Tag Archives: Historical romance

Unknown's avatar

The MacKinnon’s Bride

by

I found myself enjoying this historical romance more than I anticipated. Initially, it didn’t captivate me, as the story began on a rather unexciting note, but it eventually won me over. The book felt slightly longer than necessary since I deduced the identity of the traitor within the first few chapters. However, I grew fond of the main characters once they took center stage, with their interactions unfolding as expected. The secondary characters elicited varying levels of engagement from me.

When Laird Iain MacKinnon’s son is captured and delivered to the English by a traitor, the Scottish chieftain retaliates by abducting the daughter of the man detaining his son. His intention is to exchange the girl for his son’s return. Unexpectedly, after his son is returned, FitzSimon instructs Iain to keep the girl, claiming she is of no use to him. Page FitzSimon suspects Iain of deceit when he doesn’t send her home, yet deep down, she knows he isn’t at fault.

Two narratives are unfolding: the romance between MacKinnon and Page, and the tale of MacKinnon’s quest to confront the traitor who kidnapped his son.

This book is a tapestry of love, honor, suspense, and passion. I enjoyed both reading and listening to it, with the audiobook being particularly engaging thanks to Braden Wright, who vividly brings the characters to life. The Scottish accents are well-executed, although I’ve seldom heard one in person. The exchanges between Iain and Page are intensely passionate and often infused with humor. I would recommend this book to anyone fond of Highland warriors or simply looking for a compelling romance.

My rating: ⚝⚝⚝⚝

Unknown's avatar

Romancing Rosalie

by
Romancing Rosalie: A Cascade Creek Christmas
(The Ladies of Cascade Creek #1.5)
by Ann Marie Oakes

This is a new to me author who has drawn me in and made me want to read more from them. Historical pieces and especially a western is usually a hard sell for me, but this was not. I immediately liked the character of Rosalie even if she was a bit timid to start out, she got over it quick. The story moved along very quickly and got you from beginning to end before I was ready for it to end. I was pulled in from page one and found myself transported, though only a short time, to another time and place.

Rosalie Weld has a fiancé who she finds out has been keeping a secret from her that seems to be known by everyone else around her. When she confronts him and he refuses to make changes for her she decides that she cannot stay and marry a man who does not seem to love her. Her parents seem to think what he is doing is fine and that she should just give in.

Rosalie goes to her cousin Audra’s homestead on the frontier and learns a lot about herself and what she is capable of doing. She also meets Garrett Ballinger who shows her that first impressions are not always what they seem to be.

I expected this to be tame but it had some spice that gave it another dimension. Recommend to all!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“I am very fond of you. Surely, you know that. Our match is a good one. We will have a good marriage.” “Winslow, that is not what I asked you.” Rosalie searched her mind for a way to make Winslow understand her feelings. It wasn’t the humiliation, though that was acute. It was the deception—and his plan to continue it. “Don’t be a goose. Marriages are about financial considerations and social position. That is the way of things.”

Unknown's avatar

Black Lion’s Bride

by

black lion's bride

Black Lion’s Bride (Warrior #2)

I was pulled into this story from the very beginning with a premise that took us out of the usual locale in England and to the deserts of the Middle East. I had already fallen partially in love with Sebastian Montborne in the first book in this series, but it was locked in with his appearance here. I have never been a big fan of  historical romance but I find myself loving these for some reason, though it is probably because they make me feel like a part of the action. I get a chance to know the people and come to care about them and the world they inhabit. The characters both new and old are very well written and make you feel that you would like to know them.

The Crusades have been raging and Sebastian of Montborne has ridden and fought with King Richard while his brother remains at Montborne looking after the estate. In the desert port of Ascalon near Jerusalem. King Richard has set up his encampment as they rally for their march on Jerusalem to take the city for their church. In the hills surrounding them is a guild of assassins who have sworn to kill all the infidels in their lands, but they really would like to kill Richard, feeling this will make the others less likely to stay in their country. To this end they are plotting to get an assassin within striking distance of him.

Zahirah has been taught to hate the Franks who have come to her land in order to bring their religion and wipe out the faith of those who have for centuries resided in these desert lands. Viewing them as no more than crude animals with no morals she is more than willing to kill in order to keep what they have. But while it is always easy to judge people from afar when she finds herself surrounded by these people and one man in particular it becomes harder to hate them and easier to see where they are more alike than different.

I knew what was coming for some of the story but there were a lot more twists and surprises than I was ready for. I really liked Zahirah because even though she was a bit of a villian, she was able to grow and see what was right and important. I had hoped that I would also get to see something of what had happened with Griffin and Isabel since they are the reason that I have found myself so wrapped up in this series. I laughed a bit, cried a bit, and was mad at all at one point or another but was very happy that things worked out the way I wanted in the end.

If you want a romance that is star crossed and seems unlikely then this is the story for you. I recommend to anyone who loves some historical accuracy with their intense romance. Hot enough to make you blush but tame enough for a beginner. Enjoy!

 

 

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

 

“I need to get out of here at once, Halim. The captain has already voiced his suspicions that the chase through the souk may have been some sort of trap. It won’t be long before he starts to wonder how I might fit into the puzzle.” “Then you must take steps to ensure that his suspicions do not focus on you,” Halim answered pointedly. “He is a man of some youth and virility from what I have seen; I doubt he’d refuse you. It should not require much to keep him distracted from your true purpose, even for a girl of your limited skills.”

Unknown's avatar

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

by

pandpandz

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies #1)

I am going to be completely honest here. I have never read Jane Austen and never had the least inclination to read any of the great women authors of the Victorian era. The only thing that got me to read this  was the fact that there were zombies involved and I wanted to see how that played out against this purported great piece of literature. OK, going to admit I kind of liked the story, but still have to say that the zombies made it more interesting than the mating habits of the rich and annoying. I liked the characters and how they interacted with each other and their environment so not bad at all. The illustrations throughout the novel also give it an extra appeal.

Mr. Bennet wants to see his daughters survive the dreadfulls who have invaded their country and so teaches them to fight with sword, musket, and hand. Their mother on the other hand only wishes for them to be married to a rich man and to stop all their unladylike activities. Elizabeth and Jane are the eldest of five girls and the most dedicated to serving King and country through their efforts as warriors against the undead scourge. The three younger girls tend to be more like their mother, though they can at least protect themselves. When eligible young men come to their part of the world Mrs. Bennet starts to scheme to marry them off.

Anyone who has read Pride and Prejudice knows the story and so it is not needed to really go through it. I would recommend this to zombie lovers and lovers of the classics. Not really gory but still good.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

 

Unknown's avatar

Lady of Valor

by

lady of valor

Lady of Valor (Warrior #3)

by Tina St. John (Pseudonym)
Historical romance was never a genre that I was totally interested in. When I read the first in this trilogy I fell in love with t and this story is no exception. The characters are interesting and have a depth to them that keeps you wanting more from them. The setting is perfect and seems mostly authentic to the period, though some things seem more modern than others. It does grab you and draw you in from the start if you have read the previous two books because you know something of the main character already.

Sir Cabal a.k.a. Blackheart is in Palestine with King Richard and has been keeping watch over Sir Garrett of Fallonmour for his liege. When he comes upon Sir Garrett about to do very adult things with a child he kills him and releases the child. When King Richard is informed he decides to dispatch him to Fallonmour to give the news to Garrett’s widow as well of letting her know that the King will be finding her another husband and a new holder for Fallonmour.

Lady Emmalyn of Fallonmour is 20 years old and has enjoyed life while her husband has been away. She loves the land and the people of Fallonmour and considers it to be her home as she has worked very hard to bring more revenue in. To have this man come from the King and tell her not only will the holding be given to someone else, she is to be given to someone as if she is nothing more than chattel. Lady Emmalyn decides to fight back but things can always change the way you see life.

An enjoyable look into the past with good action, a nice love story, and a hero and heroine that you could not help but like. Each has been hurt in some way and are reluctant to trust, but they want to trust each other. Anyone who loves romance will like this!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Unknown's avatar

A Stolen Heart

by

22758333

A Stolen Heart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received this ARC from the author for an honest review.I was drawn into this story from the very first page because it started with a sequence that went right to the heart of the story. I loved the characters because they seemed so real and a part of their surroundings without fading into them. The dialogue felt modern in tone but still seemed to fit the time and people who were using it. This was just a really great story that held me enthralled and in a world that was part of a time I could only imagine. Each element flowed into the next keeping it moving as you met new characters and found out more information about the inhabitants of the town.Alexandra and her brother Hugh live on a ranch in Kansas, and the year is 1850. They have had many tragedies befall them and others on the surrounding ranches which all lead back to one man who is terrorizing them all in the name of greed and lust. Alex and Hugh have opted to play Robin Hood to thwart their own Sheriff of Nottingham, but he has countered with someone to take them down.

Jarett is a hired man who is to protect a shipment from thieves who have struck several times in the past. The unfortunate thing is that even though other robberies have been free of injuries, this time things become bad for both sides. Jarett wants revenge and stays around to find the person who almost made him sing soprano. Not an easy thing in a town that hates the man he works for.

When Jarett meets Alexandra he starts to lose some of that focus as he finally meets a woman who makes him think about more than just a one night stand. The road to happiness is not easy for either, but getting there is half the battle.

I loved that the point of view seemed to switch between or mains so that you could have a better idea of what they were thinking. This had everything you could want in a story set on the frontier. There are ranchers, horses, cattle rustling, barn burning, fallen women (saloon workers), a corrupt sheriff, a vicious land baron, and some pretty hot sex for the time. Jarett is the kind of man any woman would be glad to have, even an independent one like Alexandra.

If you love stories with cowboys, horses, and holding on to what you worked for, then you will love this. I recommend this highly!

www.pinterest.com
Unknown's avatar

Highland Song

by

Highland Song (Highland Brides, #5)

Highland Song (Highland Brides #5)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I rarely do historical romance of any type but I’m glad I took a chance on this. It is a novella length novel so goes pretty quickly, but does not sacrifice character or story. The story is easy to follow and flows seamlessly from action to action with the characters acting as they would be expected to for the time period for the most part. The characters are believable for me since I have no idea how they would have acted truly, so I found them to be interesting and kind of fun.

Gavin Mac Brodie is the youngest with two older brothers and a younger sister, they have all married happily and he is the last holdout. Gavin does not deal women and living with his brothers has become intolerable with having to hear them at night. He decides to build a home of his own, where he will not have to worry about women or his recent loss of faith. While working on the house a mysterious woman shows up and changes his mind about everything.

This is a romance but has elements of royal intrigue and the feuds which happened in the highlands between the Scots and English crown. This is one you simply have to read and enjoy.

Related articles