A lot of times, anthologies leave you wanting more because the stories are too short or just not developed. But DEEP KISS OF WINTER is a good read for fans who are keeping track of Kresley Cole’s vampire/Wroth brother storyline. Gena Showalter returns to Alien Huntress series. So if you’re following either of these series, it’s a nice read. (Check out the book video at the end!!! Very hot!!!)

In “Untouchable,” Cole gives us the story of the last Wroth brother — Murdoch, a deadly soldier like his brothers but who is only remembered for his conquests of the ladies. But as a vampire — well — he doesn’t have any desire for sex. And he doesn’t want to find his bride like other vamps.  But then he meets Daniela — Ice Queen — who is part  Valkyrie warrior but also half Icere (yeah — as in ice). Since she’s part Icere, she is sensitive to warm temperatures and must  keep cold at all times. If she touches anyone expect those of her own race — it burns her. So makes sex with her hot vampire kind of tough. Long story short — she’s on the outs with the Icere, who are out to kill her and of course she makes Murdoch’s heart beat again. Funny fate. Of course, for those of us who love Cole’s Immortals After Dark series, this is true to form.  Cole’s heroine is vulnerable yet smart and witty. And we get appearances from Nix & company. And Murdoch struggles with his attraction toward Daniela. I love the worlds she creates — the world of the Icere  — and how she infuses each of these stories with the tight-knit sister bonds of the Valkyrie. Of course — fans of Cole’s series know how things will end. But it’s the getting there that makes it fun.

In Gena Showalter’s “Tempt Me Eternally,” she  returns to her Alien Huntress series. The heroine is a shifter — she can take on the form of any being and you wonder who she really is! She works for the AIR, an elite force that protects Earth from alien invaders — under an assumed identity — Macy — because she doesn’t want anyone to know her secret. But then she meets Breean, who is a Rakan, a race that is beautiful and peaceful. He and his men are looking for a place to live after their planet and most of their population were killed by the Schon Queen. OK — I know, this is starting to sound loopy, but Showalter knits it all together in a very hot story. Breean and his men get involved in a fight with AIR and take Macy and her men captive. What you eventually want to know: Are these folks smart enough to join forces against the Schon Queen? And The shifter storyline is pretty interesting. She eventually reveals her true identity and secret to Breean, who falls really hard for her. I hope their storyline isn’t over because I think there’s more to their relationship and battle with the Schon Queen!
Both stories are great reads if you are into the series. I would recommend reading THE WARLORD WANTS FOREVER, a novella that tells the story of Nikolai Wroth and Myst the Coveted, a mad, fey, mythological creature, before reading Cole’s “Untouchable” because there are lots of references and appearances by Nikolai and Wroth. You can get that novella for free HERE.