Tracking the Tempest (Jane True, #2)
by Nicole Peeler

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and Ryu – Jane’s bloodsucking boyfriend – can’t let a major holiday go by without getting all gratuitous. An overwhelming dose of boyfriend interference and a last-minute ticket to Boston later, and Jane’s life is thrown off course.

Ryu’s well-intentioned plans create mayhem, and Jane winds up embroiled in an investigation involving a spree of gruesome killings. All the evidence points towards another Halfling, much to Jane’s surprise… (goodreads.com)

I gave this book 3.5 stars on LibraryThing and wrote in the “review” section of Goodreads update that I would explain why in my actual review. Here’s the thing, the parts I did not like about this book were not the book’s fault. The parts I didn’t like were because they were just things I do not like – sex in books, calling someone “lover” and “baby”. Lover and baby make me cringe. They are huge pet peeve words to me. I have never, ever liked those terms/words and I hate when they are used. But I am not going to hold that over the author who writes a fantastically original series and great book. These things are my own personal preferences.

I broke my book buying ban for this book because since I read the first book in November 2009 I knew I NEEDED this book the second it hit the shelves. In fact when saw online that it was at a store near me in stock early I made my husband drive me there so I could get it. And it wasn’t on the shelf so I made the clerk go look in the back and he couldn’t find it so he had his manager help and she couldn’t find it and he went back there one more time and came out successful to my great pleasure saying “Don’t thank me, thank my colleague who said ‘isn’t that it on that random pile of books?’ in the stockroom.” Ha! As a former employee of said bookstore chain I appreciate when staff goes above and beyond to help find a book that should be there (it had been received on Wednesday and this was Saturday). I went home happy. And with ONLY one book – even though they had a Buy 3 – Get the 4th Free! promotion on all formats of books. I was good. I restrained myself. It was so very, very difficult.

But I digress… I got this book, put aside the one I was reading and gobbled it up in 3 days (because sleep and work apparently are “necessary”. Pah!) Aside from my cringe-worth pet peeves I had fun reading the book. I loved the new characters that were introduced in Boston and I loved the old characters from the first book (can they be old characters if there has only been one other book?) but I wish that Grizzy and Iris had more of a role in the story this time around because I adored them in book one.

I was immensely curious about the Big Bad in the book who was frying everyone to death. I liked the idea behind him and what his motives were (not going to say more lest I spoil things). I was slightly disappointed in how that crisis ended though I had thought perhaps to explore things a little further, but this makes my desperation for book three even more frustrating! WHY FEBRUARY? It is so far away! Gah!

This book was even more action-packed than it’s predecessor and Jane continues to react like you would expect a “real” person to react, even if she’s half-selkie. Jane is a *cough* true *cough* character  (see what I did there?) and even when it comes to her relationship she has realistic reactions and reasoning. I love that about her and I love that Nicole Peeler writes her that way. I love that everything isn’t just accepted as fine from the start. I love that she’s scared and she doesn’t want to be rushed into a relationship and she has to work on bravery when it comes to murder and being attacked. I love that she thinks about things and reacts without thinking and has faults and people like her but don’t all LOVE her for no reason. (I hate books where the main character has everyone else in love with her and ready to shag her at the drop of a hat!)

I  like learning along with Jane.

Plus, if Nicole remembers, I think I placed first dibs on playing her in the movie (see bottom of interview). I just need to drop about 30 pounds though. I can do it! The production company just has to hire me a personal trainer and cook! I want this role, dammit, if it ever becomes a movie! (But I don’t do nudity! Or windows. Or dishes.)

There was one line in the book that I can’t get out of my head it made me laugh so much. I actually wrote the author privately on Twitter to let her know since I don’t really want to spoil it for others, even though it has nothing to do with the plot, it was just sheer hilarity in phrase form. But I will never be able to talk about lentils without giggling ever again!

Lastly, I adore these covers. The cover is what made me notice the book in the first place.  They are so colourful and fun and fit the novels perfectly!

Jane True series

1. Tempest Rising
2. Tracking the Tempest
3. Tempest’s Legacy (February 2011)