Cat's Cradle

Tales of the Were: String Of Fate #1

by Bianca D'Arc

Most lovers kiss. This one pounces. String of Fate, Book 1 As bad days go, this one qualifies as one for the books. Elaine knew being late for her jiu jitsu class could earn her a reprimand from her sensei. But the sensei’s not there. And suddenly, neither is her car. Even walking home becomes problematic when she stumbles onto things that most definitely do go bump in the night. One of whom is too handsome for his own good—and too sexy for hers. An Alpha Pantera Noir—black panther shifter—Cade operates on his immense skill, superior strength, and dominant personality. There’s something about this small spitfire of a human woman that threatens to bring him to his knees. She blundered into the middle of his mission to transport his queen to safety, and now it’s his responsibility to keep Elaine safe as well. Except no matter what he does, danger finds her at every turn. Thrust into a world where the supernatural is commonplace, Elaine finds her considerable martial arts skill tested to the limit—and her ability to resist Cade crumbling by the second. But when nothing is as it seems, the last things she can trust are her own instincts…  This book contains bad language, great sex, sometimes hostile, but always sexy, big cat shifters on the prowl, and lots of tuna for Chuck—wait a minute—tuna?

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters, Fantasy, Erotica, Supernatural

172 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 12, 2010

About the author

Bianca D'Arc is the USA Today bestselling author of over 100 romance titles. She has been published traditionally, by a few notable small presses, and indie. Before becoming a full-time writer, she ran a laboratory, a legal department, and jetted around the country on business while working for a Fortune 500 engineering firm.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly good intro to Bianca's "Lords of the Were" story line -- even if it's from a group not in that line of authority.

Our heroine had zero clue about the other world, but it's not too infodumpy & gives you an idea of the stakes & threats.

As to the inescapable smut -- it's not too outrageous -- I don't recall if there's exhibitionism in this one, but probably the dominance & insta-lust. 85% sure it's just the solo partner (The Lord's are a trio -- so it exists in this series overall).

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Tuti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhere between 2 and 2.5 stars

Elaine Spencer arrives late to her martial arts class, gets kicked out, stumbles into a stranger in a dark parking lot, where she finds out that her car is stolen and her phone is out of battery. Cade is a panther shifter, tasked with guarding his queen, but he gets distracted by a human female.

The story has potential, but the delivery is poorly executed.

The shifters are supposed to be powerful beings, but they seem to continuously do a terrible job at protecting people, when the book gets around to actually tell the story.

The characters are badly written. We are told, not shown, what they are and how they are. Cade is a shifter, an alpha, very powerful. Elaine is a little woman, but she is really good at martial arts despite only being a green belt, she is courageous and strong (except when she lets Cade do whatever he wants), and she is of course powerful, too. The descriptions leave me feeling cold, as they are unimaginative, like cookie cutters. OK, maybe I do feel something - I feel a bit troubled that Cade marks her without telling her what it means and that she just accepts it.

I was not expecting this book to be heavy with sex and light on the story and character development, so I did not enjoy it at all. I've read a lot of books with pushy Alpha males, but it feels rather disturbing that Cade starts trying to make out with Elaine almost as soon as they meet. Elaine, for whatever reason, doesn't find this behavior more than slightly strange. Long before the middle of the book, the story is interrupted by 50 pages of sex marathon. They take a quick break from sex to resume the story, briefly, before going back to sex, followed by a little bit of action, then sex again. Remember, this book is only about 260 pages. Had I felt any connection with the characters or been looking for erotica with some semblance of a story, I might've felt differently. Instead, I was bored. When the storyline is concluded, with all the intended villains dispatched, the book still keeps going.

[Debrac2014 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read! Shifters and magic!

[KelticKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of steam & a pinch of intrigue

I have to admit shifter stories are a bit of guilty pleasure for me, especially cat shifters.

I loved the interaction and magnetic pull between Cade & Ellie - Elaine. There was that “insta” attraction that one comes to expect from these stories and this on did not disappoint. The kettle was on full boil with these two!

The story within the story was well thought out and held my interest on its own - while in the end it seemed to be solved a bit too easily - it definitely left the door open to tie in with the next few episodes. Although I didn’t feel the reasoning behind why the bad guy targeted Elaine was very clear and did leave me a bit confused.

The only real problem I had with the story was the “special snowflake” syndrome. The author made a point of Elaine being just an average human and then boom 💥- she’s not really average after all. Just my thoughts at the moment- why did she have to be special - isn’t being human special enough?

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gotta admit, I’m a fan of this series so far. Strong start, everything was explained in a way that made it clear to me. The storyline has begun and I like that it seems as though it’s got somewhere to go. Elaine was strong and confident but accepted her limitations (which I LOVE. There is nothing worse than a girl in a book trying to do things she’s not trained for and then failing because she just wanted to seem tough even though she’s never done anything requiring her to be tough in her life).
The romance of it was short and to the point, and it was good but I didn’t feel any kind of happiness for the characters ending up together. Instead I just kind of thought “alright that’s cool, glad we got a HEA ending”. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, its just the only reason this book doesn’t have 5 stars.
I’m very excited to check out the rest of the series.

[olivia V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

not bad as shifter romances go.. main characters are likeable, story is there but minimal, minimal backgrounds, a bit of shifter history thrown in, fated mates and insta love so there's that. Safe from ow drama and the likes that usually plague shifter books, the hierarchy and politics were a bit more interesting and spice was low level but fun. I looked at the other books in this series, none stood out but if it's available through libby i might, I might check out other books by this author. It definitely feels dated, I didn't realize when it was written.

[Joy Ki`Ili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something more

Ellie's world just got turned upside down and she needs to adjust, her grandfather was psychic but she's never had the gift. Cade is a Royal Guard, his cousin their Queen, yet ever since running into Ellie he can't put her out of his mind. They're being hunted and it's no longer safe for Ellie to be on her own, Cade can't let her go either.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review of Cat's Cradle

I really enjoyed the story. The storyline was interesting and evenly paced. The characters were dynamic. They were likable and a bit mysterious. The storyline was a bit different (in a good way) from other magic/shifter stories. It was an interesting twist on things.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventure, mystery and romance

This book has it all, adventure, mystery, and romance. If you enjoy entering the shifter world and the added touch of mystery with magic this book has it all. Loved this book and will continue to read the series.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I read this but... I did. It's really just a erotic fantasy novel, but I did enjoy the plot, although the book is simplistic in terms of prose and plot. It's enjoyable, but I prefer my high fantasy. I recommend it for light, bothered reading.

[Tina Gunther · Rating 4 out of 5]

D'Arc's Cat's Cradle (SoF-1)

Elaine thinks that she has been living an ordinary life, with ordinary friends, in an ordinary city. Then she meets Cade, a scarey but attractive guy who opens her eyes to the dangerous but marvelous world she really lives in.

[Abby G. Amos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Read!

I am glad I read this book! Unfortunately, I read this book out of order and I am glad that I came back to this book! I enjoyed this book and I know others will too! I definitely recommend it and the rest of the series!

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep it's awesome!!!

Shifters, romance, action, and a little mystery all wrapped up in one story. Now on to the next one in the series 😀

[Amy G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, loved the series. Read them out of order.

[TinaMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things start off very fast in this relationship but the shifter thing helps make that work. Sets up lots of potential in-fighting and alliances and betrayals for future stories.

[Danielle Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pray I have the rest of this series among all the books I have

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

I love this author. She has a way of giving life to her characters. Moving on to the second book in the series.

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️ 📚 👍

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[Anna-Marie Buchner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just one kiss, I want to taste you

Cat’s Cradle by Bianca D’Arc

I’m a fan of Bianca D’Arc’s books so I had no problem picking this one up. The Cat’s Cradle actually caught my attention from the start. As I delved further into the read it got to the point I really didn’t want to put it down. But hitting 4:30 am when I first started it I knew wouldn’t work.

I was thrilled with her two main characters totally. Refreshing to see a female lead be exactly that. Elaine a nurse by profession was a feisty little thing with a sense of humor that was refreshing. She could handle her own. Until one evening when her entire world changed at the drop of a pin.

Elaine was running late AGAIN for her jiu jitsu class. Shihan Harris hated lateness and was not easy on those who were. Rushing from her car and running towards the building where her class was she grabbed the door and ran in, missing a very important note posted on the door. Class Was Cancelled. Changing into her gi she realized something was off but continued walking to the room her class was in. When she entered she noticed there were just a few people and Shihan Harris in the room with the lights dim. When Shihan Harris approached her trying to block her view, with a strained posture told her class was cancelled and did she not see the note on the door. In her rush to get in she had not. He told her to leave and forget anything she saw here. I won’t go into the nitty gritty of their conversation but Elaine turned around and headed out to her car. Once through the door she ran right into a wall. Not a real wall but a hard body hunk of a wall Cade, Alpha Pantera Noir and head of the Royal Guard. But Elaine did not know this. After some banter back and forth when Elaine was asked where she was going and it was realized at that time her car a Lime VW was not in the parking lot everything went downhill from there. She ended up having to walk/run home to put as much distance between her and Cade. She didn’t want him following her. But he did anyway. She couldn’t get the hunky man out of her mind. Once home and settled in with her house cat Chuck Norris while watching the news disturbing news flashed the screen about her dojo on fire and there could be injuries. Because of her helping nature she didn’t think twice before she was on the run back to the dojo. Cade who had been on the fire escape watching her saw the news and was at the dojo in a flash. He had to see if all escaped unharmed. Nyx Pantera Queen known as Ria was there with a few of the Royal Guard to get Harris to assist in relocating her to somewhere safe. Cade’s duty along with Mitch was to guard the perimeter while they were inside, but he went off following a human woman.

When Cade arrived back at the dojo he found Mitch badly hurt and then he saw Elaine running towards the building. He needed help and he needed help now. He grabs Elaine and restrains her hand over her mouth so she won’t scream and tells her he won’t hurt her but he needs her help and he and Mitch need to get out of there. Cade lets her know he knows she’s a nurse and Mitch is in a bad way they need help. She takes them back to her place and her Nurse kicks in. Cleaning and inspecting his wounds she does what she can. She also offers up her friend Gina if need be. After several hours Mitch is not getting better and he starts convulsing, Gina is called in. And now the fun begins. Elaine’s world is totally turned upside down and she handles everything like the champ she is. Nina listens and she asks questions and offers solutions as you will see in the story. The attraction between Cade and Elaine is felt immediately and grows stronger and stronger throughout the story. I need to stop here otherwise I’ll give the entire story away. This is really a great read. I’m looking forward to the next book of this series.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cat's Cradle (String of Fate, #1) was my first foray into Bianca D'Arc's works, and I don't think it was a bad place to start, really. As shifter-themed paranormal romance goes, it has a wide and varied world that perhaps wasn't totally fleshed out in this book, but I certainly got the sense that the author has it fully realized, instead of developing it as she goes. I'm perfectly okay allowing world definition to clarify and build through the arc of a series, in fact preferring it to having it all in the first book, when it can bog down the flow and pace of a story. I also have to give D'Arc credit for managing to give her readers a female lead that is smart, capable, and secure in her abilities, while also willing to adapt to new circumstances and challenge herself without being a bitch about it, or bitter, or hardened. That was refreshing.

Ellie is a nurse and a green belt jiu jitsu who can take care of herself, yet still has room in her heart for the uber-Alpha pantera noir Cade, and when they run into each other - literally - one night while Ellie hurries away from a curious encounter with her shihan (jiu jitsu master), neither lives will be the same and their meeting may indeed be the catalyst (no pun intended) for change in both their races.

I liked this book - though perhaps not as much as I'd hoped. I was thrilled to have a lead couple with the ability to actually discuss their issues, instead of lurking behind layers of insecurities. I can't tell you the last time I read a paranormal romance that had that. Unfortunately, too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing, because Ellie and Cade actually over-talked in several places, when action would've been better served, or when it was just unnecessary. I think that hampered Cade's character more than Ellie's, though, because he seemed a little too in touch with exactly what he wanted and needed in a mate at all times. He was a wee bit too perfect in that regard. I'm probably being picky, but no big strong tough guy dealing with a potential cross-race mating living in a culture that doesn't take cross-race matings well is that well centered.

The other critical issues I had are two-fold - there were some errors (wrong name for a character, wrong gender usage, formatting issues at the beginning) of a technical nature and there were narrative issues. As I was reading, I noticed an almost choppy feel to the flow - like instead of wending together plot conflict and relationship evolution, the story focused on one...then the other...then back again, and that was a major distraction at one point in particular when Cade and Ellie are enjoying themselves for a whole day. I'm all for the enjoyment, believe me, but it went on for so long that the arc of the conflict got lost. When it picked up again, it was jarring and I had to think to remember what was going on around them. I also had some minor issues with the dialogue between characters. In some places it seemed a bit unnatural and stilted. Not all through the book, by any means, but on more than one occasion.

Overall, I liked the world, I liked the concept of the conflict very much, and I liked the leads, but the execution had some problems that dropped my rating down a little. I'd recommend for serious paranormal romance junkies with a blind eye for technical writing issues.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

[Alex Ronk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primer libro en inglés del año (en varios años de hecho) como parte de un desafío de leer libros en inglés, así que decidí comenzar antes de que termine siendo un desafío abandonado. Es parte de una serie, pero según mis investigaciones el segundo libro o aún no lo escribe o no está disponible, pero si alguien sabe más agradecería saber un poco más sobre cuantos libros serán :D

Cuando empecé a leerlo la verdad es que me dio un poco de pereza, porque si soy honesta me da flojerita leer en inglés D: pero agradezco haberlo hecho para no perder mis habilidades en el idioma, claro que unas palabras tuve que buscarlas porque o se me olvidan o de plano no las conocía casi nada.

Es una historia rápida, las cosas suceden sin que tengas tiempo de pensar en lo siguiente y mucho menos en que te de flojera seguir leyendo porque la historia es aburrida o algo por el estilo. En lo personal encontré un poco molesto encontrarme con el cliché de que al ser un cambiaformas/shifter es diferente a un hombre "normal" y entonces vienen las comparaciones de ambos personajes en cuanto a qué se sienten diferentes y tu virilidad es "más grande" que el promedio, en fin esa situación entre que me dio risa y la encontré molesta... probablemente la autora se proyecto y escribió sus deseos más íntimos (xDD)

Dejando de lado la parte íntima y presumida del protagonista, la verdad es que me agrado, tiene sentido del humor y ese instinto de proteger a su familia, amigos y a la mujer que le está cambiando la vida sin que se diera cuenta de cómo paso. En cuanto a Elaine me agrado que no tuviera que depender del todo de un hombre para defenderse y mucho menos para salir adelante y ser autosuficiente. Y aunque digo que la historia no es TAN predecible, la verdad es que ya he leído la parte en la que él es diferente y entonces conocer a una humana sin mayores habilidades más que ejercer un "poder" desconocido y extraño sobre todo su ser y entonces viene la parte en donde ambas personas/seres/etc. se ven en la disyuntiva de estar o no juntos porque no sería lo más adecuado... Pero no por eso les diré que no me entretuve un rato mientras lo leía, tiene algunos momentos cómicos, de acción, de romance, de convivencia y de descubrimientos para Elaine y para Cade.

Lo único que no aprecie fue el final tan escueto y simple que tiene, honestamente daba para terminar un poquito mejor, pero supongo que fue intención de la autora dado que habrá más libros ¿?
Así que si les interesa leer algo diferente a vampiros u hombres lobo pero que sea paranormal definitivamente encontrarán algo de diversión con éste libro, aunque desconozco si está en español :S pero si no tienen mayor problema y no les da más flojera que a mi leer en inglés, adelante con Cat's Cradle ;)

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, though not as much as I enjoyed some others so it's gets maybe 3 1/2 stars. There is a decent overacrching plot line that gives a solid base for a continuation of the series - which is always a plus. The world, rules and situation are fairly clear, uncomplicated, and presented throughout the book as needed rather than as an info dump at the beginning of the story (also a plus). Just for a change, the relationship is not full of the usual "resistance" to the charaters budding feelings, so the love story itself doens't have the tension and conflict of some of the other books out there. That's not to say that there aren't problems, confilicts and tension though. We have the situation that brings our hero and heroine together, followed by the very valid reason they need to separate (hoping to convice the bad guys that she doesn't know anything and keep her out of the trouble that is brewing). When that attempt fails (rather spectacularly) the hero and heroine are thrown right back together and admit that they are interested in one another. Naturally, her being human and him being shifter (combined with who and what he is to the pack) make this a little problematic, but they both want it give a relatioship a fair shot so they are willign to work together as a team to make things as easy as possible. All the tension and confilct is from outside sources and it is rather refreshing to see a relationship that isn't all about fighting off the desire to be together for the first 2/3 - 3/4 of the story.

I would have liked to see a little more and learn a little more about the side characters since I suspect that the rest of the series is about them (each book a different HEA couple), but at least we have been introduced to the other possibles and have some vague idea who they are. The story was almost too "sweet" for me, but the conflicts and risks to the hero and heroine kept things from being flat and too convenient. I enjoyed the book enough to continue the series (though I do have a few other "catch up" books to get to first!) and I would recommend the series to others.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setting: Silent Tiger Martial Arts School with basement; safe house with subterranean, exotic, extensive rooms with a garden & fountains and war room;

Characters:
Elaine Spencer: nurse; a Shield/Protector – masking the scent and aura of shifters to others; without knowing, her unknown talent kept her best friend Gina safe all the years they’ve known each other; she stumbles into a shifter meeting at the martial arts school, meets Cade (guarding outside) who is drawn to her, and follows her home to make sure she is safe, and to make sure she is what she seems to be;

Cade: leads the Guard contingent of the pantera noir; trying to help Nyx establish a place so as to live a somewhat normal life at college; outside guard as others meet at the martial arts school when Elaine shows up… and after he follows her home, glaring off a wolf shifter, and assures himself she is innocent, he returns to find the school on fire; his people all got out safely, but Elaine shows up when she sees the fire on TV – and he ends up back at her place with his injured friend…

Chuck Norris: her orange tabby; Cade can ‘speak’ to him; he loves Elaine;

Shihan Harris: owner of Silent Tiger Martial Arts School; friend to the shifters, as his wife (who died) was a shifter; training Elaine, and she has made it into the toughest class;

Gina: shifter, royalty, doctor, best friend; Elaine did not know she was a shifter until Cade and his friend need help… Elaine volunteers Gina’s services, and then all comes out; she takes injured Mitchell to her parent’s very isolated home to heal;

Mitchell: Alpha Tigre d’Or Royal Guard; tiger shifter; badly injured when guarding the school; recognizes Gina as royalty, and his loyalty shifts to her – I believe theywill be the next story;

Nyx aka Ria: princess of the pantera noir; wants to go to college;

Bimley (sorcerer, fake fireman) & Billy Bob (wolf shifter): part of a group that has changed from just monitoring super naturals to killing them; the sorcerer wants royal shifter blood to complete a spell – and they go after Elaine as bait;

[Tyra Berger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited when the book club decided to to a Bianca D'Arc book for October. I have been a fan of hers ever since I discovered Lords of the Were many years ago. She is a wonderful storyteller and the worlds that she creates while fantastical always feel so very real.

Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Elaine's timing couldn't be worse. She stumbles into a conspiracy and a world that is beyond her belief. She may just be a human but she is not going to back down.

Cade is the ultimate Alpha. He is strong and protective and needs to be in control. He has a hard time understanding his attraction to the spit fire that literally slammed into his life.

Both Cade and Elaine try to fight the attraction they have for one another since human/shifter relationships are very much frowned upon, but when a fire brings Elaine back into Cade's life he isn't giving her up a second time.

Magic, shifters, scary motorcycle rides, fires and one very cool house cat add to the story and keep it going at such a fast pace I was done long before I wanted to be. This was a great read with fun characters and an exciting story line. I will most definitely be picking up the 2nd and 3rd books!

[Howling Scribe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat’s Cradle was a lot different than most of Bianca’s books. Yes, there was romance, sex, and lots of her other normal writing plot lines, but this book was full of action. It held me captivated from page one, and it didn’t let go until I finished the book. I wanted to know what was going to happen next from page one, which is saying something.

Elaine is one tough human, which is saying something. So many women are portrayed in romance books as always having to be saved by her “man.” Not Elaine, she could kick butt with the rest of them, even if the others thought she was inferior, she didn’t let them get her down. She impressed me from page one, and she didn’t fall into a quivering mess any time some bad guy came up to her.

Cade, typical Alpha male, fiercely protective, was a good hero to Elaine. He complimented her in ways even he didn’t know. Considering who and what he is, I am glad that I got a chance to glimpse into their lives.

Overall, a great book and recommended read.

[Kami Dodson-Perry · Rating 2 out of 5]

1st book read from Bianca D'Arc and it was pretty good.

The main character was Ellie & I really liked her. She was sweet, forgiving, adaptable, & feisty. Cade walks into her life and from that moment on it is a mess. A mess with amazing sex but a mess none the less. Cade is a shifter & Ellie did not even know shifters or any other supernatural exists. So discovering Cade's secret along with a whole new perspective on the world would leave some in a whirlwind. Ellie was no exception but she recovered well. Ellie is running for her life and put in harms way often. Ellie can hold her own in a fight even against an angry werewolf or magic caster and does in this story. There is a lot of Nyx, Clans, & Alpha talk in this story so it helps to be familiar with the shifter stories before reading it but it is not necessary.

Paranormal romance but read on the border of erotica. So be warned ahead of time in case you are not into that kind of reading material.

[M Alexandra Gonsalves · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Elaine meets Cade, It's not under the safest on circumstances. Elaine unknowingly walks in during a mysterious meeting at her Martial Arts Dojo. She is asked to leave by her teacher, only to learn her car is stolen, while calling 911. She is spooked by Cade unaware he's a shapeshifter Cade apoligizes to her and offers his assistance, she declines. Decides to walk to her Apartment, which luckily isn't so far away. Cade follows her home, then returns to the Dojo to find the whole building is on fire. Then Elaine finds out about the Dojo and also decides to return. But instead she winds up helping Cade with his fellow injured guard. And from there nothing will ever be the same, Elaine is made aware of tigre and panteria shapeshifters. Anyone who reads about Elaine & Cade will enjoy, their not so typical romance.

[Petula · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for all cat lovers. We have shifter big cats and a heroic domestic cat.
Elaine is running late for her martial arts class, only to find it cancelled. When she leaves , her car is gone and a very sexy but scary man is hanging around. After almost running home she sees there has been trouble at the dojo so she goes back. A man has been badly injured. Being a nurse she jumps into help. That's when things start to get dangerous. Cade is a royal guard. Someone is hunting his queen. He enlists Elaine's help when his friend is wounded and finds more than he bargained for. Elaine finds herself caught up in a world she didn't know exsisted, but has been connected to most of her life.
A good sexy paranormal with some Magical fights and a heroic domestic cat.
A promising start to a series.