Marie Lipscomb

A fantastic follow up. Book one was the slow burn as Lady Natalie got to know Brandon the Bear. Book Two is all about the sizzle and the struggle of trying to keep their relationship private so that Brandon won't get kicked out of the Champion's Guild. The novel opens with them trying to find Henry because they know that he is responsible for the attack on Blackmere and death of some of their friends. They discover that he has escaped to the Guild and he's already lied to the Guild Master, saying that it's all a terrible misunderstanding. Unable to make Henry pay for his crimes, Brandon decides that he will face Henry the Dragon in the Midsummer Melee and make him pay in the arena. They both spend six months training their asses off at the guild and sending each other penetrating glances. Not getting to touch each other or get any moments of privacy is hard on their relationship. Can they defeat Henry? Will their relationship survive? Fantastic. Great ending and I can't wait to read the third and final installment in this series!… (meer)

I LOVE a good slow burn - throw in some medieval romance and body positivity and I am even more invested. I flew through this book in less than one day and I can't wait to get my hands on the second installment. Lady Blackmere has wished for years that the Champions of Aldland would perform their yearly tournament at her castle - years of letter writing and praying have finally brought the renowned champions to her doorstep. She is determined to meet the men and women fighters not as a noble, but as a commoner. She wants to experience them being real and not sucking up to her as a noble because of propriety. She swaps places with her friend, a local barmaid, and goes out to meet them at the local tavern. When bandits swarm the town and the castle, Lady Blackmere barely escapes with her life and finds herself with three of the Champions, including Brandon the Bear, the most famous of them all. She must conceal her identity because she doesn't want to incur their wrath as the "idiot who had no guards defending the town or castle." She doesn't expect the hero of her dreams to bat an eyelash at the tagalong "barmaid" but soon they are depending on each other and confiding in each other as if they've known each other for years rather than days. A super satisfying slow burn.… (meer)