Category: Tracy’s Reviews

Highland Flame by Mary Wine

On By TracyIn Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Highland Flame (Highland Weddings, #4)Highland Flame by Mary Wine
Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Highland Brides, #4

Release Date: September 5, 2017

I really enjoyed this book – Mary Wine is such a great author, she is able to draw me in from the first page and hold me captive until the last.

The story opens with Jane being cast out of the inn she was staying in with her husband in just her shift. Her husband was killed and the innkeeper took all her possessions as payment due, he cast her out when she refused to sleep with him to cancel the debt. She is determined to return to her father’s house in England, so she sets out walking, but unbeknownst to her – she is going the wrong way.

Diocail is the new laird of the Gordon clan, he was the nephew of the former laird – a stingy, mean man who was murdered – but his clan is torn, many would be happy to overthrow Diocail and his household is a mess. To escape the strife, he leaves to go with his men to collect the rents. His men have encouraged him to take a wife who can set the household to rights. They figure if the men are feed and keep is in order, Diocail will have an easier time winning over the clan.

These two meet when Diocail save Jane from some ruffians bent on raping her. As grateful as she is, Jane does not want to stay with Diocail – a fact that she repeatedly tells him. When the opportunity arises, Jane makes a run for it – only to be captured and taken to be hung as a spy! When Diocail intervenes to save her (again) the crowd demands that he marry her.

They marry but Jane is still determined to go home to England and plans to have the marriage annulled. Diocail recognizes Jane’s worth and will not let her go easily. She is appalled by the state of the keep when she arrives and immediately begins to set things right. Diocail is more convinced than ever that Jane belongs with him. Slowly Jane begins to admit that she is happy with Diocail and just when it seems like these two are headed for a HEA, Ms. Wine throws the reader a curveball.

Not everyone is happy with Jane or with Diocail for that matter. So when Jane disappears, Diocail assumes the worst and refuses to believe that Jane did not leave him. Both Jane and Diocail are stubborn and when they engage in a battle of the wills – I was hard pressed to decide who would be the victor.

This book was well written, flowed nicely, has steamy love scenes, nasty villains, great secondary characters, amusing dialogue and a great ending.

I would highly recommend this book, it is the fourth in the series, but it could easily be read as a stand alone title.

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

So I Married a Sorcerer by Kerrelyn Sparks

On By TracyIn Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Tracy's Reviews3 Comments

So I Married a Sorcerer (The Embraced, #2)So I Married a Sorcerer by Kerrelyn Sparks
Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Embraced, #2

Release Date: August 29, 2017

4.5 stars

Another exciting and entertaining tale in the Embraced series! This story picks up shortly after the end of the previous book (How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days). Brigitta and remaining “sisters” have left the Isle of Moon and are traveling to visit their sister Luciana and her husband Leo. Brigitta and her “sisters” are all embraced and each have been abandoned on the Isle of Moon by their families – the embraced are feared by the people of Aerthlon, if exposed it would mean certain death. But now that Luciana and Leo are ruling the kingdom of Eberon and are both embraced, their home is a safe haven. However, fate has other plans for Brigitta, who like all the other girls has no knowledge of her life/family before coming to the Isle of Moon. On the way to Eberon, Brigitta learns the truth of her past – she is Princess Brigitta, her half-brother Gunther is King of Tourin and he wants her back.

During the standoff with the Tourinian Navy, the pirate Rupert swoops in and kidnaps Brigitta, he has a vendetta against her brother and will not rest until he sees him destroyed – he plans to hold Brigitta for ransom. But when they meet and she touches him, Brigitta is overcome and faints – Brigitta’s gift is the ability to find lost/hidden items and this includes memories, so when she touched Rupert, she was overwhelmed by grief, pain and loss. She is determined to learn Rupert’s secrets and when she does, she wants to right the wrongs of the past.

Rupert is also embraced and he has the power to control the wind. His sole mission in life is to avenge his family and destroy King Gunther. Rupert’s father was King of Tourin and Gunther’s father proposed an alliance between the families, Prince Ulfric would be betrothed to Brigitta. On the way home from the ceremony, Rupert’s father was ambushed and killed, troops were then sent to his home to kill his mother and younger brother. Rupert was saved by a family retainer and has spent the last 19 years plotting his revenge. Brigitta is a dilemma he doesn’t need, but when he learns her brother’s true plans for her, he cannot return her to him.

Gunther needs an heir, so he has concocted a plan, he will host a completion and the winner will get to father his heir – that is why he needs Brigitta. And that is exactly why Rupert doesn’t want to turn her over to him.

Everything starts to fall into place for Brigitta, who Rupert is, what her family has done and what she has to do to make it right. She tells Rupert that she will help him regain his throne, she convinces him to return her to Gunther and enter the competition himself. Although he doesn’t want to have Brigitta anywhere near Gunther, he realizes that her plan has merit and when Leo and Luciana agree to help, it seems like Rupert might finally see his plan succeed.

This book is brimming with action, adventure, pirates, shifters, magic, dragons and secrets. It is well written, flows perfectly, it has some steamy love scenes, excellent secondary characters (Sister Fallyn – OMG – She is priceless!), cameos from Luciana and Leo, nail biting moments and finally a very well deserved HEA.

It is the second book in the series, but it could easily be read as a stand alone title. The only reason I gave this book 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because it is billed as a Historical Paranormal/Fantasy Romance, but the dialogue is definitely not historical, but in all honesty, it didn’t really diminish my enjoyment of the story.

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