Reviewer: Rowena Caressed By Ice by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy/Changeling #3
Also in this series: Mine to Possess, Hostage to Pleasure, The Magical Christmas Cat , Kiss of Snow, Tangle of Need, Slave to Sensation , Wild Invitation, Heart of Obsidian, Shield of Winter, Shield of Winter, Visions of Heat, Mine to Possess, Branded by Fire, Blaze of Memory, Mine to Possess, Hostage to Pleasure, Hostage to Pleasure, Shards of Hope, Shards of Hope, Heart of Obsidian, Caressed By Ice, Branded by Fire, Blaze of Memory, Play of Passion, Allegiance of Honor, Kiss of Snow, Tangle of Need, Shield of Winter, Shards of Hope, Allegiance of Honor, Allegiance of Honor, Wild Embrace, Wild Embrace, Wild Embrace, Silver Silence, Silver Silence, Tangle of Need, Ocean Light, Ocean Light , Caressed By Ice, Wolf Rain
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: September 4th 2007
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 368
Add It: Goodreads
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Series Rating:
The author of Shards of Hope and Shield of Winter presents a Psy/Changeling novel in which two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts…
As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins—cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna…
Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted—and had her mind violated—by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…
Where do I even begin with this review? I mean, seriously?
This is the third book in the Psy-Changelings series and it’s my favorite read so far. Nalini Singh is doing a fantastic job of sucking me right in with each and every single one of her books. I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about this book, and about Judd, that I couldn’t wait to start it. I didn’t think that this book could hold up against the expectations that I had for it but Singh proved me wrong.
This book follows Judd Lauren and Brenna Shane Kincaid as they battle their way toward that happily ever after. The happy ending that Judd never expected to have for himself. Something he didn’t even want or care about until Brenna came rushing into his life and not giving him a moment’s peace. The protectiveness that he felt toward her confused him because he’s a cold man. So cold, he’s ice cold and he’s that way because he needs to be.
If you read the books before this one, you’ll remember Brenna from the SnowDancer pack. She was taken and brutally abused both emotionally and physically by a Psy serial killer. She’s back in the safety of her pack but she’s becoming overwhelmed by the over-protectiveness of her two brothers, Riley and Drew. And by Hawke, her alpha and while she feels as safe as she can feel with her pack, the only person she feels completely safe with is the cold Psy that helped her recover. For some reason, being around Judd is what she craves and her changeling spirit clashes with his Psy coldness throughout the entire book.
There is so much going on in this book but Singh balances everything so wonderfully that you can’t help but get caught up in everything. The romance between Judd and Brenna was such a treat because you can see Judd’s confusion and then the fierceness with which he fought what was happening between him and Brenna. He had to protect his family’s place in the pack and even though Hawke took them in, he never felt like it was permanent. He had to keep his distance from everyone to protect them…from him. I ate it all up.
My heart hurt for Judd and for Brenna. They kind of reminded me of the couple on the X-Men movies that couldn’t touch each other without one of them killing the other. Ice Man and Rogue, I think that was them. But they also reminded me of Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak on the show, Arrow. He’s the serious one, the one that everyone thinks is going to blow up the den and she’s the computer hacker who captured his heart.
heart eyes
I loved that Brenna never gave up on Judd and I loved Judd’s jealousy that he didn’t understand. I loved that Nalini Singh kept Judd’s character true from the guy that we know and were curious about in the previous books. I loved that Brenna and Judd helped heal each other. I loved that they accepted each other for the people they were and not who they wanted the other to be.
I’m really enjoying the background story that is building ground over the course of the series. I find that part of the books very interesting. Actually, I find the whole Psy community interesting. The way that they handle things, all of the secret, shady business that goes on behind the scenes and just seeing them underestimate the changelings at every turn cracks me up.
I couldn’t help but jump right into the next book. I’m completely obsessed with all things Psy-Changelings right now. I’ve pored over every single website that I could find (with Holly’s help) and I’m dreaming of Psy-Changeling things. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again and I can’t even blame Nalini Singh because it was Julie James who turned me on to this series.
This book had it all. A great story with wonderful characters and a hero and heroine who will capture your heart. To read this book is to love it and there’s a reason it’s so popular. It’s so popular because it’s a damned good book and if you haven’t read it already, you should change that because everyone needs Judd in their lives.
Grade: 4.75 out of 5
Reading Order:
This book is available from Berkley Sensation. You can purchase it here or here in e-format.
Only 4.75 out of 5?? 😀
Isn’t it just a wonderful read?
” I loved that Nalini Singh kept Judd’s character true from the guy that we know and were curious about in the previous books.”
This. Just this. Some authors find it so hard to do – so you are reading the book and thinking ‘he wasn’t like that in earlier books’.
There was a time or two when I wanted to strangle Brenna but other than that, it was fantastic!
Holly told me that this would be true before I started this book and as I was reading, I realized how true that was. NS did a great job of stay true to Judd’s character and STILL writing a fantastic story for him.
Love, love, LOVE this series! I can’t get enough of it, and I’m so excited for Singh to keep writing more! I think Kiss of Snow is my favorite. 🙂
Kiss of Snow? Oh wow, I thought everyone’s favorite book was Caressed by Ice. Now I have even more to look forward to with this series. I can’t wait to continue on.
Everyone needs Judd in their lives, indeed–and as you read on, you’ll see that Judd remains Judd. There is no magical “now he’s all cuddly” and crap; he is who he is, who he has always been. That’s some serious characterization, to have a character grow through the book and the series, and yet, remain who he is.
That reminds me of another thing that I’m enjoying about this series. The couples that come back aren’t all cuddly and mushy and driving me crazy with their over the top LOVE. They’re still the same people that we knew in their books, they’re just part of a couple now. A lot of the time, in other series, when couples reappear, they’re attached to the lips or pregnant and over the top that I want to punch them in the nose.