M. J. Scott (1)

I was pleasantly surprised by THE SHATTERED COURT. I am pretty picky with my high fantasy reads and after reading the blurb I wasn't blown away, but when I started reading, I quickly realized that this was a book I was going to enjoy reading.

Sophia is a royal witch who's waiting for her birthday to find out if she will manifest magic. She is pretty sheltered and protected in the castle and wants nothing more than to be like the other kids her age. I actually liked Sophia quite a bit. She show more comes off as meek, but you learn that she has bite. She is also really curious and questions things, especially when they don't make sense. This happens to get her in trouble and the fact that she ends up being really powerful makes her a target.

I will admit I was kinda put off by Cameron at first. He had a relationship (sexual) with the princess and I hate to admit it, but I judged him badly for that. He quickly grew on me as he stepped up to protect Sophia and also stepped up when they got back to the palace. He genuinely liked her and wanted to be with her. Their relationship was sweet and their feelings grew pretty strong in a world that people are usually thrown together for political gain. They got lucky, but it sure wasn't easy.

There is a lot of politics involved in THE SHATTERED COURT. The world building was well done and it was easy to follow along with everything that was going on. The struggles that Sophia and Cameron faced were real and I had no problem rooting for them. The ending wasn't a surprise to me, but I was really intrigued watching it unfold and it left me excited to see what will happen next.

This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

I read The Shattered Court and loved it so much that I searched for M.J. Scott's other books.

M.J. Scott has created a world where the throne is passed on to women in the royal line whose magic is strong enough to keep the country bountiful and healthy. The country's tradition and religion has established rites such that women of royal blood who manifest magical powers are directed to marry and undergo a religious rite that binds their magical power to their spouses. The country's court and show more culture is much like that of Elizabethan England with its strict mores and social structure. Our heroine is a lady-in-waiting with a distant tie to the throne but with magical powers that will prove near legendary.

The emergence of magical powers comes at on one's 21st birthday. Lady Sophia Kendall was far from the throne, only 32nd in line. But an attack on the Court forces her to hide with Lt. Cameron Mackenzie and she comes of into her powers unexpectedly and without the traditional rites or protections. Not only does Lady Sophia prove to be exceptional in her abilities and the strength of her magic, she is linked to Cameron and unable to be bound to another.

Sophia is seen as a uncertain power and a potential threat to the status quo. While the Queen holds affection for her royal cousin, powers behind the throne prefer to remove Sophia's powers and the threat that she poses. The Queen and her court are reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth of England - powerful, jealous, and a critically important ruler for the small nation trying to rule as best she can.

The young Sophia seeks to serve her Queen and her family but is largely unprepared for the maneuvering and ruthlessness that come with ruling a nation state. She must learn to balance her principles with political reality and must do so as she fights for her life.

I found Sophia a winning protagonist - loyal with a deep sense of honor but thrust into an impossible situation. She tries to remain loyal to her Queen but is uncomfortably aware that while she has the Queen's affection, she is not certain of her trust. As Sophia struggles to prove her loyalty to Queen and state, she must learn to face deadly threats and keep her head. The love story between Sophia and Cameron adds another layer of uncertainty and fun to a wonderful, engrossing read. I can't wait to read what happens next! show less

I have seen this author's books floating around the internet for a while but I have never really checked them out until now. Although, I kept meaning to try this author sooner. Now, after reading this book I am kicking myself that I did not pick up a copy sooner. I just fell in love with Finn. A reformed bad boy with a heart of gold. What is not to love about this...oh and he is easy on the eyes (bonus).

Eva may have been the older one in the relationship but it was Finn that was the show more teacher. He really helped Eva to loosen up and showed her that age is only a number. In fact, it did not show or have any affects in my mind that Eva was older. Well except for a time or two. Yet, it was so cute when she stood up for Finn and he complimented her on doing so. I read and finished this book in a matter of a few short hours. Not only is this book titled "Playing Fast" but it reads fast (this is a good thing). I now plan to go back and check out the prior novels in this series. show less

Malachi (Mal) owned a baseball team, The New York Saints, with his two best friends, Alex and Lucas. They each tried to pitch in, doing their own part to make the team bigger and better. Mal took care of security which was becoming a nightmare with all that needed done before the season started. Including keeping the new cheerleaders safe. He wouldn't stand for anyone getting hurt on his turf. Baseball never had cheerleaders and didn't need any now either. Especially that sleek, little show more redhead with that shimmy thing going on.The one that seemed to be in charge and he didn't need this right now. Raina, in charge of the cheerleaders, wasn't ready for the stony-faced bad boy that seemed to be putting a damper on their practice. Her grandma would have guessed he'd be trouble and Raina would have agreed at that particular moment. The trouble was, she really couldn't seem to stay away from the bad boys. Will she be able to stay away from this hottie, Mal, when she needs this job so much?

Oooh, yeah! Another great book in the New York Saints series. I love the strong characters in Ms. Scott's books. Not only the heroes, but the heroines too, which makes for heated challenges amongst the characters. That adds more romance and of course, steamy sex to the mix and that's right up my alley. Lawless in Leather has a great cover too and I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I DO sometimes judge a book by it's cover (sorry!). At least at first, that is. I'm so glad in this case it did. I enjoyed this book like nobody's business! I love that Mal always wanted to take care of Raina, but it was great that she was independent and didn't want to give in to that. But even when the heroine doesn't want to give in to it, it's still so sexy that her man wants to take care of her. It's thrilling too that everything isn't always peachy and sweet and the characters have tense moments when they don't agree. That's how life is and it's great to see it in romance books. Ms. Scott writes her stories with just enough detail and some heated arguments, mixed with some steamy sex. Yes, I'm enjoying each one of her books a little bit more than the last. Don't miss this New York Saints series or you'll be sorry you did!

5 Stars show less