Showing posts with label Risande Trilogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Risande Trilogy. Show all posts
March 21, 2008
12:21 PM |
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POSSESS HIM AT YOUR PERIL...
Reluctant Bride
By the king's order, Lady Tanon Risande is to be wed to a fierce Welsh prince. Headstrong Tanon has other ideas, and none of them involve submitting to Prince Gareth ap Owain. Yet she can't help but notice how the ladies of the court sigh at his mere glance. And when this rough warrior sets his penetrating gaze on her, Tanon, too, wonders what it would be like to bed a barbarian…
Lady Of Desire
Gareth is determined to prove to his delectable new wife that he saves his savagery for the battlefield, not the bedchamber. He will use far more persuasive methods to lure this lady willingly into his arms—and he looks forward to trying them all. But though Gareth is a prince, he cannot offer Tanon the finery she is used to, nor can he make sure she stays safe in his untamed land. What he can guarantee her is a love unlike any she has ever known…
Gareth ap Owain is a Welsh prince determined to have peace in his homeland. To achieve this he is willing to marry the enemy and sacrifice everything. But the enemy he marries is his childhood friend Tanon Risande for whom he's always had a weakness even when he was a boy. To achieve his precious peace he has to decide what he wants more...peace or the woman he has come to love?
Tanon had always loved the boy who stood up for her when she was a little girl and now that she has become his wife as part of a peace treaty she will do everything in her power to have her love returned. But will her love be stronger than his quest for peace?
From the first page to the last of this final book in the Risande trilogy it was Tanon who captured me. I loved Brynna and Gianelle in their books but Tanon for me was the proverbial "saving the best for last". The peek into her childhood at the beginning set the stage and throughout the book she crept into my heart little by little.
I loved her strength, her bravery, the way she didn't let Gareth intimidate her, the way she took everything that came in her path with courage and enthusiasm. She has become one of my favorite heroines.
Though I loved Gareth -who wouldn't!- he didn't enchant me as Brand and Dante did. I guess the Risande men are unique in their ability to entice women....
Still he was a great character and a perfect match for Tanon. The way he cared for Tanon from when they were kids to their marriage was admirable. He is a man who knows only battle and war but he was caring and patient with her.
Gareth made Tanon shed her mask of dutiful politeness and obedience and show her true and passionate self. Tanon gave Gareth the peace and joy he needed in his battle filled life. They were a couple worthy of closing a wonderful and amazing trilogy.
Again I was drawn to great secondary characters such as Madoc, Cian, Rebecca and Hereward. Of course it was wonderful to see the other members of the Risande family again too. To see how they had done since their own books. Paula Quinn knows how to surround her main characters with an entourage that supports them without taking the attention away from them.
I am sad that I have come to the end of this amazing trilogy.
From the first book to the last, it had everything I look for in the books I love to read: drool-worthy heroes, fierce, brave and outspoken heroines, great secondary characters, a wonderful love story, a well-written plot, sizzling passion and Paula Quinn has the ability to imbed historical facts into the story without them being disturbing, on the contrary: they make the story complete. She describes everything, from clothing and surroundings to food and traditions, with such flair and ease that it's not difficult to picture yourself in medieval England or Wales.
I can't believe I had this trilogy on my bookshelf for almost a year without reading them because if you want a rich medieval tale of love, betrayal, bravery, loyalty and passion...these three books will certainly provide that for you.
To me Paula Quinn is the undefeated champion of medieval romance and the battle to defeat her will be hard and nearly impossible for those who try.
March 18, 2008
3:26 PM |
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RESIST HIM IF YOU CAN...
Every Woman's Desire
Norman Lord Dante Risande never met a woman he couldn't seduce. Until a lovely slave named Gianelle refuses his bed and piques his interest. So when she's accused of murder, he can't sit idly by. As the King's right hand, it's his duty to investigate. But in order to save her, he must buy her.
No Man's Possession
A slave all her life, Gianelle wants nothing to do with men. Especially this silver-eyed, velvet tongued warrior. What she wants is her freedom, not to become another of Dante's conquests. But as the only suspect in the killing of her last master, she has no choice except to put her faith in Dante...a man who questions everything, including her innocence.
From the moment Dante Risande lays eyes on Gianelle, he's captured by her and when she's accused of murder he does everything in his power to protect her. But other than her well being he also wants her heart for she is the first woman able to tempt him into giving his own.
Gianelle Dejiat has never met anyone as enthralling and compassionate as Dante. But she trusts no man, certainly not one who has paid for her. Still Dante's is so very different from all the other men she's known. His compassion and passion melts her heart and defenses.
But before they can live happily ever after they have to battle their own feelings while fighting of a shared enemy who's bent on destroying them both.
Gianelle is not the subdued slave you would expect. She has learned to put up a meek front but underneath that mask is an outspoken and defiant woman. She is brave, spirited and lovely, with a strong sense of justice. Men have abandoned, betrayed or mistreated her so she relies on no man for her happiness.
Dante is a hero who is masculine, passionate and seductive. Until Gianelle he is what I would call a medieval playboy. But beyond the temptation incarnate there is a man who is loyal to the bone and when he learns true love he gives into it with all he has.
Gianelle is a challenge for Dante because she doesn't melt at his feet like all the other women he knows. She has a sharp tongue and doesn't hesitate to let him know exactly what she thinks. The dialogues between Dante and Gianelle are delightful. They are lively and between his seduction and her defiance they set the pages on fire.
They both touched my deepest emotions and the chemistry between them was utterly sensual and palpable.
Next to the hero and heroine who enticed and endeared me there are a number of compelling secondary characters that form the perfect addition to the story. It was lovely to see Brand, Brynna and their children, but Casey, James and Balin captured my heart immediately with their roles in the whole plot.
Again Paula Quinn delivers a captivating medieval tale that touched my every emotion. From laughter to anger, from pity to admiration. My heart throbbed and my breath caught. The love story and the plot were perfectly dosed and mixed, it was nicely paced keeping me reading long into the night, not wanting to put it down. Paula Quinn really knows how to pull her readers deep into the medieval times with the excellent plot, descriptions of habits and ways and historical facts. Add the love story with it's sensual, captivating love scenes and the characters that touch you deeply and you never want to leave this world again…
I can't get enough of Paula Quinn's Risandes and the people who surround them. These books are the perfect way to escape into a medieval paradise!
Quote:
Gianelle: "I am helpless against my own emotions, held prisoner by a man who needs no locks or shackles to keep me, just his smile, (...) his kiss, his kind words. I'm a prisoner to this land that is also you. For I love it here, and even if I have to suffer your cold indifference, I never want to leave."
March 15, 2008
4:27 PM |
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TEMPT HIM IF YOU DARE...
He Is Every Woman's Fantasy...
Darkly handsome and sensual, Lord Brand Risande--known as "The Passionate"--is temptation incarnate. But his prowess on the battlefield and in the bedchamber hides a bitter secret: the betrayal that has sealed his heart. Now as this most feared warrior rides out to possess the lands he has won in war, he engages his most formidable enemy ever.
And One Woman's Destiny.
Lady Brynnafar Dumont is prepared to do anything to protect her people--even seduce the savage Norman knight who defeated her father. Prepared to face down a cold-blooded beast, she instead confronts a wickedly attractive scoundrel who wants nothing to do with her. It's enough to sting a lady's pride...and strengthen her resolve. Innocent as she is, now she must use all her charms to defeat Lord Brand in the only battle worth fighting--the one for his love.
Brand Risande came to Avarloch to claim his victory and collect his winnings. What he didn't expect was to find the ultimate temptation in the form of a fiery and feisty Saxon lady determined to stay and protect her home.
Brynna Dumont awaited the Norman knight who defeated her father, determined not to give him an inch but she didn't expect him to be the man of her dreams, able to set her body and soul on fire.
I just loved everything about this book: every single character, the love story, the historical background, the love scenes...everything!
I was swooned by William, the brute but intriguing Norman duke. I was impressed by Brynna's father Richard who'd go through fire to protect his daughter and I was charmed by Brand's brother Dante with his perceptive and enthralling character. But being the hero and heroine of the story, Brand and Brynna were the ones who really captured my attention the most. Brynna is proud, stubborn, fearless, defiant and loyal. Prepared to fight for her home and her people. I loved the way she stood up to Brand and wasn't afraid of him or William. When she gives, she gives her all...in fighting and in loving. Brand is a passionate and fierce warrior, He has once been betrayed and therefore distrusting of women and their love. Especially the woman he has to marry against his will. But despite his distrust he develops feelings for her from the very beginning.
Brand is the drool-worthy hero, making me wish I was a lady of those times, just to have a Norman knight like him to yield to. But he's more than just attractive and powerful. Behind the walls he has pulled up to protect his heart from betrayal and hurt, he is honorable and loyal. Once Brynna wins his heart, she has it forever.
This story grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. It has engaging and well-written characters that have so much depth to them they almost aren't two-dimensional anymore. It has a heart-wrenching love story that moves you deep in your heart. It's full of historical tidbits that are easily imbedded into the story, giving it more depth and background. And this all is delivered in an easy and fluent writing style, paced just right. The love scenes are nothing short of masterful, sensual and steamy.
It has been a long time since I indulged in a medieval tale of betrayal, passion, love and trust like this one. It was sultry and luscious and I was truly enchanted and captivated, lured by its brilliance and originality.
Quotes:
He was a beautiful, dark warrior. A warrior who could change his appearance with a simple smile and become an angel.
Brand: "I will take what I want like the demon-possessed savage that I am."
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- Pearl
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- 39, married to my real life romance hero, addicted to TV shows, reading romance novels and Twitter. I'm a chronic (e)book hoarder and my absolute favorite genres within romance fiction are contemporary romance and romantic suspense, but I don't shy away from historical, paranormal or erotic romance either. Even the occasional (urban) fantasy romance, futuristic and sci fi romance may make it to my Mount TBR. This is my corner of the world wide web where I let you know what books I'm hoarding, reading and reviewing.
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