Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Slave to Sensation

Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

7 reviews

givemaribooks's review

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I loved this book. It's a great start to this series. I am upset with myself that I waited so long to get to this series. I liked the characters a lot, and I am glad that the book was not too worldbuilding heavy, which tends to happen with first books in a series. I do think the book is a bit outdated, especially when it came to ableist language.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is great, especially voicing the psy characters.

CW: murder, kidnapping, torture, death of parents (recounted)

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sup3r_xn0va_maya's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is the story of Sascha, a Psy (a race of being who do not have emotions and they do not display feelings), who is working with Lucas, a Changeling (race of human/animal shapeshifters). Sascha and Lucas are working on a building development for the Changelings made in part by the Psy.

Lucas is actually trying to get information from Sascha because there is supposedly a Psy serial killer kidnapping and hurting Changeling women. Sascha is a Psy that is starting to "fall apart", she has emotions and feelings even though no other Psy does. Both of them have secrets to hide, neither of them anticipated falling in love.

The world building in this book was really nice, I enjoyed it. This is my first Nalini Singh novel and it won't be the last.

I was able to find out who the serial killer was without the help of the book so I'm going to knock off half a star because of that. This wasn't my favorite book but it is a book that I really enjoyed.

I'm giving this book 4.5 out of 5.

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rakizaka's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes

4.5

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maryshercules's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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crownoflaurel's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I spent the last week on vacation in Hawaii (a trip that has been postponed for over a year, for all the obvious reasons) and it was amazinggggggg. I had a few books on deck to bring/read, but knew that I was going to want some deep romance reads because that is the perfect beach/poolside genre for me. I did a little research and re-stumbled upon the Black Dagger Brotherhood series that I binged the shit out of a few years ago (or maybe longer, since it was pre-blog). Anyways, the feels for a new bingeable paranormal romance series that I could get totally lost in (and speed through) hit hard. And, having had it on my backburner radar for a while now, this was the series I landed on.

Sascha Duncan is Psy – the economic ruling species with varying psychic powers, that has trained themselves to not feel emotion or react to stimuli over generations. Lucas Hunter is Pack alpha of DarkRiver leopards, changelings (part human, part animal) who survive on emotion and connection. When the two are thrown together to work on a precarious, and first of its kind, business deal. But Lucas also has ulterior motives of gaining insight/access to secret Psy information in an attempt to track down the murderer responsible for the deaths of a number of his packmates. And Sascha is attempting to hide her increasingly deteriorating ability to ignore her emotions (her “flaw”). Cue the development of a sensual romance between these two conflicting species/worlds.

Well, despite the horrific title (I mean seriously, I’m here for exactly what this story provided, but this title makes me cringe when I think about it for so many reasons), this story hit the damn spot. If you go in expecting the exact “trashy” paranormal romance vibe that the title indicates, you will be completely satisfied with what you get. Does it hit the reader over the head with the animal sexuality of the “beast” side of the changelings? Yes. Are the “exotic” descriptors a bit much? You better believe it. Are the descriptions of the lightening and heat and sizzling affects of touch/eye contact on the arousal of the characters overdone? Of course. Did I speed through this book in like, a few hours, and immediately check the next one out from the library? Absolutely.

I also do feel like it’s worth noting some interesting aspects that were included as well. I honestly was impressed with the depth of development of the Psy and changeling cultures. I mean yes, a lot of it was predictable, but it was also there was some real nuance to it. In addition, there were a few really original and creative psychological aspects and connections that (as a fantasy/sci-fi lover) I was legitimately fascinated by. There were a few holes, but nothing major, especially when considering other sci-fi tropes/stories, and I thought a couple things were quite unique in a more general sense. So that was unexpected and pretty cool. In particular, the way that dreams were used to give some steamy scenes quickly, but in a believable way, considering a realistic pace for the two characters to get to that point IRL under the setting/circumstances, was nicely done. Sort of related, and I know this is a personal preference (or not), but the heavy protective “mated male” trope is strong in this novel and, I can’t help it (I know it’s not exactly healthy), but I love it. I was hoping for it and I got it in full force.

I know a murderer was mentioned in the plot blurb, but let me just say, the entire plot of that part of the story was way more involved and had way more page time than I had been anticipating. It was much more intense than expected as a result (CW: kidnapping, confinement, torture, psychological/emotional and physical abuse, violence and death), but also gave a lot more depth to the book overall. Just, be careful going into it if you know that’s a triggering topic for you, because it’s not glossed over. Similarly, be careful as there is significant parental loss (of the violent sort) and childhood trauma as well.

So yea, this book is, mostly, exactly what it advertises itself as. And it was completely what I wanted on vacation. In fact, as I enter my cold-weather, early-dark, end of year “meh” period, I do believe the binge of this series that I have on my horizon is going to be on par with the BDB binge of a few years past. And I am not at all sorry.

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bookroom's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a great start to this series with great world building and character development. I am currently doing a reread and appreciate the amount of set up for future world building that happens in this book.

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