Red Hot Books

If you are in the mood for a light and sweet historical, you’ve come to the right place. This is a pleasant, enjoyable, and fast read… featuring a daughter no one wanted, finding happiness in the life that her sister threw away.

Annabel was sent to live at an abbey at the age of seven and has lived there ever since, trying to make the best of her lot in life. She hasn’t done well in her training. She enjoys life too much, enjoys food, laughter, and simple joys. But the abbey is all she has ever known. So when her mother appears out of the blue and whisks her back to the home she hasn’t seen in more than a decade, she has no idea what to make of it.

It turns out that her parents promised the hand of their eldest daughter to the son of an old ally. Unfortunately, Annabel’s big sister Kate ran away with the stable boy and that leaves Annabel to take her place. She resigns herself to do her parents’ bidding, despite the fact she is completely unprepared to be a wife or to run an estate.

Ross is attracted to Annabel right away. He sees her beauty on the inside and out, and their marriage of convenience quickly becomes one in truth. It’s really very sweet. There’s not really an internal conflict; no lies or stupid choices. No big misunderstanding. We just get to watch these two fall in love. Ross is a noble and good leader to his people. He is a caring and understanding husband. Annabel is pure of heart. She wants to be a good wife to her new husband and a good lady to his people. How could you not root for these two?

It’s not all smooth sailing. Someone is trying to kidnap Annabel. The big issue of the book centers on keeping her safe while figuring out who is after her and way. When all is revealed, it’s a fairly satisfying conclusion. It’s not very deep. By that, I mean, it is not in anyway emotionally taxing or challenging. But sometimes, a feel good story is what you need. The love story is nice; the sex is good; and the plot wasn’t overly predictable. There were times some of the characters stretched close to caricatures, especially members of Annabel’s family. But overall, I found it an enjoyable read.

Rating: B-


*ARC Provided by Avon