Category: Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454)

In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or Medieval Period lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages.

The Welsh Lord’s Convenient Bride by Lissa Morgan

On May 26, 2022May 25, 2022 By TracyIn Medieval (1066-1540), Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Welsh Lord’s Convenient Bride by Lissa Morgan

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: N/A

Release Date: May 24, 2022

Rhun ab Owain has been living abroad for years after a falling out with his father, but now he has learned his father is dead and he must return home to Castell y Lleuad in Wales to take his place as the lord and marry his enemy’s daughter. He will honor his father’s wishes, but he will never accept Eleanor de Vraille as his wife.

Eleanor is no more thrilled with the marriage than Rhun is, she is leaving the only home she has ever known to become the mistress of an ancient castle in a country where she is a stranger and doesn’t even speak the language. But she has no options and accepts her new life with dignity and tries her best to make her marriage work, too bad her husband refuses to make her his wife in truth and avoids her at every turn. But when Rhun is called by her father to fight against the Welsh uprising and he refuses and is branded a traitor, Eleanor surprises everyone by standing by him. Can they find love despite their forced union?

This was an interesting, slow-burn romance story by a new to me author, the writing was good, but the pace was not as smooth as I had hoped. The book starts out slow and doesn’t really pick up until nearly the end. The author drops a lot of things on the reader at the start without much information, answers do come, but for most of the book, I was left wondering why he hated her family, why he limped, why she thought she was deformed, etc. The book has a classic enemies-to-lovers trope, as well as lots of secrets, betrayal, shame, guilt, mild love scenes, wonderful secondary characters, a slow-burn romance, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I did like the book, but I wish the pace was a bit faster and that the author had provided a glossary of Welsh terms/phrases that she used. But I also appreciated setting the book in Wales and thought Rhun and Eleanor were likable characters who deserved their HEA. This was my first book by this author and despite the hiccups in this story, I liked the story and will be looking out for her future work!

*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.*

Blog Tour – The Knight’s Tempting Ally by Ella Matthews

On April 5, 2022April 4, 2022 By TracyIn Blog Tour, Medieval (1066-1540), Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Part of a Series, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Knights Tempting Ally

KTA UK

The Knight’s Tempting Ally

A knight’s enemy
Becomes his closest ally…
Knight Theo Glenville will do whatever it takes to discover who’s plotting against his King. So befriending—and even romancing—his target’s middle daughter, Medea, is merely part of his sworn duty. But what isn’t? Falling under the spell of a woman who’s anything but plain in his eyes! Yet every day they become closer, the more torn he is between his allegiance to the king or his heart…

Purchase Links:

UK – US

Author Bio:

Ella Matthews lives and works in beautiful South Wales. 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

Tracy’s Review:

The Knight’s Tempting Ally by Ella Matthews

Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: The King’s Knights, #2

Release Date: March 29, 2022

When King’s Knight, Sir Theodore Grenville is told to find out if Baron Suval was using his french family connections to plot against the king, he never expected to be enchanted by the Baron’s middle and often overlooked daughter, Medea.

Medea Suval has come to court with her parents, who are hoping to find husbands for their two other, more beautiful daughters, as they have promised Medea that she may join St. Helena’s nunnery. Medea just plans to endure her time at court and then retire to the convent, but it seems fate has other plans for her. Plans that involve murder, intrigue, betrayal, and an attraction that cannot be denied.

This was a well-written story with a very well-executed mystery woven into the romance. The book is filled with likable characters, lies, secrets, murder, betrayal, some warm love scenes, a hero and heroine who are both love-shy, and finally a HEA that didn’t seem like it was going to happen. This is the second book in the series, but it could easily be read as a standalone title.