My Highland Spy by Victoria Roberts ~ Book Review

My Highland Spy by Victoria Roberts ~ Book Review

by | Oct 30, 2020 | Book Reviews, Readers, Romance

My Highland Spy by Victoria Roberts

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclaimer for more details.

Three reasons you should read this Highland Romance:

  • My Highland Spy by Victoria Roberts is an adventurous tale that seems to get to the heart of the Scottish Highlands and settle in for a bit.
  • Lady Ravenna Walsingham is a fascinating character that may be forced to choose between loyalty to her country and loyalty to her heart.
  • Laird Ruairi Sutherland isn’t quite sure what to think of Ravenna – the governess – and as he sees how good she is to his son, he can’t help but feel more.

About My Highland Spy by Victoria Roberts

Title: My Highland Spy
Author: Victoria Roberts
Series: Highland Spies #1
Genre: Scottish Romance

My Highland Spy by Victoria Roberts

This Highland Laird won’t bow to the Crown

Laird Ruairi Sutherland refuses to send his only son away to be educated by the English. And he most definitely will not appear in Edinburgh to pay homage to a liege who has no respect for Scotland. So he does what any laird would do-he lies to the king. The last thing Ruairi expects is a beautiful English governess to appear on his doorstep.

But this lady spy might make him…

Lady Ravenna Walsingham is a seasoned spy who is sent to the savage Highlands to uncover a nefarious plot against the Crown. Playing the part of an English governess-a job easier said than done-she infiltrates the home of Laird Sutherland, a suspected conspirator.

If she doesn’t betray him first

Ravenna soon discovers that the only real threat Sutherland poses is to her heart. But will the proud Highland laird ever forgive her when he discovers the woman he loves in an English spy?

My Review of My Highland Spy:

My Highland Spy by Victoria Roberts is an incredible story – not just a romance (although there is plenty of that), but also a spy adventure. Lady Ravenna Walsingham is more than what she seems at first. She’s an accomplished spy in His Majesty’s service.

She’s sent to spy on a highland laird that refuses to send his son to be educated by the English. This is horribly suspicious, and Ravenna is perfect to infiltrate his home in disguise as an English governess.

Laird Ruairi Sutherland isn’t out to harm the crown. He just wants his son raised in his own way and not sent away from him for the English to raise. Ruairi is a wonderful father, and I fell in love with him because of the care he took for his son.

But we must have some conflict, and this is where things maybe fell a bit flat. I think it was too obvious from the beginning to Ravenna that Ruairi wasn’t up to any shenanigans, but it took her a loooong time to come to that conclusion. The court intrigue just didn’t seem to fit properly.

The romance was great. These two make an amazing couple. Ravenna’s strength and independence pair well with Ruairi’s stubbornness and family devotion.

There are several side characters that stole the show at times – one of which is a wolf-dog. But the people of the clan are enjoyable and you will grow attached.

Pick up your copy today!

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Marilia, the Warlord by Morgan Cole ~ Book Review

Marilia, the Warlord by Morgan Cole ~ Book Review

by | Oct 27, 2020 | Book Reviews, Readers, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Marilia the Warlord by Morgan Cole

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclaimer for more details.

Three reasons you should read this Female-led Fantasy:

  • Marilia, the Warlord by Morgan Cole is a fantastic start to a rich, new fantasy world.
  • Marilia is an unlikely hero and a very strong female lead.
  • The world and its characters are magically interwoven to complete a world full of interesting characters and new places full of adventure and discovery.

About Marilia, the Warlord by Morgan Cole

Title: Marilia, the Warlord
Author: Morgan Cole
Genre: Fantasy

Marilia the Warlord by Morgan Cole

Born the bastard daughter of a painted lady, Marilia was told she would live out her days within the walls of her mother’s brothel, a companion for the rich men of Tyrace. But after a terrible betrayal, Marilia’s world turns upside down. With the help of her twin brother, Annuweth, she flees the only home she’s ever known in search of the one man who can offer her a chance at a better life: one of her deceased father’s friends, the Emperor of Navessea’s greatest general.

My Review of Marilia the Warlord:

Marilia, the Warlord by Morgan Cole, was an amazing start to a new fantasy series. I love finding new fantasy authors and worlds to explore, and Morgan Cole has built a beautiful world and some fascinating characters.

Marilia is a smart child, but has few prospects of ever leaving the pillow house where she was born. But the fates have put her and her twin, Annuweth, in a position to find a way out. It isn’t easy, but they find themselves in the household of a great fighter from another land… and off they go!

This new life is just the beginning of their journey. Marilia is determined to earn a place in her new country. And not one of a meek woman taking care of the home. She has a brilliant mind for strategy, and she puts it to use.

Throughout it all, Marilia and Annuweth have an on again off again sibling rivalry that almost dooms them both. Their relationship was so true. I loved how real they both were – the love, the hate, the absolute devotion.

There were plenty of side-characters to fall in love with as well. They are so richly developed and have such important roles to play, and very few would fall into the typical fantasy stereotypes.

Throughout the book, Marilia and her friends have victories and defeats, and Marilia has to overcome it all. There really isn’t an end. The book wraps up just enough to bring a conclusion while drawing me inevitably to the sequel to continue their journey.

***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book***

Pick up your copy today!

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Titanlord A Thousand Ashes by MG Darwish
The House by the Lake by Ella Carey ~ Review

The House by the Lake by Ella Carey ~ Review

by | Oct 22, 2020 | Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, Readers, Romance

The House by the Lake by Ella Carey

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclaimer for more details.

Three reasons you should read this Historical Fiction:

  • The House by the Lake by Ella Carey merges rich history with a contemporary mystery running through.
  • Anna Young’s family history is a bit of a mystery. And Ella Carey unfolds the past for us as Anna investigates her grandfather’s family home in Nazi Germany.
  • The story ties in elements of Paris Time Capsule and draws the two histories together beautifully.

About The House by the Lake by Ella Carey

Title: The House by the Lake
Author: Ella Carey
Series: Secrets of Paris #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Historical Fiction

The House by the Lake by Ella Carey

1939, Berlin. Max Albrecht is the young and handsome heir to a beautiful house on a lake where he spent his happy childhood. As war approaches, his parents tell him he must join the Nazi party or the whole family will be killed. But when his beloved French fiancé Isabelle shows him the horrifying truth, Max faces an impossible choice: protect his family or save the girl he loves?

2010, San Francisco. Anna Young is content with her life, running a bustling deli and taking care of her adored grandfather Max, who raised her. Max has never spoken of his past until he hands over an old map, the plans to a grand house just north of Berlin. With a shaking finger, he points to it and says, “I left something behind under the floorboards. Please bring it home before I die.”

When Anna arrives at the crumbling manor in Germany, she discovers a hidden engagement ring in a velvet box. She is desperate to find the woman her grandfather hoped to marry, but the local villagers look away when she mentions Max’s name, and back in San Francisco he is now in hospital, too unwell to speak to her. What did Max do so many years ago? Is Anna ready for the terrible secret that her family’s past may hold?

From bestselling author Ella Carey comes an unforgettable novel, weaving together past and present. Gripping and heartbreaking, The House by the Lake uncovers the secrets and devastating choices that people were forced to make during history’s darkest time.

My Review of The House by the Lake:

The House by the Lake by Ella Carey was a beautiful mix of history and contemporary. Two tales unfold, tied together by Max Albrecht, Anna’s grandfather. In the present, Max sends Anna to find an item her grandfather holds dear. And while she is there, she stumbles on a mystery of what happened in the past and why he walked away from it all.

In the past, we see Max’s life, at first luxury, and then turning to disaster. I highly recommend reading Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey, as the two stories are entwined and build on each other.

Max’s history in Nazi Germany did not end well. And his is a love story gone horribly wrong. One that changed so many lives, and he’s been hiding from it ever since. But it’s time to unearth the past. I really felt for Max. Caught between two worlds and two choices. And never given the chance to decide which road to take.

Anna was a very determined character. Once she set her mind to making things “right,” she was all in. She doesn’t understand what she finds at first, and digs deeper, always looking for the next string to pull until she finds out how everything happened.

She has a very sweet romance. While it wasn’t the primary theme in the book, it was just enough to soften the edges of the tale. It made her more real and helped me root for her on her journey.

The way the two stories, history and present, wove together is what really makes this book a gem. The narrative bounces between the past and the present. But it’s done in a way that helps advance both storylines and each adds an extra level to the other. I can’t wait to read more by Ella Carey – she certainly has a way to pull me into the story.

***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book***

Pick up your copy today!

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More from Ella Carey

Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey