Dark
and Stormy Knight (Knights of Avalon #2)
by Nina Mason
Read: 15th
– 23rd November 2015
Format: Kindle
My
Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars
...So
what’s this book about?
This is an erotic paranormal romance featuring faeries,
druids, gods, goddesses, vampires and a screenwriter. Although this is the
second book in Ms Mason’s Knights of
Avalon series, it works well as a stand-alone novel.
The official blurb says:
She’ll risk everything for their love—even her life.
Aspiring screenwriter Gwyn Morland is ready for her big break. That means securing the film rights to elusive author Lady Ruthven’s acclaimed novel—which means traveling to Scotland. It’s a trip timid Gwyn isn’t prepared for, and her fears seem justified when her tour bus careens over a cliff outside of Castle Glenarvon. But the plot thickens when Gwyn is rescued from the brink of death by a handsome and mysterious stranger…
Leith MacQuill is not only the writer behind Lady Ruthven’s novel, but a shape-shifting faery knight bearing a tragic curse: the woman he gives his heart to will die. Saving Gwyn proves to be a dangerous choice when he finds himself falling for her the longer she stays in the castle. Not even his usual BDSM role-playing games are enough to thwart the intense desire they feel for each other. But to stay together, Gwyn and Leith must embark on a dangerous mission into Avalon, the realm of the faeries. Will their love be strong enough to conquer the curse? Or will Gwyn’s new life be stolen from her before it’s even begun?
Although this title is not officially published until 5th January 2016, I was
lucky enough to be given this book for free from the publisher (Kensington Books) via Netgally.com in
exchange for a fair review.
Thank you. :-)
...So,
what did I like about it?
Nina Mason is
a new to me author and I must say I am impressed. I found her writing style
very easy to read and really liked the way she built her fantasy world and how
it interacted with ours; the mix of historic fact, Celtic mythology and her own
imagination creating a world that I enjoyed visiting (her take of vampires was refreshingly different).
I like my female leads to be intelligent and possess a
strength that refuses to let them be doormats (even if they don’t realise at the start) but without losing their feminine
capacity to love; Gwyneth Moorland was perfect. My male leads need to be alphas,
emotionally damaged, but with a soft side buried deep within just waiting for
the right woman to walk into their lives and make them whole again; Leith
MacQuill doesn’t disappoint.
I loved the fact that just when I thought that Gwyn and Leith’s
adventure was coming to an end, another twist (quest) pops into the fray and off we go again. Don’t let the fact
that it took me 8 days to finish this book fool you that the story wasn’t
gripping – it’s a real page turner. Yes, we get our happy ever after but the
background story arc is left with enough of a potential danger that you just
know we’ll meet Gwyn and Leith in a future book.
...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked
about it?
OK, so confession time – I must admit to being a bit weary of
starting this book; I’m not comfortable with BDSM (both in real life and in the stories I read) but I was impressed
with how it was written here, it’s far from brutal or grotesquely graphic and I found myself getting swept along with
the passion and romance.
My only other little niggle was near the start of the story
and Gwyn’s instant assumption that the elusive Leith MacQuill was a Faery.
Really? You wouldn’t assume other more rational explanations first? However, I quickly
decided that Gwyn’s unerring belief in Faeries allowed the story to progress
more quickly. It is a work of fiction after all!
...So, basically what I’m saying is...
I enjoyed this book more than I was expecting, in fact, I really liked it. Yes it has some very erotic sex scenes but it’s
also a wonderful romantic tale with a great mix of action and adventure. I will be looking out for more of Ms Mason's books!
So, have I sparked an interested for DARK AND STORMY KNIGHT in
you?
Just click on any of the links below and check out the book for yourself.
