Frozen by Meljean Brook – C The author kindly provided a review copy of this self-published paranormal novella.  I have great respect for her writing and some of my friends adore her books so I didn’t even really care what the book was about. That may have been a mistake – but then again, I’m not sure the blurb could have helped me out here.

Olivia Martin is a civil engineer working for Gullbrandr Engineering. On her way to spend Christmas with her family outside of Denver, she is asked to drop off some important papers by the CEO, to his son, Erik Gullbrandr, who is staying at their country property. Olivia and Erik first met some time ago and there were sparks of attraction and one very steamy kiss.  Erik shut things down very quickly.  Olivia thought initially this was because they were working together but after the project was finished, she asked him on a date and he turned her down flat.  Subsequently, Olivia’s company was bought out by Erik’s father’s company and they have been no more than colleagues. Olivia still nurses a crush on him – she admires and likes him and though he could be “the One”. She never understood the reason for his rejection.

Erik is horrified and enraged to see Olivia at his castle (it really is, with a portcullis and everything).  It turns out there’s a curse, he’s a paranormal being and on the winter solstice (2 days hence) he will lose control and fuck Olivia whether she wants it or not.  Something about Olivia has triggered the curse and Erik has been trying to keep away from her ever since.

The story takes great pains to get over the non-consent hurdle in the “fuck or die” trope.  It was obvious to me early on what it was about Olivia that triggered the curse and, honestly, I thought she was a bit dense to take so long to work it out. Essentially, the two are at cross purposes for the first two thirds of the story simply because they refuse to have an unambiguous conversation. Given that the “Big Mis” is my least favourite trope, it’s not terribly surprising that I was frustrated by the story. Readers should probably take my opinion with a grain of salt because I have a definite bias away from misunderstanding tropes.  For those who enjoy delayed gratification however, this is the book for you.

The story is well written and cleanly produced and there is definite chemistry between Erik and Olivia.  I liked the last third of the story much better than the first two thirds.  Possibly there is also something wrong with me because I didn’t have any big issues with the set up and wondered why they held out so long.

BUY IT:
AMAZON     KOBO

 The Wicked by Thea Harrison, narrated by Sophie Eastlake – B+ The Wicked, from my personal audiobook library, was the only remaining novella in the series I hadn’t yet read (or listened to) so I thought I’d finished it up while I was on a roll.  I enjoy these little stories about “ordinary” people in the Elder Races universe.  It’s the paranormal romance equivalent of a non-aristocrat Regency I guess.  Carling Severan (Serpent’s Kiss) has had a dispute with Julian Regelis over an island of Otherland in the Night Kind demesne.  The Elder Races Tribunal has mediated the dispute and the upshot is that Carling cannot go herself, but she can send a deputation of people onto the island to pack up her library and bring it to her in Florida.  Olivia is a witch librarian (called a symbologist), one of three hired to pack up the library.  She is also good friends with Grace, the heroine from Oracle’s Moon, and Grace and Khalil have bit parts in this story.  Sabastian Hale is an owl shifter (inorite – awesome!) who runs a security company.  He is in charge of the security detail for the expedition.  He is 200 years old and he’s going blind due to a curse from a shrunken-head-wielding-shaman although he is trying to keep the extent of his condition a secret while searching for a “cure”.  It’s not looking good.   Olivia and Sabastian fall in love and the romance is sweet and yes, a little quick, but I felt both characters were mature enough to know their own minds quickly and I was able to buy into it.  I enjoyed this one quite a bit and Sophie Eastlake’s narration is always a bonus.

BUY IT:
AUDIBLE     AMAZON

Reviews of these books will be up soon at AudioGals.