Category: Blog Tour

Bound to the Warrior Knight by Ella Matthews ~ Blog Tour

On By TracyIn Blog Tour, Book Publicity, Medieval (1066-1540), Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Part of a Series, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Bound to the Warrior Knight

Wed to a stranger

Awakened by his touch

As the new wife of stoic knight Benedictus Monceaux, innocent Adela finds herself in a whole new world… Their union is one of convenience and power, but her feelings for the warrior unsettle and excite her. Hiding an inner strength, Adela knows she can be a strong ally to her husband but first she must walk a fine line between duty and desire, both in court and in the bedchamber.

Purchase Links:

UK – US

Author Bio:

Ella Matthews lives and works in beautiful South Wales. She writes medieval romances for Mills & Boon. When not thinking about handsome heroes she can be found walking along the coast with her husband and their two children (probably still thinking about heroes but at least pretending to be interested in everyone else).

Social Media Links:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

 

Tracy’s Review:

Bound to the Warrior Knight (The King's Knights, #4)Bound to the Warrior Knight by Ella Matthews

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The King’s Knights, #4

Release Date: March 28, 2023

After years of waiting for her betrothed to claim her, the day has finally come and Adela couldn’t be happier. Not because she is in love with Sir Benedictus Monceaux, she doesn’t even know him, it is because she will finally be freed from the prison her father has kept her in to keep her “pure” for her betrothed. At first, Benedictus refuses to let her join him at Windsor, but when Adela makes it clear that she will follow him if he doesn’t let her go with him, he gives in. Windsor is a huge adjustment for Adela, as is being married to the very stoic Sir Benedictus, but soon they are getting along very well and if it isn’t the love that her new friends Medea and Theo share, that is all right, not everyone is that lucky and what she shares with Beneditus is enough, right? Yet, as her feelings deepen, she wonders what Benedictus really feels for her and if maybe they could be lucky too.

Sir Benedictus Monceaux is the leader of King Edward’s elite guard and acts in the king’s stead while he is abroad. Knowing the king needs funds for his wars, Sir Benedictus decides it is time to collect his bride and her hefty dowry. He expects to wed her and leave her with her family, as he doesn’t have time to coddle a wife. Men may quake in his presence, but his new wife stands up to him, this is a big surprise and somewhat arousing. He isn’t sure what to make of her, but now that he has her, he isn’t going to let her go. But feelings and sweet words are not Benedictus’ forte and may cost him the love of a lifetime if he can’t find a way to let Adela know what she has come to mean to him. But when the worse happens, she gets her answer and is heartbroken. Now choices will have to be made as the fate of two hearts hangs in the balance.

In the final installment of the King’s Knight series, readers are in for a treat – Benedictus is a treasure and a man with hidden depths. Throughout the series, he has been portrayed as a bit of a stick in the mud and very rigid, but beneath that tough hide beats a tender heart of gold – he is first and foremost the king’s man and he is unapologetic for that, and rightly so, but he is not without a heart and it is Adela who brings those softer feeling out in him. This book was the crème de la crème of the series, it is filled with emotion, spies, steamyish love scenes, some surprising twists and turns, a bit of heartache, family reunions, toxic parents, a slow-burn romance that lead to a HEA with a very sweet epilogue. My only complaints were that the villain didn’t die (Yes, I am a bloodthirsty wench) and that the epilogue didn’t include all the former characters. Other than those minor things, this book was practically perfect! This is the fourth and final book in the series, and while it can be read as a standalone title, reading the series in order will give you more insight into Benedictus and his brother knights, giving you a better reading experience for this book.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

 

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A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Blog Tour, Book Publicity, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell, #8)

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5
Series: Veronica Speedwell #8
Publication Date: 3/7/23
Period: Victorian England
Number of Pages: 336

After reading the previous book in this series I was in a quandary about whether I wished to continue reading the series or not. Throughout the series, I have actively disliked Veronica – probably because the author has made her so ‘woke’ that she is rabid in her thoughts, beliefs, and relationships. There is a point where ‘It is all about me’, becomes just downright dislikable and that is where I was with Veronica. Then, with the hurt she delivered to Stoker in the last book, I was about done with Veronica, but I wanted to see how the author was going to manage to leave Veronica as dislikable as she was and still mend the relationship with Stoker. Therefore, I picked up a copy of this book. Let us just say I was pleased with some of the personal epiphanies Veronica had and the seeming character growth for her. I say seeming because that remains to be seen in future books. No, I didn’t come to like Veronica, but I was pleased to see her growing (seemingly anyway) into a multi-dimensional human where she seemed to realize she wasn’t perfect and actually had flaws.

Viscount Tiberius Templeton-Vane (Stoker’s brother) has received a death threat and he has deduced that two (maybe three) previous murders are connected. Tiberius knew he needed the help of Stoker and Veronica, so he and Veronica tracked Stoker to a remote area in Bavaria. Stoker agreed to return to England and help his brother, but he offered no olive branches to Veronica (YAY! Stoker). He was civil to her, but no matter what overtures she made, he very politely rebuffed them.

Tiberius was once part of a group of friends known as the Sinful Seven – not that they were particularly sinful. Twenty years previous one of those seven died when he fell off an unstable cliff during a house party at Tiberius’s home. As magistrate for the area, Tiberius’s father declared the fall accidental and they all went on with their lives. Only, now, they wonder if perhaps it was murder rather than an accident – and the person threatening Tiberius is now seeking revenge for the death.

Tiberius’s solution is to hold a house party with the same attendees as the house party of twenty years ago. Surely the original murderer is among those attendees – and possibly the current murderer as well. Can they catch not one, but two killers? Everyone is so likable, how could any of them have committed murder? There are plenty of red herrings and clues dropped to let you follow the breadcrumbs. Will you be surprised? Perhaps – perhaps not.

I definitely enjoyed this book more than the last one, so I will recommend it. I did think it was a bit draggy in parts and the narrative was (as always) a bit ponderous and formal. For me, the best part of the story centered around Veronica’s personal epiphanies and her character growth rather than the mystery itself. I will read the next book to see if the growth continues. I hope you will enjoy the story should you choose to read it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews