The Devil's Heart by Cathy Maxwell

 

On the Cover: They call her the Unattainable. Lady Margaret Chattan spurned every suitor for her hand, vowing never to marry. The only way to break the curse plaguing her family for two centuries is this ultimate sacrifice. But now her brothers' lives are in danger. Determined to save them, she risks her very soul by traveling into the heart of the highlands to battle a force that has transcended time.

Heath Macnachtan is not superstitious. Laird of the most independent, nonconforming, madly infuriating clan ever to grace Scotland, he believes he has his hands full. And then, a woman lauded as one of the most beautiful in England, arrives on his doorstep with wild accusations and a mystical quest . . . one that just might help him discover who murdered his own brother.

But the real danger for Heath and Margaret is not a supernatural foe, but a very real love that could destroy them both.

*****

"Love well, love fully, love completely. Because in life, love is all that truly matters."

Exciting, thrilling, passionate, and romantic, this final book is a brilliant, fitting end to Cathy Maxwell’s The Chattan Curse trilogy!

I’m not normally a fan of fantasy novels, but this trilogy really worked for me. The writing is excellent, the characters compelling, the world complex… it’s everything I could ask for, and more.

If you’ve been following these books then all you need to know about this installment, other than what we're given in the book blurb, is that Margaret and Heath are the last hope of breaking the curse that was cast upon Charles Chattan and his descendents almost 200 years earlier. And if you haven’t been following this story but are interested in doing so, I strongly urge you to start at the beginning and read in order. The world building and character development is critical early on, and to miss those books would be to miss watching two beautiful love stories unfold. These happily ever afters are just too good to pass up.

The bottom line: The Devil’s Heart is a truly well told story with a great cast of characters and plenty of twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how they could possibly succeed in time. Until this trilogy I hadn't read anything by Cathy Maxwell, but you can bet I'll be reading more by this very gifted writer.

My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of The Devil's Heart in exchange for an honest review. It's been a pleasure!

The Scottish Witch by Cathy Maxwell

This second book in Cathy Maxwell’s The Chattan Curse series – or is it a trilogy? – is more than just a romance novel, it's a wonderful love story that, once I started, I couldn't put down.

From the Cover:

Every woman has her dreams

Portia Maclean believes she is beyond love and marriage. Then one moonlit night, while attempting a daring masquerade in a desperate bid to protect her family, she finds herself swept off her feet by a powerful stranger. His very touch makes her long for much more. But what will he do once he discovers she has betrayed him?

Every man has his demons

Harry Chattan is fighting for his family-their honor and their lives. For two hundred years the Chattan men have been destroyed by love and now he's come to Scotland on the hunt for a witch who can break the legend's curse. Instead he finds himself bewitched by the tantalizing Portia. Determined to right legendary wrongs, Harry has vowed to fight the demons that torture him.

But will that battle destroy her as well?

Oh, how I loved this book! Given what we learned of Harry in Lyon’s Bride, I was pretty sure his story would be amazing, and I was right! That said, I had also worried that it would be dark – darker than I like to read – but thankfully, it wasn’t! Harry overcame most of his demons early on, and then resolved the things that were within his power to resolve, and left the rest in Fate's hands.

My favorite thing about these books is the profound message of love being the most important thing, for without it, nothing else matters. One by one this generation of Chattans are failing victim to the Chattan Curse, but refuse to give up, refuse to turn their backs on true love, no matter the cost. And. I. LOVE. That!!!!!

Up next is Margaret’s story. She’s Neal and Harry’s sister, and will not stand by while a bitter old witch destroys her family. She’s the Chattan’s last hope to break the curse, and I can’t wait to read all about how she does it in The Devil's Heart!!

The bottom line: The Scottish Witch is such a feel good story. Filled with hope, inspiration, romance and steamy goodness, it was everything I had hoped for, and more! Harry and Portia are amazing together, perfect for one another, and I love their happily ever after!

My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

Lyon's Bride by Cathy Maxwell

Lyon’s Bride is the first book in Cathy Maxwell’s historical romance series, The Chattan Curse. These books center around a curse cast upon Charles Chattan in 1632 when he broke the handfast to Scottish lass, Rose Macnachtan, to return to England and marry a Sassenach. Rose was so in love with Charles that she believed he’d return to her, and even kept watch for him on his wedding day. When Charlie didn’t return, so great was her grief that Rose ended her life. And thus, so great was her mother’s grief, that she placed a curse on all Chattan males:

Watchers of the threshold, Watchers of the gate,
open hell and seal Chattan’s Fate.
When a Chattan male falls in love,
strike his heart with fire from Above.
Crush his heart, destroy his line;
Only then will justice be mine.”

The curse has held true through the generations, and death has, without fail, found each male of the line who falls in love. The curse is well known within the family, and no matter what they've tried, it has not been broken. This brings us now to London, 1814, and the story of Neal Chattan and Thea Martin.

They call him Lord Lyon, proud, determined-- and cursed. He is in need of a bride, but if he falls in love, he dies. His fervent hope is that by marrying-- and having a son--without love, perhaps he can break the curse's chains forever.

Enter beautiful Thea Martin--a duke's headstrong, errant daughter and society's most brilliant matchmaker. Years ago, she and Lyon were inseparable, until he disappeared from her life without a word. Now she is charged with finding Lyon's bride--a woman he cannot love for a man Thea could love too well.

This is my first taste of Cathy Maxwell's writing, and I quite enjoyed it! This world she's created is definitely intriguing, and Lyon's Bride is sweet, it's poignant, it's sexy, and nicely sets the stage for the stories to come!

Up next is Harry's story. He'll travel to Scotland in hopes that the witch who cursed his family so long ago is still alive and willing to set his family free. After meeting him in this first book, I have to say, I'm thrilled that I have his story in my hot little hands and can dive right in!

3.5 stars

My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Love at First Sight by Lori Wilde

 

From the author of the Twilight, Texas books comes the first in a dazzling new Cupid, Texas series. Lori Wilde welcomes us to Cupid, where every wish for love comes true...

Natalie McCleary couldn't believe her eyes-a lean-muscled, darkly tanned, nearly-naked man stood in her path…and then it hit her: love. Everyone always told her it'd hit like a thunderbolt, and she never believed them. But now she knew: practical, sensible Natalie was head over heels in love-with a stranger.

But ex-Navy SEAL Dade Vega wasn't about to be a stranger for long. He'd ridden into Cupid on his motorcycle, vowing to keep a promise he'd made to a military buddy. But a single glimpse at Natalie-soaking wet and unexpectedly tempting-changed his life forever.

But how can he offer her is love, when he can't even promise to stay in one place for longer than a week?

*****

 Love at First Sight is the first book in Lori Wilde’s new Cupid, Texas series. It’s a fun story that kept me turning the pages, loving every moment of “Cupid” working his magic in this small Texas town. Lori Wilde is a name I’ve seen around Goodreads, but surprisingly, not often, and I say “surprisingly” because if her other books are anything like this one, I’m not sure why more people aren’t reading her stories!

Cupid, Texas is a quaint, quirky town filled with quaint, quirky people. It’s a close knit community of friends and family, and would be such a fun place to live.

I enjoyed getting to know Natalie and Dade. Natalie opens the story with the tragic loss of her parents in a plane crash when she was just a child. Sad as it is, it gives us a poignant glimpse into what made Nat the woman she was, and how she got the strength to become the woman she now is. Dade had a difficult, heartbreaking childhood as well, and it made it difficult for him to trust Nat and open himself by telling her the truth. But all his hurt, his brutal past, just made Natalie – and myself – love him all the more.

The bottom line: While there were times when things seemed to drag a bit, but all-in-all, this is such a sweet story! Passionate,sexy, exciting, fun… Lori Wilde has created a truly great world in Cupid, Texas, and I can’t wait to visit again, soon.

My thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of Love at First Sight in exchange for an honest review.

Midnight Secrets by Ella Grace

 

At the stroke of midnight, the heat begins...

On a hot southern night, with a storm on the horizon, a family is shattered. Three beautiful daughters—Savannah, Samantha, and Sabrina Wilde—go on with their lives, each significantly changed, as they bear the memory of the murder-suicide that killed their parents. For years, they have stayed away from Midnight, Alabama. Until Midnight calls them home.

Savannah is the first one back, when a grueling case in Nashville leads the young prosecutor to seek shelter in the quiet of the once grand Wilde mansion. But when she finds letters casting doubt on her family’s dark, shameful past, she realizes that peace in Midnight is a shallow façade and sinister secrets lurk beneath the surface. Zach Tanner, once the town’s bad boy, is now the new police chief and still has a wild hold over her. Zach can feel it, too, but he hurt Savannah once. As teenagers, they broke every rule together. Now it’s his job to keep her safe, even though he isn’t sure who her enemies are—or which ones might be his own.

*****

Midnight Secrets is the first book in Ella Grace’s Wildefire series, and opens with a tragic scene that absolutely broke my heart. Right from the start I was completely invested in the Wilde family, and desperate to know the truth of what happened that horrible night.

I really enjoy ‘second chance’ romances, especially when they’re written the way Midnight Secrets is. What I mean is that instead of just being told about the past through character reflection or dialog, we actually watch it unfold. We see the ‘murder-suicide’ as it takes place, and even though it was heartbreaking to watch, I was glad those details were given to us because it saved me a lot of anxiety throughout the rest of story. Then years later - but not yet in the present - we get an up close and personal glimpse at Savannah and Zach’s relationship, how it begins and how it ends too soon. I loved that it was written this way because, as I said, it pulled me in and I became connected to the family, invested in them and the learning the truth. And as much as I loved those parts, the present day story is just as good, just as compelling. This is such a well written mystery/romance, with wonderful characters and a storyline loaded with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing right to the very end.

Interestingly enough, I’ve been meaning to read Christy Reece’s writing ever since Pamela Clare – a truly amazing romantic suspense author – recommended her to me, but there’s always been one thing or another cropping up, and I just never got around to it. When I decided to read and review Midnight Secrets, I had no idea that Ella Grace is Christy Reece, but knowing it now, you can bet I’ll be picking up Ms. Reece’s Last Chance Rescue books, very soon.

The bottom line: Fast paced, intriguing, and sexy, romantic and fun, Midnight Secrets is an exciting story that no romantic suspense fan should miss! Savannah and Zach are fantastic together, and now I’m anxiously awaiting Samantha’s and Sabrina’s stories.

My thanks to Ballatine Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James

  

Once upon a time…

A duke fell in love

Gowan Stoughton of Craigievar, Duke of Kinross, values order and self-control above all else. So when he meets a lady as serene as she is beautiful, he promptly asks for her hand in marriage.

With a lady

Edie—whose passionate temperament is the opposite of serene—had such a high fever at her own debut ball that she didn’t notice anyone, not even the notoriously elusive Duke of Kinross. When her father accepts his offer… she panics.

And when their marriage night isn’t all it could be, she pretends.

In a tower.

But Edie’s inability to hide her feelings makes pretending impossible, and when their marriage implodes, she retreats to a tower—locking Gowan out.

Now Gowan faces his greatest challenge. Neither commands nor reason work with his spirited young bride. How can he convince her to give him the keys to the tower…

When she already has the keys to his heart?

***** 

I’m a huge fan of Eloisa James’s Fairy Tales series, each book a delightful, sexy, poignant retelling of a time honored classic fairy tale. Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and the Pea… all wonderful stories revisited, their happily ever afters given a lively, fresh twist. And now it’s ‘Rapunzel’s’ turn to be freed from the tower she’s locked herself away in, but can her Prince Not-So-Charming convince her to let him in, before it’s too late?

Truly, I’ve enjoyed every single story in this somewhat-related-but-not-quite-connected series. Humor, passion, romance, lessons to be learned… all woven together to create not just romance novels, but beautiful love stories. Book after book I find myself laughing, sighing, fanning myself, and sometimes even crying... and when the story is through, I find myself wanting more.

I fell head over heels in love with Gowan! What an amazing, sexy, Highlander! To say I adore him is putting it mildly, though there were moments I wished I could reach through the pages and smack him right upside his gorgeous head! Stubborn, yes - clueless, definitely! But when a man's heart is on the line - especially a man afraid of repeating his parent's horrible mistakes - there are bound to be issues. But what I love most about Gowan is that he thinks things through, works things out, and does whatever he must to make all things right.

Edie is a fun heroine! Innocent but not naive, clueless but not stupid, in her upcoming marriage she wants to avoid the mistakes that her own parents made. But when your role model is a step mother who thinks flirting with men and smoking cheroots is the way to get your husband's attention, things are bound to get sticky. I truly did love both Edie and her step mother Layla, but I wanted to throttle Edie for turning to Layla for advice, given Layla's unorthodox and ineffective methods for wooing a man.

Despite those moments when I wanted to do bodily harm to Gowan and Edie, I adored them both! Once again, Eloisa James has breathed new life into a classic fairy tale, giving us a story to lose ourselves in with people to love, and they lived happily ever after!

My thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Lord of Wicked Intentions by Lorraine Heath

 

Lord Rafe Easton may be of noble blood, but survival taught him to rely only on himself and to love no one. Yet when he sets his eyes on Miss Evelyn Chambers, and earl's illegitimate daughter, he is determined to have her, if only as his mistress.

After her father's death, Evelyn Chambers never imagined she would be sold to the highest bidder, yet circumstances give her little choice except to accept the lord's indecent proposal. Rafe is wealthy, as well as ruthless. Yet his coldness belies deep passion and deeper secrets. If she must be his, Evelyn intends to lay bare everything the Lord of Pembrook is hiding. But dark discoveries threaten to destroy them both until unexpected love guides the last lost lord home.

*****

 Lord of Wicked Intentions wraps up Lorraine Heath’s The Lost Lords of Pembrook trilogy with Rafe’s story, and what a poignant, romantic, passionate, beautifully told story is it!

I haven’t read the first two books – yet – but I can’t imagine either of Rafe’s brothers had a harder life than he did. The youngest of the three at the time, he was left at a workhouse while his brothers went off to do what they had to do in order to return to Pembrook one day and reclaim their inheritance. Workhouses were horrid places and my heart broke for Rafe as we learn some of what he had to endure, just to survive the years spent waiting for his brothers return.

I adore Rafe – the boy he was, and the man he became. And Evelyn – Evie – what a wonderful woman she is! Strong, loving, compassionate… the kind of woman I would want to be, living in her era. One of my favorite “quotes” comes from Evie, and speaks to her determination to not just survive, but to live.

He had revealed only bits and pieces of himself but she was beginning to gain a sense of the whole. Like her, he had been left with no one to see after him. But he had managed to make himself into a successful man. He had not relied on his heritage, but on himself. He was to be admired.

Perhaps someday she would meet a man who would respect her for doing what she had needed to in order to survive.

As I said, I did read this story first, and I can tell you it does work well on its own. That said, I’m so intrigued by Sebastian’s and Tristan’s stories, that I immediately purchased their books and will be reading them soon. If you haven’t yet purchased Lord of Wicked Intentions, or even if you have, grab She Tempts the Duke and Lord of Temptation too, so you can read them all in order. And don’t forget the charming Christmas novella, Deck the Halls With Love.

The bottom line: Lorraine Heath is a truly talented writer and one of my few go-to authors when I need a guaranteed feel good story. Her characters are always amazing people with such an incredible capacity for love, whether giving it or receiving it, whether deserved or not. Though, in the end, their happily ever afters are hard fought, and always deserved.

My thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.