Also available in the full collection of Heart Bond (Elven Alliance Book 8). If you have already read Heart Bond, there is no need to also read this ebook.
A dangerous mission to a foreign kingdom isn't the ideal honeymoon.
Jalissa, princess of the elves, thought she knew what she was getting into when she married Edmund, the spy prince of Escarland. But a week after their wedding, they must embark on a dangerous mission to an enemy nation, putting their wits, their skills, and their new marriage to the test in ways they never imagined.
Join Edmund and Jalissa for their adventures in this Elven Alliance story collection, featuring four short stories and a novella. Witness Edmund's marriage proposal, their courtship, and their work investigating the Escarlish nobility. Finally, follow their adventures on their spy mission in Mongavaria, which takes place during Shield Band.
This volume contains the below stories: The Proposal - previously published for free for newsletter subscribers Naming the Kitten - previously published for free for newsletter subscribers Family Vacation - all new short story Investigating - all new short story Peril in Mongavaria - an all new novella
Due to spoilers, this story collection is best read after Shield Band (Elven Alliance Book Six).
Born and raised in Michigan, I enjoy traveling to new adventures that inspire my writing.
Growing up, I read just about every book I could get my hands on, especially fantasy. I currently write YA fantasy and romantic fantasy filled with lots of humor, spunky and tough leading ladies, and broken heroes.
When I am not writing, I enjoy spending time with my chocolate lab, Miss Kisses.
I enjoyed getting Edmund and Jalissa's side of the story of what was going on during Shield Band, and the shorts of their courtship, as well as a glimpse at their future. They're great (and so flirty, oh my 😂 I love it), and the ending was satisfying. Definitely was extra nice to read immediately after reading Pretense.
While in theory I love the idea of some fluffy stories about favorite characters that don't put them in stressful situations, the short stories in this collection were so very low stakes I didn't get invested enough to enjoy them.
That said, I absolutely LOVED the novella that took up the bulk of this book. We get to see the Sir Percy Blakeney side of Edmund, and Jalissa and Edmund absolutely rocking working together in partnership, plus the author is willing to tackle that sometimes supporting your spouse gets a lot messier than the usual tidy little shoulder wound...
Be aware that there are brief references to infertility and suicidal thoughts.
Short stories and a novella starring Edmund and Jalissa that I deeply enjoyed!
The Proposal: This was so cute! Edmund and Jalissa are just so cute and sweet.
Naming the Kitten: Just the thought of Farrendel playing with a tiny, fluffy kitten is just the cutest thing. 🥰
Family Vacation: Edmund annoying Weylind and messing (though nicely, lol) with his elf brothers is so hilarious.
Investigating: Spy kissing for the win.
Peril in Mongavaria: If I hadn’t read Shield Band (which this story overlaps with) first I would have been so stressed out, lol! Edmund and Jalissa go through sooo much to come out stronger together on the other side and I couldn’t be more happy and love them even more for it. 🥰
**Note: I read this as the original ebook standalone but it is now bound up with the second ebook collection Inventor in the 8th novel of the series Heart Bond. As long as you read Heart Bond you’ll read these stories, so no need to track down this edition!**
‼️Content (for all stories)‼️
Violence: mentions of a past assassination attempt
Sexual: Mild. Jalissa and Edmund are married in this and there are some inferences to marital intimacy but nothing on screen or approaching fade to black. They are very kissy and affectionate.
This book is told from Jalissa and Edmund's point of view of their spying/emissary mission into Mongavaria that takes place in the midst of the doings in Shield Band.
I admit that Edmund and Jalissa are probably my least favorite couple in Elven Alliance. It took me ages to get to this book because I just didn't care all that much. So, while I do enjoy seeing the gang again, I wasn't super interested in the plot of this until the midpoint when the poisoning happens. Then it was all about Edmund and Jalissa's relationship, the peril they were in (very apt title btw), and the way they both grew as individuals as they learned each other's strengths and weaknesses.
It's a good insert into the main series, and I did enjoy reading it after things got more intense.
And I had a grin on my face just like Averett at Weylind's weird screaming tree face. The relationship between the brothers both by blood and marriage, is one of the BEST things about this series. They absolutely crack me up and remind me of my own brothers in a lot of ways.
The wrap up was interesting too, as it hints at possibilities to come and where the author may go in the future if she keeps writing in this world. I look forward to seeing what crops up!
I enjoy every visit to the kingdoms of the Elven Alliance, and I especially enjoyed this added depth to Edmund and Jalissa's relationship. Questions about their foray into Mongovaria that bothered me in Shield Band are answered here to complete satisfaction. The novella also gives more details about the future direction of the alliance that give greater closure, making me feel better about leaving them behind, while hopeful for additional short stories. A must-read for EA fans!
I loved this short and sweet tale about Jalissa and Edmund's adventures. It is such a great spin-off, and I'm looking forward to the next story. The content is a bit more spicy than Tara's usual stories, but it still a clean read without any sex, cussing, and more political intrigue than violence. However, there is innuendo and a fair bit of kissing, and the innuendo is looked down upon. That being said, if you've loved all the Elven Alliance stories like I have, you'll enjoy this addition to the series.
This collection of shorts was a delightful toe dipping back into the world of Elven Alliance--until you get to the main short story, then it's a swan dive into....peril. XD
It was fun getting to see more of Jalissa and Edward, and more spy activities. These stories were sneaky, funny, and swoony, and I will miss these characters...at least until the next story collection!
Love it!!! So glad we still get stories from this world even though the full length books are over!!! Another sweet enjoyable book!!! Secretly I’m hoping for another series with Essie/Edmund/Julien and partners and their kids, but even if we just get more novellas and short stories I will be happy too!!
I just adore this world that Tara Grayce has created so any chance to hop back in is an absolute treat! Jalissa and Edmund has such a sweet relationship with some of the best humor moments and this made the book not feel like a shortened story at all. I couldn’t put it down. As always, I am ready for more!
In this collection, we go back in time to find out what really happened in Mongavaria. It took several chapters for me to fully immerse in the story. After all, I already knew what happened, right? I especially loved seeing hints of what’s in store for Edmund during his long life courtesy of the heart bond.
In this book, Edmund marries jalissa and they form a heart bond. They're traveling to spy mongavaria as ambassadors to find the traitor among them. There the crown prince poisons Edmund and the mongavarian king. The escape and the return journey to Aldon with the help of jalissa's bond and sarya is thrilling. Essie and Farrendel have a son now.
A great collection of short and long stories giving glimpse into the Elven Alliance once more. Some stories are sweet and fun. Some are packed with page-turning action. And some have depth showing growth in love, in strength, in character. Plus we see more of Edmund and Jalissa. Well written, very engaging.
I'm one of those people who could not get enough of the Elven Alliance tales, and this expanded glimpse of Edmond and Jalissa, is just perfect. Truly engaging reads.
I enjoyed reading more about Jalissa and Edmund’s adventures as spies during their trip to Mongavaria. It gave more insight into their travels and really “fleshed” out their characters. Looking forward to reading more in this series. I have pre-ordered the next one “Inventor”.
I enjoyed these! Some of the stories were familiar to me, since I'd read them earlier when the author made them available individually, but most were new. The last and longest one, about Edmund and Jalissa, was my favorite. A fun collection of tidbits about characters I've grown to care about!
I love this addition to the series!! The shorts are precious and the novella about the Mongavaria mission was well done and much needed! I look forward to the next companion story and any follow ups with future generations!
Besides Farrendel and Essie, Edmund and Jalissa are one of my favorite couples in this series. This book really put their relationship through the wringer, but they still came out out together in the end.
A fun short story collection with one longer story. It wasn't about my favorite characters, but did fill in some experiences these characters had "off screen". If you liked the rest of the series, it's definitely worth picking up.
This book was everything I needed and more! I have fallen utterly in love with the world Tara Grayce has created and am already counting down the days until her next book comes out!
I loved getting these extra stories about the characters I've come to love. I especially loved the novella with Edmund and Jallisa's experiences after they got married.
Summary: Two royal spies spend their honeymoon doing what they do best—espionage. This is a behind the scenes side story that took place at the same time as the last book in Grayce’s Elven Alliance series.
Pros: Love these characters. Happy to get more of them and the spy plot was fun (even if you already know how it’s gonna end if you read the main series).
Cons: This is advertised as a collection of short stories, so it should surprise no one that it has a bunch of super short stories at the start. But even with short stories, I tend to expect a bit more of a story arc than we actually got with most of these. They are more like deleted scenes/back of the book stuff that I normally would skip, but other fans might enjoy them. It was still worth it to get the larger spy story at the end!
Conclusion: If you enjoyed Grayce’s Elven Alliance series, then definitely read Peril. And if you ARE someone who enjoys deleted scenes/bonus stuff, read the other ones too. ;)
CONTENT some uncondoned innudenos/crude coments (maily made by the bad guyes), kissing (lots of it), snuggling and hand holding, peril...
MESSAGES (some of them) fears will hold you back - try talking honestly with your potentail wife or husband - sometimes it's ok to be morally grey - royalty should be good at putting on smiles; it's useful
WRITING Good! Most of these stories wouldn't be nearly as fun if we hadn't already come to love these charritures, and there are lots of spoilers for the main books.
CONCLUSION Excellent as ever! I enjoyed the cute scenes and family relationships. (copied from my review of Heart Bond)