Review and Giveaway! "Knight of Passion"

As part of the "Knight of Passion" blog tour, I have my review of the newest book in Margaret Mallory's All the King's Men series, as well as a giveaway of 5 copies of the book, sponsored by Hachette! So read on to see my review of this wonderful medieval romance and please enter for your chance to win!!

"Knight of Passion"
by Margaret Mallory

Source: finished copy provided by Hachette Books

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

My Review:

Lady Linnet and Jamie Rayburn hadn't seen each other for the five years since their relationship ended badly. They were each other's first love, and even over so many years, they still haven't gotten over each other. Headstrong Linnet has since become friend and confidante to Queen Katherine, and young and innocent Jamie is now a knight, Sir James Rayburn. When Jamie is sent to watch over and protect the Queen, he and Linnet realize that no matter their differences or how hard they try, they can't stay apart any longer.

From the very first few pages, I knew I was going to like Jamie, A LOT! He was that perfect combination of strong, powerful knight, with a sweet and loving heart, and of course, eyes only for Linnet. Jamie didn't disappoint, even when he wasn't a wide-eyed innocent anymore, he still retained all of those noble qualities.

I had a bad taste for Linnet at the prologue, but it was explained that Jamie was a little at fault too (hard to believe, I know) so I forgave her. Sometimes, she irritated me just a tiny bit, but I admired the fact that she was so strong and knew what she wanted.

Together, Jamie and Linnet had so much chemistry! Sparks were flying right off the page! You could really tell how much they loved each other too, it wasn't all physical. I loved that the author wasn't afraid to deal with jealousy. Boy, did Jamie get jealous!! I could positively see the steam coming out of his ears! Linnet had her share of jealous moments too. I was glad to see them envious, it made them more human and provided even more sparks.

Mallory's writing is fast paced and some of the dialogue was so unexpectedly funny! Linnet and Jamie's relationship is a roller coaster ride of extreme ups and downs.

There is a great supporting cast of characters as well. I loved the true story of Queen Katherine and Owen Tudor. I'm so intrigued, I definitely need to find more books about this couple!

There were some creepy devil-worshipping scenes (the villains) that were really uncomfortable for me to read. These scenes are not for the faint of heart! If not for these scenes, I would have given the book a full 5 stars!!

Main Characters: 5/5
Supporting Characters: 5/5 (I must read more about Queen Katherine and Owen Tudor!!)
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 5/5
Uniqueness: 4/5

Bottom Line: I really loved this book! Especially Jamie! I have found a new historical romance author to watch out for!

Extras: Check out this site for more extras from the All the King's Men Trilogy. I LOVE the illustration on the main page!

GIVEAWAY RULES:

Contest is closed! Thank you everyone for entering!!

Hachette books has generously provided FIVE copies of this awesome historical romance for readers of this blog!

All you have to do is follow my blog and leave a comment on this review with your email address!

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Rules:

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• Books will be mailed out by Hachette
  
• Ends Sunday June 20
  

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!