To Stand Beside Her by B.Kristin McMichael-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Released January 24, 2013

To be the best courier in the world, eighteen-year-old Benét Leila follows three simple rules: always work alone, never stay in one place too long, and never fall in love. Too bad she didn’t follow her own advice.

Leila is a courier. To the people she takes from, she is seen as a common thief; to the people she helps, she is a savior.

Nalick is your typical king. He’s rich, powerful, and always assumed to be right. When Leila crosses paths with King Nalick, she finds herself trapped. In a rush to save her best friend Kay from a prison sentence for a crime Leila committed, Leila trades her hand in marriage in exchange for Kay’s freedom.

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The much sought-after, but elusive “Ghost Courier”, aka Leila Benet, has finally been nabbed – in custody at a king’s palace no less! An ineffectual woman might panic. Ok, Leila is more than a little frazzled; her BFF is also being detained (but she failed an assignment!). Leila thinks only to liberate her friend and sets to negotiate with King Nalick. To Stand Beside Her by B. Kristin McMichael is a lovely Young Adult novel that travels along the pitfalls of procurement adventures, both in goods and persons, and surprises us with a bittersweet twist on the ever-popular love triangle.

King Nalick seemed reasonable. Leila thought him especially so when he dispatched her to a palatial suite instead of the dungeon. King Nalick wouldn’t abuse his power…right? Right indeed, but King Nalick won me over pretty early on. Great character, Ms. McMichael! Ascending to the throne at the precocious age of 14, Nalick has remained true to himself; not allowing the power to override his good senses (so voiced by his loyal personal guard made up of his life-long friend and cousin). But truth be told, it’s time Nalick took a wife. He’s had his eyes, and heart, set on Leila…for a long time.

The initial banter between Nalick and Leila is quick and witty and loaded with retorts – critical elements to capture my interest. Leila’s only 18 with the ferocity of a true tomboy – she isn’t intimidated by Nalick’s title. As a matter of fact, she’s sizing him up, thinking she might best him in weapons and hand-to-hand combat. You can only imagine the crowd that gathers when they put their skills to the test! Slowly, but steadily (and almost without reservation), Leila recognizes worthiness in Nalick; he’s not like the other fiendish kings she’s eluded in the past.

“All I ask in return is that you marry me. If at any time I break my end of the deal, you are free to walk out of here without any explanation and disappear to where ever you go when you leave kings. I promise I will not hunt you down. Your friend has been freed and on her way home.”

What’s more shocking than that? LEILA STAYS. A level-headed young woman, Leila accepts Nalick’s proposal and embraces all the pomp and circumstance that comes with marrying royalty. Yeah right! When word travels of the pending nuptials, spurned kings launch kidnapping attempts and the couple gets even closer as they prepare to defend Leila from enemies. And like all good love stories, Leila has a past. Despite Nalick’s charms and promises to love her, Leila is reluctant. She was previously engaged, but Ms. McMichael doesn’t belabor the fact. Personally, I want the hero to make good on his declarations. Nalick…swoon-worthy!

Enter said twist. While Leila and Nalick develop their relationship (Leila is constantly assuring fellow couriers they encounter along their adventures that she is willingly marrying), a personal guard, Anatolio, is assigned to Leila, though he is to remain in the shadows. Anatolio protects her and becomes her right hand when there is trouble and/or Nalick is unavailable. It’s not obvious from the beginning that Anatolio’s fate is intertwined with Nalick and Leila’s…but it becomes more clear…and unsettling to this reader. There is a purpose behind Anatolio’s presence, but it was difficult for ME to place myself in the situation. I was really Bella in Twilight or Anastasia to Christian Grey; do you know what I mean? It was thrilling to think myself the heroine. Not so much in this case. I felt the triangle was a cross to bear; the proverbial albatross around your neck. Love is hard enough. Add a third person who will feature in your future…when you’re trying to build a here and now and forever with your husband? Confusing, I know, but also unnerving for ME.

As a lover of language arts, grammatical and spelling errors nearly ruined my concentration and general flow of the story, but the structure itself is a sound one; it has all the elements to delight and entertain you. I will no longer speculate on “the twist”; you are going to have to reconcile those feelings when you read the book. There is a thoughtfulness and beauty to the foresight. My sentiment at the end of the book could, or could not, have something to do with that.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Carmen P.