Wild Bells to the Wild Sky by Laurie McBain

Blurb...

West Indies, 1571. Shipwrecked on an island for most of her young life, Lily Christian is rescued by the dashing sea captain, Valentine Whitelaw. On the voyage back to England, Lily falls hard for the sun-bronzed man, but her love is not returned.

Back among the glittering halls of court, Valentine tries to forget the young beauty he plucked from the Caribbean. But when he discovers innocent Lily is caught up in a treacherous plot to murder the queen, he will do everything in his power to protect Lily and save his liege. Thrust together into perilous adventure, Valentine and Lily have only each other to trust...and to love.

Wild Bells to the Wild Sky took me by surprise. I hadn’t read anything by Laurie McBain prior to Wild Bells but, from reviews I had seen, I knew this wouldn’t be a run-of-the-mill historical romance. Even so, I wasn’t expecting the epic adventure spanning decades and continents which took me on an exciting journey that had me holding my breath, afraid to read on but unable to put it down.

I had seen a review calling this a ‘bodice-ripper’, but I’m not sure that’s accurate as there was no actual bodice-ripping, no rape…not even an unwanted fondling or groping. Still, I could definitely ‘feel’ the 80’s writing, the kind of storytelling that came before authors were expected to keep page count to a minimum... and I loved every word!

Filled with richly detailed period apparel, elaborate coiffures, architecture, landscapes, and accurately portrayed (though fictionalized) political maneuverings and machinations, I felt as though I was there in Elizabethan England! I could imagine myself walking along the deck of the Arion and the Madrigal, living on a Caribbean island paradise, visiting the royal courts of Elizabeth, The Virgin Queen, traveling with gypsies, escaping danger… I could go on and on but suffice it to say - what a wonderful reading experience this was!

There’s no doubt about it – I will be reading everything Laurie McBain has written. And, thankfully, it appears that her stories are being re-released in e-book (if they aren’t all already) and this makes me very happy!

The bottom line… Wild Bells to the Wild Sky is so much more than a historical romance - it's an intriguing, exciting, poignant, romantic adventure!

An ARC was provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca and in appreciation I’m giving them an honest review!

Click here to purchase Wild Bells to the Wild Sky from Amazon

A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare

The third book in Tessa Dare's Spindle Cove series...

A temporary engagement, a lifetime in the making . . .

After years of fending for herself, Kate Taylor found friendship and acceptance in Spindle Cove—but she never stopped yearning for love. The very last place she'd look for it is in the arms of Corporal Thorne. The militia commander is as stone cold as he is brutally handsome. But when mysterious strangers come searching for Kate, Thorne steps forward as her fiancé. He claims to have only Kate's safety in mind. So why is there smoldering passion in his kiss?

Long ago, Samuel Thorne devoted his life to guarding Kate's happiness. He wants what's best for her, and he knows it's not marriage to a man like him. To outlast their temporary engagement, he must keep his hands off her tempting body and lock her warm smiles out of his withered heart. It's the toughest battle of this hardened warrior's life . . . and the first he seems destined to lose.

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A Lady by Midnight is such a wonderful story. Tessa Dare is so talented, so creative... the Spindle Cove stories are every bit as funny as they are poignant, and every bit as sexy as they are romantic! 

I may write a longer review one day, but trust me on this - just read the series. If you're a fan of historical romance, if you love quirky but compelling characters... just get the books and read the series. It's quickly become a favorite, and I am looking forward to more!!