Tag: Historical Romance (Page 1 of 8)

BOOK REVIEW: One More Betrayal (Hidden Secrets Trilogy #2, Carson Brothers #3) by Stina Lindenblatt

BOOK REVIEW: One More Betrayal (Hidden Secrets Trilogy #2, Carson Brothers #3) by Stina LindenblattOne More Betrayal (Hidden Secrets Trilogy #2, )
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Jessica and Troy’s exciting story continues in the second book of the HIDDEN SECRETS TRILOGY as passion and danger collide…

Despite Jess’s initial reluctance to get involved with ex-Marine Troy Carson, her friendship with him is growing to be something more. But love cannot exist without trust, and trust is something she can't afford—not when she needs to cling to the secrets of her past.

Not when she’s hoping to be part of her daughter’s life again. Too much is at stake if the truth gets out.

As Jess tries to put the pieces of her life back together after being wrongfully imprisoned for the death of her abusive husband, she recognizes her past life in a new friend. Refusing to let history repeat itself, Jess is determined to get her friend away from the man who is abusing her.

But in doing so, Jess’s past is at risk of being revealed, costing her everything she holds dear: Troy. Her daughter. Her life…

The dual timeline book is the second novel in Hidden Secrets Trilogy. The books in the trilogy have to be read in order. All other books in the Carson Brother series are standalone.

Review:

One More Betrayal was an emotional story that wove together the past and the present.  This is the second book in the trilogy, and you definitely have to start with One More Secret.  From there you start the journey of Jessica in the present, and Angelique in the past.  And getting to see how their stories wove together in this book was beautiful!

Troy continues holding me and doesn’t push for me to tell him what’s wrong. He’s the stalwart against all my storms, supporting me when my base crumbles. 
I’m not sure what I would do without him.

Jessica’s story started out with a bang, and kept at an intense pace until that last page.  Accidents, near death experiences, and more will leave your head spinning.  She had so much going on and it’ll keep you turning those pages to see not only what happens next, but to find out if she was okay too.  Yet the whole time, my heart broke for Troy.  He just wanted to love and help Jessica.  So when Jessica took that scary step and did open up, there were still things she kept in the shadows and hidden from him.  I understood her struggle with trust, and was thankful she had therapy, good friends, and Bailey in her life.  But when she told others things before him, it hurt.  I struggled deeply with that, and that made me lose the precarious connection I had with Jessica.  

Johann steps out of the barn, his expression winter-storm dark. The pistol grasped in his hand is pointed at me. 
“Where the hell are they?” Johann’s tone isn’t just angry.

We also spent chapters in the past with Angelique and Captain Schmidt, Johann.  Angelique was a SOE agent during World War II.  And Johann was forced to become a soldier for the Nazi’s, and now lived in the same house as Angelique and her ‘father’.  This book made me love their story even more, since we got to completely learn about Johann.

The kind and compassionate man before me is a juxtaposition to what his uniform stands for. 
“Thank you.” Johann’s voice is a whisper, the words meant only for me.

I loved watching Angelique realize what a good heart Johann had.  Watching their trust, friendship, and more bloom was intoxicating.  Their romance story was beautiful while also beyond impossible.  Johann and Angelique felt like star-crossed lovers.  So I treasured the moments they had together.  The ball, the barn, the pond, her room.  Each time they were together my heart soared.  Yet I was terrified of what their future held too.

I’m still alive, so I’m holding on tight to that.

Sweaty palms were a given during both of the story timelines.  When Angelique was on one of her missions, I was sick to my stomach and absolutely terrified she would get found out.  It was torture reading through the pages watiting to see if she was safe or not.  And then with Jessica, there were things I can’t mention that left me horrified and in terror for her and her safety.  Both women had so much at stake and stacked on their shoulders.  At least for Jessica, I was grateful for all of the times Troy stepped up and helped with a situation.  I loved that he always had her back!

And with each kiss, tiny pieces of me the war has stolen are restored.

One More Betrayal had so many twists and turns within both of the stories.  And those last few chapters I didn’t see coming.   It’ll leave the reader desperately wanting to grab that next book now!  So if you enjoy your romance with suspense, a little bit of steam, and one that will keep you on your toes, then this series may be perfect for you!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: One More Secret (Hidden Secrets Trilogy #1, Carson Brothers #2) by Stina Lindenblatt

BOOK REVIEW: One More Secret (Hidden Secrets Trilogy #1, Carson Brothers #2) by Stina LindenblattOne More Secret (Hidden Secrets Trilogy #1, )
by Stina Lindenblatt
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A steamy, dual-timeline romance about a survivor of domestic abuse starting her life over in a small town and the protective ex-Marine determined to save her…

After being wrongfully imprisoned for the death of her abusive husband, all Jessica Smithson wants is to start a new life where no one knows her true identity. Maple Ridge is the perfect place to hide from the media circus battling to know who really rid her of the man. A question she can’t answer.

The last thing she expects to find in the small idyllic mountain town is the good-looking and very persistent Troy Carson. From the moment he sees her, the ex-Marine is determined to help Jess with her anxiety attacks and to get to know her better. He’s determined to help her renovate the old house she bought—a house with secrets hidden behind the walls.

Heat simmers and grows between the pair, but Jess can’t risk getting too close to Troy. Can’t risk her own secrets being revealed.

So much is at stake if the truth gets out.

THE CARSON BROTHERS
ONE MORE CHANCE (Lucas & Simone, standalone)
ONE MORE SECRET (Troy & Jessica, book 1 of the Hidden Heart Trilogy)
ONE MORE BETRAYAL (Troy & Jessica, book 2 of the Hidden Heart Trilogy; coming Jan 2024)
ONE MORE TRUTH ((Troy & Jessica, book 3 of the Hidden Heart Trilogy; coming May 2024)

Review:

One More Secret was a small town romance that was filled with new beginnings, struggle and hope.  While this is the second book in the Carson Brothers series, you can easily start with this book just like I did!  After finishing this I bought One More Chance, so I’m excited to go back and read one of the other brother’s story!  One More Secret brimmed with heart, second chances, and was an emotionally gritty and rugged read.

Savannah Townsend was gorgeous. Unforgettable. The two words my husband called me the first time we met.
Jessica Smithson is the one with the scars on her face. The scars the media never found out about.
I’m safe now. They’ll never find me.

With Jessica leaving prison, this story started off with a bang.  She had served 5 of her 25 year sentence, since she had been convicted of killing her abusive ex-husband.  The glimpses we got of her thinking about the past was beyond heartbreaking and more cruel and frightful than I ever could have imagined.  Upon release, she moved to a quiet little town to start her new life. Somewhere that no one would know her, hopefully. The media had swarmed around her story, and she just wanted to disappear. As Jessica slowly started to put roots down, I was so proud of her.  She tried to work, while avoiding triggers, and bought a house.  But within that house, she found a box filled with items and journals.  The journals told the story of Angelique D’Aboville who was a SOE agent in France during World War II.  As Jessica and Angelique’s stories unraveled, I saw so many similarities between the two of them.  And there came a point where I was just as invested in Angelique’s life and desperately didn’t want to leave my time with her.  I had to know what happened next.

He puts his hand gently on my arm. My muscles instinctively tighten under his touch. He’s not my dead husband. He’s not my dead husband. He’s not my dead husband.

Jessica, previously Savannah Townsend, had so many insecurities because of how she was physically and emotionally damaged. Not only from her ex-husband, but also from her time in a maximum-security penitentiary. So each time she took the tiniest step forward, I was so nervous for her.  That she would have another PTSD episode.  That someone would figure out who she was.  That her whole world would get blown up all over again. So I got why she was terrified of everything. I understood why she was so challenging for others to get to know her. And why her walls were higher than almost anyone I have read about. I wanted to connect with her, but it was challenging. Her past wasn’t her fault. Yet it was embedded into every single aspect and moment of her life. Thankfully Troy stepped into her life, and was the hugest of help.

But the effect Troy has on me makes me wonder if I was wrong. Maybe I’m not quite as broken as I believed. Not all my bits were smashed into a million tiny pieces and discarded.
And that’s… that’s kind of a relief. Not that I’m in any rush for that. Not yet.

Troy was someone that was so easy to fall in love with.  He was kind, patient and had the most wonderful heart.  He noticed signs of Jessica suffering from PTSD, and as someone who lost their friend to the battle of it, he wasn’t going to walk away from her.  He tried his best and did everything he could to help her with it.  It was beyond amazing the lengths he went to, to help Jessica mentally.  And all the while, he tried to be just her friend.  Even though he was attracted to her.   Yet Troy definitely took some routes that make me nervous for him. And will probably bite him down the road. So I’m thinking all of my happy thoughts for him!

But even after what we just did, I don’t feel any closer to her. There’s still the wall between us.
And I’m not sure how I feel about that.

We also got the story from Troy’s POV, and he had an uphill battle trying to get to know Jessica.  This story took place over several months and I loved watching an acquaintance slowly start to turn into a friendship between them.  And as more time passed, that friendship started to slowly blossom to more. The length that it took to get there felt realistic to me. But even when Troy and Jessica pushed the limit of their friendship, and that was steamy!, Troy still didn’t feel like he completely knew her.  And I understood his sentiment.  I felt the same way in regards to being able to connect with her.  It took me till about 4/5ths of the way into the story till I made that connection with her.  And I’m so grateful I did!

I can’t see him right now as the enemy. He’s just a man who looks as though his own world is caving in on him in a way I hope to never understand.

This book wove two stories together.  One of Jessica in the present, and another from the journals that Jessica found about Angelique the SOE agent during World War II.  The lengths Angelique would go and risk her life left me terrified. There were moments that were so terrifying that it felt like if she took a breath too big, she could die. Nowhere felt safe and I questioned all of those around her. So by our 4th chapter with her, I was obsessed.  I officially didn’t want to leave the past and had to know what happened next in her story.  Angelique was so easy to like and connect with. As we got to know those around her, I became obsessed with Schmidt.  Yet he was a part of everything she hated and was working against, but I kept holding out hope that there was more to him the meets the eye.  I kept my fingers crossed that he would be one of the good guys!  So where their story ended left me so excited for that next book!  And I’m keeping my fingers crossed that sparks start to fly and that they can be more.  The romantic in me just can’t help but wish for that haha.

“Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay.” My voice is a shaky whisper, a prayer, a plea.

Suspense wove its way into the end of these two stories, and one scene even made me cry.  And that ending?!  It was a brutal cliffhanger for both Jessica and Angelique!  We’re left mid scene in perilous situations for both of them and I need that next book now please! If you’re looking for a memorable journey that intertwines the past and the present, definitely pick this one up! It brimmed with feelings that were both raw and real. And I’m looking forward to continuing this series! 

PS I adored Butterscotch and Bailey! They were the cutest!

PPS There was a festival scene that had me screaming out loud because I was so happy with something Troy did haha!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: A Matter of Temptation (Unforgettable Love #1) by Stacy Reid

BOOK REVIEW: A Matter of Temptation (Unforgettable Love #1) by Stacy ReidA Matter of Temptation (Unforgettable Love #1)
by Stacy Reid
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Miss Wilhelmina “Mina” Crawford is desperate. Having been ruined in the eyes of society years ago for one foolish, starry-eyed mistake, she spends her days secreted away at her family’s crumbling estate, helping her brother manage the land but not able to truly live life the way she’s always dreamed. When her brother admits to just how dire their finances have gotten, she takes it upon herself to procure employment…but the only one who will even consider the scandalous idea of a female secretary is the brilliant, ruthless, and infuriating Earl of Creswick.

Simon Loughton, the Earl of Creswick, needs help if he wants to finally pass the reform bill he’s been championing for years and secure the vote for England’s most vulnerable constituents. Too bad help comes in the form of a woman with breathtaking nerve, fiery red hair, and a sense of humor to match.

Now temptation―disguised as a lovely, clever-mouthed devil―lives and works under Simon’s very roof. And Mina finally feels as though she’s truly living life to her wildest dreams. But even the most incendiary of kisses can’t incinerate Mina’s past…or the shocking secret that could ruin them both.

Review:

A Matter of Temptation was a forced proximity historical romance that was laced with laughter and love!  With fabulous banter, a wonderful storyline and characters that were so easy to like, this was another huge win from Stacy Reid.  If you’re a fan of historical romance, you definitely need her books in your life!

“Most men would have been appalled.”
“I am not most men.” His quiet voice held a sardonic note. “And allow me to say: you are not most women.”

Miss Wilhelmina “Mina” Crawford felt like she had to right her wrongs from the past.  She had eloped, and now she wasn’t able to help her family financially by marrying someone.  So watching her fix her twin brother’s issue was so much fun.  I absolutely loved how Mina gained employment working for Simon Loughton, the Earl of Creswick….but I won’t say how.  Other than it had me cheering for Mina every step of the way!  And from that first meeting, it was glaringly obvious that there were sparks between them!  Working with him was already pushing the envelope.  Nothing more than that could ever develop between them.

Yet when his gaze met hers, his eyes gleamed with an expression Mina dearly wished she could interpret. A sharp sensation wrenched in the vicinity of her heart and Mina had to quickly look away.

Mina was so easy to love!  I loved how bold, quick witted and insightful she was!  It was so wonderful watching how passionate she was about her work and I loved seeing how happy she was with what she was able to accomplish.  As Mina worked side by side with Simon, she seemed to read him so well.  And established the beginnings of a wonderful friendship.  So when there was some perilous action within the pages, I loved how it changed the trajectory of Mina and Simon.  Not only did it show that she could be brave and fierce, but how Simon reacted will warm readers’ hearts!

He reached out and touched her cheek. “I love laughing with you.”
Such simple words, yet they slammed into her heart with the force of a hammer, for it sounded like he’d never had reason to laugh before.

Simon thought he could maintain distance from Mina, so I loved how he told her not to smile.  As if that would work lol.  His efforts were futile!  Especially when he spent so much time with her, loved how hard she worked, and respected how clever she was.  All the while thinking she was too pretty.  So from the moment he had the scene with the puppy, I was a goner.  Simon made me cry happy tears, he was such a good and kind man.  Who also has a dirty mouth too.  Yet Simon was to marry someone that went along with his station and reputation.  His grandmother even had contenders picked out.  And with the work he was doing, his image was everything.

When he kissed her, it was with such aching softness that her chest squeezed.

As they worked together, they couldn’t help falling for the other.  Simon tried everything to ignore his need for Mina, but his desire ran too deep for her. So I loved watching them connect and become even more entwined with one another.  And some of my favorite moments involved the bucket list.  Kissing.  Confessions.  Gambling.  But at the same time, the world was separating them.  Because of who they both were and what was expected of them.  I wasn’t sure how they could make it work, especially with Mina’s past, but I kept my fingers crossed!

“Don’t you know who I am?”
“The Earl of Creswick,” she whispered.
“I will be the shelter for the storm over our heads, Mina, you need not fear what I might lose. What I know I cannot lose is you.”

A Matter of Temptation was a fabulous, swoon worthy and steamy historical romance!  And within these pages there was also politics showing the inequality of social and gender issues back then.  I loved how that added to the story.  I can’t wait to read whatever Stacy Reid releases next!

BOOK REVIEW: An Earl to Remember (Unforgettable Love #2) by Stacy Reid

BOOK REVIEW: An Earl to Remember (Unforgettable Love #2) by Stacy ReidAn Earl to Remember (Unforgettable Love #2)
by Stacy Reid
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Miss Georgianna Eleanor Heyford may be naught but a gentleman’s daughter, but even she’s heard the rumors about the Earl of Stannis’s exceptional charm and good looks. Surely she can cater his luxurious yacht party without getting swept away. But a terrible misunderstanding leaves Georgianna fired, furious, and with little recompense. Which is precisely when her opportunity for vengeance washes ashore…

Daniel Rutherford, the Earl of Stannis, has absolutely no memory of who he is. They tell him he must have fallen overboard, and the only person he seems to recognize is the lovely Georgianna―who strikes a chord of familiarity…and the faintest memory of heating his blood. Only now this inelegant, poorly dressed woman claims to be his wife!

But the truth is, Georgianna is finally getting her revenge. The dashing earl will work off the money he owes her and no one will be the wiser. Except the longer he stays with her and her younger sisters, the more it feels like he belongs there. And that perhaps he’d find a forever place in Georgianna’s heart…at least, until his memory returns...

Each book in the Unforgettable Love series is STANDALONE:
* A Matter of Temptation
* An Earl to Remember

Review:

How can I be so silly to wish that this… to wish that you…were real?

This gender swap of Overboard was so much fun!  I’m a huge fan of the movie, and I loved seeing so many of the elements play out in the pages!  So if you’re a fan of the amnesia trope, historical romance, and love defying all odds, then definitely put this one on your tbr! An Earl to Remember was charming, steamy and absolutely entertaining. 

“You and Hetty are good friends, Mr. Stannis. I am certain she misses you.”
Hetty? The fowl has a name?”
“Yes.”
He paused and stared at her carefully bent head and subtly shifting shoulders. Was Miss Heyford laughing?

Miss Georgianna Eleanor Heyford seemed to have the weight of the world on her shoulders.  She was responsible for caring for her three younger sisters, since her parents had passed away.  When she got a job catering for Daniel Rutherford, the Earl of Stannis, her sister was worried.  Daniel had the reputation of a rake.  So when a moment between Daniel and Georgie quickly escalated, she got to see his true colors afterwards.  How he thought of those with her station.  How anything physical meant nothing to him.  And how he had no problem not paying her the full amount of her work, all because his lover was jealous.  When Daniel washed up on the shores and in her cousin’s doctors office, Georgie took charge of her life. She saved herself from being ruined and was going to have Daniel payback what he owed her by working around her house.

As Georgianna watched him retreat from the kitchen, she realized that not once in the madness of this scheme had she feared her heart or virtue might be in peril with the earl. How foolish she had been.
Oh God, I must never allow him too close.

Georgie was a woman who was determined to get what she wanted. When Daniel recognized Georgie, it went along perfectly with the lies she created while also mixing in a little bit of the truth from time to time.  The strawberry birthmark was the first of many moments that had me loving this book even more, because of the ties to Overboard!  So I was cackling every time Georgie messed with Daniel.  She told him he was broke.  She gave him a huge list of chores he was to do around the house and land.  The shock that came from Daniel had me dying from laughter.  A man like him chasing around a chicken?  Breaking up a pig and chicken fight?  It was all so much fun! He definitely got what he deserved!  Yet Daniel did it all without complaints.  He worked from sun up to sun down to take care of his wife and family. 

Laughter pealed from her, and he realized he had wiped whatever the hell was on his hand on his face. His mouth curved in an unwilling smile. “I cannot help feeling as if I am in a special hell and wonder what I did, hmm?”
She stilled, staring at him with wide eyes.

Daniel went from someone I loathed to someone that made my heart cheer with how he took care of his family.  I loved watching his transformation.  I loved that he showed us he was capable of being a good and honest man. That he respected Georgie. And how he became someone she could depend on.  Whether it was the emotional weight Georgie carried, or helping around the house, he was kind to her.  He always tried to do what was best for her. So when he kissed her, as her “husband”, my heart soared.  And the moment he defended someone’s honor, that was it.  I was a goner.  There was no way I couldn’t fall head over heels in love with Daniel!

“Are you saying you believe in me?”
This was asked with such incredulity, a rush of amusement went through him. “Is the idea so astonishing to you, wife?”

I liked Georgie right away, even when she was tricking Daniel. I may have judged her lol, but I definitely didn’t fault her for the decision she made.  As she became friends with Daniel, liked him and relied on him, I was terrified for her.  This was not her true life.  And while she knew she should tell him the truth, she couldn’t.  She was attached.  So I held my breath waiting for the other shoe to drop and it all to blow up in Georgie’s face.  And when it did, I didn’t see it going that way and my mouth was left hanging wide open!

“Have you ever wanted something so much it hurt to want it, and you also feel incredibly foolish because you know it is not yours to have and it will never be?”
The lines of his face sharpened as he leaned in closer. “Tell me what it is you want, wife, and I will give it to you,” he vowed, his gaze steady on hers.
It is you.

One of my favorite things about this book was that Daniel’s dirty mouth was phenomenal!  He had a way with words that made things erotic and crated so much heat.  So there were plenty of scenes in this book that were seductive and steamy.  The details had me fanning my face, they were explicitly hot!  And in all, it was the perfect amount for this story!  Another thing I loved was Georgie’s younger siblings Anna and Sarah. They were so adorable, and I loved watching Daniel connect with them.  And Lizzie, while older and was someone Georgie could confide in, she had a tiny little story that made my heart so happy!  Add in that we got to see Simon and Minas from the previous book A Matter of Temptation, aww I loved it all!  Just know that you definitely don’t have to read the previous one before this!

“I miss the taste of you.” The words came from him before he had the presence of mind to censure his desire.

While alternating between Daniel and Georgie, this book was so much fun! An Earl to Remember had the most fabulous of endings and the epilogue will make readers close this book smiling! I can’t wait to see what Stacy writes next!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: The Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid

BOOK REVIEW: The Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy ReidThe Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

USA Today bestselling author Stacy Reid’s addictive tale of two lost people who are found…by each other

London is buzzing with the news that James Winters, the Duke of Wulverton—thought lost at sea a decade ago—survived in the harsh wilderness of the Yukon. Now he’s been returned to his family, his responsibilities, and a nightmarish world of artifice and noise. He has three weeks to become a refined, elegant duke for the Queen…or doom the entire family to ruin and scandal.

Promising psychologist Jules Southby knows a lot about disguises. She’s secretly been living as a boy since birth, enjoying the freedoms of men and knowing little about how to behave like a woman. When she meets the alluring duke, she’s unprepared for his raw, masculine beauty and icy intelligence…or that he can see through her darkest secret.

Jules has very little time to transform the duke into a true semblance of an English gentleman. Yet his very presence seems to unravel her in every way. Their attraction is stark and achingly real—and forbidden. But loving the lost duke would mean losing every sacrifice she’s made to earn her freedom…

Review:

The Wolf and the Wildflower was a charming historical romance!  Jules Southby had lived her life as a lie.  For the past 24 years, the world thought that she was a man.  Her mother did it out of self-preservation, since her father wanted a boy.   Yet Jules seemed happy with furthering her education and working in the psychology field.  Two things that were not allowed for women back then.  When Jules and her father were hired to help James Winters become refined within three weeks, they thought they were taking on an intriguing case.  Yet Jules and James didn’t realize that from the moment they met, both of their lives would be changed forever.

“Were you not alone, Your Grace?”
Painfully so. Yet James would never admit that. Instead, he murmured, “I had the ice-capped mountains and the trees. At other times I had wolves and bears. I had nature and the call of the wild. Those were enough.”

James Leopold Winters, the Duke of Wulverton, and the Earl of Lydon was 18 years old when he was lost in the wild.  For the last 10 years he had struggled to survive.  Alone, in a freezing environment and with danger at every turn.  Now that he was back with his family, he still felt all alone.  His family treated him like he was a savage and at times talked around him as if he wasn’t even there.  It was as though he was an animal in the zoo and they were studying him.  They struggled that James didn’t want to be touched and refused to talk about what he went through when he was gone.  But James was loyal and didn’t want to make his mom unhappy, so he agreed to see a doctor of the mind.

Wildflower? Jules’s heart shook, and she lowered her head to hide her expression. “Is this to be my new moniker, Your Grace?”
“It suits.”
Do not ask, it is unimportant.

My heart hurt for Jules.  When Jules had mentioned in the past about living as a girl, her mother begged her not to and to keep up the lie.  Yet at the same point, she was terrified that if she did announce she was a girl that her father wouldn’t want to share his studies with her anymore.  Ironically from the moment that James met Jules, he was the first who could see through her disguise.  And they struck a deal to keep one another’s secrets.  From that first meeting I could see that they were kindred souls and they were both so alone.  As they spent time around each other, I loved watching when Jules was able to get through to James with her insight and knowledge. It felt monumental!  She was so brilliant and I loved how she explained things to him.  As time went by, they both shared things about themselves that no one else knew.  And whenever James did that, it felt like he was giving little pieces of himself to Jules. It was impossible not to fall for him!

James turned away from her and started walking. A feeling he did not understand hooked into him, and he paused. “Run with me, Wildflower?”
“Yes,” she said softly.

The banter between Jules and James was fabulous!  It was much needed with the heaviness in the air about both of their lives.  Jules living a lie and James’ gut wrenching past.  It hurt that they both tried to shove down love.  But when they were around each other, it felt like they were being given a fresh start.  So I loved that he called her Wildflower and why that word was important to him.  I loved how patient, kind and thoughtful James could be with Jules.  And when they did become more, their moments together were racy, steamy and sooo hot! Alternating between the two of them gave us the best of both worlds and I loved hearing their different thoughts. Especially during their intimate moments.  Yet I do need to mention that this story took quite a few times of suspending ones belief.  I thought if I could read about vampires and werewolves, I didn’t see why I would struggle here and I was so right!

“What are you thinking now, James?”
“That I want my Wildflower to touch me and that perhaps I wish to touch her as well. Skin to skin, without any gloves on our hands.”
Jules’s heart stuttered inside her chest. His wildflower?

Joy and heartache were laced through the pages making The Wolf and the Wildflower so easy to devour. The story was filled with secrets, jealousy, friendship, love and so much heart! And James and Jules story ended with a wonderful epilogue, with a peak into the future.  Now I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that James’ younger sister gets her own book hopefully.  She seemed completely fascinating to me!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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