April New Releases

This is not a comprehensive list, it’s more of a pick and choose based on series and authors I have read in the past and have likely been featured on this blog or my other blog at some point. I got all of this information from goodreads.com. So if any of it is incorrect, I apologize. I was just copying and pasting.

Picture Perfect: by Nora Roberts

 

Release Date: April 1st

 

The Rising: by Kelley Armstrong

 

Release Date: April 2nd

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for The Rising (Darkness Rising)

 

Own the Wind: by Kristen Ashley

 

Release Date: April 2nd

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Own the Wind: A Chaos Novel

 

Rising Darkness: by Thea Harrison

 

Release Date: April 2nd

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Rising Darkness (A GAME OF SHADOWS NOVEL)

 

Nautier and Wilder: by Lora Leigh and Jaci Burton

 

Release Date: April 2nd

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Nautier and Wilder

 

Wrecked: by Shiloh Walker

 

Release Date: April 2nd

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Wrecked

 

If He’s Tempted: by Hannah Howell

 

Release Date: April 2nd

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for If He’s Tempted (Wherlockes)

 

Breaking Her Rules: by Katie Reus

 

Release Date: April 7th

 

What Really Happened in Peru: by Cassandra Clare

 

Release Date: April 16th

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for What Really Happened in Peru (Bane Chronicles, The)

 

Whiskey Beach: By Nora Roberts

 

Release Date: April 16th

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Whiskey Beach

 

Silent Warrior: by Lindsey Piper

 

Release Date: April 22nd

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Silent Warrior

 

Diana’s Hound: by Moira Rogers

 

Release Date: April 23rd

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Diana’s Hound (Bloodhounds)

 

The Evanescence: by Jessica Sorensen

 

Release Date: April 23rd

 

Darkness Fades: by Jessica Sorensen

 

Release Date: April 23rd

 

Darkness, Kindled: by Samantha Young

 

Release Date: April 23rd

 

The Mystery Woman: by Amanda Quick

 

Release Date: April 23rd

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for The Mystery Woman (LADIES OF LANTERN STREET)

 

Moon: by Laurann Dohner

 

Release Date: April 30th

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Moon: 10 (New Species)

 

Bare It All: by Lori Foster

 

Release Date: April 30th

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Bare It All

 

As Twilight Falls: by Amanda Ashley

 

Release Date: April 30th

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for As Twilight Falls

 

One for the Wicked: by Karina Cooper

 

Release Date: April 30th

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for One for the Wicked: A Dark Mission Novel

 

Hunter: by Jacquelyn Frank

 

Release Date: April 30th

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Hunter

 

Change of Heart: by Nora Roberts

 

Release Date: April 30th

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Change of Heart: Best Laid Plans\From This Day

 

Fatal Heat and Two Dangerous Novellas: by Lisa Marie Rice

 

Release Date: April 30th

Purchase on Amazon: Click here for Fatal Heat and Two Dangerous Novellas

 

 

*This post can also be view on Where the Night Kind Roam .

Review: Jeaniene Frost – Twice Tempted

Night Prince Series:

Book 2:

Twice Tempted: Vlad Tepesh and Leila

 

 

Purchase on Amazon: Jeaniene Frost – Twice Tempted: A Night Prince Novel

Summary:

From goodreads.com

Dating the Prince of Darkness has its challenges…

Leila’s psychic abilities have been failing her, and now she isn’t sure what the future holds. If that weren’t enough, her lover, Vlad, has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she’s also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever–especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won’t admit that he loves her.

Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity…

Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust– the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity.

Review:

Another great book by Jeaniene Frost! When you pick up a Jeaniene Frost book, you know that you are in for an entertaining read and this book is no exception. I have long been a Vlad fan, since he first appeared in the Night Huntress series. He is a total smart ass and has a brooding quality about him. In his own series, he is still a smart ass, but not quite as much as we see from him in the Night Huntress series. In this series he is a bit more serious, which is because we are finally seeing the full impact of being a Master of his own line. Vlad in Night Huntress seems more carefree because we do not see all of his responsibilities, in Night Prince he has heavy burdens placed on him by a crazy person that wants to take out Vlad by any means necessary and Leila stands in their way.

This book takes place within weeks of the big showdown in book one. Leila’s full abilities still have not returned to full power and Vlad is kind of acting like an a$$. Leila has finally had enough, and decides to leave Vlad, even though it’s tearing her apart. I love that she knows her worth and will not settle for second place. Vlad may be the big bad, but she is not afraid of him. She gathers all of her considerable strength/will and leaves Vlad and goes back to the States. Almost immediately she is attacked and everyone thinks her dead including Vlad. On the run AGAIN and kidnapped AGAIN she finds that she is stronger and more capable than she ever imagined. Leila has never really been short in the self esteem department but she is really just a bad a$$. She doesn’t hesitate to do what she needs to do to survive and goes toe to toe with one of the most powerful vampires in the world. There is no way she is going to let this newest baddy take her down!

As with all Jeaniene Frost’s books you can count on going on a roller coaster ride of action, humor and sensuality. From the first chapter poor Leila is kidnapped yet again. Poor thing she is always getting kidnapped by someone, good thing she can take care of herself! When kidnapping doesn’t work the assassination attempts really pick up, so you are guaranteed plenty of action and violence as we have come to expect from Jeaniene Frost. You know the infamous chapter 32 in the Night Huntress, there is a scene in this one, and I’d have to say is on par with that one. There are some serious smexy times in this book. I was not disappointed in this category. I do have to say this book is not quite as funny as some of Ms. Frost’s other works. There are still plenty of smart a$$ remarks but I expected more. Also, my number one and only issue with this series is we do not spend any time in Vlad’s head. I would really love some of Vlad’s POV. I know Frost always writes in the females POV but this is Vlad’s series so I would think we would have some time in his head. Tho he does have this moment on the plane that almost makes up for the lack of time in his head.

Rating:

4.5 Romanticals

Interview with Gabrielle Bisset–Best Selling Author of The Son’s of Navarus Series

1. Where do you get the ideas for the sex scenes you write? Wink, Wink.. haha
To be honest, they’re mostly just the details of fantasies I either have or have heard others have. Some of the sex scenes are from personal knowledge, thought. (blushing)

2. How many books did you write before you decided to put your writing out there for the public?
I’ve written for years, but there’s one book before all the books I have now that sits in a drawer hidden away from all eyes.

3. What do you do on your spare time?
I like to cook, watch movies, read, do things in my yard when the weather’s nice. I like warm weather, so whenever I can get outside to enjoy it, I do.

4. Where do you write?
I used to write in my room, sitting on my bed, but since I hurt my back, I have to write at my desk standing up. I hope to someday soon get back to the way I used to do it since this standing for hours is for the birds.

5. If you could live any where in the world where would it be?
If I could live anywhere, it would be in a place where it’s always warm/hot. I don’t like cold weather, and anything below 60 degrees is cold to me. Maybe the tropics, but I’d like to avoid hurricanes, if possible. 🙂

6. What inspired you to write your first book?
I was inspired to write the first book I had published after I had a dream about a race of people descended from angels. That dream led to my first book, Stolen Destiny.

7. How did you come up with the titles of your books?
To be honest, I find titles to be difficult sometimes. Believe it or not, the title for my Victorian novella about BDSM, Love’s Master, took me forever to think up. Silly, right? It seems so obvious now. Most of the time, I try to make sure the title reflects some important theme in the story.

8. What are your current projects?
I’m currently fleshing out the next story in the Sons of Navarus series, Blood Craving. I hope to have that out later this year, but there’s nothing definite there yet.

9. Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I’ve loved to read ever since I was a small child, and that naturally grew to me wanting to tell my own stories.

10. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
For my Sons series, I’m writing a continuous non-romantic story that works with the individual romantic stories that appear in each book.

11. Do you ever experience writer’s block?
I do, but I don’t fear it like a lot of people do. To me, when the story’s not coming to me, that’s a clear sign I need to walk away and let it sit. I’m never in a huge hurry (I still hand write all my books, so even if I was in a huge hurry, it wouldn’t matter), so I walk away and come back when the time feels right.

12. Do you write an outline before every book you write?
Every one. I’m very much a plotter. My brain simply works best that way, so I know every plot point before I begin and how I want to approach it. In fact, concerning my Sons of Navarus series, I know how the rest of the books play out and who makes it to the end and who doesn’t. 😉

13. What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?
I enjoy the paranormal genre. It’s got so much room for an author to spread her wings and experiment. I really love that!

14. Who designed the covers of your books?
The very talented designer Talina Perkins from Bookin It Designs works her magic on all my covers.

15. What was the hardest part of writing your books?
Finding the time is the hardest part. I work full time and home school my son, so those two things don’t leave a lot of time in the day or night, for that matter.

16. Do you have any advice for other writers?
Learn the craft before you do anything. Writing isn’t about telling a story. Anyone can tell a story. It’s far more intricate than that. Take some classes, read some books (not fiction but craft books), and keep in mind that it’s not something you learn overnight.

17. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I love my readers, so hearing from them is a real treat for me. Nothing is better than seeing an email from a fan in my inbox. Readers can contact me at gabriellebisset@gmail.com
And for fans of my Sons of Navarus series, grab the FREE first five chapters of Blood Prophecy now while you wait for the full book to come out in May. Visit my website at http://www.gabriellebisset.com for links and more information.

***Leave a comment below about your favorite part of the Son’s of Navarus series so far and enter to win a Son’s of Navarus Keychain, swag and a $5 Amazon Gift Card.
I will pick a winner on March 31st! Good Luck!

Interview with Gabrielle Bisset–Best Selling Author of The Son’s of Navarus Series

1. Where do you get the ideas for the sex scenes you write? Wink, Wink.. haha
To be honest, they’re mostly just the details of fantasies I either have or have heard others have. Some of the sex scenes are from personal knowledge, though. (blushing)

2. How many books did you write before you decided to put your writing out there for the public?
I’ve written for years, but there’s one book before all the books I have now that sits in a drawer hidden away from all eyes.

3. What do you do on your spare time?
I like to cook, watch movies, read, do things in my yard when the weather’s nice. I like warm weather, so whenever I can get outside to enjoy it, I do.

4. Where do you write?
I used to write in my room, sitting on my bed, but since I hurt my back, I have to write at my desk standing up. I hope to someday soon get back to the way I used to do it since this standing for hours is for the birds.

5. If you could live any where in the world where would it be?
If I could live anywhere, it would be in a place where it’s always warm/hot. I don’t like cold weather, and anything below 60 degrees is cold to me. Maybe the tropics, but I’d like to avoid hurricanes, if possible. 🙂

6. What inspired you to write your first book?
I was inspired to write the first book I had published after I had a dream about a race of people descended from angels. That dream led to my first book, Stolen Destiny.

7. How did you come up with the titles of your books?
To be honest, I find titles to be difficult sometimes. Believe it or not, the title for my Victorian novella about BDSM, Love’s Master, took me forever to think up. Silly, right? It seems so obvious now. Most of the time, I try to make sure the title reflects some important theme in the story.

8. What are your current projects?
I’m currently fleshing out the next story in the Sons of Navarus series, Blood Craving. I hope to have that out later this year, but there’s nothing definite there yet.

9. Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I’ve loved to read ever since I was a small child, and that naturally grew to me wanting to tell my own stories.

10. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
For my Sons series, I’m writing a continuous non-romantic story that works with the individual romantic stories that appear in each book.

11. Do you ever experience writer’s block?
I do, but I don’t fear it like a lot of people do. To me, when the story’s not coming to me, that’s a clear sign I need to walk away and let it sit. I’m never in a huge hurry (I still hand write all my books, so even if I was in a huge hurry, it wouldn’t matter), so I walk away and come back when the time feels right.

12. Do you write an outline before every book you write?
Every one. I’m very much a plotter. My brain simply works best that way, so I know every plot point before I begin and how I want to approach it. In fact, concerning my Sons of Navarus series, I know how the rest of the books play out and who makes it to the end and who doesn’t. 😉

13. What is your favorite theme/genre to write about?
I enjoy the paranormal genre. It’s got so much room for an author to spread her wings and experiment. I really love that!

14. Who designed the covers of your books?
The very talented designer Talina Perkins from Bookin It Designs works her magic on all my covers.

15. What was the hardest part of writing your books?
Finding the time is the hardest part. I work full time and home school my son, so those two things don’t leave a lot of time in the day or night, for that matter.

16. Do you have any advice for other writers?
Learn the craft before you do anything. Writing isn’t about telling a story. Anyone can tell a story. It’s far more intricate than that. Take some classes, read some books (not fiction but craft books), and keep in mind that it’s not something you learn overnight.

17. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I love my readers, so hearing from them is a real treat for me. Nothing is better than seeing an email from a fan in my inbox. Readers can contact me at gabriellebisset@gmail.com
And for fans of my Sons of Navarus series, grab the FREE first five chapters of Blood Prophecy now while you wait for the full book to come out in May. Visit my website at http://www.gabriellebisset.com for links and more information.

You can buy the box set here
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Dreams-Sons-Navarus-ebook/dp/B00AH1UTM6/

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-dreams-sons-of-navarus-box-set-gabrielle-bisset/1113883126

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Blood-Dreams-Sons-Navarus-Box/book-SfiNwXe52kWNTEdTO36HoQ/page1.html

***Leave a comment below about your favorite part of the Son’s of Navarus series so far and enter to win a Son’s of Navarus Keychain, swag and a $5 Amazon Gift Card.
I will pick a winner on March 31st! Good Luck!

Against The Wall By Rebecca Zanetti

Amazon Buylink:
Against the Wall

5 Stars

Rebecca is here to stay. She has already mastered the paranormal genre and with this latest release she proves that she can write anything.

Whether it’s vamps or cowboys her books can stand with the best of them.

Rebecca is just an all around incredible writer and I look forward to reading everything she writes.

It takes a talented author to weave together a tale with passion, love, action, mystery, emotion and sizzling sex and blend them all together perfectly. Rebecca does it with ease.

This book is the start of an epic series of cowboys and their loves.

Jake is a gorgeous lawyer. His family and tribe come first and he will do what it takes to keep them safe.

Sophie is from the big city, coming to a small town for work. She is a beauty with amazing artistic talents. She uses those talents for work.

Jake and Sophie meet and the connection is instant. The passion is there and they cannot deny it.

This book is amazing and will stay with me for a long time to come. Its one of those books that you can read over and over..

ShadowLife-Hybrid, Book #3 By Claudy Conn

5 Stars!!!!

BuyLink:

Omg this series needs to be pitched to all the major TV networks…
I can’t even explain how amazing it is in words… I love how involved this book is and how we get to see in to Dracula’s world and learn about him and why he is the way he is. The story Claudy created is amazingly unique.

I think I said wow and omg over 50 times since I started haha
Not to mention the constant smile and the hand clapping and the self fanning when things heat up..

I mean come on we get the best of the best in this one. Chase is a hybrid, half vampire, half wolf.. His accent is so sexy.. Roxy is a kickass, badass immortal shapes hifter who can hold her own.

I don’t want this series to end at all. It is superb.. Claudy’s characters are unforgettable. She makes the lead characters stand out and the secondary characters shine. She always brings the characters from the previous books into it. They all blend together perfectly.

This is a MUST READ series!!!

ARC Review: Victoria Dahl – Too Hot to Handle

Jackson Series:

Book 2:

Too Hot to Handle: Merry Kade and Shane Harcourt

 

 

Expected Publication: March 26th 2013

Purchase on Amazon: Victoria Dahl – Too Hot to Handle

Summary:

This good girl’s going bad. Merry Kade has always been the good girl. The best friend. The one who patiently waits for the guy to notice her. Well, no more. Merry has just scored her dream job, and it’s time for her life to change. As the new curator of a museum in Wyoming, she’ll supervise a lot of restoration work. Luckily she’s found the perfect contractor for the job.

Shane Harcourt can’t believe that someone wants to turn a beat-up ghost town into a museum attraction. After all, the last thing he needs is the site of his dream ranch turning into a tourist trap. He’ll work on the project, if only to hasten its failure……until the beautiful, quirky woman in charge starts to change his mind.

For the first time ever, Merry has a gorgeous stud hot on her heels. But can she trust this strong, silent man, even if he is a force of nature in bed? When Shane’s ulterior motives come out, he’ll need to prove to Merry that a love like theirs may be too hot to handle, but it’s impossible to resist

Review:

I never warmed up to either Merry or Shane. Merry has low esteem and little self-worth through the entire book. I kept expecting her to grow and to find her inner confidence, but it just never happened. I don’t mind a low esteem character if they show growth and by the end of the book they’ve found that extra something; however, if that just never happens it’s just straight up annoying. She did manage to find her backbone exactly twice in this book, but quickly lost it again. I wanted to like Merry, she is supposed to be fun and quirky, but that never really gets fully developed. So in the end I just couldn’t end up truly liking her. Shane, was just kinda ehh for me. I mean what do we really know about Shane other than he has some serious daddy issues? I mean some serious daddy issues and granddaddy issues and ancestor issues and that was just not sexy. He doesn’t really do anything to endear you to him, except for his grand gesture at the end; which we all saw coming from a million miles away and for me was just a lot too late to develop any affection for him as a character.

Pretty much this entire book we saw coming from a million miles away. The only surprising reveal of the entire book was Merry’s mothers secret and that was a tiny insignificant thing in the grand scheme of things. Contemporary Romance as a whole tends to be pretty predictable, but this one was a bit of a snooze fest in its predictability. I found myself counting down until the end of the book.

The saving grace of this book is Victoria Dahl’s humor. She is just plain funny, she is great with the one liners. So if nothing else you will laugh while reading this book. You can always count on a V. Dahl book to be lighthearted and funny and this one is no exception when it comes to that. Overall, this book missed its mark for me, but it did have some redeemable qualities. I think there will be many that will truly enjoy this tale.

*This book was provided to me from NetGalley for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Rating: 3.5 Romanticals

 

Review: Normandie Alleman – Venetian Love Knots

Venetian Love Knots:

Purchase on Amazon:

Normandie Alleman – Venetian Love Knots

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

In Venice, Allison Fox will find love in the arms of two men. Her past collides with her future in a battle for her heart. Which one will win?

Travelling to Venice to be the maid of honour in her best friend’s wedding sounds like a great vacation, and a romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day. But when Allison Fox discovers who the best man is, she is torn between duty and self-preservation.

It has taken Allison four years to put her tumultuous relationship with the rodeo cowboy behind her. A violent incident ripped them apart. Now Allison must find a way to face her past and find closure with her old flame. But will she be able to put the past behind her?

Cole is the Texas cowboy has never got over his love for Allison. But when he declares his love for her after all this time, is she strong enough to walk away from the intense passion they share?

For years Nico, a handsome Italian, was committed to nothing but his work. Nico never expected he would meet an American beauty who would awaken in him a desire to love again. Once he finds her, Nico vows to never let Allison go.

It will be a Valentine’s Day to remember, but who will win Allison’s heart?

Review:

This was a quick, short read at a little under 70 pages. I was engaged from beginning to end with the story and the pacing was pretty good. There wasn’t really any time to get bored and the plot just kept moving along taking you with it.

I’m really happy this book was set in one of my all-time favorite countries and one of my favorite cities within that country. The setting is Venice, Italy. I’ve been to Venice twice so for me the descriptions of the city were pretty accurate and made me envision that I was back in Italy strolling along the streets taking in the vendors and splendor that is very unique city on water. If you haven’t been to Italy, I think that the author’s descriptions were good enough that you could envision yourself there. Or at least make yourself think it’s time to take that romantic getaway trip that you have been planning on but haven’t had the chance to take.

As for the romance that is set in one of the most romantic cities in the world, it is a love triangle. Typically, I’m not that into love triangles but this one wasn’t so bad. We have Allison, who has never quite gotten over Cole; whose was pretty much a dick in their “relationship” but the relationship was so intense in and out of bed that no one since has quite matched up. That is until Nico picks her up from the airport. Nico is the intense attraction with some more substance behind him. Nico is just as intensely attracted to Allison as she is to him. In this love triangle, Cole arrives in Venice determined to win Allison back. Since they parted he too has not felt anything as intense as it had been with Allison. All Cole really had to do to win Allison over was pretty much say hi. I was pretty disappointed that she went back to that douche so easily; but at the same time, when your dickmatized (Click here to see what dickmatized is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQaYADRtw8w ) sometimes it’s hard to think clearly. LOL. And this chick was clearly dickmatized… I am not a fan of Cole, from the get go, there really is just not much to like about him. His way of “making it up to” Allison for having sex with one of her best friends was to have a threesome with another man. Now, admittedly Allison is pretty sexually open, but come call it what it is a fantasy, but not a way to make it up to her. Only in a douches brain would that be a good way to make it up to the one who got away. Now that being said, that I clearly didn’t like our “hero”, I don’t think we were supposed to like him. I think Normandie Alleman didn’t want us to like him, wants us to root for Nico and for Allison to get her head out of her a$$ and choose the right man for her. But the question is, who will she pick in this crazy love triangle??

Since this is an erotica novel, I feel like I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t at least mention the sex. I have to say it was pretty hot, there is some kink with light BDSM and a M/F/M threesome. The flash backs to a younger Allison and Cole as well as the older Allison and Cole, it is easy to see why the girl was dickmatized. Cole certainly knew what he was doing. He understood Allison’s needs better than she did. The threesome scene wasn’t what I was used to from other such scenes, Nico and Cole weren’t really a team, they didn’t really work together for Allison’s pleasure. It was basically three different people with three different goals. All three goals were hot and it was pretty sexy but it wasn’t as cohesive as I was used to, but it worked within this story’s framework. I think would have gone against the love triangle aspect if it had been cohesive with Nico and Cole working as a team.

Overall, it was a pretty good novella. I enjoyed it for what it is and I would pick up another book by this author in the future.

*This title was provided by the author for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Rating: 3.75 Romanticals

ShadowHeart- Slayer, Book #2 By Claudy Conn

Buylink:
Shadowheart-Slayer (Shadow Vampires series)

5 Romanticals

This is the 2nd book in Claudy’s Shadow Series. In this book we get more engrossed into the vamp, Fae, magical world.

It is so well written that when reading this book it totally played out like a movie.
It felt like a combination of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Underworld. We get the best of both worlds with added extra’s.

Nikki is a fiery haired vamp slayer hell bent on revenge. Will she accomplish her revenge without losing herself in the process?

Damon is a special vampire, we meet Damon in book one. He is always so mysterious. A mystery Nikki wants to unravel.

These 2 become a team to rid the world of the gruesome vampires wanting to take over the world.

Claudy’s take on Dracula and the surrounding world is fantastic. I love her twist to the tale.

This book takes you on a fun journey, its filled with action, mystery, mayhem, magic, emotion, lust, passion and sizzling romance.

I loved it! A must read 🙂

Review: Michelle Willingham – Accidental Prince

Accidental Series:

Book 4:

Accidental Prince: Karl von Lohenberg and Princess Serena of Badenstein

Purchase on Amazon: Michelle Willingham – The Accidental Prince (Harlequin Historical)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

His runaway princess… Princess Serena of Badenstein intends to flee—from her violent father and from the man to whom she’s been pledged in a political marriage of convenience.

Karl von Lohenberg is without a country, a title—and a bride if he lets Serena get away. A ruthless man, he takes her to a secluded island, hell-bent on seduction. Only, he discovers a broken woman behind the prim princess facade. The time they spend together mends her spirit and touches his soul, but how will she react when she finds out how he’s deceived her?

Review:

I’ve only read one other book by Michelle Willingham and it was one of her highlanders. I’ve been meaning to go back and read her backlist, but alas I have not had the time. So when I saw there was a review copy of this book available I grabbed it without hesitation. I don’t read that many historical’s but so far I love Willingham’s works her characters really stick out among the crowd.

Almost immediately we are drawn into this world, where Princess Serena is in a panic to flee her kingdom. Her ribs are broken; there are red marks around her neck and fresh bruises on her arms. From the beginning there is no way you can shield Serena from your heart. She is physically broken, but her spirit is not. Somehow she has managed to keep her spirit and her will intact, they may be a bit bruised and uncertain, but unlike her body, she is not completely broken. You have to admire that about her. Despite her circumstances she still maintains a good heart and cares about her loved ones and mourns leaving them, before she has even left. When her plans are thwarted by her betrothed the Prince, she goes with it, but still keeps her head about her. When her fiancé abducts her, she tries to keep him at an arm’s length and does a pretty good job of it but little by little he shows her that he would never harm her and he niggles his way in. He helps her overcome her fears and mends some of those bruises on her spirit. In a weeks’ time, he shows her more compassion than anyone else has, and surprisingly she ends up trusting this man with her life. When his secret comes out, I really thought she’d lose her ish more than she did. As it turned out it almost brought her closer to Karl. Serena definitely surprises the reader at times, you expect her to act one way but she does the opposite. Not only does she surprise the reader, she surprises our hero Karl quite often as well. She keeps him off balance and just like he thwarted her plans, she thwarts his!

Karl, doesn’t know what to do with his abducted princess. Every time he thinks things might go his way, she surprises him and he has to reevaluate. She makes him realize some things and take a harder look at his life. At the beginning of this novel, Karl has just found out her is a bastard and he has lost his title and kingdom. There is nothing more important to Karl than getting a kingdom anyway he can, and the only way he can get a kingdom is through Princess Serena. When an opportunity arises for him to “escort” Serena on a holiday, he takes it. His plans are to seduce her and marry her, within a day of arranging her “holiday”. He soon realizes that is not going to happen as his intended is not going along with his plans at all. Not only does she not care that she has been ruined, she has no plans to go back to her kingdom. Karl also quickly realizes that she has been severally physically harmed and that it wasn’t just once. He realizes that she is seriously distrustful and will not let him touch her. He knows then, that his seduction of the Princess has just gotten that much harder. But as the time goes by, Karl becomes more and more attracted to this beauty and it’s not just her face that holds him enchanted, but her unbreakable will as well. Karl, does the most growing throughout this novel, he goes from spoiled former prince that will stop at nothing to get what he wants no matter who he has to use. By the end, the kingdom doesn’t matter anymore, only keeping Serena safe is important.

Throughout the novel the attraction between Serena and Karl grows. They find that they have more in common than either of them could have ever imagined. Their feeling grow and grow until nothing else is as important and the first thing on each other’s mind is keeping the other safe. Serena is willing to walk back into the lion’s den to keep Karl safe, and Karl is willing to risk his own life to keep Serena from the lion’s den. But, in the end, neither of their plans will come to fruition. These two seriously niggle their ways into your heart; I swear I was misting up when their time together was coming to end. For them the situation looked helpless and there is a moment of such tenderness that I choked up a little bit. LOL I must be getting soft in my old age, or Willingham is just that good! The heat factor in this book was not as much as I expected considering the last book I read by Willingham, but there is plenty of sexual tension and build up that you don’t really miss that the actual act doesn’t come until later on in the book. I stayed up all night reading until 5:30 a.m., I just could not let this book go until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. This just reiterates that I need to get on it and start reading Willingham’s back list!

Rating: 5 Romanticals