Review - In Sheep's Clothing by L.D. Beyer

TITLE:    In Sheep's Clothing

AUTHOR:    L.D. Beyer

INFO:    Fiction, Thriller-Suspense, 448 pages

PUBLISHED:   Old Stone Mill Publishing, 2015

SOURCE:   Received from Author for Review

ABOUT:   

One man holds the reins of power.

One man vows to protect him.

One man vows to destroy him.

Caught in a game of chess he didn’t know he was playing until it was too late, the President makes the only move he can, plunging Washington and the nation into chaos. Stunned and reeling, Vice President David Kendall takes the oath of office and tries to heal a nation in mourning. But what the new president doesn’t realize is that things in the White House aren’t always what they appear to be, and sometimes what looks like the best option may turn out to be the worst. When one fatal decision triggers consequences he never envisioned, President Kendall finds himself caught up in the same game that cost his predecessor his life.

Although there was nothing he could have done, Secret Service Agent Matthew Richter is haunted by the death of the man he had vowed to protect. When his girlfriend dumps him and his boss tells him that his job is on the line, he thinks his life cannot get any worse. He soon realizes how wrong he is when he finds himself fighting to save another president from the deadly forces that he has unwittingly unleashed.

MY TAKE:    I have to say I've been blessed by the good book fairy lately. This is the second book I've read this week that hit the 4.5 jewels rating! And they were in completely different genres and styles. Yay Me and now Yay You!

If you are a Tom Clancy fan, this book is for you. If you are a fan of suspense, human drama, political intrigue, action, thrills and chills at every corner and a hero who doesn't know that he's a hero, this book is for you. I loved it!

This really is an action packed story that I had a hard time putting down. I enjoyed the "behind the scenes" peeks at the lobbying and the general wheeling and dealing that goes on while we, the public sleeps. While you do know who (one of) the bad guy(s) is fairly quickly, the suspense keeps you turning the pages. Will he, won't he? What will he do next? Did she really just say that? It was a real guessing game right up until the end. 

Our main character Matthew is immediately likable. The author makes you empathize with him as we know there was nothing he could have done to prevent the president's suicide, but we feel his frustration and helplessness all the same. I enjoyed that we are made privy to his backstory without a lot of the drudgery that sometimes accompanies setting the characters and the scene up. It tickled me that the requisite Rayban sunglasses were a factor in his motives to become a Secret Service Agent on the POTUS detail. 

Character development is very strong in this book. Mr. Beyer has adeptly fleshed each of the key players out to the point that the reader will have very strong feelings towards them - one way or the other. We love Matthew, we truly like President Kendall/former VP, we hate the new Vice President Rumson and his girl/bad guy Jane as they blackmail, bully and kill to achieve their goals. 

When you combine these people with the suspenseful action and meticulous details, you have one heck of a thriller - which would make a great movie. I usually don't like to compare books to movies, but two came immediately to mind: Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down, both of which I also truly enjoyed. Of course my previous mention/comparison to the Master: Tom Clancy, should be proof of how much I liked it!

I am looking forward to the next installment with Matthew Richter and I highly recommend this book: it's a page-turner!

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Available Now at:

Amazon

Thank you to the author, L.D. Beyer and 

Pump Up Your Book Tours for including me on this tour. Please click HERE to visit the other stops along the way.

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Spirit of the Highway by Deborah Swift + GIVEAWAY

TITLE:    Spirit of the Highway (Highway Trilogy, Book 2)

AUTHOR:    Deborah Swift
INFO:    Historical Fiction/Young Adult, 292 pages
PUBLISHED:   Endeavor Press, 2015
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

ABOUT:   England 1651. England has been engaged in a bitter Civil War for nearly ten years. Ralph Chaplin, a farmer’s son, has fallen for beautiful copper-haired Kate. There is only one problem – he is a Roundhead soldier and she is a Royalist lady. Tired of bloodshed, Ralph volunteers to fight, sensing that the Battle at Worcester will be a chance to finish the fighting for good. He longs for peace, so he can forge a secure future and find a different, more equal way of life for himself and Kate. But war is not what he imagined, and soon he has made a deadly enemy; one who will pursue Ralph and those he loves, and wreak vengeance. What’s more, Ralph finds he has just as many enemies at home, as on the battlefield. Told by Ralph’s ghost, Spirit of the Highway is the stand-alone second part of the Highway Trilogy based on the real life and legend of Lady Katherine Fanshawe, highwaywoman and heiress.

MY TAKE:    While this is the second book in this delightful series, it is definitely a stand-alone read. Another note is that even though it is being marketed as Young Adult, this well-researched Historical Fiction can't really be stuffed into just one genre. I think that readers of all ages and fans of most genres would truly enjoy these books. 

I'm a sucker for books that are multi-faceted and have many threads weaving throughout the entire tale. Deborah Swift seems to excel with these kinds of stories. She brings the characters and the past alive for the reader with intricate details that let you imagine that you're right there in the scene. She makes history attainable and truly entertaining for her fans. 

I found our "main" character Ralph to be easy to become attached to, even though we know from the start that he is dead. It was an interesting and rather refreshing twist to hear the story and see how events unfold from his unique perspective. 

Most of Ms. Swift's characters are also multi-layered and provoke many different emotions as the story progresses. I felt empathy and concern for Lady Katherine while the opposite was true for the horrible Elizabeth. This is a testament to the author's writing as she does exactly what she sets out to do in evoking your emotional reaction to these people. 
  

The narrative also did an excellent job of teaching us about this time in history while making the human element all too clear. Class division, the ravages of war, political intrigue and pure human emotions are all prevalent and intertwined. It makes for a truly lovely way to actually learn something while being thoroughly entertained. 

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

    Available now at: 

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for Deborah Swift

"The past comes alive through impeccable research, layers of intriguing plot line, an understanding of the complexities of 17th century politics and the sheer power of descriptive prose." -Lancashire Evening Post "characters you can really get interested in" -The Mum website

Praise for Shadow on the Highway (Book One, Highway Trilogy)

"Shadow on the Highway is an awesome work of YA historical fiction. It is definitely my new favorite Deborah Swift book!" -So Many Books So Little Time Blog "Swift brings layers of historical and imaginative detail to her stories and I highly recommend as a light read for any adult and for teenagers interested into foraying into historical fiction." -Hook of a Book Blog "Shadow on the Highway is an exciting peek into the English Civil War from both sides of the fighting... I very much look forward to the next two books in this trilogy!" -Historical Tapestry

About the Author

Deborah Swift is the author of three previous historical novels for adults, The Lady’s Slipper, The Gilded Lily, and A Divided Inheritance, all published by Macmillan/St Martin’s Press, as well as the Highway Trilogy for teens (and anyone young at heart!). Her first novel was shortlisted for the Impress prize for new novelists. She lives on the edge of the beautiful and literary English Lake District - a place made famous by the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge.

WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | GOOGLE+ | PINTEREST

Be sure to come back tomorrow as we will have the author herself, Deborah Swift here with an interesting guest post that you won't want to miss!

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, October 26 Guest Post at Passages to the Past 

Tuesday, October 27 Review at Book Nerd 
Spotlight & Excerpt at Let Them Read Books 

Wednesday, October 28 Review at History From a Woman's Perspective 

Thursday, October 29 Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book 

Monday, November 2 Review at The Maiden's Court 

Tuesday, November 3 Spotlight & Excerpt at Brooke Blogs 

Thursday, November 5 Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Friday, November 6 Review at Bookramblings 
Review at Just One More Chapter 
Guest Post at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Giveaway

To win a signed paperback of Spirit of the Highway please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below. Three copies up for grabs! Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open internationally. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. 

enter here: >>>>> Spirit of the Highway

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Lake House by Kate Morton

TITLE:    The Lake House

AUTHOR:    Kate Morton

INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 512 pages

GENRE:  Historical Fiction

PUBLISHED:   Atria Books, 2015

SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  One of People magazine’s Best Books of Fall—“Morton's moody, suspenseful latest is the perfect page-turner for a chilly night.”

From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, an intricately plotted, spellbinding new novel of heartstopping suspense and uncovered secrets.

Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.

A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.  

MY TAKE:    I loved this book! It kept me up all night just so I wouldn't have to put it down. Ms. Morton is a master at keeping the reader guessing from beginning to end. She draws you into the lives of the characters and makes you feel as you are right there in the midst of it all. 

She takes us on quite a journey as we start on our adventure with Sadie, a detective who is basically on an unwanted/unplanned leave from her job in London. Her natural curiosity is thrown into overdrive when she accidentally finds The Lake House and all of its mysterious clues just waiting to be discovered, by her. 

As the story progresses, we meet Alice who has written a lifetime's worth of mysteries and we find out she has also lived her life hiding in/from one. We also get to see events unfolding through the eyes of Alice's mother, Eleanor and her perspective. 

The weaving of different time periods, different perspectives and three different women is seamless. One of the true constants in this story is the house Loeanneth. It is the setting for the main events in the majority of the book. 

I enjoyed the ending of the book as it tied up several threads and answered quite a few of the questions I came up with as the story progressed. It was a very satisfying conclusion for me. 

Now I just think they need to make a movie of it!

  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / BOOKS-A-MILLION  

GOOGLE PLAY / ITUNES / INDIEBOUND / KOBO  

POWELL'S BOOKS / BOOK DEPOSITORY 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Morton grew up in the mountains of south-east Queensland and lives now with her husband and young sons in Brisbane. She has degrees in dramatic art and English literature, specializing in nineteenth-century tragedy and contemporary Gothic novels. Kate Morton has sold over 7.5 million copies in 26 languages, across 38 countries. Her novels include The House at Riverton, The Forgotten Garden, The Distant Hours, and The Secret Keeper. You can find more information about Kate Morton and her books at www.katemorton.com or www.facebook.com/KateMortonAuthor

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, October 5 Review at Just One More Chapter 

Tuesday, October 6 Spotlight at Passages to the Past 

Monday, October 12 Review at Book Drunkard 

Thursday, October 15 Review at The Eclectic Reader 

                                     Review at History From a Woman's Perspective 

Tuesday, October 20 Review at Unshelfish 

                                    Review at Luxury Reading 

Wednesday, October 21 Review at Ageless Pages Reviews 

Monday, October 26 Review at Beth's Book Nook 

Tuesday, October 27 Review at Peeking Between the Pages 

Wednesday, October 28 Review at The Maiden's Court 

Thursday, October 29 Review at Book Nerd 

Friday, October 30 Review at A Chick Who Reads 

Sunday, November 1 Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf 

Monday, November 2 Review at A Book Geek 

                                    Review at CelticLady's Reviews 

Tuesday, November 3 Review at Bookish 

                                     Review at Bookramblings 

                                     Review at Flashlight Commentary 

Wednesday, November 4 Review at Broken Teepee 

                                          Review at Words and Peace 

Thursday, November 5 Review at The Lit Bitch 

                                       Review at Kinx's Book Nook 

Friday, November 6 Review at A Literary Vacation 

                                  Review at Curling Up By the Fire

A big THANK YOU to Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for including me on this tour and to Kate Morton for a great book!

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Prince of Prigs by Anthony Anglorus

TITLE:    The Prince of Prigs
AUTHOR:    Anthony Anglorus
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 346 pages
PUBLISHED:   Bygone Era, 2015
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  The union of England and Scotland under one crown is not even a half century old, and the Parliamentarians already threaten the very fabric of the nationl These are the adventures of highwayman Capt. James Hind who, in Robin Hood fashion, steals from the Roundheads to help fund the royalist cause. When Cromwell comes to power, James, the Prince of Prigs, must be careful whom amony his treacherous "friends" he trusts.

MY TAKE:   I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Anthony Anglorus. It was a delightful "backstage" view into the lives of several powerful figures in history with a lovely dose of fiction for sheer entertainment. 

Many questions popped into my head while reading this, mostly regarding the actual English law and the blatant disregard so many of the elected politicians had for it. (Of course, here we are centuries later and that is still an issue we're dealing with.)  Some of the "court" scenes were actually a little comical while also being maddening at the same time. I've read a lot of history regarding Charles Stuart and his reign and while not a fan of the inept King, I think the injustice of this entire period is sad and terrible. 

The author was very adept at giving us the mental picture and feel of what it might have been like to been in that room. I have to admit to laughing at the spot where Charles pokes John Cook in the back with his cane. The same cane that the head had fallen off of earlier and Charles was forced to pick up himself. Small human moments like that really pulled me into the story. The descriptions of the people and the scene were spot on.

Characters in this book were very easy to become involved with. It didn't matter if they were the good guys or the bad, they are so well written that you can't help but become engaged in their story. I enjoyed that we were allowed to see so many sides of these people. James Hind, our Prince of Prigs is shown as a soldier, a thief, a friend, a family man and a political insider. Moll is an aged prostitute who is involved in several threads and intrigues. Even Cromwell has his moments as a father in contrast to the dastardly deeds he's masterminding behind the scenes. The same can't be said for Zachary Howard though, I felt he was a horrible person with nothing to redeem him. I was seriously rooting for him to get what he deserved. 

In all, I highly recommend this book. If you are a fan of historical fiction with adventure and intrigue thrown in the mix, this is the book for you. If you just want a political thriller with some true historical figures as stars, this is the book for you. I loved it and I am excited to also let you know that a second book is in the making.
  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Get your copy at one of these fine literary retailers:

Amazon / Powell's Books / Barnes & Noble

Kobo / The Book Depository

Other stops on this blog tour include:

Monday, October 5
Review at Back Porchervations

Tuesday, October 6
Spotlight at Broken Teepee

Wednesday, October 7
Review & Interview at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Thursday, October 8
Review at Book Nerd

Friday, October 9
Review at Diana’s Book Reviews

Monday, October 12
Review at With Her Nose Stuck In A Book
Spotlight at Just One More Chapter

Tuesday, October 13
Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews

Friday, October 16
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick

TITLE:   Lady of the English
AUTHOR:    Elizabeth Chadwick 
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 497 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   Two very different women are linked by destiny and the struggle for the English crown. Matilda, daughter of Henry I, is determined to win back her crown from Stephen, the usurper king. Adeliza, Henry's widowed queen and Matilda's stepmother, is now married to William D'Albini, a warrior of the opposition. Both women are strong and prepared to stand firm for what they know is right. But in a world where a man's word is law, how can Adeliza obey her husband while supporting Matilda, the rightful queen? And for Matilda pride comes before a fall ...What price for a crown? What does it cost to be 'Lady of the English'?

MY TAKE:    Elizabeth Chadwick is a name that is synonymous with fantastic historical fiction.  Her latest masterpiece Lady of the English, is yet another justification for this well-earned reputation.  

Daughter of Henry I and mother to Henry II, Empress Matilda's story is told in alternating viewpoints with that of her widowed stepmother Queen Adeliza and several male characters.  This technique allows the author to show us a much more human side of the abrasive Matilda than what has previously been told.  Her loving relationship with the pious peacemaker near her own age is an effective background for the tale of the strong woman who really should have become Queen of England.  Instead, she paved the way for one of its more colorful Kings to finally take the reins after many years of strife and open war.


I really enjoyed learning about the Empress, as she liked to be called.  I can't imagine how hard it would have been for her to be the beloved Empress of Germany, married to a man who loved and respected her and then to lose it all in a second.  She came home to a place she hadn't seen since she was 8, now at the ripe old age of 23, to be used as a political pawn by her father King Henry I.  To solidify his rule and further his machinations, she was married off to the Duke of Anjou who just happened to be an obnoxious boy of 14!  Getting a glimpse into this early life explains a lot about Matilda's behaviour and character in later years.  Her single-minded drive to claim the crown after her father's death, first for herself and then on behalf of her young son Henry, was amazing as well as disturbing.  


Ms. Chadwick's style of writing pulls the reader in immediately and doesn't let you go.  I was so engrossed in this story that I stayed up almost all night reading.  My emotions ran the full range while I was immersed in this book. I became very invested in many of the players.  The fact that Matilda and Brian were in love and couldn't act upon it was very sad.  Their devotion to honor and faith were amazing. I felt sympathy and outrage at the way Matilda was treated by her father and her husband; sadness at many of the atrocities that were committed against innocents and women; but I actually did find quite a bit of humor in young Henry's antics.  


One of my favorites was when he was 14 and gathered a band of misfits to unsuccessfully try to take a couple of the border castles from the English king.  Neither of his parents were aware of his misguided plans.  The fun really got started when he didn't have the funds to pay his outlaws or to get back home.  He decided to just waltz into the King's camp and ask his cousin Stephen for the money.  Stephen was highly amused by Henry's daring and after hosting him for many days sent him home to his father with many gifts and the requested money.  Since Stephen is the very king that Henry and his parents are trying to wrest the English crown from, this little escapade was that much more exciting and funny.


I also have to admit that I became very attached to Adeliza.  She was very diplomatic and made the perfect political wife to King Henry.  She became very protective of her stepdaughter Matilda and was a loyal friend to her for decades.  Her charity and goodness were well-known and she provided a calming and reasonable voice for Matilda. There is a point when she is saying goodbye to her second husband Will and doesn't know when or if she will see him again that had me bawling my eyes out.  Theirs was a love match and my heart was breaking for her and him.  He was also a character that I enjoyed.  The author shared his thoughts with us many times regarding his struggle between his loyalty to the current King (Stephen) and his love of Adeliza, friend and champion to Empress Matilda.  He has a few instances when he battles his own sense of honor in order to protect his wife and her stepdaughter.


This book is already residing on my keeper shelf and I highly recommend it.  Plan on being drawn into 12th century England and staying there a while with some magnetic characters that you won't want to leave.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Get a copy for yourself at:  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Lady of the Storm by Kathryne Kennedy

TITLE:    The Lady of the Storm
AUTHOR:    Kathryne Kennedy
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 391 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

PUBLISHER SUMMARY: 

There's a thin line between duty and desire...

Giles Beaumont is stuck in a role he never wanted, trying to safeguard a woman of incendiary powers who doesn't think she needs a protector.

Cecily Sutton has no idea of the enormity of her true task and no inkling of the effect she's having on Giles. But somewhere along their perilous journey together, they'll have no choice but to uncover the deep, dark connection that binds them one to the other...

Lose yourself in renowned author Kathryne Kennedy's gorgeous love story set in a lush world made of equal parts wonder and danger.

PURCHASE: Amazon, The Book Depository, Barnes & Noble

MY TAKE:  If you read my review of the first book in this series The Fire Lord's Lover, you will know that I am a new rabid fan of the amazing Kathryne Kennedy.  She is a master at building a world or altering the one we're in, to take her readers on an amazing and magical journey.  This world is set in England's 1700s, but an England ruled by Elven lords who have divided the country into seven realms.  The enslaved humans have finally started to rebel and are trying to get their land and rule back.

In this newest addition to her Elven Lords series, Ms. Kennedy has kept the bar high and not disappointed.  Nine years have passed since we left off from the first story and the Rebellion has grown.  We join 18 year old Cecily and 24 year old Giles as their safe little seaside village becomes a battle zone.  They will be drawn into the intrigues and danger whether they want to be or not. 


Giles is a handsome Rebellion spy posing as the quiet village blacksmith.  He has been tasked with keeping Cecily out of danger, both from the Elven lords and herself.


Cecily is a gorgeous young woman with crystal blue eyes and the power to call down lightning storms.  These are just two of the things that prove her to be daughter of the Lord of Dewhame.  The same Lord Breden of Dewhame who just happens to be the one trying to kill her. 

This story is a fun adventure with Giles and Cecily as they journey throughout England in search of family and their future.  Neither wants to admit their attraction for the other:  Cecily because her feelings were hurt by Giles' earlier rejection and Giles won't betray the trust Cecily's father Thomas put in him.  The sparks fly as the two of them must overcome their mistrust and misunderstandings. 


Large doses of danger, sexual tension and magic make this a fun and exciting page-turner.  It is hard to classify these books into just one genre; there are elements of historical fiction, paranormal romance, adventure, fantasy, etc.  And just like the first book, this can be read as a stand-alone..but I highly suggest reading them all.  The third in the series The Lord of Illusion, will be out in February 2012.  I have already placed my pre-order.  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

    coming soon The Lord of Illusion

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Fire Lord's Lover by Kathryne Kennedy

TITLE:    The Fire Lord's Lover
AUTHOR:    Kathryne Kennedy
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 378 pages
PUBLISHED:   Sourcebooks, 2010
SOURCE:   Won copy in a drawing

FROM GOODREADS:  Fighting for control of a kingdom that is split into seven domains, Elven warlords use their human slaves to breed an endless supply of soldiers for their armies. Dominic Raikes, the half-blood son of the Elven Lord himself is one such warrior. Betrothed to Lady Cassandra, who has been raised in a convent to keep her pure, he little suspects that she's been secretly trained as an assassin to murder his father and him. Dominic and Cassandra soon discover that each one is not what they seem, but the price of trust may be their very lives, and the destruction of the magical realm each is desperately trying to save. 

PURCHASE:  Amazon, The Book Depository, and Barnes & Noble


MY TAKE:   I can't believe I waited so long to read this book!  I won it in a drawing last fall and it has been in my TBR stack since then.  But, I'm actually glad that I did hold off as I devoured it and then was able to immediately pick up the second installment ~ just released ~ in the series:  The Lady of the Storm.

The Fire Lord's Lover was an enjoyable treat that takes the reader back to the early 1700s in England.  Only it's not quite the England that we thought we knew.  King George is in power, but he is just a token monarch ~ though he does dictate fashion in the realm.  He is essentially a pawn in a game between seven Elven lords who rule over the country, each having their own slice of the pie to govern. They start wars to see which Elven lord wins the king and houses him and his court in their region of the altered England.  The biggest issue with this is that they force the humans to be their soldiers in the deadly games.

The citizens are tired of being repressed and treated like breeding animals or less, so a Rebellion is born.  Lady Cassandra has been brought up in a convent.  On the outside she is a true pious lady of the realm.  But in secret she has trained for years to be a weapon of death for the Rebellion.  She is slated to be the assassin who takes out the Elven Lord Mor'ded and his champion son, Dominic. The biggest hitch in this plan comes when Lady Cassandra is married to Dominic and begins to fall in love with him, despite his indifference and cold treatment.  

I loved the interaction between Dominic and Cass.  The sparks flew immediately from the moment they first kissed, even if they wouldn't or couldn't, acknowledge it. I really wanted to kick Dom many times for how standoffish he was to poor Cass.  But by the end of the book, I admit I was in love with him. They are both such strong, sensuous characters intelligently written, that you can't help but root for their success.  The magic and the surroundings just add to their chemistry as they learn to trust each other and fight a shared battle.

I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy a good adventure that is full of romance and intrigue.  The large dose of Elven magic and a bit of humor just add to the mix making this a must read for old fans of Kathryne Kennedy and readers like me who are thrilled to have discovered her finally.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

  

Be sure to stay tuned for my review of The Lady of the Storm

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.