Author Interview and giveaway: Christina Courtenay

Today's interview is with Christina Courtenay. Welcome!

1.  Anything new since your last visit? 

 Last time I was here, I’d just had Monsoon Mists published, the third book in my Kinross trilogy. Since then I’ve been mostly concentrating on my role as chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association (which takes a lot of time!), but I’ve also been writing and had a couple of new ebook releases – The Soft Whisper of Dreams (which is now coming out in paperback) and a Regency novella called Never Too Late. On top of that, I’ve ventured into self-publishing with the second book in my YA series – New England Crush. As I’m extremely non-techie, that proved to be a steep learning curve, but fun anyway!

2. Tell me about your new book, The Soft Whisper of Dreams? - It’s a contemporary romance with some paranormal and suspense/thriller elements. The heroine, Maddie, finds out she’s adopted and an old nightmare comes back to haunt her. When she visits friends to recover from the shock, she meets dangerously handsome Alex, has a disturbing encounter with a gypsy fortune teller and, terrifyingly, her bad dreams seem to be coming true …

3. It says it's a follow up, but can it be read as a stand alone? 

 Yes, it can be read as a stand alone, but I think the reader would enjoy it even more if he/she had read the first book.

4. Would you want your fortune told, or are some things better not told? 

 No, never! I’m extremely superstitious so I’d believe every word and even though the rational part of my brain would be telling me it was all nonsense I’d be thinking “what if it isn’t?” And if I was told something bad, I’d be terrified of it coming true.

5. What are you working on right now?-

I just finished the final edits for a historical romance which is coming out in August called The Jade Lioness.  It’s the third book in my Japanese trilogy (sequel to The Scarlet Kimono and The Gilded Fan) and follows adventurous English girl Temperance Marston as she is kidnapped by outlaws in 17th century Japan and rescued by a handsome samurai.

I’ve also started work on a new time slip novel set partly during the English Civil War – I’m fascinated by that period of history which must have been so difficult to live through when people had to choose sides whether they wanted to or not.  In my novel The Gilded Fan I wrote about it from the perspective of the Parliamentarians (Roundheads) but I’ve always wanted to write about the Royalists, or Cavaliers, so I’m finally doing that now.

Thanks!

Many thanks for having me as your guest!

Giveaway

An e-copy of The soft whisper of dreams

1. Open to everyone in the world

2. Ends March 14th

3. Remember to leave a way to find you. So just comment and go forth

Links:-

http://christinacourtenay.com/

https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

Blurb:

Some dreams shouldn’t come true …

Maddie Browne thought she’d grown out of the recurring nightmare that plagued her as a child, but after a shocking family secret is revealed, it comes back to haunt her – the same swing in the same garden, the kind red-haired giant and the swarthy arms which grab her from behind and try to take her away …

In an attempt to forget her troubles, Maddie travels to Devon to spend time with her friends, Kayla and Wes. However, it becomes clear that relaxation will not be on the agenda after a disturbing encounter with a gypsy fortune teller. Not to mention the presence of Wes’s dangerously handsome brother, Alex.

And then there’s the fact that Maddie’s dream seems to be coming true …

The Soft Whisper of Dreams is the follow-on to Christina Courtenay’s novel The Secret Kiss of Darkness.

Buying Links:

Amazon UK -- http://goo.gl/m7fT6O

Amazon US -- http://goo.gl/YdQsgV

The soft whisper of dreams - Christina Courtenay

Some dreams shouldn’t come true … 

Maddie Browne thought she’d grown out of the recurring nightmare that plagued her as a child, but after a shocking family secret is revealed, it comes back to haunt her – the same swing in the same garden, the kind red-haired giant and the swarthy arms which grab her from behind and try to take her away … 

In an attempt to forget her troubles, Maddie travels to Devon to spend time with her friends, Kayla and Wes. However, it becomes clear that relaxation will not be on the agenda after a disturbing encounter with a gypsy fortune teller. Not to mention the presence of Wes’s dangerously handsome brother, Alex. 

And then there’s the fact that Maddie’s dream seems to be coming true … 

My thoughts:

I did know some of the characters from book 1, but I do say it works perfect as a stand alone.

It's about Maddie (who is friends with the heroine from book 1.) She goes to visit her friend after her parents died. Oh and she found out she was adopted, and her sister is a real piece of work.

What this book then has is a bit of a mystery. Who were her real parents? Why did they give her up for adoption? Why does she have this strange dream?

And then there is the suspense part. Some secrets are better left buried. You never know who will come for you...

But hey do not forget the romance part. Though this is not a romance book. There are looks, thoughts, but no real romantic action. She meets Alex, who has been in jail and wants to turn his life around. They slowly become friends, they slowly want more, but there is a lot going on. Love comes slowly, and makes it feel real. No rushing into things here.

What we instead get is a mystery suspense love story. The danger is constant, but there is a HEA on the horizon :)

I kind of hope a certain new character gets a book of her own...just saying. She deserves it :)

Cover

Nice

Mass Market Paperback, 288 pages
Published March 7th 2015 by Choc Lit
Marcombe Hall #2
Women's fiction
For review

Author Interview: Christina Courtenay

Today I am interviewing author Christina Courtenay.

Welcome!

1. Tell me 3 strange things about yourself?  

I eat chocolate for breakfast

I don’t like champagne so if I have to drink it I mix it with 7Up, Lemonade or Sprite

I can swear or say something rude in eight languages (not sure that’s a good thing though!?)

2. Tell me about your new book Moonsoon mists?

It’s a historical romance and adventure story, set in India in 1759, and it’s the third book in my Kinross series. It features Jamie Kinross, younger brother of Brice from the second book in the series, Highland Storms. Jamie is a gem trader who embarks on a dangerous mission, carrying the stolen talisman of an Indian Rajah. When he encounters Zarmina Miller, he’s instantly tempted by the so called “Ice Widow”, but he soon begins to see another side to her – a dark past to rival his own and a heart just waiting to be thawed. But is it too late? And what is he to do with the talisman?

3. Why did you decide to set it in India?

The hero, Jamie, wants to escape his past and needs to get as far away from his native country of Sweden as possible. In the 1750s that usually meant going to the Far East, but his brother and parents have already been there so he decides on India instead.

From the author’s point of view, I chose India because I found a wonderful journal from that time with an account of a Swedish man’s journey to Surat in India so I was able to see things through his eyes which was very helpful. And having already written about China and Japan, I wanted to try something new and exciting.

4. This is something many readers always wonder when a book is part of a series. Do you recommend that they read book 1 and 2 first, or can it work as a stand alone?

The book definitely works as a stand alone, but it is probably more satisfying for the reader if they have read books 1 and 2 first as there will be things they recognise and little snippets of information about characters from the previous stories. And the ending, where everything comes together, includes characters from the previous books who have cameo roles in this one. So yes, I’d recommend reading all three, but it’s not essential.

5.Did you always plan to write about Jamie or?

No, and in fact, I hadn’t planned to write a trilogy at all! When I finished the first book in the series, Trade Winds, I thought I had finished with the Kinross family, but the characters wouldn’t leave my head and I ended up writing the second book about Brice, the son of the couple in Trade Winds. Then his younger brother Jamie seemed to be the villain of that story, but he had his reasons and he wouldn’t give me any peace until I’d written his take on it down too. And there were readers who egged me on to write Jamie’s story as well, so in the end, I did. And I’m glad, because I’ve enjoyed spending more time with this family.

6. What are you working on right now?

I’ve just sent my publisher the third book in my Japanese trilogy (provisionally titled The Snow Ghost) and now I’m about to start work on a time slip novel set partly during the English Civil War, a period in history that I love. There’s something very special about the Cavaliers so I’m looking forward to writing this one!

Thanks!

Thank you for having me as your guest!

Blurb for Monsoon Mists

Sometimes the most precious things cannot be bought … 

It’s 1759 and Jamie Kinross has travelled far to escape his troubled existence – from the pine forests of Sweden to the bustling streets of India.

Jamie starts a new life as a gem trader, but when his mentor’s family are kidnapped as part of a criminal plot, he vows to save them and embarks on a dangerous mission to the city of Surat, carrying the stolen talisman of an Indian Rajah.

There he encounters Zarmina Miller. She is rich and beautiful, but her infamous haughtiness has earned her a nickname: “The Ice Widow”.   Jamie is instantly tempted by the challenge she presents.

When it becomes clear that Zarmina’s step-son is involved in the plot Jamie begins to see another side to her – a dark past to rival his own and a heart just waiting to be thawed. But is it too late?

Links:

http://christinacourtenay.com/

https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

Buy links:-

Paperback 

Kindle 

Monsoon Mists - Christina Courtenay

It’s 1759 and Jamie Kinross has travelled far to escape his troubled past—from the pine forests of Sweden to the bustling streets of India.

In India he becomes a gem trader, but when his mentor’s family are kidnapped as part of a criminal plot, he vows to save them and embarks on a dangerous mission to the city of Surat.

There he encounters Zarmina Miller a rich and beautiful widow whose haughtiness has earned her a nickname: “The Ice Widow”. When they meet, Jamie is instantly tempted by the challenge she presents.

But when it becomes clear that Zarmina’s step-son is involved in the criminal plot, Jamie begins to see another side to her—a dark past to rival his own and a heart just waiting to be thawed. But is it too late?

My thoughts:

Yes it is a part of a series and yes you can read it as a stand alone. Book 1 is about his mother, book 2 is about his brother and this being book 3 is about him.

There are evil women, and then there are Evil Women. Jamie was married to one nasty piece. But she died and he left to start a new life. It brings him to India. I can't say I have read a lot of books taking place in India during this time, honestly have I read a single one? Perhaps not about this century. The English are there, the French are there. Raja's rule and it's a melting pot just like today.

Jamie was good, I understand why he did not like women because arghh, she was evil. He works in the gem trade and he has a good eye.

Zarmina I did not like at once. But she is the Ice Queen after all. And the more I got to know her the more I understand that icy exterior. And she will never fit in really either, being mixed blood. I liked her brain, she knew business, and I liked her will to be free. Who needs a husband who will only rule you?

These two are thrown together and fights against the attraction. The plot at large is about a missing jewel and they both get mixed up in some shady business before they can get a happy ending. Because even if this is not straight up romance, I can still promise you that.

Conclusion:

A romance set to the backdrop of India in the 1760s. Danger and love promised.

Cover

pretty

Paperback, 320 pages
Publication: US PB September, out now in the UK. Out in ebook form now by Choc LitKinross Saga #3
Historical romantic fiction
own

Author Post and Giveaway: Christina Courtenay

Today Christina Courtenay is over with a post about smugglers, and there is a giveaway of her new book at the end :)

Smugglers

What is it about smugglers that makes them seem romantic and fascinating when in actual fact they were nothing but common criminals?  It’s strange, but they are almost on a par with pirates and highwaymen, their misdeeds seen through rose-tinted glasses. We should abhor these men, but we don’t – we love them!

Perhaps it was their spirit of enterprise that captivates us?  Or the fact that they helped put food in the mouths of the poor hungry fishermen’s families who might otherwise have starved?  One could argue that they were like Robin Hood, only operating on water instead of deep inside Sherwood Forest.

The truth about their lives and nefarious activities was probably not in the slightest bit romantic, but you wouldn’t expect that to stand in the way of a romantic author, would you?  Which is why the hero of my novel The Secret Kiss of Darkness is a smuggler AND a good guy, not a criminal.

Smugglers didn’t refer to themselves by that word, they were ‘free-traders’.  To me, that says it all - they didn’t think they were doing anything wrong.  On the contrary, it was obviously their opinion that the government of the day was wrong in preventing them from trading freely with the French and putting such high taxes on imported goods.  It makes sense when you think about it, although the small fact that they were breaking the law does sort of weigh against them.

We all know poor people had a hard time in the past, so can we really blame them for wanting to earn the kind of money smuggling could bring?  I don’t think so.

If you visit the coast of Devon or Cornwall, in south-west England, you’ll find lots of secluded creeks and coves which are eminently suitable for ‘free trade’.  It’s easy to imagine the longboats of these free-traders rowing silently towards the shore with nothing but a feeble moon to guide them, then pulling onto the sand and beginning the task of unloading their precious cargo.  They would have worked in almost complete silence, everyone knowing their job and what had to be done.  In no time at all, the goods would be making its way either to local hiding places or towards London, where it was usually sold.  And unless the Excise men knew where to look, they didn’t have any hope of catching anyone.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?  And not really so very bad.  Well, that’s my take on it anyway – what do you think?

Thank you very much for having me as your guest today!

Giveaway

1 copy of The secret Kiss of Darkness

1. Open to all

2. Ends Feb 22

3. Just go ahead and enter :)
And be free to ask questions

PS. Check that your email is in your profile, otherwise you wont be entered. And if not then leave email or twitter here.

You have 48 hours to respond if you win.

Blurb:

Must forbidden love end in heartbreak?

Kayla Sinclair knows she’s in big trouble when she almost bankrupts herself to buy a life-size portrait of a mysterious eighteenth century man  at  an  auction.

Jago Kerswell, inn-keeper and smuggler, knows there is danger in those stolen moments with Lady Eliza Marcombe, but  he'll  take any risk to be with her.

Over two centuries separate ies separate Kayla and Jago, but when Kayla’s jealous fiancé presents her with an ultimatum, and Jago and Eliza’s affair is tragically discovered, their lives become inextricably linked thanks to a gypsy’s spell. Kayla finds herself on a quest that could heal the past, but what she cannot foresee is the danger  in her own future.Will Kayla find heartache or happiness?  

ISBN:  978-1781890677

Buy links:-
Print

Amazon UK: 

Amazon US:  (not until March)

Kindle UK: 

Kindle US: 

http://christinacourtenay.com/

https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

The Secret Kiss of Darkness - Christina Courtenay

Must forbidden love end in heartbreak?

Kayla Sinclair knows she’s in big trouble when she almost bankrupts herself to buy a life-size portrait of a mysterious eighteenth century man at an auction.

Jago Kerswell, inn-keeper and smuggler, knows there is danger in those stolen moments with Lady Eliza Marcombe, but he’ll take any risk to be with her.

Over two centuries separate Kayla and Jago, but when Kayla’s jealous fiancé presents her with an ultimatum, and Jago and Eliza’s affair is tragically discovered, their lives become inextricably linked thanks to a gypsy’s spell. Kayla finds herself on a quest that could heal the past, but what she cannot foresee is the danger in her own future.

Will Kayla find heartache or happiness?

My thoughts:

I liked this one because fates intertwined are always fun ;)

Right so we got two stories. First the tragic love story of Eliza and Jago. So why is it tragic? She is married and he is an innkeeper (and the bastard brother of her husband). They meet, the fall in love. All set in the late 1700s.

In modern time we have Kayla who is about to get married and buys a portrait of a handsome man. And that causes her a bunch of problems, with her fiance, with life in general. She needs to find out what happened back then, and maybe, just maybe she will get a HEA of her own (of course she will! Would I steer you guys wrong?)

So we have that love story and Kayla trying to find some answers. There is even a bit of suspense at the end. And yes of course there is a bit of romance too.

Conclusion:

I liked how it all came together.

Cover

I like it more the more I stare

Paperback, 336 pages
Expected print US publication: March 15th 2014 by Choc Lit (ebook out)
Romantic Fiction / Women's fiction
For review

--------------

Btw check this out, more details here and I will have my post up tomorrow

Review: New England Rocks - Christina Courtenay

When Rain Mackenzie is expelled from her British boarding school, she can t believe her bad luck. Not only is she forced to move to New England, USA, she s also sent to the local high school, as a punishment.Rain makes it her mission to dislike everything about Northbrooke High, but what she doesn t bank on is meeting Jesse Devlin Jesse is the hottest guy Rain s ever seen and he plays guitar in an awesome rock band!There s just one small problem Jesse already has a girlfriend, little miss perfect Amber Lawrence, who looks set to cause trouble as Rain and Jesse grow closer.But, what does it matter? New England sucks anyway, and Rain doesn't plan on sticking around Does she?

My thoughts:

I do think this was my favorite Courtenay book so far. It was YA with drama, but the kind of drama I can like. My problem with YA books is that they so often are filled with angst and stupid over dramatic drama. Those books make me wanna smack everyone over the head. While this one, well this one felt real.

Rain was, angry yes, but then someone had thrown her to the wolves and she was in a new school where she knew no one. And the most interesting guy, the one who talks to her has a preppy girlfriend. Tough luck. Yes Jesse is a good guy, he plays in a rock band, but that irritating girlfriend of his. Not good.

It was fun to see them together. Two teens finding their way. She has issues, he has issues. Sure the end was a bit too picture perfect, but then it was also an ending that should happen. I liked it, and I can say nothing more about it.

The little drama that worked then, well of course it has to do with that he has a girlfriend and that she is annoying ;) That I can handle.

Conclusion:

A nice YA book that was sweet and rocked.

Almost forget my cover snarking! Chris would totally have mentioned that ;)
Cover: She looks like she rocks and I like that

Paperback, 202 pages: Published August 7th 2013 by Choc Lit : series: New England Rocks #1: YA: From the publisher in turn for an honest review

Review: The Silent Touch of Shadows - Christina Courtenay

The Silent Touch of Shadows

Professional genealogist Melissa Grantham receives an invitation to visit her family’s ancestral home, Ashleigh Manor. From the moment she arrives, life-like dreams and visions haunt her. The spiritual connection to a medieval young woman and her forbidden lover have her questioning her sanity, but Melissa is determined to solve the mystery.

Jake Precy, owner of a nearby cottage, has disturbing dreams too, but it’s not until he meets Melissa that they begin to make sense. He hires her to research his family’s history, unaware their lives are already entwined. Is the mutual attraction real or the result of ghostly interference?

A haunting love story set partly in the present and partly in fifteenth century Kent.

My thoughts:

At once I knew, this could not end well. Ok so not for Melissa, but the other story. If there is a ghost there can't be happiness and I raced to see what had happened. What made the ghost a ghost?

The book is two stories in one. First we have Melissa, a single mother trying to get by. A history lover (and this made me like her even more) who goes to live with an aunt. And yes in a spooky big house. I should also mention a nice neighbor who is a widower ;) A sexy neighbor.

Then there is the story set in the past. During the War of the Roses a young woman falls in love, but he is not meant for her. I really liked this story even I knew there could not be happiness. But I wanted to know what happened, why the ghost is around. Also the setting for it was nice. Even if I guessed something would happen it was not a sad book, it was just meant to happen and I liked the idea of seeing memories from the past. I always loved that idea ever since I read my first book dealing with it. 

The sad and past mingled with each other, and Melissa tried to solve the mystery.

Conclusion:

A good lovestory that gives you a bit more than the usual things. It's not romance, it's passion, hope and despair. And of course, happy endings. 

Genre: Fiction / historical fiction /romance
Pages: 323
Published: July by Choc Lit
Source: For review

 Amazon UK Amazon US

Review: Highland Storms - Christina Courtenay

Genre: Historical romantic fiction
Pages: 416
Published: Nov 1, 2011
Publisher: Choc Lit
Source. For review

Brice Kinross thinks he’s very different from his flamboyant father and younger brother Jamie, and the only thing he wants out of life is to settle down with the girl he loves. When she jilts him in favour of his brother, however, he is forced to rethink. Taking over his father’s Scottish estate and becoming the next chief of the clan suddenly seems very appealing, but the Scottish Highlands in 1754 is not the hospitable and welcoming place Brice remembers from childhood. In order to successfully take over his inheritance, he’ll need to discover qualities he never knew he possessed. And when he meets a woman who is more than his match and a villain hell-bent on taking what belongs to Brice, life begins to get interesting again .

My thoughts:

I had missed it when I started but soon realized it (yes I do not always pay attention), this is actually a sequel to Trade Winds that was released last years. But you do not need to read that book to read this one. This book is about Brice Kinross, the son of the main couple of Trade Winds.

Brice goes from Sweden to Scotland to take over as Laird. He is nice, a bit heartbroken, and looking for something. Our heroine, Marsaili, is trying her best to be good at her job, and not end up like her mother. Used and abused by men she could not say no to. The attraction is there when they meet, but it takes a while for them to realize it. Because nothing is never easy now is it.

The book is then about him taking over as Laird and dealing with that. Because the man who took care of the land embezzled the money, and Brice is trying to catch him in the act. The bad guy is such a gross creepy man who I just want to knee in the groin, well done on the bad guy. Seton, that bastard! He is going to make things hard for both of them.

The book has its share of danger, excitement, romance and the last 100 pages are truly the best in the book because the danger is always near. My heart is in my throat and I speed my way through them to see if there can be a happy ending for these too. 

I would not call this historical romance, and neither fiction, it's a middle thing and it fits it well.

Conclusion:

I have read two books by her before and I must say that this one was my favorite because of those last pages, she sure kept it interesting and it sure was dark there for a while.

Cover:

Swirly things! :D

Review: The Scarlet Kimono - Christina Courtenay

Abducted by a warlord in 17th-century Japan - what happens when fear turns to love? England, 1611, and young Hannah Marston envies her brother's adventurous life. But when she stows away on a merchant ship, her powers of endurance are stretched to their limit. Then they reach Japan and all her suffering seems worthwhile - until she is abducted by Taro Kumashiro's warriors. In the far north of the country, warlord Kumashiro is intrigued to learn more about the girl who he has been warned about by a seer. There's a clash of cultures and wills, but they're also fighting an instant attraction to each other. With her brother desperate to find her and the jealous Lady Reiko equally desperate to kill her, Hannah faces the greatest adventure of her life. And Kumashiro has to choose between love and compromising his honour.

My thoughts:

Hanna Marston was not as pretty as her older sister and therefore her family didn't care about her, and wanted her to marry some old guy with 5 kids. Something that Hannah did not want so what does she do, oh yes she hides on her brother's ship that is sailing for Japan. I did like that she had the guts to do that. But as always, come on, are men really that stupid that they do not see that she is a girl, she was like there for 2 years or something. This is a common trope in books so I am used to it, but still it just makes me think men are fools.

Anyway she hid and she even learnt Japanese from the cook. Smart girl! So ok the rest were fools, but she and the cook who was Japanese were smart, lol. Which brings us to Japan. This is where the story gets good, because it's a premise I really enjoy. She gets abducted by a handsome warlord because his seer has seen Hannah in his visions. Of course the rest finds foreigners ugly but Taro is smitten by Hannah and she is finds him attractive too. And yes I do like the whole abducting a bride thing. Because he is a perfect gentleman, he asks her to teach him English and he treats her with respect, and he wants her whatever anyone else says. A romance is blossoming.

To the rest of the cast then, there is the wicked Lady Reiko who wants Taro for herself and is prepared to do anything. There is Captain Rydon and her brother Jacob, but honestly they are so much in the background so who cares. This is Hannah's story and her struggle. But she never sees it as a struggle. She holds her head high, she has respect for all, and when Taro says she is beautiful she gains self-respect too.

The book has romance, drama (a book always need a bitchy woman), and culture clashes, I liked those of you can say it like that. The Japanese finds the foreigners ugly and weird because the English never bathe. It was interesting to see a romance set in this time.

Conclusion:

The story was the best part of this book. She is the first English woman to ever set foot in Japan, and then a handsome warlord takes fancy to her. I do like doomed love. And it was an easy and fast book to read. Nice mix between historical fiction and historical romance.

Reason for reading:

Again the story

Rating:

Interesting story

Cover:

I love the swirly things.

Pages: 352

Genre: Historical Fiction/romance

Publisher: Choc Lit, March 1st 2011

Review: Trade Winds - Christina Courtenay

Genre: Historical romance Fiction
Pages: 384
Published: September 30th 2010 Choc Lit

Marriage of convenience or a love for life? It's 1732 in Gothenburg, Sweden, and strong-willed Jess van Sandt knows only too well that it s a man's world. She believes she's being swindled out of her inheritance by her stepfather and she's determined to stop it. When help appears in the unlikely form of handsome Scotsman Killian Kinross, himself disinherited by his grandfather, Jess finds herself both intrigued and infuriated by him. In an attempt to recover her fortune, she proposes a marriage of convenience. Then Killian is offered the chance of a lifetime with the Swedish East India Company's Expedition and he's determined that nothing will stand in his way, not even his new bride. He sets sail on a daring voyage to the Far East, believing he's put his feelings and past behind him. But the journey doesn't quite work out as he expects...

I got interested in this one cos it was set on Sweden, and I thought, a book in English, set in Swedish. I wonder if she knows her stuff ;) Which Courtenay does being half Swedish. It was fun seeing Swedish words used and knowing what they mean for once. Cos when that happens with other languages, it's trickier.

Jess is of Dutch origin and her father started this trading company. Now she lives with her stepdad, whom she hates, and her mum. But she is pretty sure he is scaring away suitors so he does not have to pay her dowry. Among other things. Then there is Killian who is gambling away in Scotland, his grandfather doesn't want him as the next laird and his cousin hates him. So he goes to Gothenburg, where he meets Jess. Together they will figure things out.

Jess was a strong woman, she refused to back down to her stepfather, because she knew he was bad business. She was also stubborn and wanted things done on her terms. While Killian is her opposite, impulsive, a bit of a rogue, but what they have in common is that they both are smart and willing to go that extra mile. A perfect fit, if both just could see it, and be happy.

The story takes places in different places. Sweden of course, fun for me, Scotland (gotta love that), on a ship, and in China. I could sure not have made that journey to China, the time away, so freaking long.

These two doesn't fall at once for each other, now they fight, resist, and make arrangements. You have to love slow real love. There is not only romance, no some kind of action too, as someone hunts Killian. Drama, and adventure, what else to expect from a journey like that.

One thing though, they got really cold when they were in Småland, and, that being much southern than here, well I wish it was that warm. But then we do have more clothes on these days. Other than that, a good, accurate book. Overall a good book.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner. The swirly things are really pretty

Reason for reading: For review

Final thoughts: A nice era to write about, the 18th century, exploring, new places to trade, and all that.

3,25

Btw, the link has the wrong first name, my bad