REVIEW starring... A Stolen Knight's Kiss by Melissa Oliver

We're heading back into one of my favorite genres, Historical Romance, but to a different time period. Normally, we visit Regency/Victorian affairs, but this time around, we're in the period of the knights. That's right! Author Melissa Oliver is back with another Medieval Romance that I had to check out and share with all of you, so have your wish list at the ready because you won't want to miss this!

A Stolen Knight's Kiss

by

Melissa Oliver

About the book...

Captured by a knight…

Rescued by his kiss!

When orphan Eva loses the father-figure who’d protected her on the streets of London, she suspects the Knights of Fortitude. But when she steals information from them, she’s caught by brooding knight Nicholas. Learning he might not be the villain after all, she puts her distrust aside to work with him, yet Eva must stay focussed – and not get distracted when they share a stolen kiss!

BOOKS2READ

Harper Collins

Amazon US

Amazon UK

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I've said it before, and I'll say it again, this isn't my usual time period of preference, but I'm not ruled by my own preconceived notions of an era, even whilst reading, so if a story interests me, so be it. Such is the case with Ms. Oliver's works. Each one that I've read, thus far, takes us back to a time when travel wasn't near as easy, and instant communication was for pipe dreams only, yet they still had so much in common with us today. They still had worries, challenges, temptations, and ideas about love...not to mention plots against the crown and those that serve it!

Here, we've a young women with a broken heart, willing to do what it takes to exact revenge on the men that stole the one person she could count on. If it's not the exact knight that performed the actions, so be it...so long as it is one of this group. The plan seems easy...all the easier when a nefarious sort offers her the prime target, and all she needs to do is liberate him of the wealth on his person. Simple enough...and yet, not because all sorts of complications crop up when you're not thinking about them, the first, and foremost...an attraction between he and she that can't be denied. Too bad he's the enemy...right? Or is he...because he could have let her fall to her doom, he could have left her to the whims of those she was working for, he could have done any matter of things to her, and yet he seems to be proving most honorable. Is it a trick...or is the real trick her telling herself that's he's too good to be true...

A great trip to an era gone by, yet with all the feels any could muster. It was great getting to know this feisty leading lady, as well as this mostly honorable knight, and the chance to see them together, the chance to watch them let go of the reigns and just BE was too enchanting to pass up! If you've read any of her other works, you won't want to miss this!

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About the author...

Melissa Oliver is from south-west London where she writes historical romance novels. She lives with her lovely husband and daughters, who share her passion for decrepit, old castles, palaces and all things historical.

Melissa is the WINNER of The Romantic Novelist Association's Joan Hessayon Award for new writers 2020 for her debut, The Rebel Heiress and the Knight.

When she's not writing she loves to travel for inspiration, paint, and visit museums & art galleries.

SITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ecopy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Tales of Westerford by Darryl Womack

Hi there!

Welcome back to the Friday edition of Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers; the place where letting the world know you LIKE BIG BOOKS AND YOU CAN NOT LIE is totally accepted, in fact encouraged, with a smile and a welcoming sweep of arms.

Today, we're closing out the week with a Fantasy tale from the Children's Fiction realm that'll take you back to days of old with knights, dragons, and kings; of course the fact that the subtitle INCLUDES those words is a big clue as to what it contains, but that's neither here nor there for the sake of our discussion.  *ahem*  Anyway, the adventure you are about to embark on will keep you on your toes as danger lurks around many a corner, but it will also remind you what the most important traits of leaders, knights, and all those worth knowing truly are...and none of them are worldly riches.  Ready or not, put on your armor and grab a weapon of choice as we set forth into the pages of today's book of choice...

Tales of Westerford:

Dragons, Knights and Kings

by

Darryl Womack

9781943425297

Elevate Fiction

About the book....

From deep within the ring of fire, burning logs, and smoldering ash, grows a tale of an adventurous boy and a magical discovery.

Nat is a young boy who lives with his family in Sutter, a small village in the Kingdom of Westerford. Like all children his age, Nat loves to play “knights” with his friends. He dreams of one day becoming a knight himself and serving the noble King Edgar. Nat’s other favorite activity is exploring the nearby forest where, one day, he, quite literally, stumbles upon a giant egg.

When the egg finally hatches, so does a series of events that leads to the fulfillment of Nat’s wildest dreams. This is the story of two young friends who take on adventures to save the kingdom. With his best friend, Danby, by his side what could possibly go wrong?

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This is the story of one young man's journey from his given lot in life to discovering his true destiny.  It has shades of Eragon thanks to a particular leathery winged friend (yes, I'm talking about YOU Danby), but that's about the extent of that shadowing for this is a tale that stands on its own two feet.

Nat is a wonderful lad, full of life with a good head on his shoulders and a generous heart.  He embodies the elements that make a man or woman truly rich by being honest, loyal, and brave.  He openly extends his hand in friendship before ever drawing a sword and warmly shares the feelings of his heart with those he truly cares for.  From the moment he found that beautiful little egg and nurtured the soul inside it despite all the ill-natured stories he had been fed, I knew he was a boy/man to watch.  As his relationships extended outside of he and Danby, we are witness to his attributes growing tenfold with the addition of him finding his one true love.  

Now, before you go thinking it's all sunshine and roses or just another story for girl readers, let me tell you...you'd be making false accusations.  There are battles to be fought, curses to be broken, and quests to be completed, leaving a little something for everyone at the turn of the page.  I will admit, at first I wasn't certain I was going to enjoy it quite as much as I did.  You see, I initially found the author's portrayal of the Princess to be rather off putting.  She simply was there, royalty, and did nothing but sew, or chat with friends, or some other mundane task to pass the time.  Pfft!  What kind of Princess is THAT?!  Lucky for me, though the focus of the story doesn't move to her specifically, she finds a role in the events transpiring that put a smile on my face...and that of our lad Nat (very open minded of him too!).

When all was said and done, I really enjoyed my time in the Kingdom of Westerford.  Nat was a gem of a fellow, Charis was a worthy Princess, King Edgar was much more regal than he at first seemed, and Danby was...well Danby was Danby and what else could a friendly dragon be but fun?!  The writing wasn't fancy but the story crafted showed talent without getting way over the heads of the intended audience.  Suffice it to say, my adventure through the pages was a resounding success and one that I would recommend to Children's Fiction fans that are ready for a good old fashioned quest to get the girl, gain a title, and save a kingdom...in no particular order.  Sounds like your kind of read?  I thought it might...now watch for page 30 because when Nat first meets...well, you'll see.

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About the author...

Darryl Womack’s love for story-telling was spurred from family camping trips and his many colorful tales shared around the campfire in the backwoods of California. A high school english teacher by day, Womack is now bringing those vivid campfire fables to life in his new book, Tales of Westerford. When he is not writing, Womack enjoys the outdoors, traveling, mountain biking, reading, and spending time with family and friends. A graduate of Humboldt State University, he currently resides in Redlands, California with his wife of 27 years, Patty. Together they have three sons, Garrett, Kevin, and Christopher.

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ARC for review received of Emily at Elevate Publishing (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is set to hit bookstore shelves, both virtual and non, June 1st, 2016, so mark your calendars or pre order it today from the publisher and get 20% with the special code listed on the site!  One more tantalizing tidbit, there's a GIVEAWAY on GoodReads right now for this very title that ends June 4th, so feel free to click on over for your chance to win!

Until next time...happy reading!

Glubbery Gray: The Knight-Eating Beast by Beth Kander and Bret Kenyon

Hi there!

Welcome back to the weekend edition of Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're stepping back into the playroom for a children's book title that's fit for all ages.  It's a cross between a counting primer and a storybook with an adventure thrown in for good measure.  How does it all turn out?  Ah, well that's what we're about to find out.  Ladies and gents, gentle folk and knights-in-training, today's book of choice is....

Glubbery Gray:  The Knight-Eating Beast

A Counting Book (With a Beast)

by

Beth Kander and Bret Kenyon

Illustrated by

Jesse Labbe

9781589608676

Pelican Publishing

If you can't tell from the cover, this is QUITE the unusual read.  I mean really, how often does one anticipate a knight-eating monster to out with maths?  Yeah, that's what I thought...pretty much never and yet that's just what he does here, in his own way.  *ahem*  Let's just say that the adventure begins with EIGHT brave knights leading one Glubbery Gray across the lands to his new "home" and ends with but ONE knight sharing his newly learned mottos.  *gulp*

Though storybook in form, quite a bit actually goes down between the pages.  I mean, we start with EIGHT and progressively lose one, then another, and another and...well, you see the pattern...but the knights don't just up and disappear.  There's a reason for their removal from the caravan and it's initials happen to be G.G.  No imagination is lost when it comes to their disappearances and each one is creatively unique.  One knight learns to watch his suggestion of a snack around a hungry beast.  Another now knows that singing too loudly may irritate those around them.  Yet another will always remember to keep at least one eye open when napping round a beast.  There's nary an instance that won't make you gasp or chuckle but all in good fun.  Moving on....

Stating it again and yet it deserves restating, from the moment I saw the cover, I knew I had to check this one out.  The illustrations are whimsical with a color palette that matches well with the characters portrayed.  With each turn of the page not only is the story moved forward (and one more knight meeting a curious end...eek!), but the eyes are snared by the action unfolding.  Even the wandering eye of more reluctant readers can't help but be caught by Glubbery moving through the ranks, or that smart little knight on the end evading his grasp.  It's a wonderful marriage of word and image that makes for a unique and memorable experience.  

So, whether you learned your numbers many moons ago or you're just trying to grasp the concept of 8 minus 1...minus 1...minus 1....this is a read you've got to check out.  You'll come for the story and stay for the illustrations but in either case, you'll be glad you came. Enchant you and yours today by adding this book to your MUST READ list!

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About the authors...

An award-winning writer and playwright, Beth Kander is the community outreach director for Mad Genius, Inc., a creative agency. She is involved in a wide variety of theater and arts organizations and was named a Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Arts Fellow. A graduate of Brandeis University and the University of Michigan, Kander lives in Jackson, Mississippi.

Bret Kenyon is a national sales assistant for CBS-affiliate WJTV in Jackson, Mississippi. He has worked as a youth pastor, executive director of Covenant School of the Arts, commercial actor, and freelance writer. He and his wife, Rachael, live in Jackson, Mississippi.

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About the illustrator....

Jesse Labbé is an independent artist who has worked as a concept artist for a film and video production company. He attended the Art Institute of Dallas and has authored and illustrated a graphic novel, with more projects underway. A frequent exhibitor at Comic-Con conventions, Labbé enjoys music, hiking, and karaoke. He lives in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

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Special thanks to Bergen at Pelican Publishing Company for the review copy.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their full catalog, be sure to stop by their official site, friend them on Facebook, or connect via Twitter.  This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!