Author: Tracy

Avid reader (and reviewer) of historical romance, historical mystery, fantasy, romantasy and paranormal mystery

Reclaimed by the Knight by Nicole Locke

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

Reclaimed by the Knight (Lovers and Legends #7)Reclaimed by the Knight by Nicole Locke

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Lovers and Legends, #7

Release Date: September 1, 2018

If you read the previous book The Knight’s Scarred Maiden then you already know Nicholas of Mei Solis, he is the scarred knight that helped Rhain escape the vengeance of Reynold of Warstone. If like me you wondered about his past, the wait is over!

Commanded by Rhain to return home and settle his past, Nicholas dreads returning to his holding and the only woman he ever loved, the woman who promised to marry him and married his best friend while he was away. Six years ago, Nicholas was happy and in love, he left Mei Solis to earn coin for the property, he said he would return in two years and left even after Matilda begged him to stay. Two years turned to three and with it a horrific injury and the news that his love married his friend Roger. That news kept him alive, alive to seek vengeance on his erstwhile friend and his faithless love. Now three years after receiving the news, he is back and ready to put the past behind him and move on with his life.

Matilda loved Nicholas with all her youthful heart and begged him not to leave, but leave he did, without even a proper goodbye. At first he wrote her letters and she wrote back, but then his letters to her suddenly stopped without explanation, but he continued to correspond with Louve, the estate steward. Believing he broke their betrothal, Matilda marries his friend Roger, she writes to him one last time to tell him of her marriage, and tries to love her husband as he deserves. Nicholas, Matilda, Roger and Louve all grew up together and were dear friends, but what Matilda felt for Nicholas was much deeper and she was heartbroken when he broke their betrothal.

She was content with Roger, but never loved him as she did Nicholas and feels guilty about that. Roger is dead and she is pregnant with his child, she has tried very hard to change and become the type of person she believes Roger wanted her to be, she curbs her adventurousness and her temper, but Nicholas’s returns and treats her like she betrayed him, she cannot let that go without speaking her mind.

They talk and argue, each believing they are the wronged party and slowly they begin to accept their own roles in the break down of their relationship. They form a tentative peace, but Matilda is sure Nicholas is leaving again and refuses to trust him. When Matilda goes into labor, Nicholas is by her side and after the baby is born, keeps his distance for weeks, until he hears her crying.

Something breaks in Matilda after Julianna’s birth and she feels like she is drowning in despair and grief. When Nicholas comforts her, it feels right and later when he insists that she stay in the manor, they finally have it out – the love they shared, never truly died, but hurt and mistrust are not easy to let go of, and when Reynold shows up, Matilda is sure Nicholas is lost to her forever.

This was a very emotionally charged book filled with misconceptions, mistrust, forgiveness, second chances and growing up. I personally felt that they both could have tried a little harder to communicate while he was away and Matilda was more angry than I believe warranted (for someone who married and had a child with another man) and I would have liked the ending to be a bit more specific regarding their HEA. But it was a very good story and makes me want to read Reynold’s book all the more!!!

All Dressed in White by Charis Michaels

On By TracyIn Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)1 Comment

All Dressed in White (The Brides of Belgravia, #2)All Dressed in White by Charis Michaels

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Brides of Belgravia, #2

Release Date: August 21, 2018

This book was nothing like I imagined it would be, the blurb cannot fully prepare the reader for the intense and emotional story contained within this book.

Tessa St. Croix is in trouble, the kind of trouble only a quick marriage can solve. Violated and left pregnant, Tessa and her friends form a plan. The three girls all have reasons to marry quickly, they take out an advert for husbands, offering their dowries as an investment, they all plan to have white marriages and live their own lives. But when Tessa meets Joseph Chance, she wonders if she can go through with her plan to marry him and pass her unborn child off as his. She quickly comes to care for Joseph and wants to marry him and have a real marriage. But guilt and shame weigh on her and in the end, she cannot deceive him.

On their wedding night, she tells him the truth, not of her rape, but of her pregnancy. Joseph is devastated, he had fallen in love with Tessa and thought she loved him too, despite his humble origins. He is angry, hurt and lashes out verbally before leaving her in Belgravia and sailing off to Barbados.

When he returns almost a year later, he has no plans to seek out his wife, until he learns that she has cancelled his docking arrangements. Forced to see her again, he is angry that he is still attracted to her. But this Tessa is not the same woman he left behind. This Tessa is a pale imitation of the woman he thought he loved and he doesn’t understand what changed. He doesn’t want to care about her or be involved with her, but his entire business venture hangs in the balance and she has the solution.

This was a beautiful story, filled with a lot of emotion, yes, there is fear, pain, betrayal and heartbreak but that is tempered by witty banter, tender moments, patience and kindness. Be aware, this book does have certain triggers that may be incredibly upsetting for some readers. But in my opinion, it was handled delicately and the reader is not subjected to the actual rape, only the heroine’s recounting – if this sort of thing upsets you, this book may not be for you. But if you like second chance love stories, wonderful characters, villains who get what they deserve and happy endings – READ THIS BOOK!

This was the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title. I happily recommend this book and am looking forward to Sabine and Jon Stoker’s book!!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher.*