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 Sword for His Lady (Courtly Love #1) by Mary Wine

Blurb...

He'd defend her keep...

After proving himself on the field of battle, Ramon de Segrave is appointed to the Council of Barons by Richard the Lionheart. But instead of taking his most formidable warrior on his latest Crusade, the king assigns Ramon an even more dangerous task—woo and win the Lady of Thistle Keep.

If only she'd yield her heart...

Isabel of Camoys is a capable widow with no intention of surrendering her valuable estate. She's fought long and hard for her independence, and if the price is loneliness, then so be it. She will not yield... even if she does find the powerful knight's heated embrace impossible to ignore.

But when her land is threatened, Isabel reluctantly agrees to allow Ramon and his army to defend the keep—knowing that the price may very well be her heart.

Mary Wine has long been one of my favorite historical romance authors. It's hard to put into words why that is, other than to say she just brings a little something extra to her stories. More detail, but not so much that it's boring. The characters feel right, like they truly do belong in the time she's placed them. These are the things that make her standout as one of the best in the genre, and why I always look forward to her books.

Even though this story isn't completely unique, Ms. Wine created characters who more than make up for it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the strong, feisty, determined Isabel! She's been widowed long enough to know she doesn't need a husband to make sure the people and the lands are prosperous. But when King Richard heads off to the Crusades again and tasks his Baron, Ramon de Segrave with marrying Isabel so that her lands will be protected, she finds herself torn between what her mind tells her she needs, and what her body won't be denied.

Ramon is stubborn, arrogant, and determined to marry Isabel, as his King demands. But before long he finds himself in a battle of wits and wills with one of the most formidable opponents he's ever faced! And it's a woman!

This really is an entertaining story. There's humor, intrigue, danger...and plenty of passion. I'm excited to read more in the Courtly Love series, especially Ambrose's story. I'm looking forward to Ramon giving him a taste of his own taunting when he meets the woman who will be his match!

Click here to purchase A Sword for His Lady from Amazon

Exciting News from Sourcebooks Casablanca

Sourcebooks Casablanca has a free daily email called Free Romance Reads. They serialize some of their best books so you get a snippet of the story each day in your inbox.

Starting on December 7th they will be serializing a prequel novella to a highly anticipated romantic suspense series that’s coming out in 2016 by debut author Katie Ruggle. The novella, On His Watch, doesn’t come out until January, but if you sign up for the email you can read it before it’s released! Then after On His Watch is finished, they move on to another great title.

Now this is very important, in order to start getting the emails from the very beginning of On His Watch, you need to sign up before 5 p.m. CT on Friday (12/4). That way you will be in their system so you can start digging in when the first email arrives in your inbox bright and early on Monday morning.

Below is more about On His Watch and here is the link to sign up for Free Romance Reads: eepurl.com/bvOR45

On His Watch is the pulse-pounding prequel to the riveting Search & Rescue series by Katie Ruggle.

In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder…

Ice rescue diver Derek Warner never meant to be a hero. But when two little girls go missing, he’s the first in line to bring them home—even if that means scouring the wilderness with the woman he once loved and lost, Artemis Rey.

Artemis has never stopped wanting Derek. Now, racing to find the girls before it’s too late, minutes turn to hours. Night falls. Old flames rekindle. And a danger grows in the darkest wilderness that may be more than even the Search and Rescue brotherhood can hope to face…