Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 (at least – I might have missed something)
Humor: A touch
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? a mix...maybe character?
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together:
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: No
Format: listened to audiobook from library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: It was recommended by a member in Upturned Petticoats group for people that enjoyed Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander series (which is a fave of mine!) so I had to try it
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine. There are magical elements in this story, with the heroine having powers

Should I read in order?
This is book 1 of Duvall’s The Gifted Ones series.

Basic plot:
Dillon has so much respect for his wise woman, who he believes is extremely elderly. But when Alyssa falls ill, her youth is revealed, and Dillon is head over heels.

Give this a try if you want:
- Medieval – 1198
- England setting
- paranormal elements – there are magical aspects including healing and telepathy
- ‘sorceress’ heroine
- warrior (and...Earl?) hero
- secret identity
- hero wants to marry
- unrequited love from the heroine
- medium steam – at least a 3 steam – I might have missed some (audio notes are usually lacking)

Ages:
- heroine is about 24, didn’t catch hero but assume he’s a bit older – maybe around 30?

First line:
“Where is father?”

My thoughts:
This is a new to me author! I liked the medieval setting a lot and the touch of magic elements. I listened to the audio and can’t say I loved the narrator so I might try to read the next ones in the series. Because overall I am intrigued by this world and enjoyed the side characters, especially Robert whose story is next (and it’s time travel which I’m always interested in!)

I liked this one but overall the relationship was just a touch too...easy for me? I liked the build up of the first half but then with the unrequited longing from the heroine and almost instant obsession with the hero it was pretty low angst and I just wanted a bit more challenge between them and more tension. But I did like the story quite a bit. And I probably went in with expectations a touch too high because it was compared to one of my favorite series haha.

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This is my first
Average rating from me: 4 stars
Favorite book: This one by default

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- death
Author content warnings? Didn’t notice any on audio

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story: Take this as a minimum because I get lazy taking notes in audio and might have missed some!

 
Safe sex: 

  No 

 
How’s the consent? 

  It’s good! 

 
Pregnancy/children in story? 

  The heroine does become pregnant towards the end of the story 

 
Chapter 8 – missionary followed by another spooning scene
Chapter 11 – oral for her
Chapter 14 – bj for him (brief), missionary
Total chapters: 19