Tag Archives: Historical

Sinful Scot by Julie Johnstone & Cecelia Mecca-Review & Giveaway Tour

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Sinful Scot by Julie Johnstone & Cecelia Mecca-Review & Giveaway Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 28, 2020

In a time he doesn’t belong, in an alliance she shouldn’t have made, they’ll fall dangerously, hopelessly in love.

New Orleans, 2020. Billionaire Rhys McCaim doesn’t believe for one second that his missing mother is a time traveler. Still, his father insists that she didn’t leave them willingly but was pulled through time to her true home in medieval Scotland. But when he and his three brothers test out an ancient time-traveling spell to appease their dying father and Rhys is catapulted to thirteenth-century Scotland, he can’t exactly deny it anymore. Suddenly he’s a Highlander in a land on the verge of war. He needs to get back to his time before all hell breaks loose, but first he must find his mother. Luckily, fate drops the perfect guide in his path. She’s brilliant, beautiful and bold, and he’s drawn to her in a way he’s never been drawn to anyone or anything before. But he can’t afford to be distracted from his mission or lower his carefully constructed guard.

Scotland, 1286. Maggie Irvine is betrothed to a vicious man who cares only of wealth and power. Marrying him will restore her family’s reputation, however, saving her siblings from lives of misery. She has resigned herself to her fate, but when a mysterious, handsome stranger magically appears before her out of thin air, her plan—and the stranger’s life—are in jeopardy. And the only way to save him is to risk everything. As she comes to learn the shocking truth of what he hides, Maggie discovers what happens when duty collides with desire and long-abandoned dreams rise to the surface.

Bound by secrets and lies, Maggie and Rhys are entangled in the brewing battle for the Scottish throne. With his knowledge of the future, Rhys possesses the powerful ability to alter history. Yet, to do so successfully, he must let Maggie past the defenses he’s spent a lifetime building. Now, an alliance that began in desperation becomes a need that will leave them both torn between what they should do and what love demands.

•••••••

REVIEW: Sinful Scot is a historical/time travel/romance novel. I don’t intend to miss a single part of this wonderfully written new series. I eagerly await the next novel.

I don’t do spoilers, and I certainly wouldn’t want to spoil a second of this exciting series. So, I’ll give you the basic set up and let you salivate over the rest! (I’m writing this while chuckling evilly.)

The story starts with a prelude of King Alexander in Fifeshire, Scotland in 1286. Shona MacKinnish has just witnessed the death of King Alexander, and it was not an accident. She is being pursued by one of those who planned and carried out the deed. They scared his horse and he was thrown over a cliff to his death. There are many more details, this is just the basics of what happened. She reached Hightower castle and tells her healer sister what has happened and that she’s being chased. They mean to kill her to silence her. Her sister is a powerful woman and attempts to send her to their home and clan to protect her. She uses an ancient silver cross the fae gave her with special powers for traveling. However, Shona gets the chant wrong and disappears, no one knows where she has gone.

The first chapter sets the premise and deepens the plot and it’s so cool. Okay, here’s the setup for the actual story. The first chapter is set in the year 2020, New Orleans.

There are four brothers in total. Rhys, Reikart, Greyson, and Ian. Their mother, Shona, just disappeared five years ago. They had made extensive efforts to find her, but there was literally no trace of her. Tonight, is the anniversary of her disappearance. Their father, Colin, was heartbroken and is now seemingly mad. He believed she’d gone through time and spent all his time with books and charts trying to find a way to get her back. He spent a small fortune on an ancient book of spells or chants in hope of getting his wife back. The police and the brothers believe she just walked out. It just doesn’t make sense to them, because they’d always been madly in love.

When their father collapses and is taken to the hospital, the brothers investigate his study to try to find out what he was up to when he got so sick. What they find is both amazing and truly a bit crazy…and the fun and adventure begins!

Rhys is the focus of the first novel and what a wonderfully exciting story it is! There is so much adventure, romance, love and more here. However, you will need to read the rest for yourself. I can only tell you it’s worth both the time and the price of the book. I think this series is a must read!

Kudos to Julie Johnstone and Cecelia Mecca on what I believe will be a very lucrative and popular series.

I just want the next one soon! PLEASE!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Georgianna S

About Julie Johnstone

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Author Julie Johnstone first fell in love with romance fifteen years ago when she picked up her first romance novel in an airport gift shop on the way to Conroe, Texas for a family reunion and spent her whole weekend reading rather than water skiing, which up until then was one of her favorite things to do.

Julie is staying up way too late and typing furiously on her keyboard to finish her next book or blog with her fellow authors at Ladyscribes. Julie is married to an amazing lawyer and when she is not running her two precocious children to one activity or another she is trying to seek out some time to stay in shape and see her dearest friends.

•••••••••••

About Cecelia Mecca

Follow: Goodreads/Twitter/Website / Bookbub

Cecelia Mecca is the author of historical romance and also writes paranormal romance as C.L. Mecca.

Every heroine, from Lady Sara in the Border Series to Alessandra Fiore in Bloodwite, is your best friend– the one who kicks ass and takes names. When these ladies meet alpha-males who try to take control, sparks fly until the very last page.

Cecelia writes the Amazon bestselling Border Series and brand new Order of the Broken Blade series which take readers to an admittedly romanticized time of knights and castles in medieval England and Scotland.

She also has her hands full with the ultimate bad boys– sexy, wealthy and swoon-worthy vampires– a venture not for the faint of heart. Her debut paranormal romance series, Bloodwite, released in 2019.

​Our Highlander-loving, vampire-writing author can be found in Northeast, Pennsylvania​, chai in hand, thinking up new ways to tame both medieval and paranormal playboys. She is firmly House Stark and Gryffindor.

Julie Johnstone is graciously offering an ebook copy of SINFUL SCOT to ONE (1) commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer then click on the post heading).

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3. Follow Julie Johnstone on Facebook.

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

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8. Giveaway is open internationally

9. Giveaway runs from March 7-11, 2020

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Devil at the Gates by Lauren Smith – a Review

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Devil at the Gates by Lauren Smith – a Review

 

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Description:
One dark night she meets her fate in the arms of shadowy duke…
Fleeing a cruel stepfather, Harriet Russell escapes into a stormy night, relying only on the mercy of servants to help her. Her coach overturns, leaving her and her driver injured. Seeking help from whoever lives nearby, she stumbles between a set of gates guarded by fierce demonic gargoyle statues. As she enters the shadowy, haunted lands belonging to the Duke of Frostmore, she’s afraid of meeting with him, but she must in order to help her driver. Harriet comes face to face with the duke, she understands why he’s called the Devil of Dover, with his fierce sensual magnetism and his frightening temper. He’s beautiful, tempting and dangerous…

He made a mistake once by falling in love and death followed…
After the tragic deaths of his wife and brother, Redmond Barrington, the Duke of Frostmore, wants to be left alone and has barred all strangers from his lands. When an injured young woman begs for help, he finds himself reconsidering his vow of solitude as Christmas draws near. Harriet is as unwilling to trust in love as he is. What begins with a terrifying tension between them soon becomes something else entirely, a sensual passion that frightens him with its intensity. The more time he spends with her, the more Redmond wonders if fate might give him a second chance to chase away the ghosts of his past.

 

 

Review:

Devil at the Gates by Lauren Smith originally started out in a box set, but the author has now released it on its own.  Devil at the Gates is a short story set in the late 1700’s.

The Duke of Frostmore, also known as the Dark Duke, or the Devil of Dover. Redmond “Red” Barrington wasn’t always like the title he was now known as. He’d been a better man, but after finding his new wife in bed with his brother, Redmond had stepped off the cliff and into hell. His heart black and cold, vowing never to love again…..

Harriet needed to escape, as her stepfather had plans for her, and they weren’t very nice ones. Escaping without her beloved mother was hard, but she was dying and Harriet   couldn’t risk her. So with the aid of the housekeeper and her coachman she makes a bid for freedom…..

Harriet goes to the Dark Duke’s home to ask for his aid, her carriage has over overturned and the driver is badly injured. it’s not a good idea, in fact it’s a dangerous idea, but what choice has Harriet got? She won’t go home, not whilst that man is there. She needs the Dark Duke’s help. An agreement is made, she will stay until she is well, and her coachman’s leg has mended. Then he will help her reconnect with her mother’s family.

Yes it has the predictable ending, and the journey getting there was a little rough. Red didn’t want anyone in his home or heart, but Harriet managed both. She stirs feelings in him that he thought were long dead. But he won’t love again, that hurt the last time he did it.

Once Harriet got to know Red a little better, saw past the bluster and anger, saw the man still hurting after seven lonely years. But she won’t trust him, he may give her back to her stepfather, or worse, take her himself. She must remain on guard at all times.

It’s a nice little read. I know it was intended as a Christmas read, but I didn’t get it then ?, but it’s nicely written, and can be read in a few hours.

Reviewed by Julie B

Copy supplied for review

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Fair Weather Enemies by Sawyer North – a Review

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Fair Weather Enemies by Sawyer North – a Review

 

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Description:
The Hancocks and Ashfords have had a long-standing feud between their families long before Miss Jane Hancock couldn’t stand the sight of gentleman farmer Adam Ashford. But after both families fall on hard times and an unscrupulous creditor forces Jane and Adam to sign a devil’s bargain, they’ll finally understand the true meaning of keeping your enemies close at hand.

The terms of this bargain? Locate a lost treasure shrouded in deception and mystery.

The catch? Only one can claim it to win…the loser is left to ruin.

As Jane and Adam embark on a trek throughout England they plan to hate their adversary, no matter how attractive, generous, and kind they are.

Sometimes, plans change…

 

Review:

Fair Weather Enemies is a historical romance novel by author Sawyer North. Sawyer North is a new author to me. However, this will not be the last novel I want to read from this author.

The story begins in September of 1816, in London.

The two main characters of the story are Jane Hancock and Adam Ashford. The families of these characters are and have been both neighbors and each a part of a family feud going on for generations. This all began over a business they ran together until the Jacobite rebellion put an end to it. Their respective grandfathers hired a good man to take hundreds of gold pieces past the rebels. The man sent both families a letter describing where the gold could be found. However, neither family was able to decern where the gold was hidden. An argument ensued between the great grandfathers and they fought a duel. Each mortally wounded the other. That started the feud.

They have all had a very bad year. Adam owes a lot of money to Mr. Rutley (the villain). Jane runs her families mill and since crops failed this year, she also owes way too much to Mr. Rutley. He called in their debts, employing a lawyer, Mr. Barlow to oversee the procedure. He would take the Ashford lands and send Miss Hancock to debtors’ prison. In explaining this to Mr. Barlow, when Mr. Rutley stepped out to go to another meeting, they discovered the letters to each family had to be read together…this had never occurred to the families. Mr. Barlow informed both Jane and Adam that Mr. Rutley and his father before him had been taking advantage of this feud to fund each family’s attempts to ruin each other, and that while they fought the evil Rutleys had now gained both family holdings.

On hearing about the gold, Mr. Rutley cut them another proposition. They would have thirty days to find the gold, if not found they would both be ruined, and Mr. Ashford would have to marry Mr. Rutley’s daughter and cede his estate to Mr. Rutley. If found, they must toss a coin to see who would get all the gold. If Jane won, she would pay Mr. Rutley and keep her mill. If Adam won, Jane would go to debtors’ prison and Adam would still have to marry Mr. Rutley’s daughter. Mr. Barlow would accompany them on their search to represent Mr. Rutley’s interests.

Okay, that’s the basic setup and there’s much more detail you can read for yourself. You might be able to imagine where the author is taking this story, but the “devil” is in the details! Wow, the detail in this story great! Grab a copy of this one and settle in for a great read. I can’t wait for more from this author!

Reviewed by Georgianna

Copy provided by Publisher

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THE BACHELOR (Duke Dynasty #2) by Sabrina Jeffries-a review

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THE BACHELOR (Duke Dynasty #2) by Sabrina Jeffries-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 25, 2020

Lady Gwyn Drake has long protected her family’s reputation by hiding an imprudent affair from her youth. But when her former suitor appears at Armitage Hall, manhandling the heiress and threatening to go public with her secrets, it’s Gwyn who needs protecting. Her twin brother, Thorn, hires Joshua Wolfe, the estate’s gamekeeper, to keep her safe in London during her debut. As a war hero, Joshua feels obligated to fulfill the assignment he has accepted. But as a man, it’s torment to be so very close to the beauty he’s fought to ignore . . .

With handsome Joshua monitoring her every move, Gwyn would prefer to forget both the past and the parade of money-seeking bachelors at her coming out. But Joshua is unmoved by her attempts at flirtation, and the threat of blackmail still hangs over her. With danger closing in, Gwyn must decide which is the greater risk: deflecting a scoundrel’s attempts to sabotage her–or revealing her whole heart to the rugged bodyguard she can’t resist .

••••

REVIEW: THE BACHELOR is the second instalment in Sabrina Jeffries adult DUKE DYNASTY historical romance series focusing on the children of a thrice-widowed dowager Duchess, and her extended family of nieces and nephews, by marriage. This is thirty-year old Lady Gwyn Drake, and thirty-one year old, British Marine/gamekeeper Major Joshua Wolfe’s story line. THE BACHELOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Gwyn and Joshua) THE BACHELOR follows the building relationship between thirty-year old Lady Gwyn Drake, and thirty-one year old, British Marine/gamekeeper Major Joshua Wolfe. Ten years earlier Gwyn’s brother Thorn paid off one of her suitors to protect his twin and the family estate. Fast forward to present day wherein said suitor has returned in an effort to blackmail our story line heroine who is reluctant to reveal the truth, to her brother, about what happened years before. Witnessing the back and forth between Gwyn and a man he didn’t know, Major Joshua Wolfe comes to Gwyn’s defense, only to find himself hired by Gwyn’s brother Thorn to protect our heroine from a possible abduction, a story Gwyn told her brother to hide the truth. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Gwyn and Joshua, and the potential fall-out as Gwyn’s blackmailer follows the family to London, to demand more than Gwyn is willing to pay.

Lady Gwyn Drake believes she is a tarnished spinster with no hopes of love on the horizon but discovering Major Joshua Wolfe has been hired to protect our story line heroine, Gwyn finds herself falling for a man to whom she has lied, time and again. Major Joshua Wolfe is damaged goods having been injured in a battle on the seas. Surviving on a partial pension from his Marine days, Joshua gladly accepts Thorn’s offer of a job, to protect the woman with whom he will fall in love. A cross-country trip to London to present Joshua’s sister as Grey’s duchess, and Gwyn’s presentation as a potential wife, are the perfect set-up to hide the truth as to Gwyn’s need for a personal bodyguard.

The relationship between is Gwyn and Joshua is one of immediate attraction but neither one is looking for any long-term commitments. Gwyn’s limited history with men, and her age, means her prospects of finding love are few and far between; and Joshua struggles in the face of his injuries, and the possibility that he may never be able to afford a wife. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Dowager Duchess Lydia Fletcher; Gwyn’s twin Marlow ‘Thorn’ Drake, and their half siblings Sheridan Wolfe, Heywood Wolfe; Fletcher Grey and his wife Beatrice Wolfe (Project Duchess #1). The requisite evil is Captain Lionel Malet- a man willing to sell anything for a price.

THE BACHELOR is a story of betrayal and vengeance; deceit and blackmail; romance, relationships, family and love. The premise is captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are charismatic, feisty and energetic.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one PROJECT DUCHESS.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Sinful Scot by Maddison Michaels – a Review

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The Sinful Scot by Maddison Michaels – a Review

 

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Description:
Constance Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmaine, once believed that all she needed in life was a duke. But everything unraveled when she realized her perfect husband was a perfect monster. Now broken beyond repair, she hides her misery behind a perfect Society mask…even from her childhood friend, Alec.

Dr. Alec McGuiness reluctantly finds himself back in Scotland, and checking up on the only woman to ever get under his skin, Connie. After she spurned him many years ago, he knows his humble life as a doctor could never be enough for her. But when the Duke of Kilmaine is murdered in cold blood, with Connie sleeping right next to him in bed, Alec knows he must protect Connie at all costs from those who would frame her for the duke’s murder.

Now on the run, Connie feels a freedom she only ever dreamed about before, and an unexpected attraction to the man who is keeping her safe. But even if they can win her freedom and clear her name, could she ever open her heart up to someone again?

 

 

Review:

The Sinful Scot by Maddison Michaels is the third book in her “Saints and Scoundrels” series. They don’t need reading in order. It’s told in the third person. A well thought out book, touching on a few subjects that a few readers might find hard to read about. 

Connie is use to putting on a show. For years now, she’s acted the dutiful wife, even when her husband beat her, even when he abused her mind and body. The only time she tried to escape, she almost lost her life. So now she’s resigned to her fate. Her life is in her husbands hands, and as he get a monthly allowance from her inheritance, he’s not going to end her life just yet. 

But life has its twists and turns, and fate throws her a lifeline…..

Alec has always remembered Connie, but he knew she’d never be happy as a wife of a doctor, so he moved away, but circumstances bring him back to Scotland, and into Connie’s life. He’s under the false impression (like everyone else) that she’s a spoilt woman, who wanted a Lady title, and would do anything to get it …… 

The death of her husband should have her mourning him, but all Connie feels is numb at his death. But it’s not a natural death, it was murder, and the finger is pointing firmly at Connie. But did she do it? She doesn’t remember.

A few things I found a little hard. Connie and Alec getting together, if she’d been that badly abused, wouldn’t it take longer to get over all that violent abuse? Romance books can survive without the sex, if the story is strong enough, then it doesn’t need the sweaty bodies writhing around. I would have preferred the story to concentrate on Connie’s road to recovery.  So is she guilty? Will she be able to escape the Duke and the legacy he left her with? And who was the murderer? 

I liked Connie because although brow beaten, she still had thoughts of other people. Her stepdaughter, and her household. I liked Alec but only when he realised her character is only a facade. A murder mystery book, with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure…

Reviewed by Julie B

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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The Mail Order Bride’s Secret by Linda Broday – a Review

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The Mail Order Bride’s Secret by Linda Broday – a Review

 

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Description:
When three young children show up on outlaw Tait Trinity’s doorstep, he knows he can’t help them—a wanted man has no business raising kids. And yet he can’t bring himself to turn them away. At a loss, he sends for the mail order bride he’d been writing to, hoping the demure dressmaker will be the answer to his prayers.

Melanie Dunbar is nothing like the bride Tait was expecting. She’s rough and tumble…and hiding an ulterior motive. Dangerous men have taken her sister hostage, and if Melanie wants to see her alive, she’ll have to betray her new husband. There’s only one problem—the more time she spends with Tait, the more she comes to care for him. Yet as the noose begins to tighten, Melanie will have to make a terrible choice: save her sister…or the man she loves.

 

 

Review:

The Mail Order Bride’s Secret by Linda Broday is the 3rd book in her Outlaw Mail Order Brides series. As I have said previously, I have become a big fan of Broday’s western historical romance stories, and The Mail Order Bride’s Secret is once again another fantastic story line. Refresher: The story takes place in Hope’s Crossing, which is a town run by outlaws, who have started a clean slate on their lives, with building a family and changing their lives for the better.  

Tait Trinity, our hero, is suddenly left with three young children (two twin boys and a baby girl), when his sister is brutally murdered.  Tait decides to get a mail order bride to help him take care of the children; he also knows his life could be short term and dangerous, as other criminals are also after Tait.

Melanie Dunbar, our heroine, finds herself in trouble, as she and her sister, Ava are put in jail because of something her father did.  The crooked Judge makes a deal with Melanie; he will free them if she can bring Tail Trinity to him, as well as the money he stole.   Knowing they could be in jail for a very long time, Melanie accepts the deal. In doing so, she responds to Tait’s letter accepting her as his bride.

When Melanie arrives in Hope’s Crossing, she is immediately surprised at her attraction to Tait, and though she has no experience taking care of children, in a short time she finds herself caring about them all.  Quickly, her relationship with Tait heats up, and they both find themselves caring deeply about each other.   Melanie feels guilty, and tries to find a way to get the money and return it to the Judge, to free her sister, and at the same time, not have Tait hurt.

Tait is determined to find the man who murdered his sister, and knows that the children and Melanie will always be in danger with threats against him.  He will take matters in his own hands when Becky (the baby girl) is kidnapped, and he with Jack and Clay (previous book heroes), will try to rescue her, and find the man who killed his sister. When Melanie gets a threat by the Judge to bring the money, she too takes matters in her own hands by traveling to free her sister.

What follows is an exciting story line, with nonstop action, dangerous situations, with their lives on the line and a wonderful sweet romance between two people with flawed pasts that will catch up with them.  The last half of the book was tense and exciting, as they both find themselves in dangerous situations, which will bring them face to face with the evil villains.

Linda Broday once again gives us another wonderful western historical romance story, as The Mail Order Bride’s Secret was a great addition to this series.   It was emotional, tense, exciting, sweet romantic story, with a fabulous group of secondary characters and a great couple.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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About an Earl by Diana Lloyd – a Review

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About an Earl by Diana Lloyd – a Review

 

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Description:
An outsider at her first English ball, Jewel is fascinated with the beautiful dresses and the lovely dancing, but she’s vowed to save the Earl of Winchcombe from her cousin’s marriage trap. When she first glimpses the handsome lord, her heart beats faster. As they plan to thwart her cousin’s machinations, she discovers a kindred spirit in Oliver—even if he’s a peer and she’s a lowly colonist. Caught kissing the earl, the ball ends in disaster and Jewel’s displeased uncle whisks her away to Scotland..

Lord Scar, as the ton calls Oliver, would rather be anywhere than at a godforsaken masquerade ball and when he learns from the free-spirited colonist about the nefarious marriage plan, he grudgingly accepts her help. Jewel intrigues him and sets his heart racing. Yet, when the ball is over and the mask is off—Oliver curses the scar that will send her screaming away.

When her uncle banishes her, Oliver comes to her rescue by offering Jewel his hand in marriage. She agrees, despite his disfigurement. But what’s a beastly lord like him to do with such a beautiful wife—especially when he discovers she’s delightfully saucy?

Each book in the What Happens in the Ballroom series is STANDALONE:
* How to Train Your Baron
* About an Earl

 

 

Review:

What was meant as a benign offering of appreciation, a stolen (given?) kiss with Juliana, a Bostonian colonist, is now the impetus for a betrothal?  An archaic tradition to be sure, and the would-be Earl of Winchcombe, Oliver Chalford, does not budge under duress.  Until word of a nefarious plot to declare Oliver a lunatic, causing him to relinquish his seat in the House of Lords, pushes him to consider a feigned engagement to keep appearances.  About an Earl, a What Happens in the Ballroom novel, is yet another awesome offering by author, Diana Lloyd.  I am always swept up by the lovely storytelling and savor each character.

A story of opportunistic, conniving mamas vying to wed off their daughters to the highest rank of nobility, by fair means or foul, so long as their own indiscretions remain buried.  Altruistic Jewel was trying to right her family’s wrong by alerting Oliver to their scheme.  No good deed goes unpunished and our heroes will find themselves inextricably entangled.  Oliver and Jewel are collaborating to achieve individual goals, but they’re quite different individuals.  While she longs to be heard, he’s maintained an unmatched anonymity.  As soon as you read Oliver and Jewel ‘s exchanges, you will feel their connection.  Two souls trying to find their place.  I recommend they start with each other 😉

Once Oliver stepped up and pushed back, accusations of madness, “Lunacy, witchcraft, and consorting with the devil” intensified.  Midnight strolls and a bird for a pet are just too scandalous, it would appear.  With gossip spreading in Society, just enough merit as to be believed, Oliver’s rightful place as Earl grows more precarious.  Is Jewel starting to regret her honorable act for all the trouble  befalling her?

Misunderstandings aplenty, borne of insecurity, lead to the swooniest explanations and declarations.  About an Earl was great!  Ms. Lloyd tells a love story with intrigue, a wonderfully supportive cast, a ready humor, and so much more to keep you enchanted.  An excerpt of the next novel, Last Lord Standing, has me extending a chair so that I may observe more closely.  To be so lucky!

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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Bound for Glory by Tess LeSue – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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Bound for Glory by Tess LeSue – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
An unwilling legend and the woman who made him one face off in this epic conclusion to the Frontiers of the Heart series.

He has many names. They call him Deathrider, White Wolf, The Plague of the West. He’s the ice-eyed killer of the plains; the ghost of the trail; the restless spirit who haunts the frontier from California to Missouri, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. They say he seeks vengeance for his murdered people; they say he never sleeps; they say he moves silently through the night and changes form to run with the wolves. And that he is as beautiful as Lucifer.

At least, so they say. Ava Archer wouldn’t know; she’s never seen him. But that doesn’t stop her from writing about him. The Plague of the West is her bread and butter, and after more than a dozen dime novels, she thinks she probably knows Deathrider better than he knows himself, even if she wouldn’t recognize him on the street. If only rumors of his death would stop getting in the way of a good story….

Those damn stories make Nathaniel Rides With Death’s life an absolute misery. Thanks to his unwanted notoriety, he’s hunted like an animal by an endless stream of gunslingers looking to make a name for themselves. When someone close to Nate is shot by one of the gunslingers, Nate decides it’s time to hunt down the novelist at the root of all his troubles. He has a plan to end this farce once and for all….

 

 

Review:

Bound for Glory by Tess LeSue is the 4th and final book in her western historical romance Frontiers of the Heart series. We meet our heroine, Ava Archer, who is a famous author, who writes about the wicked west and her tales of the infamous, Deathrider or Plague of the West.  Ava has written many tales in her books about the dangerous Deathrider, who kills at will, and even rapes women along the way.  But Ava bases her stories on the gossip of others, and has never really met him.  Deathrider (Nathaniel), whose life is a mess, based on the untrue stories written by a woman who has ruined his life, with her false stories about him; constantly running from those hunting him.  

Ava finds herself in the middle of a hunt, that will bring all the criminals to win a large monetary prize, if they bring back the real Deathrider. Ava is pushed to also join the hunt, especially when a true evil man, Kennedy Voss, wants her.  As she tries to avoid him, she comes across a naked man, who is in bad shape and blind.  Despite her need to move on, Ava agrees to help the desperate man to get him to the next town.   Unbeknown to both of them, they will be surprised when their true identities is revealed.  The injured man is Deathrider, whom Ava thinks is an apache, and Nathaniel, has no idea she is the woman who has caused all his grief.   When Kennedy Voss catches up with them, he forces Ava to join hands with him and pretend that ‘apache” is Deathrider (which he truly is), and they can claim the prize.   There were many comical parts during this adventure, especially when they both discover who the other is. 

What follows is a fun adventure with some danger, excitement and the humorous banter between Nathanial and Ava.   I really liked them together, even though we did not think they could their relationship would ever work.  Will Deathrider ever be able to forgive Ava?  

I do not want to give spoilers, as it is a fun sotry that you need to read.  It was a very exciting and intense but satisfying conclusion.  Bound for Glory was a sweet fun historical western that was adventurous, romantic and humorous, with a great couple. The adventure was not only wild crazy, but a lot of humor along the way.   When they meet dangerous criminals during their travels, the situation becomes tense, and they manage to escape.  Though their relationship grows, Nathaniel discovers more about Ava that threatens to ruin any possibility of them being together.  But Tess LeSue writes a wonderful conclusion, also giving us a glimpse at the previous books couples.    Very well done.  

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

There was a naked man in the desert.
Ava Archer knew trouble when she saw it, and this was trouble with a capital T. She was alone in the desert, her horse was played out, her canteen was bone-dry, and she was out of bullets. This was no time to be running into natives. Even a solitary one. If she had any sense at all, she would turn right around and run in the other direction . . . but Kennedy Voss was in the other direction, and Kennedy Voss was a mean son of a bitch. Besides, she was desperate for water, and maybe this Indian had some.
She’d thought she’d known thirst before—but this was something else again. She felt made of grit and sand, her every pore a desert in miniature, her tongue thick and swollen in her cottony mouth; even her eyes and nose had dried out. And every thud of her horse’s hooves on the ground made a drumbeat: Water. Water. Water. Water.
So Ava kept on toward the man, pulled by the hope of water. As she plodded closer, she reassured herself that at least there was only one of him, and from what she could see, he was in bad shape: he was squatting under the screamingly bright September sun, naked from the waist up, his body a patchwork of bruises, and both of his eyes swollen shut. Ava doubted he could see her. But he knew she was there, because he rose to his feet at the sound of her tired horse dragging his way.
Oh dear. He wasn’t mostly naked, she saw as he stood: he was completely naked. He was also tall, wide, and terrifyingly powerful. A warrior. He was the color of rosewood, his muscles as hard as if he’d been carved from a tree. And he was covered in tattoos, including a sprawling, intricate pattern in the shape of a bird, which stretched its wings the breadth of his thickly muscled chest. His hair was long, loose, and coated in dust; it fell down his back in tangles to his shoulder blades. He was bruised all over, she realized as her gaze drifted down, wincing as she took in the black blotches on his legs. There was a particularly nasty one on his hip, right next to . . .
Ava tore her gaze away. Hell. She was alone in the desert with a naked man. A big, powerful, wounded naked man. And she was heat struck and ill with thirst, barely able to think straight.
She couldn’t have stumbled onto a little old lady instead? Or a nice family, with a pack of kids? A pack of kids and an icy-cold barrel of water . . .
Ava rubbed her hand across her dry mouth. She felt skin flakes come away on her fingers and winced. She needed to get hold of herself. She was growing delirious. This here was just an injured man. Probably an Apache, considering she was somewhere near the Apacheria. Probably. Maybe. Who knew where the hell she was, to be honest. Purgatory seemed likely. Little old ladies and nice families didn’t go wandering around Purgatory—this was the best she could hope for. She should have been grateful that he was just one beat-up Apache and not a whole party. And at least he wasn’t Kennedy Voss. Without even realizing she was doing it, she glanced over her shoulder, as though thinking about Voss might summon him. That man gave her the willies. Voss was likely to be somewhere nearby (she hadn’t had that much of a head start on him), and here she was about to die of thirst right in his path. She didn’t have time to be distracted by naked strangers.


 

 

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