Book Review: Loyalty by Carol Deeley

Title: Loyalty (Britannica Book 1)
Author: Carol Deeley
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I would like to thank the author for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

Loyalty is a historical fiction novel that is the beginning of a trilogy. There are druids, kings, queens, fearsome warriors, Romans, and some bad ass women. There are secrets, mystics, forbidden love, and loyalties. I am not going to go into a lot of the plot, because there is an extensive summary on Goodreads or Amazon, and I don't want to take away from your reading experience.

Overall, this is a great first book, I'm happy to say this book didn't have a lot of the first book problems many series have. I am also astounded that the author can seamlessly write multiple genres of work. If you have read any of Carol Deeley's other work, note that this is very different. I am amazed at her ability to write the story that she has regardless of the genre it might be set in. I am not a writer, but I have read other author's attempts to veer out of their genre and it did not go well. That is not the case for this author.

Here's what I like:

1. The amount of background work and historical facts integrated into the novel is very well done. It is clear that the author did a lot of research before and while writing the book.

2. The characters in this book develop well and there is a lot of growth.

3. It was a pretty fast paced read. I moved through the book quickly and there wasn't a lot of drag that I had to go through.

4. I am in love with Boudicca. She is fierce.

5. There are castles and mystical stuff...how can you not love that.

6. I love the diversity in the relationships that Deeley writes. They are amazing. Love is love is love.

7. The first half of the book spans many years, so we were able to see glimpses of the 'past' to put the second half of the book into context.

Here's what could have been better:

1. The editing. This was mostly in tenses and pluralities. I was able to move past it and became immune to it at some point in the novel.

2. As a personal preference there are times when the descriptions seem a little long winded, but I have this problem as a reader in many books by many different authors. So take that as you will, if you enjoy Koontz's writing style then this writing style is perfect for you.

If you enjoy historical fiction or have any interest in Briton, I would definitely recommend this book. I will be reading the next two at some point.

Book Review: Soulbound by Bec McMaster book 3 of Dark Arts Series

Title: Soulbound
Author: Bec McMaster
Edition: Kindle Edition, published 2017
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Soulbound was a great end to the trilogy of the Dark Arts. 📚

An arranged marriage, one out of convenience for the groom's greedy and dark mother, and the bride's vengeful father. But what happens when the bride and groom are suddenly free from the control of their parents and have the opportunity to make their own decisions? Will love have the opportunity to grow in the unlikely of places? 

This is the story of Sebastian and Cleo. In the midst of a battle for the future of London, Cleo and Sebastian are suddenly able to make their own choices, they also need to work with the family they never realized they had to get back the world they love. Cleo can see the future, but she just doesn't understand how her and her new husband fit. Sebastian is either the bringer of all the destruction she see in her vision, or he is the savior of the destruction. Which will it be? Through many trials and tribulations Cleo and Sebastian overcome their individual fears of commitment, darkness, and love.

This is a story of the lightness and darkness within all of us. Whether lightness or darkness consumes you is entirely in the choices these two young people make. 

Will Sebastian kill his mother for revenge and go down the path of darkness, or will he choose the light?

Will Cleo give in to the darkness that is within her and contribute to London's Doom, or will she fight for what she loves?

You will just have to read it to find out.

McMaster did a wonderful job bringing the story lines from the first two books into this final book. Three brothers. Three relics. Three sacrifices. 

This is where one of those times where the sum equals more than the parts. Each book individually is tantalizing, sexy, adventurous, and action-packed, but when you put them all together, it is truly magical.

I am eager to read her upcoming trilogy that is on the back end of this one Dark Curse. I can't wait to see which characters are highlighted.

I give this book a 4/5 stars. It is great entertainment, toe curling romance, and a great plot. There was much less repetition in this book than the last, which earned it the extra star. This trilogy is great for anyone who enjoys steampunk, paranormal romance, magic, romance, and did I mention romance. 

Book Review: Hexbound by Bec McMaster

Title: Hexbound Dark Arts Series Book 2
Author: Bec McMaster
Edition: Kindle Edition
Published: October, 2016
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bec McMaster is the master at paranormal romance. She has a talent and I love it. These are my guilty pleasure reads and I try to stretch out the time it takes me to read them, but they are just so dang good, I end up reading them in 2 days. #bookwormproblems.

Hexbound focuses on Bishop (an assassin) and newly introduced to the series, Verity (a thief). The battle from the first book continues against the plot to cause mass chaos in London for magical people. Although Verify and Bishop start out as enemies, they soon discover that they have more in common than they originally seem to have. Their relationship blossoms while trying to defeat the evil around them and get back what Verity originally stole.

This is a great story of second chances, adventure, magic, sacrifice and delicious romance.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

There was a lot of steamy, toe curling romance in this book, but not as much as I was expecting after the other books I have read by McMaster.

There was also a lot of repeating the same themes of how magic works in this world. Those words could have been better used on other topics. Great read for a quick romance fix.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars because of the redundancy in some of the explanations and the few typos I found in this edition. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the paranormal and romance. I cannot emphasize the romance part enough.