Betina Krahn

Good book. I especially enjoyed the setting of this one. Historical romances are overwhelmingly Regency era, but this one takes place mostly at the court of Elizabeth I with a little bit in Sweden. I felt that the portrayal of the intrigue and attitudes of the time were very well done. That said, the first 20% or so of the book dragged a little for me, but once Corrie and Rugar met, the story picked up quite nicely.

Corrie is eighteen years old and has been kept very sheltered by her parents. show more That comes to an end when Queen Elizabeth stops while on her progress around the country and takes a liking to Corrie. She insists that Corrie becomes one of her maids of honor. This horrifies her parents who are very familiar with the Queen's court and its ways, but they have no choice. Meanwhile, Corrie is thrilled with the opportunity to experience a wider world. It isn't long before Corrie becomes the queen's favorite. There are drawbacks to this, as Elizabeth is very possessive and warns off anyone who threatens her relationship with Corrie - especially the men. In spite of her intelligence and extensive education, Corrie is oblivious to the queen's machinations.

Meanwhile, Rugar is named ambassador to England by the king of Sweden and sent to establish good relations with the queen. This suits him to a T as he has personal reasons for going. As a lad of twelve, Rugar visited the court with his father, who was sent to propose a marriage between Elizabeth and the Swedish king. They were not treated kindly but mocked and derided for their differences. Rugar's father never recovered from the shame he felt at his failure, leaving Rugar burning with the desire for revenge. He arrives at the court determined to beat all the men in their manly contests and to seduce the queen's ladies.

It's at this point that the story picks up interest for me. Rugar is bowled over by his first sight of Corrie and makes her the target of his attentions. He is certain that she is just as immoral as all the other women of the court. Corrie is overwhelmed by Rugar's attentions, having never experienced anything like it. Her forthright nature supports Rugar's assumptions and his single-minded pursuit of her. I really enjoyed their interactions. Corrie's innocent reactions and questions draw Rugar closer to her. He is enchanted by her inquisitive nature and the passion he senses below her surface. As Rugar's attention stirs her senses, Corrie is determined to experience everything that she can. But as she becomes bolder, Rugar has to face the fact that he misjudged Corrie's experience, and tries to pull away. I ached for both of them at this point, because Corrie has fallen hard for Rugar, even though she feels that there is no future in it. Rugar, who has reasons for avoiding innocents, is determined to stay away from her but finds it impossible to do so. Dismayed to realize that he has fallen in love with her, Rugar is determined to protect her, even from himself.

There are outside forces that are determined to interfere. Elizabeth is angered by Rugar's attention to Corrie, even though she warned him off. She sets one of her spies on him, looking for a reason to send him away. Unfortunately, her spy has his own agenda. He has harbored a grudge against Corrie's parents for many years and looks on this a chance to even the score. When Corrie and Rugar are discovered in a compromising position, Elizabeth's rage knows no bounds.

The last part of the book flew by for me, as Corrie and Rugar escape the queen's attempts to keep them apart and flee to Sweden. I loved Corrie's joy in being there and ached for her as she faced resistance from Rugar's people. It was interesting to see Rugar's reaction to what happened and the effect it had on his view of the past. I was glued to the pages as the queen's fury continued to build and ripped Corrie and Rugar apart. I loved Rugar's determination to get her back, no matter what he had to do. The final showdown with the queen was a nailbiter. I loved Rugar's reaction to her demands and how he regained the upper hand. The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up to the story.

There was also a secondary romance between Corrie's cousin Anne and Rugar's friend Torgne. The sparks flew between them from the start. Torgne, like Rugar, had a low opinion of English morals. Anne, a relatively recent widow, is not ashamed of her needs and gets a great deal of satisfaction out of tempting him. When an unexpected mix-up throws the two of them together, the sparks burst into flame. I loved the scene on the ship as Anne goes all-out to break through Torgne's resistance. With both of them caught up in Elizabeth's outrage, there was some question as to their chances of a future together. I loved the scene at the end, as Rugar suggests the perfect "punishment" for Torgne's crimes. show less

Only a few chapters in and I have to give props to Ms. Krahn for her spectacular descriptive writing; great attention to detail. I really felt sucked into medieval France and England.
The main characters Thera and Saxxe play off of each other wonderfully. There were times when I was like "stop being a spoiled biatch Thera!" but the author describes Thera's background well enough to make her actions understandable, even if the reader doesn't always agree with them.
This book was definitely a show more character driven story. It's mostly about how different of worlds Thera and Saxxe come from and how they manage to grow into each other. ("grow into each other???" I know, there was probably a better way I could have said that but I'm sure you all know what I mean) Thera is young, incredibly naive, and stubborn without being (too) annoying while Saxxe is the world weary soldier. But a world weary solider who knows and teaches Thera seven things everyone should know and experience ;) Nice, just very nice. I loved how Saxxe made Thera into a Woman instead of her usual pampered princess self. It's always fun to read about characters who come together and through each other become true men and women.
The secondary characters of Gasquar (bff of Saxxe) and Lillith (bff of Thera) were quite complimentary to Thera and Saxxe. Gasquar was the funny, doesn't take life seriously side kick and Lillith was the stern and serious friend. I'll leave it up to your imagination if they get together ;)
There wasn't a lot to the story. Thera is trying to get home and leave Saxxe in the dust while the villain duc, who is pretty much in the background for most of the story, is chasing them. The story overall is pretty slow moving, but like I said before it's mainly character driven and you definitely get to see some great character development.
This book actually reminded me a lot of Iris Johansen's "The Magnificent Warrior". The main and secondary characters share all the same characteristics. The Magnificent Warrior was faster moving though and a better read in my opinion, so maybe give that one a go instead of this one.
I've been wanting to read a medieval book lately, slim pickens if you're looking for new one, and this book wasn't to shabby. Good characters, decent story, but just really slow moving.

B- show less

Fantastic book. Kate is a veterinarian with a special affinity for dogs. We first see her with some puppies that have been dropped off at the shelter by an unknown person, setting the stage for later events. Her warmth and compassion for the animals she cares for is obvious. Her skills are needed when a state trooper arrives with a dog that had been hit by a car.

Nick came across the injured golden retriever while out on patrol. Standing guard over the golden was a German shepherd who was show more very protective. The injured dog resurrects some hard memories for Nick, but he does what he needs to do. I loved his gentleness with the golden and the way he handled the German shepherd. It was fun to see the way that he talked to the dog.

Nick and Kate's first encounter was awesome. I loved the teamwork as they worked together to treat the golden. There were also some definite sparks flying between the two of them. Kate is wary, having recently ended one relationship and feeling too busy with work to want another. Nick is busy raising his son and dealing with his memories from his time in Iraq. Thanks to a mutual desire to put an end to a puppy mill and a dog-fighting ring, and the enthusiasm of Nick's son Ben when it comes to dogs, Nick and Kate find themselves spending a lot of time together.

I loved the development of their relationship. It is a slow process of getting to know each and learning what makes them who they are. Nick especially has some serious issues to overcome. I loved Kate's sensitivity and compassion as Nick opens up about some truly heartbreaking things that happened to him. It was awesome to see how sharing the pain helped lighten the burden of those memories. I also loved the way that Nick was there to support Kate during the heartbreaking hours of the puppy mill rescue operation. There were some conflicts when Nick's protectiveness toward Ben ran up against Kate's more relaxed style. It was fantastic to see that they were able to talk things over without resorting to dramatics. I liked how they embraced their deepening feelings for each other as a crisis tested them both. Nick's plans for the future were a perfect complement to Kate's work. The epilogue was great and I loved catching up with both two- and four-footed characters.

The concurrent story of the puppy mill and dog-fighting ring was intense and heartbreaking. I loved the bravery of Miguel and Alejandro as they took steps to help as many pups as they could. The rescue scene was scary and heartwrenching as Nick faced down the old woman who owned the dogs. The descriptions of the conditions of the dogs made me want to cry. The situation became even more intense later, when young Miguel went missing. My heart was pounding as Nick and the others searched for him. The confrontation with the dog fighters was fierce with an unexpected hero saving the day.

The secondary characters were all wonderful. I loved Nick's son Ben. He is bright and enthusiastic, and an endearing mix of kid and adult. I really liked the closeness of the relationship between Ben and Nick. Kate's grandmother was quite a trip with her farm full of rescued animals and unconventional views on raising kids. My favorite of all was the German shepherd, Soldier. I loved the way he protected Goldie and continued to watch over her. What was especially moving was the way he connected with Nick. I loved the way that Soldier helped Nick break free of the chains his memories of Iraq had on him. At the same time, Nick's attention to Soldier gave the dog a purpose to live again. I loved seeing Soldier come through for Nick at the end. There was also a brief mention at the end involving Kate's brother, Jace, and her vet partner, Jess. I will keep my eyes open to see if there will be a story for them. show less

3.5 stars

A fun Indiana Jones/The Mummy with fun combative leads and adventure in a South American jungle.

Enjoyed the byplay between main couple, the second half brought in more of the adventure and the romance got left behind a little; the "I love yous" felt suddenly said.
Fun time overall though, the heroine was a blast with her competence along the hero's befuddlement turned attraction to her capabilities.