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kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Four short stories in Singh's Psy-Changeling series.
Series:
"A Beat of Temptation", 0.5 (also in Enchanted Season)
"Stroke of Enticement", 3.5 (also in Magical Christmas Cat)
"Declaration of Courtship", 9.5
"Texture of Intimacy", 10.5
The Stories
"A Beat of Temptation" confuses me and therefore my critique. On the one hand, Nate annoyed me no end, and I thought Singh's writing was clumsy in pulling the two together. It is however very worthwhile as it provides the backstory on how Nathan and Tamsyn got together and covers the time period between two years after Lucas' parents' death to eighteen years later with Nate and Tammy's not-yet-three-year-old cubs.
The story is wonderful in that Singh creates a world the reader understands and wants to live in. It's so typical of Singh's Psy-Changeling series with the warmth and support the good guys receive from each other. Makes you wish the world could run like this...sigh...
It does have a prologue about Happiness and how the Psy Council tried to outlaw Christmas...snicker…
"Stroke of Enticement" is the story that introduced Singh's series to me. I absolutely adored the love and care Zach had for a woman so many ignored. Annie's handicap meant nothing to him except in terms of her comfort. It just made me want to read more by such a compassionate writer.
"Declaration of Courtship" is a touchy courtship between Cooper, a highly dominant wolf, who has fallen in love with Grace, a highly submissive wolf, who is a systems-maintenance engineer for the Pack. It's so typical of the series with a very cautious Cooper struggling to hold back his own passion in consideration for Grace's comfort. Naturally, Singh manages to convey pack dynamics with the need for both dominants and submissives as well as great sex along with this sweet romance.
I love Cooper's idea of giving Grace flowers.
"Texture of Intimacy" is sweet and an excellent example of starting with a happy couple who are experiencing conflicts. Lara and Walker Lauren are mated and in love, but it doesn't mean happily ever after as there is still too much they don't know about each other.
I'm not a socialist, but Singh's series could certainly convert me. I adore that the SnowDancer wolves believe in appointing someone to watch over the children and ensure that each pup is happy, safe, and challenged.
The Cover
The cover lets us know we're in San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background and one of the shifters standing on the beach as waves wash ashore. It's a lovely sight in spite of the overcast skies as this jean-clad six-pack, er, I mean, hunky guy who is bare to the waist, er, um, well, you get the picture.
The title reflects courtships in all four novellas with a Wild Invitation in each one.
Series:
"A Beat of Temptation", 0.5 (also in Enchanted Season)
"Stroke of Enticement", 3.5 (also in Magical Christmas Cat)
"Declaration of Courtship", 9.5
"Texture of Intimacy", 10.5
The Stories
"A Beat of Temptation" confuses me and therefore my critique. On the one hand, Nate annoyed me no end, and I thought Singh's writing was clumsy in pulling the two together. It is however very worthwhile as it provides the backstory on how Nathan and Tamsyn got together and covers the time period between two years after Lucas' parents' death to eighteen years later with Nate and Tammy's not-yet-three-year-old cubs.
The story is wonderful in that Singh creates a world the reader understands and wants to live in. It's so typical of Singh's Psy-Changeling series with the warmth and support the good guys receive from each other. Makes you wish the world could run like this...sigh...
It does have a prologue about Happiness and how the Psy Council tried to outlaw Christmas...snicker…
"Stroke of Enticement" is the story that introduced Singh's series to me. I absolutely adored the love and care Zach had for a woman so many ignored. Annie's handicap meant nothing to him except in terms of her comfort. It just made me want to read more by such a compassionate writer.
"Declaration of Courtship" is a touchy courtship between Cooper, a highly dominant wolf, who has fallen in love with Grace, a highly submissive wolf, who is a systems-maintenance engineer for the Pack. It's so typical of the series with a very cautious Cooper struggling to hold back his own passion in consideration for Grace's comfort. Naturally, Singh manages to convey pack dynamics with the need for both dominants and submissives as well as great sex along with this sweet romance.
I love Cooper's idea of giving Grace flowers.
"Texture of Intimacy" is sweet and an excellent example of starting with a happy couple who are experiencing conflicts. Lara and Walker Lauren are mated and in love, but it doesn't mean happily ever after as there is still too much they don't know about each other.
I'm not a socialist, but Singh's series could certainly convert me. I adore that the SnowDancer wolves believe in appointing someone to watch over the children and ensure that each pup is happy, safe, and challenged.
The Cover
The cover lets us know we're in San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background and one of the shifters standing on the beach as waves wash ashore. It's a lovely sight in spite of the overcast skies as this jean-clad six-pack, er, I mean, hunky guy who is bare to the waist, er, um, well, you get the picture.
The title reflects courtships in all four novellas with a Wild Invitation in each one.
livsliterarynook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
alisonhori's review against another edition
3.0
These stories were kind of fun. Pretty much all romance and none of the world building that is really the only reason I keep going with this series but the romances in these were more entertaining than in the main books, I think....a little less cookie cutter anyhow.
beautifuldissonance's review against another edition
3.0
I did not enjoy the first story (featuring Dark River) at all. This was partly because I read Nalini Singh for her world building and not the romance, and that's pretty much all there was to it. If you can call such a dysfunctional and disturbing relationship dynamic "romance". That also really put me off both the story and the characters, who I normally like.
The second story (also Dark River) was better but still just about romance. It also explored some of the same themes from the first story, which felt a bit repetitive. Plus I get a bit tired of the whole "dominant" male thing, and find the idea of the mate bond just plain creepy.
Story number three (Snow Dancer!) was better still. Again, mostly romance but there was a bit of not-quite-action alongside the romance which gave the story more depth. I also found the female character quite interesting.
The last story (also Snow Dancer) was by far the best. The main plot of the books was continued in the background, and the romance was much more meaningful because of this. It didn't feel like pairing people up just to get to the sexytimes, which is how the other stories seemed at times.
If all you care about is sex, romance, over-bearing alpha-males, and super-special feminine women, then this is the book for you. But if you read Psi-Changeling for the vibrant world and overarching plot, then I recommend you give it a miss.
The second story (also Dark River) was better but still just about romance. It also explored some of the same themes from the first story, which felt a bit repetitive. Plus I get a bit tired of the whole "dominant" male thing, and find the idea of the mate bond just plain creepy.
Story number three (Snow Dancer!) was better still. Again, mostly romance but there was a bit of not-quite-action alongside the romance which gave the story more depth. I also found the female character quite interesting.
The last story (also Snow Dancer) was by far the best. The main plot of the books was continued in the background, and the romance was much more meaningful because of this. It didn't feel like pairing people up just to get to the sexytimes, which is how the other stories seemed at times.
If all you care about is sex, romance, over-bearing alpha-males, and super-special feminine women, then this is the book for you. But if you read Psi-Changeling for the vibrant world and overarching plot, then I recommend you give it a miss.
deltajane's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mamabears_fabulous_book_finds's review against another edition
3.0
four short little stories in the psy-changeling world. they all move pretty quick, and were all fun for being so short
masquerader888's review against another edition
5.0
This review also posted at A Bookish Compulsion
When I heard about this anthology I was thrilled; not only because anything Ms. Singh writes is sure to be fabulous or because I am pleasantly addicted to the Psy-Changling universe, but also because the first two stories put forth in this volume were already two I absolutely adored. So not only was I going to get two brand new stories in a series I love, but a more user-friendly (and portable) version of two stories already at home in my heart. A win in every way possible, Wild Invitation made me oh so happy as both a fan and a bibliophile with limited shelf space.
Beat of Temptation, which was originally published in the anthology An Enchanted Season, takes a step in to the past of the DarkRiver Pack, picking up just after the tragedy that scared Lucas and gives us a birds-eye view of the evolution of this dynamic group through the eyes of the then young healer Tasmsyn and her stubborn sentinel and future mate Nathan. I won’t lie, this story makes me cry every single time I read it. As much as it is fan service in giving a glimpse into the past of one of our beloved Packs and how it came to become the force it is, this is also a well written and poignantly told tale of love, growth and what it means to be together.
When I need a good cry this five-star story is one of my go-tos for the emotional release.
Stroke of Enticement, originally published in the anthology The Magic Christmas Cat, is pure fun in story format. This story takes the world of the Psy-Changeling and the DarkRiver Pack and explores the fringes, away from some of the heavier stresses and plot-points of the main story-line. Annie, a physically damaged school teacher who teaches many of the children from the DarkRiver Pack, and Zach a park ranger with a full complement of alpha-changeling traits who has finally met his mate, bring to life a relationship that sparkles while exploring the concepts of how the past can affect the future and in Ms. Singh’s genius also expands and deepens the knowledge and dynamics of this universe.
For a good time I highly suggest this five-star story.
Declaration of Courtship, one of the two new stories written for this anthology, gives us the tale of Cooper and Grace, a sentinel who takes alpha to the extreme and the submissive tech who finds the courage to tangle with the beast. I enjoyed this story for the dynamic it created, boldly painting the fact that sometimes courage and strength come in forms you would not expect. While reading about two strong leads is an enjoyable journey I felt that the trip taken by Cooper and Grace transcended mere personal strength and explored the concept of what it can mean to love and realize that it is both our strengths and our weaknesses that sometimes make us right for another.
I give this dynamic tale a fun five stars.
Texture of Intimacy expanded on Walker and Laura’s story, introduced in Kiss of Snow, and took it farther to better understand both their relationship and the overall history of the Lauren family and its integration into the SnowDancer Pack, both what they had experienced in the past and the difference from the future they fought for and gained among the wolves. I truly enjoyed reading more about Walker and Lauren, not to mention Marlee and Toby, and how they were able to take their happy ending and forge from it a strong family that knows the future may not always be easy, but that they will always be in it together. I am not sure how this story would hold-up without having read the Psy-Changeling series as it gains much of its depth from already knowing and appreciating the characters, however as an additive to the SnowDancer Pack story is did very well. I would also like to note that it is probably best read after Kiss of Snow but before Tangle of Need to gain the smoothest transition in story progression, even if it was published after ToN.
I give this story a happy four stars.
When I heard about this anthology I was thrilled; not only because anything Ms. Singh writes is sure to be fabulous or because I am pleasantly addicted to the Psy-Changling universe, but also because the first two stories put forth in this volume were already two I absolutely adored. So not only was I going to get two brand new stories in a series I love, but a more user-friendly (and portable) version of two stories already at home in my heart. A win in every way possible, Wild Invitation made me oh so happy as both a fan and a bibliophile with limited shelf space.
Beat of Temptation, which was originally published in the anthology An Enchanted Season, takes a step in to the past of the DarkRiver Pack, picking up just after the tragedy that scared Lucas and gives us a birds-eye view of the evolution of this dynamic group through the eyes of the then young healer Tasmsyn and her stubborn sentinel and future mate Nathan. I won’t lie, this story makes me cry every single time I read it. As much as it is fan service in giving a glimpse into the past of one of our beloved Packs and how it came to become the force it is, this is also a well written and poignantly told tale of love, growth and what it means to be together.
When I need a good cry this five-star story is one of my go-tos for the emotional release.
Stroke of Enticement, originally published in the anthology The Magic Christmas Cat, is pure fun in story format. This story takes the world of the Psy-Changeling and the DarkRiver Pack and explores the fringes, away from some of the heavier stresses and plot-points of the main story-line. Annie, a physically damaged school teacher who teaches many of the children from the DarkRiver Pack, and Zach a park ranger with a full complement of alpha-changeling traits who has finally met his mate, bring to life a relationship that sparkles while exploring the concepts of how the past can affect the future and in Ms. Singh’s genius also expands and deepens the knowledge and dynamics of this universe.
For a good time I highly suggest this five-star story.
Declaration of Courtship, one of the two new stories written for this anthology, gives us the tale of Cooper and Grace, a sentinel who takes alpha to the extreme and the submissive tech who finds the courage to tangle with the beast. I enjoyed this story for the dynamic it created, boldly painting the fact that sometimes courage and strength come in forms you would not expect. While reading about two strong leads is an enjoyable journey I felt that the trip taken by Cooper and Grace transcended mere personal strength and explored the concept of what it can mean to love and realize that it is both our strengths and our weaknesses that sometimes make us right for another.
I give this dynamic tale a fun five stars.
Texture of Intimacy expanded on Walker and Laura’s story, introduced in Kiss of Snow, and took it farther to better understand both their relationship and the overall history of the Lauren family and its integration into the SnowDancer Pack, both what they had experienced in the past and the difference from the future they fought for and gained among the wolves. I truly enjoyed reading more about Walker and Lauren, not to mention Marlee and Toby, and how they were able to take their happy ending and forge from it a strong family that knows the future may not always be easy, but that they will always be in it together. I am not sure how this story would hold-up without having read the Psy-Changeling series as it gains much of its depth from already knowing and appreciating the characters, however as an additive to the SnowDancer Pack story is did very well. I would also like to note that it is probably best read after Kiss of Snow but before Tangle of Need to gain the smoothest transition in story progression, even if it was published after ToN.
I give this story a happy four stars.
geisttull's review against another edition
2.0
a couple of good moments, but not an author I will continue to read.
molly_p_w's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
indecisivesailorscout's review against another edition
4.0
I'll have to go back through and rate all the stories individually, but overall, Nalini cruuuuushed it! Talk about SWOON. I wish there was more!! I'm already feeling changeling withdrawal.