Iron & Velvet (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator, #1) in Riptide Publishing

Jul 02, 2013 Laylah Hunter rated it it was amazing

Shelves: f-slash-f, lgbt-fantasy-challenge-2013, uf-pnr

Welp, this one passed the "stay up two hours past bedtime for just one more chapter--ok one MORE more chapter" test. Minor quibbles of the 4.5-stars variety but rounding up for that.

Kate is a charming narrator, wry and self-aware, an excellent updating of the noir detective trope, complete with the fascination with femmes fatales that she knows will only lead to trouble. And it's such fun to read. This is a story where all the ladies are gorgeous and most of them are aggressive about it, and I l ...more

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Jul 02, 2013 BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, netgalley-reviews, vampire, werewolf, fae, magic, witches, ff

Lust, betrayal, magic, fae, vampires, werewolves, witches - oh my! What isn't in this story? Even a bit of kinky BDSM is thrown in. Mr. Hall is a new to me author and I am hooked. First off, this is a lesbian story which is so hard to come by. To have a well written one with a mystery is even better. Then to add paranormal elements which all work together, I'm entranced. Topping it off with some kinky rough sex and a bit of bondage, I'm completely enslaved. I must read the next book in this seri Lust, betrayal, magic, fae, vampires, werewolves, witches - oh my! What isn't in this story? Even a bit of kinky BDSM is thrown in. Mr. Hall is a new to me author and I am hooked. First off, this is a lesbian story which is so hard to come by. To have a well written one with a mystery is even better. Then to add paranormal elements which all work together, I'm entranced. Topping it off with some kinky rough sex and a bit of bondage, I'm completely enslaved. I must read the next book in this series. I can't wait!

Kate Kane is a half human half fae working as a private investigator. She is a bundle of trouble and it seems she falls for a specific type of female. The dangerous powerful female which she sometimes alienates. She has fallen off the wagon before by shacking up with a guy. This is the worst mistake as he is an overprotective vampire. He is also a bit creepy when it becomes evident of his stalkers-esque ways.

Kate is an interesting character with many flaws. She seems to have impulse control issues as well as a lack in self-preservation. While she's not a character one would consider a typical hero, she does have a good heart. Her messed up life adds to her charm. Mr. Hall does a great job of character building because it doesn't even bother me this story is in first person point of view from Kate. Kate's observations are often wry and sarcastic, just how I enjoy it. She's not exactly snarky. She's more jaded with a burned out mentality.

Why is Kate so burned out? There appears to be history which the reader is not fully knowledgeable about. This story may vex the reader because it feels as if we are missing vital information. Information such as what happened to Kate's partner. How did Kate piss off so many powerful supernaturals? This world Mr. Hall builds is fascinating. There are so many things to learn about the different power structures as well as how Kate integrates with each. Mr. Hall does an excellent job at painting a vivid picture of each location. He shows action very well, especially during a fighting scene. The added element of scent makes a difference. It's not often a writer is able to blend in scents. This helps enhance the story and draw the reader into the storyline better. He doesn't just use nice smells either. Pungent odors of poo and sewers are described clearly. At times it is overwhelming for a person like me, who possesses a very sensitive nose. I could imagine the disgusting filth Kate slogs through and with the clear description of scent, my mind is even tricked into smelling it.

What I really liked about Mr. Hall's writing voice is how he portrays the characters without telling us. For example, Patrick is the vampire who still pines for Kate. Rather than stating Patrick is a psycho stalker, he shows the reader by explaining Kate's discomfort finding yet another drawn picture of her sleeping, left by Patrick. This is clever because it clearly demonstrates Patrick's attention as unwanted. In addition, Patrick is creepy because he obviously breaks into Kate's home to watch her while she sleeps and draws pictures of her. A person is most vulnerable when they sleep. So even if Patrick doesn't do anything physical to her, the intimidation is there. It is subtle and more insidious when presented in this manner.

Another secondary character who is well designed is Tara. She's an alpha werewolf who is also a famous model. While the reader knows Tara is a strong shifter, Mr. Hall provides evidence through Tara's fights with powerful creatures. It's impressive and demonstrates that Tara is not to be messed with. And yet, he designs her to be whimsical in her vanity. This is cleverly established through Tara's tweets. There are so many examples of how Mr. Hall displays his talented writing abilities to draw a reader in. This paranormal mystery is highly recommended to those who enjoy good plot, great characters and hot f/f sex.

*provided by NetGalley ...more

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Dec 16, 2013 Jody rated it really liked it

As a fan of paranormal reads I was immediately drawn to this atmospheric and lyrically depicted world inhabited by werewolves, vampires, and Fae. From its pulse-pounding action scenes to complicated main character, Alexis Hall has created a memorable read that sets itself apart from other paranormal stories.

Kate Kane is a heroine not always easy to like. Since the death of her business partner and because of her numerous relationship issues she's become hardened and cynical. Booze and cigarettes ...more

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Jan 05, 2014 Leigh rated it really liked it

4.5 Stars! Review can also be found at Under the Covers Book Blog

Yay!! Iron & Velvet is the first book in what promises to be an excellent urban fantasy series – I can’t wait to read more!

Kate Kane is a paranormal investigator, but her work of late has been slow…or rather nonexistent. That is, until she is summoned by a Vampire Prince to investigate a death in the Prince’s territory. You come to find out that this Prince – the Prince of Cups – is actually a she, as the title is a formal title an 4.5 Stars! Review can also be found at Under the Covers Book Blog

Yay!! Iron & Velvet is the first book in what promises to be an excellent urban fantasy series – I can’t wait to read more!

Kate Kane is a paranormal investigator, but her work of late has been slow…or rather nonexistent. That is, until she is summoned by a Vampire Prince to investigate a death in the Prince’s territory. You come to find out that this Prince – the Prince of Cups – is actually a she, as the title is a formal title and not gender-specific. Being that Kate is a lesbian and completely attracted to the Prince – Julian Saint-Germain – she takes the job. Of course, since she currently has no work, getting paid is quite the incentive as well.

After some quick investigating, Kate determines that the murder victim outside of Julian’s club is a werewolf. This could prove bad and lead to tensions between the vampires and werewolves and other paranormal beings as well if things are not resolved quickly. Not too long after there is another another attack specifically on Julian. Are these attacks related or separate? Kate works hard to discover the truth.

Hall has created an excellent beginning to this urban fantasy series – one of my favorite genres. I had never read lesbian romance before so I was a bit hesitant, but I shouldn’t have been. There were some romantic parts, but it was done well, like that with other genres, and I found I didn’t mind the extra girly bits even though I primarily read m/m or heterosexual. First of all, Kate Kane is awesome! She has a fabulous dry humor, and she had me laughing out loud quite a bit. Add to that that she is not a damsel in distress by any stretch of the imagination, nor is she so over-the-top with powers and strength that she is ridiculously unrealistic. She’s somewhere right in the middle, and damn near perfect for a main character female lead. She makes mistakes, but she owns up to them, and she has strength in battle at appropriate times but not so perfect that she doesn’t get harmed. She really is a perfect mix for a female heroine in my opinion.

Add to that, Hall has written a slew of fabulous supporting characters that I enjoyed reading about immensely. While Kate tries to deny herself feelings for Julian, she finally gives in, and these two women together are a joy to read. They have great banter and even better chemistry. Throughout the book, the reader is introduced to a handful of other characters who make repeat appearances, and they are really enjoyable to read as well. Some are annoying but add depth to the story, and others are just ones I really, really like and hope to see more of in future books.

Hall entices the reader as well with some questions and mysteries surrounding Kate that I look forward to learning. Her mother is a powerful Faery, and while we get information about her and Kate’s lineage, I look forward to learning more about their history and their relationship. And then there’s the issue of her previous partner in the business who is now dead. Kate blames herself for his death, but we don’t know the details of it yet.

The only quibble I had with Iron & Velvet is that it seemed that just about every female character in the book was a lesbian, and just about all of them are or have been infatuated with or attracted to Kate. To me that just doesn’t seem very realistic, in either sense. Also, there were a few editing mistakes – missing words or the wrong word usage – but those were not enough to distract me from the enjoyment of the book.

Overall, I definitely recommend Iron & Velvet if you enjoy a great paranormal series full of wit and humor, a little bit of spice, and great action. Hall writes very well, and I was able to imagine the scenery and action taking place with his descriptions and prose. I leave you with a great quote that shows Kate’s humor and is a great descriptor for the book as a whole:

“Overall chance of getting murdered: low.
Overall chance of miserable, soul-destroying break-up: moderate.
Overall chance of lots of red hot monkey sex: high to extreme.
Overall chance of boredom: zero.
I was liking these odds.”

*ARC provided by publisher ...more

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