Released on December 12, 2017
Pages: 454
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
The Delight
Amid the Winter Snow caught my attention quickly when I saw it was a fantasy anthology with winter holiday as the them. All these worthy authors have been on my wish list to try their books for some time, and, what a rush, here their writings are all collected together in one book. I know better than to get my expectations too high, but somehow, I don’t think I’ll be doomed to disappointment.
Review
The Darkest Midnight by Grace Draven
This was my first encounter with this author’s work. I’ve anticipated them after reading the blurbs and the reviews. Oh yes, this story more than proved it was worth my excitement. It is a standalone story that I understand may have loose connections to the Wraith Kings series. It was rich in characters, plotting, and description. It elicited my feelings from the beginning and I loved everything about Jahna’s tale of triumph over her bullies and her sweet secret love for the handsome swordmaster who taught her to value herself and stand alone.
The Chosen by Thea Harrison
An Elder Races Novella
This one was another sparkling encounter for me. I still haven’t picked up the Elder Races series yet- and I will, but this one showed me what I’ve been missing. Lily is The Chosen and her vision seeing ability has left her worried about having to make a huge choice for her country. Wulf is on a mission of vengeance and to protect his people.
I enjoyed their strong sense of duty and loyalty, but openness and playfulness with each other. The growing romance was a lovely one.
The story does feel that it is part of a greater group of ongoing storyworld, but I got into it quickly. I did feel it left things open at the end, but not in a bad way and the romance is definitely tied up.
The Storm by Elizabeth Hunter
An Irin Chronicles Novella
And, we continue with my love fest as I was wowed by the Irin Chronicles world and the deep pain in Renata that made her push away Max. He faithfully ran her down for eighteen years proving to her he wanted her no matter what. This one is framed with a present scene, dips into the past to bring the reader up to speed on their long history, and then continues on with the current time of the story. Thankfully, after all his pursuit, Max got through her grief and pain even as a little surprise adventure finishes up her healing. The darker, gritty world of this series definitely has me wanting to go back for the full thing.
The Snows of Windroven by Jeffe Kennedy
A Twelve Kingdoms/Uncharted Realms Novella
Ash feels he isn’t good enough for Ami who is a queen and he a former ex-convict. They snarl and rage, ice each other out and smolder with passion through a snowstorm, danger, and a castle winter festival.
Ah yes, my second venture into the Twelve Kingdoms/Uncharted Realms world and it reminded me why I need to get on the ball about starting the series from the beginning. Great world building and spicy passion, winning characters who have their flaws, and a solid plot.
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So, four fabulous winter celebration fantasies that showcase magnificent storytelling that make me want more. A definite must-read for the fantasy romance lovers.
I received this book from Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.
Recommendations
About Jeffe Kennedy
Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning author whose works include non-fiction, poetry, short fiction, and novels. She has been a Ucross Foundation Fellow, received the Wyoming Arts Council Fellowship for Poetry, and was awarded a Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Award. Her essays have appeared in many publications, including Redbook.
Her most recent works include a number of fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of A Covenant of Thorns; the contemporary BDSM novellas of the Facets of Passion, and an erotic contemporary serial novel, Master of the Opera, which released beginning January 2, 2014. A fourth series, the fantasy trilogy The Twelve Kingdoms, hit the shelves starting in May 2014 and book 1, The Mark of the Tala, received a starred Library Journal review and has been nominated for the RT Book of the Year while the sequel, The Tears of the Rose, has been nominated for best fantasy romance of the year. A fifth series, the highly anticipated erotic romance trilogy, Falling Under, released starting with Going Under in July.
She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine.
Jeffe can be found online at her website: JeffeKennedy.com, every Sunday at the popular Word Whores blog, on Facebook, and pretty much constantly on Twitter @jeffekennedy. She is represented by Connor Goldsmith of Fuse Literary.
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