Print Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Zebra (December 29, 2015)
Sir James McKenna is a warrior through and through. He’s strong and loyal and he loves his clan. He thought having a docile, submissive wife would be golden, until he met Davina. She has a mind of her own, and to top it off, she’s smart, kind, and beautiful. The two form an immediate bond. They are not only physically attracted to each other, but they embrace the emotional connection. Their plans to spend their life together is ruined when they are attacked. The abuse leaves Davina so shattered that there is no way she can ever imagine being with a man- including James. Rejected by his betrothed, he travels the world for 5 years, only to return home and find the heartache he’s been trying to forget.
This premise was on the mark. The story starts off really good, and I was immediately connected to the characters. My heart ached at their cruel turn of events, and I wanted so much to see them reunited. Unfortunately, the reunion wasn’t what I expected. The reactions on both parts were rather bleak, and after feeling their love in the beginning of the story, I was somewhat disappointed by their exchanges upon being reunited. When they finally admitted their love to each other, it seemed to come abruptly, and not enough had happened beforehand. Their first time making love seemed misplaced considering the way Davina struggled with what happened to her. Despite the plausible explanation given, her actions were a forcible way to move the story along, which made the flow a little choppy. At times, descriptions were overly abundant, resulting in slow pace.
The last 1/3 of the book mimicked the first 1/3 – it was really good. I was surprised when the culprit was revealed. I thought I knew who it was, but I was wrong – which is a good thing, in my opinion, when it comes to suspense.
Overall, the story is like a swamp in the midst of an oasis. But despite, the soggy middle, I actually liked it.
Rating system: Cups of coffee – the less the better
0: You won’t need any coffee to stay up for this one. It’s intriguing enough all on its own.
1: You’ll stay up late, but not all night. Brew one cup.
2: You’ll read as long as you’re not tired. If you are, two cups should do the trick.
3: I hope you got plenty of rest; you’ll need it, or at least 3 cups.
4: If the cable goes out, read the book. It’s better than nothing, I guess. Oh, don’t forget your brew!
5: Find anything else to do- it doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t waste your coffee. Too much caffeine is bad for you.
My rating: 2 cups of coffee