Tag: Nalini Singh

The Wednesday Post (7)

Posted February 13, 2019 by Rowena in Features | 4 Comments

So I’ve been playing around with things that I want to do on this blog and I’ve been wanting to do a mid-week check in so that I can chat about the books that I’m reading that week. What’s working for me and what’s not but I also want to keep a running list of books that I cannot wait to get my greedy little hands on. I decided that I’m going to do a mashup of the Can’t Wait Wednesday and WWW Wednesday posts here on my blog.

Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tessa over at Wishful Endings and it was based on Waiting on Wednesday that was hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme that is hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

WWW Wednesday

What did you recently finish reading?

Huge Deal (21 Wall Street #3) by Lauren Layne

I just finished this book and I loved every freaking word. Kennedy and Kate were everything I was hoping for and I still can’t get over Jealous Kennedy. Jealous Kennedy is the best!

What are you currently reading?

River Marked (Mercy Thompson #6) by Patricia Briggs
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Mackenzies & McBrides #1) by Jennifer Ashley

I’m reading River Marked for my TBR Challenge this month. I’m really enjoying it so far so I’m hopeful that it will continue to rock my socks. Mercy Thompson, man, she continues to be my favorite!

I’m also listening to The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie for my team buddy review over on Book Binge. That’s another wonderful historical romance. It’s a re-read for me but I feel like I’m reading it for the first time cause I had forgotten so much about it. I’m really enjoying both Ian and Beth and the other Mackenzie’s as well.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry

This is next up on my review pile. I need to get that pile down some because I keep requesting books even though I swore I wouldn’t. Oh well, I’ll get it done. I always do.

Can’t Wait Wednesday

Wolf Rain
by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changelings Trinity #3
Published by Penguin, Berkley on June 4, 2019
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 416
Add It: Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us on a new adventure in this next novel of the Psy-Changeling Trinity series…

The end of Silence was supposed to create a better world for future generations. But trust is broken, and the alliance between Psy, Changeling, and human is thin. The problems that led to Silence are back in full force. Because Silence fixed nothing, just hid the problems.

This time, the Psy have to find a real answer to their problems–if one exists. Or their race will soon go extinct in a cascade of violence. The answer begins with an empath who is attuned to monsters–and who is going to charm a wolf into loving her despite his own demons.

Are you guys surprised that I’m featuring a contemporary romance on this week’s post? Haha, I do read other genres, not very often, but it’s been known to happen and the Psy-Changelings series is my favoritest paranormal romance series ever and the spin off is shaping up to be fun too. So, of course I’m looking forward to the next release.

So, what are you reading this week? Anything good? Anything that you want to rant about?
Are you looking forward to Wolf Rain? What other books are you looking forward to releasing this year?

4 Comments
Tags: Can't Wait Wednesday, Nalini Singh, Psy-Changelings Trinity Series, The Wednesday Post, WWW Wednesday

Book Boyfriend: Raj Sen from Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh

Posted November 2, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 10 Comments

This feature keeps changing because I’m trying different things out but I think I’m going to stick with this format from here on out. Thanks for coming along this ride until I figure out what the hell I want to do here. LOL.

Book Boyfriend: Raj Sen from Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh

Rebel Hard
by Nalini Singh
Series: Hard Play #2
Published by Nalini Singh on September 18, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 409
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add It: Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Hard Play series with a sweet, sexy romance featuring big, fat, OTT weddings, a meddling grandma, and a too-serious hero who needs to be unbuttoned…

Nayna Sharma agreed to an arranged marriage in the hope it would heal the fractures in her beloved family… only to realize too late that a traditional marriage is her personal nightmare. Panicked, she throws caution to the winds, puts on the tiniest dress she can find, and ends up in the arms of a tall, rough-edged hunk of a man who has abs of steel—and who she manages to mortally insult between one kiss and the next.

Abandoned as a child, then adopted into a loving family, Raj Sen believes in tradition, in continuity. Some might call him stiff and old-fashioned, but he knows what he wants—and it’s a life defined by rules… yet he can’t stop thinking about the infuriating and sexy woman who kissed him in the moonlight then disappeared. When his parents spring an introduction on him, the last woman he expects is her. Beautiful. Maddening. A rulebreaker in the making.

He’s all wrong for her. She’s all wrong for him. And love is about to make rebels of them both.

This week’s book boyfriend is Raj Sen from Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh. Rebel Hard is the second book in Singh’s Hard Play series and he’s my book boyfriend this week because I read this book weeks ago and Raj is still one of my favorite heroes that I read in the month of October.

Rebel Hard is a diverse romance that I connected with on so many levels. The Indian culture and the Polynesian culture are kind of similar in the way that they treat their elders and the way that they think about their spouses and futures. Raj’s sense of tradition and his longing to wed an Indian woman and lead a traditional Indian life is something that I understood. I know a lot of Samoans who want to marry other Samoans to lead and bring up their kids in the Samoan way. I really admired Raj for how much he came to love Nayna and his attitude toward the kind of future they could have together.

There wasn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for her and I loved the lengths that he went to, to make sure she knew that her future was safe and hers to choose. All he wanted was to be by her side through it all. There’s a part in the book where Raj thinks this:

Raj watched Nayna sleep that night and knew he might be the architect of his own heartbreak. The Nayna she was now wanted him, but the Nayna she became as she found her wings… that Nayna might decide a man so rooted in tradition and culture wasn’t the man she wanted by her side.

Man, it hurt my heart to see him thinking these things because he didn’t think he was enough for Nayna and I wanted to smack Nayna upside her head for not seeing what was right in front of her for so long. The angst was real in this book and Raj just kept right on winning me over left and right. The way that he wouldn’t let her parents or his parents rush Nayna into coming to accept him and a marriage between them on her own and without outside influence. The way that he supported her hopes and her dreams made me swoon into a puddle of love for him. He was honestly such a great guy and I wanted so much for him to get the happy ending he wanted and was thrilled when he finally did.

On top of being one of the sweetest heroes that I’ve read about in a long time, Raj was always a Mr. Sexy Pants. He worked hard and his hard work paid off with a body that was sculpted from the Gods. I completely adored everything about him and if you haven’t met him yet, you should change that because Raj Sen is such a great hero and I know that you love him.

Hero Casting

This is who I pictured in my head while I was getting to know Raj. I think he fits the description well and I adore the hell out of this guy.

Buy the Book

AMAZON || BARNES & NOBLE || GOOGLE BOOKS || KOBO || THE RIPPED BODICE

Hard Play Series

10 Comments
Tags: Book Boyfriend of the Week, Book Boyfriends, Contemporary, Hard Play Series, Nalini Singh, Raj Sen, Romance, Self Published

Throwback Thursday: Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Posted October 4, 2018 by Rowena in Features, Reviews | 6 Comments

Each week, I’ll be writing a review for an oldie but goodie that I’ve read through again to see if these books are holding up for me. I’m a different person than I was when I read these books, older and wiser (at least I hope) so I’m curious to see if books that I used to love can stand the test of time.

Throwback Thursday: Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Slave to Sensation
by Nalini Singh
Narrator: Angela Dawe
Series: Psy-Changelings #1
Published by Penguin, Berkley on September 1, 2010
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 334
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Length: 9 hours, 39 minutes
Add It: Goodreads

Nalini Singh dives into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind-and none of the heart.

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of "rehabilitation" - the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was...

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion - and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities - or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

While browsing through the romance package on Audible the other day, I came across this audiobook and figured, “Why not?”. I needed something to listen to at work and I’m not sure if it’s because Halloween coming up or what, but I’m in the mood for paranormal, urban fantasy or just straight up fantasy books. Because most of my work is mindless and on the computer, I can get through an entire audiobook in one work day so I try to listen to at least 3 audiobooks every week.

It’s been a bit since I last read this book but man was it just as good as the first time I read it. I am just as intrigued with this series and the characters, the storyline and just everything about this book worked for me.

Lucas Hunter is the Alpha of the DarkRiver changeling pack and is overseeing the building of changelings housing when he’s approached from the Psy to build some housing they’re hoping to sell. His Psy liaison is Sascha Duncan and even though he doesn’t trust her as far as he can throw her, he’s attracted. Hella attracted to her and the more time that they spend together, the more he’s sure that he will have her. Things are complicated for him because he’s hunting a Psy serial killer who is attacking changelings and that more than anything else should be his top priority.

Sascha Duncan has a full plate of her own. As daughter to one of the Psy Council Members, she’s used to being under a microscope and because of that, it makes keeping her secret a lot harder but she does what she needs to do to survive and being around Lucas is making things even harder for her.

Gah, this is such a fantastic supernatural world to get lost in. Nalini Singh does such a great job of building a world that will grip you from beginning to end. I think I enjoyed this read a lot more this time around because I understand the world now. I didn’t spend any time trying to figure out what the hell a Psy is and who are all of the Changelings, stuff like that. I didn’t realize how much I missed this world until I started listening to this book.

This was such a great start to one of my all time favorite series and if you haven’t read this, you’re missing out. Nalini Singh is a magician and this book is only one of the reasons why. Lucas and Sascha will worm their way into your heart and all of their loved ones will too so you should really get this book, read it and love it right alongside me. I promise, it’s good. I’m SO glad I re-read this one.

Buy the Book

AMAZON || BARNES AND NOBLE || GOOGLE BOOKS || KOBO || THE RIPPED BODICE

Final Grade

4.75 out of 5

Psy-Changeling Series

6 Comments
Tags: 4.75 Reviews, Book Nerd Things, Book Reviews, Books, Nalini Singh, Paranormal, Psy-Changelings Series, Romance, Throwback Thursday

Book Boyfriend of the Week: Valentin Nikolaev

Posted February 2, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

This week’s book boyfriend is one that I read about last year. I am a huge fan of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changelings series. It’s my most favoritest paranormal series of all time and when Nalini announced that she was spinning the series off to focus on the Trinity, I was all in…especially since Silver Mercant was getting her story told first. What’s cool is that I went into this book planning to love the hell out of Silver but it was Valentin that stayed with me all these months. Total book boyfriend material.

Book Boyfriend of the Week: Valentin Nikolaev

Silver Silence
by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changelings #16, Psy-Changelings Trinity #1
Also in this series: Slave to Sensation
Published by Penguin, Berkley on June 13th 2017
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 452
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Add It: Goodreads

Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that's exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bears, brings with him.

Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence--her mind clear of all emotion--Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. That's what keeps him climbing apartment buildings to be near her. But when a shadow assassin almost succeeds in poisoning Silver, the stakes become deadly serious...and Silver finds herself in the heart of a powerful bear clan.

Her would-be assassin has no idea what their poison has unleashed...

I’m a sucker for a hero who is persistent in his pursuit of his woman…and Valentin is exactly that kind of guy. He’s a bear changeling and he was one giant softy teddy bear that I loved to death. The way that he pursued Silver and how persistent he was every time she turned him down.

When Valentin realizes that Silver is his mate and we read this excerpt below, it cemented Valentin’s place on my book boyfriend list. He’s a keeper, for sure.

“Raw pain scored his insides, but the bear was in agreement with the man: as long as Silver lived, he could take the pain, take the loss that would haunt him always. He had this big body for a reason. It could take a lot of punishment. As long as she breathed, he’d survive. He’d watch over her from afar, and he’d survive because his mate was alive.”

*swoon*

Here’s who I pictured when reading all about Valentin:

If you haven’t read this book and are curious about it, check out my review of this book here. It’s a good book because duh, Nalini Singh wrote it. If you haven’t read this one, you should fix that. You should also read the entire Psy-Changelings series because that’s a whole lot of goodness in one series. Don’t miss out.

Buy the Book

Silver Silence by Nalini Singh
June 13th, 2017
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Series Order

Until next time…enjoy!

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Tags: Book Boyfriend of the Week, Books, Nalini Singh, Paranormal, Psy-Changelings Series, Psy-Changelings Trinity Series, Romance, Valentin Nikolaev

Eye Candy Friday: Hawke Snow from Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

Posted October 28, 2016 by Rowena in Features | 8 Comments

This week’s Eye Candy Friday guy is one of my favorite heroes in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changelings series. He’s a great leader, a stubborn alpha but a big ol’ softie at his core. I loved how there was so many different sides to Hawke Snow but every single side made for one dynamic leader and compelling character.

Here is his book info:

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh
Release Date: May 31, 2011
Publisher: Penguin, Berkley
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 330

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.

Hawke and Sienna don’t get their story told until Book 10 of the Psy-Changeling series and there was a lot of lead up to it. There’s Sienna’s transition from living in the Psy world to living with Hawke’s Changeling pack and then there’s Hawke’s history and his mate that died and the feelings he was denying himself over a certain feisty Psy, the age difference between Hawke and Sienna was another thing that stood in their way of true happiness and I think that Nalini Singh handled every single obstacle that was thrown their way wonderfully.

Hawke Snow was the kind of leader that inspired loyalty in the pack. He was fiercely protective of his pack and his leadership was a thing of beauty. He was flexible when he needed to be but he ruled with an iron first when he needed to. There was a complexity to his character that I was completely drawn to and I loved the hell out him right from the very beginning.

On top of being drop dead gorgeous and the ruler of the SnowDancer land, he said things that would bring a grown woman to her knees.

“You have the power to tear me to pieces, to wound me so deep and true that I’ll never recover. What Rissa’s death did to the boy I was? You have the ability to do a thousand times worse to the man I’ve become.”

*swoony sigh*

“Pack is built on the bonds of family, of mating, of love. You come first. You always will.”

Some more *swoony sighs*

“You are in my every breath and every thought, intertwined so deep inside me that love´s not a strong enough word. You have my devotion, your name branded on my soul, my wolf yours to command. A hundred years? It will never be enough. I want eternity.”

Gah. I’m just a puddle of lust for this guy and if you haven’t read this series, or know who Hawke is…I beg you to fix that because you won’t regret it. Hawke Snow is all that is right in the world. So much goodness and here’s how I picture him in my head: