This is a cute wintery romance. Although it's package like a Holiday romance, there's very little mention of the holidays. That's fine - it doesn't deThis is a cute wintery romance. Although it's package like a Holiday romance, there's very little mention of the holidays. That's fine - it doesn't detract from the story.
I liked the writing... although there was a bit too much internal exposition a few times which kind of took me out of the story. The story is told from Quinn's point of view as he fights to save the queer bookshop he runs. It's a battle that seems to be more about his sense of self than "just" a bookstore. I liked that he was so dedicated to the cause of a queer bookshop.
I'm afraid I felt as though I didn't really get to know much about the characters beyond the bookstore/writer story line.
I find myself in the enviable position of not being able to come up with enough words of praise for this series. The first series I read by Alexis HalI find myself in the enviable position of not being able to come up with enough words of praise for this series. The first series I read by Alexis Hall was on the opposite end of the literary spectrum to this one. I read the Spires series. It's firmly rooted in the contemporary world we are familiar with and its primary characters are men. What I loved immediately was the way that Hall writes characters.
The Kate Kane Paranormal Investigator books have some of the best characters I've read in the genre. I love Kate! She's a bit of a train wreck I'll grant you. She drinks too much, she can't be assed to dress up for anything. She certainly seems to have bad taste in terms of her relationships because she has a string of exes who provide nothing but complications and flat-out trouble.
But. Kate cares about her friends and even those troublesome exes. What's clear throughout this series is that every time she makes a connection with someone... good or bad ... she sticks with it. Oddly enough, she seems to just want peace and quiet. It's odd because when she's got it, she doesn't seem to know what to do with it!
So, in this book which I think maybe the final installment, Kate is hired to chase down one of the magical bits she has run into before. The problem is that this item has sparked an all-out battle between two factions of the supernatural world. Nim is on one side, and if you've read the rest of the series then you know that Kate has a magical oath binding her fealty to Nim. Of course, this causes Kate lots of problems!
There's no end of well-written fight scenes in this book. I do enjoy myself a strong female lead! But it's Kate's snark and wit that always get me. Let me explain to you about Alexis Hall's writing. When my husband asks me what I'm reading and I happen to be reading one of Hall's books then I simply respond with, "riding a pissed-off unicorn backward." Just that one phrase and he knows whose books I'm reading.
Hall has a talent. Yes, Hall is a good writer. This series has a great plot, it's well-paced and the characters are solid. What has always stood out for me the most is Hall's wit and humor. These books are hilarious! I have read very few books in my life that have made me laugh out loud, TJ Klune does it... and Alexis Hall does it. In fact, I'm actually aloud to read parts of Hall's books to Joel without him shooing me away.
I'm not giving any of this away as you're probably like me and have been reading the series. No need for spoilers. I can say what I want about this book without revealing anything about the plot really. Suffice to say that this is typical of Hall's writing. It's witty, smart, full of action, has lots of nasty things lurking around trying to kill Kate (probably half of which she had a relationship with in the past), and it's entertaining!
You'll enjoy this series if you love paranormal fun with a bit of mystery and a fantastic female lead.
Merged review:
I find myself in the enviable position of not being able to come up with enough words of praise for this series. The first series I read by Alexis Hall was on the opposite end of the literary spectrum to this one. I read the Spires series. It's firmly rooted in the contemporary world we are familiar with and its primary characters are men. What I loved immediately was the way that Hall writes characters.
The Kate Kane Paranormal Investigator books have some of the best characters I've read in the genre. I love Kate! She's a bit of a train wreck I'll grant you. She drinks too much, she can't be assed to dress up for anything. She certainly seems to have bad taste in terms of her relationships because she has a string of exes who provide nothing but complications and flat-out trouble.
But. Kate cares about her friends and even those troublesome exes. What's clear throughout this series is that every time she makes a connection with someone... good or bad ... she sticks with it. Oddly enough, she seems to just want peace and quiet. It's odd because when she's got it, she doesn't seem to know what to do with it!
So, in this book which I think maybe the final installment, Kate is hired to chase down one of the magical bits she has run into before. The problem is that this item has sparked an all-out battle between two factions of the supernatural world. Nim is on one side, and if you've read the rest of the series then you know that Kate has a magical oath binding her fealty to Nim. Of course, this causes Kate lots of problems!
There's no end of well-written fight scenes in this book. I do enjoy myself a strong female lead! But it's Kate's snark and wit that always get me. Let me explain to you about Alexis Hall's writing. When my husband asks me what I'm reading and I happen to be reading one of Hall's books then I simply respond with, "riding a pissed-off unicorn backward." Just that one phrase and he knows whose books I'm reading.
Hall has a talent. Yes, Hall is a good writer. This series has a great plot, it's well-paced and the characters are solid. What has always stood out for me the most is Hall's wit and humor. These books are hilarious! I have read very few books in my life that have made me laugh out loud, TJ Klune does it... and Alexis Hall does it. In fact, I'm actually aloud to read parts of Hall's books to Joel without him shooing me away.
I'm not giving any of this away as you're probably like me and have been reading the series. No need for spoilers. I can say what I want about this book without revealing anything about the plot really. Suffice to say that this is typical of Hall's writing. It's witty, smart, full of action, has lots of nasty things lurking around trying to kill Kate (probably half of which she had a relationship with in the past), and it's entertaining!
You'll enjoy this series if you love paranormal fun with a bit of mystery and a fantastic female lead....more
I will be posting this review to my blog on September 7, 2019!
Queer, marvelous, dangerous and hilarious! This is a perfect beginning to a PI series! –I will be posting this review to my blog on September 7, 2019!
Queer, marvelous, dangerous and hilarious! This is a perfect beginning to a PI series! – Kinzie Things
Full disclosure: Alexis Hall is one of my favorite authors. Most of the time, I find myself wanting to read certain genres or certain “types” of plot. After reading Iron & Velvet I now know that I will happily read anything that Alexi Hall writes.
Kate Kane is a part-fae, kick-ass, bit-of-a-disaster, lesbian private investigatory. If that’s not enough to interest you, Kate has a vampire ex-boyfriend who stalks her (and watches her sleep), an assistant who may be reconstituted marble, a love-interest who is both witty and debauched (and also kick-ass), and a murder case to solve. The case is going to be a challenge that is the supernatural-bitey-attacky kind!
“That made it me, my dickhead ex, a celibate incubus, the most fabulous man in fangs, an indestructible Geat, a shape-shifting toff, and someone who’s already tried to kill both me and the person we were trying to rescue. We’d got to seven after all. Still a bit light on magnificence, though.” – Kate in Iron & Velvet by Alexis Hall
I absolutely loved this book. There were several times when I was laughing out loud and had to set the book down to explain to my partner what was going on. Yes, this novel is a little over-the-top, and yes I absolutely recommend it. It’s kind of like a mash-up of a stream of consciousness and supernatural crime-fighters.
Kate’s life is a bit of a mess. Her business partner is dead… and the whole history behind it seems convoluted. I’m hoping that this is the kind of hanging thread that Hall will tug on in future installments of this series. While Kate is pretty funny, there’s a hint of resignation about her that is a bit sad. Of course, she has sworn off vampires when she meets Julian – the devastatingly beautiful and enticing female Prince of Vampires connected to a murder. Of course, Kate’s intrigued and has trouble sticking to her own swearing off of said supernatural creatures.
Patrick, the vampire ex-boyfriend turned stalker, has absolutely got to be a swipe at the Cullen type of vampire from the-books-that-shall-not-be-named. Patrick is fiercely devoted to Kate and has been for far longer than they were actually together. He’s both a hindrance and an inevitability in Kate’s life but I couldn’t help being amused every time he appeared.
More than anything… it’s just the writing that makes my heart happy. It’s the little things…
“I finished my coffee and gamely ate a banana. They’re basically mush held together with stringy bits. And Eve once told me they were technically nuts, which blew my mind. Then she told me that peanuts weren’t nuts. And then I dumped her. Though not, admittedly, for a couple of years.” – Kate in “Iron & Velvet” by Alexis Hall
Alexis Hall? You get me. So much wit and humor in one action-packed book is good for my soul. Cannot wait for more of this series....more
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