Just got my ARC

“We have to have stakes.”
Lines on her forehead. “For credits, you mean?”
Poor innocent baby, about to get fleeced. “Tut-tut, gorgeous. You know when you play poker with a man behind closed doors, there is only one acceptable currency.”
Her mouth fell open. “You’d play for that?”
Enjoying shocking cool and collected Sienna, he took his time eating the other half of the sandwich. “Clothes, Ms. Lauren. What did you think I was talking about?”
She blew out a breath between gritted teeth. “Sometimes I really want to”-a frustrated sound-“bite you!”
He froze. “I might let you.”
“I won’t do it if you’d enjoy it.”
Bad tempered thing. His wolf liked that about her. “Let’s play.”
“I might not be Silent any longer, but I still have the perfect poker face.”
A smug smile.
It stayed on her face she divested him of his socks- he’d kicked his shoes off earlier-his shirt, and his belt. That was when her concentration began to falter, her eyes flicking over his chest and back. Again. And again.
The wolf arched its back, preening for her.
And Hawke stopped playing nice.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Um, spoilers will be all over the place in case you accidentally click over to this “review.” This is far more a collection of thoughts and notes about what happened in the book. So again, if you don't want to know anything, veer off this page.



First off, AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Okay, so that's out of the way. Nalini Singh hits it out of the park again. I'll admit, I was a little scared I was building up this book too much but no worries because it was nothing short of AMAZING. It was everything I hoped for and MORE. The Psy-Changeling world is an exceptionally written and complex universe. It's such an engaging series, I can't help but be hooked.

The SnowDancer pack was once again the target of a few members of the Council. While there was a war of sorts in here with Henry Scott (and Ming as the mastermind), it's still setting things in motion for a larger scale one. I did think the bits on Alice Eldridge, the author of the E-Psy book Sascha received, was fascinating. What became of her was mind-blowing and a great twist.

Now getting to my favorite things about the Psy-Changeling series: the characters and their relationships. The supporting characters made the book vibrant and rounded. The bigger players were outstanding in their own rights as well.

Now let's get to the Lauren family. It was fantastic to get more insight on their past such as Walker's partner Yelene, and Sienna's mother Kristen. More importantly the little glimpses into who Judd, Walker, and Sienna were before they defected was fascinating.

Judd-freaking-scary-Lauren, as called by Teijean, continues to own my heart. I was so glad to see all the scenes he had with Hawke. He plays such an vital part of the pack as someone Hawke turns to with pack issues. On the other hand, it was amusing how he gave a warning to Hawke and told Sienna he wanted to break his legs. Ha! In terms of Psy politics, I was happy to see interaction with the Ghost. He knows his identity and had also told Hawke. The Ghost has a pivotal part in helping out Judd. He didn't have to but he did. That counts as something, right? But dammit, why couldn't we get the reveal too? It has to be Kaleb. There isn't anyone else who fits the bill as much as he does especially with the talk about the other areas of the Net that seems to cater to the Ghost.

Walker Lauren. You, dark horse, you. There is far more than meets the eye when it comes to this strong, silent Psy...a true father, brother, and uncle. He definitely does the family name good. While he feels terrible that he couldn't do more for Sienna when she was younger, he functioned as a very essential part for Sienna in this book. Like Judd's protective instincts, he ordered (oh yes, he did) Hawke to be good to Sienna which I adored. Hawke recognized that Walker was no doubt the dangerous one out of the two Lauren men. Ha! In addition to Sienna, he cares deeply for his brother, Judd. I admire what he did for the young Psy being groomed as Arrows while he taught in the Net. Moreover, I wanted to hug him after reading about how he helped a teenage Judd when he was in danger of losing himself to empty darkness. It was so critical for Judd to have that rock. I think a lot of readers will look at Walker with a whole new appreciation after reading more about him in this book. Finally, Walker's relationship with Lara was extremely sweet and beautiful. There was a slow steady burning between them and I loved how it developed. I think their storyline fit perfectly in Kiss of Snow's overall plot. It just goes to show that the Lauren men are great catches.

Well, anyone who read my review of Play of Passion knows I wrote a prediction saying I'd cry reading Kiss of Snow. Wrong. That doesn't mean Hawke and Sienna didn't have touching or angsty emotional scenes. They did. Very much so. They were intense right from the start and it just got better with each page. Sienna pushed his buttons. Trust me, this is way more than she had in the past. It's quite clear how much Sienna is loved by everyone. Not only by the younger generation but the older generation with Drew (sugarpie!), Indigo, Lucas (he's beautiful, hee!), and Sascha all watching out for her. Sienna has grown deeply since we first met her in Slave to Sensation. I admire her strength, selflessness, and heart. No other woman could be the other half of Hawke.

And now Hawke. Le sigh. Before we all start drooling, let me make a small comment about his past, in particular his parents. It was heartbreaking to hear what happened to his father and subsequently his mother. It brings me back to Blaze of Memory with Katya. It was easy to see why he held a big grudge against Psy in the Council. Moving on, he, like Sienna, had a great support group with Indigo (ugh, these two are fantastic together), Riley, Sascha (one of my favorite relationships), Lara, and many others. That man was exactly as hardheaded and stubborn as I thought he'd be. In some ways it was frustrating but in other ways I did understand. The pacing wasn't dragging to an extreme extent; I actually enjoyed seeing the give-and-take between him and Sienna. Their chemistry and sexual tension has been off the charts since day one and as expected, it was explosive in KOS. Rawr! They've come so far, it really brings a smile to my face seeing them so happy and so in love. The slow dancing (so ROMANTIC!), the toy figurines (aww, sweet), the games (incredibly cute), the foot fetish (hilarious yet hot)--all of these were great moments between the two.

Little notes:
+ Sienna had lovely help from her young wolf and cat friends (they're so hilarious and fun...love them!) to get Hawke's attention. This also gives me an opening to highlight the sweet and genuine friendship between Kit and Sienna. It filled me with warmth to see him being there for her and having that fierce need to protect her. Not to mention he's so damn devilish and playful (bwahah the kissing setups and taking shots for her at the bar; kudos Kit for the amusing tactics used); a perfect friend to balance her seriousness. I foresee that boy leaving women swooning left and right, I know it.
+JUDD AND BRENNA. All is right in the world when there are scenes with these two. They touch my heart in such a unbelievable way. I love how Bren told Hawke that her mate was a complete badass and then Hawke retorted that Sienna was a trainee badass. That's the Laurens for ya, badass extraordinaires.
+ Hawke and Toby scene. Just adorable.
+ Lucas and Sascha welcome to the world their little princess Nadiya Shayla Hunter. Lucas with Naya, oh my goodness, it was adorable! Loved that Hawke brought her a stuffed toy wolf. Hee! Also Nikita, I know you have some semblance of a heart!
+ Lucas' prank with the fur-lined handcuffs! LMAO. That's my panther.
+ Drew being Drew. Indigo threatening him if he gets hurt. Ha!
+ SnowDancer web was something I was expecting actually and I like the addition of the valve of energy running through the bonds. Everyone in the web going crazy with power and energy, LOL! Drew stands out with the sex marathon. Bwahaha.
+ Vasic and Aden. I want...no, NEED for them to get their own stories along with Kaleb. The conversation between Judd and Aden was enlightening. I think it just proves there IS hope for them.

All in all, Kiss of Snow was executed excellently. I wouldn't change a thing. Many thanks to the brilliant Nalini Singh.

Also does anyone know who the next book is centered on? I must know!

*I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.