Alena has a secret. The secret she hid for the Mackintosh when they were but children shortly before he disappeared. Will they ever find each other again, and if they do will the realize who they are?

Alena also has a decision to make. She can either marry the man she hates or watch as her family is cast out of the clan.

The story unfolds around multiple mysteries to be solved and main characters that evolve more and more with every page. A novel set in the Highlands, the scenery and historical background captured my attention quickly. It is written in dialect, lots of lasses and lads and bluidy hell, but in a way that draws you in instead of making it difficult to read. The wonderful writing and the strong characters stay with you after the book is finished.

Wolf Bride was a fun and exciting read. It took me back to the Tudor Era, which is one of my favorites, while Anne Boleyn still lived. She is very much a background character, but her death plays an important role in showing the character of our heroine, Eloise Tyrell.

When Anne Boleyn is accused of treason, all of her close friends and servants were under scrutiny for the same, and Eloise was no exception. Navigating the court and intrigue has never been more difficult or dangerous. This was by far my favorite aspect of the story.

The romance, while it was written to be the main stage, fell into second place for me. Eloise and Lord Wolf definitely had a bit of a spark between them, but they were both too stubborn and unwilling to listen to each other for me to truly root for. Lord wolf was very overbearing, and while Elizabeth Moss tried valiantly to make it come off as dominant, there were many times it just came off as him being a mean jerk.

This was also far more of an erotic read than most historicals tend to be - intentionally so. I think it could have been toned down with more time given to our characters growing, but for readers of the hotter contemporary that are looking to try a historical - this may be the one that draws you in.

I enjoyed this story for the non-romance aspects, and I did continue reading and enjoying it. Watch for my reviews of the rest of the Lust in the Tudor Court series soon.

​*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*

The Tyrell sisters seem to be good at running into and causing trouble. In Rebel Bride we meet Susannah Tyrell who is determined not to marry the man her father has said she will marry. When she somewhat unsuccessfully tries to seduce Hugh Beaufort, a favored courtier of Henry VIII, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

When Hugh is sent to track her down and bring her back to be married as her father wishes, he finds himself falling hard for the stubborn woman. But they will have much to overcome.

This was more of a traditional historical romance without as much of the Tudor legacy running through the plot. There is still danger all around, but we just don't see quite as much of the court intrigue as we did before.

I found this to be a better read than the first, and I really enjoyed the way the characters grew toward each other.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*

Alison Weir seamlessly merges two tales of English royal turmoil and runs them side by side, even though they happened many years apart, in a way that shows you just how history seems to repeat itself. These were also some of the darker times in English history, as the youngest and most vulnerable – notably the boy princes Edward and Richard that were locked away never to be seen again.

As for historical accuracy – I can honestly say I don’t know much about the real-life story of these individuals other than the couple paragraphs I read in history class.

The writing and characters really come to life, and I felt so mad about how the adults treated the younger generation – using them as pawns and political game pieces. It was common then, I know, but Alison Weir really showed me how it might have felt to be used that way. To fall in love and dream of being happy only to know that your life really isn’t your own.

The conflict surrounding the royalty of England is what draws me to the era. And there was definitely conflict here. But there were also softer moments where I really had a chance to enjoy life with the characters before things went crazy again.

I highly recommend Alison Weir’s books – they are always a pleasure to read.

*I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book*

I’m not entirely sure what to think about this one. The setup and introduction to the characters were really good, and I couldn’t wait to see what they would do to “fix” things. They formed the Sisterhood and set out to right the wrongs vigilante style. But they have the help of a woman with a seemingly endless income and an ex-British special ops guy.
As the book progressed, I had to suspend belief more and more. For contemporary fiction, it seemed to border on fantasy with the way the special ops guy and their funding never seemed to let them down. It was just a little too much to take in and think could happen even in the far reaches of the possible.
But, I was still intrigued and kept reading. Then it hit me like a car accident and I just couldn’t look away. These women do things that are just as awful as the people they are supposedly getting revenge on. It was horrible. I’m all for a punishment fitting the crime, but this went way over that line. It was incredibly violent – which really surprised me, and I found slightly disturbing
I think I’ll give the series another chance, but this was not the best series starter by a long shot. I have loved some of Fern Michaels’ other stories (particularly the Christmas ones) and this is nothing like them at all.

Rose Bride is my absolute favorite of the Lust in the Tudor Court series by Elizabeth Moss. I think seeing the court from a different perspective, but still close enough to all the nobility and even the King, really allowed the book to weave its own story while still giving that amazing Tudor feel.

I did not like Margerie the first time I met her. I thought she was a little bit up in everyone's business, but I was quickly proven wrong. She's a sweet woman that has had her past manipulated and she has only recently come into her own self.

Virgil was a great character. Trying his best to help King Henry get his new queen pregnant, he has to resort to some new herbs and medicine, but he isn't allowed to use them on the King until he has tested them himself. I loved how this set up some very interesting confrontations between him and Margerie.

I wish there was more to the series, but it also ended in a really great place for all our characters. I think this is a series (especially book three) that I will have to revisit again sometime soon.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Payback continues the story of The Sisterhood, a group of women that seek revenge on people that have wronged them (so far it seems to be all men).

In my review of Weekend Warriors, the first book, I mentioned that the suspension of belief for a contemporary was a bit of a stretch in this series. I think it's similar to thinking that a businessman could create things like Batman and go solve crimes without anyone realizing who he really was. While fun, it's not very believable.

The second book throws a ghost into the mix that speaks to two of the women, basically encouraging them to continue seeking revenge on people who have wronged them and escaped traditional justice.

Once again, the person they hunt deserves to have something happen to them. But again, the punishment really turned my stomach. I think these stories would be so much better if instead of a physical revenge, they found a way for the real justice system to get these guys.

In the background you have the added drama of Jack, an attorney that used to be engaged to one of the women, catching on and trying to prove they are doing things. Jack is a good guy, and he gets swept up in the revenge, and it just makes me like the main group of characters even less.

Still, there is something about this series that I can't look away from. Even with the typos, plot contradictions, errors, and awful acts the Sisterhood take part in, I somehow need to keep going to see what's next.

I have always loved Blay. His quiet strength and fierce way of loving has always set him apart in the best of ways for me. Qhuinn, on the other hand, is the exact opposite, and part of me really wanted Blay to end up with someone better. But in other ways, they are perfect for each other - in the opposites attract fashion.

In true J.R. Ward style, this is more than just another paranormal romance. The story of the Brotherhood and their enemies takes another dangerous turn, and while some of the antics were far beyond belief, the war between the vampires and the lessers is really heating up.

I wish (and I say this often) that Ward would include more of the previous females in each book. We very rarely get to see them as anything more than a background plot device after they have fallen in love and mated their Male. These are strong and fierce women (vampire and otherwise), and I want to see them become a more integral part of the stories.

This will be my last in the Sisterhood series for a while. While I totally understand the need for revenge, the graphic quality of what the group does to the man that killed Myra's daughter just turned my stomach and made me sick.

In addition, after the things they have put Jack and his friend through, I find it beyond belief that he would even consider not continuing to try and find a way to stop them. If the books were less graphic, or more about the women finding ways to prove people's guilt, or trap them into confessing, I think this would be a far better series.

I will continue to read Fern Michaels' Christmas and holiday books. They are so much different than this series. Perhaps I will come back some day and see if the Sisterhood takes a new direction.

I am a big fan of the Shannara world by Terry Brooks. And Grainne Ohmsford is one of the most intriguing characters I've run into in this epic fantasy series. Tanequil continues the story of her involuntarily journey into the Forbidding, a land full of demons and other nasty evil things, and her nephew Penderrin's search for a way to bring her back.

Penderrin finds himself searching for a magical talisman that will allow him to enter the Forbidding, find his aunt, and bring her back. But as any reader of epic fantasy well knows, magical talismans come with a very high price. Terry Brooks does an excellent job of showing that payment isn't always a physical sacrifice, sometimes it's emotional as well. Penderrin's experiences as he obtains the Tanequil were some of my favorite of the book.

Meanwhile, Grainne finds out the same thing in a slightly different way. Not all punishment is physical, and she begins to lose herself to the magic of the Forbidding. Enemies and allies in unexpected places really brought this realm to life. It truly is another world within Shannara, and I can see why the elves first sealed it away. I can't wait to find out if she will be the same person or something completely different by the end of the series.