When reading a long series, it’s nice to take a break with a genre collection under an interesting theme. Burning Up brings together four authors who know how to bring the heat to a supernatural romance! As I heard only great things about Nalini Singh, I decided to bring this on my adult spring break trip to Hawaii. I procrastinated on my review and realized this is perfect for my Summer Reads bingo square. I highly recommend powering through a sexy anthology on the plane. Short stories are a low commitment and easy to return to after sightseeing adventures.
Singh’s “Whisper of Sin” is a short, but intense novella from her Psy-Changeling series set in Chinatown San Francisco. Ria, a sheltered young student, is attacked after walking to her family home one night. Thankfully, the local Dark River leopard pack were patrolling and rescue her. One of the leopards named Emmett finds himself drawn to her. They are from two different worlds – his full of violence and hers full of family melodrama. Ria is caught up in a supernatural turf war and thrust into Emmett’s life. Her family is a handful with her colorful Grandmother as my favorite for encouraging their courtship. The story was a great primer for the series. I never felt too lost and had just enough information on the politics of this world. The plot moved a bit quickly, but that’s understandable for a novella.
I had no context at all for the 3 remaining stories. They were wildly different romance pairings of strangers thrust together in fantasy settings. Angela Knight’s “Blood and Roses” was a fresh take on a vampire love story with an immortal warrior being seduced by his beautiful kidnapper. In “Shifting Sea”, Virginia Kantra was a slower-paced romance following a soldier who moves to a sleepy village where he meets a mysterious vixen. “Here there be Monsters” was the most unexpected with a steampunk story about a deadly pirate falling for a woman on the run. The two walk a fine line of passion and fear in their epic courtship at sea.
If you’re a fan of the Psy-Changeling series, Outlander or opposites attract romances, you’ll likely enjoy this book.
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