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Merissa (11950 KP) rated The Cursed Kingdom in Books
Mar 28, 2019
The Cursed Kingdom by Maya Daniels
The Cursed Kingdom is a historical fantasy romance that will sweep you back to the days of Persia and Babylon. Full of outstanding descriptions, this story brings Alexander the Great to life, along with Bela obviously! In a deal made with Ishtar, Bela is bound to Babylon. However, when an army comes a'knocking, Bela's brother makes a mistake. This sets off a series of events that will change their lives forever.
I read this book in one sitting! It was so easy to keep on reading, with a smooth and flowing pace, and fantastic descriptions of people and places. With sexual tension, intrigue, betrayal, there was certainly enough here to keep me involved and engrossed.
I certainly have no hesitation in recommending either this story, or the author! The only thing I would say, is I wish I knew what happened to one of the characters at the end. Still, that's me being greedy!
Brilliant story ~ excellently told ~ highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I read this book in one sitting! It was so easy to keep on reading, with a smooth and flowing pace, and fantastic descriptions of people and places. With sexual tension, intrigue, betrayal, there was certainly enough here to keep me involved and engrossed.
I certainly have no hesitation in recommending either this story, or the author! The only thing I would say, is I wish I knew what happened to one of the characters at the end. Still, that's me being greedy!
Brilliant story ~ excellently told ~ highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
ArecRain (8 KP) rated A Bride in the Bargain in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I couldnt help but fall in love with this one. With Gist, its hit or miss with me, and this one definitely hit. I love nothing than a good historical romance, and this is definitely a favorite.
I first fell in love with the characters. Determined and hardworking, Joe and Anna both have their own plans and try to use each other to accomplish them. However, Annas plans contradict Joes and they are thrown into quite.
I then fell in love with the world Gist conveyed through her talented writing. She has a way of taking you back into that time and making you part of that world.
Normally, I would find the plot interesting all, but Gist had me interested. I think it was because I was so caught up in Joe, Anna, and their problems that I forgot to be bored with a plot that normally wouldnt do anything for me. Instead, I found myself rooting for Anna and Joe not only as a couple but as people.
Gist always has to through a wrench into things to make them interesting. I could have kicked her for it this novel, but the fact that she gave me an ending I was happy with made it for it. Maybe.
I first fell in love with the characters. Determined and hardworking, Joe and Anna both have their own plans and try to use each other to accomplish them. However, Annas plans contradict Joes and they are thrown into quite.
I then fell in love with the world Gist conveyed through her talented writing. She has a way of taking you back into that time and making you part of that world.
Normally, I would find the plot interesting all, but Gist had me interested. I think it was because I was so caught up in Joe, Anna, and their problems that I forgot to be bored with a plot that normally wouldnt do anything for me. Instead, I found myself rooting for Anna and Joe not only as a couple but as people.
Gist always has to through a wrench into things to make them interesting. I could have kicked her for it this novel, but the fact that she gave me an ending I was happy with made it for it. Maybe.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The Silver Witch in Books
Feb 21, 2018
This novel is told in both the present and in ancient Celtic times, both storylines taking place in the same locale. In present day Wales, following the death of her husband, Tilda moves into the house that she and Matt had purchased to start their new life in together. After spending some time alone in her cottage, Tilda starts to experience strange things, and finds a new sort of power developing inside her. In ancient times, we hear the story of Seren, a shaman and seer to a Celtic Prince who lived on a man-made island in the middle of the lake near Tilda's cottage.
Each story on its is intriguing. We know early on that there is a connection between the two women, but it takes longer for Tilda to realize why she feels such an affinity for the lake and the area around her new home. By the time she does, her life and the life of her new love may be in more danger than she can handle.
This book has a little bit of everything. Historical fiction, fantasy, suspense, and a touch of romance. I highly recommend this one if you are a fan of any of those genres.
Each story on its is intriguing. We know early on that there is a connection between the two women, but it takes longer for Tilda to realize why she feels such an affinity for the lake and the area around her new home. By the time she does, her life and the life of her new love may be in more danger than she can handle.
This book has a little bit of everything. Historical fiction, fantasy, suspense, and a touch of romance. I highly recommend this one if you are a fan of any of those genres.
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners in Books
Oct 31, 2018 (Updated Oct 31, 2018)
Such glorious fun!
I love this author's writing style. It isn't a recitation of dry facts as some historical nonfiction books can be. She really takes you into the daily rituals associated with fashion, hygiene, sex, marriage, and manners by immersing you in the culture as a virtual time traveler visiting the Victorian era. It brushes away the romance of the time period and gets you into the nitty-gritty, down-and-dirty history but in a fun and frivolous way as she takes you into her confidence and shares the secrets of the past. It's a delightful romp written with light sarcasm that brought tears from laughter into my eyes. I highly recommend this book and this author. She has written another book on the history of child-rearing called Ungovernable: The Victorian Parent's Guide to Raising Flawless Children (Hardcover), which will be available April 16, 2019. Though I don't have children, I'm tempted to buy this book because the other was so much fun.
Oh, and if you like this book, you might also enjoy The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg.
Oh, and if you like this book, you might also enjoy The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg.
Deborah (162 KP) rated Highland Surrender in Books
Dec 21, 2018
In the reign on James V (son of Margaret Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII, and father of Mary Queen of Scots) Fiona and Myles, representatives of two feuding clans, are told by the King that they must marry and form an alliance.....
Sadly, Fiona, the heroine, appears as a right Little Madam for most of the first part of the book. Even after feeling betrayed by her brothers, she is unable to reasonably question anything beyond the clan indoctrination and acts simply like a spoilt child. It's quite hard to see why Myles falls for her at all.
That said, overall this isn't a bad book. I think a bit more on the history side would have made this a more solid and exciting novel, as the ending was really rather good, but it seemed that it couldn't decide if it wanted to be an historical novel, with a romance element (think Elizabeth Chadwick) or something more akin to a bodice ripper (and nothing wrong with that!). You started off feeling there was a bigger plot at play, but this seemed to get a bit lost in the middle, before a quite exciting ending after all.
Not sure it's worth a second read, but I'd consider this author again in the future.
Sadly, Fiona, the heroine, appears as a right Little Madam for most of the first part of the book. Even after feeling betrayed by her brothers, she is unable to reasonably question anything beyond the clan indoctrination and acts simply like a spoilt child. It's quite hard to see why Myles falls for her at all.
That said, overall this isn't a bad book. I think a bit more on the history side would have made this a more solid and exciting novel, as the ending was really rather good, but it seemed that it couldn't decide if it wanted to be an historical novel, with a romance element (think Elizabeth Chadwick) or something more akin to a bodice ripper (and nothing wrong with that!). You started off feeling there was a bigger plot at play, but this seemed to get a bit lost in the middle, before a quite exciting ending after all.
Not sure it's worth a second read, but I'd consider this author again in the future.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Aug 3, 2021
Merissa (11950 KP) rated The Madness of Lord Westfall (The Order of the MUSE #2) in Books
Apr 16, 2023
I loved the first Order of the M.U.S.E. book and was looking forward to this one. Pierce Westfall is an intriguing character - tormented by the voices he can't control. Nora is an aristocrat who fell from the graces of her family when she married for love. Together these two are central to a plot to use Truth Powder on the Prince and restart a war.
This is a smoothly-written, well-rounded historical romance with paranormal aspects. I love all the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the banter between Stanstead and Westfall. I also enjoyed catching up with Lady Cassandra, as she continues her life with Stanstead. This is such a brilliant set of characters, I would be hard-pressed to say which one is my favourite.
The descriptions of Bedlam were horrible, but I'm sure nowhere near as bad as they could have been. Well done to Mia for capturing the essence of Bedlam, without it overpowering the storyline. A brilliant addition to the M.U.S.E. series - highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 23, 2015
This is a smoothly-written, well-rounded historical romance with paranormal aspects. I love all the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the banter between Stanstead and Westfall. I also enjoyed catching up with Lady Cassandra, as she continues her life with Stanstead. This is such a brilliant set of characters, I would be hard-pressed to say which one is my favourite.
The descriptions of Bedlam were horrible, but I'm sure nowhere near as bad as they could have been. Well done to Mia for capturing the essence of Bedlam, without it overpowering the storyline. A brilliant addition to the M.U.S.E. series - highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 23, 2015
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Lady of Valour ( Warrior book 3) in Books
Dec 4, 2021
202 of 250
Kindle
Lady of Valor ( Warrior Trilogy book 3)
By Lara Adrian
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
In Lady of Valor, Tina St. John spins a dazzling tale of romantic adventure in magnificent medieval England, where battles of love and war are fought with equal passion. . . .
Left a widow by her cruel husband's death, Lady Emmalyn of Fallonmour is determined to control her own destiny, until her hard-won vows of independence are threatened by the mysterious warrior sent by the king to protect her castle. Emmalyn is now at the mercy of Sir Cabal, a feared knight known as Blackheart.
Skilled at war and hiding a tormented past, Cabal swears allegiance to no one but himself and his country. But once he meets Emmalyn, he finds his strength tested by this proud beauty who stirs his blood with desire, tempting him to defy his king and surrender his heart. . .
This was my favourite of the three books in the warrior trilogy. Emmalyn was a kick ass heroine and I love Cabal it’s good sometime to settle in with a good historical romance. Everyone deserves to be loved. I’m looking forward to reading more by Lara I really enjoy her style of writing.
Kindle
Lady of Valor ( Warrior Trilogy book 3)
By Lara Adrian
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
In Lady of Valor, Tina St. John spins a dazzling tale of romantic adventure in magnificent medieval England, where battles of love and war are fought with equal passion. . . .
Left a widow by her cruel husband's death, Lady Emmalyn of Fallonmour is determined to control her own destiny, until her hard-won vows of independence are threatened by the mysterious warrior sent by the king to protect her castle. Emmalyn is now at the mercy of Sir Cabal, a feared knight known as Blackheart.
Skilled at war and hiding a tormented past, Cabal swears allegiance to no one but himself and his country. But once he meets Emmalyn, he finds his strength tested by this proud beauty who stirs his blood with desire, tempting him to defy his king and surrender his heart. . .
This was my favourite of the three books in the warrior trilogy. Emmalyn was a kick ass heroine and I love Cabal it’s good sometime to settle in with a good historical romance. Everyone deserves to be loved. I’m looking forward to reading more by Lara I really enjoy her style of writing.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated The Gentleman's Gentleman (His Lordship's Realm #1) in Books
Mar 13, 2024
THE GENTLEMAN'S GENTLEMAN is the first book in the His Lordship's Realm series which, as you might expect, is in the same world as His Lordship's Mysteries. Alfie and Dom are mentioned in here, but the spotlight is on Jarrett and Gil.
They certainly are a case of opposites attract, and it worked so well! When Jarrett is accused of murder, Gil is the only one who believes him. Unfortunately, the reason he believes him is one neither of them can talk about unless they want to be hung! This leads to a series of events as Gil tries to prove Jarrett's innocence.
The mystery side worked well, as I would expect from a Samantha SoRelle book, but for me, it was the slow-burn romance that worked so well, set in such difficult times. And with the added nuggets of historical information too, it made for an interesting read.
Thoroughly enjoyable with wonderful characters. I am hoping to see snapshots of Alfie and Dom though, but that's just me! 😆 Definitely recommended.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 1, 2024
They certainly are a case of opposites attract, and it worked so well! When Jarrett is accused of murder, Gil is the only one who believes him. Unfortunately, the reason he believes him is one neither of them can talk about unless they want to be hung! This leads to a series of events as Gil tries to prove Jarrett's innocence.
The mystery side worked well, as I would expect from a Samantha SoRelle book, but for me, it was the slow-burn romance that worked so well, set in such difficult times. And with the added nuggets of historical information too, it made for an interesting read.
Thoroughly enjoyable with wonderful characters. I am hoping to see snapshots of Alfie and Dom though, but that's just me! 😆 Definitely recommended.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 1, 2024
ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Burning Chambers (The Burning Chambers #1) in Books
Jan 26, 2021
This book is an immersive experience! I found myself drawn in to the world of 16th Century France - and to be fair, it was all pretty exciting stuff! Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres, one of my ‘go-to’s’, and this did not disappoint one bit. It’s a story of religion, conflict, ambition, with a bit of a love story thrown in for good measure.
It’s all history that I know little about - my history education being that of the carefully selected English type. I’ve always tried to find out more about European history (ahem, German degree) and further afield if I can, and historical fiction makes it a bit more interesting than a dry history book. This book taught me a lot about the tensions between the catholic majority, and the Huguenot minority.
Minou is the 19 year old daughter of a bookseller, and lives in Carcassonne with her family. She meets Piet, a Huguenot convert, and helps him to escape from the town. Later, in Toulouse, they meet again in far more dangerous circumstances. They become trapped in a city at war - Catholic against Huguenot - and someone that Piet believes is a friend is very far from that. In Puivert, the chatelaine of the castle has a secret that she wants to keep hidden, and the only way to do that is for her to find Minou.
First, the most obvious thing: this is one big book. It’s the kind of book that I would buy on my kindle, because at 600+ pages, it definitely won’t fit in my handbag! The Pigeonhole is great for these circumstances!
Secondly, although this book is a serious whopper, it didn’t feel that way when I was reading it. It’s an exciting, fast-paced, delight of a read. It has it all: action, history, romance. Everything that makes for a compulsive read! The heroes and heroines are good, and the villains are thoroughly bad, and I loved them all!
It’s all history that I know little about - my history education being that of the carefully selected English type. I’ve always tried to find out more about European history (ahem, German degree) and further afield if I can, and historical fiction makes it a bit more interesting than a dry history book. This book taught me a lot about the tensions between the catholic majority, and the Huguenot minority.
Minou is the 19 year old daughter of a bookseller, and lives in Carcassonne with her family. She meets Piet, a Huguenot convert, and helps him to escape from the town. Later, in Toulouse, they meet again in far more dangerous circumstances. They become trapped in a city at war - Catholic against Huguenot - and someone that Piet believes is a friend is very far from that. In Puivert, the chatelaine of the castle has a secret that she wants to keep hidden, and the only way to do that is for her to find Minou.
First, the most obvious thing: this is one big book. It’s the kind of book that I would buy on my kindle, because at 600+ pages, it definitely won’t fit in my handbag! The Pigeonhole is great for these circumstances!
Secondly, although this book is a serious whopper, it didn’t feel that way when I was reading it. It’s an exciting, fast-paced, delight of a read. It has it all: action, history, romance. Everything that makes for a compulsive read! The heroes and heroines are good, and the villains are thoroughly bad, and I loved them all!