Mistral's Kiss (Meredith Gentry, Book 5): A Novel (A Merry Gentry Novel)

Merry is still in fairy and having even more sex and more magical mishaps. One of Queen Andians’ guards, Mistral helped Merry to bring a couple and a child to together but the queen is not happy. The queen believes Merry is taking all her guards from her but Merry has no control over the wild magic returning to the fey. Merry is once again left with the knowledge of knowing that she might not keep everyone safe.

This was a fairly quick read for me. This book was less than half the length of the previous book. I love the imagery and descriptions of the manifestations of the magic in this book. It was just enough, but not overly wordy. I appreciate that this book has chapter demarcations. Chapter demarcations make it so much easier to see how close you are to the end of a chapter or to find a stopping place when you need to do so. As another reviewer said, there's a great deal of plot development in this one, especially for its short length. I won't bore you with a plot summary as I know other reviewers are fond of doing that. The only exception to that is that in the case of this series, I've never wanted anyone to get pregnant so much in my life. If you liked the previous books in the series, I say you should give this one a shot because I don't think you'll be disappointed. Have at it. I can't wait to read the next one.

Another great transition book, as this merry band (pun intended) find themselves caught up in the choices and challenges of the gathering of times, realities and forces mostly unknown and unexpected. The cost and joys and the terrible beauties of great power and leadership are part of each individual and their various collectives story. Hamilton is a great translator of these myths that retain real truth for each of us now and always, IMHO. Norma Pirie

Hamilton's characters come to life as you read. They are three dimensional and full of life. The reader cries with the losses faced, the pain of those left is so visceral. A great read.

This book has made me feel passion, beauty, and sadness. I haven't even finished this book and I had to write a review. For some this series might seem awkward with all the sex and sharing but, the overall story entrapped me. The writing is so detailed, so very poetic. In many ways, I have become enamored with it all. Lord of the Rings move over. This is so much more! This has become one of my favorite authors, I just wish the books were a little bit more economical since, I can't seem to stop reading them all!!! This series is a must read. Your imagination will go further than Pandora and the Lord of the Rings movie or books. I have loved every minute and will continue to do so...

The series just seems to grab hold of you and not let go! I love the descriptions and character building that evolves with each book. I’ve read and re-read these books as well as the Anita Blake series and come back to them more times than I can count. Love you Laurell K Hamilton : x

I was not happy when I picked up "Mistral's Kiss," because the fifth of Laurell K. Hamilton's Meredith Gentry novels is over a hundred pages less than any other book in the series. I did not consider this to be a good sign and when I got to the second chapter and the first sex scene in the book, I was thinking that was already the second strike against this one. But I have to say that while the book is not a home run in my estimation, we never got to the point where I could find a third strike against Hamilton's latest outing for Meredith NicEssus, Princess of Flesh and Blood, and our prime candidate to be the next ruler of the Unseelie Court. The ball is in play and fans can judge how far she gets around the bases.A big point on the plus side for this novel is that Hamilton does make a major change from her usual pattern: instead of Meredith coming up with a new power at the end of the novel to get her out of another sticky situation, the new power manifests itself early on. In fact, "Mistral's Kiss" is about the consequences of that manifestation in terms of both the interpersonal dynamic of Meredith's bodyguards and the realms of faire. Yes, Meredith takes on new lovers in this book, but the quest to get her pregnant and find a king for a future queen (not to mention deny the throne to Prince Cel), take a back seat to what happens to those who make merry in the princess' bed. The balance of the novel is also decidedly in favor of plot over sex, which is good because I was beginning to feel bad that I was happy every time Queen Andais showed up because it was a guarantee the chapter was not going to be a sex scene. I also liked Sholto, King of the Slaugh, who becomes a much more developed character in this book.The biggest point against this book remains what it was before I opened it. Now that I have read it I can say that this 211-page novella really should have been the last act of the previous Meredith Gentry novel, "The Stroke of Midnight." That would have raised the rating of that book at least a star, but standing by itself it makes me round down instead of up. The ending here is not as powerful as what Hamilton cooked up for her third book, "Seduced by Moonlight," which is still the standard for the series, but at least it is in the ballpark and provides a more appropriate climax than what we got the last time around. Of course if Hamilton had added another 100 pages to this 2006 novel, there is a good chance that the vast majority of them would have been sex scenes, which just would have been a wash when it came to rating this one. Still, I remain hopeful for the next book in the series because Hamilton has set the stage for more of the ugly power politics that are at the heart of everything happening to Princess Meredith and her growing cadres of bodyguards and/or lovers.My current hypothesis as to why Hamilton has gone from the emphasis on horror to the preoccupation with sex is that when Anita Blake finally slept with somebody it was one of the hottest sex scenes I have ever read in my life. Flushed with that success, I could see why Hamilton might include more such scenes and keep trying to up the ante. But none of the sex scenes have really matched that first one, mainly because Hamilton spent several years and several novels setting up the big moment. With Meredith Gentry the whole point of the sex is to see who can get her pregnant, so at least each coupling is fraught with multiple implications for the sidhe. But it is the beauty and the horror of what has been lost and what might be regained that is the attraction here, and not the naked bodies glowing from great sex. When I started reading Hamilton I thought she was providing more horrific endings than Stephen King. I would be so disappointed to be reminded instead of what happened with the "Gor" novels of John Norman.

I describe everything Hamilton's written as "popcorn": fast moving, you enjoy it at the time, but not a full meal of a book. I have trouble remember which plot points happened in which book, and sometimes how the characters got where they are. But, it's dark themes, strong female characters, and frankly, blatant smut is a fun escape. These are the bodice-rippers for people who want more than swooning, maidens.

There was too much sex in this book. Usually the storyline out weighs the sex for me with LKH books but with 'Mistral's Kiss' that didn't quite happen. For the majority of the book sex took over even when it shouldn't have. I find it hard to believe that Merry would have ignored her men being hurt or possibly killed to have sex. Yet that is what happened. I could understand if she didn't feel that they were in danger but she did. So it didn't feel true to character.Just when the storyline really took hold the book ended and for once I almost think I made a mistake in buying an LKH book. Now I will highlight ALMOST, (sorry for the shouty capitals but I had to make a point). The story from the last sex scene onwards stopped me regretting this purchase but, only just. If the rest of the book had been longer and had half the effort put into them as the sex obviously did then my rating would have been so much better.I really don't like leaving such a negative review for such a fantastic author but I felt, as always, the need to be truthful. I don't want to give any spoilers so I will just say that, as a fan of Doyle there was one saving grace in this book. I will really look forward to the next because of that so I really hope that my faith in LKH is rewarded.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first 4 books in the Merry Gentry series and eagerly downloaded this one. I am however only 30% of the way through it and am struggling to go any further!Merry started of as a feisty role model of a modern woman, quite a tough cookie to be precise, she has apparently turned into a total whore with very little character, I appreciate that sex is a large part of the story and this does not bother me, but I do like there to be a story as well as the sex, otherwise I would just buy porn! There appears to be no plot to this book whatsoever, verp disappointed!A very sad turn to a series that had great potential, RIP Meredith Gentry, I will read no more!

I thought this book was great lots of great characters and lots of great storylines I can't recommend this book enough

I only began buying Meredith Gentry because I had run out of Anita Blake: I was not disappointed!

Love the Merry books, had them in paperback but now getting the kindle versions. Good read!