Title: A Stolen Knight’s Kiss
(Protectors of the Crown miniseries Book 2)
Author: Melissa Oliver
Published: October 2022
Genre: Medieval Romance, Intrigue, Mystery, Enemies-to-Lovers, Harlequin Historical, Mills & Boon Historical

Blurb:
An intense enemies-to-lovers story

Captured by a knight...

Rescued by his kiss!

When orphan Eva loses the father figure who’d protected her on the streets of London, she suspects the Knights Fortitude. But when she steals information from them, she’s caught by brooding knight Nicholas. Learning he might not be the villain after all, she puts her distrust aside to work with him, yet Eva must stay focused – and not get distracted when they share a stolen kiss!

My Review:

I was still blinking that I actually couldn’t believe I finished reading this book, pondering on Goodreads when the third book would be released because this miniseries is too good to skip!

Set in London, King Henry period, the Protectors of the Crown is gathered to safeguard the King and his advisors. It’s the second book from its series telling about Nicholas d’Amberly one of the knights, which is too handsome and irresistible when a stolen pouch makes him inevitably encounter with Eva, a clever thief. I so loved how this story progressed from a mere encounter into a sweet one, albeit a bit adventurous and suspenseful.

Well apparently the pouch isn’t merely a pouch but it consists of priceless and precious ring and crucial missive that Nicholas and his friends have to decipher to figure out a threatening group, The Duo Dracones. Eva needs the pouch to obtain the promised money she was offered from The Duo Dracones so that she could escape London, start an ale business and have a new life, yet it turns out that she has to deal the trade with Nicholas as she cleverly remembers the inscribes within the lost missive and wants to avenge her father-figure notorious thief in London, Simon.

Dang I didn’t think that the desire between these two characters would be that brisk despite the state of affairs, when Nicholas is confronting Eva in her room for the theft, then he catches both Eva’s hands, pushes her on the wall and unwittingly kisses her, my heart was shamelessly beating so fast at that moment. Not only did Eva intrigue Nicholas but also she intrigued me, she is quite interesting as a thief.

Ah this book completely mesmerized me, I never thought a London thief could be so utterly clever, fascinating and innocent and half-naked Nicholas holding an axe and chopping wood could make me drool.  Apart from them, I was helped to wander off the London Bridge and River Thames from Melissa Oliver’s immersive and engaging writing. I just loved her writing and this story! Thank you, Melissa Oliver, for this ARC which I voluntary reviewed.

Rate: 5 of 5

About the author

Melissa Oliver is from southwest London, UK, where she writes historical romance novels. She lives with her lovely husband and three daughters, who share her passion for decrepit old castles, grand palaces and all things historical. She won the Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers from Romantic Novelists’ Association in 2020 for her first book, The Rebel Heiress and the Knight. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel for inspiration, paint, and visit museums and art galleries. If you want to find out more, follow Melissa on Twitter https://twitter.com/melissaoauthor

 

Title: Reclaiming His Runaway Cinderella
Author: Annie West
Published: October 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Harlequin Presents, Mills & Boon Modern, Enemies-to-Lovers

Blurb:

Reawakening unresolved passion complicates everything in USA TODAY bestselling author Annie West’s 50^th book for Harlequin!

She ran from their wedding...

Now the Italian has found her!

After years of searching, Cesare Brunetti finds his wife, Ida, cleaning homes to make ends meet. The Cinderella heiress fled mere hours after their vows, even though he was the one blackmailed into the convenient union!

Cesare intends to finalize their divorce. Yet he hadn’t counted on discovering Ida’s total innocence in their marriage sham. Or on the attraction that rises swift and hot between them beneath the Tuscan sun... before they say goodbye for good, dare they indulge in the wedding night they never had?

My Review:
This book has the tropes and characters I’m particularly fond of! A convenient marriage that turns out to be inconvenient, a runaway bride, an innocent red-haired heroine, and an Italian hero are my things. Whooopss...

It’s a story of Cinderella heiress, Ida whose grandfather, Calogero, is so ruthless. She agrees to marry Cesare, her grandfather’s enemy to be freed of Calogero while she knows nothing regarding the feud between him and Cesare. Meanwhile Cesare is forced to marry Ida to save his grandfather’s company and the employees, to bring Calogero into justice after his crime and he also was denied access into elite society.

On their wedding night, the scared Ida has to endure Cesare’s vicious remarks that he doesn’t want to sleep with her despite his strong sexual desire towards her. Feeling hurt and unwanted, Ida runs away from him. Ah Ida is so entirely innocent inside and outside, she is too kind, too innocent and too compassionate but those are what I loved from her. On the other hand, Cesare pleads that he won’t be deceived by women and love like his father. To be frank he is the epitome of Italian hero I adored in Harlequin Present. After four years, Cesare tracks down his wife to finalize the divorce and there the inconvenient marriage becomes convenient again.

Well this book completely bewitched me from the beginning. Annie’s vivid and fascinating writing helped me get lost in the characters, the plots, the dresses Ida wears and the beautiful Tuscan countryside. There’s no other word that could utter how much I loved this story, additionally the epilogue warmed my heart. Thank you, Annie West, for this ARC which I voluntary reviewed and congratulations on your 50^th book!

Rate: 5 of 5

About the author

USA Today Bestselling author Annie West loves writing passionate, intense love stories. She has devoted her life to and in depth study of tall, dark charismatic heroes who cause the best kind of trouble in the lives of their heroines who are a perfect match for those strong stubborn men is one of her all time favorite things. As a sideline she’s also researched dreamy locations for romance, from vibrant cities to desert encampments and fairytale castles.

Annie won the Romantic Rimes Reviewers’ Choice Award for ‘Protected by the Prince’ and the Australian Romance Writers’ Romantic Book of the Year Award for ‘Damaso Claims His Hair’. Romantic Times said in its review of The Sheikh’s Ransomed Bride ‘This is what a love story could be’.

As well as writing for Harlequin/Mills and Boon, Annie also publishes shorter contemporary romances like her Hot Italian Nights e-novella series.

She lives with her family at beautiful Lake Macquarie on the east coast of Australia, situated neatly between spectacular sandy beaches and gorgeous wine country. She loves reading, good company, good food, long walks and travel.

You can catch Annie’s news at her website www.annie-west.com or via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/anniewest.author . She loves to hear from readers and you can contact her at annie(at)annie-west(dot)com. To sign up for her email newsletter with behind the scenes information and updates, go to https://madmimi.com/signups/109660/join