Series: Kingdoms of Meria, #3
Traits & Tropes: forbidden romance; widowed heroine; forced proximity; kidnapped
Publication Date: 05.13.21
Genre/Setting: Historical Fantasy
Heat Level: 3
Rating: 5/5
Aiken has many vows to uphold, including that of Elderman, a man of God, sworn to celibacy. He is tempted by Lady Hilla as he never has been before, but he will not allow himself to be swayed from his true mission, especially for a woman he suspects is guilty of treason.
Lady Hilla is elated to be free of the despicable man she was forced to marry and wants nothing more than to return to her sister, Queen Cettina of Edingham. She hopes to warn her of those who seek to cause unrest on the Isle and instead help bring about peace between Edingham and Meria. Unfortunately, her captor has other ideas.
This unlikely pair journey all over the Isle in a bid to prevent a war. The mistrust between them soon gives way to a forbidden love and Aiken’s secret identity is revealed, threatening their lives as well as their tentative bond.
Once again, Cecelia has drawn me into this lush, fantastic world she’s created, and I was able to leave my reality behind for a while. There was much more to both Hilla and Aiken than was initially apparent and the first-person narration gave us a unique glimpse into their thoughts as each revised their opinion of the other. I loved that communication and a true bond developed between these two rather quickly and they faced the challenges of the story together. Without giving spoilers, I will just say there is happily no cheating here as that would’ve been a turn off for me. I appreciated that, though they both had secrets, Hilla and Aiken were eventually very open with each other and their development of a stronger connection and deeper feelings was so clearly inevitable. The danger and suspense of this kept me invested in the story and served to solidify the relationship between Hilla and Aiken in a delightful way and with delicious forced proximity. Cecelia has created an enthralling world with interesting lore and complex relationships between several different groups that have it begging to be made into a tv series. I love the escape this world provides and I’m very much looking forward to Kipp’s story now.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3967080950
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3380281157
Thank you so much for posting! ~Cecelia
ReplyDelete