Roses For My Lady by Allison Knight

Title: Roses For My Lady (coming in Feb.)
Author: Allison Knight

Author Site

Buy Link
Publisher: Champagne Books

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 78 pgs.
Reviewed by: yadkny

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 4

Presentation: 4

Editing: 5

Story: 4.5

Writing Ability: 4.5

Overall Card Rating:

About The Book: A misplaced Valentine's Day card inspires a kidnapping, a seduction and a forever kind of love.

Intense, scholarly, big sister Meredith Ward is happy to see her little sister off to a country party until she discovers a Valentine card outlining plans for an elopement between her sister and the brother of an aristocrat. She leaves her cottage to halt their plans only to run into trouble herself.

Baron Gavin Sinclair learns late one evening about his brother's plans to wed a most undesirable young woman. His attempt to stop that union puts Meredith in his arms. Thinking she is the bride-to-be, he holds her hostage never realizing it will be his heart he loses.

The Review:

The story is set in England during a time when the reputation of your family name said a lot about you and for young women it is also a time when who sponsored you during your “come out” party said more about you than just about anything else.

Meredith (Merry) isn’t like most other girls who dreamt all their lives of what their season would be like and then to become married. She just wasn’t interested in the socializing experience, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that she didn’t think about it once in a while. Merry’s stepsister, Charlotte, on the other hand is quite the opposite, but doesn’t let it effect their relationship. Merry’s shy nature gives her the title of being the sensible sister, so when her father leaves on family business, it is up to Merry to see that Charlotte stays out of trouble. A cryptic valentine for Charlotte gone undelivered gives Merry the opportunity to sort through a potential disaster involving a young man. Unfortunately, it also leads to a new level of trouble but the intended isn’t the right sister on the receiving end.

Gavin takes the responsibility of being a big brother very seriously. He believes he knows what is best for his younger brother Lawrence. Having gone through a horrible family tragedy, Gavin sees the world and it’s customs in a much different light. Socializing at parties seems to be a rather unimportant but apparently necessary part of life and his societal views of women and marriage aren’t very flattering. The motivations for women wanting to pursue marriage particularly to his brother have more to do with money and position than love.

Ms. Knight wrote a delightful story about two characters intent on saving their siblings from what they believe to be disaster only to find themselves having fallen for each other. I really enjoyed Merry’s character. She isn’t snobbish or concerned about superficial things. She challenges Gavin’s mind with her intelligent charm instead of boring him with just a physical beauty. Gavin himself brings his own brand of charm with his devilish smiles and his take-charge attitude.

The mistaken identity element in the story is played out brilliantly and it read very fluidly with perspectives of the two main characters evenly balanced throughout, so readers will get the picture from both sides. I can only complain that I would love to have seen a longer ending.

This is a recommended read for anyone who enjoys reading historical romance.

Pagan Elements: N/A

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Christmas Eve at the Powers That be Cafe by Xavier Axelson

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: Christmas Eve At The Powers That Be Cafe
Author: Xavier Axelson

Author Site

Buy Link
Publisher: Silver Publishing

Genre: Historical (WWII)/Holiday/Erotic/Romance/GLBT

Length: 24 pgs.

About The Book: It is Christmas Eve 1943 at The Powers That Be Café and Nat, the lonely café owner, does what he can to offer some warmth and comfort for families and lovers to say goodbye to soldiers who heading into battle.  When he finds Kent, a G.I. far from home, outside his back door, he offers him a hot meal, a place to rest and some much-needed comfort.  In return, the two men find themselves passionately entangled in taboo lusts and something deeper that neither of them expected...love.

The Review: Christmas Eve At The Powers That Be Café is a short read set inside a café as soldiers say good-bye to their families over doughnuts and coffee. This is a different kind of love story set against the tension of WWII and soldiers leaving for Europe on Christmas Eve.

Nat inherited the diner from his parents and runs it efficiently. He feels guilty for not being able to serve his country, so he serves G.I.'s hoping to make their last night before going to war less miserable. When he finds a soldier hungry and freezing in the alley, Nat invites him in and feeds him. Nat's also attracted to him even though he can see the soldier "ain't like that."

Kent is a sweet, innocent country boy who is scared senseless at the thought of going to war. He's also a virgin and afraid he's going to die one. Kent clings to Nat's kindness and what follows is a very erotic sexual encounter between the two men.

Both of these characters are very endearing and I thought they made for a good pairing. Kent especially tore at my heartstrings because he was so young and vulnerable, and frightened. I wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be all right.

This is a Christmas story full of nostalgia from the implications of war to the young men who serve this country to innocence we often forget. I know you'll enjoy reading this holiday story as much as I did.

Pagan Elements: N/A

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Dragon's Curse by Nancy Lee Badger

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title:  Dragon’s Curse Author: Nancy Lee Badger   

Author Site: http://www.nancyleebadger.com/

Buy Link: http://www.whispershome.com/book_pages/dragons_curse.html

Publisher:  Whispers Publishing

Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance

Length: Mini Novel

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 3

Presentation: 4

Editing: 4

Story: 4

Writing Ability: 3

Overall Card Rating: 

Reviewed by: yadkny

About The Book: Brianna MacLeod has accompanied a shipload of her guardian’s friends to a remote island off the coast of Scotland. She eludes these Highland hunters to keep her innocence…and her gift of sight. Her attitude against falling for womanly desires changes when she nearly drowns. Saved by the talons of a terrifying winged beast, she awakens—naked—in a cave, beside an unusual man.

Cursed by a vengeful witch to transform into a dragon at inopportune times, Draco MacDonald hides on this deserted island to live alone: until he plucks a servant girl from certain death. Fueled by jealousy, and tempered by fear for her safety, he succumbs to an unfamiliar desire to mate. Her kisses propel him to dare to make her his own.

Set in 1592 on the Scottish island of Staffa, the cursed hero battles a ghostly witch, a hunter set on rape, and his own growing desire for a young woman with premonitions of his death.

The Review: Draco is a dragon shifter cursed to be as such by a witch years prior for something Draco didn’t do. Brianna is a ward of the laird of Clan Macleod and has gone to accompany her guardian on a hunting trip, but there is another reason for the laird wanting to keep her close at hand. Brianna has a gift of being a seer. Her visions are to be used for his benefit and not to be advertised to any one else or they might think she is a witch.

The relationship between Draco and Brianna was a very sweet romance. I did feel that it was a kind of rushed romance in that the characters fell for each other fast without some of the sexual tension and frustration I find helps build a relationship so that the characters learn more about each other before being intimate. Having both Draco and Brianna as virgins was a nice surprise in that usually it’s the female that is the virgin while the male is the experienced alpha. In this case I didn’t think that Draco lost any of his masculinity by being a virgin and it only added to the sweetness of the romance between the characters.

The imagery that Nancy Lee Badger portrays in this story is fantastic. I really fell into the atmosphere quite easily. Although the individual characters are well developed, the plot lacked depth. However, I would still recommend this book to readers that are looking for a sweet romance with a paranormal twist.

Pagan Elements: None.

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Adrian's Angel by Angela Ashton

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title:  Adrian’s Angel
Author: Angela Ashton   

Author Site: http://angelaashtonbooks.com/

Buy Link: http://www.champagnebooks.com/
Publisher:  Champagne Books

Genre: Historical/Paranormal Romance (time travel)

Length: 374 pgs.

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 4

Presentation: 5

Editing: 4 (Simple mistakes, like confusing bizarre/bazaar, threw/through, surly/surely, should have been caught by an editor.)

Story: 5

Writing Ability: 5

Overall Card Rating: 

Reviewed by: Violet Harper

About The Book: Plagued by baffling circumstances surrounding the loss of his childhood sweetheart, Adrian Birichino has spent the last twenty years trying to forget. When fate forces him to return to the town he loathes, his pervasive nightmares turn alarmingly real as a luminous angel steps out of thin air, inducing an accident that leaves his life in familiar hands. Real or not, she feeds a need burrowed deep in his soul. But if she’s just a figment of his hyperactive imagination, how had she managed to leave behind tangible evidence of her existence?

Having been catapulted to a sinister spot in time, Riley Gail must find a way to convince Adrian she is real and living in the heart of the infamous witch-hunt…else resign to be immortalized in the pages of history as one of Salem’s accused forevermore.

The Review: Adrian’s Angel stands out in a vast sea of novels involving the Salem Witch Hunts as one of the most refreshingly original works ever written. Ms. Ashton uses the tragic events as both a character and a plot device in her fast-paced, adventure-filled tale of two soul mates ripped from one another by fate. She does a wonderful job of using the hunts effectively without letting them overshadow the real story.

I couldn’t help but fall in love with both the tormented hero, Adrian, and the feisty heroine, Riley.  Both were dealt more than their share of heartache and tragedy before they reached their teen years.  It only got worse for them after that.  Yet each of them displayed an indomitable spirit that made them interesting and worthwhile characters.  Ms. Ashton’s skill at building characters is amazing.  From the first page, I never doubted that any of them were real people.  Even when she recreated historical figures, she made them real while still maintaining accurate portrayals.

This was a longer novel, and the plot was full of riveting twists and turns.  Many characters added their viewpoints to build an intricate web of truths and lies.  Ms. Ashton expertly wove everything together in a time-travel adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat with wanting to know what happens next.  I am looking forward to reading more stories by this amazing author.

Pagan Elements: Though the story has an overtly Christian backdrop (it was Puritan times,) several characters use magic in order to grow as people.  Adrian must learn to forgive and let go of his hate.  He is aided in this by Fannie, the ‘real’ witch in the story, through the performing of several Pagan rituals.

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Blood Hero by Madeleine Drake

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: Blood Hero
Author: Madeleine Drake 

Author Site

Buy Link
Publisher: eXcessica publishing

Genre: Historical/Erotic/Romance/M-F

Length: 35 pgs.

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 4

Presentation: 5

Editing: 4

Story: 5

Writing Ability: 5

Reviewed by: Strega

About The Book: When Rihat discovers that his village is being terrorized by an akhazu demon, he seeks help at Marduk's temple. He meets Iltani, a demigoddess who's been cursed by Ishtar to live as an ardat-lili, enslaved by lust, a night-maiden who feeds on sexual energy. Iltani offers Rihat the power to slay the akhazu, if he'll agree to serve her every need without question. But will the price of that power be more than Rihat can bear to pay?

The Review: Rhiat is a warrior praying for a miracle…you've heard that saying, "be careful what you wish for?" Apparently Rhiat never had. This is a very short, fast-paced read that left me breathless. I was hooked from the first page, drawn in by the fabulous writing and the original plot. This story is so well written it's almost as if you can feel what the characters feel, especially in the sex scenes. The battle scene was so realistic I discovered my heart was actually pounding as I read and when Rhiat was injured, I felt the pain he felt. In the final chapter I found I had been holding my breath as I read on to discover if Rhiat survived.

The only problem I saw was in the editing, and even those were minor and doesn't distract from the reader's pleasure.

Ms. Drake is a flawless writer and even though I have never read any of her work before, I will be looking for more. And Ms. Drake, please continue Rhiat's story, I want more of him…um, his story I mean.

Pagan Elements: The premise has some references to gods and goddesses, but in general, is not pagan.

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Bride Of Death by Celina Summers

PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: Bride of Death
Author: Celina Summers

Author Site

Buy Link
Publisher: Aspen Mountain Press

Genre:Historical/Paranormal/Romance

Length: 102 pgs., plus the author's biography and an exerpt from her new book
Other: M/F

Reviewed by: Keri Stratton Alley

About The Book: When the mischievous god of love targets Hades, the god of death falls hopelessly in love with the spring maiden Persephone--the one immortal most ill-suited for his dark domain. Her mother, Demeter, will never allow the lord of the Underworld to court her beloved daughter. The king of the gods proposes an unconventional solution: Hades may kidnap Persephone and take her to the Underworld to woo her. If Persephone agrees to marry Hades, Zeus will support the match. 

But neither god has reckoned on Demeter's inconsolable grief at the loss of her daughter. If Persephone is not returned to her, the goddess has vowed to destroy all life. Can Hades win Persephone's heart before her mother discovers who has taken her? Or will Persephone make her own wishes known as the intended bride of death? Even in the world of immortals, time is not on Hades' side.

The Review: Simply brilliant. In the world of practicing pagans, who hasn't already heard the story of Hades and Persephone? It's one of the many death/resurrection stories my circle tells at Samhain to illustrate the cycle. But usually when it's told, the focus is on Persephone's kidnapping and subsequent rescue by her mother. Hades remains personified as a stereotypical chauvinistic bad-guy who kidnaps pretty children.

Ms. Summers puts a spin on every aspect of the classic myth. Hades is portrayed as the dark, handsome, mysterious, overly-serious black sheep of the family who sneaks out to watch sunrises with Pan and longs for a wife. Persephone may be young, but she's a willful young woman who knows what she wants, and how to get it. Demeter is not heroically rescuing her despoiled daughter from Hades evil clutches - she's an over-protective, interfering, future mother-in-law who doesn't know when to let go.

Such an interesting perspective makes for an entertaining read. Plus, Ms. Summers is an excellent storyteller, leading the reader through a fast-paced romantic romp, with some steamy love scenes once Persephone admits to her attraction to Hades. This is not a very long book, so it can easily be devoured in one decadent sitting. I was quite pleased to discover that it was the first of several retellings of classic myths; I look forward to reading more of Ms. Summer's work.

Pagan Elements: Based on a classic Greek myth, Ms. Summer's story features many of the Greek pantheon, including Hades, Persephone, Demeter, Zeus, Styx, Pan, and Aphrodite.

Cover (Rated 1-10): 8-I thought the mix of classical statuary and modern photography was inspired. I would definitely have picked this book up to read the blurb on the back, based solely on the cover art.

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

The God's Wife by Lena Austin

The Pagan & The Pen Reviews

Title:  The God’s Wife

Author:  Lena Austin

Author Site

Buy Link

Publisher: Aspen Mountain Press

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

Length: 222 pgs.

Other:  M/F/rape

Reviewed by: Violet Harper

The Book: Hatshepsut is a God’s Wife, a member of a secret political society of Egyptian noblewomen who use whatever it takes for the good of Egypt—money, assassination, even sex. Royal by birth, her entire life is spent in training to be the consort of the Pharaoh, Tutmose.

Despite her love for Senmut, who as a humble scribe is an unacceptable husband, Hati succeeds in winning the Pharaoh’s affections. But when Tutmose dies unexpectedly she is left as Regent of Egypt and pregnant with the dead Pharaoh’s heir.

Akenmose, her husband’s brother, is plotting to kill her and the babe—and to take the throne of Egypt for himself. Hati must protect Egypt against his deadly schemes until her son is old enough to take the throne. With Senmut and the God’s Wives standing behind her, Hati will use every weapon she finds to keep her infant son alive. Will her sacrifices be enough to save Egypt? Or will Akenmose’s schemes succeed despite the power of the God’s Wife?

The Review: Hatshepsut has long been a controversial figure from ancient Egypt.  She was the first female regent to exercise the full power of a Pharaoh.  She assumed the appearance of a man to keep others from challenging her claim.  Not much is known about her historically because everything she left behind was obliterated.  Her name and face were removed from pillars and tombs.  The discovery of her existence was accidental.  Scholars have ideas about why this might have happened, but no hard evidence.

Lena Austin takes the mystique behind Hatshepsut and spins a wonderfully believable tale about what kind of person she might have been and how the events in her life might have unfolded. Adding in the concept of the God’s Wives, a group of women who secretly wield all the power in Egypt, Ms. Austin creates one of the best tales I’ve had the pleasure to read. The God’s Wives are good women, charged with keeping all of Egypt safe and healthy. Not since I, Claudius have I been so enraptured by the tale of an ancient ruler. 

Rarely does historical fiction take a reader so into a time period that an interruption in reading causes the reader to blink and wonder why she isn’t in Egypt. The details of the description create vivid pictures for the reader without overwhelming them with information and needless facts. Even someone unfamiliar with ancient Egyptian culture would have an easy time figuring it all out.

Though it was not a quick read, it moved fast and it kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next. This is one of those undiscovered gems that should be on the New York Times Bestseller list. Lovers of historical fiction will find this one of those novels you want to read over and over again because the characters and the story are so riveting. Upon rereading it, discoveries will be made about details that seemed irrelevant or just there for the sake of description. They will reveal themselves to be important background knowledge or foreshadowing.

I loved the strong characters and how real they became to me. This story had it all—love, hate, sacrifices, murder, betrayal, sword fights, espionage, royal intrigue, soul-searching, and true friendship. The complex plot is worthy of the complex characters.  The God’s Wife is an expertly woven epic tale that should be read by everyone.

Pagan Elements:

The God’s Wives are a group of women with different abilities. Some have the gift of precognition, others can sense or control the emotions or thought of people around them, and others are trained in the properties and uses of herbs, flowers, etc. The secretly rule Egypt, keeping it safe from evil. Whether or not you recognize the specific Egyptian Gods and Goddesses they cite, all Pagans will recognize and appreciate the underlying principles guiding The God’s Wives.

Cover (Rated 1-10): 7-Shades of gold and hieroglyphics catch the eye, but it’s a generic cover that could go with any Egyptian romance novel.

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.