[Review] An Outlaw's Honor, by Terri Brisbin

Title An Outlaw's Honor
Series: Midsummer Knights #6
Author: Terri Brisbin
Publisher: Luckenbooth Press
Number of pages: 188
Publication date: July 7th 2020

Synopsis:

A Midsummer Knights Romance: A Tournament World of Chivalry, Intrigue, and Passion

When the only man she can trust is known for his dishonorable past, what could go wrong?

A Dishonorable Man
Thomas Brisbois of Kelso has only one goal when he arrives at the tournament—to defeat the only knight who ever bested him in battle. If he succeeds, the Scottish king will return to him his lands, his honor and his life. He has little interest in other prizes, and even less when he learns that the lord for whom his rival fights has included a daughter among the spoils at stake in their contest—a lovely daughter with no desire to play the pawn, or to see her father's champion win. She is a distraction, all the more after she explains her own ideas about which knight shall have her, and how and when.

A Desperate Woman
Annora may be a pawn in her father’s plans but she has no intention of letting that happen without a fight of her own. When she sees the frank desire in Thomas’ gaze for her, she makes her own offer—she’ll help him win if he’ll let her go... after he beds her. Her plans go awry when she discovers the truth of the man beneath the armor. The man who had lost everything and struggles to regain his life.

Only the ultimate tournament battle will reveal if she’s made the biggest mistake of her life or if she’s found the answer to all her problems in trusting an outlaw’s honor.

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

An Outlaw’s Honor is a novella in the series Midsummer Knights. I enjoyed this story, even though it left a few loose ends at the end.

The spark between Thomas, our hero, and Annora, our heroine, was palpable, but never scary. I really liked their connection.

The villain(s) is horrible! Le Govic is well thought, and the kind of person whom you definitely don’t want to meet, and that makes your skin crawl. I would have liked to know exactly what happened to him at the end of the tournament, just to make sure he wouldn’t hurt anyone else.

I liked the love story, even though sometimes it seemed… not very believable…?

In the end, I liked reading this novella, but that’s just about it.

[Review] Never If Not Now, by Madeline Hunter

Title Never If Not Now
Series: Midsummer Knights #7
Author: Madeline Hunter
Publisher: Barrowburgh Publishing
Number of pages: 147
Publication date: July 7th 2020

Synopsis:

A Midsummer Knights Romance: A Tournament World of Chivalry, Intrigue, and Passion

Summer, 1193.

They call him the Devil’s Blade and say that the fires of hell burn in him when he wields his sword.

It might be midsummer when Zander arrives at the tournament, but there is winter in his soul. Battle hardened and war weary, he intends to amass spoils, win the champion’s prize, and find a wealthy wife. Then he discovers that Elinor of York has accompanied her father to the tourney. He desired her as a youth, and soon learns that he still does. But whatever he will ever have of her will have to be seized in secret, before the tournament ends.

Elinor was born a lady but the last years have impoverished her. She now sews for coin, and takes care of her lame, aging father, a knight who blames Zander for his diminished fortunes and health. She should ignore the handsome knight whom she teased when they were young, but his magnetism draws her closer. He is not for her—he is her father’s enemy and she has no dowry. Yet he evokes sweet memories and deep emotions and a heart-wrenching dilemma— Can she keep her father from issuing the challenge that will leave one of the men she loves dead?

Review:

I received an eARC at no cost from the publisher, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve read a Medieval Romance, and I know Madeline Hunter’s medieval were quite good, so I was excited to read this one.

However, it did not reach the expectations. It felt… rushed, and very neatly tided with a bow to finish off.

The beginning was good, and it told the connection between our main characters well, but it felt like they just picked up where they left all those years ago, as if nothing had changed.

The conflict was quite good, until it was resolved. So many repetitions about bravery, and cowardice, and then everything was just done with words…?

When I reached the end of the book, I just thought… “that’s it?” and I was quite disappointed, even for a novella...

Sadly, this was not a memorable story… The main characters, Zander and Elionor just didn’t click for me, and the conflict wasn’t really viable, in my opinion. It didn’t work.