Category: Tracy’s Reviews

A Scot is Not Enough by Gina Conkle

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

A Scot Is Not Enough (Scottish Treasures, #2)A Scot Is Not Enough by Gina Conkle

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Scottish Treasures, #2

Release Date: April 26, 2022

After helping her clanswoman Anne complete her mission, Cecelia MacDonald has become the de facto leader of the group of women committed to restoring some of the things taken from their clan after the Jacobite uprising. With Anne’s mission to find the clan’s gold completed, it is up to Cecelia to find the MacDonald’s ancient ceremonial dagger and restore it to the clan’s chief. And now after years of searching, she knows where it is and just needs to figure out a way to gain access to Sir Hans Sloane’s collection, but first, she needs to shake the man following her.

Alexander Sloane is a man with a dream, he wants to be appointed a Baron of the Exchequer, and to attain that goal he has left his family’s legal practice, where he served as a barrister and has taken a job as the undersecretary to the undersecretary to the Duke of Newcastle. Currently, he is tasked with examining Bow Street’s funds and deciphering a Jacobite ledger. But when the magistrate of Bow Street asks him to follow a Jacobite sympathizer and report her day-to-day activities to him, in exchange for help getting appointed to the Court of the Exchequer, Alexander has no choice but to comply. However, once Alexander meets Cecelia everything changes, and soon protecting this fiercely independent woman becomes more important than any appointment.

Trust doesn’t come easy to Cecelia, but Alexander is unlike any man she has ever known and when he suggests a partnership, she is tempted to believe that it could work. But in her heart, she knows that an upstanding, honorable man like Alexander has no future with a displaced Jacobite sympathizer like her and that she will need to guard her heart. Working together proves they are a good team and she begins to think she might actually succeed at her mission, but when a villain from her past with a score to settle sets, Cecelia, in her sites, any chance for a HEA seems to disappear, and she can only pray that she doesn’t take Alexander down with her.

This second installment of the series is just as intense as the first book and packed with more than one surprise. I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book after meeting Cecelia in the previous story, but she is not the woman I thought she was, Cecelia has lots of layers that she keeps in place to guard her tender heart and she meets her match in Alexander. This book has wonderful characters, a lot of sexual tension, a couple of mild love scenes, a hero that is sure to win your heart as he did Cecelia’s, a bit of betrayal, intrigue, some live and death moments, great secondary characters, cringe-worthy villains, and a sigh-inducing HEA. The story starts a bit slow and if you didn’t read the first book, you might not understand the significance of certain things, but overall it is a good read and I would happily recommend this title.

*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.*

When a Princess Proposes by Kerrelyn Sparks

On By TracyIn Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

When a Princess Proposes (Embraced by Magic #6)When a Princess Proposes by Kerrelyn Sparks

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Embraced by Magic, #3 (Embraced, #6)

Release Date: April 26, 2022

Since the fall of the Circle of Five peace has reigned on Aerthlan, but now twenty years later, the Seer, Queen Maeve has been having haunting dreams and visions that foretell trouble brewing, especially for the Embraced and King Leo of Eberon. So she sends the royal messenger, an eagle shifter named Quentin to warn King Leo of Maeve’s dreams.

Quentin is both excited and dreads his trip to Eberon because it will bring him in the proximity of the one and only woman who owns his heart – Princess Eviana. Someone who could never be his as he a nobody, an illegitimate sone of servants, but that doesn’t stop his heart from longing for her. He arrives at the castle during King Leo’s birthday celebration and sees Eviana dancing with one of her many suitors. Quen is jealous, but stays in the shadows just watching her – until his friend and fellow Embraced, Lady Olana finds him. Olana’s gift is to make people confess their secrets with just a touch and is the only person who knows Quen is in love with Eviana. She urges him to dance with Eviana, but instead, Quen decides to show Eviana that none of her suitors are worthy of her and convinces Olana to help him, they dance and she “accidentally” touches the would-be suitors and they confess their secrets in front of the entire gathering. But things don’t go as planned when Eviana rushes out of the room.

Eviana has led a very sheltered life and feels trapped. When her suitors begin confessing their secrets, she uses the commotion to run to her sanctuary and escape the pressure to find a husband. When Quentin comes looking for her to apologize, she is drawn to him and asks him to be her friend, a request he immediately rejects and takes off. Later her parents decide after the fiasco at the ball, that it might be best for Eviana to leave for a bit and send her off to visit Norveshka. But when her barge is attacked and she uses her Embraced gift, it is Quen who comes to her rescue.
Quen has learned some disturbing news, someone is killing the Embraced and he is going to inform King Leo when he sees the royal barge under attack. When he finds Eviana, it is clear someone was trying to capture her and he is sure it is the same people killing the Embraced. Despite his misgivings, he and the princess must work together to find out who is targeting the Embraced and stop them. He just hopes he can work closely with her without revealing his secret love. For her part, Eviana is excited to use this time with Quen to convince him they are perfect for each other and protect her family from this new threat.

This is yet another well-written, fabulous installment of the Embraced/Embraced by Magic saga, filled with familiar faces and lots of new ones. The story is filled with intrigue, magic, dragons, shifters, great secondary characters, as well as a secondary romance, a great setup for future books, some extremely nasty villains, and finally a very sweet HEA. I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to more installments featuring the next generation of Embraced. This book is the Third (or Sixth, depending on your POV) but it is more like the beginning of a new series and can easily be read as a standalone title. If you enjoy the Fantasy/Paranormal Historical sub-genre, I highly recommend this book and the whole series.

*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.*