[Review] Tiger’s Quest by Colleen Houck

Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. Kelsey Hayes’s eighteenth summer was crazy. The kind of crazy nobody would ever believe.

Aside From battling immortal sea monkeys and trekking the jungles of India, she fell in love with Ren, a 300-year-old prince.

When danger suddenly forces Kelsey on another Indian quest, with Ren’s bad-boy brother, Kishan,the unlikely duo begins to question their true destiny. Ren’s life hangs in the balance–so does the truth within Kelsey’s heart.

Tiger’s Quest, the thrilling second volume in the Tiger’s Curse series, brings the trio one step closer to breaking the ancient prophecy that binds them.

[“One’s enemy is often the best teacher of tolerance.”]

Tiger’s quest has the right dose of adventure and romance a reader needs. And admit it, it’s a combination us hopeless romantic readers can’t resist!

Writing Style

I think Colleen Houck succeeded in wrtiting this book. There are many different types of scenes and I was satisfied with the way they were discribed. There were romantic scenes were we could easily relate with Kelsey because we were inside her head all the time. There were thoughts, feelings and great transition to dialogue. I also find amazing that even though it was a first person POV, the rest of the characters were described that way that the readers could also catch a glimpse of their feelings.

There were action scenes, detailed enough yet not tiring and that’s important because I can’t stand too much information. I mean yeah ok it’s good to know the surroundings of the characters but get to the point cause I don’t really care about the rest. I could easily picture what was happening in my mind and it was like I was experiencing the adventure with Kelsey.

Last but not least there were descriptions about scenery and India and small villages and I loved the way they were portraited. I feel like I have to visit India after reading the book.

Plot/World Building

I think the first third of the book was absolutely unessacery drama. There was no point in writing it at all. Kelsey was in love with Ren and Ren was in love with Kelsey, the end. The book would be awesome if it wasn’t for the first (tiring) third. I felt like I was reading a different book at first and then transformed back into Tiger’s Quest. The pace was so slow and I was struggling to keep reading. At the end I got the adventure I was looking for.

Because of my lack of knowledge about Indian History and world’s history in general, I can’t really tell if any of these stories and information is real. My guess is that they’re based in history and in facts and that makes the author well informed. It’s good that she studied and researched about what to write and how to connect her story with facts or to come up with new facts. My congratulations!

I am not even sure If I make sense but I love it when the world that the author builds has no flaws and when I want to know more about it and that’s how I feel about Tiger’s Quest.

[Review] Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

[Tiger’s Curse]

“Would you risk it all to change your destiny?”

I was ready to give it 5 stars but it will only get 3,5 because of what happened at the end.

So I’ll start by saying that the book clicked me since the very beginning. It was almost flawless and it got me excited really fast. I mean there’s a prince cursed to be a beautiful white tiger forever and an ordinary girl trying to help him break the curse. If that’s not exciting then I think that my whole life has been a lie.
I ignored my mind which was screaming at me that it’s weird at first place to actually feel attracted by an animal and next talking to said animal. First of all I never had a pet so I’m not even sure if it’s indeed weird which is probably not and secondly it’s a freaking fiction so yeah I let it go. The moment I relaxed, I finally got to enjoy reading the book.

I was amazed of how many things I got to know about India and the details were enlightening. The descriptions indicated that Mrs. Houck did hell of a research and made this book possible. I congratulate her because she deserves it. You can’t just write a book like that without research.
Also, I got Indiana Jones vibes and that’s good because I love that kind of stories, mystery and adventure. It was fascinating.

In most of the story our female lead, Kelsey, was endearing and pleasant. She was rational and thoughtful and her reactions were realistic. I was more than happy when the author showed us how much she appreciated the things her foster parents made and how much she loved them and cared about them. When practically a stranger offered her a job in India, she didn’t just accept but simply considered it and after discussion with her parents made a decision. That was really important to me. It was carefully written and I was glad.
My problem with her was at the end.

<<<< warning spoiler>>>>

She by herself decided that she is not good enough for Ren because she thought that she is just average. How can she be so selfish and make a decision based on assumptions? Ren clearly tells her that he is in love with her and that he wouldn’t change her for anyone else, and yet she insisted and made him angry. I can understand that she is insecure because Ren is handsome and rich and all but that doesn’t make him an asshole or anything. Plus I think that he is smart enough to know what’s good for him and what’s not. Bitch just leave him alone but not because you think he deserves better but because he indeed deserves better than a girl who can’t trust him and can’t even give him a chance.

“What you are saying is that I should be stuck up, rich, shallow, libertine who cares only about wealth, power, and battering my status. That I should date superficial, fickle, pretentious, brainless women who care more about my connections than they do about me. And that I am not wise enough, or up-to-date enough, to know who I want or what I want in my life. Does that sum it up?”
PLEASE GIVE THIS GUY AN AWARD AND JUST KILL THE GIRL because he indeed deserves better. Thank you!

And what to say about Ren? He is amazing, ok? He is handsome, smart, trustworthy, brave, a gentleman and he could do anything for Kelsey. Oh god, I’m so angry again.

Off to read the next book already.

[Colleen Houck]

New York Times Bestselling Author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, science fiction, and romance. Formerly a student at the University of Arizona, she worked as a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter for seventeen years before switching careers to become an author. Colleen lives in Salem, Oregon, with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.