Tempest Rising

Jane True #1

by Nicole Peeler

Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn't quite fit in with so-called normal society. During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human.

Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures alternatively terrifying, beautiful, and deadly- all of which perfectly describe her new "friend," Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire.

It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never-ever rub the genie's lamp.

If you love Sookie Stackhouse, then you'll want to dive into Nicole Peeler's enchanting debut novel.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Magic

359 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 27, 2009

About the author

Nicole D. Peeler is an essayist and novelist, as well as an associate professor at Seton Hill University, where she directs their MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. Find out more at https://nicolepeeler.com, or sign up for her free newsletter at https://nicolepeeler.substack.com/.

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed this book today!! I loved it so much!



I loved all of these characters. Soooo many supernaturals!! I loved the banter (snark) and the story line. I can't believe I have had this book for 6,298 years!! And now I hope to read the next several books in the series! If I get through this cancer, we shall see 💕

Mel 🐺🖤

[Vinaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a classic case of trying too hard. It's that stupid boy in every class who makes gross fart jokes and thinks he's cool. When I first read the opening line of Mariel's review, where she says, "Nicole Peeler has a tin ear" I had NO idea what she meant. But now that I've finished the book, I know exactly what that means.

Tempest Rising is an urban fantasy written by someone who has no idea what urban fantasy ought to be. It's a humorous novel written by someone who thinks she's funny when she's really, really not. It's a mystery novel written by someone who's never explored the genre. It's like a high school dropout trying to explain the theory of quantum physics to Einstein.

Jane True lives in the town of Rockabilly, near a massive whirlpool called the Old Sow. She has a curious affinity for the water, and a tragic past. But it's not until she discovers a dead body while swimming late at night, that her true, non-True heritage is revealed. (Trust me, it's better than the jokes in this book!)

It turns out that Jane is half-selkie and half-human. The halflings, as they are so originally called, are the product of the union between a supernatural fairy-tale creature and a human. The murder victim is also a halfling, and as Jane and Ryu, the vampire assigned to investigate the murder, luckily stumble upon uncover more evidence, it appears that the plot runs thicker than they could have imagined, all the way to the top of the faery courts.

Tempest Rising starts out on a halfway decent note, with Jane ruefully admitting her outcast status in the village, and a cute couple of scenes with her bosses, the adorable lesbian couple. Then Ryu enters the scene, and it all goes to hell in a handbasket.

Basically, we then get treated to several hundred pages of Ryu and Jane having unsexy sex, what with his "hairless chesticles" and "little pink nubbin" (nipples, if you're wondering!) and his "undercarriage" (testicles, if you really wanted to know) and a long drawn out argument about whether he should wear a condom so as to not give "vampire crabs" to Jane, an argument she supposedly reinforces with her "tough titty, McVitty" expression until he reluctantly "dons his latex armor". Way to kill the mood, Peeler.

This book teeters between urban fantasy and paranormal romance. It is 97.4538 percent sex, but the sex is so unbelievably bleh, it would probably cool Casanova's libido. On the other hand, when Peeler does actually stop focusing on the endless sexathons (which is during the last twenty pages of the book) the plot moves quickly and solidly, culminating in a nice, action-laden climax scene.

Also, Ms. Peeler, a word of advice? Try not to allow your heroine to descend into an internal monologue just as she is about to have sex. It kind of kills what little atmosphere is remaining.

So summing up, this book was boring, nothing much happened in it, and I am still going to read the next book (someday!) because I love Maja and she assures me it gets better, and also because I really, really need to find out if she dumps the yucky vampire (actually it's kind of obvious that she does, but I still want to be there to crow when it happens!) and starts jumping into bed with the barghest. But if you have no taste for masochism, don't do it!!! My recommendation? Don't bother, you're not missing anything!

[Limonessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it is important to approach this book with the right expectations.
If you think you will read some kick-ass Urban Fantasy with a strong heroine à la Kate Daniels, forget about it and go pick up something else with a lot of steel and leather on the cover because, really, what did you expect from a book with THIS cover?
On the contrary, if you like rather grotesque stories with a twisted sense of humor and the OPPOSITE of a kick-ass heroine, this might be just right up your alley.

Jane is from Rockabill, Maine. She works in a bookshop, lives with her father and is a swimmer. She is well-known in town because she is the daughter of a woman who suddenly disappeared 20 years earlier, abandoning her and her father, and also for being involved in the death of her boyfriend Jason, in a weird suicide-rescue attempt case.
But when, during a swim, she finds the (murdered) body of a villager she knew, she becomes unwillingly involved in a mystery which will lead to the truth about her (supernatural) origins and which will make her fear for her life.

This is a book in which the Main Character is fundamental. If you don't like her persona, her continuous internal monologue or her sense of humor, you will not like this book. I liked her very much. She is very different from all heroines I've encountered so far, but in a good way for me. She is a goofy character who talks about herself in a very self-deprecating way and she makes the lamest jokes. To which I laughed, of course. To me she is a very enjoyable character to whom I could relate. Thinking about the most absurd, superfluous and just downright stupid details during either highly dramatic or romantic moments? Story of my life. So I totally got her in all her goofy moments. This is also why, during the first sex scene, one of the most "off-turning" (am I making up words here?) I have ever read, I was laughing my ass off at the mention of "chesticles" and "undercarriage". I felt like I was watching The Naked Gun.Totally comic.

On the other hand, I didn't care much for Ryu. Something felt off about him and I didn't like his veiled condescending attitude towards Jane, treating her like a rare specimen of some exotic plant that he needed for his collection. But then again, it is pretty obvious Ryu is not going to stay so the author is clearly trying not to make us sympathize too much with him. I'm curious to see how she develops that.

What I liked less about this book and which led me to the 4 star rating has to do with the plot which can be summed up in two words for you: Sookie Stackhouse.
While, in my opinion, the two heroines bear close to no resemblance to each other, Jane's role in the plot, the plot itself and all that political-intrigue-at-court mumbo jumbo strongly reminded me of the Southern Vampires Mysteries.
In the second part of the book, BECAUSE of the mumbo jumbo, the narration lost a bit of its verve, and I realized that my eyes got the tendency to glaze over occasionally. Fortunately the finale, although quite predictable, opens up new territory which I will be glad to explore in the next books of the series - which I have been guaranteed that get better and better.

All in all, a good first installment to what I hope will be a fresh, filled-with-humour, supernatural-with-a-twist series for people who, just sometimes, don't like to take themselves - and what they read - too seriously.

[Shera (Book Whispers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Thoughts:

Tempest Rising has to be one of the strongest debuts of a series I’ve read in a long while. From the cover it brings to mind a light and fluffy story, with a flavor of humor. Instead what the reader gets is a book with the same flavor of the Sookie Stackhouse series, while it clearly stands alone and shares nothing but flavor with the Sookie books. It’s dark at times, but manages to crack a joke quite often without making Peeler look like she’s trying too hard.

Jane has been an outcast in her small town since her mother came into town stark naked, on the stormiest of nights. If showing up naked in town wasn’t bad enough she’s stole the town’s most eligible bachelor, then abandons him and his daughter years later. On top of that the town gets more fuel for hating Jane after her star athlete boyfriend dies. Jane’s past is truly tragic, while life has her beaten down readers can still see that Jane is quite ready to submit to those who hate her.

When Jane finds out that paranormal creatures are real and walk among humans, she’s not a skeptic for long. It only makes since that she’s one of them as she can swim in whirl pools without getting killed. Even though Jane enters a dark and deadly world, she’s found a place where she actually belongs. Jane blossoms into a fantastic leading lady, but what’s more fantastic is that readers can witness the journey of self-forgiveness.

Another thing to really loved about Tempest Rising is the humor. Good humor is the food of life! Besides great running dialogue between characters, Jane’s mind is full of quick comebacks. Even if her internal comebacks are voices in her head. Her proper self speaks back to her and cautions are not to do things, her slightly evil side laughs at people’s misfortune and urges her on to some dark paths. My personal favorite would have to be the voice of her libido. At certain points the conversation between Jane and her libido had me rolling on the floor with laughter.

The paranormal creatures in this book are never classified. Vampires exist, but they’re not really vampires. Werewolves exist, but they’re not really werewolves. Peeler makes her paranormal creatures her own, showing readers where some myths are correct and other parts of the myths aren’t. While the paranormal creatures in this book have the feeling of Faye, they are not Faye per se. There is a court system that governs the society, but it’s not the courts of Faye myth.

In this first book we get a yummy, yummy, “vampire” lover to occupy some page time. The lover aspect fits well in to the story line without feeling like a Paranormal Romance title, Tempest Rising is clearly a Urban Fantasy. The aspect of Jane knowing that she isn’t in love with the vampire is nice. She cares for him, but she’s been in can’t-eat-can’t-sleep love before and she knows this isn’t it. This is a nice change of pace for a UF as most of the time the main characters seem to fall in love in the first book. Besides, there is clearly time for some other yummy paranormal hunks to enter her life.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for something with a Sookie Stackhouse flavor that can clearly stand on its own, look no further. Be prepared to enter a dark world of the paranormal, with great humor on top for good measure. This is a book for fun characters, dark intrigue, character growth, and some good ol’dirty times.

Sexual Content:

Some sex scenes, not as graphic as what you find in PNR titles. Also, tons of dirty humor to be found.

5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!

[Brigid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Am I missing something? I repeat: AM I MISSING SOMETHING?



I'm enraged by how disappointed I am that I didn't like this book. It has selkies. No, they're not mermaids. I'm glad about that. Because good mermaid books? They don't exist. At all. But alas, I still didn't love this book. Why couldn't I have loved it? damn it.

This book would have been magnificent had it not included cliches, a creepy love interest, an obvious villain, a ridiculous reason for why the heroine hadn't moved on from a past relationship, and more obvious shenanigans.

The goodie bag of Jane: 

Me and Jane hit it off right away. I enjoyed her snark, her honesty, and her witty thoughts. She's curvy, without giving us too much description (I appreciate that Peeler). She works in a book store (score!). Jane has two best friends who are lesbians (double score). I love it when the MC has female friendships. There aren't enough of those. Usually in Urban Fantasy, the main character just sulks along the entire time dreading the fact that no women like her. Then when we actually come across women, they're total assholes. I'm so sick of that trope. I'm glad Peeler does not do that to us. Jane's also truthful about how attracted she is to the male counterpart of the human race. Woooo!!!

The OH NO's of Jane:

The bad part about Jane is that more than a couple times she pushes us down a pity party. I'll admit: I'm not a fan of pity parties. I feel bad, but sometimes I just want a good story. You know what I mean? I came into this book wanting a break from schoolwork. It's not that she's whiny. She's not. Her pain is genuine and I get that. But, telling me over and over how she's responsible for her boyfriend's death doesn't need to be slammed into me. Enough, you told me once. Please stop the moping. Stop flinging crap at me.

I feel like Jane should've moved on by the time Ryu came around. It just seemed a little too prolonged. It was kind of like the author just inserted this info as a fake backstory for the reason why Jane was so depressed. I'm sure she would be messed up already, what with her mother's betrayal and the town constantly jumping on her back. But, it felt convenient.

The love interest who is not a sparkly vampire:

Jane, oh Jane, why did you have to like Ryu? He's so.....blech. I'm not complaining about his looks or anything. I could care less about that. He's gorgeous, as all guys in urban fantasy are. Think about it, have you ever come across a love interest in UF that isn't stunning? Ryu and I just couldn't get along. It was inevitable. Just chemistry, I guess. He's good looking. Plays games of wit with heroine. He's even nice. But he's creepy. I'll come out and say it: He creeped me out. The entire time reading this book, i thought he would do something nasty or weird. I thought he'd end up being a pedo or something.

I'm not going to go into detail about Ryu. But let me just say: some times you like the guy and sometimes you don't.

 

"I like my women like I like my steak--nice and rare. So try not to flambé yourself this weekend."

 

Sometimes you find them gaspingly,

 

his giggle sounded like a Pomeranian choking.

 

horridly,

He had to gather power from feeding off humans...which meant that sex couldn't just be sex, could it?

 

agonizingly,

 

You're almost too cute to fuck, Jane. But that just makes me want to fuck you even more.

 

creepy.

Sometimes there isn't a reason. Although...he did constantly want to have sex with her after discovering something violent or gross i.e. the dead ears discovery.

 

MUAHAHAhaha! the villain:

All too often the moment things start to pick up and said investigator go to figure out the problem, they come across at least one or two characters that look sinister. All too often one of those characters turns out to be the bad guy. Even worse, you're usually able to determine the guy/gal who is the villain. But of course not! It can't be he stalker-like guy staring longingly at the main character.



 

But Oh Dear, It Didn't Work Out: 

Sigh...yet with all the things I did like about Jane, I still did not like this book. My friend Erica loved this book to pieces. So, naturally I wanted to read it. Because, people that woman has exquisite taste in books.

I may try out the second book. I really like Jane. I also really loved her friend Anyan. He's a Barghest, which Wikipedia tells me is a legendary monstrous black dog with huge teeth and claws. I might read the third as well, since I've already purchased both follow ups. Not while I was reading this book, of course. I'm not that crazy. Heh.

[gremlinkitten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horror, Romance, Mystery, Urban Fantasy? None of those really, though it falls under the UF genre.

I'm not quite sure why TEMPEST RISING is categorized as horror (fantasy - yes, horror - no), as there is nothing horrific at all about the book, except maybe a little bit of violence. The book was slow to start and, sadly, it never really got very far, and ended up more boring than not. The world building was good, and learning about the different species was interesting, but most of it was, at best, just okay.

The character development was next to nil. Jane starts off decent enough, could be fairly witty, but as the book progressed she became less likeable and her inner monologue started to grate on my nerves. Even though she's had some tough experiences, overall she came across as rather juvenile and I wasn't very impressed with her. And how many 'duh' moments could one person possibly have? Yes, she's new to the 'supe' world, yes, she doesn't know all there is to it, but c'mon, use some smarts girl, it's not that hard to put two and two together. So now it comes to Ryu. Oh, Ryu, ye of no personality. You may be hot, but that's all you have going for you. Talk about a flat character, he was pretty darn boring, which was unfortunate because he took up a big part of the book, and I just plain didn't like him. I got pretty sick of Jane and Ryu going at it like rabbits all the time, which would have been better used by giving him some much needed personality. Along with that, maybe an explanation of how Ryu's Japanese (I'm guessing because of his first name and almond eyes) and who also just happens to be a baobhan sith, which is a type of female vampire, from Scotland at that. The most interesting characters were Anyan, and the town pariah's (that's Jane) many friends, both human and non. How a social outcast has so many friends is beyond me, but you know Jane is despised by her woe-is-me attitude and the two people who hate her. Despite what she thinks, I highly doubt the town revolves around her.

Some of the author's descriptions are confusing and I had to reread them to 'get' it. How can something be both squat and tall (pg. 216), pray tell? I'm still pondering that one. Also, the descriptions and analogies could be really odd, and not in a good way, more in a 'where in the world did that come from?' and 'what the heck?' sorta ways. Like what was up with Ryu's laugh? Barking like a seal, giggling like a choking Pomeranian, and whatever other weird ways he laughed. I'm sorry, but that's not very attractive, but I guess it was supposed to be funny and endearing. Editing problems arose when I couldn't figure out if a certain creature was a goblin or gremlin (there is a difference). I finally figured it out when goblin edged out gremlin for the lead. A mistake dealing with the Porsche's trunk was another minor detail that I picked up on, but most people would probably miss it. I only noticed because I've wanted a Porsche since I was ten. :P

The end does show some promise that Jane might actually get some grit, being a half-selkie is a nice change from the supernatural usual after all, and Ryu just might not be featured as much. So, even with all the problems I had with the book, which did unfortunately top what I did like about the book, I probably will check out the next book in the series.

[oliviasbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I spontaneously give up after letting the already read 54 pages simmer for a while in my head. I truely cannot say that this first installment of the Jane-True-series is unrecommendable or badly written, so don't be put off by this not very deep and serious effort to review. Maybe the mist of boringness would have lifted after ten more pages - who knows? Right where I stopped a supernatural investigator with hot Asian features stepped into the scene and grabbed the perplexed heroine to hug her to his hard and muscle-covered shell. Well. Too, late, Ms Peeler, I had already subconsciously pressed the button to get off this train at the next stop. Can't annoy the conductor, you know?

Besides being bored there are some vague things that might have added to my decision to let the book go:

- Mermaids are my favorite paranormal creatures. Jane isn't a mermaid. She is just a half-blood selkie who is an incredibly fast swimmer with an obsession of the sea and an inability to feel the cold. Booooh!
- The stressing of the completely stereotype homesexuality of the couple owning the "Read it and Weep" Bookstore (o.k., nice name), Grizelda and Tracy, got quickly on my nerves. Yes, Tracy is big and guyish and Grizelda is a girlish former porn star with a booming voice and the stage name Dusty Nethers, who likes to present everybody with sex toys, be it at a christening or at a funeral. After some lines I got the drift and was okay with it, but the author had to chew on that bone like a dog without teeth.
- The absolute stupid behavior of the heroine when she discovers a corpse in the water. She apologizes, but that wasn't sufficient.
- The unspectacular und unbelievable discussion when Jane is told the truth about herself and her mum.
- The awkward way in which the authour tries to keep the mystery by feeding us pieces of Jane's fallout with the tourist town's regulars in irregular and illogical bites.
- The funny parts didn't get me. At all. Don't know why.
- And finally the blurb by the publisher on the backcover: "If you love Sookie Stackhouse, then you'll want to dive into Nicole Peeler's enchanting debut novel." Excuse me, Orbit. Do not tell me what I want. You think Jane True compares to Sookie only because some smalltown inhabitants shun/fear her for some obscure thing she did? You think Jane and Sookie are alike because they both lack a boyfriend in the beginning? Ha! Think again. Creating a likable heroine with spunk and flaws is NOT easy-peasy.

Oh. This turned into a rant. I am sorry. Reading 54 pages does not really qualify me for that priviledge. I know.

[Ferdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jane True's life is turned upside down when she finds out she is only half human. Jane is introduced to a new world of vampires, shapeshifters, gnomes and succubi. I had high hopes for this book and was largely disapponited..it just wasn't entertaining.
Things I didn't like:
-There were a lot of similarities to the 1st Sookie book..it read like a cheap rip off.
-Jane's inner monologues were boring, unnecessary and far too long.
-Jane's ridiculous conversations with her libido and virtue were annoying instead of what I presume were meant to be funny.
-Jane was celibate for 8 years, so it was hard to buy that she would have sex with Ryu after only knowing him for 2 days.
-Jane blushed and giggled every 5 seconds like a silly schoolgirl.
-Jane goes on and on about how the whole town despises her and that she only has 2 friends from work, but as the story progresses we meet more and more characters in her town that are friendly too her..by the end there were actually only 2 people in her town that showed any real hatred towards her.
-Jane's past didn't make me sympathize with her..maybe it was because she felt too sorry for herself or because she didn't try and help herself in any way.
-Ryu the vampire didn't sound like a 270 yr old vampire, in one converation he even said doo-doo instead of shit..I don't even know of any little kids that would say doo-doo?!
-Ryu's investigative skills were rubbish.
-There was no chemistry between Ryu and Jane. Jane had more chemistry with Iris.
-Nothing much happens the first 90% of the book apart from the murder invesigation.. which was entirely to dull.
Unfortunately I was given the first 4 books as a gift..so I will have to read the rest..but they've moved to the bottom of my TBR list.

[Gail Carriger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane lives in a small town that hates her, with lesbian best friends, an abandonment complex, and unexpected heritage swimming her direction. Sometimes she acts dumb, and I wondered if this was realistic (how would I treat a dead body?) or plot artifice. The book's language is light and comfortable with humorous threads throughout making it a genuinely joyful read.

Notes & More Personal Thoughts
WARNING, SOME VERY MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
I really enjoyed this book but I have some tiny quibbles. A few small town hiccoughs worried me. I grew up in one in California (not Maine), and there is no "police" there's one or two guys from the next slightly-larger-town-over and they're called by their names, as in Sheriff Bob. But maybe things are different out on the East Coast. I also found the constant modern-culture references a little distracting. I might not have noticed if I hadn't read this same objection in someone else's review. But, see above about my avoiding contemporary settings as a rule.

Here's what I loved.
1.) Nicole has this awesome casual writing style that just makes the book so darn easy to read (and not it the dumb-down vocabulary kid's meaning of the term "easy"). There's no work to reading it and I love love love that. I'm so tired to books that self-consciously remind me I'm reading them. Oh, you know what I mean. This one just moves along, like a movie, no concentration needed, and that is a really good thing. So comfortable was I, in fact, I didn't even notice until page 94 that it was written in first person, which I normally don't like.
2.) From knowing Nicole online I wasn't surprised about this next point, but there's a metric ton of humor bubbling throughout Tempest Rising. Much chortling resulted.
3.) And she gives us (my personal favorite) some seriously fabulous characters of doom! There's Grizelda the drag queen trapped in a lesbian's body (named after a character from Cats?), Anyan the hellhound with a thing for naked half-selkies, Ryu the vampire in tweed and white shoes (hot, but I'm sorry True-honey, so fricking gay), Russ the shape-shifter who's retired to life as a pet dachshund, Miss Carol who may be some distant progeny of Miss Ivy Hisselpenny's, and, of course, Jane herself. I found myself getting a little sad when we left the colorful cornucopia behind and had to get on with sex and plot and such. I could read a gossip column from the local paper just about these characters.

[Erica Ravenclaw]

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
I'm hovering around a 3.5 but rounding up for good feels

2022 reread: Slightly more cringe than I remember. I don’t remember much, but I do know it gets better.


No spoilers and colorful language abound!



When I saw this cover awhile back I immediately wanted this series. I enjoy a book that exudes it's personality in the cover art and provides you with a good sense of where it is headed.

Girly, quirky, kitschy, humorous.

This isn't really urban fantasy, not quite mystery either, pretty heavy on paranormal romance at times, I would say all three but non individually. Nothing about Jane True is all that kickass, she's more a culmination of events in her life rather than a cultivated character. Jane allows her tragic past to define her and in Tempest Rising we see a 26 year old girl come to grips with who she is and who she wants to be.

So some shit happens and Jane's true heritage is revealed to her, along with many of those in her tiny town of Rockabill, Maine. A vampire investigator named Ryu shows up after the mysterious death of a half-ling and he's all about wooing her.



Slow your roll, Ryu. But then…



…anyways

The world building is really fun, every mythical creature you can think of and some you wouldn't expect were all up in this. The pace and structure reminds me very much of the Sookie books but I liked those for the most part. I typically don't connect with a first installment in a series, but this one was really engaging. Looking forward to starting the second!

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick Take: It took a while for me to warm up to the characters and story of this book. But once it warmed up, it stayed that way. Wittiness aplenty made this a fun(ny) read.

So. Reading this book was something of a varied experience for me. It took me longer to finish than usual, and it's in part because it took a while for me to find a connection with the main character and her tale. The story starts by placing the reader into the daily life of Rockabill, Maine, as seen through the eyes of Jane True. Jane's musings were quite sentimental and tinged with sadness…but without much context it didn't resonate. Jane's voice was snappy and witty, her humor irreverent, but again not much was leaving an impression. There were a couple of characters that felt to me like "straw men" antagonists (read the book and then ask me who. ^_^). And overall, it felt rather slow…even with a number of occurrences that were intended to thrill. I really was having trouble putting my finger on what it was that precluded my enjoyment. (I still feel like perhaps rereading the book to try and figure it out.)

At some point, however, I started warming up to Jane. It might have been that, in getting to know her and experiencing her formal yet sudden introduction to the paranormal, her experiences carried more import. With many character introductions and initial world building out of the way, it became quite enjoyable getting to spend time in Jane's head.
I quite enjoyed the easy banter between Jane and Ryu. Some of their shared antics had me in stitches, and the presence of Ryu's character brought out so much of interest in Jane's, perhaps more so than any other device. Through him, we got to see many sides of Jane…including the saucy and flirtatious! ^_^

The mystical creatures that populated the story were so interesting and amusing. In many cases, they remain quite memorable and I look forward to some reappearances in subsequent installments.

There is a character that was involved with a life-altering experience that Jane suffered through as a youngster. Despite his having been long gone before the book's beginning (e.g., he's "dead" dead by page 1), his relationship with--and influence on--Jane ended up being pretty poignant.

Best of all, the story wrapped up in such a way that I was seriously eager to continue onto the next book. One can't ask for better than that!

Oh, and though the book's cover and the story are two separate entities, I have to give props to the artist or team that does the artwork for the Jane True series. It's so much fun, and the little visual clues about the book's content are a nice touch.

[Lois Bujold · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this a four for the general page-turn-ability, but a three for the unsatisfactory mush of an ending, leaving none of the main emotional or plot issues resolved and instead, all too obviously, saving them for the sequel. Book Ones should not be squandered like that, drattit. (See Rivers of London for a Book One that works as a both book in its own right and a series starter; but then it was using Coming-of-Age and not Romance for its mode, which may have fought its material less.)

Tempest Rising had a nice set-up -- urban-romantic-fantasy tropes set instead in a coastal Maine village; our spunky heroine turns out to be, as she first discovers in Chapter Two, a half-selkie. Which could have gone in all sorts of interesting directions -- the swimming scenes and the local stuff were great -- but kept veering off into chick-lit banalities instead. The sex scenes, shopping/clothing scenes, pop-culture references, and ventures into upper-class living scenes seemed inserted by rote from some misguided editorial template that drifted in from one of the more rigid Romance houses. I resented the time and space they stole from potentially more interesting explorations of the hidden fae world being built, which was underdeveloped.

The village in coastal Maine was far more engaging than the Seelie Court in its compound in rural Quebec, actually. (And both were more interesting than the luxury-hotel interlude, Cinderella-like as it seemed to be intended.) I can't tell by what is here if that is on some ironic purpose or not. Too many kinds of story crammed into too few pages, starving each other for space?

I might give this one more volume, to see where the author goes with the grab-bag of stuff she has in hand by the end of this one, and all the loose ends and trailing mysteries. But the second volume will have some redeeming to do.

This was the first e-book I tried to download from my local library onto my Kindle. I hit a few snags, but eventually worked them out myself without help from the on-site tech support younger generation, which was heartening.

Ta, L.

[Chichipio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compared to my ratings of other books, this would be a 3.5 or even a 3. But since I got from it pretty much what I was expecting to get and enjoyed it, I'm giving it a 4.

Let's clear something up right from the start. The cover has the drawing of a naked chick on it. That's right, no tattooed hottie in tight leathers waving a sword or dagger for this one. A drawing. Of a naked chick. So yeah, don't go into this expecting something serious, dark or intense. A good adjective to sum up this book would be, in fact, light.

There's a mystery, a few deaths, an investigation, and the typical introduction of the paranormal world with its rules and inhabitants, but it's all handled lightly. They serve as a backdrop for Jane's own story.

There's also a lot of smut. Well, it's not that there are whole chapters describing every single encounter, but there is a part when they go at it frequently. However, it's not hot sex. If someone wants to read a book mainly for the smut, I wouldn't recommend this one. This is one aspect of the novel that doesn't bother those of us that are reading it in spite of, rather than because of it. While it was a little too much, some of it was necessary once you know Jane's story. Dry spell would be an understatement. Luckily for me, it was just good ol' sex without any taint of insta-love or creepy stalking in the mix—or worse, a love triangle. Just two adults hooking up. No impact on the story whatsoever.

It all boils down to Jane. If you like her, which is something you can judge in the first two chapters, then you'll like the book. If she annoys you, stop right there because the focus of the book is never on the plot or other characters.

I liked her. She's goofy and self-deprecating without (much) whining and reacts to situations in the way I imagine a normal person would. The dialogs between the different parts of her psyche worked really well for me. Maybe because I have similar mental conversations, too. Hmm… I'm not sure I should have mentioned that. Moving along. There are tons of nerdy references to video games and TV shows or movies, too. It's not that they're particularly funny, but recognizing such things generates a certain rapport with the character. She's not usually trying to be funny, but when she is, it's usually about the lamest thing and the jokes are terrible. What makes this a good thing is that she knows it and often chastises herself for being such a dork.

She's not always the damsel in distress, not because she's a super kickass heroine, but because she mostly doesn't set herself up to be the victim. If she were in one of those horror movies where there's a group of people in a mansion trapped with a killer, I'm sure she wouldn't be the one crying "let's split up and try to find the guy!" or "I'm going to the dark basement. Alone." When someone is coming at her with a weapon, instead of trying (and failing) to channel Chuck Norris in her 5'2" body, she does the smart thing—she runs.

This book felt like a long prequel and, in this case, that's a good thing. Jane does a lot of personal growing and is left in a good place to start an (the real?) adventure. I'm curious about where things will go from here. Great, now I can't get Giles singing "where do we go from here" out of my head.

If you're on the fence about reading this, head out to the author's website where the first chapter can be read for free. Remember, whatever you think of Jane's personality from that excerpt will likely shape your opinion of the whole book.

[Literary Ames · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pages read: 110/359. Conclusion: Life is too damn short.

I knew early on that I was never going to finish this book. The death knell went off every few pages.

It failed to suck me in. It was not funny even though it tried to be. There was a stereotypical lesbian couple (the butch one and the pretty one). Odd behaviour concerning a corpse -not necrophilia, though that would've been 1000x more interesting. The strange supernatural reveal and Jane's reaction to her mother's secret. I didn't feel anything for Jane. And the list goes on and on.

Ryu, the vampire love interest. I'm not sure what it was about him but he was a complete turn-off, which is probably to be expected since this has been compared to Sookie Stackhouse, meaning Ryu = Bill. This comparison is also an insult to the Sookie series which was actually entertaining.

Anyon - He caught my eye. I know he's a shifter even though we haven't been told but I expected him to be Jane's love interest. And for some reason, I sense a love triangle forming at some point. I detest love triangles.

Although my overall perception of this book was negative there were a few things I liked: the beautiful cover art to lure unsuspecting readers, the name of the bookstore "Read It and Weep", and Jane as her father's carer feeling trapped in a town that hates her.

Reading Tempest Rising was a struggle which I'm not prepared to continue. I know they say "no pain, no gain" but I think I'll gain little from finishing this so I'm not prepared to even try.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

The biggest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere, estimated about 250 meters across, has the curious name Old Sow (its satellite whirlpools are its "piglets"). It's located in the Western Passage, a body of water that connects Passamaquoddy Bay and the Bay of Fundy and carries the U.S.-Canada boundary. The Old Sow is in Canadian waters but about 1 km from Eastport, Maine (population only 1,331), and just like the real places in other urban fantasies it has a key role in this one.

The fiction begins by swapping poor little Eastport out for the imaginary but typical New England village of Rockabill, where fishing has given out and they're trying to use the Old Sow to build a summer tourist trade. Eastport is moved to an undisclosed location about six country taverns away, and there is indeed a scene there--in a succubus's dress shop, but that comes much later.

At first there is only one hint that this might be an "urban" fantasy (well, as "urban" as Sookie's Bon Temps, Louisiana). Our heroine, Jane True, age 26 and an introvert's introvert with a traumatic past that won't let her go, lives a mile outside of town with her aging father, whom she has promised never to tell anyone else her secret: she swims every morning out to the Old Sow, right through the Maine winter, and no trace of hypothermia ever in this powerful swimmer--she loves the cold.

Aha! We know our first-person narrator isn't quite human, but she doesn't know that till page 52, when Nell, the kindly two-foot-tall gnome in charge of the area's supernaturals, explains to her that she's a halfling--her mother, who scandalized Rockabill and disappeared when Jane was six, is a selkie. Because her father is quite human, Jane won't ever change into a seal like her mother. She'll draw energy from the sea, though, and exert power over it, as she did by retrieving not one but two corpses from the deadly whirlpool.

Suddenly the story goes into high gear and we meet an amazing array of different supernaturals. Just for starters besides Nell the gnome, there's Anyan the barghest (a gigantic talking dog) and Trill the kelpie, followed by Ryu the baobhan sith (pronounced "baa-van shee" and the source of those inaccurate vampire legends). There's murder afoot and Ryu's investigating it while filling Jane in on all the supernaturals in northeastern North America--nahuals, dryads, nagas, goblins (who are often lawyers), and ranking above all the others: the Alfar, a word that comes down in folkore as "elves" but these are majestic, powerful beings.

It's heartwarming how many of these supernaturals are friendly and supportive to Jane, but it will develop that many others hate halflings as an abomination and want them dead. When Ryu takes Jane to the compound in Quebec where Alvar King Orin and Queen Morrigan hold their court, she will come up against both kinds, some helpful and some quite terrifying. This book has plenty of action, plenty of sex, and plenty of interior dialogue among various versions of Jane. There's humor, but it's combined with sadness and, finally, an examination of true friendship.

Although the murders are solved, other plot elements and relationships just go on pause at the end, clearly setting up the series, and that's the main reason I'm giving this book only three and a half stars rounded up to four.

[ALPHAreader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nicole Peeler’s debut novel isn’t good – to be blunt.

I was a little skeptical going into this, mainly because I had an issue with the cover looking very YA and none too appealing. But I pushed my worries aside when I saw that Rachel Caine had leant her opinion to the back-cover, calling ‘Tempest Rising’ a “fascinating, fast-paced, sexy storm of a book”.
Oh Ms. Caine, how you’ve led me astray…

The plot isn’t all that bad - it’s a very slow wind-up and a hurried conclusion. Ms. Peeler also makes the mistake of telling, not showing – by including endless descriptions, scene summaries and internal monologues that make the book drag. But it is bearable. Even though, to be honest, I think a better book would have been based on the back-story of Jane's Selkie mother and human father. *That* story was more intriguing than the whole of 'Tempest Rising', complete with romance, tragedy and mystery.

No, the biggest problem with Peeler’s book is the protagonist, Jane True.
When you find yourself wanting to give a fictional character a wedgie, you’re in trouble.

Jane is boring (hence the name?), weak-willed and all together awful. She is also thoroughly uncouth – at one point she hocks her gum out the window while her sexy vampire lover looks on. Ew! In another instance her vampire lover places a hand over her stomach, and her response is “are you checking for food babies?” ‘Food babies’? Are you serious? And it’s made worse by the fact that Jane can’t carry off these social faux pas’ with the same zany grace as someone like Jane Jameson in Molly Harper’s series could. Jane True just comes across as a hillbilly. Peeler tries to make up for Jane’s lack of character by having her described as looking like a ‘young Selma Hayek’ – which does nothing to endear her to me, especially when you consider the fact that for the entire book she keeps up a ‘woe is me’ schtick that begins to grate to the point of antipathy.

Her vampire lover, Ryu, isn’t much better. He’s a cardboard cutout gorgeous vampire with all the usual biting mojo. Nothing original here.

The one character who intrigued me was relegated to secondary status, with hints that he’ll have a bigger part in future books. Anyan is a shape-shifting ‘hell hound’ who has been lurking on the periphery of Jane’s life for some time now. His story reminded me a bit of Sam Merlotte from Charlaine Harris’s ‘Southern Vampire: Sookie Stackhouse’ series, for his unrequited love for the heroine.

“Most of us will accept you, and many, like me, feel that you are necessary for our survival as you are, quite simply, good for our existence.” He paused, thinking. “Our kind need… shaking up. We need new blood, new ideas, new voices.” He smiled at me, running a finger across my cheek and over my lips. “Especially when those voices come from lips as sweet as yours,” he finished, leaning forward for a kiss.

The one redeeming feature of ‘Tempest Rising’ is the possible romance between Jane and Anyan – for that I *might* consider buying the e-book of the second novel, ‘Tracking the Tempest’ (July 2010) but I highly doubt it.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You would think I’d learn my lesson by this point in my life… a lesson engraved in me since childhood: never judge a book by its cover. This is definitely a prime example of that, for sure. I mean taking a good look at this you may note that it’s a cartoon picture (warning automatically goes off in my head), there’s a strange dog with a giraffe like-neck in the background (seriously, that dog has one seriously long neck), and this strange looking girl that looks like she jumped out of my computer from one of those Yahoo! avatars. This may be one odd book cover (all of them in this series are, actually) but it certainly does nothing to justify the story within.

I really enjoyed this book and am glad to say I have found a new series to be keeping my eyes out for. It’s a refreshing take on the usual array of supernatural beasties… you’ve got your normal vampires and shape shifters but then some kelpies and selkies are thrown into the mix including some gnomes (with powers!) and even a rock spirit (still trying to work that one out in my head though). Jane True’s supernatural-ness isn’t automatically known (by her either), so I won’t ruin it for those who have yet to read this book. I thought it was an interesting take, learning about who she is and what she’s capable of right along with her. Jane’s continuous inner commentary was absolutely hysterical. I don’t typically care for characters that make fun of themselves time after time; however, this was done in such a light, funny manner that I couldn’t help but laugh right along with her. And the continuous internal monologue about her libido? Priceless.

The Love Interest
So we’re obviously talking about Ryu here… even though I didn’t particularly LOVE him personally. I’ve never been a big fan of leading men that know without a doubt that they’re hot shit; that just rubs me the wrong way. You can know you’re hot but not act like a total douche about it. Personally, I’m liking Anyan and I really hope to see more of him. I loved how the author wrote it though; not your typical love triangle. She kept Anyan in the mix without making the whole thing overly obnoxious, and on top of that he was respectful of her and Ryu’s relationship.

I’m jumping right into book 2! :D

Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!

[Jen Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly, thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was original and unique. It was sexy and funny. It was unpredictable and smart.

The story centers on Jane True, a 20-something misfit living in a small Maine tourist town. She works at a small bookstore, takes care of her sick father, and has an abiding love for the sea. Jane has been an outcast in the town her whole life. Her mother made big waves, first when she appeared out of nowhere, then disappeared in much the same way when Jane was a child. But things only got worse when Jane's high school sweetheart drowned. The community blamed Jane for his death and she suffered a breakdown she has only partially recovered from.

She finds solace in the water. But when she finds a body during a late night swim, her world is turned on its ear. The dead man isn't human and that discovery is quickly followed by the revelation that she isn't entirely human either. Quickly, Jane finds herself immersed in the supernatural world and thrown together with Ryu, the vampire investigating the murder of the man Jane discovered.

This book has a little bit of everything. It's got mystery and intrigue surrounding the murder. It's got a great journey of self-discovery as Jane learns who and what she really is. It has hot sex. It has action. And humor. As many good things as it has going for it, I have to say that Jane's internal dialogue has got to be at the top of the list. Her voice is just fantastic. I get her pop-culture references, her sarcasm... the arguments between logic and her libido.

This is definitely a hit for me. While the book had a clear ending, it obviously has more story to tell. And as much as I liked Ryu (and I really did!) I am all about Anyan. He and Jane simply must become more than friends down the road. I'm telling you... he's the one to watch. 4 1/2 stars.

[Shannon C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A first time book from a new author, I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. This book reminded me in style to the Sookie Sackhouse series--quirky, fun, interesting characters and a fast moving plotine. Good mix of adventure, suspense, mystery and a little romance. Good world builing. I loved the range of the types of characters, e.g. gnomes, vampires, kelpies, shapechangers, goblins, succubus,alfar and more. Don't let the cover put you off the book--this is a very good, entertaining urban fantasy. Definitely worth reading!

I liked seeing Jane learn about herself, her missing mom and the supernatural world as well as start to get over Jason's death. No 'mary sue', Jane is an interesting, imperfect character that makes you want to read the story. She showed her strength, humor, sadness and loyalty. I espcially loved her inner voice conversations between her 'virtue' and her 'libido'. So funny! The next book when Nell starts to train her, I think we'll see even more growth from her as she learns how to use her power.

Only niggle for me was the relationship between Jane and Ryu. I would have liked to see more feeling/emotions. However, I understand he's a vampire who needs to feed on emotions/blood so maybe that's not realistic for him. Maybe it makes sense he can be a 'rebound guy' to help her get over Jason. I'd eventually like to see her end up with Anyan. He seems to have the ability for a greater depth of feelings.

I'm looking forward to the next book Tracking the Tempest, which will come out early summer 2010.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis: Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn't quite fit in with so-called normal society. During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human.

Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures alternatively terrifying, beautiful, and deadly- all of which perfectly describe her new "friend," Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire.

It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never-ever-rub the genie's lamp.

Review - Once in a while, a book comes along that has everything a reader enjoys about reading books. Romance, Excitement, Mystery, Funny dialogue, and very likable characters. This book, in my opinion, is that book.

I love Jane True. She's feisty and has a snarky attitude. She finds her virtue and libido debating each other constantly throughout the storyline. Jane has also had a rough life. Her mother left her at age 6 to go back to the sea; or so we presume. Her mother came ashore one day naked as a jaybird and soon fell in love with Jane's father. Jane's father has serious heart issues, which I might say, comes from losing his wife and watching how people have treated his only daughter for the past 20 years. Jane lost the love of her life Jason to a horrible accident that she continues to blame herself for, and which nearly cost her her own life as well. She spent 4 days in a coma, and people thought she was a murder suicide plotter. She now works for a book store called Read It and Weep with a pair of women who, themselves, aren't all that liked by the community of Rockabill, Maine. But, they are Jane's true friends. I love Grizzy's character. Can't help it she's just so atypical for this genre.

Then things start to change for Jane. While she is swimming, she discovers the body of Peter Jakes, a so called writer. She brings him to shore, only to have regrets later. Which brings to Ryu to town. Ryu is a vampire investigator looking into his death. Ryu opens Jane's eyes to the community around her that she didn't realize were different like her. She's told about her mother who's a selkie, which makes Jane half human or a half-ling. We also meet Nell (gnome), Trill (kelpie) and Anyan (barhest/Dog who's saliva actually heals wounds.) Anyan also has a different history as well. He was once the leader of a group of Cover Operators, and Ryu was part of that group.

We later find out that Jane has the natural ability to manipulate water, which explains how she is able to get around the Sow, a local landmark. But her strength hasn't been determined yet. (She's supposed to be trained by Nell in the next installment).

Jane and Ryu's romance heats up to a sizzling pace and then they find themselves traveling to Quebec to find out why the half-lings have been targeted, and other investigators were killed looking into Peter's death. It seems that Jane was on the killers list, but somehow has escaped up to this point.

In Quebec, Jane meets Nyx, Ryu's older cousin and evil witch extraordinaire. Orin and Morrigan who are the King and Queen of the Alfar. Morrigan advises Jane to learn her powers so she isn't left without any defenses. Jarl, who is Orin/Morrigan's second in command and also leader of a group of naga, and Jimmu, who Jane finds out killed the Half-lings and took their ears as souveniors. Nyk and Jarl both are playing dangerous games, and Jane is right smack dab in the middle of them.

The funniest part of the book, is when Ryu takes Jane to the Love Lagoon, and she gets higher than a kite on the power within the water itself. I especially love the part where she calls Nyx a bitch. Classic.

I enjoy the Mythology that is used by Ms Peeler throughout this book. She's got everything from vampires, to selkiies, to incubus, and succubus as well as dryands and jinn.

I can't wait to read the next installment in this series Tracking the Tempest.

[Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the characters:

Jane True, Ryu, Anyan, and a wide cast of various supernatural characters.

The story:

Jane True lives in Rockabill, Maine. She thinks she is an average plain Jane and is an oddball compared to the town folks. Not only is she insecure in her own self but most of the people in the town look down on Jane because of the death of her boyfriend years ago (they blame her) and because the town folks think Jane’s mom (who ran off years ago) was some crazy woman.

Jane tries to isolate herself, avoiding the stares of the town, enjoying the few friends she has and taking care of her dad (in a co-dependent way). Even though she tries to fit in, she knows that her desire to swim every night despite the fierce waters and cold temperature is a habit that she cannot break. It is Jane’s odd desire to swim, that opens the door to an entire world Jane was not prepared to enter.

After discovering a body in the grips of a whirlpool, Jane is forced to cross paths with the supernatural community. This is where we meet Ryu, a very hot, hunky, slightly egotistic vampire, and Anyan, a hellhound that is much more than your average hellhound (is there such a thing?).

Lost In the World:

It was hard to keep up with the cast of characters. The author introduces the reader to the characters at the same time Jane learns about the creatures around her. I sometimes felt overwhelmed and wished I had a glossary of supernatural creatures so I could flip back to it.

Will I read the next book in the series?

This book was VERY funny at times. I rarely laugh aloud and I have to say I laughed more times in this book then I ever had before. I loved Jane’s personality, her wit, her one-liners, and her insecurity. Yes, that does sound like Sookie and it is a darn shame that people will compare Sookie to Jane. The Sookie Stackhouse series is a great series, it is original, and nothing can compare to it. Tempest Rising should not be compared to it. While Jane True is similar to Sookie, the series involving the two similar women is very different. I will read the next book and I can’t wait!

[Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Jane True has never quite fit into Rockabill, a little town in Maine, the locals seem to hate and/or distrust her and the only solace she gets is her secretly nightly swims in the icy cold ocean. But, when Jane finds something or rather someone floating in the see her life is turned upside down and she realises she may not be the only person in Rockabill who isn't quite normal.

This book has been on my to-read shelf since it's release, and for some reason or another I had just never gotten round to it. For a number of reasons, one of them being I thought this was a young adult, a genre I only occasionally dip into. But don't be like me and let the cover fool you, this is most definitely not a YA. It's a UF. Which should have been exciting, UF is one of my favourite genres, but I think I would have almost preferred this book if it had been a YA, something about the book just didn't capture me.

There were a few reasons why I found this book a little big like a slog through the snow, one, was that it was really slow, which seems standard in the first book of an UF as there is so much world building going on, but in the case of this book, I was just bored. The other big reason was Jane, the person from whom's perspective we were reading from. I found her intensely irritating. Peeler did that thing where her "inner libido" was talking to her, which was a bit to close to the inane "inner goddess" that Ana from Fifty Shades likes to burn our brains with. Instead of finding Jane's inner monologue amusing, I just found her really wearisome, which is an issue when the story is told in first person.

Although the story itself wasn't particularly original, it did start to get a little bit exciting after the halfway point where we begin to see some action. I'm almost tempted to read the next book, after all, first books in UF series aren't always the best, unfortunately I won't be in any rush to continue Jane's story.

[Felicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, and if you like Sookie Stackhouse you definitely will like this, because the tone is in the exact wheelhouse. Lonely girl in small town with abilities she has to keep hidden, allies unveiling themselves, love triangle, etc. The main character is sweet and not too stupid to live, but believably out of sorts in this strange world she gets dumped into. Def doesn't re-invent the genre wheel, but wasn't cliche-jarring either, which I appreciated! The cover is a bit off and made me think it was young adult, which it isn't really.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It had a great balance of light and dark, humor and deeper emotion, romance and adventure. The author seemed really in touch with contemporary women and urban fantasy. I loved the wit and humor in this book, and the new ideas of how traditional fantasy elements might manifest in out world. I really hope that all of my friends who like urban fantasy or paranormal romance will try this book, I can't image that anyone would regret it.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very lucky to get an e-ARC from the awesome Nicole Peeler, for her debut novel TEMPEST RISING.

Jane True is a fresh new voice among urban fantasy heroines. I don't want to say too much, for fear of spoilers, but if you want a book that's sassy, funny, and full of less-seen mythic critters, this one is for you. Be sure to pick it up come November!

[Anna (Bobs Her Hair) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

A nice light urban fantasy that reminded me a little bit of Molly Harper. At first it was a challenge figuring out if the book was supposed to humorous or dark but it's both. It was jarring at first until I got into the rhythm of Ms. Peeler's writing. I'm not sure what to make of the book cover art. Overall, Jane True was a character I like. She has enough complexity and some maturity. On to the next book!

library eloan

[bambi · Rating 4 out of 5]

R͎e͎a͎d͎ ͎d͎a͎t͎e͎:͎ July 13 - July 17 2023
R͎a͎t͎i͎n͎g͎:͎ 4 stars
O͎w͎n͎e͎d͎ ͎s͎i͎n͎c͎e͎: July 10th 2023
P͎u͎r͎c͎h͎a͎s͎e͎d͎ ͎a͎t͎:͎ Goodwill
P͎r͎i͎c͎e͎:͎? 99¢

[MISS VAIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ew, is this a sex grotto? I asked Ryu. "Cause that is so Hugh Hefner." I wrinkled my nose. "Gross." Ryu looked at me, feigning dignity. "We do not have sex grottos." He sniffed. "This is a love lagoon. Or a petting pool. Or a fornication fountain. But never a sex grotto.


Jane True is awesome!!!! Somehow I always find that my favorite protagonists are the self deprecating, bullied types. Jane is just that. ;) she has a fun personality, she's charismatic, smart; whether it's her witty charm or her hilarious inner dialogue or maybe both. She's scarred by a reputation as "crazy" even though she's far from it, earning her the self proclaimed title "Pariah" of Rockabill Maine. Unfortunately the judgmental town folks are missing out on Jane, and anybody who hadn't read this series is missing out as well.

She's never going to be a slave to fashion.

I hadn't wanted Ryu to buy me anything and I certainly wasn't comfortable accepting such expensive gifts. So I didnt see what everything costs. I bet each pair of those red-soled shoes (Christian Loubitin) cost at least a hundred dollars. So you needn't worry, my sweets, I thought down at my battered old converse. Mommy will never replace you.



She says things and reminds herself of the consequences later.

From a great distance, I heard someone shout "Nooo!" in an anguished voice. It's all a lie," the voice continued, panicked. It was a very loud voice, I thought, as my stomach continued to heave. And very close. Very, very close, in fact. That's when I realized that the voice was mine. And all eyes if the Alfar Court were on me. I should have worn the underpants, I thought, as my brain began to understand the implications of what my mouth had just done. Because I am so going to die. All eyes were on me: some curious and some clearly shocked. Ryu's eyes expressed the latter sentiment-he was staring at me like he'd never seen me before in his life. I blinked, still able to believe I was the one who spoke. Crawl under the table! Now! my brain was shouting.

Ryu was a breathe of fresh air. I kept waiting to find something I didn't like about him but he's great; he kind, sexy,
generous, plays Jane's Kiki like Jimi Hendrix played his guitar protective, witty, intelligent and Definitly someone whom you want on your side in battle. I look forward to more adventures Jane encounters and I'm hoping Ryu is along for the ride as well. "Catch me if you can!"


This book is a fantastic edition to UF with plenty of lovin' for us romance lovers to enjoy this book. Nicole Peeler has created an imaginative world with a protagonist I'm rooting for the whole way through. Through her writing Peeler
makes me want to crawl into this book and investigate right along side of Jane, that's how appealing this book is. :)

I absolutely Loved, Loved, Loved this book! :)

[Kt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane True has never fit into her small town. She has always been an outcast, but when tragedy struck years ago, she became the ultimate pariah. She is very careful to hide her differences as best she can, but it isn't much help. So, it wasn't too shocking for her to find out there is a reason for her strangeness, she isn't completely human. When other half-breeds start ending up dead, she teams up with sexy supernatural investigator, Ryu to find the culprit. With Jane afraid she might be next, her previously boring life takes a turn into the exciting yet potentially deadly area. She must learn the rules of the new world if she wants to have any chance at surviving a place where most would rather see her dead for her half-breed status.

Jane's character is completely ruled by her past. She is so damaged from both the town's ostracization and the loss of the love of her life. Because of her own grief she actually believes she doesn't deserve to be accepted. While this may make her a flawed character, it also allows for a lot of potential growth. Overcoming one's past can be more challenging than any present obstacle, but I have faith in her ability to finally put the past behind her. Only then will she be able to truly accept who she is and her new role in the supernatural community. I think she has the potential to do great things, and will bring in a sense of "heart", something the rest of them are missing. They are just a little too far detached from humanity, and I think Jane can help bridge that gap.

I loved the dynamic between Jane and Ryu. I think he was the perfect character to help ease her into the supernatural world, as well as coaxing her out of her shell. I'm pretty sure in the beginning it was just his nature and attraction that drew her to him. However, as it went on, you could tell by hid behavior that he wanted more than just a quick fling from her. I'm pretty sure that doesn't happen very often with his kind, due to their unique "food" source. Perhaps I am seeing more than is there, but I think he does genuinely care for Jane and wants her to be happy.

I cannot believe I didn't read this book sooner! It was such a fast paced, enjoyable read. This is just one of those books that makes you laugh yet still is able to be serious enough when danger presents itself. I'm really looking forward to reading more in this series and watching Jane grow. This book should entertain both Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance fans, as it is a good blend of both genres. Major kudos to the author for this fantastic debut Urban Fantasy!

[JG (Introverted Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane True is practically an outcast in her small town of Rockabill, Maine. She finds solace in swimming in the ocean, dangerously close to the whirlpool known as The Old Sow. When she finds a body in the water, her world changes beyond all recognition.

I have gone back and forth, alternating between clicking 3 stars and 4 stars countless times. Hurry up with the half stars already, GoodReads! You're killing me here! (Said as nicely as possible)

The big draw for me was the cover. I love it! It does make the book like it might be YA though, and it is not YA. Sex. Lots of sex. Need I say more?

This was a lot of fun, and I really liked Jane, her problems and her world. There's such a wealth of supernatural beings to choose from out there, it's nice to see an author taking advantage of that rather than dwelling on the vamps and weres.

I don't know if I just had to get used to Peeler's style or if the beginning really was an info dump, but I was a little disappointed when I first started. I've been looking forward to reading this for a while, and I did not expect to be less-than-thrilled at the beginning.

Jane's Libido killed me. It was practically a character, hence the capitalization I gave it. It's pretty clear what part of Jane is thinking, "This guy's super-hot!" without being told that it's her Libido. Or her Lady Bits. Or whatever. There should be a supernatural rock band called "Jane's Libido" worked somewhere into the series! Hee hee! I obviously think I'm funny. ;-)

Jane is pretty funny. I laughed out loud pretty consistently throughout the book. Her descriptions of some of the "supes" she meets are hilarious, and I could appreciate her self-deprecating sense of humor. When she meets Trill the kelpie, my husband finally gave up and asked me what I was laughing at. Mostly he tries to ignore me when I go into gales of laughter for no obvious reason. (Now you're wondering how often that happens, aren't you?)

Mostly though, I just had fun reading this and checking out this world. Ryu is just hawt and I really, really, really want to find out more about Anyan. I knew what was going on there pretty early on, but I still want to know more. I'm definitely going to continue on with the series. I do recommend this. Just be prepared for Jane's Libido.