His redemption might be her downfall…
Tristan has nothing left to lose. His best friend’s betrayal cost him everything. Now, he’s going to take it back. All he has to do to get the Hawks reinstated to their rightful position at the palace is track down the traitor’s younger sister and turn her over for execution. But Nim’s not the girl Tristan left behind years ago; she’s a stubborn, loyal, beautiful woman, and he can’t stop himself from wanting her.
Nim fled with nothing when the king’s favorite came for her. All she has left is the conviction that her brother is innocent—and her determination to free him. She’ll do anything…even if it means convincing Tristan to help her. But the man he’s become is a far cry from the boy she fell in love with so long ago. He’s formidably stern and deeply untrusting. She’ll just have to hope he still has a heart under that battle-scarred exterior.
When love and duty collide, will Tristan follow his orders or follow his heart?
Tristan, book 1 in The Hawks series, is a sexy, steamy, adult fantasy romance full of swords, shifters (kind of), and tons of action. But fair warning: This book is intended only for readers who love slow burn romance, fast-paced adventure, soul mates and found family—and characters who curse when they fight for survival. If that’s you, happy reading.
Excerpt
They’d been on the
road for an hour, with the men bantering in low voices—mostly Mathos telling
rude jokes and Tor trying to make him shut up—when something made Tristan focus
on Nim.
At first, he wasn’t
sure what he’d noticed. She had become more slumped during the afternoon, her
head bowed. But something had made her seem even less steady. A spike of
concern from his beast made him nudge Altair closer.
A moment before he
reached her, she started to slide. Her body simply tipped to the side and she
lost balance in a smooth, helpless glide toward the distant ground.
He pushed himself
forward and over in one rapid swoop, leaning precariously in his saddle to
scoop her up. She startled awake, half held in his arms, her body stretched
between the two horses with her foot tangled in the stirrup.
He had her at a
horrible angle, but he held her tight, forcing the horses close together as
Rafael dashed forward and freed her.
Finally, she was
loose and he could settle back into his saddle, heart still beating hard from
the sudden burst of fear and speed, and the effort of holding her safe across
the two horses.
He held her firmly
in his arms as she stared up at him, shocked into wakefulness, silver-flecked
blue eyes wide and startled, and he forced himself to curb his first impulse—to
shout at her for riding half asleep, for frightening him like that—and managed
a surly grunt instead. She felt his ire anyway, because her eyes narrowed, and
she immediately started to twist and squirm to be put down.
He clamped his arms
around her and gave her his most ferocious glare, but all she did was roll her
eyes and redouble her effort. Gods, if she didn’t stop wiggling that rounded
leather-clad bottom in his lap, they were both going to have a problem.
He frowned at her.
“Will you kindly stop.”
“No. I want to get
off.”
He raised an
eyebrow. “Why? So you can go to sleep in the saddle again?”
She turned to stare
at him, nose in the air. “That was a mistake. I’m awake now.”
He turned and looked
at Rafe, who gave him a quick shake of his head. As he’d suspected. “No. It’s
not safe. You’ll just go back to sleep. You can ride with me, or you can walk.”
She huffed out an
enraged breath. “You are so bloody frustrating! You know walking would take too
long!”
His lips twitch as
he suppressed the desire to grin. No one else ever challenged him.
She sighed again and
then changed tack. “Anyway, it would be bad for your horse to carry the extra
weight.”
He considered the
massive stallion and the tiny woman in his arms and surprised them both by
grinning. “He’s a warhorse. I think he can manage an hour or two.”
She mumbled
something vicious under her breath, but she turned and lifted her leg over the
high front saddle horn, then wiggled that torturous bottom closer so that they
fitted together.
He gritted his teeth
and took a few deep breaths, grateful that his heavy leather breeches would
disguise just how much she was affecting him.
Slowly, she started
to relax between his arms. The stiffness of her spine softened, and she leaned
her back against him, her head tucked under his chin. The men’s voices lowered,
as if they too wanted her to rest as they rode on through the weak afternoon
sunshine.
He noticed the moment
that her weight fell completely against him, but he was reassured by the slow
rise and fall of her chest as she nestled against him. His beast stirred again,
filled with a deep sense of connection.
She was so
beautiful. And the first woman that he and his beast had ever agreed on
wanting. He felt it down to the most primal parts of himself, how right it was
to hold her in his arms. How badly he needed to protect her and keep her close.
Author Bio:
Jennie Lynn Roberts believes that every strong, kickass heroine should have control of her own story, a swoony hero to support her at every turn, and a guaranteed happily ever after. Because that doesn’t always happen in real life, she began creating her own worlds that work just the way they should. And she hasn’t looked back since.
Jennie would rather be writing than doing anything else—except for spending time with her gorgeous family, of course. But when she isn’t building vibrant new worlds, she can be found nattering with friends, baking up a storm, or strolling in the woods around her home in England.
If you want to talk books, romance, movies, reluctant heroes, or just about anything else with Jennie, feel free to contact her atwww.jennielynnroberts.com. But be prepared to settle in for a long chat if you bring up shifters, vampires, Star Wars, or The Princess Bride….
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This has a lovely cover , perfect for this fantasy read.
ReplyDeletethis looks really romantic
ReplyDeleteI like the cover. It goes well with the genre. Thanks for the chance.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being on the tour! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! :)
DeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover.
ReplyDeleteNim and Tristan are interesting characters. I’m excited to read their story.
ReplyDelete