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 Knight’s Maiden in Disguise by Ella Matthews #BlogTour

On By TracyIn Blog Tour, Medieval (1066-1540), Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Knights Maiden in Disguise

The Knight - KMID UK cover

The Knight’s Maiden in Disguise

Risking her life
To save a knight!

Disguising herself as her late twin brother keeps Avva Carpenter, and her family, safe. Until Sir William Devereux arrives in her town. As the castle’s stable master, Avva can’t avoid the knight—or the desire he instantly stirs in her. He’s everything she never knew a nobleman could be: honest, kind, brave. When danger surrounds them, the only way to help William is to reveal her true identity, but can she trust him enough?

Purchase Links:

UK – US

The Knight Ella_Matthews_photo
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:

Twitter ~ Website ~ Facebook

Tracy’s Review:

The Knight's Maiden in DisguiseThe Knight’s Maiden in Disguise by Ella Matthews

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The King’s Knights, #1

Release Date:  September 28, 2021

Sir William Devereux is on a mission for the King’s Knights, an elite group that serves King Edward III, the king himself has sent William to prepare Baron Caerden in South Wales for a visit from the king. William hopes that if this mission is successful the king will reward him with a rich bride. His father is a baron, but William feels that his parents are too blinded by their love of one another to manage the barony properly, he worries that his sisters will suffer and wants a rich wife to ensure they are properly dowered and that the estate is not left destitute when William inherits. William views his parent’s love as a liability and vows to never succumb to such nonsense. He and his squire James, are almost at the Baron’s keep when they notice that the village is too quiet and that there are no women about, curious, he then notices that there seems to be no one guarding the keep. Worried, he sends James to warn the King’s Knights that something is amiss and then sets out on his own to find out what is going on. He enters the stables and is immediately blown away by his immediate and intense attraction to the stable master, who at first glance is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, he soon realizes his mistake and is bewildered by his attraction to the man. He is overwhelmed by it and has to force himself to leave the stables and concentrate on his mission. A mission that is getting more difficult by the moment when he learns the Baron is not in residence.

For the last year, Avva Carpenter has been disguised as her deceased twin brother Aven, something that is necessary for a young woman living in Caerden. If she could, Avva would leave and start a new life elsewhere, but she won’t abandon her younger brothers, who are apprenticing for the blacksmith, she hopes that they will soon be settled and she can move on. Avva’s reaction to William was every bit as visceral and immediate as his was to her, but she can’t risk her disguise and vows to avoid the handsome knight. But that will be easier said than done since William seeks her out, again and again, to help him figure out what the Baron is up to.

It didn’t take long for William to figure out that Avva is a woman and an ally. Together they uncover a plot against the king and set out to thwart it. But when William is injured, Avva’s involvement may just end up getting her killed. Can William save her and still complete his mission? And if he does, will he still want to marry an heiress or will he do what he has vowed never to do and marry for love?

This was a well-written, fast-paced read with wonderful characters and enough intrigue to keep you flipping pages. The story is not overly complex, but it is well-plotted and perfectly executed, it is filled with forbidden desire, warmish love scenes, secrets, a truly wicked villain, great secondary characters, action, and finally a HEA that didn’t seem possible. I enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it!

*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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Highland Thief by Alyson McLayne

On By TracyIn Medieval (1066-1540), Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Highland Thief (The Sons of Gregor MacLeod, #5)Highland Thief by Alyson McLayne

Tracy’s rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Sons of Gregor MacLeod

Release Date: August 24, 2021

If you have been following the series, you know that Kerr MacAlister has planned to marry Isobel MacKinnon, but plots against his foster brothers, war, and even Isobel herself have kept him from claiming her. But now that her brother Gavin has found his son and has married, Kerr feels it is time and sets out to win Isobel.

Years ago Isobel was infatuated with Kerr, but when he spurned her request for a kiss, she tried to quash those feelings and instead turned her attention to making him pay for his callousness. Isobel is known far and wide as the Beauty of the Highlands, but what she should be known for is her pranks, tricks, and traps that she springs on those who have wronged someone and she believes require punishment. To date, she has not been able to catch Kerr in one of her traps and that only fuels her ire towards him. So when he makes it clear that he wants to marry her, she comes up with a plan to catch him in one of her tricks, and this time she is sure he won’t figure out and she will finally have her revenge. She will trick him into thinking that she is eloping with another man and make a fool of him when he comes after her. What could go wrong?

This is a well-written, action-packed story, that picks up shortly after the end of the last book. Kerr has finally decided it is time to claim his bride, but Isobel is not going to make it easy for him. The story doesn’t really take off until after Isobel puts her plan to fool Kerr into play, but once he follows her, the story picks up speed and it is a non-stop adventure until the very end. The book has a little of everything, graphic fight scenes, great secondary characters, cameos from the other “brothers”, a villain who is finally revealed and who is dealt with accordingly, steamy love scenes, surprising revelations, and finally the long awaited HEA of Kerr and Isobel. I liked the book but there were some things that kept me from loving it, for instance, I had a really hard time liking Isobel, she was incredibly immature and I thought her “tricks” were petty, spiteful, and stupid, I don’t understand why Kerr was so crazy for her and seemed to be proud of her ridiculous plots and plans, but to each their own, I suppose. I also felt that while this story did answer the question of who has been attacking the clans, it didn’t feel like it really made sense – why attack all the other clans and fail each time before going after who you ultimately wanted all along – I don’t just don’t get it. I also wonder what happened to Eirik and Siv, they just seemed to disappear. In the end, it was an exciting, action-filled adventure that gives readers some closure and answers long-standing questions and if you have been following the series, I would highly recommend reading 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.*