BLOG TOUR – Conveniently Wed to the Laird by Jeanine Englert

Conveniently Wed to the Laird

The laird’s bridal bid…

Is love too high a price to pay?

When new laird, Ewan Stewart, comes across a wife for sale at a market, he outbids everyone to rescue her. He never intended for Catriona to become his bride, but a convenient marriage could secure his clan’s future and her freedom. They agree that their arrangement must stay free of love, yet Catriona’s bravery and fire intrigue him. Can Ewan resist falling for his wife—the one rule he must not break?

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Author Bio:

Jeanine Englert’s love affair with mysteries and romance began with Nancy Drew, Murder She Wrote, and her Grandmother’s bookshelves full of romance novels. She is a VIVIAN® and Golden Heart® Finalist as well as a Silver Falchion, Maggie, and Daphne du Maurier Award Winner in historical romance and mystery. Her Scottish Highland historical and historical romantic suspense novels revolve around characters seeking self-acceptance and redemption. When she isn’t wrangling with her characters on the page, she can be found trying to convince her husband to watch her latest Masterpiece or BBC show obsession. She loves to talk about books, writing, her beloved rescue pups, as well as mysteries and romance with other readers.

Social Media Links

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Website ~ Goodreads ~ BookBub ~ Instagram

GIVEAWAY:

Giveaway to Win a Highlander Trio Prize Pack (Open to UK/ US Only)

Settle in to enjoy the complete Falling for a Stewart Trilogy along with some Scottish-themed jewelry and book swag! Good luck and thank you for participating in the giveaway!

*Terms and Conditions –UK & US entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for the despatch or delivery of the prize.

Tracy’s Review:

Conveniently Wed to the LairdConveniently Wed to the Laird by Jeanine Englert

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Falling for a Stewart, #3

Release Date: January 24, 2023

When Laird Ewan Stewart accompanied his soon-to-be-wed sister Brenna to Edinburgh on a shopping trip, he never expected to purchase anything for himself, especially not a wife, but that is exactly what happened! While wandering through the market stalls Ewan heard a commotion and came across a man selling his wife – Ewan was appalled, but it wasn’t until his neighbor and nemesis Dallan MacGregor offered to buy her at a discounted rate that Ewan stepped up and bought her. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with her, but he knew that he couldn’t leave her with Dallan, who would no doubt abuse her and after learning of the torture his sister Moria endured with a cruel man, there is no way Ewan would ever leave any woman to face that if he could help it. So he takes the woman, whose name is Catriona Gordon, back to his carriage and a plan starts to form. Ewan needs a wife, the elders have been nagging him since he inherited the lairdship, but having been in love once and been betrayed, Ewan has no desire to relive that experience and will only marry someone who understands that love will never figure into their relationship. And now that he has “bought” a wife, he is not even sure if he is married to her, so he tells her he will contact his solicitor to find out if the marriage is legal, and offers her a marriage of convenience if it is.

Catriona Gordon can’t believe her husband Thomas sold her, but a small part of her is relieved to be free of him, as he was one of many disappointments in her life. A life that started for her when she was found washed up on the beach as a young child, with no memory of her name or her family. She was raised by a loving widow, but sadly she died when Catriona was only 13, alone once more Catriona was taken in by another family, then she became a maid for another family and met Thomas Gordon, who she married – but she longs for a true family and freedom to make her own decisions. She agrees to Ewan’s offer but plans to flee at her first opportunity. But the more time she spends with him, the harder it is to leave. And when they learn the state of their marriage and Ewan proposes, she agrees to marry him, but wonders if she can keep her promise to not love him because she is pretty sure she already does and believes that he has feelings for her too. It seems like they may find their HEA after all, but when one of their guests raises a shocking possibility on the night of their betrothal announcement, everything changes and Ewan realizes two things; he loves her and his heart is going to be broken yet again.

I loved this book, in my opinion, it is the best of the series and shouldn’t be missed! The book has a marriage of convenience, a love-shy hero, an incredible heroine, great secondary characters, a slow-burn romance, kissing-only love scenes, a little heartache, a surprising twist, a scene that brought me to tears, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I do wish the book had some steam, but even without it, the book was a wonderful read. This is the third book in the series, but it could easily be read as a stand-alone title. I am happy to recommend this title and I am sincerely hoping that I wasn’t just imagining that the author seemed to be setting up the possibility of spinoff series (Hint, Hint).

*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 – One Night with her Viking Warrior by Sarah Rodi

One Night With Her Viking Warrior

Her forbidden love is back to claim her!

Once Lady Rebekah shared a life-changing night with stable hand Raeden but he disappeared the morning after. Now she’s consort to a cruel Saxon Lord, and when Northmen lay siege to Ryestone Keep, Rebekah’s shocked to see Raeden leading the charge! This Viking warrior is not the man she remembers, yet she finds herself drawn to him again. Taken as his hostage, Rebekah must decide: can she trust him with her life…and her dangerous secret?

Purchase Links:

UK ~ US

Author Bio:

Sarah Rodi has always been a hopeless romantic. She grew up watching old, romantic movies recommended by her grandad, or devouring love stories from the local library. Sarah lives in the village of Cookham in Berkshire, where she enjoys walking along the River Thames with her husband, her two daughters and their dog. She has been a magazine journalist for over 20 years, but it has been her lifelong dream to write romance for Mills & Boon. Sarah believes everyone deserves to find their happily ever after.

Contact Sarah:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Email

Tracy’s Review:

One Night with Her Viking WarriorOne Night with Her Viking Warrior by Sarah Rodi

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: December 2022

Lady Rebekah’s life has been far from easy, orphaned at ten when Danes attacked her home, an attack she survived but was burned and sent to live with her uncle at Ryestone Keep. Then years later when she falls in love with a stable boy named Raedan, she hopes for a future with him and willingly gives him her virginity, but the next day he is gone, and later she is told he is dead. With no chance of happiness, she agrees to marry her cousin Atol, but soon after her uncle dies and Atol abuses her and when she learns she is pregnant, he refuses to marry her unless (or until) she gives him a son. So when a daughter is born, Rebekah is left to act as Lady of the Keep but is really little more than Atol’s unwilling mistress. But all that changes when the Danes raid again and Rebekah is taken captive by a man named Halfdan who reminds her of her lost love.

Halfdan (aka Raedan) can’t believe that Rebekah married Atol so soon after he was beaten and sold to a slave master, he thought she loved him, but he won’t make that mistake again. After spending years as a slave, he was bought and freed by a Dane, Jarl Knud, and his sister Brita, that was the day that Raedan died and Halfdan was born. And thanks to Jarl Knud, Raedan learned to be a warrior and rose in the ranks, until he was Knud’s best warrior. He eagerly leads the raid against his old home and takes Rebekah hostage. He thinks he is over her, but once they are alone, he realizes he is still attracted to her, much to his disgust. But after they talk, he learns that she had no part in his banishment and had no idea he was sold into slavery – a secret shame that he isn’t willing to share with anyone. He learns of the abuse she has endured and makes the decision to take her back to his home in Nedergaard, it is then he learns of her daughter and the shame Rebekah has lived with as little more than Atol’s leman. He then boldly rescues her daughter Gytha from under Atol’s nose and takes them both with him – but not before Atol realizes and gives chase. They escape, but Atol vows revenge and Raedan makes more than one enemy. Once they are back in Nedergaard, they marry to protect Rebekah and their old feelings begin to rekindle, but with so many secrets between them and their enemies bent on revenge, finding their HEA won’t be easy.

This was a very well-written, fast-paced story featuring wonderful characters and a second-chance romance. This book has a little bit of everything: secrets, lies, revelations, action, revenge, steamyish love scenes, a marriage of convenience, more than one villain who won’t give up, new beginnings, forgiveness, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. The only qualm I had was that I felt that at least one villain got off too easily, but that was a very minor thing and I readily admit that I am a blood-thirsty wench. So overall, this was a fantastic read and I enthusiastically recommend this title! I am sincerely hoping that the author decides to write stories for Knud and his sister Brita.

*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.*