Beguiled (The Fairest Maidens #2)

Beguiled (The Fairest Maidens #2)

By Jody Hedlund

Published by Northern Lights Press

Publication Date: October 20th, 2020

Description:

Princess Pearl flees for her life after her mother, Queen Margery, tries to have her killed during a hunting expedition. Pearl finds refuge on the Isle of Outcasts among criminals and misfits, disguising her face with a veil so no one recognizes her. She lives for the day when she can return to Warwick and rescue her sister, Ruby, from the queen’s clutches.

 Amidst his royal testing on the Isle of Outcasts, Prince Mikkel of Scania has kept his identity a secret. Captured by a warring band of outcasts and condemned to die, he finds himself making friends with an intriguing but feisty young veiled woman. Intending to win her trust and gain her help to escape, he soon finds himself coerced to wed her.

Mikkel reluctantly agrees to the union to save his life, and Pearl hopes the marriage will provide protection for her and Ruby. But the queen is more determined to kill her daughter than either Pearl or Mikkel realizes and has a sinister reason neither expects—one that could rip their new love apart forever. 

Review:

Another great novel from Jody Hedlund! Snow White has never been one of my favorite fairy tales, but I found this retelling to be captivating. I've always thought of Snow White as kind of bland--pretty and kind but bland nonetheless. Well, Pearl is awesome--she's determined and fierce, a fighter who will do anything she can to protect those she loves. I also really liked how she wanted to find someone to love her because of who she is and not what she looks like. Mikkel was a great character as well; he irritated me sometimes at the beginning (he definitely had some growing to do), but he had a good heart, and I appreciated the moments of self-reflection and how he grew throughout the story. I also really liked how he and Pearl had a good friendship. With terrific characters, fast-paced action, a great message about caring about more than outward appearances, and of course, the romance, this book is a lot of fun to read and will appeal to lots of readers. 

4.5 stars. 

I read an ARC provided by the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Peasant's Dream

The Peasant's Dream (Hagenheim #11)
By Melanie Dickerson
Published by Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: July 7, 2020

Description: In this reverse Cinderella story, a poor farmer’s son, who dreams of using his talent as a woodcarver to make a better life for himself, falls in love with a duke’s daughter and must fight for a chance to win her heart.
Adela is the youngest daughter of Duke Wilhelm of Hagenheim and is never allowed outside of the castle walls. She loves her family, but she sneaks away one day to the market in the town center. There she meets a handsome young man and wonders what it might be like to fall in love with a poor farmer with a kind heart instead of marrying the man her family is suggesting for her.

Frederick earns the income for his family and defends his mother from his father’s drunken rages. He also uses his talent and creativity to carve figures, animals, and scenes into wood, and he's asked to carve these scenes into cathedral doors when his talent is noticed. Frederick is inspired by the sweet and beautiful Adela, but he has no knowledge of her true identity. When he gets swept up into a plan to kidnap the duke’s daughter, both are shaken by what they learn about the other.

Review:
This sweet romance is a satisfying conclusion to the Hagenheim series. (Although this is the eleventh book in the series, it is a stand-alone and perfectly enjoyable without reading the others.)I like the reverse Cinderella aspect, with hard-working Frederick trying to win Adela's heart, albeit without knowing who she truly is. Frederick is a great leading man, gentle and loving while also strong and protective. Adela was sweet and I mostly liked her character, although her constant worrying about being perceived as spoiled got a little tiresome. The story was a little simple, without the action of several of the other books in the series, but all in all, it was a satisfying read and a good choice for those looking for a quick, clean romance.
4 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Piper's Pursuit

The Piper's Pursuit (Hagenheim #10)
By Melanie Dickerson
Published by Thomas Nelson

Katerina's beloved town, Hamlin, has been infested with rats--but even worse, dozens of children have gone missing and a beast has been spotted near town. Determined to slay the beast, Kat ignores the jibes from her stepfather, Hennek, who, despite having the townspeople duped into believing he is a good man, is nothing of the sort. When Lord Steffan, son of the Duke of Hagenheim, arrives in town and says he wants to slay the beast as well, Kat wants him to leave. She doesn't trust men--and especially not him. But he persists in following her as she hunts the beast, and Katerina soon finds that she might have to reevaluate her opinions of him and that his help might be just what she needs to save her town--and herself--once and for all.

This book was engrossing right from the beginning; it just totally pulled me. in. I didn't expect that since the story of the Pied Piper isn't exactly one of my favorites, but this was so well written. I loved tough, defensive Katerina and her determination to help her town be rid of the beast and to find the missing children. I also loved Steffan, who is struggling with his past and looking for redemption. The plot moved along quickly and was really interesting, and I enjoyed seeing the characters' growth throughout the story. This was just a pleasure to read!
4.5 stars.
 *Although this is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Heart of the Rebellion

The Heart of the Rebellion
By Sian Ann Bessey
Published by Covenant Communications

Rhys ap Tudor, having served King Richard II for three years, now returns home to Wales. With the new king, Henry IV, increasing taxes on the Welsh people, however, Rhys's homecoming is anything but peaceful. When his cousin proclaims himself the Prince of Wales and calls on him to be one of his marshals in the fight against Henry, Rhys answers the call and battles against the king.
Lady Catrin Buckley is the daughter of a Welshwoman and Englishman who serves Henry as the constable of a castle in Wales. Although she hasn't interacted much with the Welsh people, when she meets Rhys ap Tudor, she finds herself more fully embracing her Welsh heritage and the Welsh people--and caring most especially about Rhys himself. With the battles raging around them, however, is there any way for them to be together?

This was a really interesting historical fiction novel. I don't know anything about the Welsh rebellion, so it was really cool to learn more about this time period through this novel. Although I'm not typically a fan of battle scenes, the writing of the battles in this book kept my interest. The romance between Rhys and Catrin was sweet, and I really enjoyed reading this book.
4 stars.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Hereafter

Hereafter (Lost Princesses #3)
By Jody Hedlund

Emmeline, raised as the daughter of a charcoal burner deep in the forest, has always known her true identity as a princess--and she has never wanted to embrace it. She's perfectly happy living with her adoptive parents away from civilization, other than the fact that she's constantly afraid they'll be found. When her parents tell her it's time to join her two sisters and claim her true identity as a princess, fighting against the evil King Ethelwulf, she doesn't want to. Before she can figure out a different plan, however, King Ethelwulf's soldiers arrive at her home, and in order to spare her parents from being tortured, Emmeline agrees to go with them. She hopes to be able to escape, particularly knowing that the plan is to force her to wed Ethelwulf's heir, Ethelrex, but she's not counting on her reaction to Rex, who is different than she expected anyone associated with Ethelwulf to be.

Rex has trained to be the most elite warrior in his father's forces. He is deeply loyal to his father and will marry Emmeline as he's expected to--but he's not expecting to fall for her, especially not so quickly. With his father and his wife at odds, Rex, who is just as committed to his marriage vows as he is to his father, must reconsider his path in life.

I've enjoyed the previous books and prequel novella in this series, but this book is easily my favorite. I just loved it. Rex was such an intriguing character; the heir to an evil, brutal ruler, he has been taught violence and domination, but he also has a deep moral compass and wants to do what's right. I loved seeing how he interacted with Emmeline--both the times he was totally sweet and the times he failed her as he struggled to figure out how to please her and his father. As for Emmeline, I really liked seeing her try to figure out what she should do to try to establish peace in the kingdom as well as trying to sort out her feelings for Rex. This was a great conclusion to a terrific series...and I already want to go re-read it!

5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the author. All opinions are my own.

Foremost (Lost Princesses #2)

Foremost (Lost Princesses #2)
By Jody Hedlund
Release date: September 24th

Description:
A second princess. Another key to the treasure. And a cruel king desperate to squelch the growing rebellion.
Raised in an isolated abbey, Lady Maribel desires nothing more than to become a nun and continue practicing her healing arts. She’s carefree and happy with her life…until a visitor comes to the abbey and reveals her true identity as one of the lost princesses.
 When he was a young boy, Edmund Chambers helplessly watched King Ethelwulf murder his family. Edmund escaped and has lived in the abbey ever since, uniquely trained to work with wild animals. Secretly, he loves Maribel and desperately hopes she doesn’t complete her holy order vows.
When King Ethelwulf’s army arrives at the abbey to capture Maribel, she flees with Edmund across the desolate Highlands in an attempt to reach Adelaide’s rebel army. Edmund can no longer hide his love, but can Maribel give up her dreams of becoming a nun to love him in return?

I'd read another review that said this book topped the other two in the series--and I agree! I really enjoyed both the prequel novella and the first book in the series, but there was just something about this one that made it even more enjoyable. There were a few times when I thought Maribel was a little dense, but I liked seeing her figure things out. I really loved Edmund's character; he was just so endearing. The plot was interesting, adding some cool elements to the series, and I'm definitely excited for the last book in the series!
4.5 stars.

I read a review copy provided by the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.


Pre-order here! https://www.amazon.com/Foremost-Lost-Princesses-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07WZWBYQD?_bbid=12988537&tag=individualbookpagesite-20

Always and Evermore (Lost Princesses series)

Always (Lost Princesses 0.5)
By Jody Hedlund

As their enemy Ethelwulf invades their country, Lady Felicia and Lance, one of the true king’s elite guards, must save the now-orphaned newborn twin princesses and their three-year-old sister from the invaders. Although Lance initially thinks of Felicia, a noblewoman used to a pampered life, as a liability, he soon comes to admire her; however, as an elite soldier, he has made a vow of lifelong celibacy. With the lives of three young princesses in danger, will Lance and Felicia’s growing feelings distract them from their mission—or prove to be exactly what gives them the strength to fulfill their vows to their deceased monarchs?

This novella is a great kickoff to Jody Hedlund’s new series; it was full of fast-moving adventure and sets the stage for the next book, leaving me eager to find out how things play out for the princesses and their guardians. Lance and Felicia were a really cute couple. I like how the author incorporated the back story of the kingdom and why Ethelwulf wants to take over the kingdom.
4 stars.

Evermore (Lost Princesses #1)

As Adelaide's "aunt," who has raised her since she was a small child, lays dying, she tells Adelaide she is really Constance, the true heir to the throne of Mercia, which taken over by the invading Ethelwulf when she was a child. Now aware of who she truly is, Adelaide must figure out how to find her two sisters, also hidden away as children, as well as Solomon's lost treasure, which is supposed to help her regain her rightful place. With her dear friend Mitchell and his brother Christopher, recently returned from neighboring Norland, where he has made a name for himself as a mercenary knight, she sets out to claim her birthright--but quickly finds Christopher claiming her heart as they work together to thwart Ethelwulf.

This is an exciting book with a bit of a fairy-tale type feel to it--except it's cooler than most traditional fairy tales because the princess isn't sitting around waiting for a happily ever after. Adelaide isn't your typical princess; she's tough and has trained like a knight, even secretly competing in jousts, while being very compassionate and tender-hearted at the same time, which made her a really interesting character. I liked how Christopher was a good balance for her--he respected her but also worried about her and wasn't afraid to tell her when he thought she was wrong. This book was a lot of fun to read, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
4 stars.

For each book, I read an ARC provided by the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.

A Worthy Rebel

A Worthy Rebel
by Jody Hedlund

Lady Isabelle doesn't want to marry Sir Thomas Neville, but she's trying to reconcile herself to it in order to save her people--she must marry well in order to provide for the peasants who depend on her. But when she visits his castle and sees that his true nature is even crueler than she realized and that he intends to take the land her peasants live on to create hunting parks for himself, she knows she needs to get away. Her plan is to escape to her sister Olivia's home, but the servant who is supposed to help her is captured and Isabelle gets hurt and lost in the forest. When Cole Warwick, a handsome peasant, finds her and takes her to his home to heal, Isabelle hides her identity--first because she's trying to escape Sir Thomas but then because she learns that Cole hates nobility.

Cole Warwick has been training fellow peasants so they can rise up against cruel Sir Thomas. When he finds Izzy in the woods, he can't not help her, especially when she tells him she's running away from an unwanted betrothal, but he needs to find a cover story for her presence and winds up saying his father and hers arranged their marriage. Although he and Izzy are only pretending to be engaged, Cole's feelings for her are real--and he can't help but hope that she'll stay with him.

I really enjoyed this story! The romantic element was terrific, the historical details were interesting, and the plot was engaging. I also really liked seeing Isabelle come to understand some of her strengths and purposes and work on not comparing herself to her sister, which was a good message that was wrapped up in a great story. Really enjoyable.

4.5 stars.

I read a copy from the author; all opinions are my own.

A Loyal Heart

A Loyal Heart by Jody Hedlund

Olivia will do whatever she can to help her family, so when she and her sister Isabelle are captured by one of their father's enemies, Olivia is determined to find a way for them to escape. Aldric, the commander of her enemy's forces, though, is just as determined to keep them from escaping. As Aldric takes the women to Lord Pitt, he finds himself caring for Olivia in a way he hasn't cared for anyone since his deceased wife--but knowing what a failure he was in his previous marriage, he can't let anything come of his feelings, even if there was a way to do so. But he can try to protect Olivia when she starts snooping around Lord Pitt's castle, determined to do what her father has asked of her.

I have loved the previous books in this series, so I was super excited when I found out there was going to be a fourth one, and I absolutely loved it! Aldric was just so good and strong, and Olivia was so feisty and determined; I just loved both of them. Really terrific characters--and then you throw in a captivating plot, some suspense and intensity as we wait to see how things play out--and this was a really terrific book. I'm really hoping there will be more books in this series!

Although it's the fourth book in the series, you do not have to read the other books for this one to make sense.

I received a copy of the book from the author. All opinions are my own.

For Castle and Crown

For Castle and Crown by Sian Ann Bessey

When Lord Edmund returns from fighting alongside King Richard in the Crusades, he finds that his brother has died in a fire and he is now the duke. He also finds that his childhood friend, Pippa, was injured in the fire, and while she has relocated to a nearby convent to heal, Edmund finds himself hoping she won't take her vows to become a nun. As he sets about to rebuild his burned castle, Edmund also must defend his right to be duke from those who are hoping to replace him. As the dangers around them increase, Pippa realizes she's stronger than she thought and that, working with Edmund, she can contribute more than she believed.
This is my favorite of Sian Ann Bessey's books; I was really drawn into the story. I loved little details about the characters, like how Edmund is bad at dancing and Pippa is good at throwing knives. I also really liked the setting--I haven't read very many medieval stories, so it was really interesting to take a look at that time period, including the relationship the Welsh people nearby. I really liked Edmund's and Pippa's developing romance, set in the larger story, and I appreciate the fact that the conflict in the story wasn't (like so many other books) mainly about each of them believing the other could never possibly want to have a relationship. I loved seeing their loyalty and strength. This was a really enjoyable book!

 I received a free review copy. All opinions are my own.