Kathryn Le VequeBesprekingen
Auteur van Guardian of Darkness
Besprekingen
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
A Wolf Among Dragons is the eighth installment in the "de Wolfe Pack" and I absolutely adored it in every way. In fact this is my FIRST 6 star historical romance read of the year. Even after a few years of reading this author, I have to wonder how does she write such delicious work? Its just delightful and the way she can combine historical facts and bring in strong characters that somehow fit the time so well, is such a blast. I am not sure how I truly feel about this book because it had me all over the place emotion wise. There was something so much more about this book than I expected. I was NOT this whirlwind of a romance or the emotion that happens in this one....yeah didn't see it coming. But brownie points to Kathryn Le Veque for writing such a superb tale.
First Line
It was the children's hour.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: James de Wolfe (Blayth)
James, is believed dead by his family.
Scarred and struggles with a vocal disability from battle wounds
The Heroine: Lady Asmara
A Dragon princess for Wales
Royal Heritage
Kick ass female warrior
Summary
James is one of the sons of William de Wolfe and while on the battlefield was believed to have been killed in Wales. Now its been five years, and the family still mourns their loss. James is now living under the name of Wales hero...Blayth. He has some brilliant tactics that are only re-energizing the Wales fight for freedom. But he has lost all of his memories and only believes on what he has been told. But he has dreams of strange men but can't pin point who they are. He fights alongside, their warrior princess Asmara. Who is a capable warrior and can battle with the best of them. Neither of them expected love but they find love and heart with each other. But when he learns that he could be a English warrior of one of the most prestige families in all of England, he wants to know of his heritage. But he has an enemy, one who will manipulate him and betray him when he least expects it....will the Wolfe family lose their son they never knew was alive all of this time?
What I Loved
A Wolfe Among Dragons is the eighth installment but you could read this after "The Wolfe" and "The Serpent", you don't necessarily need to read the other installments but do recommend reading at least those two books FIRST. So this book blew my mind! I didn't expect to be so thrown off than by this book. Its a story that had such a emotional impact, I felt like I was run over by a train with this one. If you love medieval romance, then you definitely need to think about this book or author, because she writes such captivating books.
From the very beginning, we see the scene at the infamous Welsh battle where James was believed to have been killed. And man my heart, the way you see this family not wanting to leave him behind but believing he was dead and so heart broken not to take his body with them? Just so heartbreaking. And I didn't even know after all this time that James had a "Lazarus" rise from the dead type of story. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but the plot in this story was brilliantly laid out. Once you see him five years following that battle scene, you just know that you will be on a wild ride and Le Veque really carries that intensity from beginning to end.
The romance that develops was so memorable and had such a epic feel to it. The chemistry that these two have together is spot on, and their connection is a bit different than I have read from this author before and it had a level of sensuality I truly adored seeing being mixed in with the story. Our characters have such strong personalities but at the same time they are so respectful towards each other. There is such a level of teamwork between them. The way that they banter is super endearing. And when the hero gets so vulnerable and needs a woman to stand by him, I just respected the way in which Asmara trusts in him and doesn't spurn him when the truth comes out. She only proves her loyalty to him and is there when he needs it both physically and emotionally.
The Plot was top-tier in this one. So well developed and I never knew what would be happening next. We have so many moments of adventure, action, and strong humor that is placed in here at just the right times. This author really pulls you into this historical time period that feels so raw and real. There is quite a bit of political intrigue that was fascinating and layered into the story that has such a genuine feel to it. The family conflict was so heartbreaking. I was not expecting the ending both happy and sad that leaves you with such a deep poignant heart in the end. I am actually surprised Le Veque went the way that she did. But at the same time, I kinda knew it would happen considering what I have seen in other books. But no worries...our couple....DEFINITE HEA!
What I Struggled With
Nothing, it was perfection in every way!
Narration
Brad Wills is one of my favorite narrators. So talented, with the voice that really delivers the best medieval vibes and is flawless in his transfer of character voice tones!
Overall View
A Wolf Among Dragons is a romance that will literally dig deep into your emotions, strike deeply into the historical elements and fire up the tension in a brilliant masterful way! A WELSH ROMANTIC GEM!
Favorite Quote(s)
"Love was something that couldn't be forgotten."
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Historical Romance, England-Plantanaget Era, Set in England/Wales
Character Types: Royalty, Kick Ass Heroine, Warrior Hero
Themes: All the Feels, Heart/Emotional, Tear Jerker
Tropes: Mistaken Identity, Forced Proximity, Amnesia
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot Conflict
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Julie Garwood
Margaret Mallory
Song This Book Inspires
Die Another Day-Madonna
Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read these as standalones if you like, but you receive a better reading experience by reading in order.
Steam/Spice Explanations
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Narrators:
Brad Wills
This is a great collection of stories for the holidays and most of them are sprinkled with that little extra holiday cheer.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
DarkWolfe is a story that I was very eager for because it features another half to a story that I had read previously from this series. In reality I think you should read DarkWolfe and Shadowwolfe together as they are twins and they both suffer a tragedy but yet go different paths. I was very intrigued to get the story from DarkWolfe and seeing the POV from Troy as I have already read Scott's view of the event. And Troy definitely went a very different route in facing grief than Scott ever did. I really adored Troy. He was left and abandoned by his twin and forced to face up to the grief. And we see how that has worn on him but in some ways he is more closed off to love than even Scott. But this story was very different than I expected it to be and I adored seeing these two who begin as enemies and form a strong bond to each other and work together in their arranged marriage that I just loved seeing.
First Line
She was cold to the touch.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Troy de Wolfe
Twin to the first born of William de Wolfe. A powerful knight in his own right and just as capable of being a leader and a fighter. He is a widower having lost his wife and two daughters in a accident. Has one surviving son in training.
The Heroine: Rhoswyn Whitton Kerr
Rhoswyn was the only child to her father, and when her mother passed, she was trained as if she was a son and a warrior. All she knows is how to be a man and to fight on the battlefield.
Summary
When the de Wolfe go to protect their lands and people from raiders on the Scottish border, they claim the tower on a Scottish land, but Troy finds himself the honorary warrior to not only battle their best fight to claim the land but no matter who wins or loses both of them will be forced to marry because this fight will be one pitting a man against a woman. But Troy and Rhoswyn are both pawns in this game. And even though at first they are enemies, they quickly call a truce with each other and start working as a couple in their new marriage that neither of them have had a choice in. But as they start to work together in learning what it means to be husband and wife, there is a dangerous plot that could destroy everything that they are working to build...
What I Loved
DarkWolfe was a delightful installment and I had a blast breezing through this one here. It was really interesting seeing how Le Veque set this one up. Just be warned that it takes a while before our characters meet each other, about 30%. It didn't bother me though, it really was needed to set up their marriage and their battle haha But I really enjoyed seeing how these two get on. The heroine does have a lot to learn though. And I felt like Troy is just the perfect teacher. He is so patient and understanding with her. Even the third act conflict definitely made sense. What really impressed me the most was that when it matters, these two make a truce and make the best of the circumstances that they are both thrown in. They act like adults when it comes to being responsible and giving honor to their parents, which back in medieval times, was pretty vital to survival back then. I loved the family connections that we see focused on.
The relationship that builds between Troy and Rhoswyn was so wonderful to see. They both are like babes when it comes to learning what it takes to building home. Rhoswyn knows literally nothing on what it means to be a wife or being a chatelaine. And does she learn but not without some help from friends of Troy. I really enjoyed seeing Troy and Rhoswyn find their way together. They never give up on each other and keeping working on their marriage which I found so encouraging. We see some great depth in the last act especially and boy does Le Veque really tackle on the emotion so brilliantly there. You will definitely need your box of tissues with this one.
What I Struggled With
There wasn't too much that I struggled with, I kinda wish that the relationship had been more flushed out and it could have used at least another 50-100 pages to focus on the romance more. We spend the first 30% of the book building up to their first meeting, so I do think there could have been more relationship building time put into the story.
Overall View
DarkWolfe was a superb read that delivered in the atmospheric vibes that I adore seeing a medieval romance and all the feels that the author placed in the story captured the moments perfectly! Definitely eager for more!
Favorite Quote(s)
“I am not strong,” he said. “I simply did what needed to be done. Running from grief does not make it go away.”
“Things like this… they happen, Atty. Women die and men die. It is the way of life. But I would like to think that in the grand scheme of things, a death serves a higher purpose. Mayhap we do not understand what the purpose is when it happens but, in time, we will see the light. We will see that everything in life happens as it should.”
You were in the dream and you told me that I must come to you. I am here if you want me and for the rest of my life, I shall belong to you and only you. And I will adore you until the day I die.”
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Historical Romance
Time Era: England= Plantagenet + House of Lancaster
Character Types: Warrior/Soldier, Knights and Ladies, Highlander, Widower, Single Parent, Single Dad.
Themes: Family Saga, Kick Ass
Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Lovers
Book Perspective
Duo POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A mix of both
Song This Book Inspires
Somewhere-Glee Cast
Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standalone
Steam/Spice Explanations
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
In ShadowWolfe, this story is basically a forced proximity situation. The hero, Scott, is a widower. He lost his wife and children in a horrific accident and focused on being a battle seasoned warrior and knight and distanced himself from his family. Now its been years since, and he is commanded to take over the Castle Canaan when the man who was a husband and father and leader of Canaan, was killed sacrificing himself to save his life. What he doesn't expect is to be drawn to his widow, who is a mother of two children and pregnant with the third. Even though King Edward has plans for her, he is determined to fight for her when he finds himself in her again and feeling love again...
I absolutely adored this book. The romance was a bit lackluster in the first half of the book, which is why its a 4 star instead of a 5 star read. I really adore the way that this author just makes history come alive. She adds in such vivid detail that works so well. Both the characters were so loveable, I really became so endeared by the way that Scott fights to marry the heroine. It was so wonderful seeing the way that Scott finds himself again and faces up to his past and learns to heal. The way that this was implemented was so well done and authentic. The emotion that the author portrays was so vibrant and I was able to connect to on such a deep level.
Overall I found ShadowWolfe to be a delightful, thrilling historical adventure that delivered in so many ways! UTTERLY A JOY TO READ!
And also, if Liselotte's dad is going to just offer her hand in marriage to some rando dude (about whom he knows basically nothing), why not just marry her to the other rando dude, ya know, before letting his family and people starve? Because, obvs, she can't mean that much to him, even if she is a valuable thing.
The Ghostly Lover, by Mary Lancaster
Highland Ghost, by Elizabeth Rose
A Lady’s Revenge, by Nicole Locke
Other stories I enjoyed a lot:
When the Night Closes, by Chasity Bowlin
The Dauntless Girl, by Whitney Blake
The Duke’s Bluestocking, by Celeste Barclay
Loved by the Laird, by Jillian Eaton
Overall, another fun Halloween collection from Dragonblade. I hope they keep putting these out every year; it’s beginning to feel like a tradition for me to read them each fall 😊.
Sixteen authors bring us these well written and thought out novellas that were easy and fun to read. Filled with the typical historical romance feels with the added gothic romance lures of fear, sorrow, eerie feelings, creepy shadows and bumps in the night.
While most of these seem to be tied to ongoing series the authors gave me enough background that I didn't feel lost just curious to get more of the backstory for the side characters.
Overall it was a fun collection to read, I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology from the first page until the very last.
I received this ARC from Dragonblade Publishing & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you.
#AMidnightRequiemTheGhostlyHour #NetGalley
Enjoy stories from the following authors:
Kathryn Le Veque
Chasity Bowlin
Mary Lancaster
Elizabeth Johns
Maeve Greyson
Whitney Blake
Jillian Eaton
Mary Wine
Elisa Braden
Nicole Locke
Kathleen Ayers
Elizabeth Rose
Mia Pride
Sky Purington
Anna Bradley
Celeste Barclay
Kingdom of Hendocia, 1101 / South Shields, Present-day
1 Inspirational Poem
2 Stories within a Frame Story within another Frame Story (Reincarnation Variety?)
1 Disinterested Boyfriend
1 Archaeological Site
1 Tomb by the Sea with Stone Pillar
1 Viking Raid
Much Death and Destruction (Ignored Variety)
1 Sentinel Guarding a Secret Room
1 Battle of Swords and Wits
2 Tall Tales with Riddles
1 Significant Nickname
1 Deeply Strange Kiss
The Short Version
Inspired by Poe's poem Annabel Lee, this is a medieval set, tragic fairy tale style story.
We have a contemporary frame story of a young woman traveling with her disinterested boyfriend and his parents. At an archaeological site on the coast, she finds herself drawn to a tomb carved with bluebells.
The heart of the story is set in 1101 along the English coast in the tiny fictional kingdom of Hendocia, which is suffering a raid by marauding Northmen eager to bring it under their rule. A lone sentinel guards a secret hidden room and is willing to kill or die to protect it. When the raid leader matches swords, wits, and tales/riddles with the sentinel they become intrigued by one another and agree to marry. But tragedy strikes...
The mood was quite lovely, but I couldn't get over the fact that this woman supposedly fell in love with an invader over witty stories as his men raped and murdered her people above their heads... not conducive to romance. Further, the one kiss as described was quite off-putting. Not for me.
An Historical Romance Collection
Excellent collection of stories by wonderful authors – some old friends and some new ones to add to my authors to read again. These can be read one after another or spread out over days to at Halloween or any time of the year. I am about halfway through the stories and will read them all but want to get this review up to let others know that it is definitely filled with interesting, varied, and intriguing stories.
* There are ghosts – malevolent and benign with most wanting something from those undead
* Love is in the air and often necessary to save the day
* There are second chances for some
* And no chances for others
* Some end up seeing the light…or perhaps going to the darker side
* There are culprits, killers, some pirates, and those that are saviorss
* Time travelers that show up in at least one story
* The feeling that some of these stories are part of series that I have not read
* Intriguing and thought provoking
* Happy endings for some
* A big of magic here and there
I remember last year’s anthology and loved it so definitely was eager to read this collection, too.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more books by these authors? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – this is my honest review.
5 Stars
Each story was inspired by a Christmas tale (A Christmas Carol, Die Hard, It's a Wonderful Life, etc.) which I thought was a fun notion. Some are very apparent which story inspired it, and others were unrecognizable to me. Which was totally fine. This is a very long review, but with over 20 stories, there's a lot to talk about. Other reviews list plot summaries, so I'm just going to share my opinions of their quality and my enjoyment from them.
*Side note* Often holiday novellas pick up the thread of a side character in a series, and that can be an additional fun thing about them, but I hadn't read *any* of these series before, and ended up feeling kinda out of the loop with several of them. Bunches of characters and events were referenced, like they carried some significance that I should recognize and take joy in, but none of them actually did, because I wasn't already familiar with their prior context. Some stories seemed like they were trying to name drop every previously introduced character in the series, and that might be fun for the people who've already read their stories, to see them all gathered together, but they were just long lists of names and relationships to me. It felt like a missed opportunity really. The fans who have already read an author's entire series would likely seek out their holiday addition anyway, so it seems like the best advantage of an anthologie would be to get your work in front of *new* readers who might then seek out more of your work and become new fans. I'm not at all opposed to reading a short story about characters whom others already know and I don't, but the actual *appeal* of the story shouldn't rely very heavily on that prior familiarity.
My star rating is generally
⭐️ - a story that had quite a bit that I disliked, and I looked forward to it being over.
⭐️⭐️ - a weak story or a 'fine' one with some significant flaws, but otherwise ok rather than dire.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - an enjoyable but ultimately sort of average story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - an overall well crafted story that held my interest and I'm pleased to have read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - a great story that engaged and entertained me, and I'll likely seek out more like it.
I'll also note that short stories take a slightly different skill set than full length novels, so just because a short story might be a dud, it doesn't mean that the rest of that author's work will be.
Kathryn Le Veque - 'Twas the Executioner Knight Before Christmas
There was some sweetness to the little interactions of this family, but overall it felt quite shallow. Plus I didn't care for the "lesson learned". It felt oversimplified to the point of feeling a bit insulting and solidly sexist.
Caroline Lee - The Laird's Yulebringer
This one especially seemed like a third of the story was taken up by listing a whole family tree of relationships, plus acquaintances. Another rather large chunk was filled with his inner musings on 'will he or won't he' find any future happiness after a recent loss. (spoiler!, lol, he will!). And then he was so ridiculously slow to catch onto the foretold signs, that I just couldn't even. ⭐️.
Chasity Bowlin - Making Spirits Bright
I like that these two are older, everyone deserves a couple shots at a happily ever after. Even besides the ghost though (which is a large part), this didn't feel very believable, (not everyone cares about that though). There just wasn't much else that grabbed me. The love came out of nowhere, and the heroine was a bit daft. ⭐️.
Hildie McQueen - The Haunted Scot
This was a second-chance story about a couple who had already been married for several years, which I like, those stories aren't told as often. And I liked it even better that their relationship had just worn thin over time, rather than crashed over some huge rift-causing event. That feels very believable. The author also did a good job of helping me to feel like all the characters' lives had already been going on and I was just dropping in at this point. The world felt lived in and bigger than this one little part. Characters who likely star in the other books in the series cameoed, but contributed to the story beyond their mere presence. I wasn't wowed, but I would consider reading more from this series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Maggi Andersen - Never Keep a Secret at Christmas
This felt very simplistic, and seemed like it was missing some of the details that might keep it from seeming so 'cookie cutter'. Insta-love, which can work sometimes, but was just 'okay' here. ⭐️⭐️.
Mary Lancaster - Her Star from the East
This one was simple but had some nice moments, an interracial/interfaith couple, and some cuteness. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Meara Platt - The Remembrance of Love
This was sweet and cheering. I liked the sympathetic backstory of the hero, and the irrepressible warm-heartedness of the young heroine. I think they were fairly believable in their responses, and well suited to each other. The side characters were personable as well (excluding the baddies of course). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Violetta Rand - How to get an Earl for Christmas
I didn't hate this, there just wasn't much for me to work with. It felt fairytale-like, in sort of an unappealing way. She didn't end up being a secret princess, but it was kinda in that realm. No struggle, no growth, hardly even any getting to know the characters or watching them fall in love! So you're just left with a small bit of fluff. Almost like what you might come up with to amuse a little girl wanting a bedtime story. I kind of wanted to give this two stars because there wasn't anything I really hated- but there wasn't really anything I particularly liked either. So on some sort of scale ranging from -5 to 5, this just remained at 0. Ultimately ⭐️.
Alexa Aston - Yuletide at Gillingham
This one was different because it follows a married couple already in love, and jumps forward in time many years as well. Some of the dialogue was a little staid, but there were some sweet moments. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Anna Markland - A Thrill of Hope
This had some nice aspects and details that I found interesting, but also had a corny quality that kept me from really enjoying it. A couple things felt like too modern of notions as well, which is a little annoying, but overall I'm fairly forgiving of that. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Anna St. Claire - A Gift for Agatha
This one is pretty closely based on A Christmas Carol, which is a favorite of mine. But this version was a disappointment to me. A good chunk of the plot was already inherited from Dickens, so I would expect the other aspects of the story to show a little more effort perhaps, but they felt a bit lacking. In fact, a lot of it could have been edited out entirely and it would have hardly changed the outcome. Multiple times something was explained to the reader in the thoughts of one character and then that character would turn around and explain the exact same thing to another character. So those parts were not only superfluous, but redundant. The hero wasn't all that fleshed out, and I didn't care very much for the heroine. And the romance seemed rushed and almost like an afterthought. ⭐️.
Aubrey Wynne - The Heart is Never Silent
This was written pretty well and was enjoyable. It has quite a bit of lingo from the time, which can be an interesting addition, but it didn't quite come off naturally. It felt like they were included just because they could be, rather than because they fit well, and it reminded me of an older person trying to toss around slang in front of young folks. It's not *wrong*... but it can distract from the message. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Charlotte Wren - Of Christmas Past
This is a spin on It's a Wonderful Life, which is another favorite Christmas tale (with a bit of The Prodigal Son thrown in). And it was well done as a holiday historical, and even made me tear up a little. One thing it didn't have much of though was romance. The parents of the protagonist I suppose? There really isn't much time spent on their relationship though, so that was a little bit disappointing. I didn't like the young man all that much, but I was still pleased when things got better for him. And I would consider reading more by this author. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Elizabeth Ellen Carter - Tidings of Comfort
This was a sweet little story, with likable characters. Though again, not very much romance at all. It had warm feelings though and felt Christmasy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Elizabeth Johns - A Christmas Miracle
This was a lovely little second chance romance, with likable, well developed characters and a world that felt lived in. Romance, Christmas, warm feelings, nice side characters, good all around. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Elizabeth Keysian - Her Christmas White Knight
This one was an English Elizabethan tale, which is a different time and place than the HR I usually read. There were some highly unlikely, though I suppose not *impossible* reactions of a goose in the story. lol. (This could just be the most tolerant, trusting goose in the world, but- those are not the words I typically think of when I think of geese! =D) But overall there were lots of historic, realistic details which I quite enjoy. It inspired me to look up some things and I learned about them. And I liked the second chance romance and the cast of characters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Emily E K Murdoch - Always the Mistletoe
This was pretty good. It pulled off the passion in a few kisses more successfully than many short stories. I know clergy with carnal thoughts really grabs some people. And I liked all the characters well enough. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Emily Royal - A Libertine's Christmas Miracle
This seemed like it would be a particularly nice addition to its series, seeing three young married couples gathering together at Christmas. It did a nice job of introducing them in case you weren't already familiar with their series (I wasn't), but focused primarily on one of the couples, (which allowed a story to develop rather than just constantly be flitting from couple to couple never really getting anywhere with any of them). It was also nice to see a happy marriage, and that the drama came from outside the relationship for a change. It hinted at their backstories rather than entirely summarizing them, and it actually made me a little curious how each couple met and fell in love. So while this short story was somewhere between 'fine' and 'good' for me, it did keep my interest and even intrigued me. So, all told, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Lynne Connolly - Past, Present, Future
This felt extra believable to me, despite the class difference. The world felt lived-in as well, and I liked both leads quite a bit. I would consider reading more from this series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Maeve Greyson - A Yuletide Yearning
This was another take on A Christmas Carol. A Pirate version. I think it was going for humor, but it just felt kind of silly. I didn't really like the hero that much, and I hardly got to know the heroine at all. Disappointed. ⭐️.
Whitney Blake - A Strange Christmas Game
This seemed to have a couple gaps that weren't entirely explained, but otherwise it was fine. It wasn't really a winner for me, but the writing seemed pretty good, so I would consider reading something else from this author. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
It was a mixed bag really, but honestly most anthologies are to some extent. This collection has a higher than average percentage of stories with ghosts and magical dreams and things. It's not necessarily where my mind goes when I think of Christmas, but I suppose it brings a whimsical quality to the holiday spirit. And, there is definitely precedence for Christmas magic, fate, angels, etc. Also it seemed to have more stories with sudden love at first sight / whirlwind romances than most short story collections. It is just hard to build a believable, meaningful romance that starts from square one, in so very few pages. The second chance ones are able to come in already part way there to an extent. So on average I thought the ones without the ghosts, etc. and 'blink and they're suddenly deeply in love' tended to be a little stronger, but that's partly just personal preference.
The Others of Ochil, by Mary Lancaster
Into the Night, by Chasity Bowlin
The Haunted Hart, by Emily Royal
The Dauntless Boy, by Whitney Blake
Moonstone Landing, by Meara Platt
Other stand-outs for me:
Percy’s Perdition, by Aubrey Wynne
Grey Lady of the Manor, by Elizabeth Keysian
Rohaise the Red of Delgatie Castle, by Heather McCollum
White Lady Lost, by Maggi Andersen
The Bridge to Love, by Alexa Aston
Haunted Knight, by Elizabeth Johns
Blind Faith, by Anna Markland
Once Upon a Haunted Heart, by Anna St. Clair
Cute, sweet, funny, and/or moving…there is something in this huge book for every romance fan, I’m sure :).
An interesting anthology of spooky stories by 20 authors. Each story is about the length of a novella. A few are new plots and many are a take on old stories like Edgar Allen Poe or even Cinderella. It took me quite some time to make it through the entire book. As usual there are some stories I didn't care for and some that worth the read.
The perfect way to read favorite historical romance authors and meet new ones. I have seen many of these names in the past but realized, while looking through the list of authors, that I have only read a few of these authors’ work. I have read four of the twenty stories and each one was interesting and well written. I am looking forward to reading one or two per night until Halloween.
The stories span the centuries, are wonderfully told, had paranormal disturbances of the nice and not so nice ghost type, and all that I read made me want to read more.
Rohaise the Red of Delgatie Castle by Heather McCollum was scary for more than one reason. Glad I didn’t read IT before I went to sleep because that ghost was a nightmare in the making though the romance between Abigail and Kerrick was a delight!
Nevernmore by Kathryn Le Veque was first up in the anthology but second that I read. The evil abbess was someone I really didn’t like but I was thrilled with the romance between the night and his lady.
Blind Faith by Anna Markland was a sweet story with a ghostly presence that encouraged the blind soldier and the new housekeeper that came to his home. Liked this story quite a bit though not necessarily as scary as some of the others.
Into the Night by Chastity Bowlin had a mail order marriage with the couple meeting at an Inn only to have a rather horror filled night to contend with. This one was scary but in a different way that the first two.
I am eager to read the other books in this anthology and have told my sister that we might need it for our ereaders so we can revisit the stories again…or at least I can. Maybe I should have my daughter buy them for me as a Christmas gift? Hm…
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by the authors in this anthology? Definitely
Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the ARC – this is my honest review.
5 Stars
A feast of gothic type historical tales with a romantic twist by a host of our favorite authors. From Medieval times to Regency. All centered around British tales from places where the paranormal is no surprise. Here’s a few I enjoyed.
“Nevermore” by Kathryn Le Veque. This is a medieval romance. The scene is near Whitby Abbey in 1295. A religious order ruled by an intractable, brutally righteous Mother Abbess.
Atreus de Norville a young knight has fallen in love with Mariana Prendwick de Allerston daughter of a noble house, banished to the Abbey for her involvement with a servant. Knight and postulant have met and fallen in love. But at the Abbey, Mariana is threatened, punished and abused by the Abbess to drive the demons of wildness out of her. Will Mariana and Artreus’ love survive?
“Into the night” by Chasity Bowlin
This set the hairs standing straight up on the back of my neck. A young woman and her intended (and how that came to pass is fascinating!) find themselves in an inn with a malevolent spirit.
“The Others of Ochil” by Mary Lancaster
A young woman who can talk to ghosts helps a Scottish Earl.
Moonstone Landing by Meara Platt
Love across the divide. Gorgeously gentle.
For those who wish to explore the divide when the veil is thin, it’s well worth the read!
A Dragonblade ARC via NetGalley
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Onze site gebruikt cookies om diensten te leveren, prestaties te verbeteren, voor analyse en (indien je niet ingelogd bent) voor advertenties. Door LibraryThing te gebruiken erken je dat je onze Servicevoorwaarden en Privacybeleid gelezen en begrepen hebt. Je gebruik van de site en diensten is onderhevig aan dit beleid en deze voorwaarden.
BlackWolfe is the 14th installment in the de Wolfe Pack series, but you can easily read this as a standalone if needed. I absolutely adored this story so deeply. I never know what to expect when I pick up a Le Veque if I am being honest. But her books I just know from the get-go that I will enjoy. I was so in love with this family and they are probably my favorite family grouping that this author has done.
This story really struck deeply because I resonated with the hero especially. He had such vulnerabilities. He never thought he was good enough and a failure to the de Wolfe name. He never felt valued by his father or his family and was different than his siblings. He had unique talents that led him down a different path to be the King's negotiator. He faces some real challenges but we such vibrant character growth from him.
The romance that develops is quite interesting. I did feel like this aspect was a bit lower than I expected from a Le Veque. I will say that they do some courting which was fun to see, but its low key and not heavily focused on. I did enjoy the conflict and the underhanded revenge plot from the villain that connects to Williams' story. Very fascinating connections that the author used there. Even though there could have been a bit more focus on the romantic elements, I had a blast with this book and I definitely give cause for this to the narrator. Brad Wills just did such a great job with this book and is a big reason this rating is as high as it is.
Overall I had a blast with this book and eager to see the rest of the de Wolfe pack books.½