Raven (Beauties with Blades #2) by Laurel O'Donnell . Historical Romance Release & ARC Review.

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A woman bent on revenge. A man determined to keep a promise. Can love mend their tormented spirits?

Raven Hawke is separated from her sisters. When her father is killed, she is devastated and alone. The only thing she can think of doing is seeking revenge on the man who killed him. But she doesn't realize to complete her goal, she will have to give up her soul.

When his friend dies, Sir Landyn of Winchester vows to him that he will care for his daughter and make sure she is safe. He recognizes the path she is on, having felt the same need for revenge in the past. He knows she is on a deadly course that can only lead to her destruction.

Will Landyn follow her down this dark path or will his love for her be enough to heal her broken heart?

The Hawkes

The Hawke sisters are far from typical women. Raised by their father the legendary John Hawke, the girls are taught how to fight with swords, how to survive in a man’s world, and above all how to protect the family. They are Beauties with Blades.

Come along on their adventures as these bold and brave women save innocents, discover secrets, and fall in love.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Raven Hawke is the eldest of the Hawke sisters and takes her responsibility seriously.  When they get separated and a tragedy occurs Raven is looking for vengeance.  Our heroine is a skilled warrior in her own right.  The last thing she needs is a protector.  

Sir Landyn of Winchester has been asked by a very good friend, to care for his daughter.  That is going to prove almost impossible.  

An unusual historical romance with very strong characters.  A wonderful adventure.  

This is the second book in the series.  As each book is set at the same time you could read them out of order,  but you will have slight spoilers that way.  

A very entertaining read.  

Good fun. 

AMAZON.US * AMAZON.UK * AMAZON.ES

 Laurel O’Donnell has won numerous awards for her works, including the Holt Medallion for A Knight of Honor, the Happily Ever After contest for Angel’s Assassin, and the Indiana’s Golden Opportunity contest for Immortal Death. The Angel and the Prince was nominated by the Romance Writers of America for their prestigious Golden Heart award. O’Donnell lives in Illinois with her cherished children, her beloved husband and her five cats. She finds precious time every day to escape into the medieval world and bring her characters to life in her writing.

Raven ( The Kindred Series #1) by Scarlett Finn. Blog Tour + ARC Review.

Amazon.US *Amazon.UK* Amazon.ES *

 Amazon CA   Amazon AU  Nook

Raven

He's mysterious and alluring,

Dominant and powerful.

He keeps her grounded,

And lets her fly.

After a date ends in disaster, Zara Bandini is drawn into a conspiracy of dark lies and hidden motives. Bidding farewell to blissful ignorance, she must betray those who trust her to prevent evil from murdering innocent civilians.

Raven guides her, shields her, and seduces her…

Now Zara has to protect her heart while saving the world.

Zara Bandini is the executive assistant to the owner of a multi million dollar company.  She has come a long way from a simple farm girl, all through hard work and long hours. Then while she is enjoying her usual Friday night drink an interesting guy buys her a drink. Unfortunately the night doesn't end quite the way she would like. 

I am not going to tell you anything about the hero because until the book is more than halfway through we don't know who he is. Plus our heroine is so confused even she doesn't know whose side she is on. This is a romantic suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through. I was reading until 2 am. because I just HAD to finish it. It has everything you could want,  danger, adventure and smoking hot sex . I loved every page.

“The light in the window,” he said. “I took it as a sign you wanted to talk.”

Zara didn’t like to confess her vulnerabilities to anyone, so she averted her eyes. “I got scared,” she confessed in a whisper.

Irritation erased every confusion from his attitude. “You think that gives you the fucking right to summon me?”

Her fleeting smile probably suggested her appreciation. “You’re still watching me.” She sighed at the comfort that came with that knowledge. He hadn’t abandoned her, even though she’d said he would get nothing from her. Impressed by the strength of his character, she was astonished that he valued her safety. No man from her past had put her before personal gain.

His stoic form barely moved but she registered the increasing heat in his gaze and that hunger cleared her earlier turmoil and replaced it with a completely new priority. Raven was here. She was safe. She could relax. No one would be able to hurt her now. Emotion shifted to explore the lust he examined her with and Zara was ready to do whatever it took to quench her own desire.

Raven was her deepest, darkest fantasy. A man so powerful and proficient, it wasn’t just his prowess that made her heart beat faster and her core swell. Staring into him, she parted her lips and begged without words for an explanation as to why he was still stalking her.

“Not for the mission,” he said.

Squeezing her grip, she tested the strength of his unyielding muscles with her delicate fingers. “If it’s not for the job, then why are you watching me?”

His eyes narrowed further and in the oppression of this night, a frisson of fervor stoked her gut and made her breasts grow heavy. “You know damn well why,” he snapped.

The force of his kiss thrust her head back, but that harsh passion made her feel desirable, like he was starving for her and unable to control himself. Making a man like Raven lose control gave her power. He was her guard and her savior. Somehow, he managed to lift her up, and made her feel significant—able to take on the world.

He scooped a hand under her skull to compel her mouth to his, giving him leave to direct her head and her mouth to where he wanted them. The size of his hand encompassed all of her skull and with every move, his fingers tangled deeper in her locks. The sting of snagged strands and the mesh of matted hair were contrasted by the scorching desperation of his mouth and the assuredness of his tongue.

Balling his hand into a fist, he used his grip on her hair and the arm he clamped around her ribs to haul her onto her feet. Without breaking their kiss, he dipped down to snag her thigh with one hand and while hooking it high over his hip, he kept the momentum of their kiss going.

Caught up in the passion of their oral joining, she only knew they were in the bedroom when he sat on the bed, then lay down, urging her body forward to double it over his.

Kissing him was the most overwhelming experience of her life. The bulk of his tongue was in proportion to the girth of his body. Yet, as bold as he was, there was something consoling about his assertive mouth tasting hers.

The heady merging of their saliva was like swopping a reefer mid-draw or using the same coke straw. Without combining the drugs they each possessed, they couldn’t reach the optimum high. For the first time, they experienced the right dosage for maximum impact and she felt like she’d been sucker punched by Venus.

Spanking her ass with a loud thwack, he yanked his hand out of her hair. “Grab a rubber,” he said, nodding toward the nightstand without breaking eye contact.

God, he was arrogant. A couple of kisses and he thought they were going to have sex. But that steadfast confidence heightened her desire until she felt overwhelmed by his testosterone, which dragged her further under his spell. As she looked through the night into his fathomless eyes, she knew she was going to do it. This man was thrilling. He was dangerous and mysterious, and completely wrong for her in every way. But, damn, he made her feel good.

This was a man who a woman wouldn’t get a chance with often. He was so capable and skilled in arts that before him, she had no idea were out there. Raven lived life on the edge, in the night, and she had a sense that he needed the light in her as much as she desired his darkness.

Having known from a young age that writing was her passion Scarlett has spent large portions of her life dreaming up men, and women, and putting them together to see what they get up to.

"The characters write the story. I just get it down on paper for them."

Finding her solace in books, reading and writing, have been her eternal companion through all the highs and lows in her life.

Now is time to let the characters flourish and to live forever as she shares them with you.

Good luck on your adventures.

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Raven, ( The Kindred Series #1 ) by Scarlett Finn. Release. + ARC Review

Amazon.US *Amazon.UK* Amazon.ES * Amazon CA   Amazon AU  Nook

Raven

He's mysterious and alluring,

Dominant and powerful.

He keeps her grounded,

And lets her fly.

After a date ends in disaster, Zara Bandini is drawn into a conspiracy of dark lies and hidden motives. Bidding farewell to blissful ignorance, she must betray those who trust her to prevent evil from murdering innocent civilians.

Raven guides her, shields her, and seduces her…

Now Zara has to protect her heart while saving the world.

Zara Bandini is the executive assistant to the owner of a multi million dollar company.  She has come a long way from a simple farm girl, all through hard work and long hours. Then while she is enjoying her usual Friday night drink an interesting guy buys her a drink. Unfortunately the night doesn't end quite the way she would like. 
I am not going to tell you anything about the hero because until the book is more than halfway through we don't know who he is. Plus our heroine is so confused even she doesn't know whose side she is on. This is a romantic suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through. I was reading until 2 am. because I just HAD to finish it. It has everything you could want,  danger, adventure and smoking hot sex . I loved every page.

It was after ten PM by the time she got to Purdy’s on that particular Friday night. Zara was exhausted and needed sleep, but she would never flout tradition and miss an appointment with herself. In the warm interior of Purdy’s, she enjoyed the solid mahogany of the stocked bar and the gold pinstripe of the wallpaper that glowed under muted lighting.

Catering to an affluent clientele, Purdy’s held single malts and champagne to fulfill the expensive tastes of those who frequented it. It was a far cry from her father’s smoke filled kitchen where a layer of grease covered everything.

After seating herself on a brown leather stool, the bartender brought over her usual drink. She sipped the cool liquid and exhaled.

“That’s some glass of wine.”

Turning to her left, Zara saw a striking blond man come up beside her. One of the reasons she loved this bar was its patrons. In the center of the city’s business district, this classy joint was overflowing with rich, influential people and the wannabes who listed “networking” as a hobby on their resumes.

Designer suits and smiling faces charmed each other until hands were shaken and deals made. This was a place for the elite to gather and praise each other for being so filthy rich and successful. Given where she’d come from, there were often times she fazed out of the moment, edges became blurred, until everything seemed dream-like.

For her, the meaning of success had morphed through the years and frivolous adventure was long forgotten. The most effective way she could make a positive difference in the world was through careful use of her position as Premium Personnel Coordinator to Grant McCormack, CEO of Cormack Industries.

The clean-shaven man beside her flashed a row of straight white teeth that gleamed almost as much as his shirt under his tailored grey blazer that matched his slacks. All of the men she interacted with on a daily basis were assured and this guy’s arrogance was proven when he took up occupancy on the stool next to hers and leaned in close.

“Can I get you another glass?” he asked.

“I just started this one,” she said, taking another sip of wine while not allowing herself to smile. When dealing with intelligent men who usually enjoyed a puzzle, she’d learned it was best not to give too much away about her own mood. “Did I ask you to sit down?”

“No need,” he said, undeterred, his smirk remained in situ. “It’s a public bar, anyone can sit anywhere.”

Leaving him guessing, she didn’t give any physical hint of her interest. “And you chose the stool right next to mine?” she asked. The establishment was busy, but there were a half a dozen free stools at the bar, so he didn’t have to choose the seat right next to hers. “Didn’t your mother teach you manners? It’s polite to be invited to join a person.”

His confidence remained in place and he twisted his body to face hers, trapping her crossed legs between him and the bar. The flirtation in his countenance matched his positioning and his gaze danced over her figure. “Women like a man to take charge.”

“Do they?” she asked, keeping her expression loose as she examined the bottles displayed behind the bar. Remaining aloof didn’t mean she didn’t notice how impeccable he was and how good his expensive cologne smelled. It wasn’t too overpowering and merged with the scent of the hair gel that kept his locks in check. But she had to portray herself as a challenge, to match his confidence with sass if she wanted to intrigue him.

“Yes,” he said. “Women want an alpha, a guy who is strong enough to look out for her.”

This conversation was going to happen whether she coveted it or not, so she rotated to accept him into her company. “To look out for her?” she asked, dragging her fingertips over the bulge of her glass to settle them on the rim. “Why is that?”

Having known from a young age that writing was her passion Scarlett has spent large portions of her life dreaming up men, and women, and putting them together to see what they get up to.

"The characters write the story. I just get it down on paper for them."

Finding her solace in books, reading and writing, have been her eternal companion through all the highs and lows in her life.

Now is time to let the characters flourish and to live forever as she shares them with you.

Good luck on your adventures.

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