Author: Lisette Marshall

BOOK REVIEW: Silk (The Princess & The Spy #3) by Lisette Marshall

BOOK REVIEW: Silk (The Princess & The Spy #3) by Lisette MarshallSilk (The Princess & The Spy #3)
by Lisette Marshall
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

They escaped the darkness of foreign lands. But now the familiar faces at home hide the deepest shadows of all…

The Princess…

Back in Rock Hall, with the horrors of the Floating Castle weeks behind her, Viviette is finally safe from the man she was supposed to marry. But here at home, the danger is coming from within… Just when happiness lies at her fingertips, a brutal murder rips all her hopes and dreams apart, leaving her reeling in a world that will never be the same again.

The Spy…

Rock Hall has never held secrets for Jaghar. His masked service has always traced every word, every look, every footstep. But the king’s violent death is a menacing mystery even to him – a mystery that puts the future of an entire kingdom on the line. If he cannot solve it soon enough, not Velvet but her uncle will be crowned the next ruler of the Peaks.

A fight for the crown…

With the wrong man about to take the throne and Trystan’s murderer still on the loose, the princess and the spy find themselves tangled in a web of political deceit and deadly revenge. They must play the game well, and play it fast. Because if they fail, they may not only lose their kingdom – but each other too.

Silk is the riveting finale of The Princess & The Spy, a steamy fantasy romance trilogy taking place in the dangerous, passionate world of the Five Kingdoms. Perfect for readers of enemies to lovers fantasy and adult fairy tale romances, it tells a story of deadly intrigue, dark secrets and sizzling forbidden love.

Review:

Silk was a wonderful conclusion to The Princess & the Spy Trilogy!  Fantasy lovers that are a fan of tortured heroes, fearless heroines, and steamy moments may fall hard for this book!  With a fabulous HEA and tons of heart, this story was a lot of fun!

‘You’ll stay with me, won’t you? Whatever happens?’ 
‘Velvet…’ The joyless smile on his lips nearly made her burst out in tears again. ‘I’ll never not be on your side. I promise.’

Viviette and Jaghar were back home, but again mystery was laced throughout the pages.  With a murder to solve and their enemy unknown, they had to work harder than ever to find out what was going on.  Trials tested and pushed them to their limits, but Viviette and Jaghar kept proving themselves worthy.  They were both so clever and smart, and while I was nervous a future between them wouldn’t work, I kept the hope alive!  

‘It’ll be alright. Stay with me. I don’t want to let go of you tonight.’  
He pulled her back against his chest, wrapping the blankets around them with trembling arms. ‘But tomorrow…’ 
‘Tomorrow,’ Viviette said, nestling herself against him and closing her eyes, ‘we fight.

With this story, I guessed one of the huge twists.  But I definitely didn’t guess the next part of it or what one of our favorite characters would do eeps!  So much was more than meets the eye and this story kept me on my toes and turning those pages faster.  As the story unfolded, I loved how so many questions were answered and that we were given a fabulous ending to this trilogy!  But at the same point, so much is still going on in the Five Kingdoms and I can’t wait to see other series set in this world!  If you’re looking for a completed fantasy series to binge and are a fan of star crossed lovers, then definitely check this one out!

BOOK REVIEW: Leather (The Princess & The Spy #2) by Lisette Marshall

BOOK REVIEW: Leather (The Princess & The Spy #2) by Lisette MarshallLeather (The Princess & The Spy #2)
by Lisette Marshall
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

She must be a queen. He could never be a king. When duty tears them apart, will their love survive the dark secrets that threaten them?

Steamy medieval fantasy romance ◆ Forbidden love ◆ Arranged marriage

The Princess…
Never did Viviette expect to find this much happiness in the shadows of Rock Hall. And now she must lose it all again – her mask, her freedom, the man she was never allowed to love in the first place… When her father announces her engagement to the widowed king of a neighbouring nation, she has no choice but to leave her home and heart behind and travel to the castle where she is to marry.

The Spy…
Jaghar always knew their affair couldn’t last. He always knew his loyalty to her father would keep them apart. But when the news of assassins on Velvet’s trail reaches him, loyalty is the last thing on his mind. He must protect her, even if he has to follow her deep into foreign territory to keep her safe – and even if it forces him to face the man who’ll take his place by her side.

A buried secret…
But in the idyllic Riverlands, danger is lurking around every corner. A knight with vicious intentions. A palace like a prison. And then there’s the mysterious disappearance of the king’s first wife… With darkness closing in and the desire between them still burning bright, how long can duty hold the princess and the spy apart?

Leather is the second book of The Princess & The Spy, a steamy fantasy romance trilogy taking place in the dangerous, passionate world of the Five Kingdoms. Perfect for readers of enemies to lovers fantasy and adult fairy tale romances, it tells a story of deadly intrigue, dark secrets and sizzling forbidden love.

Review:

Leather was a fabulous continuation of the Princess & The Spy Trilogy!  Not only was this book extremely steamy again, but it also had political intrigue, creepy foreshadowing and a few twists that left me reeling!  Fantasy lovers definitely need to check out this trilogy!

‘I did what I thought was best for you.’
‘But you didn’t bother asking what I thought was best for me.’ 

Viviette and Jaghar were both forced to put duty ahead of their own needs, when she was told by her father that she was to be married to another.  My heart ached for them.  Because regardless of what was expected of them, they still wanted each other.  Unfortunately that just couldn’t be.  So as the story unfolded, we found them again searching for clues, trying to discover the bigger picture and I loved watching them work as a team.  Together they seemed unstoppable, even with so many obstacles in their way!  And when some twists not only left them blindsided, but me too, I was left gasping and hoping for blood or retribution!

‘Tell me if you want to get out of here,’ he muttered. The words left a bitter taste of treason on his tongue, but for once, with the mixture of rage and concern burning in his veins, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Jaghar was definitely my favorite in this book.  I loved how he could be so smart, calm, collected, clever, and selfless.  It not only made me fall harder for him, but my heart ached for life to be fair to him.  It seemed like an impossible feat at times since who he cared for was to be married to another.  But that didn’t matter when it came to protecting Viviette.  The things he did in this story to keep her safe?!  *Swoon* Jaghar was amazing!  Viviette stepped up her game too and I loved how she tried her best to do what was expected of her but at the end of the day she did what she thought was right.  My respect for her climbed even higher.

‘I never told you…’ His voice was hoarse, but the words fell from his lips easily as if he had written them out in his mind. ‘I never really told you – what you do to me, what you’ve been doing to me since the day you came storming into that corridor to eavesdrop on your own bloody father—’
A smile broke through on her face at the memory.

With mystery, intrigue, sacrifice, romance and the stakes being even higher, Leather was a fantastic addition to The Princess & The Spy Trilogy!  I’m definitely thankful that this series is complete because I have to know how Jaghar and Viviette’s story ends!  Fans of steamy Fantasy should check this one out!

BOOK REVIEW: Velvet (The Princess & The Spy #1) by Lisette Marshall

BOOK REVIEW: Velvet (The Princess & The Spy #1) by Lisette MarshallVelvet (The Princess & The Spy #1)
by Lisette Marshall
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

She despises his coldness. He loathes her nosy questions. But when a war threatens their small kingdom, they have no choice but to work together...

The Princess...

Three years at a foreign court have completed Viviette’s education as crown princess of the Peaks. Now the threat of war forces her to return home: back to the thorny intrigues of Rock Hall, and to a father who still believes she’s a helpless little girl. Despite his concerns, Viviette is determined to protect him and her kingdom – even if it means she must cooperate with the cold, bitter Spymaster she hates nearly as much as their enemies. And even if it means using the most dangerous weapon she has: her body.

The Spy...

Jaghar is already dealing with a looming war, a spurned lover and an old enemy stirring up memories he never wanted to confront again. The last he needs is the return of his king’s daughter, with her rebellious streak and her endless questions. But the princess is no longer a little girl he can easily ignore… And as she manipulates herself into the diplomatic machinations of the kingdom, she awakens something in him too – something he thought the pain of his past had killed for good.

A threat of war…

Armies are gathering at the Peaks' borders. Dark conspiracies are taking shape in the shadows of Rock Hall. Someone must budge – or someone must die. But even with the king's life on the line, the princess and the spy cannot deny the forbidden fire flaring up between them…

Velvet is the first book of The Princess & The Spy, a steamy fantasy romance trilogy taking place in the dangerous, passionate world of the Five Kingdoms. Perfect for readers of enemies to lovers fantasy and adult fairy tale romances, it tells a story of deadly intrigue, dark secrets and sizzling forbidden love.

Content warning: Velvet is an adult fantasy romance. Featuring a broody, experienced hero and a curious, rebellious heroine, the story contains generous doses of consensual steam and other mature themes.

Review:

‘You’ll make one hell of a queen, Velvet.’

The Princess & The Spy was a seductive tale of mystery and intrigue!  I devoured this book way too quickly and can’t wait to do that with the rest of this completed trilogy!  If you like your fantasy steamy, fun and with some grittiness to it too, then you definitely need to add this one to your tbr!

Her eyes were like bright stars even in the darkness, measuring him with so much interest that he suddenly started worrying what else she might see.

Viviette came back three years later, after studying in another court, so she would be more mature and act appropriately.  Truth be told, she was already wise above her years but her father and his spymaster always saw her as just a little girl.  And while her father still saw her that way, events led the spymaster to see her in a completely different light.  Viviette was strong, determined and wanted to learn to rule.  She could be so clever at times and I absolutely adored her!

‘You can always turn back, Princess,’ he muttered.
Viviette closed her eyes. She hadn’t expected such tenderness, not from a man like him.

The spymaster Jaghar, could be such a mask of indifference.  He was the king’s right hand man and was to keep him and his daughter safe.  Yet the Viviette that returned after three years, wasn’t the one he was familiar with anymore.  She shocked, surprised him and even got him to show his emotions time and again.  And as parts of the story unfolded and we were given a full picture of what truly went on behind the scenes at the castle, and how they obtained their secrets, it pushed Jaghar and Viviette closer together.  While there was a strong attraction there, they both thought that the other one couldn’t want them.  All the while the stakes around them kept getting higher!

‘Look me in the eyes,’ she muttered, ‘and tell me you don’t want me to make you.’
He didn’t open his eyes. He would be lost if he opened them. 
‘That is an order, Spymaster.’
Jaghar inhaled slowly, bracing himself, and looked up. Her face was close enough to kiss her, if kissing her wouldn’t violate every last limit between them. 

With secret passages, seductive moments, and characters that were so easy to love, The Princess & The Spy was a spellbinding adventure!  While I guessed how one thing was going to play out, there were still so many other parts of it that were such an unknown.  This book kept me on my toes and was so fun to discover what was going to happen next.  Plus I loved that this story not only made me laugh but I also found myself gasping out loud quite a few times!  Such a huge hit, I can’t wait to binge the next two books!

‘You – you won’t hurt me, will you?’
‘Princess,’ he said, kissing her neck as he lowered himself between her legs, ‘I would rather die than  hurt you.’

PS I didn’t even see the title of this book coming at all lol!

BOOK REVIEW: Iron (The Queen & The Assassin #1) by Lisette Marshall

BOOK REVIEW: Iron (The Queen & The Assassin #1) by Lisette MarshallIron (The Queen & The Assassin #1)
by Lisette Marshall
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The Queen

Two years ago she poisoned her violent husband. Now Tamar, Queen of Redwood, rules her kingdom on her own, with an iron fist and a closely guarded heart. Surrounded by scheming nobles, she can never afford to lose control of her court – or of herself. But when an infuriatingly handsome assassin breaks into her room one night, her careful web of authority shatters at once.

The Assassin

Raised in the treacherous Taavi Empire, Runo knows every rule of survival. Don’t love, don’t get attached. Kill, and live. His newest target may wear a crown, but thanks to a traitor offering him an easy way into her rooms, even the Iron Queen of Redwood will have to make peace with her mortality soon. Except that Tamar turns out to be everything but the easy prey Runo assumed…

A Dangerous Alliance

But as they play their deadly game of survival, a far greater danger looms. With a nameless traitor now out for both their lives, the queen and the assassin have no choice but to close an uncertain alliance. And as shadows of the past draw them deeper and deeper into a tangle of deceit, sizzling hate turns into something much more dangerous…

Iron is the first book of The Queen & The Assassin, a steamy fantasy romance trilogy taking place in the dangerous, passionate world of the Five Kingdoms. Perfect for readers of enemies to lovers fantasy and adult fairy tale romances, it tells a story of deadly intrigue, dark secrets and sizzling forbidden love.


Review:

Iron was a dark and luscious story that fantasy lovers will devour!  With castles, a queen, an assassin and so much up in the air, this enemies to lovers story will keep readers hooked!  I definitely need to go back and binge all of Lisette Marshall’s backlist!

Don’t get attached. It was the first rule of his world.

Runo, a paid assassin, received orders from his Empress to kill Queen Tamar.  Yet from the moment Runo showed up to murder Tamar, things didn’t go as planned.  It all ended up going a little bit sideways, especially since neither of them could deny the intense chemistry between them.  The desire.  The fact that they felt something, which is rare in both of their lives.  Yet at the end of the day, they were from two different worlds.  But fate doesn’t always follow the simplest of paths.

Something stirred in her, and she feared it wasn’t hate alone.

Queen Tamar put up a good facade.  Those around her listened to her and followed her orders.  All because people feared her, since she ruled with an iron fist.  She was driven and cold on the outside, but entirely different on the inside.  My heart hurt for how lonely she was.  She truly didn’t have a friend in the world.  She was a good and fair ruler and we got to see how her past shaped her into who she was today.  The moment Runo waltzed into her life, it allowed us to see a completely different side of Tamar.  And I ended up really liking and respecting her!

He smiled. He couldn’t help it. A warped triumph was rising in him, a sensation like that last, expectant turn before winning a game. A dangerous feeling to allow, sitting in a cell and staring down a queen not particularly known for her mildness.

It should be no surprise that I fell hard for Runo.  He was a paid assassin.  A murderer.  He was to have no heart and do what he was told.  But from the moment he met Queen Tamar, she made him pause.  We got to see his humanity and all of the other sides of Runo that he kept buried.  He was so resourceful and clever, and I loved that his arrogance knew no bounds.  But he too lived a lonely life.  And the more time he spent around Tamar, the more he wanted to not follow his orders.  For the first time ever.

‘As a general piece of advice, don’t expect assassins to care about your wellbeing.’
‘I didn’t—’
‘Sure you didn’t.’

Any moment that Tamar and Runo were together, the sexual tension was intense.  I loved that they both weren’t what the other expected and that they also got under each other’s skin.  Tamar should hate Runo for what he was to do.  Runo should feel nothing towards Tamar and do his job.  And them ever being together was forbidden.  But what unfolded instead was a web of clues, deceit, trust and the start of something so much more. The stakes become higher as each page passed, since a traitor was after both of their lives.  They were forced to team up and I loved how this story unraveled and played out!

In his arms she felt like everything he ever held dear in his life.

Iron was an extremely seductive tale filled with twists and turns.  Sexual tension dripped from the pages and consumed me.  And while I did start out this story confused and lost, once Runo and Tamar met I was hooked!  There was so much passion and heat between them.  Ohhh I have to say I should have put the clues together, but I devoured this book way too fast and ended up being shocked with how something played out.  Eeps.  Now I’m trying to patiently wait for the next book in this series.  While it stopped at a spot that calms my heart, there was way too much up in the air to know what will happen next.  I can’t wait!

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

© 2024

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑