4.5 Holy Hell Hearts!

Rhys Ford has a varied repertoire. She can do contemporary just as well as fantasy, but it’s the latter where I think she shines and she’s truly outdone herself here with this latest installment.

Briefly, this is a world where fae and humans have been forcibly meshed together, an existence neither really wants but all agree that war is no longer an option due to heavy losses on both sides. Kai is a product of the dark sidhe court, and he’s escaped, prospered, and committed to fight and kill the various monsters that troll the newly formed lands. Ryder is a high fae lord with lofty ideals to guarantee his race’s survival which does not sit well with the more traditional members of the court. Ryder knows that having Kai as his ally (and hopefully eventually in his bed) is the best thing to see his goals become reality. They both agree that change is needed and that starts by retrieving 3 rare fae children in the wild Borderlands.

Of course, what should be simply a dangerous mission turns into one life threatening fiasco after the other. Throw in plenty of new and old monsters alike, meddling sidhe relatives, and haters on both sides, and Kai and company can never catch a break!

Gruesome, brutally violent with quite a bit of gore, Ford definitely puts our reluctant hero through the ringer and what a gripping adventure it is! Kai for sure never wants the attention nor the accolades, all of which make him the best at what he does - a champion for those who have none.

Narrated by Greg Tremblay, I know I don’t have to say anything else, am I right? Also, if ever there was a narrator closely associated with an author, it’s this unbeatable combo.

Overall, points for a tightly woven plot that never fails on the complexity, the world building, or the gritty realism and stomach roiling horror. There’s a story arc in play and it has been since the beginning, but this latest installment really brings to light what I hopefully foresee as wonderful things for this fractured troubled reality where both races must come together to actually survive and thrive. I still believe this is classic urban fantasy at its best, and the romance is just starting to brew a bit stronger here (though don’t get your hopes up that this is typical Ford erotica because it isn’t). Nonetheless, the more realized love potential is compelling to say the least.

Seriously, this series just keeps getting better and better, and I’ve already babbled long enough. Change is definitely a’coming, and Kai will no doubt spearhead the charge with Ryder by his side. I can’t wait to see this unravel, and Ford needs to hustle on getting the next story out because that ending??? Oh my!

Thank you to the publisher/author for the audio in exchange for a honest review


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Oh, oh, oh... that last line.

As is usual, this is Kai fighting from beginning to end, but the plot's so thick by the end that I didn't trust the Epilogue AND i WAS RIGHT and it's just... Perfect.

And, thank Pele, not the end. More more more. ( )

Jacked Cat Jive is the third book in the Kai Gracen series. It stars Stalker Kai Gracen, a human raised elfin, and Ryder, a Sidhe Lord of San Diego’s Southern Rise Court. The story is told in first person from Kai’s pov.



I’ve read a few of this author’s other books and she has always done a good job of going over plot and characters from previous books in a series. I felt confident jumping into this series without reading books one and two, and I was easily able to figure out what was happening in this book. I probably would’ve been more drawn to the characters if I’d read the first two stories, but I don’t feel like I got lost in the events that occurred throughout this one.

I intend to go back and read books one and two, which will probably help me understand how Earth and the Elf world merged. The world the author created after the Merge was fascinating. I’d love to learn more about how the whole world was changed, and not just Southern California. A lot of this story takes place in San Diego. I used to live there, and when Kai talked about the layout of the city and how the areas appeared and how people now lived in the affected areas, I could see San Diego after the Merge. I think the world building drew me in more than the characters.

When I first started to read this book, I have to say I found Kai’s voice a bit bland. It was monotone and the only time he seemed to have any emotions was when family issues arose, when he was mad or when he was being snarky. I still found that true right until the end. Maybe it was because I didn’t read the first two books so I couldn’t empathize with him, but I never really identified with Kai. Maybe it was because the story was written in first person, but I’ve read other books by this author written in first and I could relate to a character, so I think it’s probably just Kai, at least in this book. He seemed to be a foil for the Merged World to play off, which I found more interesting. As a warning, there’s a lot of violence in this story, mentions of past abuse, battles with altered creatures, and hunters.

I didn’t get much of a feel for Ryder, except that he adored and respected Kai. I thought the ending to this book was just right between them, and Kai’s words at the end were perfect. They made me laugh. I have to warn, the ending does remind me of a cliffhanger in a way.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I liked the world building more than the characters, although the characters where interesting. They just didn’t hook me as I’d hoped. I plan on going back to read the first two books and catch up on what I missed, and will continue reading this series because it’s truly a unique world.

I give Jacked Cat Jive, a solid 4 Stars.

I received an ARC of this book to read for an honest and unbiased review.

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Excellent fun, though I really want to know what grew up at Balboa there at the end when Kai and Ryder kissed. It must be something truly special to warrant the reactions it got! ( )

0.5 stars off for endless monologues that almost overtook the story.

Rounding up to 5 stars for the sheer awesomeness and kick-assery in the rest of the book. I even came to love a certain backstabbing character. Hope to see the whole band back together in book 4!
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