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Uncaged Review – The Black Dragon by Kathryn Le Veque

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Black Dragon
Kathryn Le Veque
Medieval Romance

Welcome to the world of THE BLACK DRAGON!

Addax al-Kort was not born in England.

As the heir to the throne of a defunct distant kingdom (near present day Pakistan), Addax came to England with a trade caravan when he was very young. He became a page for a powerful knight and worked his way through the ranks and protocols of Medieval England to become a full-fledged English knight serving William Marshal. Addax is part of the brotherhood of Executioner Knights serving the Marshal, but he has a great talent for the tournament circuit. Competing under a standard emblazoned with black dragon, he becomes quite rich.

But something changes the course of his life forever.

A man he thought was a friend.

Addax and Maximillian de Grey, a fellow competitor, are close friends, so close that Addax leaves the tournament circuit to go with his friend to help secure his new legacy when he marries a woman of his father’s choosing. Unfortunately, that’s where the trouble begins, for Maximillian is not noble man when it comes to women. He doesn’t want a wife and he makes that abundantly clear. He has mistresses, openly, in front of his new wife, and steps on everything that marriage stands for.

But the new wife isn’t any ordinary woman. Emmeline de Witt is a sweet, beautiful woman who doesn’t deserve what Maximillian is dishing out. Addax is put in the position of comforting his friend’s wife simply out of duty and a sense of compassion, but the inevitable happens. When the woman Addax loves is abused by her husband, will he look the other way because of the sanctity of marriage? Or will he fight for the woman who has captured his heart, no matter what happens to him in the end? He’s a man of honor, above all… but will honor be what he chooses?

Addax has lost everything in his life – his throne, his identity, his family. But Emmeline… Emmy… gives him hope that he can know joy once again. In her, he can see his destiny.

Or his death.

Uncaged Review: Sir Addax al-Kort, a magnificent knight, known on the tournament circuit as the black dragon, is one of the greatest! Addax loves to compete in tournaments, especially against fellow knights and even his best friend, Maximillian “Max” de Grey. Max’s father had instantly betrothed him to the beauteous Lady Emmeline “Emmy” de Witt. Addax is very surprised at the marriage but feels there is another motive for why the wedding was done in so much haste. When Addax is asked by Christopher “Chris” de Lohr, an Executioner Knight, to find out the true reason why Max’s father so wanted the marriage and if it had something to do with the Scottish? Chris asks Addax to go to Max’s home and find out the real reason while also passing along information to him. Addax will do this and also becomes very close to Emmy, slowly falling for her too as well. Addax realizes that there is a fine line between being Max’s friend and his love for Emmy is also putting them both in mortal danger.

What an amazingly wonderful historical romance that is not only a joy to read yet manages to captivate anyone who reads it! The book might be a love story, yet there is so much more than just a tale of that. There is so much depth, beautiful visuals and fascinating characters that the story literally transcends on another level that I couldn’t help but get caught up in the novel too. There are very few plot holes that are left unturned. Sure, I had a few questions about what actually happened to Addax’s family and wanted to know what really happened, yet I figured it would all turn out fine. Addax is such a charming, honorable knight that, even though he isn’t truly English, he’s still a tremendous person that is worthy of being a perfect book boyfriend. While Emmeline isn’t the young sweet innocent damsel but an older woman who is still feisty and is just enchanting too. Do I look forward to more of the executioner knights? Well of course, I do! Hopefully Essien gets a story too. Ms. Kathryn Le Veque writes not only with a deep passion for the story, but everything too. I anxiously await more of her books, no matter what they may be!
Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Baron to Break by Tammy Andresen

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Baron to Break
Tammy Andresen
Historical Regency

What if Prince Charming wasn’t so charming? What if he was the bad guy?

And Baron Robinson liked it that way. Except when his best friend’s sister, the lovely Miss Emily Cranston, is suddenly alone in the world, he knows it’s his duty to protect her.

Which turns out to be a much larger job than he anticipated. Because while Emily is the picture of innocence, the trouble nipping at her heels is anything but.

Jacob might be a no-good rake… but a lady that vulnerable needs to be protected from real evil.

And that fact that she tempts him in all sorts of ways she ought not…. Well, he’s just going to have to keep her safe from that too. But while saving her from the world is a challenge, keeping his hands off her is proving to be impossible.

Uncaged Review: This is sort of loosely based off of the Sleeping Beauty story, I think. But instead of an evil stepmother, the no-good mother is mother to Baron Jacob Robinson, our handsome rake, who will truly see the evil in her by the end of the book. Jacob has been working since his father’s death to get the finances in order, since his father left him in so much debt, with a mother who wants to spend it all. Emily just lost her parents, and as the sister to his best friend, who is missing, Jacob feels duty-bound to protect her, even when the solicitor tells them that Emily’s family didn’t have much money left.

This book becomes a wild race to get Emily to safety and find out the mystery surrounding the deaths of her parents and how everyone else plays into this and why they want Emily. It’s a shorter book, so it was easy to read in a couple hours and even though Emily was sheltered her whole life, she finds strength and sass. These two will have to overcome their own doubts and self-loathing and find their inner strengths to get their HEA. I did not read the first two in this series, and this stands on its own well. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Claiming the Chess Mistress by Louisa Cornell & Andrea K. Stein

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Claiming the Chess Mistress
Louisa Cornell & Andrea K. Stein
Historical Regency

The loss of Col’s damning journal pages is about to turn deadly;
The forfeit of Charlotte’s closely guarded secrets might destroy her;
Will their mutual quest for justice bring them together, or tear them apart?

By night, she’s a masked chess mistress who challenges and trounces all takers; by day, she’s the ethereal white-blonde beauty who volunteers at the children’s refuge in Seven Dials — Charlotte Smythe lives a luxurious double life of ease as the mysterious chess genius at Goodrum’s House of Pleasure..

After spending years as a gifted investigator extricating others from their peccadillos, dedicated Bow Street runner Archer Colwyn has landed in a suds of his own making. The light-hearted journal of sensual exploits he and his school chums kept while students at Cambridge has gone missing, and the secrets within his particular pages, if revealed, could set off deadly consequences.

The dangerous Captain El Goodrum, proprietress of the most infamous house of pleasure in London, holds the key to their retrieval. In exchange for her cooperation, she demands he run a gauntlet of secrets to deliver a master criminal to justice. His only path to the damning pages is the inscrutable chess mistress who not only resents his attempts to romance away his journal pages, but seems to relish his dread and panic at the prospect of the pages becoming public knowledge.

Charlotte craves the kind of refuge she provides to the orphans she rescues from London’s stews. The respite she seeks away from the world in her St. John’s Wood villa with her two house companions is all that keeps her sane, but sometimes, late at night, she needs something more, something even she cannot name.

Uncaged Review: This book was easily read in a couple hours and it’s a very original storyline that I hadn’t read before. When two writers are penning a book together, it’s always fun to see if I can recognize where one author stops and the other begins, but this is a seamless story. Both our main characters have a past with dark secrets, and both have a lot at stake if either of their pasts comes to light. Charlotte was taken in by Captain El Goodrum, the owner of a house of pleasure, but Charlotte is her chess master. Four nights a week, competitors pay a fee to try to beat Charlotte as she walks among the tables in her disguise.

Col is a highly trained Bow Street Runner who knows Charlotte has possession of his journals from university days, that can endanger not only him, but someone he loves if the pages come to the surface.

What I really liked about this book is that we aren’t reading about members of the ton, or high society regency. We are reading about people that are coming from average backgrounds and are making their own futures. Good spicy storytelling that was original and easy to like. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Flames of Flamenco by Jennifer Ivy Walker

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Flames of Flamenco
Jennifer Ivy Walker
Contemporary Erotica

In Montmartre, the bohemian heart of Paris, Ella meets an intriguing artist who sketches portraits on the trendy Place du Tertre and dances flamenco at the local tablao. As Jean-Luc introduces her to the secret delights of the City of Light, Ella becomes his Muse, the passion they share inspiring and igniting his art and his dance.
When he melts her frozen heart, she decides to remain in Paris and live with him, sharing his atelier as she designs and creates chic couture.

But a beautiful, beguiling curator invites Jean-Luc to display his paintings as the featured artist in the upcoming L’Art de la Danse exhibit, and the lure of international fame threatens his future with Ella.

Will jealousy and greed extinguish their passion, or will the flames of flamenco endure?

Uncaged Review: Ella is in Paris, studying for a month when she meets an artist and dancer, Jean-Luc. They begin a month-long love affair, but they both become so much more to each other than just the mind-blowing sex. Jean-Luc has never felt more inspired, and Ella is falling head over heels for him, dreading having to leave Paris in July.

This is a very sexy erotica, but it’s also a heartwarming, tender story of two people’s summer fling becoming so much more. There is some conflct to keep the story moving forward and the story keeps a good pace. This novella is perfect for a couple hours, Since this is a shorter book, I’ll not give anything more away, but the reader will be flipping pages to find out how it all ends. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Knight of Chaos by Sherry Ewing

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Knight of Chaos
Sherry Ewing
Medieval Historical

In the chaos of war, can one knight defy the odds to find peace with the woman warrior he loves?

Sir Theobald Norwood finds himself embroiled in a mission of loyalty and love as he stands by Empress Matilda in her pursuit of the throne. As he and her army head to Winchester, he stumbles upon a mysterious woman named Mistress Ingrid Seymour, hiding in the woods with her own quest in mind. What starts as a test of her worthiness quickly transforms into a profound connection.

As they join forces on the battlefield, Theobald and Ingrid face not only the challenges of war but also the enemies lurking in the shadows. Ingrid’s identity is called into question, shaking the very foundation of her existence, while Theobald grapples with his own emotions. Amidst confusion, they must find a way to let love blossom and unite their hearts.

But with forces working against them, will Theobald and Ingrid be torn apart by the unpredictable tides of fate? Can they overcome their differences and trust one another, or will the mounting chaos consume their chances at happiness?

Uncaged Review: The middle son of the Norwood family, Sir Theobald Norwood, fled London, escaping to Oxford with the Empress Matilda secretly hidden away. On a small farm outside London, Mistress Ingrid Seymour knew the time had come to leave the tiny village with nothing keeping her there and both her parents gone. Ingrid knew that her destiny didn’t lie in town. Before Ingrid even meets the Empress though, she runs into Theobald, who decides to be her protector and delivers her to the Empress. When Ingrid finally gets to meet the Empress, she promotes her as a lady-in-waiting, which Ingrid isn’t really wanting, but her fighting days aren’t over either. Theobald and Ingrid have a much bigger threat to fight besides a war, enemies that want both of them dead but most of all falling in love.

What an amazing, fast-moving historical romance filled with action, adventure, battle and love! Who wouldn’t appreciate that? These are usually my favorite types of stories filled with enough fighting going and heartfelt affection that, of course, I don’t get bored and instead devour the pages wishing the book would never end! Sure, the book is the second in the series, but it can somewhat stand alone. You just might want to read the first book about Theobald’s brother, Wymar, just to understand the relationship between them even if you didn’t, there is enough background information to understand what is going on. Theobald is the perfect representation of a knight. He watches over and protects women, children, his fellow knights and, most of all, Ingrid. That I couldn’t help but fall for him too. While Ingrid might be a warrior maiden, she still manages to ensnare the heart of Theobald and everyone likes her too. Do I look forward to the next book in the series, you bet I do! Ms. Sherry Ewing has penned a book that has everything I relish: an enjoyable, well-written story that you can’t help but get caught up in, lots of plot twists/twists, so you never know what is going to happen, beautifully written characters that almost seem real, stunning visuals that make it easy to see the entire tale in your head and an epic romance that literally sweeps you away! Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Review – A Fallacious Seduction by Virginia Barlow

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

A Fallacious Seduction
Virginia Barlow
Western Historical

A sassy heroine and an alpha lawman clash in an epic tale of mistaken identity by the author of The Wicked Sister!
When the train US Marshal Reese Calhan is riding on explodes, he is one of two survivors. Trouble is, the other survivor is the woman who betrayed him years ago. A woman he thought was dead. This time he will not fall prey to her wiles. He’ll see the vixen jailed for her crimes if it kills him.
Recovering from a recent jilting and now a train explosion, Shanna Johnston has no idea why the handsome stranger insists he knows her and calls her by another woman’s name. His heated looks and knowing kisses spark a fire in her she cannot ignore–even as her own mysterious past is closing in.
Will the two put their differences aside long enough to fall in love?

Uncaged Review: One of the best western historical books I’ve read in a while, and I realize I’m late to the party, but this is a good western with suspense, danger and spicy romance. This book starts out with a literal bang, when a train explodes from a bomb. Only 2 survivors, Reese and Shanna, who Reese swears is a woman named Jenna that betrayed him years ago, and he is not letting her get away this time. Meanwhile, Shanna has no idea who Reese is, or anything he’s talking about.

I guessed a couple different ways this could go, and it was a good read getting through all the pitfalls these two will go through. Shanna is a strong, smart woman with a heart of gold, and while this confuses Reese, he can’t help how he feels about her, but convinces himself it’s all an act.

Great story, good characters, a good ending and I always like when we have an epilogue. If you like western romances, you can’t go wrong with this one. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Forever Her Duke by Scarlett Scott

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Forever Her Duke
Scarlett Scott
Historical Regency

Vivi, the Duchess of Bradford, loved her husband from the day they first met. She was an unabashed hoyden. He was the heir to a dukedom and her older brother’s best friend. She vowed to marry him, but she never could have imagined just how dreadfully that youthful promise would go awry, shattering her hope for a future.

Having spent the past year in England while the duke has been abroad, she has thrown herself into a cause that won’t lead to more sorrow. She’s content with her growing circle of friends in the Lady’s Suffrage Society and is doing her utmost to banish the Duke of Bradford from her heart and mind for good.

Until she discovers she has an unexpected guest at her country house party, and it’s the husband who left her. Not only is he back, but Court is far more sinfully handsome than she remembered, and he wants the one thing she isn’t prepared to give—her complete and utter surrender.

Uncaged Review: This is a shorter read, one I finished in a couple hours. A beautiful second chance story of two people torn apart from guilt, and brought back together with love. After a year of a self-imposed exile after his wedding to Vivi, Court returns to his ancestral home and to Vivi, to find her angry and cold toward him and a two week house party that Vivi has planned. But Court is determined to win over his wife and the two will need to find a way to move beyond the past to look to the future.

This is a shorter book, and I would have loved to see more interaction between the two of them with them finding their way back to each other, and I think the author could have really elaborated a bit more, especially during the house party. This is a fun, spicy romance and I have to say, I even laughed a couple times at Court’s musings. And that swan….
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Demon’s Mark by Ella Summers

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Demon’s Mark
Ella Summers
Fantasy

The schemes of deities are always multi-course affairs.

Three years ago, gods and demons united against a common enemy. Now a terrible, ancient secret threatens to tear that alliance apart.

Leda Pandora, the Angel of Chaos, has a complicated family. Her father’s a god, her mother’s a demon, and her daughter is destined to one day become the savior of the universe . . . if Leda can keep her safe long enough to grow up.

Unfortunately, the universe might need saving a little sooner than expected.

Whole worlds are going dark, deities are dying, and both gods and demons are each blaming the other for it. Every day, the threads of peace grow weaker. The countdown to war is ticking, and if Leda can’t uncover the real culprit in time, the alliance won’t be the only thing in tatters—the whole universe will burn in the aftermath.

Uncaged Review: The eleventh book in this series hits the ground running and hardly slows down. As we are nearing the end to this series, Leda and Nero are thrust into a battle that no one knows who is starting it, the demons and gods blaming each other. It will up to Leda to find the answers to save the truce between the two factions and still protecting their daughter Sierra and along the way and find out who is stealing all the immortal artifacts.

There was a good suspense storyline running in this one, and it’s a tangled affair when everything comes to light. I would liked to have seen more Leda and Nero time, but I really enjoyed Leda with her father, Faris. My only gripe was that Nero seemed more on the sidelines this time. This is a fantastic series for anyone who loves the fantasy genre. A series that I could easily read again. Reviewed by Cyrene


5 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Wallflower’s Midnight Waltz by Collette Cameron

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Wallflower’s Midnight Waltz
Collette Cameron
Historical Regency

A masquerade ball sets the stage for an American wallflower’s revenge against an English noble, only to be complicated by unexpected love…

American Eva Westbrook has had enough of English aristocrats looking down their snooty noses at her. Among these elite nobles is her neighbor, Peter Hartigan, a notorious rake she believes played a part in her cousin’s humiliation a few years ago. Disguised as a mysterious masked woman and seeking reprisal, Eva sneaks into a masquerade ball that Peter is hosting.

As Eva spends more time with Peter, she realizes he may not be the heartless blackguard she thought he was. She becomes torn between her duty to avenge the past pain and suffering of her dear cousin and the unexpected feelings for the very man who’d caused it.

As they dance the midnight waltz, Eva and Peter engage in a dangerous game of deception and desire. Eva struggles to maintain her facade while battling her growing attraction to Peter. Meanwhile, Peter is captivated by the enigmatic woman in his arms and is determined to uncover her true identity.

With her blossoming feelings conflicting with a quest for vengeance, will Eva decide to follow through with her vendetta or let go of the past and take a chance on a future with Peter?

Uncaged Review: A very sweet novella, that only takes a couple of hours to read. Peter Hartigan has returned after a devastating injury leaves him without a big chunk of his memories. Told he humiliated Althea Westbrook, the nearby neighbors, Peter is afraid but determined to give his apologies to the family, even not knowing what he did. So he holds a masquerade party and gives an invite to a servant at the Westbrook’s home…not knowing the servant he handed it to was not a servant at all.

Eva Westbrook is an American cousin visiting on an extended stay. She knows how badly Althea was hurt, and vows to go to the masquerade to humiliate Peter like he did to her cousin. But when she gets there, she finds he may not be the cad everyone made him out to be, and finds the attraction between them undeniable…

Will it work out for the two? And what really happened that night with Althea? This is nice fun read and although very short, and I’m not normally a fan of instant love type tropes, it actually works pretty nicely here. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Dead Girl by Kerrie Faye

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Dead Girl
Kerrie Faye
YA Fantasy

Dying has its perks…mostly. Bullied teen, Ember O’Neill goes from the weird girl to the tyrant of her school when she is resurrected from a deadly prank. Now secretly supernatural, she dethrones the school drama queen and snags the hot new guy, but her reign is at risk when the Order, a heretical sect, sends an assassin to eliminate her.
Ember must expose her powers, potentially losing all she has gained, in order to save herself and her friends as her killer closes in.

Uncaged Review: I really enjoyed this supernatural suspense book. Meet high schooler Ember and she isn’t like normal girl’s her age. What follows is the story of Ember and how she gets caught up on life, trying to be a normal girl. This book was really enjoyable and had me trying to guess at what was going to happen next. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending. This ended with some loose ends still not tied up. I’m keen to see what happens next? Or if there going to be a book two
Reviewed by Jen

4 Stars

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