Before I get into my review, I have exciting news! Samantha Marshall has generally accepted my invitation for an author Q&A, which you'll find at the bottom. :D

Review
Ever since she was soulmerged with Caelum, a dearken who speaks (and he speaks his own mind pretty often!), Arcana has been unable to find a place among her own people - or indeed anywhere. But then she meets Fenris, an injured Guardian from the Timeless Kingdom. Arcana's unusual magic may just be the key to saving Fenris' home - and maybe even the entire galaxy.

This reminded me of retro space/fantasy adventures - and that's a good thing! I've always had a soft spot for magic and stars sharing the same setting. Arcana is the snarkiest, kick-arse heroine since Aelin Galathynius (but a lot more mature!) and I adore Caelum. He had a particularly touching journey that I won't spoil, because it was really quite lovely. The storyline also took some delightfully unexpected turns.

I do think, however, that this might have been better as two books instead of one.

Click "read more" for a Q&A with the author!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bryston McPherson is a former privateer with a painful past. Branwen has been interested in him ever since they met, but she is unaware of how his secrets will soon endanger her - and has no idea that she's competing with a ghost for Bryston's affections.

As always with this series, you agree to compromise on background and buildup in exchange for a short, easy read that you can manage around a busy life. The pace was quick, Bryston's past intrigued me, and I enjoyed the action. Branwen was a wonderful heroine, but she honestly didn't deserve to be compared so much to Bryston's late wife. I cringed a little. I generally prefer romances that are a bit more tactful about past loves.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tristan MacPherson is a cold-blooded killer on his way to take yet another life. He doesn't expect to come across Rose, a lass beset by the Black Plague and left for dead - and he doesn't expect to fall in love with her or discover that she is the daughter of the man he intends to kill.

Oh, I loved Tristan. He's a Medieval bad boy with a heart of gold and even I fell for him. He and Rose were so adorable together. I also thoroughly enjoyed all the twists and turns in this one; the mystery of who was trying to kill Rose kept me guessing right up until the end. Tempest Heart had a bit of a Tangled feel (a charming hero freeing the heroine from a life of captivity!), so if you love that movie you'll probably love this.

​Lily Bennet immediately catches Elias MacPherson's eye and only she can keep the terrors of his past at bay. But she is another man's wife - a man who is honourable and decent and Elias cannot wish any ill on him. Being near Lily is a torment and things will only worsen when the Black Death comes to town.

This series has been a bit uneven thus far, but Lion Heart is wonderful and everything I've come to love about Paula Quinn's books. The combination of an at-large villain and a plague made for some fantastic tension. And the pacing was practically perfect, a marked improvement from previous books. It was also nice to see how Elias is getting on - he's certainly grown since we last "saw" him.

I can't wait to get into Tempest Heart. In fact, I have an ARC that I should be reading right now...!