After two years of running Tegan O’Kelly could finally stop when the deadly gangster after her died. Eight months ago she put down roots in sunny Miami. For the first time in years she has friends, a job she likes and she can think about the future, not just surviving to the next day. When her car is bombed in broad daylight, she decides to stand her ground instead of running from her faceless enemy.
But a deadly enemy has her in his crosshairs…
Single father Aaron Fitzpatrick knew Tegan was trouble from the moment he laid eyes on her. Sexy trouble wrapped up in a petite, dynamite package he fantasizes about kissing far too often. So far he’s been able to keep his distance, but when he witnesses her car explode—with her close by—something protective erupts inside him. After his wife left him and their son five years ago, he’s stayed away from relationships and women, but he can’t keep his distance from Tegan. It’s clear she’s in danger and the more he learns about her, the more he knows he has to stand beside her and fight the danger hunting her.
Red Stone Security Series, #14 Author note: As all books in the Red Stone Security series, this book can be read as a stand-alone
••••••••
REVIEW:DANGEROUS PROTECTOR is the fourteenth installment in Katie Reus’s contemporary, adult RED STONE SECURITY (RSS) romantic, suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for RSS. This is RSS agent, former Ranger, and single father Aaron Fitzpatrick, and web designer Tegan O’Kelly’s story line. DANGEROUS PROTECTOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.
Told from several third person perspectives DANGEROUS PROTECTOR follows Tegan O’Kelly on the run. From Chicago and everywhere in between Tegan has been running from the mob. Accused of stealing millions of dollars in diamond,s our heroine believed she was safe when news came that the person hunting her down had been killed in an horrific accident. Fast forward to present day, where Tegan begins to settle into the Miami life, only to be blindsided when she is targeted once again. Enter former Ranger and RSS security agent Aaron Fitzpatrick, the man she has dreamed about since they first met. What ensues is the building relationship between two people who have danced around one another for several months, and the search for the people responsible for the threats against Tegan’s life.
Aaron is a bit of a brooder; a man burned by a previous relationship; a single father who has found himself attracted to Tegan O’Kelly. Keeping Tegan safe and protected finds our hero in the perfect position to get to know the woman who has starred in his nightly fantasies. The $ex scenes are intimate and sexy.
We are introduced to Aaron’s son Dillon- a little boy of five who believes his daddy has found a new love.
The world building continues to focus on the criminal element; the security firm known for their extra protection; and the men and women you will grow to love.
DANGEROUS PROTECTOR is a suspense filled story of mystery and romance. The premise is engaging; the characters are inspiring; the romance is passionate and heartwarming. Katie Reus add another wonderful and enthralling installment to her fabulous Red Stone Security romantic suspense series.
Manhattan’s It Girl, Natalie Grayson, has it all: she’s a hot exec at a leading advertising firm, known industry-wide for her challenging and edgy campaigns. She’s got a large circle of friends, a family that loves her dearly, and her dance card is always full with handsome eligible bachelors. What else could a modern gal-about-town wish for? The answer, of course, is…cheese.
Natalie’s favorite part of each week is spending Saturday morning at the Union Square Farmer’s Market, where she indulges her love of all things triple cream. Her favorite booth also indulges her love of all things handsome. Oscar Mendoza, owner of the Bailey Falls Creamery and purveyor of the finest artisanal cheeses the Hudson Valley has to offer, is tall, dark, mysterious, and a bit oblivious. Or so she thinks. But that doesn’t stop Natalie from fantasizing about the size of his, ahem, milk can.
Romance is churning, passion is burning, and something incredible is rising to the top. Could it be…love?
•••••
REVIEW:CREAM OF THE CROP is the second installment in Alice Clayton’s contemporary, adult HUDSON VALLEY romance series. This is Manhattan advertising executive Natalie Grayson, and Hudson Valley dairy farmer Oscar Mendoza’s story line. CREAM OF THE CROP can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. All of the characters from book one-NUTS-cross over and play secondary or supporting roles. We were first introduced to Natalie and Oscar in the previous story line where Natalie would ‘ stalk ’ Oscar at the weekend Farmer’s Market.
Told from first person point of view (Natalie) CREAM OF THE CROP follows successful advertising executive Natalie Grayson on her latest assignment-to develop a promotional video and ad campaign for the small town of Hudson Valley-where her best friend Roxie Callahan (NUTS book 1) lives, and the man who stars in all of her dreams works and resides. What ensues is a building relationship between Oscar and Natalie, and the potential for failure when the romance becomes focused on the long distance relationship and their burgeoning careers.
Natalie is a feisty, strong willed heroine with an affinity for cheese who is proud of her size eighteen curves but hasn’t always been in the past. Oscar is a quiet, reserved, somewhat oblivious man-beast with a secret past; a man happy to remain in the secluded town of Hudson Valley where his friends are few, and his solitude is met with some curious stares. As the romance heats up, Natalie must decide whether the charm of small town life is perfect for her, or perfect for the man with whom she is falling in love. The $ex scenes are intimate but I felt the ‘spark’ was missing; as though the couple were going through the motions knowing that the long distance relationship would eventually come to an end. When neither one is willing to compromise, both walk away without a second thought leaving this reader wondering if it was all worth it –in the end!
CREAM OF THE CROP is a fun read with humorous moments, and witty banter. Oscar is a man of few words, and his conversational prowess is limited throughout the story-Natalie carries a good portion of their conversations. Oscar’s ex plays a significant role in his life, and it will take a strong woman to understand their continuing relationship. The premise is entertaining and amusing; the characters are enjoyable and heartwarming; the romance is passionate.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley
Reviewed by Sandy
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Description: The Claybornes are back — and love is in bloom! First introduced in Julie Garwood’s magnificent New York Times bestseller “For the Roses,” which inspired the Hallmark Hall of Fame television film “Rose Hill,” the Clayborne brothers of Blue Belle, Montana, have been embraced by millions worldwide. Now Julie Garwood spins the individual stories of these three spirited brothers — once a mismatched gang of street urchins — in a trio of special novels that continues with “One Red Rose.” Adam Clayborne has always put great stock in the power of books. As an escaped slave — and a wanted man — reading has been his only ticket to the wonders of distant lands. Adam is content with his life as a confirmed bachelor, which is why his Mama Rose has summoned the irresistible Genevieve Delacroix to Montana. Also a former slave, Genevieve shares his dream of seeing the world, but she arrives to find Adam unfailingly polite…and just as distant. Undaunted, Genevieve determines to teach Adam what he’ll never learn from a book — that true freedom only comes when you open your heart.
Review:
One Red Rose by Julie Garwood is the 4th book in her Clayborne Brides series, which includes a three book novella. In One Red Rose, Adam Clayborne returns home late at night for a family party, and finds a woman in his bed. After the initial shock, Adam recognizes Genevieve as the woman who Mama Rose invited to become Adam’s wife; but that was almost a year has passed. Why did Genevieve decide to come now? Adam makes no bones that he is not interested in getting married …..ever.
We learn that Genevieve is keeping a secret about some trouble she is in. When she leaves abruptly after the party, Adam and the others in the family are concerned. Adam does find a telegram warning Genevieve to run, as someone is coming for her. This will set Adam to find Genevieve and help her from whoever is chasing her.
What follows in this quick paced short story, is an exciting tale of a preacher from Genevieve’s past who is evil, and wants her back. Adam will do whatever it takes to protect her, even if she insists he leave her alone. Genevieve finds herself caring for Adam, but does not want his help because she fears for his safety. It is also a sweet slow build romance that will find Adam falling in love with Genevieve and her believing he could never love her. They were very good together, and it was a happy ever after. If you enjoy western themed romances, with a great couple and a shorter storyline, then you should read the Clayborne Brides trilogy.\
After a violent tragedy nearly destroyed her, Lily Taylor ran away, changed her name, and started over. When her deadly nemesis resurfaces to eliminate his loose end, she turns to the last man she should trust—a stranger with a history of violence and an intoxicating sexuality she can’t refuse…
Though strong-armed into locating Lily to help put away a drug lord, ex-con Stone Sutter isn’t anyone’s snitch. When he finds the terrified beauty, he vows to keep her safe—but he isn’t sure he has the strength to shield her from his own desires.
As an unquenchable fire sparks between them, Lily’s tormentor stalks ever closer, and she must overcome her darkest fear to survive. Can she trust the bond she and Stone have formed as they’re falling in deeper?
•••••••••
REVIEW:FALLING IN DEEPER is the eleventh installment in Shayla Black’s contemporary, adult WICKED LOVERS erotic, BDSM, romance series. This is computer hacker/ex-con Stone Sutter, and Lily Taylor’s story line. Wicked Lovers focuses on a group of former marines, special ops, former police and military men, the women they love and their connection to Dominion BDSM club. FALLING IN DEEPER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Lily and Stone) FALLING IN DEEPER focuses on the search for the person(s) threatening Lily Taylor, and Stone’s need to convince Lily to testify against a brutal rapist and killer who murdered her friend years before. When an attack against Lily ends with a car bomb explosion, Stone hides Lily in a cabin in the woods, hoping to gain her trust and protect her from the evil outside. What ensues is the building relationship between a young woman destroyed by her past, and a man whose own history has Lily questioning the lesser of two evils. When the truth about Stone’s intent is revealed, Lily runs into the very people she was hoping to avoid.
The relationship between Stone and Lily is difficult. Lily is the receptionist at Club Dominion, and a woman who recently lost her Dom to the love of his life. Axel Dillon found love and although he was reluctant to discontinue his D/s relationship with Lily, Lily needed someone who was able to help her navigate her recovery to help battle her demons. Struggling to find control, Lily accepts Stone’s offer to be the Dom to her sub, and Stone spends most of the story line trying to convince our heroine to trust him but herein lies the conflict-Stone has not been honest about his reasons for approaching Lily, and her trust is destroyed when the truth is revealed. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and provocative. The Dom/sub content is tame, due to the nature of Lily’s past, in comparison to many other stories and series. Stone does not pressure Lily, and bides his time taking his cues from the woman with whom he is falling in love.
There are several secondary and supporting characters including Axel Dillon-Lily’s former Dom who still claims rights to Lily’s safety; Sean, Thorpe (Dominions Club owner and head Dom), and Callie (Theirs to Cherish #8); and Heath-Mystery’s (Axel’s fiancé) former bodyguard. The requisite evil comes in many shapes, and wants revenge for sins of the past. The world building focuses on the developing relationship between Dom and sub but the majority of the story line does not involve the Dominion Club.
FALLING IN DEEPER is a story about betrayal and trust; revenge and retribution; running from the past, and moving towards a better future. The premise is intriguing with some twists and turns that you won’t see coming. The characters are passionate; the romance is captivating. Shayla Black will seduce your mind into a world where fantasy becomes reality.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley
Reviewed by Sandy
“Oh, fuck. You’re so beautiful. You need this now, don’t you? Yeah,” he agreed when she nodded frantically. “Let it take you under. Let me hear you scream.”
Lily couldn’t think of anything she wanted more. As she circled her hyperaware nerve endings again, her body jerked. Desire surged. When Stone bent to take her nipple in his mouth, she clasped the back of his head and anchored him to her. Not that he’d do anything except help her drown. But this time nothing would be sweeter.
He dragged a hand up to her other nipple and tangled his fingers with her own. Together, they manipulated the tip of that breast while he sucked the other hard and scraped the very tip with his teeth.
Sensations mounted again. She felt like a vessel filling up with blood, with need, with an imminent explosion. It was right there . . .
Her legs shook. Her hips jerked. She whimpered, strained for it. She tasted need.
But she couldn’t seem to fall over the sweetly sharp edge.
Lily pressed harder against her clit, narrowing her circles, focusing on just how good this was going to be. The seconds ticked off in her head, slowly becoming minutes. The exquisite need was its own form of hell, and she couldn’t seem to escape.
The torture dragged on, and she saw no way out. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling defeat begin to creep in.
Stone sprang into action, popping her nipple from between his lips and grazing her ear with his lips. “You got this, baby. Focus on my voice and close your eyes. Yeah, I know that’s hard, but I’ve got you.”
Oddly, she already believed that.
“Picture yourself naked and me standing over you, stroking my cock. You know I’m going to tell you how sexy you are and how much I want you. Imagine that I’d fall to my knees between those pretty thighs. When you hold your arms open to me, I’ll go right into them. Then I’m going to kiss you, touch every lush, tingling curve of your body, and when you’re begging, that’s when I’ll slide inside you. Deep. That’s when I’ll stroke you slowly and thoroughly and make you claw my back as you come.”
As he spoke, her desire and racing blood clashed, merged. Everything inside her roared to a screaming crescendo. The wall she’d been slamming into, preventing her from falling over, disintegrated. She envisioned exactly what Stone told her to picture. She saw herself being not just perfectly able but eager to lie back and welcome him inside her as he gave her mind-blowing pleasure and she surrendered herself completely.
Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels. For over fifteen years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold well over a million copies and been published in a dozen languages.
Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past seven years.
Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her teenage daughter, and a very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.
The Reading Cafe and Shayla’s publisher are offering a paper copy of FALLING IN DEEPER to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.
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After her husband’s death two years ago, erotic romance author Liz Anderson moved home to small-town Angel Bay to heal her broken heart. So when her best friend fixes her up with a single father ten years her junior, she doesn’t expect much. But this hot young chef is igniting her long-dormant passion.
With a three-year-old daughter to raise and a restaurant to run, the last thing Luc Rossi’s life has room for is love. After his fiancée’s betrayal, he isn’t sure he believes in it anyway. His colleague’s matchmaking attempt is awkward at best, but what can he do except play the gentleman? Liz ends up being smart, charming, and sexy, and he can’t resist her.
An offer to teach her to cook leads to a steamy fling, but this gorgeous older woman makes Luc wonder if it’s time to open his heart again. Can he convince Liz that giving their relationship a chance beyond the bedroom wouldn’t be a betrayal of the past she holds dear?
••••••••
REVIEW:LUC is the first installment in J. M. Stewart’s contemporary, adult ROSSI BROTHERS romance series. This is single father and chef Luc Rossi, and erotic romance author Liz Anderson’s story line.
Told from dual third person points of view (Liz and Luc) LUC focuses on the developing relationship between two people whose lives were destroyed by death, deceit and loss. Two years earlier, Liz lost her husband to the war in the Middle East, and the grief continues to haunt our heroine to the present day. Luc, on the other hand, lost the woman he loved only to discover that his relationship had all been built upon a lie. When Liz’s best friend Sam arranges a ‘ blind date’ and introductions between the forty year old widow, and the thirty year old single father, both of our leading characters have a difficult time letting go of the past. While guilt continues to eat at Liz, Luc finds himself on the outside looking in when the woman with whom he is falling in love, is unwilling to give the future a try.
The relationship struggles with the push and pull of attraction, want and need. Liz continues to give off mixed signals pushing Luc away following every intimate encounter. The $ex scenes are seductive and intense; our heroine battles preconceived notions about their age difference, and her lack of model-like body.
The world building focuses on grief and guilt; love and loss; and Luc’s desperate attempts to teach Liz a thing or two in the kitchen. We are introduced to Liz’s best friend Sam, and her husband Joe- Sam is one of Luc’s employees at his family run Italian restaurant. Luc’s brother Nic, also a single father, needs to have his story told next.
LUC is a story of romance and second chances. The premise is engaging and delightful; the characters are animated and inspiring; the romance is fated and intimate. LUC is a passionate story line where two people find one another against the odds.
Description: Scott Standish has been a rambling man since his mother got sick way back when he was eighteen. Unable to watch her die, he left home after graduation and kept roaming.
But when he goes home to Harkness, New Brunswick for a Thanksgiving visit, he discovers he’s got a stowaway—ten-year-old Sid the Kid, his sidekick from the job he just left. For once, moving on had been hard, and not just because of Sid. The attraction between him and Sid’s mother, chef April Morgan, is electric. But she’s a single mom needing stability, and he plans to keep moving.
When April comes to Harkness to retrieve Sid, she does so in a car packed with all her worldly possessions, having been fired from her position over her daughter’s behavior. When Scott realizes her predicament, he offers her domestic employment.
With no place to go and no one to turn to, April and Sidney make a home at the Standish farm. Her daughter is thrilled, rapidly becoming attached to the dog and the family despite April’s reminders that it’s only temporary. Scott Standish might be tied to the farm for a few months, but she knows he’ll settle nowhere, least of all in Harkness. April can’t afford to take a chance with her heart, or her daughter’s. So she has no choice but to fight the yearning that grows stronger inside her every day.
Review:
Promise me the Stars picks up after book number 2, Ember’s Flame. Normally, I kind of give a lay of the land, so to speak, about the book and its premise, but the blurb does that perfectly. I’m just going to tell you why you should read this book. IT. WAS. AWESOME. The characters are well written and well developed. With the previous two books, we already knew that Harkness was a place that we’d all want to grow up and we already knew the supportive nature of most of its residents. We also knew that the Standish clan, each and every one of them, had a heart the size of the moon. Enter Scott Standish. Having lost his birth parents, he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle. He was truly a member of the family: a beloved son and brother. He tried to calm his restless spirit, but no matter how hard he tried, he just could not stay put.
April Morgan is a strong, hard-working and very independent single mother who has struggled in life, but has always made things work for herself and Sidney, aka, Sid. Both of these characters will absolutely steal your heart. Sid is a typical 10 year old in a lot of ways, but is wise beyond her years in a lot of other ways. She’s bound and determined to get her mom to see reason and stay in Harkness.
With all of that said, what will take your breath away, and leave lots of tears in your eyes, is watching Scott realize just why he’s always been so restless. When the realization hits him, he truly knows peace and contentment for the first time since his birth parents died in that horrible accident. As he lays everything on the table with April, you can feel her hope and their absolute devotion to each other, to their family, and most of all, to the fabulous Sid the Kid. I really liked the first two books in this series, but this was by far my favorite. This is one of the sweetest and most endearing things I’ve read in a long time. So, grab your tissues and get to reading! Well done, Norah Wilson!! Very, very well done!!!
Emily Garret never asked to be rescued, let alone by a walking JCrew ad whose idea of fun is probably managing his stock portfolio and watching the nightly news. Then again, she never thought she would wind upside-down in a ditch after a night having a little too much fun.
Reece Montgomery never planned on being anyone’s hero, especially the foul-mouthed, bleach-blonde barista from the local coffee shop. He thinks there’s more to Emily than her tattoos, and lip ring, but getting close means letting her into his past and meeting his ghosts.
And he’s not sure she’s ready for that battlefield.
Review:
It started off grim, dark even. Two damaged souls who neglect the world and worse, themselves. Fully immersed in self-destructiveness, Emily’s car crashes into a ditch and is on the verge of exploding when Reece hones his soldier instincts and extracts her from a worse fate. Light pierced the sky that night, but the journey to happiness is a tumultuous one for Emily and Reece. Even if there had been epiphany, Reece and Emily are too wounded, too dubious. Unfortunately, the war lies within…the personal demons that stalk and torment. Cole Gibsen‘s writing is very appealing. She pounds you with brutal grief and guilt, jolts and halts progress, and wraps you in euphoria. I think those are apt depictions for Seared On My Soul.
Last night, when I saw the car was on fire, I sped toward it.
I had no idea who I’d find or what I was getting myself into. Was I really concerned with saving a life-or on some level was I looking to end my own?
Reece battles agonizing pain, physically and mentally, on a daily basis since his army tour, but it’s not enough, not nearly enough, to make up for a personal failure. The bullet that hangs over his heart serves as an anchor to misery. Emily labels herself a loser. She’s a little flighty, sure, but excessive drinking and poor judgment have created a shame spiral that she’s drowning in.
There’s no big mystery here, no one from the past who comes to steal their happiness. Reece and Emily impede that road all on their own. Their paths join, wariness a commonality between them, but it’s fear of being more when someone else can’t or when no one expects you to achieve. They are in a wretched stasis of their own making because of all-consuming guilt. The road to acceptance is not without push and pull, heartache, and turmoil. We grieve with/for them and pray they’ll come to realize how resilient they are. How courageous they’ve become. How helping one another to cope is a gift in itself.
My teeny-tiny complaint I need to get out of my head? I wish there had been an exchange between Emily and Reece (and her crummy barista skills) prior to their fateful encounter. It felt like a missed opportunity for optimum connection, especially when Emily seemed “unaware” of Reece post-accident. Amid the heavy issues and shortcomings, managing to traverse each others minefields is no minor success, the amount of irreverence and humor really stood out and finessed the story. I was prepared for love to conquer Reece’s stoicism, but Emily teased and flirted and pushed Reece into corners to bring him to life. These characters demonstrated heart and a vitality they once deemed too toxic.
There are conflicts to face and a resilience necessary to bear them. Have Emily and Reece found peace? Is love enough to sustain them or has one remained in the dark for too long?
Description: It is in the darkest hours of a universe’s past that their legends are born and their heroes rise…
No one knows exactly how much heart they have until their mettle is put to the hazard and they reach the lowest point of hell. There, they have only two choices. Lie down and die. Or find the strength to push themselves to their feet and fight back with everything they have.
In the words of Trajan Thaumarturgus:
Every great legend begins with one hero giving his finger to destiny and fate.
For those who have read Born of Betrayal, Dagger is the alias that is used by Ushara’s husband, and the father of the twins, who is on the run for his life. This is his story and shows how he became a member of the Tavali and what happens to them after Born of Betrayal ends.
“It’s official Take a Psycho to Work Day. Why else would I be here?”
Hunted. Hated. Betrayed. Dagger Ixur is on the run for his life. As one of the most recognizable members of his royal house, he has a bounty on his head that guarantees him no quarter from any friend or even family. But surrender isn’t in him. He will fight to the bitter end. A resolve that is sorely tested when he narrowly escapes a trap that leaves him severely wounded. With what he believes is his dying breath, he saves a boy born to an extinct race from a group out to enslave the kid for his legendary abilities.
Ushara Altaan has spent her entire life hating those born to nobility. After all, it was a royal house that drove her entire species into virtual extinction. As a rare Andarion Fyreblood, she is sworn to end the existence of any royal she finds. But when Dagger saves her son’s life, she is torn between her people and a debt that can never be repaid.
Yet worse than Dagger’s family that’s still out to end hers, are the League assassins after him who will stop at nothing to claim the lives of her Tavali family. The only hope she has to save them all is to put their future and her faith into the hands of the very enemy whose grandmother personally extinguished Ushara’s legendary lineage. But how can she ever trust Dagger when he is a disinherited outlaw whose real name is synonymous with betrayal?
The story behind the story;
While writing Born of Betrayal, this was one of those characters and stories that grabbed a hold of me and threw me to the ground and said, “Hey, Sherri, you HAVE to tell my story. It’s time.” I fought it. I denied it. But in the end, I lost. The hero ripped my heart out and made me feel for him. Most of all, he made me root for him. It answers a lot of questions and I am so glad I lost my battle and gave in.
Review;
I for one couldn’t be happier that Ms. Kenyon lost that battle and wrote Jullien’s story. I absolutely loved Born of Legend by Sherrilyn Kenyon and am so sad the book had to end it was that good. Honestly I don’t where to start with this review because so much happened. We learn everything about Jullien and why at first he’s a character we can’t stand and want to see dead, but by the first quarter of the book, I was falling fast for Jullien and didn’t want him dead. In fact I too was rooting from him just like Ms. Kenyon was and I couldn’t be happier that he got a HEA.
Jullien’s story is once again a gut wrenching emotional read, as Ms. Kenyon herself said, “the hero ripped my heart out and made me feel for him”, I echo those sentiments and then some. How Ms. Kenyon manages to write such emotional stories that can rip our hearts out one minute, then in the next breath we’re howling with laughter over the dry wit and humour that our characters possess is mind boggling. If it wasn’t for the dry wit, superior sarcasm and plain old Kenyon humour in this one I think my eyes would be permanently red and puffy over the tears I spilled while reading about the hell Jullien lived in. How he managed to survive as long as he did, first with his family(who deserve a beat down for their treatment of him), and then on the run is beyond me, but he does and manages to wind up meeting the one person who could pull him out of the hell he’s been living in, his Darling Star Ushara. Absolutely loved her character and am glad she’s Jullien’s mate. Ms. Kenyon couldn’t have picked a better female for him. She alone manages to reach the part of Jullien he’s buried deep down inside himself so as not to hurt any more then he already does. She brings him out of the dark and back in to the light and living, letting him see he’s someone special. She makes him see that what has happened to him all this time isn’t his fault, but of those who were suppose to be there for him and protect him, his family. She teaches him what family truly means and gives him two things he never imagined he’d have; a loving family, and friends who will lay down their lives for him no matter what.
Jullien and Ushara have got to be one the cutest and memorable couples Kenyon has created, at least that’s how I feel right now. Their love for each other is soul deep and pours off the pages. It’s a beautifully crafted, yet emotional love story about finding your soul mate, learning to love, trust someone fully, and putting your life in their hands. Every moment spent with Jullien and Ushara is adorable, sweet and just down right funny at times. I love so many of their scenes together that I can’t list them all, but two that are most memorable are; the first time they make love and she teaches him what it means to really make love, and the birth of their daughters. Both grabbed me by the heart and wouldn’t let got. Well done Ms. Kenyon, well done.
In Born of Legend we also are treated to learning about what it means to be Tavali and how the Tavali came to be. We also get to meet a slew of other characters who helped advance the story and bring more depth to it. I absolutely loved Ushara’s brother Davel, her best friend and boss Trajen another Trisani, and his friend Thraix, also Trisani. These characters along with Jullien provided most of the much needed humour with their sarcasm and dry wit to balance out the raw emotion in this one. They definitely kept me in stiches numerous times.
Just when I think Ms. Kenyon can’t make the next League installment better then the last one, she goes and proves me wrong. Born of Legend is a well crafted and thought out story that pulls the reader in and never lets you out. It will tug at your heartstrings and have you hoping mad over the injustice done to an innocent for no other reason then being born a hybrid. Ushara and Jullien’s romance will have you crying tears of happiness, and the rest of the cast of characters will have you howling with laughter as well. The action and drama in this one will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and chewing your fingernails. For any Kenyon fan this is a must read.
