 / 5 Stars



Wild Invitation
(Psy-Changeling #0.5, 4.5, 9.5, 10.5)
Nalini Singh
Release: March 5, 2013
In Beat of Temptation , innocent Tamsyn has always had a place in her heart for Nathan, a blooded DarkRiver sentinel. But is she ready for the fierce demands of the mating bond?

In Stroke of Enticement , a wary young teacher, skeptical about love, arouses the man—and the animal—in an aggressive leopard changeling who must prove his affections are true.

Plus 2 NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED NOVELLAS

In Declaration of Courtship , Grace, a shy submissive wolf, finds herself pursued by the last man she ever would have imagined: a SnowDancer lieutenant said to be “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.”

In Texture of Intimacy , SnowDancer healer Lara discovers the searing joys—and unexpected challenges—of being mated to quiet, powerful Walker, a man used to keeping his silence.

Review by Rose Red:

Novella: Beat of Temptation
  
Place in Series: Beat of Temptation is a prequel novella set before events in Whisper of Sin a few years after the attack on DarkRiver that is mentioned in Slave to Sensation. In my opinion, you'll probably have more appreciation for the characters if you're already familiar with the DarkRiver Pack as well as Tammy and Nate. I would recommend reading at least book one first.

Opinion: I had read half of the series before I picked up this novella collection so I already knew and loved Tammy and Nate and their relationship. They're like the ideal that I hope each new book's couple can achieve. So learning about how they came to be mated was fascinating! I will admit that I almost didn't recognize Tammy and Nate in this because they've changed so much in the years between this novella and Slave to Sensation. I adore them together!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Novella: Stroke of Enticement
  
Place in Series: Stroke of Enticement is set after Mine to Possess and can be read when ever after that.

Opinion: I adore Annie and Zach! They're only brief mentions in the series until Heart of Obsidian but this story makes them one of my favorites! Annie is not crippled but her leg isn't 100% how it should be either. How she ties into the rest of the series is quite awesome too. I loved watching her gain confidence in herself despite being told for years that she couldn't do what others did because of her leg. And I adored how Zach treated her! To him her leg was no big deal and I loved that! I hope we see more of them as the series continues! That being said, as much as I love Annie and Zach, the novella felt a little too rushed to me.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars


Novella: Declaration of Courtship
  
Place in Series: Declaration of Courtship takes place in between Passion of Play and Kiss of Snow and should be read in between the two. It's also available in ebook as a standalone novella.

Opinion: This novella is the first time we see a relationship develop between a submissive and a strong dominant and I found it fascinating! Things that weren't problems in the other books come to the forefront of this one! I loved watching Cooper chase Grace and I adored how Grace learns to handle the SnowDancer lieutenant. They balance each other well and I can't wait to see more of them!

There's an epilogue to this story that can be found on Nalini Singh's site here and it's super cute! Although, the epilogue itself should be read after you finish Kiss of Snow.

Rating: 4/5 Stars


Novella: Texture of Intimacy
  
Place in Series: Texture of Intimacy takes place directly after Kiss of Snow and should be read before you continue on to Tangle of Need. It's also available in ebook as a standalone novella.

Opinion: This novella is my absolute favorite of this whole collection! I adore Walker and Lara! It was so cute watching them learn to live together after they mated in Kiss of Snow. Walker has a fascinating and tragic history so it takes him a while to learn to trust and I loved watching him come to rely on and trust Lara. I also adore everything about Lara so it was a given that I'd love this story. Walker and Lara are one of my favorite couples in the series!

Rating: 5/5 Stars!

Overall Anthology Rating:

   
  4 / 5 Stars


My reviews of other books in this series:

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