Deep Kiss of Winter (Immortals After Dark)

I am a big fan of Kresley's stories and have enjoyed her style and character writing throughout. I have also read several of Gena's varied themes and character works. So I think it is fair to say that Deep Kiss of Winter is a quality short by the author while Gena's is by far the worst one I've ever read.

Kresley Cole's story was pretty good, as is all her writing. Not my most favorite from her, but still worth reading. Gena Showalter's story, on the other hand, was not well written : convoluted plot, uninteresting characters, overall not captivating like Cole's work. The book wasn't worth the money because of that.

I waited a long time to get my hands on Kresley's 'Deep Kiss of Winter' and it was totally worth the wait... Loved it as much as all the others! I'm obssessed... Then Gena Snowalter's short story 'Tempt Me Eternally' proved to be an exciting bonus!!! Keep up the great work guys...

Really good but I feel it could have been longer. I'm used to reading a longer novel by Presley Cole. Gena Showalter put a great effort into her story. I thought it was written well even though some things I wish would have been explained in detail a bit more

I did not realize when I purchased this book that half of it was part of another random series. I feel like a wasted some of my money, but I still loved the part that was actually Deep Kiss of Winter. I feel like we should have the option to buy the combined book or just Kresley Cole's.

I looove Kresley Cole!!! She is one of the few writers in this genre that I can't put down and read every word cover to cover. This story is not one of her best, but it's good as always. It's worth the money I spent, no doubt.

The story line involves a Vampire who does not drink to kill so he is a Forebearer. The Horde is the Vampire faction who does drink to kill, but luckily our Hero is a good Vampire. His name is Murdock and he is the brother of four Vampires. The other 3 have already had their time to shine in 3 prior Cole books. Murdock comes across an Ice Princess/ Valkerie in New Orleans that cannot be touched by anyone but her kind because her skin will burn. She runs very very cold. She has been in hiding from the Ice King who killed her mother for the crown and now wants the only other ire to the thrown dead. During a botched assignation in New Orleans Murdock saves her from sure death. She is incapacitated when he brings her back to his home. It's at this time that he realizes he has a big problem. She has "blooded" him. As a Vampire he is dead, his heart does not beat, he cannot get an erection and so on. But while fighting to defend her his heart thunders in his ears and his blood begins to flow. This means she is his Bride. That poses several problems for Murdock, one he wants release and he cannot get it because he cannot touch her, and two he is not the settling down type. He was known as quite the ladies man and is put off at the idea of having a fated mate. When she comes to she is more than pleased at this develop because she has never had a sexual encounter and loves the idea of him being so obsessed with her. She wants to help him find release. After a very hot chapter or two he leaves her because of his fear of commitment and because he can't actually touch her. She is scorned and rejected. The story continues as such: he comes looking for her, they fight, and he comes back for her, and so on. He can't stay away. Finally he comes to terms with the fact that he wants her and only her and decides they will just need to find a way around the no touching ordeal. They get creative. Fast forward a few months and they are both at their wits end and tormented sexually.

That's the quick rundown. Clearly a way to touch is discovered and there is more to the story, but it's involved and I don't want to give too much away. Because this story takes place during the other prior books in Cole's series it covers a lot of ground and ties in several plots. This may be confusing for someone who has not read prior Immortals After Dark books. For those who haven't... Cole's one of the best as I mentioned before and her style of action, comic, and erotic writing leaves nothing to be desired.

Now there are two stories in this book and the second half of this novel is written by Gena Showalter. Her story is about an alien shape-shifter and alien sex god. The shape-shifter lives on earth and is part of a government faction that fights aliens from other planets that mean earth harm...think Men in Black. They are doing surveillance when the Alien sex Gods land in a field. I call them Sex Gods cuz they look hotter than hell and put off pheromones like no other. The shape-shifter is a woman so she is overwhelmed with need at the sight of them. They meanwhile want her because all their women on their planet are dead. The head of the sex gods takes her as his war prize when they win the battle in the field.

This story is also part of Showalters series that involves Aliens. I believe its call Alien Huntress or something like that. It's a good read, but does not knock your socks off. It's a little bit more primal in the since that the Hero takes his women without her consent in a field. I mean he could have just knocked her over the head with a club and drug her to his cave, but that's basically what he does, so it's funny in that matter. Yet, the banter between the two was annoying, "Let me go!" -- "No!"...that went on for chapters it seemed. To the point where I just wanted her her to give in or him to give up.

Having loved pretty much all of Kresley Cole's IAD series, I had high expectations for her story. She came through--it was great to revisit the characters and world she created--and has as much skill writing shorter stories as she does with full length books. So five stars for her tale.
The Showalter story also met my expectations. I tried reading another series of hers and could not even finish the book. Was hoping that was just a fluke, and made myself finish this whole story. Probably it's just personal taste, but I found her sex scenes icky. In this story, all the talk about smelling honey really did me in. Oh well.

If you have been waiting for the next Immortals book like I have then shut off the TV an settle in for a great read! COle weaves the book seamlessly into the other stories without missing a beat. Spent all night reading - couldn't put it down.

Once again Kresley Cole doesn't disappoint!! I bought this book to add to my collection of the Immortals After Dark series but the other story just added to the reading. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

I realize that this book was a collaboration of Showalter and Cole, but Kresley stole the show (I didn't even read the other). The story was great and left me satisfied though it was a bit shorter than her others.

If you're a fan of the Immortals After Dark series and were expecting the next book then you got your 50%. The first half of the book was good and kept the story going in the series. The second half of the book by Showalter was garbage. I'm not into the alien thing and I think it was wrong for the Cole to use us as test pads for the launching of this garbage. I couldn't get into the second part by Showalter and I didn't even want to. I wholly uninterested and Cole should know better than to have mixed the two. What a disaster! When the next IAD book comes out in February, if it has another book within it, I will not be buying it.

IDK, I seem to be the only person not raving about this duo offering. KC's story started great, but then went flat and no where for me. I was most disappointed by GS's entry - there was no real story to it at all. They each did a great first chapter, then went downhill at different speeds.

If you like paranormal, you'll LOVE this series. The women are kick ass.........no wimpy females here. And the men......oh so yummy and oh so alpha! Love the whole premise of the series............still waiting on Nix's story!

If there was a book that I was slightly disappointed with it would be this one. although not a bad story I found the plot line a little more rushed or thrown together in this one. I still enjoyed the storyline, but it didn't really grab me like her others have.

I didn't realize Cole's story was a reprint as I bought the book unseen from the store. When I started reading, I immediately realized this was a reprint from an earlier book. Too bad I paid full price. I'm not a big fan of Showalter's so I didn't like that story at all and couldn't get through it. How sad that for a holiday book we couldn't have had an original story from Cole.

This is the second book I have received with a black marker mark on the pages this time on the top, (other book was on the bottom of pages). I come to the conclusion that they are selling marred books because this is my second book with the same mark. Bad for business!

Kresley Cole has set her own bar so high in her IAD series that I don't know how she could ever beat books like A Hunger Like No Other (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 1),No Rest for the Wicked, and Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (The Immortals After Dark, Book 3) - to name a few. This book is by far not the best of this author's efforts. Murdoch was a surprisingly unsympathetic character and Danii came off as, well, a little icy (pun intended). I did not feel the same investment in the story and the characters that I usually do in the IAD books. That being said, diehard IAD fans should definitely read this book to see more of their favorite characters.

"Deep Kiss of Winter" is a set of books that include "Untouchable " by Kresley Cole and "Tempt Me Eternally" by Gena Showalter, this review focuses only on "Untouchable" which is the eighth book in the "Immortals After Dark" series... This addition to the series centers around Murdoch Wroth, a forbearer vampire, and Daniela, part Valkyrie part Icere Fey... the story runs parallel to Nikolai's, Sebastian's, and Conrad's (Murdoch's brothers) stories... once again Kresley Cole connects each of these stories and their impact on our current characters' journey... Murdoch is "blooded" by Daniela, now his bride and the only one to bring about his pleasure, however, fate prevents this connection due to Daniela's ice cold nature, any who touch her cause her immeasurable pain... in addition, Murdoch, ever the manwhore, denies his attraction and growing feelings for Daniela in fear of losing his freedom and control that he so covets.... all the while Daniela is being hunted by assassins who want to deny her rightful place as queen of the Icere; Murdoch must continue to battle The Fallen, reunite his family, and learn about the Lore.... the impossibility of this relationship was an attractive piece to this story; two lovers attempting to overcome insurmountable odds and learn how to be with one another is always a must read for me... I also enjoyed each of these character's personalities, Daniela's mix of strong yet vulnerable and Murdoch's combination of suave seducer and amateur lover...these dynamics led to a passion filled chemistry and ultimately to a genuine connection and loyalty between them... and once again, Nix brought her unique personality and talents to the storyline that adds a comedic effect to the book...4 Stars:)

This was not a favorite of mine in the series. This rehashed a few scenes that we have already scene, just from Murdock’s POV and I found myself not enjoying the recap as much as I maybe would have if I hadn’t been binge reading all of these back to back. Also Murdock was a rake in his former life and is not taking to the blooding well at all. Daniela longs for someone to love her so much, since no one is able to touch her, that she puts aside all of her reservations for Murdock, she actually has to try to seduce him.

-- “Vampire, I think you’re afraid to settle down—with anyone. You were single for years and celibate for three hundred more. And now you have bachelor’s panic.”

A few things are funny, the Wroth brothers are all known for something. Nikoli was a great general, Sebastian a scholar, Conner as mysterious and Murdock is known for being a manwhore. He wants to be known as so much more, he was as great a fighter as any of his brothers but no one seems to remember that part of him. Even though he was quite the ladies’ man back in the day he can’t seem to put two sentences together correctly when it comes to Daniela and often trips over his own tongue. Women used to chase him but when he messes things up completely with her he has a hard time remembering how to woo a woman.

-- “Now I fear that . . . I think that this . . . matters. You matter. To me.” He ran his hand over his forehead. “I feel a lot of pressure not to mess this up with you.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I don’t know. A chance? To see where this leads.”

I did like Daniela, she is the frost Queen and I really felt so bad for her that no one could touch her. She is the Valkyrie that most longed to be touched. She was easy to like even if at times Murdock wasn’t.

A few of my other disappointments were not a lot of Nix time. I love Nix’s scenes and these weren’t as good as others have been. Also the bad guy and plot resolution fizzled in comparison to the other stories. After coming off such a complex coupling in Kiss of a Demon King it just fell a bit short. This was more of an in-between story like hey read this while you are waiting. Not the best but at least now all the Wroths have been paired up and the brothers talk of when they are going to use the Key to go back for their sisters and father. That interested me, along with which Valkyrie is eating so there could be some cute Halflings in the near future.

I LOVE the IAD and highly recommend it. I have read every book Kresley has written, I think it's official, she is my favorite author and I would never say that lightly, I love to read. Way to go Kresley : )

I loved Cole's book but I didn't read Gena's because I wasn't ready for another series att. I was still playing catch up with IAD and I don't like to get off the path : ) But, after reading all the IAD books, I saw Cole giving Gena a huge recommendation, so I caved and read Gena's Lords of the Underworld book....aaaand thus began my love for the bad boys of the underworld. So, while I am very grateful for the Lord's of the Underworld, I don't think Gena is AS GREAT of a writer like Cole, but she is still wonderful. I haven't read her alien series, but have read a few of the other series from her and have really liked them. So Gena has made the list of great Authors and series! Thanks for the recommendation Kresley!!

From book one there we heard about Murdoch on and off, the author always teasing never spilling what was going on, until now. Finally we learn that Murdoch the last of the Wroth brothers has indeed found his bride, and she is a special one. Daniela, half Valkyrie and half Icere Fay and she quickly became my favorite Valkyrie, simply because I could so easily relate to her.

In all the books before we learned of the mistrust and even disgust towards the vampires, in all there were mental obstacles and diversity to overcome. In this, the difference between the lovers is so much more intense, because it’s physical. Unable to touch, kiss or be close without hurting each other, reminds a lot of how people with disabilities have to work around their problems with their partner.

The sacrifices either of them is willing to make, the fears and longings speak to me as reader, keeping me captivated and on the hook.

If or how they work it out in the end, is not surprising but still intense because of the sacrifice they need to make. Another book I could not put down.

This is actually my first time reading both Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter. A friend gave me the paperback because she ended up with 2 copies....and I'm glad she did!
I was greatly impressed by Kresley Coles ability to spin a yarn. I was drawn in to this love story that was destined to be....but wait....how could their love come to fruition when they couldn't even touch!
The unfolding story just amazed me. I couldn't put it down!
Gena Showalter follows with an unbelievable alien/fantasy/love story that is so outrageous you can't help but fall in love with the characters as your pulled into their world with a bang!
Seriously, who comes up with this stuff?? LOL
A fun, entertaining read!

For this duology, I chose it at first a few years ago because I was reading Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series and was only reading Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld with plans to get to the Alien Huntress series. So I read Untouchable a few years ago and just now finished Tempt Me Eternally.

Untouchable is the eighth in the IAD series. It is the story of Murdoch Wroth one of the vampire Wroth brothers and Daniella a valkyrie who is also ice fey. Dani loves her sisters, but she is rather removed from things due to her body's sensitivity to heat. Another's touch actually hurts her. She doesn't feel as useful as her sisters when they go on their missions and she is lonely. That is until Murdoch Wroth, who is determined that she's it for him and there is a part of her that knows it. But they are too different and can harm each other if there is even one slip of touch. And then there's the danger that she doesn't even realize is coming for her since she knows little about her origins. There's the ice fey who now seek to harm her because her existence is a bit problematic for the guy who wishes to rule the Ice Fey and her royal blood stands in the way. It was exciting, passionate, strong in plot and characters which is typical stuff for this author. Loved it.
2010

Tempt Me Eternally is shown as book #4.5 in the Alien Huntress series, but fortunately I heeded the advice of Vanessa at the Jeep Diva blog and read it after book three because that is where it actually fit chronologically.
This story picks up after Jaxon's story with the story of Aleah Love, a woman with the ability to assume anyone's appearance who is working for AIR as a new agent, Macy. Her abilities are her best kept secret because she is afraid of what AIR will do if they find out. Aleah is on her first mission when she encounters Breean, a Rakan and his warriors who seek to make their home on earth and battle the Shon. Unfortunately, there is a battle between AIR and the Rakans, agents are killed and Breean takes Aleah and the rest hostage to make a deal. Aleah is both attracted and confused by her attraction to her enemy, but so is Breean. Meanwhile, they must come to an understanding fast so as to deal with mutual enemies and keep AIR from retaliating against the Rakan.
From the beginning, I enjoyed getting to know Aleah and Breean. I liked the barriers in the plot that they had to figure out their feelings and figure out how to work with AIR without any more killing. Not as exciting as one of the full length novels, but still pretty good stuff.
6.6.13

Recommend for those who enjoy both these series and should be read in context with their respective series to understand the overarching plots going on and recurring characters and worldbuilding.

I am just reviewing Cole's "Untouchable." The plot was okay but there were parts that tied in with previous books, and that is when I got a little bored with it. I understand it was necessary for this book, but hey, I have been there, read that already. The sex scenes are okay but not very intense, a lot of arguing (which is true in every book so far), and I felt that for a 2,000 year old Icere/Valkyrie, Danii seemed more like a younger character perhaps more around Emmaline's age? This book just didn't make much of an impact on me overall. No great fight scenes either...I thought there would be a battle at the end. I have read all the other books that have lead up to this one and there is also a paradigm with her characters, and the pairings, which I am also growing a little bored with. I haven't read G.S.'s story and I am not sure I want to after reading reviews.

"Deep Kiss of Winter" contains two stories, one from Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series and one from Gena Showalter's Alien Huntress Series.

The AH story focuses on Aleaha Love, a shapeshifter posing as Alien Investigation and Removal agent Macy. She doesn't know if she is alien or human. She grew up on the streets and is trying to make a life for herself. She took over Macy's identity after discovering her dead body. Anyway, she is working with AIR, when a group of super-hot warrior Aliens show up. A fight ensues but she instantly has a connection with the leader, Breean. The Rakans are good aliens... they're just trying to make a life for themselves on Earth. Their planet has been taken over by the Schon sex-cannibal folks we met in "Savor Me Slowly (Alien Huntress Novels)." But they hope to use Aleaha/Macy and a handful of other AIR agents to secure their safe passage on our planet. As Breean and his men hold them captive, his relationship with Aleaha blossoms.

It's not a long story, but it's a good one. And Aleaha's stories about her childhood and old friend Bride help set up "Seduce the Darkness (Alien Huntress, Book 4)." A nice love story, with some wonderfully steamy scenes.

The IAD story finally shows us who Murdoch Wroth's mysterious bride is: Daniela the Ice Maiden. We learned way back that Murdoch had been blooded but he said his bride did not want to be revealed. The story takes us back to the events of "Playing Easy to Get," where Nickolai was searching for his beloved Myst. It seems that back on that fated night in the French Quarter, when he finally caught up to her, Murdoch met up with Daniela and his heart began beating again.

The big obstacle between the two is the fact that Daniela is an Ice Maiden and can not touch another person without it burning her skin. I'll tell you, they find some very creative ways to deal with this problem.

It felt like there was a lot of rehash in this story, but I wouldn't have missed it. I love the Wroth brothers. I just wish Murdoch would have had a fleshed out version of a story that was all his own.

4 stars.

I'm so glad Murdoch finally finds his woman! He's such a guy's guy and is known for being great with the ladies, in one way at least. Wink. Lol Daniella is known as the ice maiden, totally a virgin who can only be touched by her own kind. Murdoch the vampire doesn't quite fit into the icere category. Anywho, the other half of this book is about sexy aliens and has nothing to do with the IAD series, but the author, Gena Showalter, is Kresley Cole's good friend and I think it's sweet how they share this novel. You'll enjoy both stories in this book. :)

First off, I'm not a big fan of anthologies. They usually mean I end up spending money on a book I will only read 150 pages of because I only care about one of the authors or because that story fits into a series somewhere and I'm a consummate completest. This one was even more annoying because it came out in hardcover. I sucked it up and bought it any way because Kresley Cole is one of my favorite authors, and the Immortals After Dark series is addictive. So I'm reviewing specifically her story, Untouchable. I may eventually go back and read Gena Showalters (I am a fan of some of her work) but for now I just focused on Daniela and Murdoch.

Second point: I realize full well that this was intended as a winter holiday/Christmas book, but I read it in July. Oops. Actually, while the theme is ice and Christmas is briefly mentioned, it's not very Christmasy. I found the cold theme oddly refreshing.

Now, to the story: Basically, Daniella is a valkyrie but she was born to and Icere mother. The Icere are people of the cold, their bodies are cold, and warmth of any kind is deadly to them. For Danii that means contact with and non-Icere beings burns painfully, and getting overheated is a constant concern. When it's discovered that she is Murdoch's Bride (his fated mate), their inability to touch physically presents a huge problem.

The characters were surprisingly well rounded, considering that their developement had to take place in only 250 pages. Without the usual action/adventure sequences typical of the series, Cole focuses almost entirely on their core problem as a couple. I liked that. Danii's desperation to be loved and feel physical affection is heartbreaking. Murdoch, meanwhile, was somewhat of a rake when human--commiting to one woman, let alone one he cannot touch, is frustrating and life altering for him. I liked them as a couple. They certainly aren't my favorite of the series, but I wouldn't expect them to be.

I would like to say that Kresley Cole is one of the most endlessly creative authors I've encountered. The settings--like the cabin in Siberia that's magically iced over--take you to another world. The sex scenes are inventive. The characters are unique and interesting. Even the secondary characters are well rounded and likeable (Nix being my standing favorite).

Now the negatives: The overlapping timelines drive me crazy. If you've read the series up to this point, you know what I'm talking about. I usually don't file them under "negative" because while they are confusing, they're also a lot of fun. But in this case, in such a short novel, trying to shove in those context clues so that we as readers will know what part of the story arch we're in...I think it was a miss calculation on Cole's part. It felt like she had to work to make the story fit, and so I had to work to make it ok in my own head. Just a bit of a stretch.

I also kind of thought that the final solution to Danii and Murdoch's problem was SO OBVIOUS. No, I won't spoil it because maybe it isn't that immediately obvious to all readers. I just thought it was a bit lazy, and when it came to that point I said "Umm, duh?" and was left feeling a bit disapointed.

Overall, it's a good story. Worth the purchase of a full priced hardcover? Not really. But worth a read if you can get it otherwise.

I really enjoyed "Deep Kiss of Winter," which I actually found quite shocking. I like little to no sex in my books, and this book contained massive amounts of sex. That said, since I'm not really a "smut" fan, so to speak, it might be hard for me not to give a biased review. So just know that this is coming from a non-"smut" fan.
My favorite of the two stories was Kresley Cole's "Untouchable." It was a lovely story about two people who seemed meant to be together, despite some of the impossibilities of their relationship. Namely, that they couldn't touch each other. There were a lot of characters introduced in this story, and most of them we didn't really get to know. That didn't seem important. Dani and Murdoch were what was important, and they were well thought out, well-developed, interesting, and likeable characters. Sure, there was mega passion going on, but it didn't take over the story. We really got to know Dani and Murdoch, and the plot line itself was twisted and exciting. A lot happened in a mere 250 pages! This story left me feeling warm and happy inside. :-)
I liked Gena Showalter's "Tempt Me Eternally" a little bit less. The story was interesting, as were Aleaha and Breean, but, without the passionate moments, I think the entire plot line could have taken place in about 10 pages. I really liked the premise with the hot, golden alien and the cute, stubborn, and determined "earthling," and I wanted to see more of them interacting outside of the bedroom. So while I enjoyed this read, and I might have REALLY enjoyed this read if I were the kind of person to love hot, steamy moments, I sort-of felt jilted. Like I didn't get enough because very little happened. Still, it was well written, the story was cool (although it did end very abruptly), and I enjoyed reading it. Though I have to say, if it has just been the Gena Showalter book, I probably would have given in 3 stars.
The thing I liked least about this book was that, aside from them both being paranormal romance, I didn't really feel like the two stories fit together. Which would have been okay, excpet that it seemed like they were TRYING to fit together. It's like someone told them both "Write a paranormal romance using the words bride, vampire, and cold." I found it weird.
Still, I'd say, if you like paranormal romance, this might just be the book for you!

A Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gina Showalter is a 2009 Pocket Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher as an XOXpert, the official street team of XOXO After Dark.

In my ongoing tribute to Kresley Cole and the Immortals After Dark series during the month of November 2015, I am attempting to read as many books in this series as possible. Next on my list is this novella length story “ Untouchable”.

This story centers around Danii- The Ice Maiden and Murdoch Wroth- a vampire. Danii is from Icere and can only be touched by her own kind because if she gets too warm she will shatter.

Murdoch was changed into a vampire unwillingly and has a manwhore reputation. When they cross paths it quickly becomes a tense situation and before Murdoch knows what hit him, his heart starts beating, and we all know what that means.

This is another predicament where the mated couple find themselves in a situation where they must overcome some huge obstacle in order to be together. This couple is unable to touch and must get creative to find sexual release. I found the prospect of not being touched for two thousand years to be a really sad situation to say the least, so I felt worse for Danii than anyone else. Murdoch was the usual IAD type alpha, and I did like him, he is funny and maybe a little romantically impaired, and of course stubborn and resistant to commitment.

There is a little action and adventure as always, plus, I just happened to fit this one in at the perfect time due to a cozy holiday reference at the end of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, but it wasn't my favorite in the series. Still, it's a worthy addition to the series and a must for all IAD fans.

While this is a novella length story, it's given the most space in the book. The Showalter story is very brief, but for the sake of time, I will have to go back and read it at another time.

'Untouchable' by Kresley Cole, 5 stars. This story made me laugh, cry, and barrel through to the last page in one sitting like I was starving for every last word. I can understand some of the reviewer's issues with Murdoch and Danii's story, but that's not how I feel at all. In fact, reading this novella solidifies my opinion that Cole is an amazing storyteller and seems to really care about her characters - unlike some other big name authors who write on auto-pilot and publish mediocre books (even short ones) just to make a quick buck. Okay, off my soapbox now.

Deep Kiss of Winter brings Murdoch's story of his fated romance with Danii, a Valkyrie/Icere queen. Reading how Murdoch was caught off guard and had no clue how to deal with his feelings was sweet and funny. The scenes with the blanket and Danii holding a baby were honestly heartbreaking. (How could anyone NOT get emotional after reading that???) And the scene in the bar with the demons was fall-off-your-chair funny. There were also plenty of times when I wanted to slap these characters for being so stubborn and oblivious (like at the end... duh, OF COURSE that was the solution)!! As this was the fourth Wroth story, I felt that Cole did an incredible job interspersing the IAD timeline, and relating the Wroth brother's story from a different perspective each time. Tons of authors would have no prayer pulling this off in a series without being boring and just repeating information, but Cole does so beautifully. The stories of these vampires and their brides still seem fresh and interesting.

Gena Showalter's 'Tempt Me Eternally' is a decent 3.5 star read. The story was... interesting, with lots of different sci-fi/other world/horror elements. The story itself was rushed, and seemed complicated and all over the place, with too much going on and way too much necessary backstory for a short 164 page tale. Aleaha and Breean's quick romance made me interested in reading other stories in the Alien Huntress series, but I'm certainly not rushing out to order every book. I can see why Showalter has a growing group of loyal readers, but maybe it'll just take me a little longer to come around.

First... (screeching) Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter in one book!!!! swoons.

That's how I felt when I first heard of this book. Two of the hottest authors in paranormal romance all wrapped up into one deliciously packaged book - featuring two steamy stories that will keep you warm this winter. So, needless to say, I was extremely excited when I was allowed to be part of this book tour.

Kresley Cole's, Untouchable, features the last "un-blooded" Wroth brother, Murdoch. This is the sixth book in her Immortals After Dark series. Obviously, I would recommend that you catch up on the earlier titles so that you know what the heck is going on. But you can still read this as a stand-alone since there is a lot of explaining as to who is who and what is what. For those of you who have read the series, this book more or less takes place at the same time the previous five stories have wrapping everything up quite nicely with the other three Wroth couples.

A little bit about our leading couple: Murdoch Wroth - tall, dark, handsome - brooding vampire - in his mid-thirties. He was a love 'em and leave 'em type in his pre-vampire life. He had a different woman every night - even thought of as a 'manwhore' and has been without a woman for over 300 years. That is until he runs across the stunning Daniela...and suddenly his heart starts beating and he's been 'blooded' to a woman he can never touch, or have. Talk about ironic. Daniela The Ice Queen - is part valkyrie/part ice fey and a two thousand year old virgin to boot. Although she lives in New Orleans with her valkyrie brethren -she is in extreme discomfort with the hot and humid temps. Not to mention she runs the risk of thermal shock if she gets too hot and, if she's touched, even in passing, it is the equivalent of putting her skin to an open flame.

I fell in love with this couple. Daniela only wanted to be loved and touched, she led a lonely existence and fantasized about finding someone to love her. Murdoch could never imagine himself tied down to just one woman - and much less to one he could never touch. The excitement and anticipation over just how they would make it work - made it a quick and exciting read for me.

In Gena Showalter's, Tempt Me Eternally, we are once again thrown into her Alien Huntress series. Here we meet Aleaha Love (known as Macy amongst the AIR team). Aleaha is not the normal AIR agent though - she has a secret - a secret that can be deadly if found out by AIR (AIR = an elite enforcement group devoted to protecting the earth from aliens). For Aleaha can change identity - she can rapidly change bodies from the short, blonde Macy, to a tall, brunette, male, female, it doesn't matter... she can become anyone.

On her first mission to intercept an invasion of the deadly Schon, her team is surprised when instead of the expected Schon, a group of beautiful and golden-skinned Rakan emerge. Chaos ensues and only Aleaha is left standing. Breean, the leader of the Rakan, is only looking for a safe planet for his people to live in. For his race is peaceful and have had to leave their planet and their females behind because of a deadly virus which caused the female to "eat" the male population (caused by, once again, those pesky Schon). Breean's only recourse is to imprison the AIR team in order to use them in the negotiations to be allowed to reside on Earth. But Aleaha has no intentions of letting her friends remain prisoners, she must fight against the desire she feels for the leader and form a plan to help them escape.

If you've read the previous Alien Huntress novel, Seduce the Darkness, you might be thrown off a bit, because this story actually takes place before that one... so you're left wondering why they keep talking about a Schon ship landing... when you know that already happened, but anywho... once you get the time frame right, you understand and truly enjoy this story. Aleaha and Breean were fun, flirty and had some great dialogue. I loved the push and pull between them. Breean was looking for submissive (what his race is used to) and Aleaha would not let herself be a pushover. They were a great match.

Once again, Kresley and Gena have not disappointed. This is a wonderful anthology featuring two wonderful stories that can definitely be treasured... not to mention savored. For lovers of romance, paranormal/fantasy, this is a gem that you won't want to miss out on.

Untouchable was my first experience with Kresley Cole. I am always a little hesitant, too, when authors add a lexicon or a glossary to their books when the book isn't a series. Yet, I dove into Untouchable with an open mind and a significant amount of interest in this world Cole had created. I rather liked the idea of there being a `Lore' full of strange creatures and magical beings. Though, I have to say that I wish the book were a fantasy series, and not paranormal romance. I think the world, the creatures, and the premise was excellent, but the overdone romance elements takes away from the pure fantasy creativity behind it. Or maybe that is just my biased dislike of romance in general talking. Let me not make it seem as if I did not like the story, because I did! I thought it was excellent. The characters were great, the plot was amazing, and I just fell in love with the world Cole created, which is why I totally plan to read more of the Immortals After Dark series that the book is a part of.

Cole's world seems complicated, but it breaks down into a few easy things. You have the Lore, which are these creatures. Within it are creatures such as Valkyrie, Vampires, Demons, and Icere. Vampires are on an eternal search for a Bride (I guess there are no female vampires out there looking for Grooms?), who will once again make his heart beat and his passion boil. Once he meets his bride, he is blooded to her. His longing for her is almost unbearable. Well, Murdoch the Sexy becomes blooded to a half ice fey, half Valkyrie woman he cannot touch because touch burns her cold skin. They can't do it, naturally, since his touching her would cause her a lot of pain and possible death. So, not only must they work together to overcome other preternatural creatures, but also learn how to surmount their difficult romance.

I admit, I did get a little annoyed with how the storyline just moved from one thing to the next. There was this great build up about wars and vampire rivalries and then, out of nowhere, the book just moves on past them and says, "oh well, everything was fixed" and introduces all new plots. It was very disappointing and made me wonder why all the build up for a resolution we don't even get to experience?

Showalter's story Tempt Me Eternally is part of her Alien Huntress series, though I have never read any of the other books in the series and walked in to it sort of clueless as to Showalter at all. I have heard the name before since a few of my friends are fans of her other series', but I was a Showalter novice until this point. In the novel, Aleaha Love is a shapeshifter of sorts, but she cannot let anyone know for fear of her own life. This is romance, though, so a hot, hunky guy has to come in somewhere. And that guy is Breean, a Rakan, who imprisons Aleaha in the hope of using her for ransom in order to be allowed to live on Earth since they cannot return to their own home planet. It is only natural in the course of a romance plotline for the Rakan Breean and Aleaha to decide they like each other complete with the banter of two people who are opposites but eventually discover they are perfect for each other.

Okay, so the endings of romance novels are very predictable. How often do the couple decide not to be together? Or that their differences are too insurmountable? Or hey, someone dies? Not often, and only in a series when there is lots of time to work everything out by the end to wrap up a happy ending. I like happy endings, I do. Which is why books like Deep Kiss of Winter are so fulfilling. You get what you want! No anti-climactic endings to make you walk away numb and disappointed. Though, of course, the nature of predictability gives very little in surprises. Which is why, of course, authors have to ultimately make up for this shortfall by creating good plots, great characters, and amazing stories. Cole and Showalter did. Excellent book!

Plot Summary: Two of my favorite paranormal romance authors have come together for this collection. Kresley Cole presents the eighth installment in her Immortals After Dark Series, featuring vampire Murdoch and his ice maiden bride, Daniela, called "Untouchable." Then Gena Showalter offers a shorter, novella-length story for her Alien Huntress series, "Tempt Me Eternally," featuring shape-changer Aleaha Love and alien Breean.

I'm glad I listened to my gut, and refrained from buying Deep Kiss of Winter when it came out. I am a big fan of both Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter, but when I heard that they were each offering a story for this one hardcover, I put my enthusiasm on pause. I'm not usually satisfied by shorter stories, and this proved true with regard to both offerings. The stories were enjoyable little add-ons to their wonderful series, but they aren't keepers in my opinion. It's kind of like settling for a quickie when I want a lot more attention to detail.

Kresley Cole's story, "Untouchable," was just a bit of shy of being a full-length novel, and the romance built up very slowly. It's a study in delayed gratification, given that the hero and heroine couldn't even touch without causing extreme pain to each other. It was a novel premise for a romance. Ms. Cole does an amazing job weaving her various installments together, and the readers who've been following the Immortals After Dark series will see all kinds of references to the previous books. This story can stand alone, but it's most appreciated by a current fan.

I've only read one other story from Gena Showalter's Alien Huntress series, but it's full of her trademark red-hot sex. Her story is quite short, but I found it to be the better of the two. It has some improbable moments that won't bear close scrutiny, but the heat between the lead characters was undeniable. If you like erotic romance, then try Ms. Showalter's romances because they straddle that fence, and are definitely on the scorching side.

Untouchable: #8 in Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark = 5 stars

Tempt Me Eternally: #4.5 in Gena Showalter's Alien Huntress = DNF

Untouchable, which comes in as a fairly long novella, is one of my favorite stories in the Immortals After Dark series. Once again it pits two immortal enemies against each other - Murdoch, a human turned vampire who chooses to 'forbear' drinking blood from living victims and Danii, a Valkyrie who is part ice fey (Iceri). Rhyme intended (I think).

Both characters have very briefly appeared in previous installments, and this story really showcases KC's skill at unlikely romantic pairings between characters who, on the surface, are all wrong for each other. Due to Danii's part fey heritage only other Iceri can touch her without causing immense, unbearable pain. Unfortunately the Iceri, whom her mother ruled, have been hunting her for her entire existence. Does the phrase two-thousand-year-old virgin mean anything to you?

Meanwhile, Murdoch, was basically a 'player' during his time as a mortal (Danni refers to him as a 'manwhore' at one point). Becoming a vampire deadened his body and Murdoch isn't keen to be 'blooded' by his immortal bride despite the greater power it will give him. Beyond his commitment to his brothers Murdoch doesn't condone attachments. However, this immediately begins to change after Danii bloods him. On both sides there was less conflict than I expected concerning their loyalties to their respective factions and Murdoch's philandering tendencies. They conflict was definitely internal on both sides. This story is very character-driven but has just the right amount of action. And plenty of sexiness.

I really felt Murdoch and Danii's pain at not being able to truly be together in all the ways they wanted to be. I connected with these characters, and Murdoch is one of my favorite heroes by KC. I also think readers who want to try the Immortals After Dark series can pick this one up. It may be #8 but it occurs over time and syncs chronologically with previous books. It's a great story to get hooked on.

Tempt Me Eternally, the second story in this anthology, was a train wreck. I was ready to give up after just a few pages but forced my way through close to a third of it. It begins with the heroine on a stake out waiting for some aliens who are spreading a deadly plague to come in so she can trap them with help from her fellow agents. Aleaha's male counterparts really gang up on her in a friendly but kind-of-not-friendly way immediately. Then, when the wrong aliens appear it goes even further downhill. The writing was so choppy and jarring sometimes and the hero immediately induced eye rolling. I'm pretty sure I've read the same hero 50 times. Also, except for the first few pages both hero and heroine pretty much spend the first three chapters thinking about sex. Just get on with it already...

Normally I love science fiction romance but even after trying desperately I couldn't get into Tempt Me Eternally. Do yourself a favor and skip it.

I've only read Cole's story so far in this duo so I can only comment on that. Suffice to say, without comparing it to her fabulous previous works in the IAD series, this was highly enjoyable. As another reviewer said, Cole has set her own bar so ridiculously high that I think we've all equally raised our own expectations of her work. But I think I would've loved this story anyway, in however way Cole wrote it, simply because the hero was a Wroth. How could anyone NOT love those Wroth brothers? (insert dreamy sigh here) Add to it a unique, interesting and complex heroine like Daniela.. their romance was endearing to watch unfold.

What I liked about this story in particular was that Murdoch was the experienced one, the self-confessed "manwhore" while Danii was the opposite due to her being untouchable. So this time the rogue had to be tamed. In the previous books all the men had latched onto their women straight away.. not here. Murdoch was against being blooded and Danii was the one who longed to be with him. So I liked that turn of plot. I also loved reading about Danii's faction - the Iceres (even Jadian was engaging.. do I sense a story here? I hope so) I immensed myself in that world, I'm also winter-obsessed so I felt right at home.

Now I wouldn't say this has shot up to be my favourite of the series. Dark Needs at Night's Edge (Book 4) Conrad and Neomi's story will always be my #1. This ranks at about 4th or 5th (my least favourite of the Wroths but definitely better than the demons or lykae's stories!). Therefore it gets 4 stars and not 5 for lacking that tiny extra oomph that the other Wroth stories had. I think I just had less emotional investment in this one compared to the others. But it's still really, really, really, really good.

In any case Cole has an amazing talent for words. I praise her limitless imagination and ability to come up with supremely unique characters. Every time I read her books I'm engrossed in the world of the Lore. She explains every single detail pretty thoroughly.. you'd be hardpressed to find any plotholes. Can someone give her the Nobel prize equivalent for writing already?! Unless she's already won it..

One last comment- 'Deep Kiss of Winter' is a title much better suited to her own story rather than 'Untouchable'. I found that a bit weird it didn't follow the same title style as her previous books.

Now I'm just sad that the last Wroth brother has been snatched up and there'll be no more vampy goodness. Nonetheless, still looking forward to what's next, if still at a slightly lesser extent.

In Untouchable, we get an Immortals after Dark story by renowned author Kresley Cole. I love this series with the vampires and the valkyrie. This story is about Murdoch, the womanizing vampire soldier and Daniella, the Ice Queen who is also half valkryie.

Daniella can't be touched or she will burn. If she gets too hot, she will shatter like glass. She yearns for a man and to make her fantasies reality, but she can find no way.

Murdoch never wanted to have a Bride, but he finds himself blooded to Daniella when he is trying to rescue her from a band of men out to kill her. Now, he must have her or go crazy, but he cannot. To touch would burn her. The two want to be together, but they must come up with a way or the desire may kill them both.

Best-selling author Gena Showalter spins us another wonderful and sensuous tale in her Alien Huntress series. Aleaha doesn't know if she is human or alien. She can take the form of any being by a touch. Wanted for theft and murder, she keeps her own identity hidden and takes the form of Macy, a cop who works for AIR, Alien Investigation Removal). But her identity is at risk to be revealed when a mission goes awry.

Breean, a golden skinned commander, wants Aleaha for his own and he will remove any obstacle in his way. He sees her double face and wants Aleaha, not Macy. But Breean has time; he's captured Aleaha and her comrades and is holding them until AIR and his band can come to an agreement. But he has no plans to let Aleaha go, and she really doesn't want him to. But she may have to bring him harm if he doesn't release her fellow workers soon.

Two stories that sizzle and burn. Paranormal romance, fantastic action, and sensual and steaming romance by two best-selling authors! A decadent treat!

Another great book by Cole! I've been a fan of hers for years, and I kept up to date with all her books until I started college. Once I graduated, I decided I needed to catch up on her series ASAP. So I pulled this book out last week and started in the series where I left off - book 7. I will admit, I haven't read Gena's part of the book yet...

Picking up where I left off in the series, Murdoch is an interesting character. He's constantly battling himself and certain struggles (no spoilers), while trying to keep Daniela as his own. Daniela is also well written, and I love the development of her character, as well as his, in this book.

I can't say too much without giving away spoilers, but the story weaves in nicely as a filler from time to time to give us an idea what was going on during the other books. Nikolai, Conrad and Sebastian all do make small appearances for the Wroth fans! Not to mention the shower scene towards the beginning was niiiiice.

All in all, it was a great read, and a good one to get me started back into the series (and remember all the other characters and what was going on, etc.) I do think, though, that to appreciate this book you have to of had to read books 1-6 first. If you're a fan of the series, this is a must read! (But aren't they all?)

FYI - I have yet to read the other stories in this book, but when I do I'll also post a review on them as well :)

(Review also posted on Goodreads)

I was very excited to read Murdoch’s story and find out about the mysterious Daniela who is alluded to in previous books, but no one has any clue about their situation or why Murdoch is so secretive about her. When I found out Daniela was part ice fey and could never be touched by another without enduring incredible pain, I was very intrigued. How could they get around this? And while the story, the banter and the conclusion was all very good, most of this story is very much brushed over to increase time to catch up to allow the other brothers to find their mates. It goes back to the second book and so while they are out searching for Evo to stop him, the reader already knows what happened to him by the hand of someone else in a previous book. Murdoch isn’t even anywhere near it. And then when he is worried for his brothers, they have also already been concluded in previous books. So some things repeat and some things aren’t exciting purely because we already know the outcome. I did still enjoy it and I am happy to see all the Wroth brothers have their mates and their happily ever after and I hope we still see them in the books still to come.

I am a huge Kresley Cole fan, but this story left me cold. Most of the novellete was annoying. It focused on trivial things. It was hard to get attached to either character. Daniella was probably more appealing because of your empathy to her loneliness. Imagine never being able to touch or be touched. Murdoch was so one dimensional. He really had no depth to him. His tale went much like this, lady's man in life, in death (or rebirth) he had no interest in females, until.... he met Daniella. Daniella 'blooded' him because she was his 'bride', but he still lacked passion to settle down with one woman. Why, I asked, when he wasn't interested in having relationships with other women. I won't reveal too much about their sexual relationship, remember she couldn't be touched or touch another, a little difficult to write much passion with this dilemma going on. Suffice it to say, icicles do not turn me on. Ok, on to Gena Showalter, boring. Too many unimportant details which were way too much to try to follow. Nuff said, don't waste your money on this unless you are, like me, a stickler for finishing a series.

I was so excited to see Kresley Cole's name on a book, I didn't bother to read further or even notice that another author's name was on a book. Granted I enjoy reading Showalter's novels, also, but I don't normally care for the short novellas. I would have to guess that short stories are not Cole's cup of tea either. Dani and Murdock's story was lacking. Neither were a very likable character. Which was such a disappointment when Murdock's brothers were some of the best in the series. I did like the way Cole blended this story with previous novels. I soooo remember the missing silver comb from a previous novel and wondering what Murdock's story will be.

Showalter's story also rewinds and explains how characters met. I read her latest novel before this short story and I wondered how these characters got together and what I missed to not already know about it. I thought hers was the better of two. I do think it would benefit their readers to pick up this book to stay updated in the storyline of the two series.

I'm a big fan of Kresley Cole and the Immortals After Dark series. She is one of the few authors on my "autobuy" list and one of maybe 2 that I'll buy in hardback (yes I'm the last person on the planet without a Kindle ;). Somehow I missed this one (what?!?!) and devoured I finally got my hands on it.

Murdoch Wroth (one of the vampire Wroth brothers) is blooded by Daniella, who is half Valkyrie, half ice fey. This is sexually inconvenient as being an ice fey means that her skin is so cold that she gets terrible burns if touched by anybody. This unfortunate characteristic has kept her isolated from her Valkyrie sisters and prevents any sexual ravaging with Murdoch because he literally can't put his hands (or anything else) on her.

There are three things I've come to love about Kresley's books. First is the snappy banter. Typically the IaD characters spend many pages verbally sparring before giving into their physical connection. Instead Murdoch and Daniella bicker. This is supposed to drive home the point that Murdoch, who eons ago was quite the ladies man, is clumsy and tongue-tied with the frosty Daniella. But it feels like they simply have a lack of chemistry.

Another thing I love about Kresley's IAD series is that there is generally a bit of fun adventure. Characters compete in the hie, get kidnapped, have grand battles. Who doesn't love a bit of romantic adventure? Sadly there is very little action happening here. Murdoch is off helping his brothers but most of that action happens "off camera." Daniella literally spends most of the book in Siberia making ice carvings. It's like she's on some Pinterest-fuelled home improvement jag. And speaking of action...

There is no "action." Literally the whole problem keeping these two from their HEA is that he physically can't put his hands on her. Thus Kresley's considerable talents for writing lusty scenes are limited to a few awkward encounters where one or both are fully clothed and wearing protective gloves so that they don't actually make physical contact.

Neither character felt fully developed. The resolution to their problems seemed rather self-evident. They spent relatively little time together and when they WERE together, nobody seemed to be having much fun. Sadly this is the first Kresley Cole book that won't be making it's way to my "keep" pile.

If you're wondering why my long review doesn't mention the second story by Showalter it's because I couldn't finish it. Something about sex-starved but super sexy aliens just didn't speak to me.

Untouchable
Daniela the Ice Maiden is part Icere, and part Valkyrie. Since she is part ice fae, she cannot touch another (unless they're an ice fae as well), without excruciating pain. Murdoch Wroth is an Estonian Warlord who was once a massive rake. After saving Daniela from assassins, Murdoch learns that Danii is his Bride. But since they can never touch, will their frustration be enough to drive them apart?

Untouchable is a story of utter frustration and sexual desire. It actually takes place a lot earlier than the last few IAD books, and once again with a Wroth brother. It's a novella in the book Deep Kiss of Winter. Even though it's a novella, it's still 300 pages, and well worth the read.

The sexual tension between Danii and Murdoch all but lights the pages on fire, and the sex scenes between the two are scorching. Kresley Cole has, as always, delivered a steamy, passionate couple who make your hearts melt from their pasts, and their possible futures. If you're an IAD fan, be sure to pick this one up, and if you've never read any of the books in the series, be sure to do so, since you're missing out!

The most romantic part of this whole book was Cole and Showalter's love letters to each other. I really hope those two kids make it.

Kresley Cole's story:

I've been looking forward to Daniela's story. She reminded me of Rogue from X-Men (I'm a huge nerd) and so I could have been really let down with Cole's take on she-who-cannot-be-touched, as it's the favorite premise of my childhood, but Cole did a great job. She didn't rely on that aspect of the heroine's life to be the only reason to feel for her, she made her whole life pretty pathetic, which was great.

I'm used to the alpha-male being a molester/stalker of his love interest from romance novels and so the fact that Murdoch was pretty apathetic and Daniela was printing up wedding invitations from the get-go was pretty funny.

In conclusion, I'm starting a petition to get Farmer Ted his own novel. He was my favorite character.

This rating is for the Kresley Cole story.

I finally got to read who the mysterious mate was that had Murdoch Wroth acting weird in a whole bunch of previous books! And what a story it was! I loved it!

Murdoch Wroth didn't want being blooded, didn't long for his fated mate like all other vampires do.
But the he meets Daniela, part Valkyrie, part Ice Fey or Icere. And what do you know... Murdoch's hart starts beating for the beautiful Ice Maiden.

Daniela longs to be touched but being an Ice Fey, the touch of any other being is agony and leaves her with big burns. Being with an Ice Fey male is no option because they are hunting her, wanting her dead because she is the rightfull heir to the throne of the Ice Fey.

Murdoch tries to stay away from Danii because he doesn't want a Bride, especially not one he will never be able to touch or kiss or make love to. But he can't stop thinking about her.
He wants to be with her, no matter what...

Buddies and exceptional writers Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter have each contributed a great story to this book. For me the highlight was Cole's Untouchable. I'm head over heels for her Immortals After Dark Series and have gobbled up even the short stories, which is what this is, a very long ( 256 pages) short story. It features a fascinating Ice Maiden/ Valkyrie named Daniella the Ice Maiden, who has been a part of the series from its inception, and Murdoch Wroth who was always thought to be the last remaining Wroth vampire brother with out a love- but as we find here, he was actually the second one to find his Bride.

Fantastically the story picks up during a previous short story, The Warlord Wants Forever ( find it in the anthology Playing Easy to Get), in which Nicholai Wroth is the first of the brothers to find his Bride but is forced to wait 5 excruciating years before he can claim her. The night of that claiming is when Daniella and Murdoch happen to meet and a long romance commences. Each of the other Valkyries and Vampires who fall in love during the series is highlighted, all of the vital moments in their cultures that happened during this courtship gets pointed out as if they are fresh developments. It makes for a great review of most of the series!

Daniela and Murdoch have their own great and memorable romance just like all the characters in the series. And they have their own unique hardships as well as they go for over a year without their flesh being able to touch as Daniela's skin is so arcticly chilly.What a great story!

Showalter's, Tempt me Eternally, is a good story on its own merit. Carrying on her Alien Investigation and Removal series, Aleaha is a shape-shifter who has assumed the image and life of Macey, a new agent of AIR. The real Aleaha is a drifter, abandoned in childhood, just trying to survive who found Macey's body and is determined to do the policewoman's bravery justice. But when her first big raid goes horribly wrong some of the agents are killed and the rest are captured. But Macey is taken by the gorgeous alien leader, Breean, who can see her Macey identity like a mask over Aleaha's real features and falls for her. Eventually, determined to see that both her fellow agents and Breean survive this hostage negotiation, Aleaha is prepared to take the matter into her own hands...even if it means she has to kill to get what she wants.

Once again, KC has joined forces with Gena Showalter to generate a duology at quite a steep purchase price. Why do authors do this? Darned if I know. KC has crafted a rather complex and layered world consisting of Lykae, Vampires, Feys, Valkyries and a whole host of other hob-goblins and one wishes she would put her efforts in to whole length novels that give a reader a chance to catch their breaths. Instead with these duologies, writers seem to be cramming everything and the kitchen sink into less space and the result we get is an at times frustrating read with DKOW. Now before I go further let me say I can't get into Gena Showalter so I did not read her story and my review is strictly about the efforts of KC.

Murdoch and Danii are fated. He is the last of the HAWT AS HELL Wroth brothers. The rouge, the manwhore, the lover of this band of brothers, he has quite a reputation among the lore as an indolent, love em and leave em ladies man. Danii is part of the line of deposed royalty meant to lead the Iceregard; a group of super cold, feys who exist on a plane where a day at the beach means hanging out in a snow bank. Well, Danii's got Murdoch's number and while she initially wants little to do with him, she makes his heart beat for the first time since his immortality but the two of them cannot complete their joining due to the fact that every touch of her skin elicits great pain for both parties involved. As a result theirs is an unfulfilled pairing in the way that matters most to these passionate creatures and it is there that the Bickering Bickersons attempt to see if they are better together than they could be apart. There is alot of "I'm staying, I'm leaving", "I'm in, I'm out", "I'm mad about you, I'm mad AT you". So much so that this element of their relationship really drags the book down which is too bad.

KC makes a good attempt to now tie the reins of many of her books together (I think in preparation of the coming Ascension) and once the book pulls itself out of the M & D bog you begin to appreciate KC's mind in how she is world building and bringing all of the actions across the many books to a crescendo. The book is best when she does this and of course the sex is fantastic (trust me you'll never look at ice quite the same way again). You actually feel their frustration in not making the full on physical contact that their breeds demand to be truly mated. It is however my hope that KC work away from repeating this kind of frustrating plot device (which was done to perfection in Conrad & Neomi's book but seems a tad repetitive and sort of like piling on in M & D's book).

There are many other noteworthy characters demanding their justice and I hope the series is not wrapping up anytime soon. I want that as badly as I want her putting a stop to the whole overpriced duology thing and hopes KC will focus solely on full length novels.

The two stories contained within this volume are part of each author's larger series. 'Untouchable' by Kresley Cole is part of her <span style="font-style: italic;">Immortals After Dark </span>book series and 'Tempt Me Eternally' by Gena Showalter is part of her <span style="font-style: italic;">Alien Huntress</span> book series. I've read neither series for the record.

Initially when I heard about this book I was excited because I really enjoy Showalter's books. Playing With Fire is my favorite, but I enjoy her Atlantis books as well. For some reason I've never read her Alien Huntress books. Kresley Cole is one of those authors that I know I should read, since I enjoy paranormal romances so much, but haven't had any interest in. That said, I have to admit I loved Cole's Danii a lot. Valkayrie coolness aside, I liked that because of who she is she's been untouchable. Not because of a past guy who did her wrong, or father issues or anything like that. She's straddling two worlds and neither world wants much to do with her (talk about paying for the sins of the parents).

Murdoch was kind of awesome, but also rather vexing. He's a self-proclaimed manwhore and feels he has good reason to fear being bonded, but he's a little short-sighted. Or else he's hanging with the wrong crowds. Either way he ignored the good that came with the potential bad. This is a romance, so it is inevitable, but there was a merry chase involved.

Showalter's story fared a little less well for me, but I can't tell if its because I didn't enjoy it or because I have no idea about the world she was writing in. The premise is pretty cool--we can all be like Mystique from X-Men!--but I suppose since I was familiar with the world a lot of it fell flat. I did like Breean though and was mostly envious of Aleaha.

Minor pet peeve, I can't remember how to spell any of the four romantic leads names without looking it up.

This is a good book for a winter's evening however, the romance will take the chill off your skin and should be a treat for fans of either series.

My favorite romance authors are Diana Gabaldon, Stephanie Meyer (so far), and Jane Austen. I've now added Kresley Cole to that list, although she obviously takes the story further ;-) She doesn't use slang or fashion that dates the characters, unless it is a historical romance. Her historical romance accuracy has been brought up in comments, but I didn't find any errors distracting. The heroes sound like real men, whereas some authors write the hero in such a way that I can't tell the difference between him and the heroine. Her heroes don't seem to cross the line into being misogynists either. Her heroines are relatable, usually strong, and never painfully oblivious or dumb. Some of her books are better than others, but compared to other authors in this genre they are all worthy of 5 stars.

This review is only for the first story, Untouchable, by Kresely Cole. Didn't read the second story.

Love this series and the Wroth brothers are some of my fave characters in the series. Of course, not as much as I absolutely adore the Valkyrie coven. This book wrapped up the lives of the Wroth brothers very nicely. Love how all of them found their mates. I also like how this series integrates all the previous characters into most of the books. I hate it when reading a series and you never hear about previous characters in subsequent books.

On another note though, the developments for the Assention continues and I'm so invested in finding out how this all ends with all the different races and species vying for dominance.

Deep Kiss of winter is an anthology consisting of two books, Untouchable and Tempt Me Eternally. Since my ratings for them are both seperate, I've written seperate reviews.

Untouchable: This is Kresley Cole's story. I give this story 5 stars. I absolutely loved it. It's what I've come to expect from Cole. Basically, a vampire falls for an ice princess who can't be tounched by anyone but her own people (ice fey) but they all want her dead. I thought the storyline was great, and the characters wonderful.

Tempt Me Eternally: This is Gena Showalter's story. I give this story three stars. I was disappointed with this story. and not because of the storyline, which I'd have given four stars on (it was definitely not some of her best work), but for the sex scenes. I have this terrible habit of perusing ahead in the book (or all the way through it) and I happened to come across a sex scene while I did so. I was disgusted. I actually was dreading that chapter. I kept repeating to myself in my head, "Just get it over with. Once you're done with this chapter you don't have to read it again". For the first sex scene, Breean takes control over Aleaha's body so he can force her to masturbate. Yeah, gross isn't it? Then the other sex scene I remember is when Aleaha had just almost killed Breean and left him to slowly recuperate in his rooms while she went to try and free her co-workers from his dungeons. He catches her then ties her facedown on his bed. He rips off her clothes, and prepares to have sex with her. Now, I don't know about you, but if I had just tried to kill a guy and then he tied me facedown I'd be terrified. But no, Aleaha's turned on. So, I basically think this story is okay, but the sex scenes are terrible.

The book for Daniella & Murdoch has not been my favorite Immortals After Dark book. Murdoch did not deserve Dani. In my opinion, he was a total dhead. But Kresley can bring any man to redemption. Once again, Nix had me laughing and paying attention to her futuristic premonitions. I like the way the author put this story in context with the prior books and the events that had happened earlier were tied together with the final Wroth brother finding his bride. I am happy Dani was finally able to have another's touch. That was a hard life to live with no other touch without extreme pain. Well, on to the next one as I am ready to catch up with the more exciting Valkyrie and the upcoming apocalypse.

5 "I want Murdoch" Stars
I really thought I wasn't going to like this one from some of the reviews. Yes, it was much lighter and not as much story building but the humor and banter were worth it to me. This installment made me laugh out loud and the chemistry between the two , as with all Kresley's characters, undeniable. The lengths Murdoch goes through to love Daniela the Ice Princess is beyond extraordinary , which is normal for Kresley's alpha males/immortals. Once they find "the one" NOTHING can come between them , not even Daniela-though she tries. This installment grew on me and I thought about it for days after I finished.

Kresley Cole's story of Murdoch and Daniella was great. It was really nice to see how the 4 Wroth brother's finally ended up, and Cole did a nice job with the time line/overlap of how the 4 brothers found their 4 brides.

Showalter's story. . . . I have 2 words. . . "Stockholm Syndrome". . .

Kresley Cole needs to either remain a solo writer or find a different author to pair with. 4 stars for Cole's story and 1 star for Showalter's story.

People, editors, authors.... this is how an anthology is supposed to be written! Really the two stories were like mini novels rather than a quickly thrown together short story to sell more books. (No offense meant to authors who write anthologies often... really)

Kresley Cole's story centered around Murdoch and Danii and was amazing. Unlike her other heroine, Danii immediately wanted Murdoch... vampire or not.... and succumbed to his charms after he saved her life. What I really loved about Cole's story was that we witnessed all the events in her previous book and then a little bit into the future. We got to see Conrad's saving, we got to hear about Sebastian and Kaderin.... it was great, a wonderful tie in.

Now with Gena Showalter's portion we had already previously met the pair in her latest full novel involving Bride and Devyn. Aleaha is a shifter type alien and Breean is one of the golden-skinned 'nice' looking ones. ;) In the previous novel I kind of was put off by Breean... I know I know we only met him briefly, but he was all... moody silence "only with Macy..... if it's Macy".... silence. So I was so pleased to read his true personality is not like that at all and he is a devilishly good charmer.

These two completely different stories held my attention the entire time and I felt like I was getting two full novels. I fully agree that all anthologies should have less authors, if they are going to create as amazing stories as Showalter and Cole did. These two need to write another book with Nalini Singh and my heart would truly be content. If you can't afford the full cover price (15 dollars at Target) then sit down and read it at B&N. Worth it.... I really really really like Breean, Murdoch was a bit of a whore (though celibate for 300 years) for my taste.

*edited because I misspelled something...sorry guys shoddy proof reading*

So, this was not my favorite of the series. Murdoch and Daniela's story was just okay. It was worth reading, but borrow it from the library instead of buying it. I did appreciate how Kresley Cole worked the overlap in timeframes which is a tricky thing to do. Do not read Gena Showalter's novella. TERRIBLE! The characters were not interesting and the story was awful! I didn't even finish it, which is unusual for me. I will at least finish a book once I've started it. Not this one. Do not expect much from this book, read it only to find out Murdoch Wroth's story, which is enough for me to recommend it with reservations.

>>>Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole: 4/5 stars<<<

I was ashamed that I didn't touch a Kresley book for half a year. I had a book... I simply just could not open it. Daniela's story sounded amazing when I heard the blurb for it. I love people who have an affinity with an element (as you may or may not see in the near distant future with the current book I'm writing), and yet... here I was, avoiding Deep Kiss of Winter.

I think it was due to this intricate situation I had imagined for Daniela and Murdoch. So in the fear of shattering my dream, I put it off. Plus, the cover was positioned perfectly so that I could turn to stare at it. Yum!

When I finally did read this story last week, I was once again absorbed by Kresley's awesome writing skills. Yet, in the back of my mind, something seemed... well, off. Halfway through the text, I was growing slightly bored, which is strange since I never grow bored reading the IAD series.

The characters are, as always, engaging. Daniela and Murdoch were painted beautifully, and I felt an initially strong connection with the two of them. I was confused though, and would have appreciated a warning due to the story starting off way before A Hunger Like No Other. I kept flipping back to the start, tilting my head in confusion, which distracted me. As I continued, it began to make sense.

Which is probably the first problem I had with this shorter story: it spanned so many years, with not a lot happening between the two, that I didn't fully believe in the romance. One hears lots and lots of snippets of what occurs in the first four books, but I felt as if I were wasting away with Daniela because she was living in such solitude.

The two had settled after a certain amount of months, which also seemed strange to me. I understand why there was this sort of... apathetic acceptance, but Daniela was Murdoch's bride! Man up and be more passionate (I say that half-seriously, because Murdoch does try at times). And Daniela was apathetic in her own way, secluding herself the way she did. I missed the fun immortal interactions one usually experiences when reading an IAD book. Everything was just secluded and lonely, and yet, it worked. It worked for the story and those two characters.

The scenes where Daniela and Murdoch did interact melted my insides. I felt the connection when the two weren't at odds with each other, and that pleased me. The start to the book reflects that urgency perfectly, which is the kind of writing I've come to expect in regards to Kresley's books. An icicle. A freakin icicle! Pure genius.

Ultimately, Kresley's part in this book summoned both positive and negative feelings. I simply felt that stretching the story out over so many years didn't work for me. I enjoyed the start, and I loved the passion, which was there and wasn't at the same time. If this is your first time reading one of Kresley's books, I highly suggest you begin from the start. This story might turn you off from her writing, which would be a horrible crime, considering her books are amazing. And for those of you who are already familiar with Kresley? This book isn't mandatory for the storyline, but it's still a nice addition.

>>>Deep Kiss of Winter by Gena Showalter: 4/5 stars<<<

Gena has done it again. I'm surprised that it took me so long to finally start reading this book (when I had bought it literally within the first month that it was released). I would like to believe that I wanted to procrastinate, since Daniela's story was one that I was genuinely looking forward to. Gena's story was unfamiliar to me, and while I love her writing, I felt no true initial excitement for the plot...

...Until I actually read the story. In true Gena fashion, readers are introduced to a strong, determined heroine, and an equally strong, sexy alpha male. Aleaha is not your typical earth woman. In fact, it would be surprising if she was human at all. She has the special ability to shift into any person she comes in contact with. If we met, she could probably shift into me, you, or even your annoying kid brother. It sounds nice, right? Wrong. Instead of being able to live her own life, Aleaha has been living other peoples' lives, forced to always live in fear. For you see, her true appearance has a warrant out for her arrest. Apparently, Aleaha wasn't such a good girl.

Breean, on the other hand, is your typical alien--if you count gold skinned, tall, muscled, and sexy as hell as a typical alien look. If that's the new fashion sense amongst aliens, then please, abduct me any day now. He had me under his spell within the first page of reading about his character. Which is weird, because I'm not much of an alien fan girl (no, I have not read her Alien Huntress series yet. But I will! ...when Darkness Eternal comes out in September). In fact, my initial reluctance delayed my reading of this tale by a week because I was so wary.

Would just like to say that once again, in regards to Gena's writing, I'm an idiot. I should have more faith!

Aleaha is the heroine who must resist the male's advances. One can't blame her, however, since these unwelcomed guests paid a surprise visit to earth, and then proceeded in killing a few of her team members. The story continues on from there, with our beloved and sexy alpha trying to seduce Aleaha every chance he gets. This leads to some amusing scenes later in the book.

It also leads to one of the best sex scenes Gena's written in a while. This was so creative and amazing that I'm still floored when I look back and ponder over it. I enjoyed it much more than the icicle scene in Kresley's story (I JUST UTTERED BLASPHEMY). I know. I can't believe it. I think Gena just surpassed Kresley in my mind after reading this book.

Surprisingly, I have no complaints. For a shorter length story, it was enjoyable, although I do wish the ending was more dramatic, and less convenient. Fans of Gena will love this tale. New fans will have no problem adjusting to this world, since it seems (haven't read the AH series though, so I'm not sure if these characters already made a debut in that universe or what) that the reader needs no prior knowledge of this alien infested world. At least, I didn't wonder if I was missing any vital information.

I have never read any books by either of these authors so I was looking forward to seeing what they had to offer. The first story by Kresley Cole wasn't bad. I had no idea what all the different beings were and was lost when it came to mentioning other characters from previous stories, but other than that, I enjoyed the story for the most part. If anything, it made me more interested in reading more of her books. The second story by Gena Showalter started out ok but then was kind of boring. Maybe I'm just not into the sex scenes, I don't know, but it could have been much better.

As a huge fan of Gena Showalter I couldn't pass this opportunity up! I have heard so much about Kresley Cole's books as well I thought a novella was as good as any place to start. So let's start with Gena's Tempt Me Eternally which is the story of Aleaha & Breean, which you met in Seduce the Darkness and frankly I liked this story better and found it easier to understand as a stand alone not having read the entire Alien Huntress Series. Breean is the leader of the Rakans a serious hot, fierce warrior who wants nothing more than to find another planet to call home. His has been destroyed by a virus and unlivable. And I said wants nothing more, well... until he comes across Aleaha. I found her a complete spite fire which I loved, I mean seriously, how cool would it be to assume another's identity (physically) by just coming into contact with them! Although she is the newest agent of the Alien Investigation Removal Team these two should be arch enemies, so why can't they keep their paws of each other. The scenes are hot, hot, hot and took me away for a couple of hours into a world of fantasy that I was sad had to end. Although I love novellas for their fast reads I could have taken a bit more of Aleaha & Breean!

The legendary Murdoch Wroth...

First off, let me say. That's it? No more Wroths? But...but...*bottom lip quivering and eyes overflowing with tears* BUT THEY'RE ALL SO HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Chokes*

Murdoch and Danii's story was the most heart wrenching at first because he couldn't touch her. Of course, they got creative and...and...Ice.

It's all I'm saying.

GOD DAMN THIS KRESLEY!!! Stop trying to murder all the women in the world!

And Desh? Omg, I'm so freaking PRAYING he gets a book eventually.

{"I'd risk freezin' off my bollocks to claim yer maidenhead."} YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!! Don't ask me why I think that's romantic, I just do!!!!!

My fave line, point blank.

Now more than ever I'm on edge. I am. Because I gots another Werewolf waiting for me and considering I've gone back and re-read 'certain' scenes from Bowen's book numerous times already...

Yeah!

*Runs to the next one while tearing up because she knows there's only two books left after this.*

And are there any sexier than Kresley Cole's Wroth brothers? This time around in Deep Kiss of Winter's Untouchable we have Murdoch Wroth, the man-whore of the Brothers Wroth. So who would this blood-drinking Casanova fall for? None other than Daniela, the ice maiden Valkyrie who can't be touched without experiencing extreme pain. But boy does she ever want to be touched by Murdoch. Murdoch's waited 300 years for his heart to beat for his bride so he's in a rage not to be able to touch his gorgeous bride. Unfortunately, Murdoch fights his feelings (REO Speedwagon anyone?) Can they really be together? Or will Danii's destiny be to lead her people with the hottie Jadian, the one who can touch her without causing her pain? Kresley Cole is always amazing and you can count on her signature style - poignant, clever, funny and sexy heroes and heroines. She never disappoints.

And as an added bonus, we get Gena Showalter's Tempt Me Eternally, an amazing paranormal story. Breean is a leader of the Rakans, a group of warriors looking for a planet to call home after theirs has been decimated due to a virus. Breean is a fierce warrior and having won the battle wants to claim his prize, Aleaha Love, a new agent for the Alien Investigation & Removal team. She has the ability to assume any identity after having contact with that person. When Breean first sees her she is a buxom blonde but he prefers her slimmer brunette self. Even though he is her enemy, she has to fight her attraction to the sexy warrior. But he won't take no for an answer. And does she really want to say no? When someone wants her for herself? Gena Showalter has created an amazing paranormal world and you won't want to miss her other books, especially Seduce the Darkness.

Deep Kiss of Winter contains two stories from great authors Gena Showalter and Kresley Cole. Each story rates 4 stars from me.

Kresley Cole gives us the story of Dani the ice maiden and Murdoch one of the Wroth brothers. I loved the storyline behind Dani as well as her ice gifts. I loved everything about this except Murdoch. It would have been perfect if his character had made more of an effort for forgiveness in the end. I dont mind a hero being cruel to a heroine as long as he grovels sufficiently. Dani was so wonderful and despite the fact that she would be labeled a vamp ho, she is willing if she can have the chance at a hea with Murdoch. Unfortunately Murdoch spends most of the story avoiding her even though she's his fated bride. The writing and everything else was great though.

Gena Showalter adds an alien huntress story for this anthology. This story seemed shorter than Cole's but in my opinion I liked it better. Aleaha aka Macey is on a mission for a possible Schon appearance. Instead a group of golden warriors arrive. The Rakans who's own planet was invaded by the Schon. Breean the leader is one fine specimen. He keeps Aleaha and her partners prisoners while they plan to negotiate and make earth their new home. Despite its short length this is a great story and Showalter does an excellent job on the story plot and characters with this short novella

I should start out by saying that I only read the Kresley Cole part of this book. There is also a Gena Showalter story as well, but I didn't want to cross into a different series.The story of Murdoch and Daniela was a curious one. Eventhough I knew that there had to be a happy ending, I kept doubting that it was possible. Daniella's "condition" is quite unique, and I really liked how her and Murdoch were finally able to be together. What bothered me, though, was that I thought that things in this book went a little fast. I would have like to seen a little bit more. I was actually kind of surprised when I finally reached the end. It's a good story regardless. Just not my personal favorite.

This wasn't my favorite Kresley Cole story, but all her others are so wonderful it was about time for a just "good" rather than "fabulous" one! This is the first of the Alien Huntress series I've read. After finishing it I went out & checked out the first three books in the series from the library! I can't wait to read more about the other characters now.

The 'Nixie's House of Pain' reference made me laugh in Showalter's story. Yay for crossovers!!

Kresley Cole's Untouchable is a beautiful story laced with steamy romance. To say it's very hot would be an understatement. As with most new universes, it took a while to become accustomed to the terminology and species, but thankfully it begins with a very helpful glossary of terms. Gena Showalter's Tempt Me Eternally is completely different from the first story, but just as sexy. Who knew alien/shape-shifter romance could be so satisfying?

I rather like the A Hunger Like No Other (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 1) series, on par with other Vampire contemporary fiction like Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1), but this 1/2 book entry by Cole is choppy, scattered and left me a little cold. [pun intended]. Love scenes were few and far between and the story happens simultaneously with earlier books in the series which makes for lots of references and skips in time that break me out of this love story. Fans like me will want to read it just to be current in the series, but newcomers will be confused and frustrated if this is the first IAD book they try.

Kresley's story:
The story was much too shallow for my taste and not what I'm used to from this author.
The heroine is one-dimensional. Didn't get a feel for her at all. The most defining feature of her had nothing to do with her character, but with her inability to be touched by others.

Same goes for the hero who is totally selfish with his endless whining about not wanting to be blooded and bound to a bride. Very unconvincing that she would ever fall in love with him the way he is treating her.

I had to put myself to reading the whole of it, just in case it would get any better. But in the end I decided I might as well not have bothered. It was boring and flat.

Gena's story:
Was looking forward to a different story after the first one. But this one was even worse. I didn't finish it because it was just too boring. The ingredients could have made for a much better story than it was.

I love Kresley Cole and I started reading Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series as some thing to read in between Cole's new books being published. I have not been impressed with Showalter's writing but the concept and the secondary characters were interesting so I kept reading the series. Thus I was very excited to pick up this anthology. One thing I really admire about Cole's stories is that the characters are individuals and in each story there is something about each person that makes them perfect for the other and this is true of the novella she contributes to this collection. I loved how Daniela and Murdoch's story developed over a year or more, a rarity in the urban fantasy genre. Dani and Murdoch learning to how to live together mirrors the experiences of many newly weds to some degree and that made me love them all the more. Also Cole's story takes place in the same universe as the Immortals After Dark series so I was immediately at home in the story (I so want to party at Val-Hall, don't you?). Unfortunately I did not get to the point of being able to judge how the relationship between the shape-shifter and the alien would develop. This story takes place in the universe of the Alien huntress series which I have not read. Because I saw too many of the same annoying flaws in this story as I did in the other Showalter books I have read but since I hadn't invested in the characters I didn't feel compelled to keep reading. The thing that bugs me about Showalter's writing, aside from characters who seem pretty generic and female leads who strike me as more annoying than relatable, is that she over explains things. When I got to the part where one character quips in response to profanity "You kiss me with that mouth?" and the author goes on to explain to the reader that this is meant as instead of 'you kiss your mother with that mouth' I knew I couldn't take any more. If you are just looking for big, awesome, sexually unbelievable male leads and some fighting for all that is good against all that is evil than you won't have a problem with Showalter's contribution, but for me, I think I will stick with Cole from now on.

Honestly, it was the worst book of the entire series. It was just too much -- there was no real passion, sex was weird, and overall, the story was not compelling. The second book by Gena, about aliens was outright ridiculous. And Kresley and Gena fawning all over each other in their prefaces just made me cringe. Especially, when both stories fell so short of my expectations. Overall, I think, I prefer Kresley's stories about Lykaes and Demons.

Did anyone else think that maybe this story should have been like book 4??? It definately was out of place! i felt like this book should have been right after the story about the wroths---not after the demon king story! In this book Nikolai hadnt even been with myst yet he had just found her in this book---meanwhile in Conrads story Nicolai already had found his bride. I dont know I just thought this story was out of place in the order of the series. Also i thought Murdoch definately need to be doing more graveling apologies on his knees because he mistreated her very badly and in the end his apologys were weak. Hes luck the ice queen was EXTREMELY forgiving ...in reality...women would have told him to go fly a kite--not give them her neck lol

I like how Kresley Cole mixed all the Wroth brothers stories in with Murdochs. Showing what was happening in their books while doing his story. I like stories where you're like "oh I remember that" from previous books. Big "high fives" to Kresley Cole for that.

Gena Showalter is one of my favorite authors. I love the AIR books. Devyn, Dallas, Mia ... now Aleaha. I liked the story even though it was fast. It's almost like this book should've been out before Devyn and Bride's book (which is an awesome book).

All and all ... great stories. Worth the read.

I really like these story lines....and I used to look forward to the next installment of characters...BUT could we have a little less explicit sex and waaaaaay more of the characters and their plots. I like a good dose of the sex scenes but when it gets too drawn out and repetative, well it's just plain boring. ESPECIALLY, when the characters are so interesting....maybe it's time to switch authors.

I loved this book! Kresley Cole's Unbound is typical with her plot by following the same time line as her previous books. She does not disappoint and gives a typical mate-for-life happy ending! I have never read Gena Showalter before and I am definately going to start! Her unique sensuous leaves you wanting more!!!

I am a big fan of both the Immortals after Dark series by Kresley Cole and Lords of the Underworld of Gena Showalter, so I was thrilled to see this book. Loved it and love them!!!

Another great story in the Imortals after Dark series. Kresley Cole has quickly put herself in my list of the best of the paranormal romance writers out there.

I have read Gena's Lord of the Underworld series, but never her Alien Huntress storys. After reading this story, I will be purchasing the rest of the Aliens books. She is a great author but I did not know how I would like to read about aliens but I guess they are no different then vampires, demons or other paranormal creatures.

Anyone looking for a good love story will absolutely love this book.

As a novella its fine. I couldn't relate to the heroine. Her behavior was too old. Also the hero. He seemed weak. I really like Kresley Cole and look forward to more books. Although this one wasn't to the caliber of her regular books, it was fine for a quick read.

What can I say... I think Murdoch is my favorite of the vampire Wroth brother. I especially love the freaking steaming hot way these two figure out how to be together without touching. *sigh* Ah-Mazing!

Kresley Cole has done such a wonderful job with this series so far that she was bound to write at least one so-so book. Well, this one is it. Murdoch and Daniela's story is just ok. It's not as intriguing, or exciting as the others nor are Daniella and Murdoch's characters as compelling as others in this series. You can't even really place the blame on the fact that it's a shorter story because Myst and Nikolai's story "The Warlord Wants Forever" was also written in an anthology but it was excellent. That being said, it's still a good read - it's just that KC's books are usually outstanding reads - so I'm a bit disappointed.

Ms Showalter's offering in this anthology was just a waste of good trees. Really.

I am a big fan of Kresley Cole's Immortal Series, but I have been disappointed by her recent work (maybe my expectations were too high!) First of, if this is your first Kresley Cole book, do not read it until you have read prior books because then you will be confused with all the references to the Worth brothers and will not enjoy the book. My biggest problem with the book was that I had no sense of time, he would come back to her and I didn't know if weeks, days, or even months had passed, and with all her references to the other stories while I enjoyed them, did detract from how the relationship developed between Murdoch and Dani. I do admit that the story had a very intriguing plot, the idea that the main characters can't even touch did create interesting twists, but the story was not worked out completely. And I had figured out the solution within a few pages because if you have read previous stories then you would know that vampires inherit the memories then why not even characteristics. Just to give you an idea of what I like, I thought her best work was the story about Conrad (the youngest brother) and his ghost. That story was deeply touching and very well-developed. This book does not compeletely turn me off her, but it will make me think twice about paying the original price, I might wait until there are cheaper used books.

This was not my favorite Kresley Cole. It was okay, not terrible but not great. Sometimes her stories feel too much the same to me, nothing original. This was like that, imo, but her newest book is awesome. Try that one.

Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance-Oct 13th, 2009
5 stars

Deep Kiss of Winter is a fabulous read that you will not want to miss! In anthologies I often feel the stories are too short, lack complexity and I generally feel a vague sense of dissatisfaction. But this is not the case with this book. Both stories were well worth the price of the HC book! This anthology includes the long anticipated finish to the last Vampire Wroth brother and continues the thrilling Alien Huntress series by Gena Showalter. If you love either of these series, you will not be disappointed.

In Kresley Cole's Untouchable, we are introduced to the last Wroth brother. Murdoch Wroth was a deadly soldier like his brothers but history only remembers him as the `Casanova' of the family. Seduce them, bed them, and then leave them. Murdoch wanted no commitments and his conquests as a legendary lothario were envied. But his skills were no longer of use when he became a vampire. As a vampire his body is dead to every woman except his bride. However, Murdoch doesn't want to find his bride like other vampires. He believes being tied to one woman, would make him weak like his father. Murdoch remembers how his strong father declined when his mother died. Murdoch long ago decided he will never let another person affect him in the same way. But fate is not always kind, while walking in the streets of New Orleans he is captured by the glimpse of a rare beauty one that he feels compelled to pursue. Although she tries to run from him he knows he must discover her identity. And when he hears his heart start to beat signaling he has found his bride, he freezes.

Daniela is known as the Ice Queen. She is a Valkrie warrior but also half Icere. As her mother's heir she is the rightful ruler of the Icere, descended from a long line of Icere queens. But when her mother was murdered and her crown stolen Daniela is a fugitive among the Icere. As an Icere, she is sensitive to warm temperatures. She must keep cold at all times and the touch of any except those of her own race pains her. As an outcast her hopes of finding a mate are virtually nonexistent. Daniela has hidden in New Orleans with her Valkrie sisters for she believes she is safe from the Icere assassins in this warm climate. Unfortunately, the Icere have found her in New Orleans and are set on terminating her and any hope of her regaining the throne. As she tries to escape them an annoyingly handsome vampire insists on following her at the same time. How will she loose them with him on her trail? And why can't she loose him? Normally she would love the male attention even is she can't physically enjoy a man but if she doesn't loose him her death is a guarantee.

The romance between Daniela and Murdoch moved me to tears. I loved Daniela's quiet bravery as she risks her well being to be with Murdoch. Murdoch is a stubborn male and although he desires Daniela a part of him can't let go of NOT wanting to be bonded. And although he doesn't want anyone around Daniela except himself he still feels trapped by strange emotions that he has never felt before. It was also fun to see how Murdoch's famous charms fled him when he was around Daniela. And it tugged at my heart strings as I read Daniela's reaction to Murdoch as he tries to fight their bond. Their inability to physically touch and the demons both face are made more difficult as the Icere become a real threat. I really wanted the 2 to be together but could not figure out how the impossible could become possible. This story was moving, exciting and unexpected. The conclusion was one that I found extremely satisfying. I only mourn the fact that the last of the Wroth brothers are now hitched!

In Gena Showalter's Tempt Me Eternally, she returns to her Alien Huntress series. As always, Gena Showalter writes an exciting storyline with wonderful characters. This story is much racier than Kresley Cole's and every bit as intense! I loved the sizzling interaction between the main characters.

Breean is a Rakan, a race that is incredibly beautiful as it is peaceful. Thst is until their planet was decimated by the Schon Queen. The Schon Queen spread a deadly virus on their world and killed most of their population. Breean and his men are now the last of their untainted race and they have decided to find a new world to live in peace. Unfortunately, when they arrive through a portal to earth they are ambushed by the AIR.

Macy has a secret, she can shift and change her identity but she cannot control it under extreme emotions. In her latest identity she finds herself the newest member of the AIR team, an elite enforcement group devoted to protecting the earth from aliens. On her 1st operation she and the rest of her team ready to surprise the invading Schon from causing mass destruction to earth. Only they are instead surprised by a group of Rakan. As her entire team scrambles to trap the Raken they are overwhelmed and only Macy is left standing. As her entire team is imprisoned Macy must fight against the desire she feels for the leader named Breean who wants to claim for himself and form a plan to escape and free her teammates.

Wowzers! If Breean is the typical example of the Rakan race, I really hope Gena Showalter writes more stories which include them. Breean was irresistible and frankly it was a testament to Macy's strength of will that she was strong enough to resist his charms as long as she did. Breean's determination to claim Macy and find his men a place to call home was admirable. And Macy's courage and vulnerability were engrossing. I was enthralled by her mixed emotions as she began to fall for Breean but refused to give up on saving her the rest of her team. The 2 strong willed characters were a well matched pair and the sparkling interaction between them made this story exceptionally enjoyable.

This dynamic duo have written an anthology that their fans MUST have!! I slipped right back into each of their worlds and wished neither had to end. This book is sure to be a well-loved keeper.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

The first story in this book, by Cole, was entertaining, and although it wasn't anything special (and I guessed from the skipping around and references that it was a side story to a larger series) but it was entertaining. I might have given it 3 stars by itself.

The second book, however, made me want to throw up. The HERO of the story basically behaves like a rapist, but it's okay because his pheromones take away her will to resist so on some level she actually wants it, right? Disgusting. I didn't get to actual intercourse because him writhing around on top of her fully clothed, rubbing his erection against her while she begged him to let her go and begged for the life of her friends... well, let's just say it left a BAD taste in my mouth. I asked the store for a refund, as I refuse to support authors who write eroticized rape stories.

I have read almost all the books in this series and I have really enjoyed them all. The characters are great and I love the female leads in her books. Great adventure, romance and the male leads are all HOT HOT HOT!!!

I'm a great fan of Kresley Cole series, but this one was not one of her best, and the fact that Gena Showalter took half of the book ! what's up with that ?? I didn't even read Gena Showalter story. When I buy a book I like to read one story not 2.Anyway like I said..... not one of her best.

When it comes out in paperback, I'd consider it a 3 star book. When rating an anthology I feel you have to take into account all the contributions. In this case, it is just the two authors. I won't summarize the plot, the product review is accurate and other reviewers have more detail if you are interested.
Kresley Cole's novella is worth 3 stars in hardback format, 4 stars in paperback. The story takes place simultaneously with some of her other books (mostly Myst's story) and there is some repetition. Some conversations are repeated verbatim. Also, a large block of time passes just by writing that the winter passed. The resolution of Daniella's kingdom was anti-climatic and inadequate. HOWEVER, as a novella it is pretty good. It is fairly long and there is sufficient character development.
Gena Showalter's story is 2 star, at best. (Disclaimer: this is the first thing I have ever read by this author) The concept of a shapeshifting heroine was interesting but under-developed. The hero is not developed at all. I didn't care about these characters at all. I have a feeling that some of her supporting cast in this book are main characters from past books, but this story didn't entice me to seek out their stories OR to read anything else by this author.
*****I do not think that an anthology is the place for an ongoing series to be played out, unless the anthology is a collection of stories from ONE author. I did not feel like I got my time and money worth from this purchase. That being said, Kresley Cole's story is stand-alone and a good introduction to her IAD series or a continuation for people already familiar with her work. I'd give Gena Showalter a pass.
WHY was this published in hardcover?!?

I love both of these series and to have them continue in one book is awesome.
Even if you've not read either of the Immortals after Dark or Alien Huntress series, you will enjoy these books and most likely want to run out and get the rest of both series.
Happy Reading!