Caressed by Ice

Author: Nalini Singh

Published: September 4, 2007 (Berkley)

Category: Paranormal Romance

Series: Psy-Changeling #3
Rating: 9/10

What is with all the men without shirts on my romance covers? And it's not like they're naked waist up; they're wearing leather vests or jackets (see left) with nothing underneath! I commented, "It says nowhere in the book that they didn't wear shirts!" and a coworker said, "But they didn't wear a shirt at the cover shoot!" No-shirt status or not, this was my favorite of Singh's Psy-Changeling novels. There is nothing like a strong and silent hero

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins—cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna…

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted—and had her mind violated—by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…

I can't get over how much I enjoyed this book. Brenna was a fabulous strong female character. Despite the fact that she's still recovering mentally from her encounter with Enrique Santana (crazy Psy Councilmember), she's determined to move on with her life, and will not hesitate to voice her opinion on that issue. Her brothers have been overprotective and effectively put her in a cage to keep her safe, when doing so kept her from having confidence. She even lost the ability to shift into wolf form after the kidnapping.

Judd, a rare Tk-Cell designation, is just below cardinal level and capable of extremely violent acts, but his ability has healing and sharing capabilities as well. However, Judd is an excellent example of why Silence was enacted, as he could kill accidentally with his Psy power. While he's attracted to Brenna, even thinking about her could cause him pain through his conditioning. It got to the point where his feelings were so strong for her that he'd get nosebleeds and his brain almost exploded because of the Tk.

The chemistry between Brenna and Judd is perfect and HAWT. He stands up for her when her brothers want to keep her in her rooms, knowing that's absolutely not what she needs. And Brenna sees what's beneath the Iceman (so everyone in the den calls Judd) and doesn't take no for an answer (good thing she's not a rapist). It's always touching to see the set-in-his-ways hero change for the woman he loves (i.e. Mr. Darcy for Elizabeth), and for Judd, being with Brenna means going against the conditioning he's stood behind for most of his life.

There was some Psy Council maneuvering. I read those parts really fast so I could get back to Brenna and Judd.

I loved it, and I don't know how the next book, which goes back to the DarkRiver leopards, will keep up.