Fire Song: Catherine Archer

"The Wrong Bride

"To the dashing Roland St. Sebastian, a king-decreed marriage to the biddable daughter of his enemy was bad enough...but when the blushing bride turned out to be her spitfire sister, Meredyth, Roland's wrath was boundless.  And though the redheaded vixen's kisses drove him nearly mad with yearning, he wondered if he would ever learn to tryst her--or if he was destined to live a life of loneliness with the woman he loved."

Hello and Happy New Year!  I'm starting off 2021 with a period romance novel review.  Catherine Archer was a new author for me (another book pulled from my overflowing collection of unread books), so I was looking forward to trying something new after working my way through several Amanda Quick novels.  I have often struggled with period romances set so far back in time (1200s, to be exact), probably because I know for a fact how damn hard life was for them.  Knights in shining armor and castles and Crusades all sound glamorous, but life was horrible for most; even many of the better-off lived in questionable conditions (to say nothing of the hygiene).  I know I'm reading far too much into this time period, but I can't help it.  Coupled with all of this, the mentalities were so vastly different from what we know.  The men in these types of books are often rough and a bit too domineering for my tastes.  They lack a sense of respect for the female leads and, in turn, the female leads have to be overwhelmingly headstrong and outspoken in order to make dent in the mentalities of the times.  This can sometimes be a bit too much for me.  Archer managed to dance along this line fairly well and better than some other authors I've read with books set in this time and place.  Roland was intriguing and attractive.  I found his personality to be strong, but not abusive toward Meredyth, despite his distaste for women after what his mother had put his family through.  He knew his role in the world and his marriage; he wasn't afraid to exercise his power, but he stopped just short of becoming and overbearing brute a time or two.  Had he stepped over that line, however, I probably wouldn't have cared for him.  Meredyth went back and forth from being the selfless, soft woman born to help others, to a sharp-tongued shrew who was far too headstrong for her own good.  She had quite a few redeeming qualities and I found a great amount of sympathy for her because of her backstory, but she frustrated me on many occasions.  I found her to be a tad too strong willed for a woman of her position.  She had been raised to care for her family's household and to put her sister first, caring for her above all others because Celeste was seen as more "delicate" by their father.  A woman who was so used to being in her sister's shadow and working (unappreciated) on things behind the scenes would surely not have been so forward with Roland.  Of course, this is all personal opinion and many may not agree with my assessment.  I just found the duality of her personality to be a bit too contrary.

Overall, I really enjoyed the premise of the plot.  Celeste is ordered by the king to wed Roland in an effort to stop the feuding of their families once and for all.  In a desperate move, Meredyth disguises herself and is wed to Roland in Celeste's place.  Upon realizing that he has ben tricked, of course, Roland is incensed and believes it to be a final trick played upon him by his old enemy, Meredyth and Celeste's father.  He finds out that the women were the masterminds and he decides he has no choice to honor his marriage to Meredyth and they must begin their lives as man and wife.  Poor Meredyth realizes she's gotten in far over her head with this latest attempt to help Celeste.  No sooner does she realize the gravity of the situation then she's swept away from the only home she has ever known and thrust into Roland's own unruly household filled with staff and villagers who have nothing but animosity for her family.  Not only this, but she must grapple with a new husband who did not choose her, who has a mighty distrust for women, and who butts heads with her attitude.  I did like the chemistry between Roland and Meredyth.  They had a nice spark and the tension between them seemed palpable.  However.  I found the "romance" to be a bit lacking in variation.  I don't know if it's because this book is "older" (as in, I read the 10th Anniversary print and the copyright date is 1998...) or if it's a style choice, but it was all a bit more tame and each scene felt like a rewrite of the same thing over and over again.  (Probably WAY too much TMI, but does Roland not know any other way to pleasure a woman than to touch her breasts and use his "member"?!?  I feel like I need to refer him to Monica from "Friends" -- my apologies if you don't get the reference, but I promise it's a good one.)

I will say another area in which I struggled a bit was the inner dialogue.  Almost the entire book seemed to take place in Roland's and Meredyth's minds!  There was a remarkable lack of actual dialogue.  I think this made it feel like the story dragged on far longer than it needed to.  Since so much took place within their minds, there was very little action for a majority of the story.  I think this is part of the reason that the last few chapters felt a bit rushed.  There was so much build up with their respective inner musings and indecision that everything moved so very quickly once actual action occurred.  The conclusion of the book was a bit too "Brady Bunch" for me.  I like a satisfying ending; and this doesn't mean it has to be all happiness and rainbows.  It was tied up a bit too neatly for my tastes and it felt a bit sudden.  There wasn't even an epilogue where we were given a taste of what life was like after the conflict resolution.  I think the addition of an epilogue might have made me a bit happier in this particular instance just because it all ended up feeling so rushed.

I will say that this was an easy, quick read.  I liked reading a new author and I liked this one better than others set in 1200s England.  There were some imperfections and some things fell a bit short, but I didn't dislike the book.  I'm tempted to read more by Catherine Archer in the future.

All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella's Stepmother: Danielle Teller

"A LUMINOUS REIMAGINING OF THE CLASSIC FAIRY TALE CINDERELLA, TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AGNES, THE BEAUTIFUL GIRL'S 'EVIL' STEPMOTHER

"Compelling fiction often obscures the humble truth...

"We all know the story of Cinderella.  Or do we?

"As rumors about the cruel upbringing of beautiful newlywed Princess Cinderella roil the kingdom, her stepmother, Agnes, a woman who knows all too well about hardship, privately records the true story.  But what unfolds is not the princess's history.  The tale Agnes recounts is her own.

"A peasant born into serfdom, Agnes is separated from her family and forced into servitude as a laundress's apprentice at Aviceford Manor when she is just ten years old.  Alone, friendless, and burdened with a grueling workload, Agnes carves a place for herself in this cold place that is home to Sir Emont Vis-de-Loup, a melancholic and capricious drunkard.

"Using her wits and ingenuity, Agnes eventually escapes and makes her way toward a more hopeful future, serving as a housemaid for the powerful Abbess Elfilda.  But life once again hold unexpected, sometimes heartbreaking twists that lead Agnes back to Aviceford Manor, where she becomes nursemaid to Ella, Emont's sensitive, otherworldly daughter.  Though she cares for Ella, Agnes struggles to love this child, who in time becomes her stepdaughter and, ultimately, the celebrated princess who embodies all out unattainable fantasies.

"Familiar yet fresh, tender as well as bittersweet, the story of Agnes and Ella's relationship reveals that beauty is not always desirable, that love may take on many guises, and that freedom is not always something we can choose.

"Danielle Teller's All the Ever Afters challenges our assumptions and forces us to reevaluate what we think we know.  Exploring the hidden complexities that lie beneath classic tales of good and evil, this lyrically told, emotionally evocative, and brilliantly perceptive novel shows us that how we confront adversity reveals a more profound--and ultimately more precious--truth about our lives than the ideal of 'happily ever after.'"

I picked this book off of the "new releases" shelf at my local library on a whim, though the back of my memory insists that I saw it somewhere in my Pinterest searches and it piqued my interest.  I am a fan of interesting retellings of classic tales, so this one seemed like a good choice.  I love inventive takes and unique perspectives.  However, it is very easy for a book like this to go awry.  We can run into a main character--a villain--who does nothing but justify all of his or her evil actions (which is boring), or there is little-to-no imaginative take on the traditional fairy tale.  This was not the case with Teller's story and I must admit I was impressed.

Readers are immediately thrust into an extremely realistic world of an England ruled by king and, perhaps even more so, church; most people have nothing and live out their short and often tragic lives in serfdom.  They toil as servants or tenants on manors and owe their labors and products to their lord and masters who, in turn, owes his loyalty to the Abbess Elfilda.  Agnes happens to be one of the unfortunates born to a family that cannot support her.  At only ten years of age, she's forced to leave her family's hovel and trek to the manor house in search of a job so she will no longer be the burden or responsibility of her family.  She's given a position beneath the head laundress.  What initially seems like good fortune -- with the promise of food and shelter -- quickly becomes a nightmare as she learns to work and live beneath the cruel thumb of the nasty, gluttonous, slothful laundress.  Agnes quickly learns the politics of the manor house, though she remains somewhat of an outsider.  She works her hands to the bone and survives by the strength of her back and power of her wit.  While employed there for several years, she encounters the lord of the manor, Emont.  His penchant for drinking and disinterest in running the manor earn the derision of other servants.  Agnes, however, feels some form of pity for him.  When he is ill, it is she who is brought in to care for him.  It is clear that Emont trusts her and this affords her some moments where she has a small measure of peace.

This, however, does not stop Agnes from leaping at an opportunity to leave the manor for the Abbey to work for Abbess Elfilda's aging mother.  Through clever machinations, Agnes is allowed to leave and take up the temporary position.  Though it isn't quite what she imagined, she quickly finds her place and discovers that life at the Abbey suits her greatly.  Her joy is short-lived and her decisions land her in a great deal of trouble with the Abbess.  Agnes is forced to leave and, once again, she must find a way to support herself.  Though ingenuity, intelligence, and sheer determination of will, she manages to carve out a new place for herself and attain a measure of comfort.  Happiness, however, is impermanent.  Tragedy strikes yet again; Agnes's life seems to come full circle when circumstances land her once more at Aviceford Manor.  This time, however, she is nursemaid to Emont's infant daughter, Elfilda -- named after her godmother and aunt, the Abbess.  Ella is an odd girl, finicky and withdrawn, unlike any other child Agnes had ever met.  Agnes takes her duties seriously, making sure the child is educated and knows her parents, despite Ella's mother's disturbing habits, hallucinations, and tendency toward manic-depression.  We witness Ella's upbringing at Agnes' hands and it is there that the truth of the "abuses" Ella suffered comes to light.  This book is the epitome of perspective.  To a dramatic, stubborn, spoiled, possibly-disturbed child, any enforcement of rules or authority is perceived as an attack.  Even a small slight quickly becomes enormous in Ella's mind.  These instances build upon one another to create the villain we were taught to believe Agnes was.

The interesting set up of past and present mingling to create a whole story kept the plot interesting.  We learned about Agnes's past and Teller intertwined it with the present in such a beautiful way that witnessing the nuances and correlations kept everything captivating.  Ella's new life at court changes everyone's lot, including that of her stepmother and stepsisters.  Unfortunately, their hardships are not over.  The rumors of Ella's suffering begin as whispers and grow in voracity and ferocity until Agnes and her daughters become pariahs and targets of not only gossip, but threats.  Agnes fears that she will lose everything once more for doing nothing more than trying to be a source of constancy in Ella's otherwise mercurial life.  How are she and her daughters to survive the vipers of court as the looming threat becomes ever greater?  What will they do if Ella -- naturally oblivious to many social nuances -- is not present to protect or defend them?

Agnes uses her history as a form of catharsis during this time.  She doesn't justify all of her actions, but rather uses them as a lens through which we can perceive and understand her more completely.  She admits that she was not always the most loving or affectionate of stepmothers, but I genuinely believe that she tried and did the best with what she could manage.  Her life was one of tragedy and hardships -- something none of her peers at court could possibly comprehend.  In her descriptions of Ella and her daughters, she challenges the traditional conventions and notions of beauty; she demonstrates an appreciation of hard work and having a backup plan.  We realize that there is no such thing as a true villain in any fairy tale.  Something motivated their actions.  Additionally, the hero's perspective isn't necessarily unbiased...

I loved the realism of this story.  If you want Disney's talking animals and glittering magic, then this story is not what you're looking for.  If you want Cinderella set in a realistic time period with believable plot, setting, characters, and (realistic) tragic circumstances, then this book is perfect.  There were more than enough clues and hints at the traditional fairy tale for me to make the necessary connections between the fairy tale and this retelling, but it wasn't overly fanciful.  I actually found it much more insightful than I anticipated.  It was an examination of how we perceive people and their stories, why we believe one person over another (sometimes based solely on appearance and social standing), and how we can really only know someone when we understand their past.  The world is not plainly black and white, so why should fairy tales be so?

I found Agnes to be an excellent narrator.  I loved watching her grow and evolve over the years.  I was struck by her intelligence and perseverance, and I appreciated her ingenuity.  Teller has crafted a unique retelling and one I took great pleasure in reading.

Shadows and Lace (Brides of Legend: Book One): Teresa Medeiros (UPDATED)

Here's yet another updated review!  My very brief original review of this book can be found HERE.  I read this years and years ago on my very first Teresa Medeiros kick and I clearly enjoyed it very much.  I hadn't read anything of hers in a long time, so I thought I'd give this one another go -- especially because it's one of her earliest published works (it seemed like a good place to start).  The first thing I wanted to mention is that I didn't realize that this was part of a two book series, Brides of Legend.  Even though I've read both books in the series, I don't think I ever realized they were intended as a pairing.  This is why the original posts for these books don't list them as part of the Brides of Legend series.

The first thing I want to mention is this book spends a great deal more time focusing on Rowena's point of view than Gareth's.  Now, this could be because the author wanted to keep an air of mystery about this dark, dangerous, possibly murderous male lead, but I got the sense that it was more so because it was more comfortable or familiar to write from Rowena's perspective.  I can appreciate the mystery and intrigue this left swirling around Gareth, but it did make me sympathize less with him than, perhaps, I should have.  Part of the charm of this genre is that readers get to fall in love with the male leads; part of this is to show is what's in his heart and his mind.  We get glimpses of it in this book, but substantial chunks of it don't appear until much further in the book than I think they should have.  This presented some challenges for me because I didn't care about Gareth or his feelings until quite a ways into the story.  Rowena also presented a bit of a challenge for me.  I don't know if it was the way I read this or if it was intentionally very vague, but we don't get a good sense of her age until almost the last few chapters.  At first, I assumed she was in her early twenties or late teens.  Then, she's treated so much like and child (and even behaves like one) and described in almost childlike terms (she's described as a "girl" rather than a woman on numerous occasions) that I got the sense that she was likely closer to fifteen-years-old, or thereabouts.  Knowing Gareth was in his thirties, this rubbed me the wrong way.  The only thing that made my mind accept this was my knowledge of history -- it wouldn't have been that odd were their ages really that far apart.  Not until the very late chapters do we realize that Rowena is, indeed, in her early twenties.  The number is, after all, just a number.  My comment has more to do with the fact that she was more nebulous a character than I am used to (or, than I prefer).  She was also, at times, a bit hollow.  I began reading this book thinking she'd be a little hellcat, full of spunk and spitfire.  She was, in a way, but she also went about certain things with very little resistance or personality.  That's the right word -- her personality wasn't very unique.  She allowed herself to be pushed around quite a bit.  Those times she really did show off her spunk were great.  (One comment I feel I must make is that Rowena likes to fall asleep...on horseback...a lot...  If it happens once, okay.  But I'm pretty sure it happened at least three times in this story; it started to feel a little bit silly).  I found a lot of the exchanges between Rowena and Gareth to be very entertaining.  They did have a lot of chemistry and tension.  Since the story takes place over the period of a year, it's a great deal longer than the normal timespan for a book of this genre.  This means there's plenty of time for delicious tension and for emotions to grow and blossom at a more believable rate.  I will admit that there were moments where the story seemed to drag a bit (and I will mention that there was a remarkably consistent pattern of Rowena running away and then Gareth riding out to go and find her), though this didn't wreck the story for me.

The secondary characters (Blaine and Marlys) really made this book special.  I'm a sucker for great supporting characters and Medeiros did a great job in this book.  I am a firm believer that secondary characters such as these can really make a book and breathe life into the main characters.  They show readers other sides to their personalities that they may not immediately show to the other lead.  Blain was a great golden lighthearted foil to Gareth's dark and brooding nature.  Marlys was a truly wild, untamed little hellion and, boy!, does she know how to create chaos!  The dynamics between Blaine, Marlys, and Gareth really made it feel like there was extensive backstory, as if there really had been years of complex happenings before the first page of this book was written.  This, I found, rather impressive.  All of it was clearly well thought out and planned.

For the most part, I found the writing captivating and well-paced.  I particularly like the vivid descriptions of the settings and seasons; they felt real and alive.  There were some awkward parts regarding basic physics (for example:  How can Rowena back up and strike her shin on something?  The shin is the front of one's leg.  When backing up, wouldn't she have hit her calf on something instead?) and I found those a bit jarring.  I had to stop a couple of times and wonder how those things happened, but I let them be.  The language -- especially from Rowena -- sometimes felt very stilted and overly formal, whereas Gareth's was remarkably smooth and well-crafted.  I realize that Rowena was sometimes mocking Gareth when she spoke thusly, but certainly not all of the time.  Rowena had spent so much of her childhood in an informal setting, yet she seemed to be way too well-spoken at times.

As far as the "romance" goes, I enjoyed the tension between Rowena and Gareth.  They seemed to be a good match.  I was frustrated with how much conflict their relationship had and how many times they seemed to stumble into an irreparable situation (though, I suppose some would find this a good thing in a book of this genre).  It was a bit tamer than some of the other authors I normally read, which, I suppose, isn't necessarily a bad thing.  It's less explicit and relies more on your imagination.  This is good for those readers who prefer things a little bit more toned down.  This is, of course, not to say that there isn't some explicit language and situations -- this is still very much an adult book.

I did enjoy this book, though probably not as much as I did the first time around.  The tension is by far the best selling point of this story.  Medeiros crafted it well and wrote a memorable character in Gareth.  Now I'm going to have to get the second book in the series!  (Side note:  I really like the newer cover much better than the original one.  It's definitely much more how I pictured Rowena and Gareth (even if I don't quite feel as if the new "Rowena's" costume is less authentic.  The original cover is extremely 90's with "Rowena's" overdone makeup.  The third cover shown above is another version I found (the one where you only see "Gareth's" arm).  I thought it was another decent version of the book, though I'm unsure if it really conveyed "Rowena" well, as she is written -- personally, I don't see her this confident and in charge.  I realize these are all personal preference and all the artwork is very much just a sign of the times in which they were published; I just thought I would share.)

Warrior's Song (aka Chandra) (Medieval Song Series, Book One): Catherine Coulter

“Dear Reader:

“Chandra first appeared in 1984. I’ve rewritten it extensively and changed the title to Warrior’s Song, as this book rightfully belongs in the Song series.

“Chandra de Avenell might look like a golden princess, but she fights like a warrior, dreams a warrior’s dreams and wears a warrior’s pride like a suit of armor. She wants to be strong, independent, and free. She has no use at all for a husband.

“Enter the man her father has selected for her. Jerval de Vernon takes one look at Chandra, and he wants her. After he saves her from a very bad situation, he sets himself to wooing her--not an easy task.

“How does a man convince a woman he coerces into marriage to become a wife? To give him her loyalty and her trust? Love is something he would like her to consider as well. But what if the wife has no intention of cooperating? Does he break her or finally give up on her?

“Warrior’s Song introduces Graelam de Moreton, a real bad boy, who has his mate thrust upon him in the second book of this series, Fire Song...”

As part of my rekindled determination to return to my prior reviewing practices, I’ve decided to begin RAIR (Reviewing as I read. I know...I’m a dork...). This will not only help me to write better reviews, but it will give you readers a better look at the books. When reading a 500 page book, it’s difficult to recall details that bothered me or things I found impressive because there are often very many. Thus begins my new reviewing method.

I have several copies of Catherine Coulter’s books in my personal library, but I’ve not yet read one. This is the first time I’ve picked up one of her writings and it’s nice to get back to my usual reading material. I had no idea that I missed it so much!

However, though this book is closer to my usual reading style, there is something missing. Either my memory of this genre is lacking, or there is something a little bit off about this book--not that it’s bad (which it isn’t at all) but it’s definitely an older one. I think the fact that the original copy of this book (before it was revised and reprinted into the one I am reading) came out even before my parents were married has something to do with this. I’ve made this comment about older books before (if you look at some of my reviews of Connie Mason’s older books or others that I’ve done, you’ll see what I mean). I don’t believe the author is to blame here--just my own youth. I have to remember that the author wrote this book years before I was born, so it was during a period that was different from the one I grew up in. Naturally, the style would differ from what I’m used to.

Now that I’ve said that, there are a lot of things that I like about this book. The characters are interesting and unique. Chandra is truly a standout character. She’s so vastly different from any other female lead that I’ve read that it was a really refreshing change. However, at times she is almost too strong. Personally, there were times when I actually almost disliked her for her harsh ways. It made it more palatable by the fact that Jerval and others consistently commented on how much she reminded them of a cocky boy rather than a woman. Jerval was a great male lead. I liked him right from the start. However, as his marriage to Chandra went on, I did seem to enjoy him ever so slightly less. I think this was because I loved his interactions with her before they were wed that I didn’t want things to change so early on in the story. He remained chivalrous and kind and caring--which made for a good character. (I will admit...the consistent comments of how similar Jerval and Chandra looked creeped me out a bit. I can understand comparing his skills to that of her father, but it was a little odd when the readers kept being reminded of a) how much he looked and acted like Chanrda’s father that he could have been her son, and b) how similar Jerval and Chandra looked that they could have been siblings. I think I can understand what the author was trying to say--that they would be the perfect foils for one another because the only one who could tame Chandra was her father, but it was a little strong and the fact that it kept being repeated prepared me for a very awkward plot twist that never came. On top of that, the strange relationship between Chandra and her father was awkward all on its own. That one, however, I’ll let you read for yourself.) Graelam de Moreton was played up to be this big bad boy, but--even at the beginning--I didn’t think him as evil as all that. I didn’t even see much cruelty in his interaction with Mary. I do think this was because Coulter didn’t want us to hate him overmuch since he has his own book later in the series. Though he piqued my interest at points, I do believe he could have been hardened a little more to make him seem like the powerful, evil man that the characters kept stating him to be. (This made me appreciate the turn of events in the book’s ending.)

As for the writing itself; the beginning of the book seemed a little wooden and stilted--almost like the author wanted to get through it as quickly as possible so she could write the fun bits. The dialogue was a little bit funky in the first few chapters as well (this is difficult to explain, so you’ll have to read it for yourself). The only way to describe it as is too formal. Luckily, this relaxed (or I became used to it) and the story smoothed out dramatically. So, if you can get through the first few chapters, you’re golden...right up until a little over a third of the way through the book. It gets a little awkward once more. The characters are again repeating conversations and comments that were made only a short while earlier. I can understand where the author is coming from here, but it could have helped to allow the characters some prior knowledge so things didn’t have to be explained more than once. (This sounds really harsh, but it’s not actually all that bad in the book. I merely found some things a little bit repetitive. Nothing major.)

Another comment I must make is on the similes and metaphors the author used. It wasn’t really that they were bad, but more so overused. She found a couple good ones and just reworded them to describe the same things (again, not something I can put into the review, you’ll have to read it for yourself and be the judge). This didn’t ruin the book by any means, but it was noticeable enough for me to comment on it in this review. In fact, the same thing goes for anecdotes that the characters have. They seem to be reused and recycled for various situations and characters. I didn’t think of mentioning this until the incident with the frozen lakes and skating was mentioned twice by two separate characters as if it hadn’t been said before. This may not seem like a big deal--and it really isn’t--but I thought it a bit off.

Though this book was rewritten, there were still typos, issues with the dialogue, and some tweaking still needed to be done to the writing. Overall, I liked this book even though I felt like it could have ended with the incident in Mary’s new home (I don’t want to say anything to give it away, so you’ll have to bear with me). The second part of the book was bordering on excessive, though I will admit that it wrapped things up pretty nicely. One thing I didn’t care for was how close Edward and Jerval were. Granted, this made for a more interesting story, but it definitely created a little less realistic plot. This book was good and a decent read. I liked the characters, though they became a little more generic as the book went on. I honestly missed seeing more of Jerval later in the book--it was like he was no longer as important before. This made me sad, but didn’t wreck the book for me. Overall, I would recommend this book as a light read. It wasn’t my favorite, but it’s definitely not worth missing.

The Knight's Redemption: Joanne Rock

“The Curse Of Spinsterhood Lay Upon Her

“But Ariana Glamorgan swore she would dispel the fog that clouded men’s minds and be seen as she really was—particularly by Roarke Barret, a knight of great prowess beset by sorrows of his own. For prophecy foretold him as the true destined husband of her heart…!

“ ’Twas no matter who Roarke Baret wed, so long as the lady was Welsh. However, secrets made a poor dowry, and in hiding her true identity, Ariana brought lies in abundance to the marriage bed. He’d been deceived…and yet Roarke remained intrigued by this woman who awakened magic in his soul…!”

Yet again…this is one of the books that I forgot to review…for almost a year… This one, in particular, I remember liking a lot. It was a fun read with well-written characters that easily make the readers care for them.

The plot was creative and was constantly moving—making for an overall good book. This is the only book I have read by Joanne Rock, but I would definitely like to read more.

Another Chance to Dream (De Piaget Series, Book One): Lyn Kurland

“With neither title nor land, Rhys could not win the hand of Gwennelyn of Segrave. But he would always have her heart. The two are kindred souls…Rhys, a knight with far too many notions of chivalry for his own good. And Gwen, a lover of minstral tales, waiting to be swept away. But Gwen is betrothed to another man, and Rhys fears he will lose her forever. Until a surprise offer comes his way—bringing Rhys and Gwen a second chance at love and…Another Chance to Dream”

This is the first of Lynn Kurland’s works that I’ve read and it certainly was an experience. Her writing style is different from what I normally read and it was actually a refreshing change. The book was a bit on the long side and probably could have ended sooner, but it was nice to see such a thoroughly developed plot.

The characters were very interesting and I REALLY liked how their histories were introduced. (***AND SHE HAD SOMETHING THAT NO ROMANCE NOVEL THAT I’VE READ BEFORE HAD!!! A hero who wasn’t an experienced lover! It made for some smiles and I was very impressed at Kurland’s bravery!) It was new and grabbed me to the point where I really couldn’t put the book down. Also, I must admit that I’m impressed with Kurland because—as you’ve probably seen from previous blogs—I’m not all that impressed with romance authors who skim over the “juicer” parts of the stories. This was a love story and not a typical romance, if you catch my meaning. It was more rated “PG” than anything, but I actually found myself enjoying it.

I’m not in love with Kurland, though I did really enjoy her work. I will read more of her work in the future. She has a true talent and I will look for more of her books.

Touch of Enchantment (Sequel to Breath of Magic): Teresa Medeiros

“A LOVELY SCIENTIST WITH NO TASTE FOR MAGIC

“Heiress Tabitha Lennox considered her paranormal talents more a curse than a gift. So she dedicated her life to the cold, rational world of science. Until the day she examined the mysterious amulet her mother had left her and found herself catapulted seven centuries into the past—directly into the path of a rearing black charger ridden by a chain-mailed warrior.

“A FEARLESS KNIGHT WITH NO TIME FOR LOVE

“Sir Colin of Ravenshaw had returned from the Crusades to find his castle in ruins, his enemy poised to overrun the land where generations of Ravenshaws had ruled. The last thing he expected was to half trample a damsel with odd garb and even odder manners. But it is her strange talent that will create trouble beyond Colin’s wildest imaginings. For everyone knows that a witch must be burned…but it is Colin’s heart that is aflame, over an enchanting woman he must not love, yet cannot live without.”

This book was sweet and I really enjoyed this sequel to Breath of Magic. The characters were easy to like and it was fun to see what life was like for Tristan and Arian after the first book finished. I did find myself giggling at certain parts and almost crying at others.

This book did take a short while to get going, but it was well worth it. I really liked the character of Colin of Ravenshaw. He was likable and sweet…in a tough-guy kind of way. I think the plot was fun to follow and made sense (well, for this set of books it did!) and I liked the twists and turns it took. As always, I will definitely read more of Teresa Medeiros in the future because she keeps on making me smile!

The Knight's Redemption: Joanne Rock

“The Curse Of Spinsterhood Lay Upon Her

“But Ariana Glamorgan swore she would dispel the fog that clouded men’s minds and be seen as she really was—particularly by Roarke Barrte, a knight of great prowess beset by sorrows of his own. For prophecy foretold him as the true destined husband of her heart…!

“ ‘Twas no matter who Roarke Barret wed, so long as the lady was Welsh. However, secrets made a poor dowry, and in hiding her true identity, Ariana brought lies in abundance to the marriage bed. He’d been deceived…and yet Roarke remained intrigued by this woman who awakened magic in his soul…!”

Like with the book by Margaret Moore, I read this book a while ago and finally got around to putting it in my blog for others to read about.

This was the first book by Joanne Rock that I read and I THOROUGHLY enjoyed it. The characters seemed real that the plot was very believable. I loved the interactions between the characters and I found myself fairly unable to put the book down. I will be sure to write more about Rock's books in the future!

The Dragon Lord: Connie Mason

“THE DRAGON

“Renowned for his prowess on the battlefield and in the bedroom, the Dragon Lord had no desire to wed an heiress he had never before seen. But a landless knight had few opportunities to win a barony, and a faithful subject had no choice but to obey his king. Yet how to select a wife from the three women offered to him? He had no taste for the grieving widow or the sharp-tongued shrew, so the meek virgin it must be.

“THE ROSE

“Confronted by their new lord and master, the women of Ayrdale prepared to accept their destiny. But high-spirited Rose knew she was no thornless blossom just waiting to be plucked. Her gentle twin longed for a cloistered life, whereas Rose had never been known as a shrinking violet and was more than capable of standing up to a dragon. A clever deception would allow her sister to enter the nunnery while an unsuspecting bride awaited her unsuspecting husband for the most unforgettable deflowering of all.”

I have never read Connie Mason before and I think I have just found a new author that I would happy to read more of! This book literally started off with…a “bang” to say the least. The word “cock”—though not necessarily in a vulgar way all of the time—has to have been used at least 100 times (no exaggeration, believe it or not…) and there were no fewer than six sex scenes. In fact, if I had to guess, there were probably around nine or ten of them. However, they were not poorly written or repetitive as one might expect from such a quantity.

The characters were wonderfully written and I was very impressed with the way their personalities were written. There were fantastic aspects of history to the story and only enriched it further. I found myself smiling and thoroughly enjoying the plot. I will most certainly read more of Connie Mason in the future!

Shadows and Lace: Teresa Medeiros

“With one roll of the dice, the shameful deed was done. Baron Lindsey Fordyce had gambled and lost, and now his beautiful daughter, Rowena, was about to pay the price. Spirited away to an imposing castle, the fiery innocent found herself pressed into the service of a dark and forbidding knight accused of murder…and much more. Handsome, brooding Sir Gareth of Caerleon had spent years waiting for the chance for revenge. But when he sought to use the fair Rowena to slay the ghosts of his tortured past, he never imagined he’d be ensnared in a silken trap of his own making—slave to a desire he could never hope to quench….”

This book was a very pleasant read! Many of you know that I love Teresa Medeiros almost as much as I love Celeste Bradley and—though this is still one of her earlier works—I was very impressed. The characters were very well-rounded and captivated me from start to finish. They were multifaceted and it made for an excellent story with MANY twists and turns that I had NO idea were coming. I cannot wait to pick up another of her books!

The Norman's Bride (The Dumont Stories, Book Two): Terri Brisbin

"She had no past. He could offer her no future."

"Yet William Royce de Severin could not quell the waves of desire threatening to engulf him whenever he looked upon Isabel. Battered by life, she reamined unbroken in spirit, making him yearn for the impossible--a life unfettered by his own dark secrets, with her forever by his side!

"Though recalling nothing of her own identity, Isabel was certain her rescuer, Royce, had been a knight. Every fiber of his being bespoke a chivalry simple seclusion could not hide. And every sinew of his body bestirred a passion that would ruse her to her true self as Royce's heart-sworn lady!"

I have never read this author before and her work is...unique to say the least. The beginning of this story started off with a captivating bang and the characters were very well-devloped...but there was just something about the writing that bothered me...

Mind you, the book wasn't terrible to the point that I will never again read this author, but I do find myself hoping that if I do come across another of her books, she will have worked on her writing. All in all, the plot itself was plesantly unique and I tentatively recommend this book because of it.