Jamie CarieRezensionen

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A Christmas Novella: Lady Juliet Lindsay has made a colossal mistake. In the face of her parents’ rejection she realizes that a single stolen kiss could cost her everything. Sent to her aunt and uncle’s home in Scotland, she finds something in the rugged highland beauty that steals her heart…and a highland man, who seems her other half. Iain MacLeon, chieftain of the clan MacLeon, has one thing on his mind in a time where politics are like a tempest brewing—sheep. He loves his people and his land but he didn’t know he also needed a woman to share the load. And then he sees her…the flame-haired Englishwoman who steals his heart and holds it hostage against all his beliefs and all he holds dear. But how will he persuade his clan to love her as he does?

As a novella, this is a short story, which doesnt allow for much character development or extraneous plotting. Things happen apace and the job gets done. Juliet attends the Highland Games whilst hiding after bringing shame upon her family whilst in London. There she comes to the attention of Iain MacLeon, who takes an instant shine to her.

She finds she has been promised in marriage to Lord Malcolm, a violent ungracious man, who has paid off her family's debts in exchange. He is not happy when he finds she has married MacLeon at Gretna Green, kidnaps her, and forces a show down in the wilds of the Highlands.

Like I said, little room for extra plotting, story line or character development, so dont go in looking for a deep emotional resonance. Vague relation to Christmas as she arrives at her new home on Christmas Day. Several references to a Christian God (and associated praying) which could have been worse

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Full Review on NetGalley
The story was never boring and had me turning the pages until the very end.

Review is posted on My Blog

This story began sadly and heartbreaking with the death of Lady Kendra's mother after her birth. On her deathbed she made her husband promise to love and protect Kendra and to allow her to choose her own husband. The story unfolds with a beautiful bond of faith and love between father and daughter but quickly turns tragic at the introduction of her long gone uncle and the death of her father. Truly heart-wrenching.

As Lady Kendra's world is turned upside down her faith is pushed to the limit. The loving and caring environment she was used to is ripped from her hands. The freedom of love and choice of a husband is taken from her and her uncle arranges a marriage to someone Kendra just does not love.

Choosing to try out her own wings and explore what the world has to offer Lady Kendra begins a journey that will alter her life and change her faith. Though I expected something quite different from the cover alone the story of love and redemption is still sweet. However, there is only a brief mention of pirates.

I did not care for the cover at all. In fact to be very honest the cover art kept me from picking up this book for a long time - it is just not the most attractive or alluring cover I have seen.

Thank you to B&H Publishing for this review copy.

This book demonstrates everything that is wrong with the church's approach to domestic violence. Good thing everything was super contrived so that the main character could have a happy ending. Won't be reading anything else by this author.

Alexandria Featherstone finds herself the new Duchness of St. Easto. Her beloved husband has promised a wedding trip that will take them to where her imperiled mother and father were last seen - Italy and the marble caves of Carrara.

An irresistible regency chase that will tease, taunt and steal your heart.

Book I (Forgotten Castle series)

Rich in historical details and setting, this vivid story only had one flaw. It caused me to get a cramp in my neck from reading in one sitting! Couldn't set it "doon."

If I had to choose a favorite aspect, the wise warrior's gentle faith was truly inspiring. And the honorable, sweet, deliberate attention he pays the heroine is terribly endearing.

I'd say PG for a couple sensual references and a near-rape scene.

Looking forward to more of Carie's work.

This book was not what I was expecting.

But then again, it was.

The plot never went the direction I figured, until the last 15% of the book. What I did expect was Jamie's signature, beautiful, soul-moving prose, and she delivered.

Loved Buck's character. LOVED. Buck was the ultimate hero, strong, formidable, gentle, sacrificial, wise, persevering, ever hopeful. It was delightful to watch his character react to situations calling on is expertise and requiring more of him than he was prepared for. One fun note was seeing on the Relz Reviewz site that Carie's inspiration for his looks was Daniel Craig. His features fit the bill perfectly.

Ellen's spirit was something to be admired. I related to her much more than I expected. Her looks weren't particularly memorable. Brown hair, brown eyes. No unique, or distinguishing features. (Everyone thinks her the most beautiful, delicate woman in Alaska, but she herself doesn't see her own worth. Isn't this the case in most romance novels?)

I think some lines of morality blurred in this story under the message of tolerance (heroine becoming a dance hall girl and deciding it was God's will so she could pray for the customers she danced with). I'm not sure I agree with the subtle, and quite probably unintended message of, "the end justifies the means." Yes, she had to eat. Yes, we should love others. Yes, we should care. But there is still the matter of "Abstain from all appearance of evil," "evil communications corrupt good manners," and "in the world and not of it."

I am looking forward to Angel's Den, the last standalone novel of Carie's I haven't read.

This is the third and last book in the Forgotten Castles series; book one, ‘The Guardian Duke’ and book two, ‘The Forgiven Duke’ must be read before you read this third installment. None of the books are stand alone, unless you read the first one which ends in a cliffhanger.

I liked the first one very much, then I was very disappointed in the second one, and that disappointment extended to this third book as well.

I did find the character of Gabriel Ravenwood, Duke of St Easton well written and three-dimensional, but the heroine, Alexandria, I found to be only two-dimensional and not much likable.

Plot wise I found the first book somewhat believable and inspirational, while the second and the third I thought just too far-fetched and despite action, intrigue and lukewarm romance, I found it totally unbelievable.

These three books should have never offered to the readers as a series, but as one book. I believe it would have read better and wouldn’t feel forced and rushed.

I honestly wouldn’t recommend it or the series.

Melanie for b2b

First, there are three books in this series and none are stand alone. Once you’re done reading the first, which ends with a cliffhanger, you have to go to the second and third to find out what happens next.

This is the second book of this series and it starts off right at the ‘cliffhanger’ of the first one as the Duke catches the glimpse of his charge and a man she’s with on the ship bound to Iceland, of whose destination, or for that matter the man’s identity, the Duke is unaware of and must now find out.

Let me start by saying that I just loved the first book, ‘The Guardian Duke’, very much and thought it such a clever ending, albeit very frustrating because there was no happy ending for our Duke and his charge.

As I kept reading this book, the only thing I felt was irritation at the heroine for her indecision about the two men she’s deliberately and stubbornly dangling on a string.

I also felt that what seemed a clever idea to end the first one with a cliffhanger, now rendered the second book less relevant and reduced it as ‘filler’ until the third came along and tied it all together.

As for the characters, and I am including everyone here, they all now felt ...Thanks for popping over to b2b to finish my review....

http://bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/the-forgiven-duke-by-jamie-car...

Melanie for b2b

*Book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

FINALLY; the Duke and Alexandria (the new Duchess of St. Easton) have married! To discover all that led up to this moment in the book you simply must read books one and two in this series. (I thought the first two were the best in the series.) The Duke, Gabriel, has promised to take his new wife in search of her parents, during their wedding trip. This will take you to Italy, via a hot air balloon ride! This story is filled with danger everywhere these two go and they can never be sure who to fully trust. As they journey though the steadfast love these two have for each other is precious, but it also requires a steadfast faith in God as they take this journey together. You will finally get to know and understand Alexandria's parents more in this story. The author does a very good job of wrapping up this series and leaving you very content with how it all worked out for these two very likable characters.

This author took me on a wonderful adventure, with characters that I fell in love with. This was a very well done series!½

This story picks up in the exact same scene that book one (The Guardian Duke) leaves off at. Alexandria Featherstone is setting sail for Iceland with an impulsive promise to marry Lord John Lemon when they arrive there. But what she is really hoping is that her guardian, the Duke of St. Easton, will come after her. But not to drag her back to England, but to help her on her quest to find her parents. The Duke of St. Easton though has never known such a challenge as keeping up with and finally "capturing" someone he has learned to love from afar. Is is 1818 and you are about to set sail on another adventerous ride as you see how much the Duke can endure as he sets out for the prize, which is headstrong Alexandria.

This author writes as one reviewer said, "An irresistible regency chase that will tease, taunt, and steal your heart". You have a determined heroine and a relentless but honorable duke and the two of them create quite a story. There is danger lurking everywhere as everyone seems to want what Alexandria's parents are searching for. It may be a dangerous quest, but one that oh so enjoyable to read about. Suspense, mystery and romance; what's not to like about this series. Looking forward to book 3, "A Duke's Promise", next!

Don't start with book two; go back and read in the order written. You will feel like you are jumping into the middle of the story if you start with this story first.

This is a story of a young lady, Alexandria, who sets out to find her parents, who are treasure hunters that everyone thinks is dead. But it is 1818 in England and Alexandria has been given a guardian, who is Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton. He is ordered by the king to watch over her. They begin by writing letters to each other and getting to know each other through those letters. But Gabe has lost his hearing and is dealing with that, while Alexandria is finding a way to leave her home on 'Holy Island' and go in search of her parents. Will the two ever meet! You keep asking yourself this questions as you keep reading. It eventually is a story of Alexandria keeping one step ahead of the Duke and he keeps running into all kinds of obstacles along the way.

This was quite an adventure of a story. Well written; and fast paced. It ends in such a way, that it made me want to pick up the next story in the series and begin it right away (so have the whole set on hand when you begin). You will travel from England, to Ireland and on to Iceland in this adventure and get to know these two characters very well. I liked the way the author described these characters in her letter to the readers at the back of the book: "My hero - the brilliant Duke of St. Easton - wants his affliction healed and taken away. And he wants love on his terms. He wants his control back even though he was miserable when he had it. My heroine - sweet, determined Alexandria - wants what she can't have. And she'll stop at nothing when it comes to taking care of her own heart. Their journey is like ours - that push and pull against God - the desire to find freedom and purpose on earth but in our timing and our way because His way is too hard or scary or just doesn't make sense."

Enjoy this adventurous journey!

I liked everything about this story; from the cover of the book, to the title, it all tied in so well to the story line. From the very beginning of this story my interest was captured.

Lady Kendra Townsend has been raised by just her father and they are very close. Her father has always wanted her to choose the man she would marry, someone she has fallen in love with. But the year is 1796 and when her father dies her uncle gives her a choice of marrying the man he picks or shipping her off to her to Uncle and Aunt in America on her mother's side. Knowing that God has a plan for her life she sets sail on a ship captained by Dorian Colburn.

Dorian has no interest in taking on a passenger, but the money was good. On the voyage to America many things will take place, one of them being the need of Dorian to see Kendra safely to her destination in America. But there are sinister things happening, and it will take faith in God to see these two people through some difficult situations.

I liked the fast moving, action packed pages of this story. The way these two related to one another and the romance brewing beneath the surface was very enjoyable. I also liked the faith aspect of this story and how well the author weaved that into the story also. Highly recommend!½

An ending has never been so bittersweet.

I’m not at all certain there are enough words to describe the emotions this powerful story has invoked within me!

In my review of book 2, I said that I hope they NEVER make it into a movie because they’ll just ruin it and I still feel that way. But I am amazed at the irony of that statement because there is a note about a certain part of the book only being shown properly on-screen. I simply can not explain it – except to say that it was an odd insight.


I also mentioned that I was quite happy about there was another book because it meant the adventure had not come to a close but now that it has, it is indeed bittersweet.

I love the way the story has ended and I am amazed at how Jamie Carie was able to leave the story with such a feeling of possibility. Even though this story has come to an end, there is such a feeling of what is still to come.

The third book in Jamie Carie’s Forgotten Castles series is a shining beacon of what God’s love is capable of accomplishing and even though the path of our heroes is not completely free of obstacles, their steps are clearly being led by God’s own hand.


The third book is certainly the most serious of the three but it is done so very well, the story simply flows from the second and I applaud Jamie’s talent once again.

Like me, you may not wish for the series to end, but you certainly do not want to miss this book. And don’t be surprised if you find your heart a little broken as you turn the last pages.

At least Jamie Carie has written stories of other adventures we can enjoy!

Thank you to B&H for providing me with this free review copy! The opinions above are my own.

I had forgotten just how much I LOVED historical romances until I picked up The Guardian Duke and started reading.


And all I can say is WOW!

What an amazing story – filled with unpredictable and wonderfully frustrating characters!

We get to follow along as our delightful Lady Alexandria embarks on a dangerous mission that many call foolish and the Duke of Easton is forced to follow.

It is exceptionally refreshing to read a wonderful story full of misadventure and chaos with none of the typical nonsense you read in mainstream historical fiction.

Instead of lusty encounters, adventure and faith take center stage and the result is much more satisfying and highly entertaining.

This novel does not need any such nonsense to hold the readers attention. The exceptionally written plot carries them along just fine.

In fact, before you know it, you’ve come to the end and you find yourself desperate to rush to the next book.

Fortunately… all three books are out now so you can read them in sequence. Which is where I am bound right now – book 2: The Forgiven Duke.

THANK YOU to B&H Publishing for providing this book free to me in exchange for my honest review!

One more reason I LOVE Inspirational fiction!


WOW!

Forgive me for this but I hope they NEVER make this into a movie because they’ll just ruin it. The story is absolutely perfect as it is. I can not think of one thing I would change about it – even though I now have to move on to another book to continue the story…

Actually I’m quite happy about that because it means the adventure has not yet come to a close and that would be tragic indeed.


The 2nd book in Jamie Carie’s Forgotten Castles series – “A Forgiven Duke” -
is just as remarkable as the 1st.

The highly unpredictable adventure of Lady Alexandria Featherstone continues with Duke Gabriel hot on her trail - or so it seems… I won’t spoil it for you. Just read it!

The tone of this second book is a bit more serious but Jamie Carie still finds room for hilarity and the typical missteps of her delightful characters.


Be careful though – you just might find yourself sitting up at all hours, because the book is just as difficult as the first, when it comes to putting it down.

Jamie Carie is an exceptionally talented author, carrying us along on this wild adventure. She is quite skilled at revealing snippets of what lies beneath the exterior of characters who give the appearance of being absolutely uncomplicated on the surface. And her skill certainly does not end there. The depth with which she describes the scenes around our characters are so vivid, you can almost hear hoof beats all around you.


Don’t miss this book!

And don’t worry if you read them out of order. Personally I always like to read a series in order but every now and then, it simply can not be done. Of course, you won’t want to miss the first book: The Guardian Duke but this book is written so well that you can easily read it out of order if you must.

Thank you to B&H Publishing for providing me with a free review copy!

Title: A Highlander For Christmas
Author: Jamie Carie
Publisher: J. C.
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Review:

"A Highlander For Christmas" by Jamie Carie

Book Description....

"A Christmas Novella: Lady Juliet Lindsay has made a colossal mistake. In the face of her parents’ rejection she realizes that a single stolen kiss could cost her everything. Sent to her aunt and uncle’s home in Scotland, she finds something in the rugged highland beauty that steals her heart…and a highland man, who seems her other half. Iain MacLeon, chieftain of the clan MacLeon, has one thing on his mind in a time where politics are like a tempest brewing—sheep. He loves his people and his land but he didn’t know he also needed a woman to share the load. And then he sees her…the flame-haired Englishwoman who steals his heart and holds it hostage against all his beliefs and all he holds dear. But how will he persuade his clan to love her as he does?"

What I liked about this novel...

"A Highlander For Christmas" was a quick delightful historical fiction/romance novella and once you start reading it one will find it hard to put down until the end. This author really knows how to give the reader a wonderful story with a great hero and heroine with some interesting secondary characters being well developed and in the end giving us a good quick Christmas story. The author really also gives us a good description of the settings in this nice clean romance story with such a inviting plot and a wonderful resolution. I loved how the hero Ian who was a strong man who trusted God and wanted to follow his will to save Juliet. The wrap up at the end of this read gives the reader a nice massage about the Christmas holiday novella that was filled with 'adventure, romance and courage.' Now, I don't want to give too much away other than say pick up this novel and see for yourself how this author will bring it all out to the reader as she presents such a spiritual thread throughout this compelling read that I would definitely say would be worth the read.

This was a good story by Jamie Carie; I enjoyed reading it, thought the cover and title both went with the story line very well, but it wasn't my favorite story by this author. The back cover says it best, "Not everyone who looks like an angel. . . is one." This was surely true in this story. Emma Daring, along with everyone else in town, thinks Eric Montclaire is a handsome, well-to-do gentleman about town so when he courts Emma and they marry she thinks she is on cloud nine. But Eric is an evil man who abuses his wife and will murder people to get what he wants. When he sets out on an expedition along the Lewis and Clark trail he hires Luke Bowen as his cartographer. Luke will soon discover that Emma needs help and he is the man God has sent to hopefully free her from this nightmare. But when a murder is discovered can the twisted lies and deceit take down the innocent and let the evil one go free?

This was a book that catches your interest from the beginning and has you wondering what is going to happen next. I must say I wasn't expecting the ending but liked it very much. Wickedness and abuse were evident, but God's love and faithfulness will never leave nor forsake the righteous - we just need to learn the lesson that Luke and Emma did, that we need to wait on the Lord and see how He will work all things out.½