Title: Stranded with Her Forbidden Knight
Author: Melissa Oliver
Published: June 2024
Rate: 5 of 5
Genre: Enemies-to-Lovers, Forbidden Love, Medieval Romance, Mills & Boon Historical, Harlequin Historical

 

Blurb:

Experience the drama unfolding in this medieval forbidden romance set around the wild Cornish coast

Caught between duty...

And forbidden desire!

Lady Elowen is travelling to her loveless arranged betrothal when she’s rescued from a storm by Lord Simon Trebarr – the enigmatic knight whose family has long been enemies of her own. She should hate him, yet an unwanted attraction has always simmered whenever he’s near... within the walls of Simon’s Cornish castle, can Elowen resist experiencing passion before condemning herself to a life without it...even if it’s with the man who should be her enemy?

My Review:

Would you like to be stranded with the kindest of knights in this Medieval romance set in Cornwall?

In this forbidden love, not only has some tragedy brought despair to Elowen and Simon, but also determined their future. Elowen is no longer a vivacious lady after what had happened to her brother. That is what Simon thinks when he meets Elowen on the day her father announces her next betrothal. As a new lord, Simone must make peace between Elowen’s family and his, yet the long feud between these two families just creates another tension and conflict. What I couldn’t bear was the way her family treats her. It’s so painful to see that she has no choice over her own life.

When Simone rescues Elowen on her perilous journey, I felt really glad because, despite their family feud, he is gentle, kind and caring. The spark of their attraction is as powerful as when they were young. With the unclear choices and future, with the powerful passion that they can’t deny, I was entirely taken into their tumultuous journey, feeling every moment of their struggle and longing.

The story is admirably soul-stirring. While being taken into the story, I was also entertained by the vivid and evocative setting of Cornwall. After what they have endured, I was absolutely happy that the ending worked out for Elowen and Simon.

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

Picture and blurb source: goodreads.com
 

 

Title: All’s Fair in Love and War
(Miss Prentice’s Protegees #1)
Author: Virginia Heath
Published: May 2024
Rate: 5 of 5
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Romance-Comedy, Opposite-attracts, Enemies-to-Friends-to-Lovers

Blurb:

A new Regency romp of a series, about governess who believes in cultivating joy in her charges, clashes with the children’s uncle who hired her, only to find herself falling in love.

When the flighty older sister of former naval captain, Harry Kincaid, decides on a whim to accompany her explorer husband on an expedition to Egypt, he finds himself unwittingly left in the lurch with her three unruly children and her giant, mad dog. With no clue how to manage the little rascals, a busy career at the Admiralty that requires all of his attention, and no idea when his sister is coming back, Harry has to hire and emergency governess to ensure that everything in his ordered house continues to run shipshape. In desperation, he goes to Miss Prentice’s School for Girls prepared to pay whatever it takes to get a governess quick sharp to bring order to the chaos.

Thanks to her miserable, strict upbringing, fledging governess Georgina Rowe does not subscribe to the ethos that children should be seen and not heard. She believes childhood should be everything that hers wasn’t, filled with laughter, adventure, and discovery. Thankfully, the three Pendleton children she has been tasked with looking after are already delightfully bohemian and instantly embrace her unconventional educational ethos. Their staid, stickler-for-rules uncle however, is another matter entirely...

My Review:

Who doesn’t love a swoon-worthy naval captain with endless compassion for his nieces and nephew?

This first book in the series starts off by introducing the main characters for this series and the slow pace is designed to keep up with the plot. Harry’s ordered world is suddenly turned upside down when his sister leaves her three children to be looked after while she is away for around three months. His life is dedicated to building a career in the Admiralty after his past failures thus he must find a governess to educate her three unruly children, Felix, Marianne, and Grace.

Georgie is still unemployed at Miss Prentice’s school, when all her friends have managed to get jobs. After living with her stepfather, she loathes all the strict things about the navy but when a desperate naval captain requires a governess, she has to keep her mouth shut to get the job.

I loved this book so much because of the children within. Felix, Marriane, Grace, and their dog Norbert are all the stars of this book. Their lawless behaviour brings so much fun and joy throughout the story. I loved how educated Georgie is and how thoughtful and compassionate Harry is. Their quote-misquote pattern was so amusing. The story is undeniably entertaining, full of adventure and heart-warming turn of events. Their attraction might be slow but it burns all the way to the satisfying end.

About the author

When Virginia Heath was a little girl, it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated – sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. One day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Twenty books and two Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations later, and it still takes her forever to fall asleep. Follow her at https://www.virginiaheathromance.com/ or her facebook page Virginia Heath.

Picture and blurb source: goodreads.com