ARC Reviews

Showing posts with label Action/adventure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Action/adventure. Show all posts

22/04/2021

The Dark Spawn (Battle Lords of de Velt #4) by Kathryn Le Veque. Action / Adventure / Historical Romance. Release & ARC Review.

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The son of The Dark Lord joins forces with the Executioner Knights to bring you the Medieval Romance you’ve been waiting for. It’s a no-holds barred, dark and passionate romance where the rules don’t apply.

Prepare to enter the Darkness...


Coleby de Velt is the firstborn son of the notorious Dark Lord, Ajax de Velt. He grew up idolizing his father—and knowing all about his history—and he has his father's dark streak. That makes him a perfect agent for William Marshal and the Executioner Knights. As William Marshal himself says—'Tis better to be at the Devil's right hand than in his path...' And Coleby is definitely the Devil.

He's the spawn of The Dark Lord and everything that goes with it.

When Coleby falls for an unusual woman, it’s with his whole heart. He doesn’t know how to do anything half-measure—and he doesn’t know how to protect himself. Lady Corisande “Cori” de Bourges, an accomplished woman of considerable talent, has bewitched him and for a sweet moment in time, Coleby experiences something he’s never known before—a blooming love and a calm to his restless soul he can’t begin to describe. He believes he has finally found happiness. Perhaps the darkness has finally met with the light.

Until the Scots attack and Cori is captured.

Unfortunately for the Scots, The Dark Spawn is unleashed. Coleby will stop at nothing to rescue his beloved Cori, but when he finally regains her with surprising ease, a horrible truth is revealed.

All is not as it seems.

Can Coleby forgive the unforgivable? Or will The Dark Spawn’s heart turn cold?

(Note: This is a dark romance with elements of Medieval brutality, as is expected in the Battle Lords of de Velt series. There is an unconventional love story with unconventional elements, but as always, a satisfying HEA.)


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



Coleby de Velt is one of The Marshal's spys and has been working at the Scottish court. Now the time has come to use the intelligence he and his men have gained.  A huge battle will be coming soon. 
As the son of the most vicious Knight England has ever known Cole lives up to the family name,  but he also has a much softer side with those he loves. 
Lady Corisande de Bourges has been the running the castle with her father since her mother's death.  Her duties will soon put her in great danger,  but not before she a visitor changes her outlook. She is an incredibly strong and brave woman who will sacrifice herself for others. 
An all action historical romance,  full of great characters.  Some we have met before and some new.  The battles are terrifying and realistic.  
As usual our author has given us a book to really get our teeth into.  It will grab you on the first page and you will not be able to put it down.  So many old friends from other books meet up here, but it is still a book you can read on it's own without spoiling any others. 
This is an author that I will buy automatically without even reading the blurbs. 
Great book.  I loved it. 


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Juggernaut Indie author Kathryn Le Veque is a 'tour de force' in publishing.

Kathryn is a critically acclaimed 21-time USA TODAY Bestselling author, a charter Amazon All-Star author, an Indie Reader top seller, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance with over 100 published novels.

Among her many accomplishments, she is the CEO of Dragonblade Publishing, the #1 Historical Romance e-book publisher on Amazon. In 2020, Kathryn collaborated with Sourcebooks publishing for a Medieval Fight Club series set in Scotland.





30/09/2020

WolfeStrike (De Wolfe Pack Generations #2) by Kathryn Le Veque. Historical Romance Release & ARC Review.


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It’s a new generation of de Wolfe Pack cubs, carrying on the tradition of their illustrious grandfather. Thomas “Tor” de Wolfe has his hands full with battling women and battling enemies as he tries to secure a border castle for Edward I. Chaos is the name of the game!

Tor married, and lost, his wife at a young age. Because his wife was an orphan, he inherited her two sisters when they wed and when she died, they became his responsibility.

Unfortunately, the two spinster sisters view Tor as their property.

When Tor meets the worldly Isalyn de Tuberville, he is smitten. Isalyn, however, is not. Tor is big and handsome, but lives too much of a provincial life. She wants big cities, excitement, money, and no baggage of a dead wife. Isalyn’s father, however, feels differently – and Isalyn finds herself betrothed to the gentle de Wolfe giant. The spinsters have a new target.

Let the battles begin!

Enter a world of medieval mayhem, adventure, but most of all, of an overwhelming passion that soon consumes both Tor and Isalyn. Add Lady Isalyn’s former ambitious and jilted suitor into the mix, and it could mean the end for everything they have worked so hard to build.

But a strong love is worth fighting for, and no love is stronger than that of a de Wolfe.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



After his devastating loss Thomas "Tor" De Wolfe threw himself into his work and ignored his two young sisters in-law.  Years later they are grown up and decided that he belongs to them and nobody else. Now he and other members of the Wolfe pack are hunting a worthless man who abandoned their cousin.  
Isalyn De Featherstone had to come north to visit her father,  but she has no intention of staying.  She loves her life in London where she writes plays anonymously.  She dislikes the restrictions placed on her and often escapes on her own.  
Our heroine is far too independent for her own good.  We just know it will bring her big trouble.  
Our hero is a true De Wolfe, big brave and honourable. He like to believe everyone is just as trust worthy.  
You can't help but get fully involved in our characters lives,  especially as there are so many family members that you will have met before in other stories.  We get fun, romance and danger all the way through. A fabulous visit with old friends and new.  
I loved every page.  


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KATHRYN LE VEQUE is a USA TODAY Bestselling author, an Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance and Historical Fiction. She has been featured in the NEW YORK TIMES and on USA TODAY's HEA blog. In March 2015, Kathryn was the featured cover story for the March issue of InD'Tale Magazine, the premier Indie author magazine. She is also quintuple nominee (a record!) for the prestigious RONE awards for 2016.
Kathryn's Medieval Romance novels have been called 'detailed', 'highly romantic', and 'character-rich'. She crafts great adventures of love, battles, passion, and romance in the High Middle Ages. More than that, she writes for both women AND men - an unusual crossover for a romance author - and Kathryn has many male readers who enjoy her stories because of the male perspective, the action, and the adventure.

Kathryn loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Kathryn:





20/08/2020

Kilts Ahoy! (Clash of the Tartans #6) by Anna Markland. Historical Romance Release & ARC Review.

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The voice of the sea speaks to the soul.

Sworn enemies, Clan MacCray and Clan Robson live within sight of each other on a clifftop in Caithness. Denied access to the only port for miles around by the MacCrays, Marshall Robson proposes to end the feud by suggesting a marriage between his elder brother and the daughter of the enemy clan—but then he meets her.

Teagan MacCray has saltwater in her blood and dreams of an adventurous life on the seas with the man who has stolen her heart, Marshall Robson. But her fate is to marry the laird of Clan Robson if the feud is to end.

When an old journal sheds light on a vile act that could change the Robson hierarchy, Marshall must choose between loyalty and the woman he loves more than life. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



Not only is Teagan MacCray the youngest in her family,  she's the only girl with seven older brothers.  With an enemy clan as the nearest neighbours, she doesn't get a lot of freedom.  The sea she looks out over every day calls to her.  Although her brothers are great mariners they never even think of allowing her to sail.
Marshall Robson tries his best to look after the Clan but his older brother is the Laird and a drunk.  It's time to do something drastic. Maybe a truce with the neighbours so that they can use the better harbour will help.  
This historical Highland adventure/romance is great fun.  Nothing happened as I expected.  Every time I thought I could guess what was about to to happen I was wrong.  Both our lead characters want what's best for their respective Clans and that means putting their own desires away.  The sea is the most important thing to both Clans and it's a very dangerous thing to rely on. 
Thus book is part of a series of stand alone stories.  Each one is better than the last.  I have loved all of them.  
Great fun.


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I’m a Canadian author with a keen interest in genealogy. I write medieval romance about family honour, ancestry, and roots. My novels are intimate love stories full of passion and adventure.

Passion conquers whatever obstacles a hostile medieval world can throw in its path. My page-turning adventures have earned me a place on Amazon’s All-Star list.

Besides writing, I have two addictions-crosswords and genealogy, probably the reason I love research. I am a fool for cats. My husband is an entrepreneur who is fond of boasting he’s never had a job.

I live on Canada’s scenic west coast now, but I was born and raised in the UK and I love breathing life into the history of my homeland.




06/08/2020

Lord of the Sky (Executioner Knights #6) by Kathryn Le Veque. Historical Romance Release & ARC Review.

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1217 A. D. – Executioner Knight Kevin de Lara finally has his moment to shine.

Kevin breaks out from under his powerful brother's shadow (Sean de Lara from Lord of the Shadows) and becomes a great knight on his own. But there's just one problem... the woman he loves may very well cause his downfall...

Since reconciling with his brother, Kevin has become a powerful garrison commander along the Welsh marches for the de Lara empire. As an agent of William Marshal, his directive is to keep the local Welsh barons under control at all costs, and Kevin becomes a diplomat.

But the Welsh lords only tell him what he wants to hear. Secretly, they are planning a rebellion to gain back de Lara properties they believe belong to the Welsh.

Juliandra ferch Gethin is a daughter of two worlds – a Welsh father, an English mother.

Juliandra’s father has committed an offense against the de Lara empire and has consequently been jailed. When Juliandra disguises herself as a servant and sneaks into the castle to free her father, she can’t get past Kevin. When he discovers her true identity, he formulates a plan to marry her simply to keep her father and his allies under control. It’s a tactic and nothing more.

Or so he thinks.

Sometimes the arrogance of a man is only exceeded by his love for a woman.

Join Kevin and Juliandra on their journey of rebellion, redemption, and the realization of a love that cannot be denied. Kevin married Juliandra to control the Welsh, but it’s very possible that she may be the one controlling the English… through him.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



Kevin de Lara is now a commander in his own right.  He has three castles on the Welsh marches and has just taken control of one just inside Wales.  The locals are not happy to have an Englishman around especially when he costs them money.  Our hero is an emotional and extremely honourable man.  Years of working for the devious William Marshall have made a mark on him that he struggles with.
Juliandra ferch Gethin is the daughter of a wealthy merchant.  Our heroine is a strong woman,  used to having control of her own life.  When she finds herself in a predicament she knows there are ways to solve it.  
A man with a powerful obsession and access to an army can cause a lot of dangerous problems.  
Our author certainly knows how to put our emotions on a rollercoaster.  Before you pick up this book make sure you have nothing else to do,  because you will not be able to put it down.  You will need tissues.  You will meet many old friends from other books and one naughty young Squire with a big future.  I now want to see what he gets up to next. 
I absolutely love all of this author's work.  The characters always have such depth you want to know about every aspect of their lives.  
I loved every page.


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KATHRYN LE VEQUE is a USA TODAY Bestselling author, an Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance and Historical Fiction. She has been featured in the NEW YORK TIMES and on USA TODAY's HEA blog. In March 2015, Kathryn was the featured cover story for the March issue of InD'Tale Magazine, the premier Indie author magazine. She is also quintuple nominee (a record!) for the prestigious RONE awards for 2016.
Kathryn's Medieval Romance novels have been called 'detailed', 'highly romantic', and 'character-rich'. She crafts great adventures of love, battles, passion, and romance in the High Middle Ages. More than that, she writes for both women AND men - an unusual crossover for a romance author - and Kathryn has many male readers who enjoy her stories because of the male perspective, the action, and the adventure.

Kathryn loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Kathryn:



04/05/2020

Scorpion: Saxon lords of Hage/De Wolfe Pack, by Kathryn Le Veque. Historical Romance My Review.


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1289 A.D. - Sir Kevin Hage, stinging over the loss of the object of his affections to the Welsh warrior known as the Serpent, drowns himself in warfare in order to forget his heartache. He travels to The Levant to fight the Muslim infidels, transforming himself in the process. He becomes hardened, brutal, and heroic and returns to England a changed man, an English assassin known as the Scorpion.

Now on the home front, he must fight a battle greater than himself - the fear of loving a woman under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. With all odds against them, follow Kevin and his lady on their journey of discovery, adventure, and an awakening love that is stronger than all the stars in the heavens in this unforgettable Medieval romance.

Love... thy name is SCORPION.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Sir Kevin Hage has been a mercenary in the Levant for the last six years,  but recently he and his friends decided it was past time to go home.  He has a reputation as a deadly killer and is called the Scorpion.  No sooner do they land in Dover when the trouble really starts.  The King has heard about him and will decide what happens.
Annavieve has been raised in a convent. Sent there by a King who wants all traces of Welsh royalty whiped away.  Now he's pulled her out of the convent to make use of her.  
This is a very exciting story full of battles and danger.  Our huge hero has more honour than his new boss ever had. The situation looks to be impossible.  There are lots of secrets being kept, some far too dangerous to be told.  
Fantastic characters and a wonderful story line.  
I loved every page.


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KATHRYN LE VEQUE is a USA TODAY Bestselling author, an Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance and Historical Fiction. She has been featured in the NEW YORK TIMES and on USA TODAY's HEA blog. In March 2015, Kathryn was the featured cover story for the March issue of InD'Tale Magazine, the premier Indie author magazine. She is also quintuple nominee (a record!) for the prestigious RONE awards for 2016.
Kathryn's Medieval Romance novels have been called 'detailed', 'highly romantic', and 'character-rich'. She crafts great adventures of love, battles, passion, and romance in the High Middle Ages. More than that, she writes for both women AND men - an unusual crossover for a romance author - and Kathryn has many male readers who enjoy her stories because of the male perspective, the action, and the adventure.

Kathryn loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Kathryn:




04/03/2020

Dark Warrior (De Russe Legacy #9) by Kathryn Le Veque. Historical Romance / Action & Adventure, Release & ARC Review..

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It’s the Dark Knight’s wild son, Cortland “Cort” de Russe in an adventure that could see him executed for treason.

March Medieval Madness has arrived!


1518 A.D. – As a decorated knight for Henry VIII, Cort is sent to Ireland to assist the Earls of Kildare in ruling The Pale, the only strip of Ireland that the English ruled uncontested in the whole country. Cort is charged with regaining a castle lost to the Irish, but in a nasty battle, Cort is faced with a cunning warrior whom he discovers to be a lady. She tries to kill him and he throws her in the vault.

Dera MacRohan is no ordinary Irish warrior lass.

Born from the ancient MacRohan warrior bloodlines, Dera is from a long line of warrior women. She deeply resents the English and their conquest, but she also understands the subtleties of tactics and strategy. Sometimes it is easier to catch flies with honey.

Or kill an Englishman with kindness.

But Cort isn’t stupid. When the lass’ guard comes down, he suspects there’s more to it. But two can play at that game; he reckons that if he is nice to her, she will tell him what he needs to know about the Irish rebellion she is part of. He plans to put that de Russe charm to good use. But in their bid to out-charm each other, genuine feelings develop.

Cort begins to understand the Irish point of view in the rebellion against the English. By the time his father’s reinforcements show up to bolster the English line, Cort is all but siding with the enemy. When word reaches Gaston de Russe about Cort’s fondness for a certain Irish lass, Gaston must make a decision – since it’s forbidden for the English to marry or consort with the Irish, Gaston can either turn his son in as a traitor or pull the man from Ireland completely and send him off to hide until the storm blows over.

But Cort won’t leave Dera, and a de Russe traitor is born.

Live and love with Cort and Dera as they navigate the treachery of English and Irish politics, of an angry king, and of a son’s devotion to his father and family. Will Cort betray the de Russe name worse than his father ever did? Or will he forget about the Irish woman who has become his all for living in the name of family honor?

(note: This novel will be in excess of 350 pages)

The de Russe Legacy Series:

Lord of War: Black Angel
The Iron Knight
Beast
The White Lord of Wellesbourne
The Dark One: Dark Knight
Dark Moon
Dark Steel
A de Russe Christmas Miracle
Dark Warrior
 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Cort de Russe is the son of one of England's greatest Knights.  He has grown up alongside the young King Henry VIII.  His father is a trusted adviser to the King but he is very old and not in good health.  So when Henry asks Cort to find information for him there's no question that it will be done.  However the de Russe men know all about the power of love and family, so what will happen when the heart goes against honour.
Dera MacRohan is an Irish rebel. She has been sent away from home by her father as a hostage and to protect her from her chosen people.  Her family have been in the employ of English nobles for hundreds of years but The Irish people have had enough of overlords.  
Before you start this book get a big box of tissues and a bottle of wine.  You will not stop reading until the book is finished and your eyes are puffy.  As usual with this author, she takes us right into the hearts of all the characters.  Whether it's love or a battle we feel all the emotions with them.  Our hero is a confidant man who knows exactly who he is, what he wants and knows he's capable of getting it.  Our heroine is about to throw up his biggest challenge yet.  
Absolutely fabulous story.  I loved every page.


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KATHRYN LE VEQUE is a USA TODAY Bestselling author, an Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance and Historical Fiction. She has been featured in the NEW YORK TIMES and on USA TODAY's HEA blog. In March 2015, Kathryn was the featured cover story for the March issue of InD'Tale Magazine, the premier Indie author magazine. She is also quintuple nominee (a record!) for the prestigious RONE awards for 2016.
Kathryn's Medieval Romance novels have been called 'detailed', 'highly romantic', and 'character-rich'. She crafts great adventures of love, battles, passion, and romance in the High Middle Ages. More than that, she writes for both women AND men - an unusual crossover for a romance author - and Kathryn has many male readers who enjoy her stories because of the male perspective, the action, and the adventure.

Kathryn loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Kathryn:




29/02/2020

The Fire and the Sword (Men of Blood #2) by Rosamund Winchester. Historical Romance My Review.

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Get Book Two in the brutal, adventurous, and passionate MEN OF BLOOD series. Medieval England comes alive in this raw and powerful tale!

1414 A.D. - Sir Elric Gadot is a skilled swordsman, a womanizer, and a murderer. After a terrible decision cost the life of his brother, he flees the only home he’s ever known to fight beside men as broken and bloody as he is. Along the way, he finds new brothers in the Homme du Sang. As the new commander of a group of brave and brutal knights, Elric is soon given an order he cannot disobey - he is to escort the cardinal’s beautiful and fiery niece into enemy territory to be delivered to her betrothed.

Unfortunately for him, the woman has other plans.

Minnette Calleaux didn’t cross an ocean to be sold off to some weak-chinned lord in the middle of the wilderness. Desperate to make a life for herself in this new land, she attempts to escape her escort and their devastatingly handsome commander. But her plans go awry, leaving her in the arms of a man who can seduce her with his golden gaze and wicked words.

Betrayed by those in power, and hunted from the shadows by a man bent on a holy mission, Elric and Minnette must battle the elements and their own passions, because if they cannot win against their greatest enemy, it is more than just their lives at stake...

It is their love.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Sir Elric Gadot is the Commander of the Homme du Sang,  they are soldiers of the church.  At the moment they are serving a Cardinal that has proven himself untrustworthy.  Unfortunately that doesn't relieve them from duty,  unless it's proven that the Cardinal is acting against the church. 
Minnette Calleaux has been sent by her mother to England.  She is to stay with her uncle until he finds her a husband.  That is not something she is prepared to do.  She will run away to an aunt she has never met,  that way she can live life on her own terms. 
We have a particularly nasty villain in this story.  He is a killer who takes great pleasure in what he does.  When he gets an assignment from a man of God , he knows he is on a Holy mission.  That means he is as immortal as he has always believed. 
This is a historical romantic suspense with lots of danger and intrigue.  There is also some naughty romantic scenes.  The characters are complex and obviously form a series where each book can be read alone. 
I thoroughly enjoyed it. 


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Rosamund Winchester is a determined and overwhelmed mother of four children. If she didn't have writing to focus on, she'd spend all day staring into space and pondering the mysteries of the universe.

Rosamund writes emotional, thrilling, heart-pounding historical romance that draws the reader into the adventure, the passion, and the happily ever after. Rosamund also writes sweet historical romance as Lynn Winchester, so she offers books for all romance lovers.

When Rosamund isn't writing sexy historical romance, or sweet historical romance as Lynn Winchester, she is reading whatever she is in the mood for, or watching crime shows on Discovery ID.




23/01/2020

A Time Of End (Executioner Knights #4) by Kathryn Le Veque. Historical Adventure / Romance Release & ARC Review.

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The Executioner Knights are back! Alexander de Sherrington seeks to marry a daughter of the great Christopher de Lohr (Rise of the Defender). But not if King John has anything to say about it!

Alexander de Sherrington, the man affectionately referred to as ‘Sherry’ by his friends, is off on the greatest adventure of his life… and his target is Lady Christin de Lohr.

Lovely and vivacious, Christin is as head-strong as her mother but born with her father’s innate sense of politics. She fostered in the finest homes and proved herself to be smart, intuitive, and calm under pressure. Unbeknownst to her father, William Marshal recruited Christin into his network of spies and even as she serves a de Lohr ally, the House of de Winter, as a lady in waiting for Lady de Winter, she completes missions at the Marshal’s directive.

Enter Alexander de Sherrington.

He is intrigued with the beautiful new spy, and he and Christin are thrown together due to necessity. But Alexander soon realizes there is something very special about the daughter of Christopher de Lohr. As a romance blossoms, King John has his own plans for Christin – marrying her to his bastard son to undermine Christopher’s power.

The only one who can stop the marriage is Christin herself.

Join Alexander and Christin, Christopher and David, and the rest of the Marshal and de Lohr allies in this epic adventure of intrigue and romance that pushes the bonds of trust between allies. It’s Medieval Mayhem in 13th Century England!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Cristin de Lara might only be eighteen years old but she's already been working as a spy for William Marshall for two years.  Her nickname is the Ghost because she never leaves a trace.  However with her father coming to an important event where she will be working, she will have to be even more careful. If he finds out what she's been doing he'll take her home and lock her up to keep her safe.
Alexander Sherrington also works for William Marshall . He is one of the Executioner Knights,  with a reputation as the most deadly.  They are all working to protect England against all threats, and they are sometimes from surprising people. 
This is an absolutely wonderful story.  So much excitement and adventure.  Our heroine is happy in her work and very good at it.  She also knows how important it is to work as a team. The things she does will have you and her fellow characters in stitches.  We get to meet up with lots of old friends and great heroes from other books.  
As usual this author has us going from giggling to crying,  sometimes in unexpected places. I have bags under my eyes today because I could not put the book down until I finished it in the early hours of the morning. 
Absolutely Fantastic.


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KATHRYN LE VEQUE is a USA TODAY Bestselling author, an Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance and Historical Fiction. She has been featured in the NEW YORK TIMES and on USA TODAY's HEA blog. In March 2015, Kathryn was the featured cover story for the March issue of InD'Tale Magazine, the premier Indie author magazine. She is also quintuple nominee (a record!) for the prestigious RONE awards for 2016.
Kathryn's Medieval Romance novels have been called 'detailed', 'highly romantic', and 'character-rich'. She crafts great adventures of love, battles, passion, and romance in the High Middle Ages. More than that, she writes for both women AND men - an unusual crossover for a romance author - and Kathryn has many male readers who enjoy her stories because of the male perspective, the action, and the adventure.

Kathryn loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Kathryn: