Month: October 2018

The Earl and The Enchantress by Paullett Golden

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837)6 Comments

The Earl and The Enchantress (The Enchantresses, #1)The Earl and The Enchantress by Paullett Golden

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The two very charming and compelling main characters in Paullett Golden’s debut novel have nothing keeping them apart but themselves. Each of them has very good reasons for avoiding love and marriage but they are also lonely and want more from life. Their journey to find their HEA is a lovely one where they have to learn to trust each other and open themselves to love. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and getting to know all of the characters. Each character was fully developed, robust and very relatable. I just knew I’d love aunt Hazel if I met her, she is so funny and caring, but I didn’t care for Charlotte or Drake. However, I understand there is more to Drake than meets the eye, so we’ll find him and maybe Charlotte redeemed in the next book – where they are the main characters. This book is well-plotted and well-delivered – an all-in-all excellent first book.

Lizbeth Trethow and Sebastian Lancaster, Earl of Roddam first meet when each steals away from a crowded ballroom looking for a moment of peace and solitude. Each is intrigued by the other, but since neither is looking for marriage, they know that this will be their only interaction. Neither of them could stop thinking of the other and when Sebastian’s cousin, Drake, Duke of Annick, decides to pursue Lizbeth or Charlotte for his bride, Lizbeth and Sebastian are thrown together more and more.

Lizbeth is a fixer, a healer of souls. She and her mother were very close and spent every day together frolicking on the beach, romping through the fields and delivering food to the workers at her father’s mine. When Lizbeth was seven years old, her mother died in childbirth and her whole world changed. Her happy, loving father withdrew into himself for years after his wife died and Lizbeth basically had the care of her father, the house and her sibling on her small shoulders. Now, she’s treated as a partner by her father and values her independence. She doesn’t have anything against marriage specifically, but she knows there isn’t a man out there who will treat her as an equal once they are married.

Sebastian had a horrible childhood with an abusive, mad father. Sebastian’s mother was sweet and loving to Sebastian, but she died when he was seven and from that point on he was abused both physically and mentally by his father. Those physical and mental scars run very, very deep. He feels unworthy and carries a huge load of guilt with him and he couldn’t possibly tie some poor woman to him for life. Besides, he has absolutely no idea how to love somebody, he’s never seen love and certainly hasn’t felt it. Sebastian is very, very, very slow to trust and very quick to see betrayal whether it is there or not.

Lizabeth is the balm to Sebastian’s wounds, but it comes at a price – he has to be honest with her and tell her all of his secrets. But, if he does, he knows he’ll lose her forever. Will he be able to conquer his demons and trust Lizabeth?

If you’d like to try a delightful new author, I hope you’ll give this one a try.

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

Highland Wolf by Hannah Howell

On By TracyIn Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

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Highland Wolf by Hannah Howell

Series: The Murrays #15

Release Date: October 30, 2018 (Re-Release)

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sir James Drummond, foster son to the Murray clan, has lost everything, his home, his wife and his child. Three years ago his wife was found burned to death and her cousin Sir Donnell MacKay cried murder, had James declared an outlaw and took over Dunncraig Castle and has told everyone that Margaret (Meggie) is actually his daughter, not James’. But after 3 years on the run, James is ready to return, clear his name and oust Donnell.

Annora MacKay is Donnell’s poor, unwanted, illegitimate cousin and was brought to Dunncraig to care for Meggie. Donnell and his friend Egan are brutal men, they rule by fear and have beaten Annora and Meggie numerous times – Annora stays for only one reason, Meggie. She is not sure she believes Donnell is the child’s father and is sure he gained the castle by underhanded means. When Donnell hires a woodworker to work at the castle, Annora finds herself drawn to him – James has gain entry to the castle by posing as Rolf the woodworker. He gains Annora’s attention because she has a gift, she is an empath and his rage makes her curious, but for some reason, she doesn’t fear him.

Rolf is frustrated at his lack of progress and by his ill-timed attraction to Annora, a woman that Egan clearly views as his – much to Annora’s disgust. When they both have the same idea to search Donnell’s ledger room – they share a kiss and are almost caught by Donnell and Egan. She tells herself to stay away from Rolf, lest she end up like her mother. Later she learns Donnell’s plan for Meggie and is more determined than ever to learn Donnell’s secrets.

James’ attention of Annora has not gone unnoticed and he is warned away by Donnell, but when he comes upon Egan trying to rape her, he intervenes. Things between them escalate and when she overhears Donnell and Egan making plans for Egan to marry her – she runs to Rolf and learns that he is not who she thought he was – he is Sir James! He explains why he has returned and she offers to help him – he does not seem put off by her gift and believes her when she says, she doesn’t think his wife Mary was dead when he was outlawed, but is sure she is dead now. He kisses her and things became heated, James claims her as his mate and will do whatever is necessary to keep her.

They try to find out what happened to Mary, but Donnell has covered his tracks well. But the discovery of Mary’s journals and the arrival of Sir Symon Innes & Sir Tormand Murray really get the investigation moving. They need more proof, but are running out of time – when Egan again tries to rape Annora, James beats him and is ready to throw away his dream of redemption to save the woman he loves and his child. They run, but are caught, James is take prisoner and Annora is brutally beaten – it seems all is lost, but Annora is not willing to let the man she loves die and forces herself to get help. Will it be enough to save James? Will there be a HEA? Will he still want her once his name is restored?

This is a well written, fast paced book, with a lot of steamy love scenes, a lot of violence (there are triggers for both physical abuse and rape – if these are sensitive issues for you, be warned), action, mystery, really nasty bad guys, great secondary characters and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I liked this story, but it is on the violent side and the formal address is not quite right, but all in all, not a bad read. In fact, I read this book when it first came out in 2008, I don’t think I ever wrote a review, but I would be hard pressed to say if there was anything different in this re-released edition (other than the cover and in my opinion the new cover is WAY BETTER). This is book 15 in the Murray series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title and it quietly sets up the next two books in the series.

*I am volunarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*