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Psy-Changeling #0.5, 3.5, 9.5, 10.5
Wild Invitation: A Psy-Changeling Collection
Beat of Temptation
Innocent Tamsyn has always had a place in her heart for Nathan, a blooded DarkRiver sentinel. But is she ready for the fierce demands of the mating bond?
Stroke of Enticement
A wary young teacher, skeptical about love, arouses the man—and the animal—in an aggressive leopard changeling who must prove his affections are true.
Declaration of Courtship
Grace, a shy submissive wolf, finds herself pursued by the last man she ever would have imagined: a SnowDancer lieutenant said to be “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.”
Texture of Intimacy
SnowDancer healer Lara discovers the searing joys—and unexpected challenges—of being mated to quiet, powerful Walker, a man used to keeping his silence.
Note: Some of these short stories have been published separately as digital e-books or as parts of multi-author anthologies.
Innocent Tamsyn has always had a place in her heart for Nathan, a blooded DarkRiver sentinel. But is she ready for the fierce demands of the mating bond?
Stroke of Enticement
A wary young teacher, skeptical about love, arouses the man—and the animal—in an aggressive leopard changeling who must prove his affections are true.
Declaration of Courtship
Grace, a shy submissive wolf, finds herself pursued by the last man she ever would have imagined: a SnowDancer lieutenant said to be “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.”
Texture of Intimacy
SnowDancer healer Lara discovers the searing joys—and unexpected challenges—of being mated to quiet, powerful Walker, a man used to keeping his silence.
Note: Some of these short stories have been published separately as digital e-books or as parts of multi-author anthologies.
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2013
393 people are currently reading
3423 people want to read
About the author
Nalini Singh
248 books26.7k followersI've been writing as long as I can remember and all of my stories always held a thread of romance (even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). I love creating unique characters, love giving them happy endings and I even love the voices in my head. There's no other job I would rather be doing. In September 2002, when I got the call that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.
I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated every month).
So far, I've worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer's mill.
I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated every month).
So far, I've worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer's mill.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 725 reviews
February 5, 2019
1. Beat of Temptation - 4 stars
Nathan (DarkRiver sentinel) and Tamsyn (DarkRiver healer)
This is the beginning of the love story between two favourite characters that we see often in the books of the series. Nathan knew that Tamsyn is his mate since she was very young. Unfortunately they have a big age difference and Nathan keeps away from her until she becomes mature enough. Tamsyn does not understand Nathan. She is crazy about him and she does not want to wait much longer. Although Tamsyn is much younger than Nathan, she behaves more maturely than him most of the times.
"Don't you growl at me," she said, and her breath turned the air to mist.
"You don't get to pick and choose which parts of the mating deal you want. It's all or nothing. Go away! "
2. In Stroke of Enticement- 4 stars
Zack(changeling) and Annie (human)
Annie is a teacher and she is used in teaching changeling children. One of those will be in trouble one day and his uncle will come to school to talk to her about his badly behaved nephew. Zack realises straight away that Annie is his mate. So he will need all his charm in order not to scare her away and to convince her to give him a chance. Well, I LOVED Zack :)
"What're you thinking?" he asked her.
"That you're dangerous."
"Not to you," he said. "I wouldn't bite unless you asked very nicely."
3. Declaration of Courtship - 5 stars
Grace (Wolf Changeling, SnowDancer systems-maintenance engineer) and Cooper (Wolf Changeling, SnowDancer Lieutenant)
“You’d better find a way to deal with the big, bad wolf who wants to have you for his own very personal snack.”
A thousand butterflies took flight in Grace’s stomach.
Grace is over the top submissive and Cooper is over the top dominant. Grace wants to disappear every time Cooper looks at her, Cooper wants to eat her alive.
So far he tried to control his need to get physical with her, but he has reached the point of no return and very very carefully he announced to her that he will start courting her. He wants her but he does not want her to feel that she is ordered to be with him.
Grace really likes Cooper, but when he tells her that he wants her she cannot believe that this strong, goodlooking wolf means it. They have huge differences and he has to be extremely careful if he does not want to scare away her wolf.
What Grace does not know is that Cooper has initiated the mating dance. There is no way these two stop until they are mated.
This was a great story.
I loved the slow burn between Grace and Cooper.
I loved how careful Cooper was and his dirty mouth. Since he could not touch Grace from the beginning, he was describing with every detail what he would do to her. Well, it worked!
I loved the fact that deep down Grace is a tough cookie.
4. Texture of Intimacy - 4 stars
Walker (Psy) and Lara (SnowDancer healer)
"You knew who I was when you accepted my courtship." If she couldn't take him as he was, the fractures inside him would be permanent and irreversible.
"And you knew who I was." Wolf amber brilliant against the lush hue of her skin. "I'm not fragile. I won't break if you let me see your pain, your fury, your worry."
It felt as if she'd kicked him in the heart. "I've told you things I've told no one else on this earth." He wanted to yell, but his voice came out deadly calm.
"Yes." Tears shone wet in the amber, her voice dropping to a whisper, "It means everything that you invited me into your secrets. Everything." The panic struggled to recede under her passionate vow, hit a snag.
"Then why?" Why was she walking away from him, ripping him to pieces?
"It's not enough to allow me into your past if you shut me out of your present. Our present," she said softly. "I need to walk beside you, to be your shield as you're mine. I can't handle being shut out, being cut off when I know you're in pain."
Walker and Lara mated in the book “Kiss of snow". Their story ran in a parallel way from Hawke and Sienna’s story.
Walker is Sienna’s uncle and he keeps trying to come into terms with the fact that he abandoned “silence" and the “net" in order to save his family. He did not accept his feelings for Lara easily. And although he was always tender and affectionate with her, although he tried to look after her all the time; still it was not easy for him to become her lover. He may have had a child, but he never have had sexual or emotional relationships with a woman.
Lara is the pack's healer. She is hardworking, easygoing, ready to help and ready to fight for what she wants. She will try to win Walker, but she will stop trying after a while. Walker was the one who persuaded her to keep trying after he realised when he would lose.
As you can realise, it was not easy mating. And all these happened in book “Kiss of snow”.
So, naturally I thought that all their problems were sold and now they could live happily ever after.
Alas, apparently they have more issues and this little novel is mainly about these issues.
This back and forth in action can be frustrating for many readers.
I thought it was a great way to emphasise the bonding between two obviously very different people.
Nathan (DarkRiver sentinel) and Tamsyn (DarkRiver healer)
This is the beginning of the love story between two favourite characters that we see often in the books of the series. Nathan knew that Tamsyn is his mate since she was very young. Unfortunately they have a big age difference and Nathan keeps away from her until she becomes mature enough. Tamsyn does not understand Nathan. She is crazy about him and she does not want to wait much longer. Although Tamsyn is much younger than Nathan, she behaves more maturely than him most of the times.
"Don't you growl at me," she said, and her breath turned the air to mist.
"You don't get to pick and choose which parts of the mating deal you want. It's all or nothing. Go away! "
2. In Stroke of Enticement- 4 stars
Zack(changeling) and Annie (human)
Annie is a teacher and she is used in teaching changeling children. One of those will be in trouble one day and his uncle will come to school to talk to her about his badly behaved nephew. Zack realises straight away that Annie is his mate. So he will need all his charm in order not to scare her away and to convince her to give him a chance. Well, I LOVED Zack :)
"What're you thinking?" he asked her.
"That you're dangerous."
"Not to you," he said. "I wouldn't bite unless you asked very nicely."
3. Declaration of Courtship - 5 stars
Grace (Wolf Changeling, SnowDancer systems-maintenance engineer) and Cooper (Wolf Changeling, SnowDancer Lieutenant)
“You’d better find a way to deal with the big, bad wolf who wants to have you for his own very personal snack.”
A thousand butterflies took flight in Grace’s stomach.
Grace is over the top submissive and Cooper is over the top dominant. Grace wants to disappear every time Cooper looks at her, Cooper wants to eat her alive.
So far he tried to control his need to get physical with her, but he has reached the point of no return and very very carefully he announced to her that he will start courting her. He wants her but he does not want her to feel that she is ordered to be with him.
Grace really likes Cooper, but when he tells her that he wants her she cannot believe that this strong, goodlooking wolf means it. They have huge differences and he has to be extremely careful if he does not want to scare away her wolf.
What Grace does not know is that Cooper has initiated the mating dance. There is no way these two stop until they are mated.
This was a great story.
I loved the slow burn between Grace and Cooper.
I loved how careful Cooper was and his dirty mouth. Since he could not touch Grace from the beginning, he was describing with every detail what he would do to her. Well, it worked!
I loved the fact that deep down Grace is a tough cookie.
4. Texture of Intimacy - 4 stars
Walker (Psy) and Lara (SnowDancer healer)
"You knew who I was when you accepted my courtship." If she couldn't take him as he was, the fractures inside him would be permanent and irreversible.
"And you knew who I was." Wolf amber brilliant against the lush hue of her skin. "I'm not fragile. I won't break if you let me see your pain, your fury, your worry."
It felt as if she'd kicked him in the heart. "I've told you things I've told no one else on this earth." He wanted to yell, but his voice came out deadly calm.
"Yes." Tears shone wet in the amber, her voice dropping to a whisper, "It means everything that you invited me into your secrets. Everything." The panic struggled to recede under her passionate vow, hit a snag.
"Then why?" Why was she walking away from him, ripping him to pieces?
"It's not enough to allow me into your past if you shut me out of your present. Our present," she said softly. "I need to walk beside you, to be your shield as you're mine. I can't handle being shut out, being cut off when I know you're in pain."
Walker and Lara mated in the book “Kiss of snow". Their story ran in a parallel way from Hawke and Sienna’s story.
Walker is Sienna’s uncle and he keeps trying to come into terms with the fact that he abandoned “silence" and the “net" in order to save his family. He did not accept his feelings for Lara easily. And although he was always tender and affectionate with her, although he tried to look after her all the time; still it was not easy for him to become her lover. He may have had a child, but he never have had sexual or emotional relationships with a woman.
Lara is the pack's healer. She is hardworking, easygoing, ready to help and ready to fight for what she wants. She will try to win Walker, but she will stop trying after a while. Walker was the one who persuaded her to keep trying after he realised when he would lose.
As you can realise, it was not easy mating. And all these happened in book “Kiss of snow”.
So, naturally I thought that all their problems were sold and now they could live happily ever after.
Alas, apparently they have more issues and this little novel is mainly about these issues.
This back and forth in action can be frustrating for many readers.
I thought it was a great way to emphasise the bonding between two obviously very different people.
August 18, 2013
♦ I've already read:
Beat of Temptation - My review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
In Stroke of Enticement - My review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
♦ This review will be for the two new novellas:
In Declaration of Courtship - 4 ★'s
I really enjoyed this story of Grace, a submissive wolf, and Cooper, an extremely dominant one. I liked the different "play" on the submissive and dominant and it was interesting to see how they worked that out. The sexual tension was off the charts and I loved how Cooper courted Grace especially with all the gifts.
Favorite quotes:
♥ “You’re not afraid of the big, bad wolf anymore, Grace.”
♥ “I will always need you—you’re strong and brave and goddamn perfect, and you f*cking own my heart.”
In Texture of Intimacy - 4 ★'s
This is a continuation of Walker and Lara's story that started in Kiss of Snow. It's amazing how NS is always able to give you a different take on each person and well, personalize it. I've always liked Walker and it was great seeing him open up and for Lara to be so patient with him. Their mating ceremony was really sweet.
I especially enjoyed getting to read more about all the Laurens...even though we only got a tiny bit of Sienna and Hawke.
There was also a bit more about Alice. Hard to tell at this point if any of it will be pertinent to the future story.
We also get a few sweet moments of Annie and Zach which I really loved. Their story is Stroke of Enticement.
Favorite quotes:
♥ “I have a lifetime of sensation to catch up on.” “With you.”
♥ “I love you more than I’ll ever be able to say, ever be able to describe. You’re my starlight on a dark night.”
Overall, it isn't really necessary to read these novellas to enjoy the ongoing story but if you do decide to read them, it makes the story that much deeper and fulfilling. I would definitely recommend reading this one. Plus it's nice having all four in one book.
Beat of Temptation - My review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
In Stroke of Enticement - My review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
♦ This review will be for the two new novellas:
In Declaration of Courtship - 4 ★'s
I really enjoyed this story of Grace, a submissive wolf, and Cooper, an extremely dominant one. I liked the different "play" on the submissive and dominant and it was interesting to see how they worked that out. The sexual tension was off the charts and I loved how Cooper courted Grace especially with all the gifts.
Favorite quotes:
♥ “You’re not afraid of the big, bad wolf anymore, Grace.”
♥ “I will always need you—you’re strong and brave and goddamn perfect, and you f*cking own my heart.”
In Texture of Intimacy - 4 ★'s
This is a continuation of Walker and Lara's story that started in Kiss of Snow. It's amazing how NS is always able to give you a different take on each person and well, personalize it. I've always liked Walker and it was great seeing him open up and for Lara to be so patient with him. Their mating ceremony was really sweet.
I especially enjoyed getting to read more about all the Laurens...even though we only got a tiny bit of Sienna and Hawke.
There was also a bit more about Alice. Hard to tell at this point if any of it will be pertinent to the future story.
We also get a few sweet moments of Annie and Zach which I really loved. Their story is Stroke of Enticement.
Favorite quotes:
♥ “I have a lifetime of sensation to catch up on.” “With you.”
♥ “I love you more than I’ll ever be able to say, ever be able to describe. You’re my starlight on a dark night.”
Overall, it isn't really necessary to read these novellas to enjoy the ongoing story but if you do decide to read them, it makes the story that much deeper and fulfilling. I would definitely recommend reading this one. Plus it's nice having all four in one book.
July 2, 2020
"Beat of temptation" (reread in june 2020) 4,5 stars
I am beginning my reread of the entire Psy-changeling series (including the novellas and full lenght books but not the short scenes) with a story about how Tamsyn and Nate got together :) I remember them more as an adult and mated for a while couple, so it was interesting to see them when they were younger and stupid :) I was very vividly reminded from the start why I adore this sereis and why DarkRiver leopards are my favourite :)
"Stroke of enticement" (reread in july 2020) 5 stars
this is definitely one of my favourite stories set in this series :) it may be a bit shorter than some other novellas, but I just adore it with all my heart... it's sweet and lovely and every time I read it I am left in desperate need to get me my own Zach :)
"Declaration of courtship"
"Texture of intimacy"
disclaimer
until further notice, I will be adding this little disclaimer at the end of all my reviews… without boring you with unnecessary details I will say this… I’ve been in a writing slump for a while now… it’s happened before, but usually didn’t last very long… it’s connected to a lot of different things in my life, but all those details are personal so I won’t get into them right now… this time unfortunately it’s been already six weeks and it doesn't look like it’s gonna change anytime soon… in all this time I was unable to sit down and write reviews for the books I’ve been reading… and I don’t want to wait any longer, cause I already accumulated quite a few to do… so going forward I will be just writing a very short ones… with maybe an exception here and there if I feel like it ;) I don't want to put pressure on myself to write long and detailed reviews that I used to do for the longest time… instead I will try and add some links to other reviews here on Goodreads if I see ones that I feel share my thoughts and opinions on the stories I read… in the meantime I wish you all happy reading :)
XOXO
A
I am beginning my reread of the entire Psy-changeling series (including the novellas and full lenght books but not the short scenes) with a story about how Tamsyn and Nate got together :) I remember them more as an adult and mated for a while couple, so it was interesting to see them when they were younger and stupid :) I was very vividly reminded from the start why I adore this sereis and why DarkRiver leopards are my favourite :)
"Stroke of enticement" (reread in july 2020) 5 stars
this is definitely one of my favourite stories set in this series :) it may be a bit shorter than some other novellas, but I just adore it with all my heart... it's sweet and lovely and every time I read it I am left in desperate need to get me my own Zach :)
"Declaration of courtship"
"Texture of intimacy"
disclaimer
until further notice, I will be adding this little disclaimer at the end of all my reviews… without boring you with unnecessary details I will say this… I’ve been in a writing slump for a while now… it’s happened before, but usually didn’t last very long… it’s connected to a lot of different things in my life, but all those details are personal so I won’t get into them right now… this time unfortunately it’s been already six weeks and it doesn't look like it’s gonna change anytime soon… in all this time I was unable to sit down and write reviews for the books I’ve been reading… and I don’t want to wait any longer, cause I already accumulated quite a few to do… so going forward I will be just writing a very short ones… with maybe an exception here and there if I feel like it ;) I don't want to put pressure on myself to write long and detailed reviews that I used to do for the longest time… instead I will try and add some links to other reviews here on Goodreads if I see ones that I feel share my thoughts and opinions on the stories I read… in the meantime I wish you all happy reading :)
XOXO
A
March 16, 2015
Beat of Temptation #0.5:
Rating: 2 stars
Well this was disappointing. Even more so because things got off to a great start: The prologue about the Psy trying to make Christmas illegal? Brilliant! How the whole thing blew up in their faces? Great! Unfortunately it all went downhill from there.
I was really excited when I found out this was going to be Tamsyn & Nate's story. I love Tamsyn's character and have been wanting to know more about her ever since reading Slave to Sensation. Well the story didn't live up to my expectations. Why? Because it's just some boring romance between two shapeshifters. Worse, Singh doesn't even redeem herself with a good sex scene here. *sighs*
Great world building is what I love about this series. I love the Psy, the PsyNet, the Silence Protocol, etc. The Changelings add much needed spice to the chilling Psy world. The problem here is that the story only features Changelings. There is no Psy/Changeling interaction at all. There are a few passages about a Psy named Solias King but they felt forced and added nothing to the story.
Sure, we got to know more about Tamsyn and Nate: she is young and insecure, he is a not-swoon-worthy aggravatingidiot alpha. Nate is supposed to be ten years older than her but Tamsyn is much more mature than he is. His reason for keeping his distance from her is completely ridiculous . Besides, relying on misunderstandings between characters as your main plain device is not a good idea. Boring, boring, bored.
Beat of Temptation really reads like your basic romance. With claws. And don't get me started with the HEA. I was pretty close to OD'ing on bunnies and rainbows when I turned the last page {insert major eye roll here}.
Ok, so I was going to write a review for every short story in this collection but then I thought to myself: "I think my friends need a break from my loooonnnnnng reviews." I'm feeling very considerate right now. Well to be honest I'm also feeling lazy as hell. Introducing the one-gif/meme review. For those days your grey cells are on strike.
Stroke of Enticement #3.5:
Rating: 2 stars
Positively oozing with sweetness. It almost killed me.
Declaration of Courtship #9.5:
Rating: 4 stars
Because Cooper. Rawrrrrrrrr.
Texture of Intimacy #10.5:
Rating: 3.5 stars
Because I can't resist the thawing of an iced-up Psy. And because Lara is pretty cool.
Rating: 2 stars
Well this was disappointing. Even more so because things got off to a great start: The prologue about the Psy trying to make Christmas illegal? Brilliant! How the whole thing blew up in their faces? Great! Unfortunately it all went downhill from there.
I was really excited when I found out this was going to be Tamsyn & Nate's story. I love Tamsyn's character and have been wanting to know more about her ever since reading Slave to Sensation. Well the story didn't live up to my expectations. Why? Because it's just some boring romance between two shapeshifters. Worse, Singh doesn't even redeem herself with a good sex scene here. *sighs*
Great world building is what I love about this series. I love the Psy, the PsyNet, the Silence Protocol, etc. The Changelings add much needed spice to the chilling Psy world. The problem here is that the story only features Changelings. There is no Psy/Changeling interaction at all. There are a few passages about a Psy named Solias King but they felt forced and added nothing to the story.
Sure, we got to know more about Tamsyn and Nate: she is young and insecure, he is a not-swoon-worthy aggravating
Beat of Temptation really reads like your basic romance. With claws. And don't get me started with the HEA. I was pretty close to OD'ing on bunnies and rainbows when I turned the last page {insert major eye roll here}.
Ok, so I was going to write a review for every short story in this collection but then I thought to myself: "I think my friends need a break from my loooonnnnnng reviews." I'm feeling very considerate right now. Well to be honest I'm also feeling lazy as hell. Introducing the one-gif/meme review. For those days your grey cells are on strike.
Stroke of Enticement #3.5:
Rating: 2 stars
Positively oozing with sweetness. It almost killed me.
Declaration of Courtship #9.5:
Rating: 4 stars
Because Cooper. Rawrrrrrrrr.
Texture of Intimacy #10.5:
Rating: 3.5 stars
Because I can't resist the thawing of an iced-up Psy. And because Lara is pretty cool.
February 1, 2023
I liked this collection, but the only story I loved was Declaration of Courtship and that one was fantastic with all the relationship development and build-up I enjoy the most. Still, this collection as a whole was a great mix of stories in this world and made for a good day of reading with natural breaks between the stories. Written in third person, dual POV. No ow/om drama in any of the stories, although there was some jealousy on both sides in the first one because of some angst leading up to the culmination of their mating.
February 24, 2021
Beat of Temptation...
Beat of Temptation is a prequel to this series and it deals with the healer Tamsyn and Nathan. I went back and read it after I had read the first book. It was an interesting story and I loved being in the world. Tamsyn is quite young when her and Nathan discover they are mates. So there's a lot of waiting for them but because Nathan is older, he handles it better. And because Nathan saw his own parents get together early, he's cautious about claiming Tamsyn too early. By the time Tamsyn is nineteen, she's over this waiting thing. And the fun begins.
This is sexy story of two people trying to resist each other but unable to stay away from each other. So much fun. And because I love this paranormal world, I was a happy reader.
It's a great place to start if this series is new to you or if you love the series and need a little more.
Stroke of Enticement...
I've wondered if a human would end up in this series and I got my answer in Stroke of Enticement. Annie is the school teacher at the school a lot of the leopard pack cubs go to. She's used to dealing with the cats but she's not prepared for Zack and his cat. Zack knows who she is but he doesn't want to scare her off - she is after all human. But things heat up as they spend time together and Zack doesn't like to share.
A sexy adventure where some human frailty meets changeling protectiveness with lots of play. Yum!
If you love this series, don't miss this novella.
Declaration of Courtship...
I didn't know Cooper and Grace before this novella. They aren't at the main Snow Dancer den, so I haven't noticed them before. But I do know the world and when a strong dominant male lieutenant informs a shy submissive that he plans to court her, you know it's gonna be fun.
It was fun watching them figure out how to respect each others wolf as they got to know each other and tried to rain in their attraction. Cooper was being very good to take it slow but he can only take so much. It was cute how he courted her. Flowers and chocolates to lingerie and baths, he was good at courting. She was shy about accepting but this girl knew her mind. She may have a different role in the pack, she wasn't weak. And she stood up to her dominant boy toy, which he found as adorable as I did.
I enjoyed seeing a submissive in a story. Not everyone is the dominate bada$$ kinda girl and it's nice to see a different type have center stage.
Lots of hot and sexy packed in this novella. A sexy fun read, for sure.
Texture of Intimacy...
I think this was my favorite of the four. It's the rest of Walker and Lara's story. They actually mated in book 10, Kiss of Snow, but there's more to their story. Walker hasn't quite recovered from his time in the Psy-net and while he loves Lara with every fiber of his being he sometimes forgets he's not in the net any longer. This is their journey about how to figure that issue out between them.
I loved seeing the pack as it dealt with the events that happened at the end of Kiss of Snow. It was nice to see that. Kiss of Snow was emotional for so many reasons and I loved seeing the pack pulling together and recovering.
I really enjoyed this story because it felt like an extension of the last book. It didn't have a novella feel at all. It was healing, sexy and enjoyable.
Overall, this book was a nice addition to the series that I am obsessed with. I actually listened to each part of the book in it's proper place in the series. I do think it would fun to go back and listen to them again with some prospective. Mostly, they could stand alone but it's much more enjoyable to have the whole series in mind as you read.
Beat of Temptation is a prequel to this series and it deals with the healer Tamsyn and Nathan. I went back and read it after I had read the first book. It was an interesting story and I loved being in the world. Tamsyn is quite young when her and Nathan discover they are mates. So there's a lot of waiting for them but because Nathan is older, he handles it better. And because Nathan saw his own parents get together early, he's cautious about claiming Tamsyn too early. By the time Tamsyn is nineteen, she's over this waiting thing. And the fun begins.
This is sexy story of two people trying to resist each other but unable to stay away from each other. So much fun. And because I love this paranormal world, I was a happy reader.
It's a great place to start if this series is new to you or if you love the series and need a little more.
Stroke of Enticement...
I've wondered if a human would end up in this series and I got my answer in Stroke of Enticement. Annie is the school teacher at the school a lot of the leopard pack cubs go to. She's used to dealing with the cats but she's not prepared for Zack and his cat. Zack knows who she is but he doesn't want to scare her off - she is after all human. But things heat up as they spend time together and Zack doesn't like to share.
A sexy adventure where some human frailty meets changeling protectiveness with lots of play. Yum!
If you love this series, don't miss this novella.
Declaration of Courtship...
I didn't know Cooper and Grace before this novella. They aren't at the main Snow Dancer den, so I haven't noticed them before. But I do know the world and when a strong dominant male lieutenant informs a shy submissive that he plans to court her, you know it's gonna be fun.
It was fun watching them figure out how to respect each others wolf as they got to know each other and tried to rain in their attraction. Cooper was being very good to take it slow but he can only take so much. It was cute how he courted her. Flowers and chocolates to lingerie and baths, he was good at courting. She was shy about accepting but this girl knew her mind. She may have a different role in the pack, she wasn't weak. And she stood up to her dominant boy toy, which he found as adorable as I did.
I enjoyed seeing a submissive in a story. Not everyone is the dominate bada$$ kinda girl and it's nice to see a different type have center stage.
Lots of hot and sexy packed in this novella. A sexy fun read, for sure.
Texture of Intimacy...
I think this was my favorite of the four. It's the rest of Walker and Lara's story. They actually mated in book 10, Kiss of Snow, but there's more to their story. Walker hasn't quite recovered from his time in the Psy-net and while he loves Lara with every fiber of his being he sometimes forgets he's not in the net any longer. This is their journey about how to figure that issue out between them.
I loved seeing the pack as it dealt with the events that happened at the end of Kiss of Snow. It was nice to see that. Kiss of Snow was emotional for so many reasons and I loved seeing the pack pulling together and recovering.
I really enjoyed this story because it felt like an extension of the last book. It didn't have a novella feel at all. It was healing, sexy and enjoyable.
Overall, this book was a nice addition to the series that I am obsessed with. I actually listened to each part of the book in it's proper place in the series. I do think it would fun to go back and listen to them again with some prospective. Mostly, they could stand alone but it's much more enjoyable to have the whole series in mind as you read.
February 6, 2015
I love Nalini Singh, especially her Psy-Changeling series. I have read them all and this collection of short stories was a nice treat.
I loved all the stories with the exception of Lara and Walker's story. Nothing against the story itself, I just don't think those two interest me at ALL. In fact, I found their subplot in Kiss of Snow (I think that's the right one) to be a tedious/boring distraction also.
Grace/Cooper and Tamsyn/Nate's stories alone made the book worthwhile. A must-read for lovers of this series; however, it's definitely not a stand alone. If you haven't read the series, this collection won't do anything for you.
I loved all the stories with the exception of Lara and Walker's story. Nothing against the story itself, I just don't think those two interest me at ALL. In fact, I found their subplot in Kiss of Snow (I think that's the right one) to be a tedious/boring distraction also.
Grace/Cooper and Tamsyn/Nate's stories alone made the book worthwhile. A must-read for lovers of this series; however, it's definitely not a stand alone. If you haven't read the series, this collection won't do anything for you.
March 26, 2020
1st read: 5 March 2013
I love reading Nalini Singh's stories, I know she will never disappoint me. So when I started this book it felt like coming home. I met new characters, saw the old ones and had fun reading about heir antiques, got emotional over their pain and adored reading every word.
PS: I don't care if I act like a broken record but Nalini really is an amazing writer, one of the very best.
2nd read: 8-5 may April 2017
I love reading Nalini Singh's stories, I know she will never disappoint me. So when I started this book it felt like coming home. I met new characters, saw the old ones and had fun reading about heir antiques, got emotional over their pain and adored reading every word.
PS: I don't care if I act like a broken record but Nalini really is an amazing writer, one of the very best.
2nd read: 8-5 may April 2017
October 26, 2019
I really enjoy these shorter stories and it’s nice getting a closer look to some side characters in the series. It’s definitely worth the read.
February 14, 2013
BEAT OF TEMPTATION is the story of Tammy and Nate. Both have been characters seen throughout the series and are an integral part of the Pack, but they were always on the peripheral. Tammy is just 19 years old while Nate is 29. The large age different plays a part in their relationship because Nate wants to make sure that Tammy gets the freedom she deserves. As the healer of the Pack, she has a lot of responsibilities for such a young age and Nate doesn't want her to feel overwhelmed when the mating bond fully kicks in. So he keeps her at a distance that is convenient for him, while Tammy is suffering both physically and emotionally for Nate's soothing touch.
STROKE OF ENTICEMENT is about Annie, a shy human teacher and a super sexy changeling named Zach. Most of the magical romance happens within the first 48 hours of meeting each other. But Singh does fast track a month after to see the dynamics of relationship. The fast-forward is significant because Annie has a problem with commitment. She's afraid to fall completely for the dangerous and alluring changeling because she fears that Zach's passion for her will fade. But the cat in Zach isn't about to give up.
In DECLARATION OF COURTSHIP, readers meet Grace, a submissive wolf. When a high ranking, smolderingly hot SnowDancer lieutenant decides that he is going to court her, nobody is more surprised than Grace.Cooper, the dark, dominant wolf must learn how to handle Grace's surrender. As they dance, Grace begins to show some teeth and despite Cooper's natural tendency to dominate, both of them manage to find a middle ground that fits both their personalities. I love the way Singh is able to bring two opposites together without having them compromise something in order to be a unit. A DECLARATION OF COURTSHIP is sizzling with sexual tension and one of the most tender stories I've ever read from Nalini Singh.
TEXTURE OF INTIMACY is another new never-before-seen novella that continues Lara and Walker's story from KISS OF SNOW. I loved that Singh further explores their relationship. Readers see how the happily mated couple are doing and further advancements in the overall plot of the book. I highly suggest reading this book before the next soon-to-be released title because there is some focus on Alice again.Singh also gives insights to possible future pairing such as Tai and Evie.
Sweet and tender, Singh never fails to impress me with her writing. The sexual tension is so thick, it can't be cut through with a knife and it proves just how talented Singh is with her words. True talent lies in the world building where every story submerges you into a new world. Not to mention the most lovable, memorable characters. With WILD INVITATION, Singh cements herself as one the genre's best authors!
Read this review in its entirety at Fresh Fiction
STROKE OF ENTICEMENT is about Annie, a shy human teacher and a super sexy changeling named Zach. Most of the magical romance happens within the first 48 hours of meeting each other. But Singh does fast track a month after to see the dynamics of relationship. The fast-forward is significant because Annie has a problem with commitment. She's afraid to fall completely for the dangerous and alluring changeling because she fears that Zach's passion for her will fade. But the cat in Zach isn't about to give up.
In DECLARATION OF COURTSHIP, readers meet Grace, a submissive wolf. When a high ranking, smolderingly hot SnowDancer lieutenant decides that he is going to court her, nobody is more surprised than Grace.Cooper, the dark, dominant wolf must learn how to handle Grace's surrender. As they dance, Grace begins to show some teeth and despite Cooper's natural tendency to dominate, both of them manage to find a middle ground that fits both their personalities. I love the way Singh is able to bring two opposites together without having them compromise something in order to be a unit. A DECLARATION OF COURTSHIP is sizzling with sexual tension and one of the most tender stories I've ever read from Nalini Singh.
TEXTURE OF INTIMACY is another new never-before-seen novella that continues Lara and Walker's story from KISS OF SNOW. I loved that Singh further explores their relationship. Readers see how the happily mated couple are doing and further advancements in the overall plot of the book. I highly suggest reading this book before the next soon-to-be released title because there is some focus on Alice again.Singh also gives insights to possible future pairing such as Tai and Evie.
Sweet and tender, Singh never fails to impress me with her writing. The sexual tension is so thick, it can't be cut through with a knife and it proves just how talented Singh is with her words. True talent lies in the world building where every story submerges you into a new world. Not to mention the most lovable, memorable characters. With WILD INVITATION, Singh cements herself as one the genre's best authors!
Read this review in its entirety at Fresh Fiction
December 12, 2020
Beat of Temptation-2.5 stars
I liked Tamsyn and was curious about her story when I read Slave to Sensations. But this novella was kinda tame and underwhelming overall. I still have no idea what Nate even looks like which bugged me, and the fact that we didn’t even get a sex scene anywhere in those 80 pages I found really lame.
Like...come on. Seriously? All these two did was moan and argue over not having sex and not completing the bond so yeah…..I was expecting something with all that damn build up and dragged out sexual tension. The least the author could have done was include a sex scene and not a lame FTB.
And what exactly does the cat in his voice mean?? It's used everywhere in this and I found it inadequate. There has got to be another more descriptive way to show your readers this guy is a panther changeling. Cause saying 'the cat was in his eyes' or 'the cat was in his voice' is a little weird and doesn't really say much.
Stroke of Enticement- 4 stars
Oh man. Zack Quinn is super sexy. Why didn’t this guy get a full book?! I thought him and human teacher Annie were really sweet and refreshing. The sexual tension and chemistry was definitely there. Only hiccup for me were the strange typos and phrasing of certain things...
Huh?? The writing overall is just weird to me. It’s so chunky and doesn’t flow right. And serious question: How do human/changeling pairings work? Changelings age at a slower rate and live longer (cat/dog years) no? Soooo how does that work when they are mated to a human? There is no mention of the age problem here except them growing old to be 100.
Declaration of Courtship-5 stars
Can Nalini do a full book with h/hr that are wolf changelings? Please? This worked so much better for me than Psy/Panther or Panther/Panther couples. I found the whole courtship and mating dance culture in the SnowDance pack so interesting and charming. And shy submissive Grace being courted by intense dominant sentinal wolf Cooper was really fun to read about. Grace and her submissive wolf and how she soothes a dominant wolf just leapt off the page and made sense. Everything she is feeling and thinking is so precise and parallel to what a submissive wolf would react and do based on their instinctive nature. Nalini really excelled here with the translation from wolf to human side.
Texture of Intimacy-2 stars
What exactly was the point of this? I found this one really difficult to follow. And I’m not sure it was entirely because I haven’t read book 10 yet. I’ve only read Book 1 from this series and I've had no trouble following along with the other 3 stories no matter where they fall on the timeline. This one though was very sloppy. And so uninteresting. The same problem I pretty much had with Book 1--the Psy factor. I’m sorry but it just doesn’t work for me and I don’t know how or if I’m gonna sit through Hawke’s book if it’s just 300 pages of summarization. There is literally NOTHING interesting in explaining the same things over and over again. And I feel Singh struggles to get her point across when it comes to her Psy characters. She gets hung up on explaining things 10 different ways, when it’s same thing and not new information. It makes the reading experience lag so much.
Overall: Enjoyable and a really great mix of couples. This is more a general critique, I think Nalini has interesting ideas but I think her writing tends to lean towards the sloppy side. And it shows even more when dealing with characters that communicate telepathically. Since both are italicized, there are literally no cues or distinction between what is being ‘spoken’ telepathically in present time and what is just a flashback scene. And there are several flashbacks in Texture of Intimacy so everything just blurs together. The overall world building and descriptive detail could be better. A man standing beside a wolf who shifts into human form and is described as "kneeling before him and cupping his face" makes no sense. Moments like this give you descriptive whiplash. Even the stories I really enjoyed the number of times I kept catching myself having to re-read a passage or a sentence because it made no sense or didn’t read right were countless and it slowed things down a little. The over-wordy run on sentences and fragment lines threw me off and I found that frustrating. I know I'm being picky but when it takes you out of a moment and so constantly? then it's a problem.
I liked Tamsyn and was curious about her story when I read Slave to Sensations. But this novella was kinda tame and underwhelming overall. I still have no idea what Nate even looks like which bugged me, and the fact that we didn’t even get a sex scene anywhere in those 80 pages I found really lame.
Like...come on. Seriously? All these two did was moan and argue over not having sex and not completing the bond so yeah…..I was expecting something with all that damn build up and dragged out sexual tension. The least the author could have done was include a sex scene and not a lame FTB.
And what exactly does the cat in his voice mean?? It's used everywhere in this and I found it inadequate. There has got to be another more descriptive way to show your readers this guy is a panther changeling. Cause saying 'the cat was in his eyes' or 'the cat was in his voice' is a little weird and doesn't really say much.
Stroke of Enticement- 4 stars
Oh man. Zack Quinn is super sexy. Why didn’t this guy get a full book?! I thought him and human teacher Annie were really sweet and refreshing. The sexual tension and chemistry was definitely there. Only hiccup for me were the strange typos and phrasing of certain things...
He squeezed her even as a wave of love flavored with the primal fury of the cat came down the bond between them.
Huh?? The writing overall is just weird to me. It’s so chunky and doesn’t flow right. And serious question: How do human/changeling pairings work? Changelings age at a slower rate and live longer (cat/dog years) no? Soooo how does that work when they are mated to a human? There is no mention of the age problem here except them growing old to be 100.
Declaration of Courtship-5 stars
Can Nalini do a full book with h/hr that are wolf changelings? Please? This worked so much better for me than Psy/Panther or Panther/Panther couples. I found the whole courtship and mating dance culture in the SnowDance pack so interesting and charming. And shy submissive Grace being courted by intense dominant sentinal wolf Cooper was really fun to read about. Grace and her submissive wolf and how she soothes a dominant wolf just leapt off the page and made sense. Everything she is feeling and thinking is so precise and parallel to what a submissive wolf would react and do based on their instinctive nature. Nalini really excelled here with the translation from wolf to human side.
Texture of Intimacy-2 stars
What exactly was the point of this? I found this one really difficult to follow. And I’m not sure it was entirely because I haven’t read book 10 yet. I’ve only read Book 1 from this series and I've had no trouble following along with the other 3 stories no matter where they fall on the timeline. This one though was very sloppy. And so uninteresting. The same problem I pretty much had with Book 1--the Psy factor. I’m sorry but it just doesn’t work for me and I don’t know how or if I’m gonna sit through Hawke’s book if it’s just 300 pages of summarization. There is literally NOTHING interesting in explaining the same things over and over again. And I feel Singh struggles to get her point across when it comes to her Psy characters. She gets hung up on explaining things 10 different ways, when it’s same thing and not new information. It makes the reading experience lag so much.
Overall: Enjoyable and a really great mix of couples. This is more a general critique, I think Nalini has interesting ideas but I think her writing tends to lean towards the sloppy side. And it shows even more when dealing with characters that communicate telepathically. Since both are italicized, there are literally no cues or distinction between what is being ‘spoken’ telepathically in present time and what is just a flashback scene. And there are several flashbacks in Texture of Intimacy so everything just blurs together. The overall world building and descriptive detail could be better. A man standing beside a wolf who shifts into human form and is described as "kneeling before him and cupping his face" makes no sense. Moments like this give you descriptive whiplash. Even the stories I really enjoyed the number of times I kept catching myself having to re-read a passage or a sentence because it made no sense or didn’t read right were countless and it slowed things down a little. The over-wordy run on sentences and fragment lines threw me off and I found that frustrating. I know I'm being picky but when it takes you out of a moment and so constantly? then it's a problem.
November 12, 2014
One of the most amazing things about this anthology is that all the stories are honestly not diminished because of their length. Nalini had a brief story to tell, not a plotline she shortened for the purpose. I admit I love novellas and short-stories, but they're not the same as actual books. Here I was as emotional involved as I usually am with a full-length novel, and that's something. Of course, already knowing the world and even two of these pairs helps.
Another thing I love was the fact that they are all utterly different. They have different kinds of characters and relationships, a different feel to them.
Beat of Temptation (Tamsyn and Nathan) *****
Tammy and Nate's highly anticipated story can be described in one word: ANGST. Which you may think weird because through the Psy-changeling novels they're incredibly sweet and endearing. However, it was great to see how even the role model of couples had a rough start.
What makes this one a five stars is the way Tamsyn is written. She is a submissive wolf and a healer, kind and understanding. Yet not only is she elemental in DarkRiver (so much that in future books we see her overruling Lucas, the alpha of the Pack), she stands up for herself. She absolutely does not buy Nate's bullshit, nor does she keeps throwing herself at him when she thinks he's only attracted to her because of the mating bond. Don't get me wrong, she does fight for him. But when he closes up and she (rightfully, I should add) interprets it as dislike, she stops. I have the biggest respect for her character and everything she represents.
And, duh, fifteen-year old Lucas fucking Hunter. The voice of reason. Already damn sexy.
Stroke of Enticement (Annie and Zach) ****1/2
This novella was just so much fun. While it didn't have the same emotional impact on me as the others, it was good old fluff. Zach and Annie are really, really cute.
Their interactions aside, I liked Zach and Annie's relationships with their respective families a lot. The Pack is always interesting to read about (especially when Lucas, Sascha and chocolate make an appearence), but Annie's relatives gave the story a whole new depth.
I could have done with a bit more length, but I understand that would've made the story angsty and it wasn't supposed to be.
Another thing I love was the fact that they are all utterly different. They have different kinds of characters and relationships, a different feel to them.
Beat of Temptation (Tamsyn and Nathan) *****
“You made her cry, Nathan. You made your mate cry and then you didn't hold her.”
Tammy and Nate's highly anticipated story can be described in one word: ANGST. Which you may think weird because through the Psy-changeling novels they're incredibly sweet and endearing. However, it was great to see how even the role model of couples had a rough start.
What makes this one a five stars is the way Tamsyn is written. She is a submissive wolf and a healer, kind and understanding. Yet not only is she elemental in DarkRiver (so much that in future books we see her overruling Lucas, the alpha of the Pack), she stands up for herself. She absolutely does not buy Nate's bullshit, nor does she keeps throwing herself at him when she thinks he's only attracted to her because of the mating bond. Don't get me wrong, she does fight for him. But when he closes up and she (rightfully, I should add) interprets it as dislike, she stops. I have the biggest respect for her character and everything she represents.
And, duh, fifteen-year old Lucas fucking Hunter. The voice of reason. Already damn sexy.
Stroke of Enticement (Annie and Zach) ****1/2
“Really, Mr. Quinn―”
“Zach. You can only call me Mr. Quinn when you're angry.”
“Mr.―”
“Zach.”
Her hand fisted. “Fine. Zach.”
He smiled. “Yes, Teach?”
This novella was just so much fun. While it didn't have the same emotional impact on me as the others, it was good old fluff. Zach and Annie are really, really cute.
Their interactions aside, I liked Zach and Annie's relationships with their respective families a lot. The Pack is always interesting to read about (especially when Lucas, Sascha and chocolate make an appearence), but Annie's relatives gave the story a whole new depth.
I could have done with a bit more length, but I understand that would've made the story angsty and it wasn't supposed to be.
May 18, 2025
RELECTURE : cette anthologie est l'une de mes préférés à relire, avec des personnages secondaires que J'ADORE !
REREAD : This anthology is one of my favorites to reread, with secondary characters that I LOVE !
Probably not a good idea to read it before the other tomes but well ... ITS BRILLIANT ><
REREAD : This anthology is one of my favorites to reread, with secondary characters that I LOVE !
Probably not a good idea to read it before the other tomes but well ... ITS BRILLIANT ><
October 25, 2024
Audio April 2018: I have no complaints. I very much enjoyed the audio of all these novellas. It was a lot of fun revisiting the Psy-Changeling world and listening to the stories come to life. Highly recommend reading or listening to this series.
If you are a fan of the Psy-Changeling series then you don’t want to miss out on these four great novellas.
Beat of Temptation #0.5 - 5 Stars
This one takes place several years before Slave to Sensation. Here we see a very young 19-year-old Tamsyn, who became the healer to the cats at a very young age. We see her relationship or lack of one with Nate who’s 29. These two have known since Tam turned 15 that they where mates, but the age difference plays a part in their relationship, because Nate wants Tam to have the freedom she deserves first.
This story was emotional, sad, and full of lots and lots of sexual frustration and tension.
Stroke of Enticement #3.5 - 5 Stars
Here we meet Annie, a shy human school teacher and Zach a sexy cat changeling. Annie’s a loner. Her parents had love, but then it died, and she doesn't want that, so she doesn’t think Zach will stay around. Zach is caring and does a fabulous job wooing his mate, but doesn’t understand why the bond hasn’t clicked yet.
Trust and commitment are the main focus for these two. The romance happens within the first 48hrs, but Singh does a fast track a month after to see the dynamics of there relationship. It was a sweet loving story to read. Giving us a different kind of relationship and challenges to work through.
Declaration of Courtship #9.5 - 4 Stars
Here we meet Grace, a submissive wolf and Cooper a high ranking SnowDancer lieutenant who is going to court Grace. Cooper’s a dominant wolf and must learn how to handle Grace and Grace must learn to come to grips with the sub/dom wolf tendencies and not let her submissive nature rule her.
This paring is hard sometimes for the changelings and doesn’t always work out. It presents several challenges. Singh was able to bring two opposites together without having them compromise something in order to be a unit, a mated pair. It’s full of sexual tension, sizzling encounters, and also very tender and sweet moments.
Texture of Intimacy #10.5 - 5 Stars
This one contains Lara and Walker’s story from Kiss of Snow. They don’t get their own novel, but they do come together in Kiss of Snow. I loved that we get to further explore their relationship. We get to see inside Walker’s mind, his past, his feelings, and his growing family. We also get a little focus on Alice and insight into possible future pairings, such as Tai and Evie.
This paring is also of a different kind with Walker being a Psy and Lara a Changeling. It was sweet to read about them after their mating and see where their relationship is at. It’s sizzling and tender.
Singh never fails to impress. The sexual tension is thick and the characters are lovable and memorable. I very much loved these novellas.
If you are a fan of the Psy-Changeling series then you don’t want to miss out on these four great novellas.
Beat of Temptation #0.5 - 5 Stars
This one takes place several years before Slave to Sensation. Here we see a very young 19-year-old Tamsyn, who became the healer to the cats at a very young age. We see her relationship or lack of one with Nate who’s 29. These two have known since Tam turned 15 that they where mates, but the age difference plays a part in their relationship, because Nate wants Tam to have the freedom she deserves first.
This story was emotional, sad, and full of lots and lots of sexual frustration and tension.
Stroke of Enticement #3.5 - 5 Stars
Here we meet Annie, a shy human school teacher and Zach a sexy cat changeling. Annie’s a loner. Her parents had love, but then it died, and she doesn't want that, so she doesn’t think Zach will stay around. Zach is caring and does a fabulous job wooing his mate, but doesn’t understand why the bond hasn’t clicked yet.
Trust and commitment are the main focus for these two. The romance happens within the first 48hrs, but Singh does a fast track a month after to see the dynamics of there relationship. It was a sweet loving story to read. Giving us a different kind of relationship and challenges to work through.
Declaration of Courtship #9.5 - 4 Stars
Here we meet Grace, a submissive wolf and Cooper a high ranking SnowDancer lieutenant who is going to court Grace. Cooper’s a dominant wolf and must learn how to handle Grace and Grace must learn to come to grips with the sub/dom wolf tendencies and not let her submissive nature rule her.
This paring is hard sometimes for the changelings and doesn’t always work out. It presents several challenges. Singh was able to bring two opposites together without having them compromise something in order to be a unit, a mated pair. It’s full of sexual tension, sizzling encounters, and also very tender and sweet moments.
Texture of Intimacy #10.5 - 5 Stars
This one contains Lara and Walker’s story from Kiss of Snow. They don’t get their own novel, but they do come together in Kiss of Snow. I loved that we get to further explore their relationship. We get to see inside Walker’s mind, his past, his feelings, and his growing family. We also get a little focus on Alice and insight into possible future pairings, such as Tai and Evie.
This paring is also of a different kind with Walker being a Psy and Lara a Changeling. It was sweet to read about them after their mating and see where their relationship is at. It’s sizzling and tender.
Singh never fails to impress. The sexual tension is thick and the characters are lovable and memorable. I very much loved these novellas.
June 22, 2021
Such a lovely collection!
Beat of Temptation was a bit frustrating, because there is nothing more off-putting for me than a man who thinks he knows better, just because he's a couple of years older, and treats a woman like "way too young - and hey, I'm trying to be an adult here". Fuck that. So yeah, I wasn't too happy with Nate. Tamsyn was cool though.
- 3 stars
Stroke of Enticement was short and very much insta-everything. But I still liked human Anni and leopard changeling Zach.
- 3,5 stars
Declaration of Courtship Ohmygod, how I adored this little story! Two wolf changelings, dominant Cooper and submissive Grace were fabulous together! Cooper was wonderful but Grace was absolutely amazing. It's short, so damn hot and suuper sweet; I adored their slow dance around each other.
Perfect little treat for in-between when you don't have enough time or energy for a longer book.
- 5 stars
Texture of Intimacy I've waited i bit to read this one and even though wolf Lara and Psy Walter didn't have their own book for the full story, the development of their relationship in Kiss of Snow was good enough for me. I loved how Singh dived into the complications of a new relationship after the "happy ending" in the previous book, with their different backgrounds clashing. I loved the kids here, they were such a ray of sunshine, as always. And yeah, it's definitely not a standalone, you should read their beginning first. A sweet and emotional addition to the whole series.
- 5 stars
Beat of Temptation was a bit frustrating, because there is nothing more off-putting for me than a man who thinks he knows better, just because he's a couple of years older, and treats a woman like "way too young - and hey, I'm trying to be an adult here". Fuck that. So yeah, I wasn't too happy with Nate. Tamsyn was cool though.
- 3 stars
Stroke of Enticement was short and very much insta-everything. But I still liked human Anni and leopard changeling Zach.
- 3,5 stars
Declaration of Courtship Ohmygod, how I adored this little story! Two wolf changelings, dominant Cooper and submissive Grace were fabulous together! Cooper was wonderful but Grace was absolutely amazing. It's short, so damn hot and suuper sweet; I adored their slow dance around each other.
Perfect little treat for in-between when you don't have enough time or energy for a longer book.
- 5 stars
Texture of Intimacy I've waited i bit to read this one and even though wolf Lara and Psy Walter didn't have their own book for the full story, the development of their relationship in Kiss of Snow was good enough for me. I loved how Singh dived into the complications of a new relationship after the "happy ending" in the previous book, with their different backgrounds clashing. I loved the kids here, they were such a ray of sunshine, as always. And yeah, it's definitely not a standalone, you should read their beginning first. A sweet and emotional addition to the whole series.
- 5 stars
February 6, 2016
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
This was such a wonderful group of novella's of the Psy Changelings and I was thrilled to pick it up!! Nalini Singh is definitely quite talented, when she can make novella's have depth and fabulous love stories you just want more of.
In Beat of Temptation We have Nathan and Tamsyn's story. Ever since I read the first book in the series, I have been aching to read their story. When Nathan and Tamsyn connect as mates, Tammy is only sixteen and the pack's healer has recently been killed and she has had to take over. Nathan knew that she was too young to take as his mate. Now its been three years later, and Tammy has returned home, and is ready to claim Nathan as her mate. But there is one problem...he won't accept it. In fact he keeps resisting her efforts, which doesn't exactly boost her self confidence. While Nathan thinks he is doing what is best, he is hurting her. But Tammy is one strong female and doesn't take anything lying down. What I found most remarkable about this story was seeing the sexual tension build between these two. We already have the friendship, since they have known each other for a long time. But we have a mating dance where the alpha male is reluctant and the female is the pursuer. Quite different from Singh's normal set up of her stories, and I grew to love seeing these two come together.
in Stroke Of Enticement- we have a story of a human and a leopard changeling. Our heroine is a teacher and well respected among the community and the changeling packs even. She is kind and open and honest. So I loved her from the first page. One of her kids that she teaches, punched another boy but won't explain why. When his uncle appears....attraction sizzles. Zack is drawn to Kimberly, and means to chase after her even though she is human....his cat sees her as his mate. But Zack is so patient with Kimberly, and slowly wins her over. I loved how engaging this story was. And we get to see more of the leopards and their interactions with each other and how accepting they are of Kimberly. And more fun from the twin cubs of Nathan and Tammy. (boy they are a riot aren't they? like seriously...I can never get enough of their antics). But this romance was sweet and fun loving.
In Declaration Of Courtship This is by far my favorite of Singh's novella's and even is up with my favorites of the series too!! Even though its a novella, its such a unique and orginal story. I have read it three times now. Yeah I am hooked on these two. I love the SnowDancer Pack. But In this story, we see something unique in the set up of the romance. What is most original about it is having a submissive changeling and a dominant changeling go through the mating dance. Now from what I recall from all of her books in this series, this is something she has never written before until recently. Which is one of the main reasons I loved it so. Its the type of set up I have been waiting for and the moment I heard about this I bought it, I just couldn't resist. And it was so fun to re read it again and get in touch with these two. Singh handles this story in such a beautiful yet delicate way too. She really balances out the story, and we see the problems that can occur from this type of mating. But we also see the yummy rewards too and I hope that she does another story like this one in the future. I love seeing these couples in the series, because they are so different from the others. My Full review HERE
In Texture of Intimacy we get more of Lara and Walker. Now this story is more of seeing this couple after they have mated and the problems that crop up with a psy and changeling mix. I loved seeing them handle certain issues and dealing with the kids Toby and Marlee together. We also see the complications that can happen with Lara and Walker with their differences. I liked this one but didn't necessarily love it. It was quite fun to see these two once again and to be the focus of the story. There is wit and mystery and some drama too. We see how communication is key in any relationship and loved seeing them work things out---sometimes in the hardest way possible.
Overall I had quite a fun time with this anthology and can't wait to read more of this author. She has really outdone herself with this series, and I can never get enough!!! So if you love were shifter romances and haven't yet picked this author up....you are MISSING out!!!
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This was such a wonderful group of novella's of the Psy Changelings and I was thrilled to pick it up!! Nalini Singh is definitely quite talented, when she can make novella's have depth and fabulous love stories you just want more of.
In Beat of Temptation We have Nathan and Tamsyn's story. Ever since I read the first book in the series, I have been aching to read their story. When Nathan and Tamsyn connect as mates, Tammy is only sixteen and the pack's healer has recently been killed and she has had to take over. Nathan knew that she was too young to take as his mate. Now its been three years later, and Tammy has returned home, and is ready to claim Nathan as her mate. But there is one problem...he won't accept it. In fact he keeps resisting her efforts, which doesn't exactly boost her self confidence. While Nathan thinks he is doing what is best, he is hurting her. But Tammy is one strong female and doesn't take anything lying down. What I found most remarkable about this story was seeing the sexual tension build between these two. We already have the friendship, since they have known each other for a long time. But we have a mating dance where the alpha male is reluctant and the female is the pursuer. Quite different from Singh's normal set up of her stories, and I grew to love seeing these two come together.
in Stroke Of Enticement- we have a story of a human and a leopard changeling. Our heroine is a teacher and well respected among the community and the changeling packs even. She is kind and open and honest. So I loved her from the first page. One of her kids that she teaches, punched another boy but won't explain why. When his uncle appears....attraction sizzles. Zack is drawn to Kimberly, and means to chase after her even though she is human....his cat sees her as his mate. But Zack is so patient with Kimberly, and slowly wins her over. I loved how engaging this story was. And we get to see more of the leopards and their interactions with each other and how accepting they are of Kimberly. And more fun from the twin cubs of Nathan and Tammy. (boy they are a riot aren't they? like seriously...I can never get enough of their antics). But this romance was sweet and fun loving.
In Declaration Of Courtship This is by far my favorite of Singh's novella's and even is up with my favorites of the series too!! Even though its a novella, its such a unique and orginal story. I have read it three times now. Yeah I am hooked on these two. I love the SnowDancer Pack. But In this story, we see something unique in the set up of the romance. What is most original about it is having a submissive changeling and a dominant changeling go through the mating dance. Now from what I recall from all of her books in this series, this is something she has never written before until recently. Which is one of the main reasons I loved it so. Its the type of set up I have been waiting for and the moment I heard about this I bought it, I just couldn't resist. And it was so fun to re read it again and get in touch with these two. Singh handles this story in such a beautiful yet delicate way too. She really balances out the story, and we see the problems that can occur from this type of mating. But we also see the yummy rewards too and I hope that she does another story like this one in the future. I love seeing these couples in the series, because they are so different from the others. My Full review HERE
In Texture of Intimacy we get more of Lara and Walker. Now this story is more of seeing this couple after they have mated and the problems that crop up with a psy and changeling mix. I loved seeing them handle certain issues and dealing with the kids Toby and Marlee together. We also see the complications that can happen with Lara and Walker with their differences. I liked this one but didn't necessarily love it. It was quite fun to see these two once again and to be the focus of the story. There is wit and mystery and some drama too. We see how communication is key in any relationship and loved seeing them work things out---sometimes in the hardest way possible.
Overall I had quite a fun time with this anthology and can't wait to read more of this author. She has really outdone herself with this series, and I can never get enough!!! So if you love were shifter romances and haven't yet picked this author up....you are MISSING out!!!
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March 12, 2013
This one is a must read for 'Psy-Changeling' fans!
While the the first two novellas have been featured in previous anthologies, they are both great and I could reread them again and again!
The two new novellas are the first that feature Snowdancer wolves in this format and both are great reads too, with Walker and Lara's story being the real showstopper!
While the the first two novellas have been featured in previous anthologies, they are both great and I could reread them again and again!
The two new novellas are the first that feature Snowdancer wolves in this format and both are great reads too, with Walker and Lara's story being the real showstopper!
March 6, 2013
it was fantastic! best novella ever
May 6, 2024
Anything Nalini Singh writes about Psy-Changeling I’ll love. Her writing style is almost poetic and her imagination knows no bounds, which makes this compilation of short stories so great. Even when we experience a profound love in all of them, each is unique and their development and pace.
Nalini starts us off with Tamsyn and Nate, who are central to the storyline but whom we know so little about. I had read this story before but re-read it and fell in love again.
The second story is not about a couple that’s been mentioned a lot in the books but their story is terribly sweet, I had a tight-chest feeling moment in just the first part while reading Annie’s letter to Santa and knew in that instant that I would love Zach and Annie as much as any other character.
The never before release with Grace and Cooper was great. It was interesting to read about an “extreme” dominant/submissive relationship. I really like it when a domineering guy meets his match!
And last, but certainly not least was a short about quiet but powerful couple Walker and Lara. Whom are familiar to us, but in this short we get to know bit more, which is wonderful.
I’m always eager to get my Nalini news letter but this compilation is amazing.
Nalini starts us off with Tamsyn and Nate, who are central to the storyline but whom we know so little about. I had read this story before but re-read it and fell in love again.
The second story is not about a couple that’s been mentioned a lot in the books but their story is terribly sweet, I had a tight-chest feeling moment in just the first part while reading Annie’s letter to Santa and knew in that instant that I would love Zach and Annie as much as any other character.
The never before release with Grace and Cooper was great. It was interesting to read about an “extreme” dominant/submissive relationship. I really like it when a domineering guy meets his match!
And last, but certainly not least was a short about quiet but powerful couple Walker and Lara. Whom are familiar to us, but in this short we get to know bit more, which is wonderful.
I’m always eager to get my Nalini news letter but this compilation is amazing.
January 2, 2018
Wild Invitation is a collection of Psy-changeling series novellas. Nalini Singh has done the same with her Guild Hunter series (Angels' flight), and I think that having gathered all (or most of) the novellas relating to one series in one book rather than having them scattered in many different anthologies is a great and practical idea. The OCD part of me is really pleased by it.
The two firsts novellas have DarkRiver heroes (and were already published in other anthologies), the lasts two are related to the SnowDancer pack.
To be honest, the novella/short-story format isn't my favorite, but here it worked. I understand that all the secondary characters can't have their book but it's also good to have the background stories of the most present/important ones, Tammy/Nate, Lara/Walker even Cooper/Grace couples being ones of them.
I enjoyed reading them all, but my favorite one is "Texture of Intimacy", Lara and Walker story. The story happens just after "Kiss of Snow" and in parallel with "Tangle of Need".
The two firsts novellas have DarkRiver heroes (and were already published in other anthologies), the lasts two are related to the SnowDancer pack.
To be honest, the novella/short-story format isn't my favorite, but here it worked. I understand that all the secondary characters can't have their book but it's also good to have the background stories of the most present/important ones, Tammy/Nate, Lara/Walker even Cooper/Grace couples being ones of them.
I enjoyed reading them all, but my favorite one is "Texture of Intimacy", Lara and Walker story. The story happens just after "Kiss of Snow" and in parallel with "Tangle of Need".
March 31, 2019
Charming.
June 4, 2022
This was a great collection of novellas or short stories. I absolutely love the Psy-Changeling worls so this was a great tide me over. Happy reading!
January 6, 2019
Novella 1: Beat of Temptation 4 STARS
In this book which takes place several years prior to the first Psy-Changeling book, we are given the story of DarkRyver’s healer Tamsyn and DarkRyver soldier/sentinel Nate.
Tamsyn and Nate have known they were mates since Tamsyn’s 15th birthday, but Nate feeling that she already had too much on her young shoulders feels she needs time to roam and be free before she has to face all that a mate and a completed bond require. His parent’s relationship has made him fearful that if he mates her before she is ready, it will ruin things. Yet Tamsyn, now 19 knows what she wants, if only she can persuade super stubborn Nate that their story will not be like his parents if he finally surrenders.
I really liked Tamsyn in this, Nate I could have kicked a few times due to his stubbornness but really like him by the end.
A read filled with emotion and plenty of sexual tension.
One of my favourites in this collection.
Novella 2: Stroke of Enticement 4 STARS
In this novella we are introduced to sexy changeling Zach and his mate sweet school teacher Annie. Due to watching her mother spend years pinning over a husband more focused/interested in his work, Annie doesn’t think she’ll ever marry, and once her and Zach get together, she’s waiting for the other shoe to drop – and for him to fall out of love and leave her broken-hearted.
Zach for his part, knew from the get go knew Annie was the one, and cannot understand why their bond hasn’t snapped into place.
Trust and commitment are two dominant themes in this book. A sweet story, it's tone softer than the other books.
Novella 3: Declaration of Courtship 3 STARS
Here we are given submissive wolf Grace and dominant high-ranking SnowDancer lieutenant Cooper who wants to court Grace, but doesn’t want to frighten or overpower her. Once they get together/start courting, Grace wants to give Cooper all he could need/want, whilst also displaying/embracing the strength that is found in being a submissive.
These two come together well, the chemistry is clear, the story a good one.
Novella 4: Texture of Intimacy 3.5 STARS
This novella features Psy Walker and Changeling Lara (they also appear within Kiss of Snow). We are given insight into Walker’s past, thoughts and feelings.
Here we are also given a glance into possible future mate pairings when it comes to some of the kids, which was nice.
In this book which takes place several years prior to the first Psy-Changeling book, we are given the story of DarkRyver’s healer Tamsyn and DarkRyver soldier/sentinel Nate.
Tamsyn and Nate have known they were mates since Tamsyn’s 15th birthday, but Nate feeling that she already had too much on her young shoulders feels she needs time to roam and be free before she has to face all that a mate and a completed bond require. His parent’s relationship has made him fearful that if he mates her before she is ready, it will ruin things. Yet Tamsyn, now 19 knows what she wants, if only she can persuade super stubborn Nate that their story will not be like his parents if he finally surrenders.
I really liked Tamsyn in this, Nate I could have kicked a few times due to his stubbornness but really like him by the end.
A read filled with emotion and plenty of sexual tension.
One of my favourites in this collection.
Novella 2: Stroke of Enticement 4 STARS
In this novella we are introduced to sexy changeling Zach and his mate sweet school teacher Annie. Due to watching her mother spend years pinning over a husband more focused/interested in his work, Annie doesn’t think she’ll ever marry, and once her and Zach get together, she’s waiting for the other shoe to drop – and for him to fall out of love and leave her broken-hearted.
Zach for his part, knew from the get go knew Annie was the one, and cannot understand why their bond hasn’t snapped into place.
Trust and commitment are two dominant themes in this book. A sweet story, it's tone softer than the other books.
Novella 3: Declaration of Courtship 3 STARS
Here we are given submissive wolf Grace and dominant high-ranking SnowDancer lieutenant Cooper who wants to court Grace, but doesn’t want to frighten or overpower her. Once they get together/start courting, Grace wants to give Cooper all he could need/want, whilst also displaying/embracing the strength that is found in being a submissive.
These two come together well, the chemistry is clear, the story a good one.
Novella 4: Texture of Intimacy 3.5 STARS
This novella features Psy Walker and Changeling Lara (they also appear within Kiss of Snow). We are given insight into Walker’s past, thoughts and feelings.
Here we are also given a glance into possible future mate pairings when it comes to some of the kids, which was nice.
May 23, 2020
Best of Temptation # 0.5
3.5 stars
Nate and Tamsyn's early courtship has all the feels of frustration, attraction, and desire they have for one another. Their story may seem tame compared to others in the series, but the sweetness and solidarity of their relationship is still visible in the current storyline. This was a cute read.
Stroke of Enticement #4.5
4.5 stars
Annie and Zach's story has an insta-love vibe, but over the course of a month, these two break down barriers most couples fail to achieve after years together. This sexy and touching read has become a favorite!
Declaration of Courtship #9.5
4 stars
Grace and Cooper ..the dynamics of these two was a fine balance of gentleness and sexiness! Cooper's dominating personality and Grace's very submissive one had a meeting of the minds as these two try to compromise their way to a very satisfying relationship. Opposites do attract in this sizzling read!
Texture of Intimacy #10.5
4.5 stars
Scorching chemistry and blazing emotions rule as Lara and Walker adjust to new intimacies with their mating status. These two give new meaning to poignant tenderness and sexy sizzle-I loved their story!
3.5 stars
Nate and Tamsyn's early courtship has all the feels of frustration, attraction, and desire they have for one another. Their story may seem tame compared to others in the series, but the sweetness and solidarity of their relationship is still visible in the current storyline. This was a cute read.
Stroke of Enticement #4.5
4.5 stars
Annie and Zach's story has an insta-love vibe, but over the course of a month, these two break down barriers most couples fail to achieve after years together. This sexy and touching read has become a favorite!
Declaration of Courtship #9.5
4 stars
Grace and Cooper ..the dynamics of these two was a fine balance of gentleness and sexiness! Cooper's dominating personality and Grace's very submissive one had a meeting of the minds as these two try to compromise their way to a very satisfying relationship. Opposites do attract in this sizzling read!
Texture of Intimacy #10.5
4.5 stars
Scorching chemistry and blazing emotions rule as Lara and Walker adjust to new intimacies with their mating status. These two give new meaning to poignant tenderness and sexy sizzle-I loved their story!
February 17, 2018
Nalini Singh never (ok rarely) fails to completely uplift me with her books. I'm reading eleven other books at the moment and they have all hit depressing: political kidnapping, PTSD suicide, endless meaningless war against ninja turtles, endless horrific war against machines, endless war against ancient evil, demonic doppelgänger takeover, unrepentant spousal abandonment, rubber plantation holocaust - even my Hawaii travel guide has turned into a leper story.
Come to think of it, i need one more Singh reread before I dive back into that damn sinkhole.
Reread Update: For similar reasons I need more Singh, too many dark books at once. This time I listened to the audio. Angela Dawe is no Justine Eyre but I got use to her strange emphatic monotone voice.
June 8, 2017
I will edit this review and add to it as I read the other parts that's included in this anthology.
Psy-Changeling #0.5 - Beat of Temptation
Read on 7/8-2016 (August 7th)
5 stars!!
I love me some Tamsyn and Nate. I really loved this short novella. I wish it had been longer though and I really REALLY hope we get to read the parts that weren't in this novella, from the last chapter to the epilogue. That's 18 years we just missed out on. I'd love to read about Tamsyn being pregnant, Nate's reaction to her being pregnant, them raising Julian and Roman and all the other stuff that happened in those 18 years. With the world they live in, I'm sure at least a few stuff happened.. I'd really love to read more about that.
Anyways, like I said, I loved this and I loved reading about Tamsyn and Nate and I hope we get more of them, that they get their own book.
Psy-Changeling #0.5 - Beat of Temptation
Read on 7/8-2016 (August 7th)
5 stars!!
I love me some Tamsyn and Nate. I really loved this short novella. I wish it had been longer though and I really REALLY hope we get to read the parts that weren't in this novella, from the last chapter to the epilogue. That's 18 years we just missed out on. I'd love to read about Tamsyn being pregnant, Nate's reaction to her being pregnant, them raising Julian and Roman and all the other stuff that happened in those 18 years. With the world they live in, I'm sure at least a few stuff happened.. I'd really love to read more about that.
Anyways, like I said, I loved this and I loved reading about Tamsyn and Nate and I hope we get more of them, that they get their own book.
September 2, 2021
Wild Invitation is a collection of four novellas set in the Psy-Changeling world featuring some characters we already know and love along with a few we've not come across before. Two of the stories (Declaration of Courtship and Texture of Intimacy) have never been published before while the others were included in multi-author anthologies (Beat of Temptation was in An Enchanted Season and Stroke of Enticement was in The Magical Christmas Cat). These stories are set at different points in the series (I'll mention where they fit into the time line as I talk about each individual story) and while I think you could probably read the first three stories without picking up on any major spoilers I would definitely suggest waiting until you've read at least as far as Kiss of Snow before starting Texture of Intimacy.
Nalini Singh is incredibly talented when it comes to writing short stories and novellas, probably in part because fans are so invested in the worlds she has created and we already know and love most of her characters, but also because she is able to create a real depth of emotion between a couple in a very short amount of time. I never feel short changed by her stories and this anthology is a perfect example of why.
A Beat of Temptation:
I have loved Tamsyn and Nate from the very beginning so it was about time I finally got around to reading their story. A Beat of Temptation is actually set quite a long time before the series begins in Slave to Temptation (it actually introduces us to Lucas when he was just fifteen years old!) but I think I appreciated it all the more because I'm already crazy about this couple. Tammy and Nate have always had such a solid relationship and they obviously mean the world to each other so I was surprised to see what a rocky start they had. They realised they were mates when Tammy was just 15 and Nate was 25. Obviously he didn't make a move on her then though and now, four years later, Tammy is desperate to start their lives together while Nate is determined to let Tammy have her freedom before tying her down to their mating bond.
Although it's obvious to us that he is keeping her at a distance because he cares there were times when I really wanted to shake some sense into Nate for hurting Tammy so much. She becomes convinced that he wishes they weren't mates and it breaks her heart to have him push her away. I loved Tammy for standing up for what she wanted, she fights for her man but she has enough self respect to walk away rather than beg him for attention. Nate is a stubborn idiot but his intentions are good so I found it fairly easy to forgive him. It takes some pointed advice from several other pack members (a very wise for his age Lucas included) to put him on the right path but once he figures things out he works hard to prove to Tammy how much she means to him. Seeing them deal with their issues put a huge smile on my face and I'm glad we get to see how happy they are all throughout the series.
Stroke of Enticement:
A Stroke of Enticement officially fits into the series between Caressed by Ice and Mine to Possess but I don't think it contained any spoilers so you could probably read it at any point in the series. Annie is a human who happens to teach several members of the DarkRiver pack in her class. She meets Zach when his nephew plays up in class and he is sent to the school to put Bryan back on the straight and narrow. Zach immediately recognises Annie as his mate but she is very sceptical when it comes to love and he's going to have to work hard to convince her they're meant to be together.
I have to confess I can't remember if this couple have been mentioned in the series before, they may have made a brief appearance but I definitely didn't remember them. That wasn't an issue though, this story was incredibly sweet and I fell in love with Zach right alongside Annie. They are both great characters and I enjoyed spending time with them.
Declaration of Courtship:
Declaration of Courtship officially slots in after Play of Passion but again it doesn't have any major spoilers so could probably be read at any point. Cooper is one of the SnowDancer lieutenants who we've met throughout the series as one of Hawke's right hand wolves, he is a dominant wolf who would do anything to protect the people in his care, especially his mate Grace. Grace couldn't be more different to Coop, her wolf is completely submissive and pretty much terrified of Coop's dominance and I have to admit I was a little nervous at the beginning of the story because I couldn't see how they'd ever be able to have a workable relationship. Thankfully Nalini proved me wrong and although Grace's wolf is submissive Grace the woman is more than strong enough to fight for what she wants. Luckily for Coop he's the one she has set her sights on and she's going to do whatever it takes to get him.
I really loved seeing how Grace and Coop worked through their issues, Coop had to work hard to get Grace's wolf to trust him but he was incredibly patient and knew exactly how to sooth her. I think one of the things I loved most about these two was how different they are to any of the other couples we've already been introduced to it made them stand out to me. I also really enjoyed Nalini's depiction of dominant and submissive, it's nice that she doesn't make Grace a complete push over just because her wolf is at the lower end of the pack hierarchy. I also loved that Grace is happy with her position and we get to see the role the submissives have in making the pack as a whole more stable.
Texture of Intimacy:
I wouldn't recommend reading Texture of Intimacy until after you've read Kiss of Snow because it will contain major spoilers otherwise. Having said that this was probably my favourite story in the anthology so if you've not got that far yet you need to catch up soon so you can read this ASAP!
I absolutely loved the scenes with Lara and Walker during Kiss of Snow, they are so cute together but they definitely have their own set of problems to work through and it was great to have a whole story focused completely on them. The couple may already be mated but that doesn't mean it's all smooth sailing from now onwards and they both need to work hard to make sure they stay on the right path. Walker is so used to looking after everyone, he has been the backbone of his little family for such a long time but he never learned to rely on anyone else for help so he finds it hard to ask Lara for advice or even to open up to her. As the pack healer Lara is there for everyone and she is hurt when Walker keeps his distance emotionally. I love the fact that they're so caring but they both have a tendency to put everyone else's needs over their own and they both need to learn to accept help when it's offered. This story allows us to see them grow closer than ever, Walker is finally starting to trust the bond between them is forever and Lara is coming to understand the way Walker thinks. They are definitely a well matched couple and enjoyed this extra time we get to spend with them.
Nalini Singh is incredibly talented when it comes to writing short stories and novellas, probably in part because fans are so invested in the worlds she has created and we already know and love most of her characters, but also because she is able to create a real depth of emotion between a couple in a very short amount of time. I never feel short changed by her stories and this anthology is a perfect example of why.
A Beat of Temptation:
I have loved Tamsyn and Nate from the very beginning so it was about time I finally got around to reading their story. A Beat of Temptation is actually set quite a long time before the series begins in Slave to Temptation (it actually introduces us to Lucas when he was just fifteen years old!) but I think I appreciated it all the more because I'm already crazy about this couple. Tammy and Nate have always had such a solid relationship and they obviously mean the world to each other so I was surprised to see what a rocky start they had. They realised they were mates when Tammy was just 15 and Nate was 25. Obviously he didn't make a move on her then though and now, four years later, Tammy is desperate to start their lives together while Nate is determined to let Tammy have her freedom before tying her down to their mating bond.
Although it's obvious to us that he is keeping her at a distance because he cares there were times when I really wanted to shake some sense into Nate for hurting Tammy so much. She becomes convinced that he wishes they weren't mates and it breaks her heart to have him push her away. I loved Tammy for standing up for what she wanted, she fights for her man but she has enough self respect to walk away rather than beg him for attention. Nate is a stubborn idiot but his intentions are good so I found it fairly easy to forgive him. It takes some pointed advice from several other pack members (a very wise for his age Lucas included) to put him on the right path but once he figures things out he works hard to prove to Tammy how much she means to him. Seeing them deal with their issues put a huge smile on my face and I'm glad we get to see how happy they are all throughout the series.
Stroke of Enticement:
A Stroke of Enticement officially fits into the series between Caressed by Ice and Mine to Possess but I don't think it contained any spoilers so you could probably read it at any point in the series. Annie is a human who happens to teach several members of the DarkRiver pack in her class. She meets Zach when his nephew plays up in class and he is sent to the school to put Bryan back on the straight and narrow. Zach immediately recognises Annie as his mate but she is very sceptical when it comes to love and he's going to have to work hard to convince her they're meant to be together.
I have to confess I can't remember if this couple have been mentioned in the series before, they may have made a brief appearance but I definitely didn't remember them. That wasn't an issue though, this story was incredibly sweet and I fell in love with Zach right alongside Annie. They are both great characters and I enjoyed spending time with them.
Declaration of Courtship:
Declaration of Courtship officially slots in after Play of Passion but again it doesn't have any major spoilers so could probably be read at any point. Cooper is one of the SnowDancer lieutenants who we've met throughout the series as one of Hawke's right hand wolves, he is a dominant wolf who would do anything to protect the people in his care, especially his mate Grace. Grace couldn't be more different to Coop, her wolf is completely submissive and pretty much terrified of Coop's dominance and I have to admit I was a little nervous at the beginning of the story because I couldn't see how they'd ever be able to have a workable relationship. Thankfully Nalini proved me wrong and although Grace's wolf is submissive Grace the woman is more than strong enough to fight for what she wants. Luckily for Coop he's the one she has set her sights on and she's going to do whatever it takes to get him.
I really loved seeing how Grace and Coop worked through their issues, Coop had to work hard to get Grace's wolf to trust him but he was incredibly patient and knew exactly how to sooth her. I think one of the things I loved most about these two was how different they are to any of the other couples we've already been introduced to it made them stand out to me. I also really enjoyed Nalini's depiction of dominant and submissive, it's nice that she doesn't make Grace a complete push over just because her wolf is at the lower end of the pack hierarchy. I also loved that Grace is happy with her position and we get to see the role the submissives have in making the pack as a whole more stable.
Texture of Intimacy:
I wouldn't recommend reading Texture of Intimacy until after you've read Kiss of Snow because it will contain major spoilers otherwise. Having said that this was probably my favourite story in the anthology so if you've not got that far yet you need to catch up soon so you can read this ASAP!
I absolutely loved the scenes with Lara and Walker during Kiss of Snow, they are so cute together but they definitely have their own set of problems to work through and it was great to have a whole story focused completely on them. The couple may already be mated but that doesn't mean it's all smooth sailing from now onwards and they both need to work hard to make sure they stay on the right path. Walker is so used to looking after everyone, he has been the backbone of his little family for such a long time but he never learned to rely on anyone else for help so he finds it hard to ask Lara for advice or even to open up to her. As the pack healer Lara is there for everyone and she is hurt when Walker keeps his distance emotionally. I love the fact that they're so caring but they both have a tendency to put everyone else's needs over their own and they both need to learn to accept help when it's offered. This story allows us to see them grow closer than ever, Walker is finally starting to trust the bond between them is forever and Lara is coming to understand the way Walker thinks. They are definitely a well matched couple and enjoyed this extra time we get to spend with them.
July 20, 2025
Me gustaron las 4 historias, solo había leído la primera. De tonta no revisé antes y me enteré según las leía que algunas iban más lejos de lo que yo he llegado en los libros principales.
Leyendo la última que es la de Lara y Walker me dieron tremendas ganas de haber leído un libro de ellos completo 😭 supongo que no hay si les dieron una historia corta.
Leyendo la última que es la de Lara y Walker me dieron tremendas ganas de haber leído un libro de ellos completo 😭 supongo que no hay si les dieron una historia corta.
March 15, 2013
3.5 stars - Spoilers
Declaration of Courtship
I've been curious about Cooper and Grace's romance ever since Cooper was being teased by his lieutenant friends in Tangle of Need (at least I think it was Tangle of Need). I did find myself somewhat letdown by their story but I think that was down to me building up their relationship beforehand as something epic.
Grace and Copper were both likeable. I still don't think there's much difference personality wise between a dominant and submissive female. To me, Grace wasn't all that different from Mercy or Indigo.
Grace's submissive nature was kind of there in the beginning but once she accepted Cooper's attention, she was like every other
Psy-Changeling heroine. Even her 'submissive' tendencies in the beginning didn't seem all that submissive, she was wary and reluctant of being with Cooper but so were Mercy and Indigo when they were being pursued by their heroes (albeit for different reasons). Ultimately, I just didn't see that much difference between Grace/Indigo/Mercy - they're all slightly different variations of each other — all caring, brave, stubborn, and possessive with their males.
Cooper was okay — he was like most other heroes in the Psy-Changeling series. Cooper, Riaz, Drew, Vaughn, Dorian, Clay - they're all similar with their possessive, growly and demanding attitudes.
I'd like a hero and heroine whose personalities are different from the norm because Nalini's heroes and heroines are hard to tell apart.
The relationship with Grace and Copper was quite sweet but their whole courtship was pretty predictable. I still enjoyed it but I wasn't blown away by their romance.
Texture of Intimacy
Walker and Lara's story, set after Kiss of Snow. I wasn't looking forward to this one - I've never been invested in Walker and Lara as a couple. I find them boring and I've not forgiven them for taking over Sienna and Hawke's story.
I really didn't see the point of this story - Walker and Lara have already mated and it's obvious they're going to live happily ever after.
Anyway, the focus is on Lara adjusting to being part of her mate's family and worrying about Walker's Silence. It was rather boring - I knew Lara would be hurt by Walker closing himself off and I knew Walker would struggle opening up, I knew they'd both eventually talk about it and understand each other's POV and I knew once they'd talked it out they'd love each other even more. Blah.
I didn't like Marlee and Toby all that much. I don't like romances were kids are involved — it ruins the story for me.
The other short stories
I read the other two short stories a while ago. Nate and Tamsyn's novella is probably my most favourite - I think that's largely down to them being such major side characters in the series.
I quite liked Stroke of Enticement even though the hero/heroine aren't prominent characters in the series.
Overall, I enjoyed every story apart from Walker and Lara's. One thing I do find very annoying is Nalini's excessive use of flowery descriptions for every little thing — from how characters look to how they smell to how they act - I'm getting really tired of it.
Declaration of Courtship
I've been curious about Cooper and Grace's romance ever since Cooper was being teased by his lieutenant friends in Tangle of Need (at least I think it was Tangle of Need). I did find myself somewhat letdown by their story but I think that was down to me building up their relationship beforehand as something epic.
Grace and Copper were both likeable. I still don't think there's much difference personality wise between a dominant and submissive female. To me, Grace wasn't all that different from Mercy or Indigo.
Grace's submissive nature was kind of there in the beginning but once she accepted Cooper's attention, she was like every other
Psy-Changeling heroine. Even her 'submissive' tendencies in the beginning didn't seem all that submissive, she was wary and reluctant of being with Cooper but so were Mercy and Indigo when they were being pursued by their heroes (albeit for different reasons). Ultimately, I just didn't see that much difference between Grace/Indigo/Mercy - they're all slightly different variations of each other — all caring, brave, stubborn, and possessive with their males.
Cooper was okay — he was like most other heroes in the Psy-Changeling series. Cooper, Riaz, Drew, Vaughn, Dorian, Clay - they're all similar with their possessive, growly and demanding attitudes.
I'd like a hero and heroine whose personalities are different from the norm because Nalini's heroes and heroines are hard to tell apart.
The relationship with Grace and Copper was quite sweet but their whole courtship was pretty predictable. I still enjoyed it but I wasn't blown away by their romance.
Texture of Intimacy
Walker and Lara's story, set after Kiss of Snow. I wasn't looking forward to this one - I've never been invested in Walker and Lara as a couple. I find them boring and I've not forgiven them for taking over Sienna and Hawke's story.
I really didn't see the point of this story - Walker and Lara have already mated and it's obvious they're going to live happily ever after.
Anyway, the focus is on Lara adjusting to being part of her mate's family and worrying about Walker's Silence. It was rather boring - I knew Lara would be hurt by Walker closing himself off and I knew Walker would struggle opening up, I knew they'd both eventually talk about it and understand each other's POV and I knew once they'd talked it out they'd love each other even more. Blah.
I didn't like Marlee and Toby all that much. I don't like romances were kids are involved — it ruins the story for me.
The other short stories
I read the other two short stories a while ago. Nate and Tamsyn's novella is probably my most favourite - I think that's largely down to them being such major side characters in the series.
I quite liked Stroke of Enticement even though the hero/heroine aren't prominent characters in the series.
Overall, I enjoyed every story apart from Walker and Lara's. One thing I do find very annoying is Nalini's excessive use of flowery descriptions for every little thing — from how characters look to how they smell to how they act - I'm getting really tired of it.
September 9, 2017
Reread (Aug 17, 2015)
This set of short stories are so romantic and just so heart warming to read.
Reread (Jul 18, 2014)
I can't get enough of this series, and this anthology is perfection. All four short stories are worth more than five star ratings in my opinion and I will definitely reread this multiple times whenever I'm in the mood for something romantic and swoon worthy.
Originally read (Apr 19, 2013)
I loved Tammy and Nate's story as well as Zach and Annie's.
But it was Cooper and Grace's story that made me dying to read this. I have wanted to read their story since Cooper's first appearance who is considered "mad, bad and dangerous" and the mention of his sweet submissive mate in Play of Passion. I was so excited when Nalini released that she was going to be writing a novella on them.
Nalini did not disappoint. It was so nice to read about a submissive wolves in general. And it was even better reading about a submissive wolf being courted by someone wholly dominant. Grace is just so sweet and shy, but she has claws and sass as well. I loved her as a heroine. And Cooper... That man owns me. He's dominant, possessive, protective, and the way he feels about Grace is heart meltingly beautiful and utterly swoon worthy.
I will definitely reread this novella when I'm in the mood for something short, sweet, sexy, heart warming, and something that will make me swoon.
Lara and Walker also had a chance to have their own novella. I felt their story was told beautifully throughout KoS. I loved that we had them a secondary romance plot. But this novella was a bonus and began basically as soon as they mated in KoS.
Walker is quiet, intense, private, possessive, protective... And boy is that man hot as hell! The sex scenes in this were so incredibly hot and steamy, and just UNF. I loved how physical he was, it makes my toes curl. And Lara is a wonderful heroine. She's the pack's healer, she's gentle, loving, compassionate yet she has a fierceness to her which I love so much.
They've created their own little family with Toby and Marlee. They faced the difficulties and conflict that arise from the mating between a female wolf changeling and a Psy who had to shield his fractured Silence in the PsyNet. It was wonderful to watch their bond, and their love for one another, grow, development and strengthen.
This set of short stories are so romantic and just so heart warming to read.
Reread (Jul 18, 2014)
I can't get enough of this series, and this anthology is perfection. All four short stories are worth more than five star ratings in my opinion and I will definitely reread this multiple times whenever I'm in the mood for something romantic and swoon worthy.
Originally read (Apr 19, 2013)
I loved Tammy and Nate's story as well as Zach and Annie's.
But it was Cooper and Grace's story that made me dying to read this. I have wanted to read their story since Cooper's first appearance who is considered "mad, bad and dangerous" and the mention of his sweet submissive mate in Play of Passion. I was so excited when Nalini released that she was going to be writing a novella on them.
Nalini did not disappoint. It was so nice to read about a submissive wolves in general. And it was even better reading about a submissive wolf being courted by someone wholly dominant. Grace is just so sweet and shy, but she has claws and sass as well. I loved her as a heroine. And Cooper... That man owns me. He's dominant, possessive, protective, and the way he feels about Grace is heart meltingly beautiful and utterly swoon worthy.
I will definitely reread this novella when I'm in the mood for something short, sweet, sexy, heart warming, and something that will make me swoon.
Lara and Walker also had a chance to have their own novella. I felt their story was told beautifully throughout KoS. I loved that we had them a secondary romance plot. But this novella was a bonus and began basically as soon as they mated in KoS.
Walker is quiet, intense, private, possessive, protective... And boy is that man hot as hell! The sex scenes in this were so incredibly hot and steamy, and just UNF. I loved how physical he was, it makes my toes curl. And Lara is a wonderful heroine. She's the pack's healer, she's gentle, loving, compassionate yet she has a fierceness to her which I love so much.
They've created their own little family with Toby and Marlee. They faced the difficulties and conflict that arise from the mating between a female wolf changeling and a Psy who had to shield his fractured Silence in the PsyNet. It was wonderful to watch their bond, and their love for one another, grow, development and strengthen.
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