Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck

Kelsey Hayes is no ordinary college freshman. In fact, the eighteen-year-old girl has just returned from India, where she risked her life—and her heart—to rescue a handsome Indian prince from a terrible curse. Back home in Oregon, Kelsey is determined to move on, despite the lingering feelings she has for the man she left behind. She meets Li, a completely average guy who offers the promise of an ordinary, curse-free life. But just when Kelsey is ready to move on, Ren reenters her life, on a quest to reclaim her heart. Danger threatens their newly rekindled love and to save him, Kelsey must journey with someone else—a man who wants her for himself. The saga begun in Tiger’s Curse continues in Tiger’s Quest, as Kelsey finds herself in an epic battle between good and evil. From the shores of the Pacific Northwest to the jungles of India, the mountains of Nepal and Tibet, and the mystical realm of Shangri-la, this suspenseful tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption is not to be missed

I can't even begin to tell you how forever far away November for the third installment of this saga is. It is painfully too far away *insert sad face*. I can say that I had the same feelings about this book as I did when I read Tiger's Curse. The beginning is slow, then it picks up, evens out, and then picks up again. It was a great read in the end with wonderful culture woven through and, yet again, a painfully sad cliffhanger.

First and foremost - Ren - if you exist, I love you and am patiently waiting for you to find me. In the first couple of chapters, Ren gets his head in the game and comes after Kelsey, insisting she date other guys but him as well. Guess what the verdict was with that experiment. Yep, that's right, you get to read about 75 pages worth of blissfully happy Ren and Kelsey *insert sigh*. Ren in this novel is wonderful again, he's strong, passionate, considerate, a little on the jealous side and smokin' hott. BEST BOYFRIEND EVER.

Second - Kelsey, this book is a rollercoster, more so than the first one. Every time her life gets some semblance of order or happiness, it is ripped from underneath her and she goes through some hellish emotions. Ren, Kishan, and Mr. Kadam really do a great job taking care of her. Mr. Kadam's great (times a lot) granddaughter, Nilima does a good job as well, but her constant appearance in the book had me thinking, and then I saw why in the end. I am developing a dislike for her. My biggest problem with Kelsey is the one I have been having lately, this I-am-not-good-enough-for-him attitude. He flew across the world for you and professed undying love for you, BE HAPPY.

Third - Kishan - He's another heart breaker in the boyfriend department but he's also heartbroken for several reasons and Kelsey is depicted as his hope through the whole novel. Did anyone else know there was a love triangle coming? I did! I did! It's a good one too, but we all know I want her to be with Ren. ***SPOILER-ish***But due to a separation problem and Ren being taken prisoner, Kishan has to go with Kelsey on the second half of the quest. This solidifies Kelsey and Kishan's relationship even more.

I did not think that this part of the quest was exciting as the first one but there were some wonderful allusions mixed into it giving it a different feel for me. Gilgamesh, Odin, Sirens, and the garden of Eden.

Some quick thoughts.

The end ... Oh the end... Someone want to email that has read this so I can vent?

That's my only quick thought because I am not over it.