relzreviewz.com Reckless by Tamara Leigh

Synopsis:~

THE WULFRITHS. IT ALL BEGAN WITH A WOMAN

A battle. A crown. The conqueror. The conquered. Medieval England—forever changed by the Battle of Hastings. And the rise of the formidable Wulfriths.

A REBEL MOST WANTED

Vitalis of the Saxon resistance wearies of leading men to victory only to next lead them to death at the hands of the invaders. But when an opportunity arises to shame the Norman who claims England’s throne, he takes it, as well as proof of that shaming. Now more than ever, William the Conqueror is determined to capture the rebel leader. And greater that possibility when Vitalis must keep his word to recover an impetuous Norman lady abducted by Saxon allies. Can he free her without making enemies of his own people? More, can he forgive the one determined to pry open his heart when bloodshed proves the price of her release? And what is to be done with the usurper’s son who is as determined to capture his sire’s enemy as the vengeful warriors pursuing the elusive rebel?

A LADY MOST RECKLESS

Lady Nicola of the D’Argents thinks too highly of her ability to defend herself and too little of consequences. Thus, when good intentions go awry, she finds herself abducted and her chance of escape thwarted by her own recklessness. Now a captive on the Isle of Ely—the last bastion of English resistance—she discovers the mighty Saxon warrior, Vitalis, seeks to return her to her family. And that her fascination with this enemy has not abated in the years since the girl of her first looked upon the man of him. But when he sets in motion his plan to free her, once more Nicola proves her own worst enemy. Though he may never forgive her for what she costs him, she is determined to make a way for him in Norman-ruled England—even at the sacrifice of her reputation.

From William the Conqueror’s harrying of the North to the fenlands of East Anglia, the tale of Lady Nicola and the mighty Vitalis unfolds in the fifth book in the AGE OF CONQUEST series revealing the origins of the Wulfriths of the bestselling AGE OF FAITH series. Watch for BOUNDLESS: Book Six releasing early Winter 2020/2021.

Necee’s take:~

“It all began with a woman…”

Finally, the long awaited Lady Nicola D’Argent’s story and wow, what a doozy! It has been so fun watching her grow up, seeming to get into trouble and yet, what is a girl to do with all brothers to measure up to them being warriors. The last book left her still absconded by the enemy, even after Vitalis tried to save her… but as usual, she gets herself into another fix. I love her adventuring spirit and warrior heart. The best thing about her is her dedication to her family, for justice, and wanting to do things for herself. Of course, this means her brothers and family constantly trying to keep her safe. Then, when rescued by Vitalis, she starts to fall hard for him, even while not liking him and trying to escape.

“Vitalis did not want to like Nicola D’Argent and he did not. He wanted to hate her and yet could not.”

Then there is Vitalis of the Saxon resistance, who is tired of the war, but still on the run from William the Conqueror. I loved hearing his side of the story and seeing his heart for his people and land. As he tries to save Nicola from herself and her captors, his feelings toward her begin to change. Both of these characters grew so much throughout the series and I enjoyed the back-and-forth of their relationship. Their adventures kept the story engaging and had me hoping for their happy ending. Which I have to say, was difficult with William the Conqueror involved as it did not look hopeful for Vitalis. However, Tamara Leigh having a way with words, brought about an intriguing ending that was beautifully written.

“He kissed her brow. “We know, just as we understand the heart does not always act in one’s best interest.”

I thoroughly enjoyed each of their personalities and the chemistry between the characters. I really loved how much Nicola’s brothers supported her, and even protected her from herself. Seeing the whole family come together and the direction Leigh took with them was pure magic for the reader. That being said, having read Heartless, there was some overlap in the beginning due to seeing a different viewpoint of what was happening in the prior book. I felt it slowed things down a bit at first, but then I was entranced with Vitalis and Lady Nicola’s story.

Adventure, family, romance, and medieval battles made this a novel not to be missed! “It all began with a woman” and how cleverly Leigh tied the whole series together. I read the book, as well as listening to the audiobook and was thoroughly enchanted with the narrator’s voice. Loved this whole series and, of course, the Wulfrith storyline to come! As always, Leigh brought history to life and even added notes in the back on what was happening at the time. She makes history so entertaining, you won’t even realize you’re learning!

Both the audiobook and book were my personal copies. I loved listening with Whispersync to seamlessly go between reading and listening. I have given my honest opinion in this review.

Tamara Leigh signed a 4-book contract with Bantam Books in 1993, her debut medieval romance was nominated for a RITA award, and successive books with Bantam, HarperCollins, and Dorchester earned awards and places on national bestseller lists. In 2006, the first of Tamara’s inspirational contemporary romances was published, followed by six more with Multnomah and RandomHouse. Perfecting Kate was optioned for a movie, Splitting Harriet won an ACFW Book of the Year award, and Faking Grace was nominated for a RITA award.

In 2012, Tamara returned to the historical romance genre with the release of Dreamspell and the bestselling Age of Faith series. Among her #1 bestsellers are her general market romances rewritten as clean and inspirational reads, including Lady at Arms and Lady of Conquest. In late 2018, she released Merciless, the first book in the new AGE OF CONQUEST series unveiling the origins of the Wulfrith family. Psst!—It all began with a woman.

Tamara lives near Nashville with her husband, a German Shepherd who has never met a squeaky toy she can’t destroy, and a feisty Morkie who keeps her company during long writing stints. Connect with her at: www.tamaraleigh.com, Facebook, Twitter and tamaraleightenn@gmail.com