historical

The Highlander’s Vow- Barbara Longley

/ Erin Kelly / Leave a comment

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Sometimes you happen into a series that suits your interests perfectly, and you simply HAVE to read any book in the series which is published. Such is the case with this recent addition to Barbara Longley’s Loch Moigh series, “The Highlander’s Vow”.  About a year ago, I was reading the Outlander books because 1. I love romance 2. I love Scotland 3. I love time travel stories. Unfortunately, after a couple of books in the series, I lost interest. Enter Amazon Prime who noticed my proclivity for Scottish time-travel romances and suggested “True to the Highlander” by Barbara Longley which, luckily, checked all my boxes. I read it in about a day and was grateful to notice that there were two more books in the series, so I could keep going. (And they were all on Kindle Unlimited, yay!) This most recent entry into the series, which is actually a second generation continuation, popped up on my suggestions, and it immediately became compulsory reading.

The Story- All of these stories feature the hero or heroine time-traveling from either Medieval/Renaissance Scotland to a current Renaissance Festival or vice versa.  There is always a fish out of water component, which I love, as well as a little bit of magic, which is necessary for the whole time-travel thing.  In this one, Skye is engaged to someone she just realized is a jerk who is plotting her death. She rushes to find her father to explain the danger, and happens to fall through time right into a jousting demonstration at a Renaissance Festival.  She falls in with a great family who happens to be experienced at the whole time-travel thing since Struan fell into their lives from the 14th century ten years ago.

My Thoughts– Longley does the fish out of water bit better than most and spends some time imagining how people from the past would view some of our technology and customs. The story flows well, and, if you have read the previous books, it is fun to revisit many of the past characters.  I liked the heroine as she seemed more inclined to take control of her life than most women of that time period would have been. The hero was a bit too stoic for me, but there was adequate justification for his brooding nature.

The Bottom Line– It should go without saying that if you like Scottish time-travel romance, this is a sure bet.  It is breezier and more fun than Outlander, but not without depth. I will continue to read any Scotland-based books that Ms. Longley publishes with great anticipation. Best enjoyed in a long bubble bath with a glass of wine!  4 stars.

Devil In Winter- Lisa Kleypas

/ Erin Kelly / 2 Comments

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While I have been a romance fan for about 25 years, until recently I hadn’t actively sought out new authors.  I followed recommendations of friends and always bought the newest Nora Roberts.  Other than that, I skipped around between a wide variety of books whose covers and descriptions appealed to me.  I assume that most of my friends and the casual romance reader are like I was, so if you are a romance fan who follows every new release and knows all the names in the biz, I apologize if this review is rehashing what you already know.  But, I simply couldn’t NOT review this book in case someone who hasn’t found Lisa Kleypas yet happens to come across my humble website or review.  Yep, it’s that good, and if you enjoy historical romance, I almost suggest that you dispense with reading the rest of this review and just go get this book.
The Story– Evie has some seriously screwed up relatives who are keeping her from her dying father and like to beat her every now and then for fun.  She decides that the only escape from these horrible people is to elope so that her new husband can protect her.  Fortunately, she knows a desperate rake who will overlook her stutter and shyness in favor of marrying her for her fortune.  Sebastian is proud of how many notches he has compiled on his bedpost. In fact, I’m not sure how the bed would still be standing with that many notches, but he is willing to settle down, at least in name only, in order to set up a comfy future for himself.

My Thoughts – Yes, it’s a marriage of convenience story, but it is so well-done that you will likely hold it as a standard for like stories in the future.  A couple of times while I was reading in the car rider line at my daughter’s school, I actually felt disappointment when the line started moving because it meant I had to put the book down. Now that’s saying something. The characters are well-developed, and motivations are brilliantly set up so that there is no confusion.  I was unaccustomed to reading a historic romance (other than Outlander) which incorporates actual historic tidbits and info as well as extremely detailed setting.  Often the only hint that you are in the past is that people use titles, attend balls, and cannot be left alone.  Not so with Ms. Kleypas.  I usually talk about world-building in response to paranormal books, but even though this is a historical, the world-building rivals anything I’ve seen elsewhere.

The Good– Although difficult to choose, my favorite element of this book is the characters.  They are fully developed and complex, which makes it feel like you are witnessing friends fall in love rather than broadly-drawn archetypes. The plot never lags, and the set-up doesn’t feel contrived.  The sex scenes are some of the best I’ve read with the perfect amount of heat (for me) with no odd descriptions that took me out of the story.

The Bottom Line– This is one of the best historical romances I’ve ever read, and I am almost afraid to read more Lisa Kleypas in case they don’t measure up. But then I realized, an even-slightly worse version of this book would be better than 90% of the other books I’ve encountered.  So, I will be diving into the back catalog, and I, like other romance fanatics will be waiting with bated breath for February when “Devil in Spring” is released as it features the son of these characters and has one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen.  This is one of those books that makes me grateful that I read romance.

Kiss of Steel- Bec McMaster

/ Erin Kelly / Leave a comment

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“Kiss of Steel” is the first book in Bec McMaster’s London Steampunk Series, which she has recently expanded to a spin-off series with “Mission: Improper”.  This was my first steampunk read, and while some “true steampunk” readers have critiqued this for not being representative of the genre, it was an excellent introduction to steampunk for me since I already love romance and paranormal. Oh yeah, did I mention that this book has a great paranormal storyline? Let’s dig in!
The Story- Honoria is struggling to keep her family fed after the death of her father and their escape from the cultured world of the Echelon.  When she is summoned to the rogue who dared to rebel against high society, she fears that her safe seclusion is at an end.  Oh, and there are vampires, robot arms, werewolves, and mechanical soldiers.

My Thoughts- I always have trouble writing a story synopsis for books I really enjoy because I hate giving anything away that the reader would have a much better time reading in the book itself.  I had no idea what to expect coming into this book, and I liked it that way.  I had trouble putting this book down.  It was one of those captivating books where you want to read really fast to find out what happens next, but you know that if you read too fast, you’ll miss some great writing and details.  Like a plate of cheese fries you want to devour, but you have to remind yourself to breathe. Or maybe that’s just me. Anyway, I loved this world, I really enjoyed the characters, and the story clicked along just right.

The Good- World-building: each layer is revealed like an onion, and the reader is like “oh! That’s what’s happening.”  The author also has an amazing vocabulary, which is often lacking in these books, and her attention to detail and description is masterful.

The Bottom Line- I had so much fun reading this book.  The author swept me up in her world, and I felt like I was along for the ride.  If you are open to steampunk and paranormal, I highly recommend this book, and I intend to finish the series. (So many books; so little time!) For me, this is 5 stars for pure enjoyment.

Highland Deception- Lori Ann Bailey

/ Erin Kelly / Leave a comment

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“Highland Deception” is the debut of author, Lori Ann Bailey, and is the first in her Highland Pride series.  As a fan of all things Scotland, I was predisposed to like this book although, while Bailey does a great job with her debut, it was a tale of two cities for me.

The Story- Maggie is set to marry a rapist/murderer/real jerk, so she decides to run away and join a nunnery.  On the road, she unwittingly falls in with a group of men from another clan while showcasing her healing skills.  Fearing that they will return her to her fate, she refuses to tell them who she is, which is a problem for their leader, Lachlan.  Lachlan falls for her; conflicts arise.

My Thoughts- This story began with a bang and hooked me immediately.  Unfortunately, as soon as they arrive at Lachlan’s castle about halfway through, it felt like the story began to flail and random conflicts arose here and there which seemed like an attempt to add drama. I also took issue with the idea that a priest’s niece could be bedded and discarded with no issue.  I didn’t swoon over the hero like I normally do when they are wearing kilts, and I think it’s because he did not treat her much better than the other men in her life. I did identify with Maggie, which could be why I took her mistreatment to heart.

The Good- Maggie is a great character: brave, kind, a woman who thinks for herself.  The sex scenes and preceding build-up scenes were very hot and well-written.  The Scottish brogue is just enough to hear the music of the language, but not over-done in a way that makes it difficult to read.  The setting is perfectly described and makes you want to be in Scotland yesterday.  The initial conflict and set-up is intriguing and captivating.

The Bottom Line- If you like stories set in Scotland, this is definitely one to pick up as it does a great job of bringing the history, culture and setting into the story instead of just plopping some random story down and saying that it’s Scotland and the hero wears a kilt and calls her “Lassie”.  I had some issues with story toward the end and the hero, but it isn’t enough to keep me from recommending this book and looking forward to more from this author. 3 stars

Dragons Among Them- Kyra Jacobs

/ Erin Kelly / Leave a comment

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“Dragons Among Them” is the first installment in Kyra Jacobs’ series, The Kingdoms of Ice and Fire.  As a person with eyes, I was completely drawn in by the cover, (isn’t it gorgeous?) and was really looking forward to reading this book.  I had read and enjoyed Jacobs’ introduction to the contemporary Checkerberry Inn series, but it was so different from this that I was definitely curious if she could pull off fantasy and dragons.

The Story– Adelaide (love the name) is a photographer who falls through time and space into another world where she encounters Prince Zaine, who also happens to be a dragon shifter.  She is immediately in danger, and he is driven to protect her, even if it means threatening an alliance-driven engagement.

My Thoughts– I had a little trouble getting into this book, even though I was excited about it. I actually read the first quarter or so, then put it down for a couple months.  I’m not sure what made it difficult to connect with in the beginning, but I am so glad that I picked it back up.  As soon as I got past an unexpected twist of a sort, it was smooth sailing and I devoured the rest.

The Good– I love time travel/trapped in another world books.  There is something about finding someone in a place that you never expected that I really enjoy.  Adelaide is a fun character, and her reactions to her new world are just right.  I loved the wizard and his interactions with just about everyone. He is a great character that I hope to see more of in upcoming books.  The setting and world-building was interesting, but I hope for more of that in the future as well. Each bit of lore or backstory added to the current story immensely.  The dragon element was fun without being forced and raises some questions about how the dragons fit into this world. Are new shifter dragons being born?

The Bottom Line– This is a nice start to a series, but does leave some unanswered questions that I look forward to being resolved. It is definitely worth the read. I give Dragons Among Them 4 stars due to the slow start and desire for answers to world-building questions. Ms. Jacobs can absolutely pull off fantasy and dragons.