Under the cover of wintry dark shadows, passion’s magic ignites a fire too hot to touch — and too wicked to die…. Two never-before-published paranormal stories to delight the senses and tantalize the imagination! #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR KRESLEY COLE delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time…and a Valkyrie aching to be … delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time…and a Valkyrie aching to be touched.
Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden — the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can’t be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?
NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
GENA SHOWALTER
puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted…and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.
Aleaha Love can be anyone — literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identity switch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself….
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(This review is ONLY for Untouchable, I didn’t read both stories in this book yet.)
I had a hard time finding this as a solo book as it was first published in a book called Deep Kiss of Winter, touted as A Holiday Collection with Bite. That book has this story and a story by Gena Showalter from her Alien Huntress series, which I haven’t read yet. As much as I love Gena Showalter, I knew I wasn’t going to be reading her contribution at this time. Alas, I couldn’t find just the Kresley Cole contribution as a standalone. (It can be found in The Brothers Wroth, a compilation of all of the Wroth brother’s books.) No biggie. Just really an observation for those interested in reading this story.
Let me start off saying that you REALLY should read A Warlord Wants Forever just before reading this story. (See my review on that book for notes on the series numerical order vs the series read order.) The two stories tie together. That being said, do NOT read this book if you haven’t read books 1-6 in this series unless you don’t mind spoilers.
Man, I wanted to dislike Murdoch. So misogynistic and egotistical! But I just couldn’t. There is a vulnerability about Murdoch that I didn’t expect and that really endeared him to me. Sure, I got ticked off at him a time or five. Yet I still couldn’t outright dislike the beast.
Danii is amazing. While I wish she would have shared more with Murdoch so he could understand where she was coming from, I also couldn’t blame her for her reticence to do so. She truly broke my heart with all she has carried with her through thousands of years. Imagine not being touched or able to touch another. As much as I love the Valkyries, I hate that there personalities lent them to not noticing how much Danii needed that she wasn’t getting. Be it sympathy, the correct living environment, or to be told she is enough.
This is another couple with amazing chemistry, which was just amped up by their inability to touch one another. They found their ways, as the story progressed, by thinking outside of the box. This just jacked the heat level up to inferno while they were trying to keep things on ice.
I am a sucker for a snowed in story, but this book definitely didn’t follow the typical rules of that trope. It was like the anti-snowed in story. I wanted them to get out of the situation because I knew they wouldn’t fully reach their potential while hiding away in that place.
It’s a beautiful thing to see all of the Wroth brothers find their HEA. All with such strong-minded women, too. I have loved to read about the connection these brothers have. They’ve been through the ringer, and it sounds like they could potentially see more strife in the future. But now that they’re together with each other and their mates, I have no doubt they’ll prevail.
Review only includes ‘Untouchable’ by Kresley Cole at this time: (I’ll post Gena Showalter book later on)
I originally read Untouchable within the Hardcover version of Deep Kiss of Winter back in 2010, which included Gena Showalter’s story. Now nine years later I liked re-visiting Murdoch’s and Dani’s story but in audible version. Robert brought their story to life, but I found Dani’s character more likable than Murdoch. Murdoch is a vampire that was changed back in the day, so he is one of the fore-bearer vampires. Dani is half-valkyrie and half ice fae. She’s known about Murdoch since she’s older than him.
Murdoch though doesn’t know about her. He doesn’t know about her condition, and he doesn’t know that she is being hunted by her the Ice Fae King who wants her dead. This is the same King who killed her Mother. Murdoch though is there to help her during the time the Ice Fae are there to kill her. He ends up finding out eventually he cannot touch her. No one can touch her; otherwise, they will burn her skin and will be painful to her. The minute Murdoch realizes Dani is his fated mate he will do anything to be able to touch her. They both are in love with each other, but Dani realizes that she will never be able to have a physical relationship with Murdoch indeed. She tries to get help from Nix, but Nix is being the usual Nix and only speaking in mysteries, which is why I love Nix. She is the ever knowing. She has her agenda in every book, and she can’t blurt it out. She needs the fated mates to figure it out on their own; otherwise, it will be less fun. I love her character.
This novella was longer than the first novella in the series, which had a lot more to it. This was a book about love, betrayal, and courage for both Murdoch and Daniela. I recommend reading this book, but if you haven’t read the previous books in the series, you will need to read those first; otherwise, you won’t get the gist of what’s going in the series. You can read the novellas back to back, or you can read the books in order. Kresley is a fantastic writer. This book is the last Wroth brother’s book so that you will get a little bit of Nikolai’s, Sebastian’s and Conrad’s stories are woven into this storyline, so be prepared to get some repeated storylines, but from a different point of view (Murdoch’s POV). I love how Kresley does her stories, which is why I love her series and storytelling.
Story Rating: 4 stars
Steaminess Rating: 3.5 stars
Standalone or part of series: Part of the Immortals After Dark series and I highly recommend reading in order.
Do I recommend this book? Yes.
Will I read other books from the author? Yes. She’s one of my auto-buy favorite authors.
Tropes/Elements: Fated Mates
Hero: Vampire (Fore-bearer)
Heroine: Valkyrie
*This review is only for the Immortals After Dark section of the book at this time.*
Danii is an intriguing character, and pairing up a woman who can’t be touched with a man who is famous for his bouts with women was a very comical and yet frustrating way to go. I like how it told what was going on from their side of things through several of the other books we’ve already read. You get a new perspective on how events looked outside that particular couple’s story. It was great to see the Wroth brothers all together and happy at the end and I hope we see more of them in future books.