Templar Knight, Forbidden Bride
Title: Templar Knight, Forbidden Bride
Author: Lynna Banning
Copyright: 2008 (Harlequin); 271 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-373-29514-2
Series: Harlequin Historical #914
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Historical Romance — Medieval
The Lady: Leonor de Balenguer y Hassam of Granada. The 27 year-old daughter of the vizier has dreams of becoming a female troubadour, traveling France, singing, and playing her harp. Though well-educated, Leonor knows nothing of the world outside the emir’s court and her father’s house. She has managed to remain unmarried this long because she refuses to marry a man she cannot love.
The Knight: Reynaud. The Templar knight is all too familiar with the realities of the world. A bastard, he was raised by Hassam’s brother in Granada, making him the best candidate to carry a secret message from the Templar Grand Master to the emir’s adviser. Hassam will deliver his message to the emir, if Reynaud promises to escort Leonor to family in Moyanne.
Their history: Leonor hasn’t seen Reynaud in twenty years, since he left to seek his way in the world. She is surprised to see him, having feared that he had died in the Holy Land. Leonor has adored Reynaud since they were children, but the man she sees now is almost a stranger to her: stern and joyless. For his part, Reynaud remembers the clever, impossible girl — but it’s the woman that will haunt him the rest of his life.
Unrequited: Reynaud is a Templar, a warrior monk. He’s made a vow of celibacy. The knighthood is the only thing he knows, and being a bastard means he has nothing to offer Leonor anyway. And if that wasn’t enough, he is still on a dangerous mission for his Grand Master, and he may die. As for Leonor, she is confused at first by his standoffish and stern behavior. She thinks that he does not like her very much, but it doesn’t take long for her to learn the truth of his feelings. Though it breaks her heart, she acknowledges the fact she loves a man who can never return that love.
What I liked about it: I liked that, though Reynaud falls in love at first sight, it takes Leonor a little longer to realize her true feelings. And once they are known, both exercise restraint. Both accept the fact that they can never be together unless Reynaud is willing to break his vows or leave the Order forever. Though Leonor is naive in some ways, she’s not stupid and doesn’t blunder foolishly about. Reynaud does walk away from the Templars only after he is ordered to do something that he cannot do in good conscience — and getting to marry Leonor is just an added bonus. The author has notes, both in the beginning and at the end of the book, about the warrior monks and troubadours that were interesting.
What I didn’t like: Medievals aren’t my preferred era, but nothing stood out as a turn-off.
Recommended to: Fans of medieval romances, looking for a short read.
Started: 27 January 2010
Finished: 24 February 2010
(I was house hunting in February — some days, only could squeeze in half a page.)
Rating:
Enjoyed it!
Disclaimer: I purchased this book.
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by Christina on February 15, 2010
in 2010 "Pub" Challenge, 2010 Harlequin/Silhouette Romance, 3 Stars, Canine, Countdown Challenge, Lori Devoti, Magic, Other Supernatural Beings, Paranormal Romance, Shape-Shifters, Silhouette Nocturne, What's in a Name 3
The Hellhound King
Title: The Hellhound King
Author: Lori Devoti
Copyright: 2010 (Harlequin); 280 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-373-61829-3
Series: Silhouette Nocturne #82; Unbound #5
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Spoilers for the 4th Book!
Her: Marina Adal. Elfin princess – and a witch. Tired of being a political pawn of the royals in Alfheim, she fled to Gunngar. Her reign of terror there was nothing more than an act to keep the elf lords – a different group of elves than the royals – believing that she is on their side. Raf was the first, and only, person who made her feel she was wanted for herself, and not who she was or what she could do for him.
Him: Raf Dolg. Hellhound. Marina’s former lover. His need to avenge his family brought him to Gunngar and to the employ of the elf lords. Raf needs something they possess and all he is asked to do is spy on Marina. The last thing he expected was to start caring about her.
Elfin Politics 101: Alfheim was once ruled by royals. Marina is, it seems, the heir presumptive. However, the elf lords took power after her parents were killed. The elf lords are tech savvy and have introduced technology to Alfheim. Don’t be surprised when you see a car or a computer. Since no elf lord can claim the throne – it will only accept the true heir – they are willing to be the power behind it and they want Marina on their side. The royals, naturally, are traditionalist and want things returned to the old ways. In the power struggle to control the elfin princess, Marina’s uncle Geir has the advantage. He uses Marina’s younger sister, Ky, as leverage to keep her from fleeing Alfheim again.
What to do, what to do? Raf still needs what the elf lords have and that means he’s got to convince Marina that she’d be better off with them. However, it doesn’t take long for Raf to realize that Marina wouldn’t be any better off with the elf lords. If he turns his back on his chance for vengeance, and Marina abandons her sister again, they could leave Alfheim and start a new life together. But Raf can’t walk away and neither can Marina.
Forbidden: The elves have little tolerance for other beings, so it no big surprise that a hellhound has no business consorting with the princess. Right from the prologue, it’s established that Marina’s never met one before and that she’s fallen for Raf, big time. It breaks her heart to learn he was spying on her and she has him imprisoned. Raf is the typical hellhound — though it takes him a bit to realize that he’s in love, once he’s acknowledge it, he’ll doing anything to keep her at his side.
What I liked: Raf. I still love Ms. Devoti’s hellhounds (and garms). Like the last book, this one is also set in another world, though it does start off in our world. The dragon, the same one from Dark Crusade, makes an appearance, and if I’m not mistaken, the 6th book will feature him.
What I didn’t like: Marina. It was hard for me to reconcile the fact that this was the same character from Dark Crusade. In Dark Crusade, she’s a strong character — and the antagonist. In this book, she a helpless prisoner. If you read the two books back-to-back, you might feel disoriented. Other than that, I had no other real issue with the character. She is in a difficult position and she can no longer see a way out without help.
Recommended to: Fans of her previous books and fans of shape-shifters.
Started: 20 January 2010
Finished: 26 January 2010
Rating:
Enjoyed it!
Disclaimer: I purchased this book.
The Wallflower
Title: The Wallflower
Author: Jan Freed
Copyright: 1999 (Harlequin); 296 pgs.
ISBN: 0-373-70790-8
Series: Harlequin Superromance #790
Sensuality: Warm
Who: Sarah Davidson and Jack Morgan
Where: Houston, Texas
From the back: Sarah Davidson is the lone witness to a brutal murder. After the killer makes an attempt on her life, she’s put under police protection. But one of the cops turns on her, she’s forced to hide in a place no one would ever think to look. Sarah’s solution? Roosevelt High. She’ll masquerade as a high school senior and try to blend in. But no one can ignore the “cool girl from California”. Especially not Jack Morgan, her English teacher. Under ordinary circumstances, he would be the perfect man for her. But he’ll never look at her as a woman unless she reveals her true identity — and if she does that she just might end up dead. What’s a girl to do?
Comments: The best way to describe this book is that it is a cross between Hiding Out and Never Been Kissed. The title refers to Sarah when she originally went through high school. She’d been overweight and shy. Her college roommate, Donna Kaiser, helped her overcome her problems and Sarah is now an image consultant in a public relations firm. Donna is an assistant principle and it is her idea to hide Sarah as a high school senior in her school.
Sarina Davis, as Sarah is now known as, is nothing like the eighteen-year-old, Sarah. Used to speaking her mind and being taking seriously by adults, “Sarina” gets off on the wrong foot with Jack Morgan, her English teacher. He’s strict and Sarah thinks he’s uptight. However, she’s a hit with many of the students, especially the misfits. Sarah decides to befriend and help several of these students as much as she can while waiting for the trial.
One of the students she befriends happens to be Jack’s much younger sister, Kate. Their father died while Jack was still in high school, leaving behind a pregnant wife. Jack stayed with his mother instead of going off to USC — Jack’s dream is to be a screenwriter. He went to night school and became a teacher. Every chance he gets, he works on his screenplays. He likes teaching, but lately, he’s been unhappy with his life. His sister is at a difficult stage (she’s fifteen) and their mother is always critical of Kate, comparing her to Jack, and not being an effective parent. He’s also waiting to hear from his agent about a script he submitted. And if that wasn’t maddening enough, the new female student is having an alarming effect on him.
At first, Sarah isn’t that interested in him. She calls him Moses (he has a set of personal ten commandments on his class room wall) and is critical of his boring clothing and his aftershave. She’s more than happy to let Donna have him; she’s been interested in him for years. However, the more Sarah gets to know him, her feelings begin to change. She’s forced to reveal her true identity to him.
I really enjoyed this book. There wasn’t instant attraction, and I’m glad the author chose that route. Instead, Sarah feels guilty about her growing feelings for Jack, due to Donna’s long-standing interest in him. Jack fights against it first, because of the inappropriateness of the situation, and later because of his potential career change. I also liked that Jack discusses with Sarah whether leaving Texas for Hollywood (without his sister and mother) is the right thing to do, and Sarah — heart hurting — tells him that he’d eventually regret it and come to resent those who mean the most to him.
This is the second book I’ve read by this author. And like the previous one, there are secondary romances going on in the background. Kate gets her very own knight in shining armor, and even Donna isn’t left heartbroken.
Started: 18 August 2009
Finished: 31 August 2009
Rating:
Enjoyed it!
Eye of the Storm
Title: Eye of the Storm
Author: Dee Davis
Copyright: 2006 (HQN); 379 pgs.
ISBN: 0-373-77163-0
Series: N/A
Sensuality: Warm
Who: Simone Cooper Sheridan and Reece Sheridan
Where: cross-country; South America
Two years ago, I read Dee Davis’s Last Chance, Inc trilogy and liked her storytelling enough to snatch up her other romantic suspense books.
Simone Cooper Sheridan is a former covert operative, part of a group attached to the CIA. After the group was disbanded, Simone adjusted to the normal life and eventually met Reece Sheridan. They fell in love and married. Reece and his brother offered Simone something she never had: a family.
Reece’s parents had died in an accident while he was serving in the Army. He gave up his military career and became a lawyer to better raise his much younger brother, Martin. They welcomed Simone into their lives and everything seemed to be going along smoothly. However, Simone’s reluctance to talk about her past causes a rift when he learns that a story — supposedly about her past — turns out to be just that, a story from a magazine. Fed up with her secrecy, he files for divorce.
You don’t come across too many romance stories were the heroine has the black ops past. It was interesting to see the roles reversed. Simone was easy to relate to because she wasn’t a super-spy. She could handle herself in any tough situation, but she still human and imperfect. She loves Reece but she can’t tell him the truth. She’s reluctant to sign the divorce, and only does so when she receives a message from her former mentor, summoning her. The children of a man Simone’s team failed to extract from South America are looking to avenge their father. Somehow, they’ve learned who the surviving members are and where to find them. Simone doesn’t want to endanger Martin or Reece. The best way to ensure their safety is to sign the papers and get out of town quickly.
Reece doesn’t want to be divorced either, but as a lawyer, he’s big on the truth. His frustration is understandable. His marriage, he feels, was based on a lie. He doesn’t really know the women he married. Even when he learns the truth about her past, it doesn’t immediately fix their problem. They are on the run from an unidentified killer who has already wounded Martin. Not the best situation to discuss relationship issues. However, the danger to Simone makes Reece realize that he does love her, regardless, and is willing to start again if they all get out of the situation alive.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. You do have to suspend belief at times, but no more than you would for an action movie of the same genre.
Started: 20 July 2009
Finished: 5 Aug 2009
Rating:
Enjoyed it!
What Others Have Said:
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Hidden
Title: Hidden
Author: Eve Kenin
Copyright: 2008 (Shomi); 309 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-505-52761-5
Series: sequel
Sensuality: Warm
Who: Tatiana and Tristan
From the back: Tatiana has honed her genetic gifts to perfection. She can withstand the subzero temperatures of the Northern Waste, read somebody’s mind with the briefest touch, and slice through bone with her bare hands. Which makes her one bad-ass chick, all right. Nothing gets to her. Until she meets Tristan. Villain or ally, she can’t be sure. But one thing she does know: he has gifts too — including the ability to ramp up her heart rate to dangerous levels. But before they can start some chemistry of their own, they have to survive being trapped in an underground lab, hunted by a madman, and exposed to a plague that could destroy mankind.
Comments: I chose this book because I liked Eve Kenin’s previous book, Driven. Hidden is set in the same world and features new characters. The book picks up shortly after the events in Driven, and though it is not necessary, I would strongly recommend reading that book first to get a better understanding of Tatiana and the world Ms. Kenin created.
Genetically engineered, born in a lab, and raised by computers along with her two siblings, Tatiana isn’t very good with human interactions. She’s a mixture of a cool competent woman and a confused, uncertain one. The only people she’s ever cared for are dead — or so she thinks. Since she’s escaped Dr. Ward, her encounters with people in general have been awkward and her experimentation in the arena of intimacy has left her feeling that she wasn’t really bred for those type of interactions. Until she sees Tristan. She can’t take her eyes off him and she’s attracted him right from the first. It something she’s never experienced before and it’s both exhilarating and alarming.
Tristan is trying to find redemption for his past by righting a major wrong. He’s intrigued with Tatiana from the moment he first sees her in the general store. Women on the Waste fall into one of two categories: wife or whore. She’s neither, and her obvious military training — unheard of in a woman — makes her all the more interesting to him. He admires and respects her ability to take care of herself, even when his own instincts and training tell him to be the protector.
Tatiana and Tristan are both on a mission to stop Dr. Gavin Ward and his mutating plague. Neither realize this the first time they meet. Tatiana has been hired to find a stolen object and thinks Tristan is just a settler, looking for supplies. However, Tristan is a also trying to track down stolen goods. It’s ironic that both of them are looking for the same truckers. When their paths cross again, they are both surprised, never expecting to see each other again and neither has forgotten about the other. But now Tristan thinks Tatiana has been exposed to the plague and her only hope of survival, be believes, is with him. Fortunately, he knows she’s hunting for a man named Tolliver, and he can give her the answers she wants — if she’ll follow him into his underground lab.
I really liked the characters, which is a good thing as much of the book they are alone, with no one else to interact with. I didn’t think this book moved was as fast moving as others in the Shomi line, but the likable characters kept it from being boring. I don’t know if there was ever a plan for a third book featuring Yuriko (or anyone else for that matter). I really enjoyed this book.
The author also writes as Eve Silver.
Started: 2 July 2009
Finished: 9 July 2009
Rating:
Enjoyed it!
What Others Have Said:
Darque Reviews
Popin’s Lair
The Good, the Bad, the Unread – Caroline Linden’s
The Good, the Bad, the Unread – Shannon C.’s
Renee Reads Romance
All About Romance
Janicu
Dear Author
Tez Says
Books in the Series:
Driven
Addendum:
This is a re-post, due to technical difficulties. Comments, if any, were lost. I apologize for the inconvenience. (Aug 09)
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