Blog Tour [Review]: Stolen to Wear His Crown

Hey everyone, hope all is well! To wrap up the December Harlequin December Reads Tour, I give you a review on Stolen to Wear His Crown by Marcella Bell.

Stolen to Wear His Crown
Author: Marcella Bell
Publication Date: November 1st 2020
Publisher: Harlequin

Where to buy: Harlequin | Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis

From unworldly scientist… to his fearless queen!

Mina has finally achieved her dream of becoming chief scientific advisor of Cyrano, when she’s stolen from the interview room! She’s taken directly to the palace chapel, where the terms of a secret betrothal mean she must marry the king—immediately. Powerful King Zayn knows all too well monarchs can’t afford dangerous distractions like love. Yet still, he’s appalled to be wed to a complete stranger! Mina is altogether too sensitive, too scholarly, too unpolished to be queen. But that can’t stop the desire that flares each time she looks his way…

Review

Stolen to Wear His Crown was a weird rollercoaster of a read. It went from zero to one hundred within the first ten percent of the book. From that ten percent, the rest was a bit more of a slow burn read.

Mina, a geeky academic scientist, has worked her life to focus on her PHD and be appointed as one of the King’s advisors. Once appointed, Mina is kidnapped in a very unsettling way, brought to the king who she is now forced to marry. A deal made by her father so many years ago, Mina is now faced with an arrogant king and an unpredictable future. The storyline was very predictable, which was okay, especially if you want a quick read. If the storyline didn’t feel so far-fetched, I would have be more engrossed and invested.

What I enjoyed was the difference of personalities between the two main characters. They were both very opposite of each other. Did it add on to that romantic tension the author wanted to portray, yes! Was it entertaining at times? Yeah, for the most part it was good to see the two learn to grown on each other given their circumstances. Speaking of circumstances, Mina really tried to work with her new situation, and I have to do credit where credit is due. It’s not everyday you become a wife and a queen all in one shot, especially to a very proud and arrogant king. I also saw strength and confidence in Mina at times that I appreciated throughout the book.

Overall, it was okay. I was taken aback by the kidnapping scene because it felt unnecessary forceful and was trying to picture a world where a 36-year old virgin could be experienced in both love and sex if she was so into the books an describe as a stereotypical school nerd. However, if you want a quick read and want to root on a heroine who surprises oyu when she stands her ground, this is a book for you.

About the Author

Marcella Bell lives in the mostly-sunny wilds of Southern Oregon with her husband, children, father, and three mismatched mutts. The dry hot summers and four distinct annual seasons of the region are a far cry from the weird rainy streets of Portland, OR, where she grew up, but she wouldn’t trade her quirky mountain valley home for anyplace else on the earth. As a late bloomer and a yogini, Marcella is drawn to romance that showcases love’s incredible power to transform.

Author Website: https://www.marcellabell.com/

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Excerpt Reveal: A Soldier Under Her Tree

Happy Friday everyone! This week I am giving you a double dose of some swoony holiday romance sneak peaks courtesy of Harlequin. Today’s excerpt comes from A Soldier Under Her Tree by Kathy Douglass.

A Soldier Under Her Tree
Author: Kathy Douglass
Publication Date: December 1st 2020
Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition

Where to buy: Harlequin | Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis

Tis the season…for a second shot at love. Could a fake boyfriend be her real hero this Christmas?

When her ex-fiancé shows up at her shop—engaged to her sister!—dress designer Hannah Carpenter doesn’t know what to do. Especially when her former fling Russell Danielson sees her plight and rides to the rescue, offering a fake relationship to foil her rude relations. The thing is, there’s nothing fake about his kiss… But when things get real, will the sexy soldier once again stop short of commitment?

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

And now for a sneak peak!

“Why do you have to be like that? I tried to re­sist. We both did, for your sake. That’s why we didn’t get married right away. We were consider­ing your feelings. But Gerald and I are in love and want to be together.”

Hannah managed not to throw up the yogurt she’d grabbed for breakfast. Respect for her feel­ings wasn’t the reason Dinah and Gerald hadn’t gotten married three years ago. They hadn’t tied the knot because Dinah hadn’t been divorced yet. Her ex-husband hadn’t been in the mood to give her half of what he’d earned, so the proceedings had dragged on and on. Of course, had Dinah been as much in love with Gerald as she’d claimed, she would have just walked away from her then eight-month marriage and a huge settlement. But Dinah had absorbed their mother’s teaching quite well. Never leave a dollar behind.

“I’m not stopping you. Get married. Have the biggest wedding the state of Virginia has seen. Heck, all of America has seen. But leave me out of it.”

Gerald stepped forward then. Hannah had hoped to never see the weasel ever again. Yet here he was, standing right in front of her. He was av­erage height with hair that was beginning to thin and cold, calculating eyes. Hannah wondered what she’d ever seen in him. When they’d worked to­gether at his father’s architectural firm, she’d been impressed by what she’d interpreted as his drive and desire to make a name for himself. Now she realized that had just been a mirage.

“Hannah, we weren’t right for each other.” Was he trying to sound sympathetic? If so, he was fail­ing miserably. But then, true feelings weren’t in­cluded in his limited repertoire. “I know you feel the same way.”

“You got that right.”

“I know you’re hurt and disappointed,” he said as if he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. Apparently he’d prepared this speech and intended to recite every word of it. “But don’t hold it against Dinah.”

“You’re unbelievable. Please, all of you, just leave.”

“Not until you agree to make my dress,” Dinah said. Clearly trying to make nice was putting a strain on her and she was reverting to type.

Hannah had a business to run. A customer could come in at any moment. She needed to put an end to this now.

“You know, I can always call the chief of po­lice. He’s a friend, too.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Eleanor said indignantly, pressing a manicured hand against her chest.

“Actually I would,” Hannah said, hoping her mother wouldn’t call her bluff. Hannah didn’t want anyone in town, especially her friends, to know about her messed up family. She’d never told a soul about them or how Gerald had betrayed her. And she never would. But Eleanor didn’t know that.

“There’s no need for that,” Eleanor said hast­ily, trying to get back on script. “Hannah, just consider what’s best for the family. And for you.”

“How would it look if you, a successful dress designer to the stars, refuse to design a wedding dress for your only sister? It could harm your rep­utation if anyone ever found out how petty you’re being,” Dinah added.

“Was that a threat? That’s an interesting strat­egy for someone asking a favor.”

“I’m just pointing out the obvious. You like to pretend that you’re the victim. Poor betrayed Han­nah. The truth is Gerald dumped you because he didn’t want you. He wanted me.” Dinah preened as if she were some sort of prize. “You’ve always been jealous of my beauty. I would have thought you’d gotten over it by now. Maybe if you could find a man, you wouldn’t be so bitter. But then, maybe you haven’t met anyone desperate enough.”

Hannah gasped. That was low even for Dinah.

The sound of a throat being loudly cleared filled the uneasy silence. Hannah closed her eyes.

Just what she’d hoped to avoid—a witness to her family’s dysfunction and her personal humiliation.

She opened her eyes and turned to face her customer.

Russell Danielson. Her good friend’s brother. She’d met Russell this past summer when he’d been in Sweet Briar visiting his siblings and their families. They’d hit it off and spent a glorious eve­ning together. He’d promised to contact her when he got back to his duty station. He hadn’t.

She’d been hurt when he’d ghosted her—dis­appointed even—but not surprised. She was still down on men. Besides, though they’d had a couple of good conversations, those talks hadn’t involved anything truly personal. Still, she’d thought they’d connected. Clearly she’d been wrong.

Russell looked around the room, taking in the scene, and then smiled. Did he find the way she was standing against the wall while they circled her like sharks amusing? “Sorry I’m late.”

“Uh.” Late for what? Until he’d stepped into her store, she hadn’t known he was in town.

He crossed the room, not stopping until he was standing an inch in front on her. Instinctively she inhaled and got a whiff of his delectable scent. He was wearing a woodsy cologne, which when min­gled with his natural scent made her weak in the knees. Before she could utter a word, he put his arms around her waist and pulled her into a kiss.

His lips were warm, and the pressure was perfect. He lingered for a few seconds before pulling away. Though he’d ended the kiss, he kept his arm firmly around her waist, which was good since her knees had turned to Jell-O.

About the Author

Kathy Douglass came by her love of reading naturally – both of her parents were readers. She would finish one book and pick up another. Then she attended law school and traded romances for legal opinions. After the birth of her two children, her love of reading turned into a love of writing. Kathy now spends her days writing the small town contemporary novels she enjoys reading. Kathy loves to hear from her readers and can be found on Facebook.

Author Website: https://kathydouglassbooks.com/

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