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Dance with the Enemy
The time has come for Elenya to meet the man she’s belonged to since she was three, the man whose blood flows through her veins. In the midst of the maidens, the King’s warriors are released; each forced to find the woman chosen for him through her scent, resulting in a half-mad frenzy that heightens already aroused animalistic needs. Elenya is terrified, especially when she realizes what the warrior searching for her does not – that she’s been marked with the blood of her family’s enemy.
As the leader of the King’s elite forces makes his way toward her, she ignores the pull of the marking and darts out into the night … into his territory. She has to get to the Masters so they can right this wrong. A mistake must have been made. Surely fate would not force her to dance for a lifetime in the arms of her enemy. And if it did, would his blood flowing through her veins be enough to unite their hearts?
As the leader of the King’s elite forces makes his way toward her, she ignores the pull of the marking and darts out into the night … into his territory. She has to get to the Masters so they can right this wrong. A mistake must have been made. Surely fate would not force her to dance for a lifetime in the arms of her enemy. And if it did, would his blood flowing through her veins be enough to unite their hearts?
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2013
16 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Linda Boulanger
35 books116 followersLinda Boulanger is a happily-ever-after author, wife, and mother of four human children and two fur babies. She has an eclectic mix of published books, numerous story singles and short stories in a few group anthologies, plus a slew of always evolving works in progress.
Along with being an author, she designs book covers for herself and others through Tell~Tale Book Covers and TreasureLine Designs, all from her desk just north of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Visit her at www.LindaBoulangerBooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 9, 2013
There are books you read that leave you saying, "Well, that was nice." Then there are books that touch you so deep, make you dizzy with emotion, and stay with you long after you've read the last word that you can't seem to get it our of your head. Dance with the Enemy is one of those books!!! From the beginning I was drawn in, the story line is so unique it enthralled me from the start. But the way the story unfolded kept me begging for more. I found myself stealing away moments during my busy day so I could read a page or a paragraph, anything I could to keep the story going.
Tahruk and Elenya were so amazing to watch as they developed in the story. Tahruk came to life in a way that had me sighing out loud a I watched his personality unfold before me. His internal battles with his growing feelings for Elenya, his sworn enemy that he couldn't seem to get out of his head, were so real and full of emotion that it was hard not to feel along with him.
Elenya was everything woman! She had moments of bravery, feistiness, wit, charm, and temptress. Then she had moments of false bravado, shy uncertainty, and self doubt; everything woman! She was so believable it was hard not to fall in love with her.
I fell in love with the whole Sharanis family, including Nema and Redahan. Nema you can't help but love from the start, feeling more and more pride in her as the story unfolds. Redahan is one you grow to love through the story and by the end you yearn for more for him!
What can I say? I love this book! It has made me think, rethink, and crave more. It is definitely a story I could read more than once and find something new each time. This story played out like a movie in my head, it monopolized my dreams, and I can't wait for Redahan's story so I can have more of the Sharanis Family!!!
Tahruk and Elenya were so amazing to watch as they developed in the story. Tahruk came to life in a way that had me sighing out loud a I watched his personality unfold before me. His internal battles with his growing feelings for Elenya, his sworn enemy that he couldn't seem to get out of his head, were so real and full of emotion that it was hard not to feel along with him.
Elenya was everything woman! She had moments of bravery, feistiness, wit, charm, and temptress. Then she had moments of false bravado, shy uncertainty, and self doubt; everything woman! She was so believable it was hard not to fall in love with her.
I fell in love with the whole Sharanis family, including Nema and Redahan. Nema you can't help but love from the start, feeling more and more pride in her as the story unfolds. Redahan is one you grow to love through the story and by the end you yearn for more for him!
What can I say? I love this book! It has made me think, rethink, and crave more. It is definitely a story I could read more than once and find something new each time. This story played out like a movie in my head, it monopolized my dreams, and I can't wait for Redahan's story so I can have more of the Sharanis Family!!!
July 11, 2017
A truly epic saga
The Land of Riandus continues to develop in this remarkable story! Amazingly talented Linda Boulanger has constructed a remarkable world with characters that jump off the page and appear before the reader fully realized. These are not flat players, but three dimensional beings who make you laugh and cry and ache and love with them. The story is complex in its construction, but resolves beautifully into a HEA that is satisfying and fulfilling. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to further adventures in the Land of Riandus.
The Land of Riandus continues to develop in this remarkable story! Amazingly talented Linda Boulanger has constructed a remarkable world with characters that jump off the page and appear before the reader fully realized. These are not flat players, but three dimensional beings who make you laugh and cry and ache and love with them. The story is complex in its construction, but resolves beautifully into a HEA that is satisfying and fulfilling. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to further adventures in the Land of Riandus.
August 19, 2014
Although a fantasy, this story holds threads of so much more!
Read full review in the 2013 September issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2013 September issue of InD’tale Magazine.
November 30, 2017
Dance with the Enemy by Linda Boulanger is a great story. Terrifically plotted and well written, this book has transported me to a new world, just like Eleyna. The detailed descriptions of everything drew me completely into the twists and turns. I loved how the truths appeared as lies, but unraveled into truths. And just when I thought an HEA was imminent, in walks Gavin. Ugh, I wanted to scream. But the epilogue saved me. This one is just really well done.
May 3, 2015
**mildly spoilerish**
I thought that this book seemed fairly well written, if you like the sort of thing. I generally liked all of the characters and even the plot, in the broadest sense. However, there were just some very basic aspects of the story that I personally disliked. I acknowledge up front that these are personal preferences and plenty of people won't share my opinion. Some will probably even be like, 'are you kidding me?' But I'm giving the book 3 stars, because though a lot of it made me cringe and grind my teeth I'm not claiming it's a bad book in any fashion.
In some ways this is a fairly cookie-cutter piece of fluff. Young, innocent virgin is forcibly (in this case socially) claimed by a hardened warrior. His beastly heart is then melted by said maiden's (and yes she is referred to as a maiden) genuine, open heart, fiery temper and guileless sensuality—absolutely predictable.
Where Boulanger tried to add a little variety was in the cultural necessities that brought Elenya and Tahbruk together. I can appreciate the effort here. It's and interesting idea. But I hated the incredibly sexist patriarchy created. Women seemed to hold no value beyond breeders and whores—glorified whores, courtesans even, but whores all the same. This sexism was highlighted, at least partially, to provide a challenge to be overcome. Again, I get that. But I still had to read 300+ pages of it. Conversely, since the marking ceremony was exclusively for the nobility, I was left wondering how men who weren't noble warriors, say a baker, found wives. This was never addressed.
Now, here's the Catch-22 that meant I was just never going to be the right reader for this book. Part of the plot was that some of the characters thought these same ceremonies, leading to this mistreatment of women, were out-dated and needed to be abolished. A good thing, yes? No. Not for me at least. I mean it is, but...one of my literary pet peeves is watching socially or morally superior characters, especially outsider characters, declare otherwise accepted cultural practices wrong. It's one thing for a whole society, or even a portion of society to be struggling for the improvement of the laws and practices that affect their lives. It's another to see one person telling the same society it's doing something abhorrent. How arrogant is that? Even if that character is correct by modern western standards, do they really have the right to judge others? And when such social change is easily affected the anthropologist in me wants to cry.
The, admittedly contrary, result was that I enjoyed neither the existing social setting of the book nor the stories attempt at improving society. It just struck me as baseless optimism. There was no social push for improvement, just one or two individuals who apparently decided everyone else was socially stagnant. What's more, I could have done with a little more world building outside of the mating rituals. For example, many characters pray to the 'good Lord' but religion is never touched on. So who is this deity everyone keeps calling on?
Add those big personal no-no's to any number of smaller irritants, like my dislike of seeing otherwise good men driven to dastardly deeds by the loss of a platonic love, and this book and I just never had a chance. Again, I'm not calling it a bad book. The writing was fine. I don't remember any editorial issues. The sex wasn't gratuitous, which was actually surprising since I started the book thinking it was erotica, and despite being the first of a series, the book actually ended. So, not a bad book, just a bad book for me.
I thought that this book seemed fairly well written, if you like the sort of thing. I generally liked all of the characters and even the plot, in the broadest sense. However, there were just some very basic aspects of the story that I personally disliked. I acknowledge up front that these are personal preferences and plenty of people won't share my opinion. Some will probably even be like, 'are you kidding me?' But I'm giving the book 3 stars, because though a lot of it made me cringe and grind my teeth I'm not claiming it's a bad book in any fashion.
In some ways this is a fairly cookie-cutter piece of fluff. Young, innocent virgin is forcibly (in this case socially) claimed by a hardened warrior. His beastly heart is then melted by said maiden's (and yes she is referred to as a maiden) genuine, open heart, fiery temper and guileless sensuality—absolutely predictable.
Where Boulanger tried to add a little variety was in the cultural necessities that brought Elenya and Tahbruk together. I can appreciate the effort here. It's and interesting idea. But I hated the incredibly sexist patriarchy created. Women seemed to hold no value beyond breeders and whores—glorified whores, courtesans even, but whores all the same. This sexism was highlighted, at least partially, to provide a challenge to be overcome. Again, I get that. But I still had to read 300+ pages of it. Conversely, since the marking ceremony was exclusively for the nobility, I was left wondering how men who weren't noble warriors, say a baker, found wives. This was never addressed.
Now, here's the Catch-22 that meant I was just never going to be the right reader for this book. Part of the plot was that some of the characters thought these same ceremonies, leading to this mistreatment of women, were out-dated and needed to be abolished. A good thing, yes? No. Not for me at least. I mean it is, but...one of my literary pet peeves is watching socially or morally superior characters, especially outsider characters, declare otherwise accepted cultural practices wrong. It's one thing for a whole society, or even a portion of society to be struggling for the improvement of the laws and practices that affect their lives. It's another to see one person telling the same society it's doing something abhorrent. How arrogant is that? Even if that character is correct by modern western standards, do they really have the right to judge others? And when such social change is easily affected the anthropologist in me wants to cry.
The, admittedly contrary, result was that I enjoyed neither the existing social setting of the book nor the stories attempt at improving society. It just struck me as baseless optimism. There was no social push for improvement, just one or two individuals who apparently decided everyone else was socially stagnant. What's more, I could have done with a little more world building outside of the mating rituals. For example, many characters pray to the 'good Lord' but religion is never touched on. So who is this deity everyone keeps calling on?
Add those big personal no-no's to any number of smaller irritants, like my dislike of seeing otherwise good men driven to dastardly deeds by the loss of a platonic love, and this book and I just never had a chance. Again, I'm not calling it a bad book. The writing was fine. I don't remember any editorial issues. The sex wasn't gratuitous, which was actually surprising since I started the book thinking it was erotica, and despite being the first of a series, the book actually ended. So, not a bad book, just a bad book for me.
April 12, 2015
From the very first words I found myself lost in the story of Dance With the Enemy. For me it is an "Oh my goodness" book. I haven't read romance novels in a number of years because they had become so "ho hum" in plot. Girl meets boy, they fall in love, something happens, and so on and so on. You know how they go. Dance With the Enemy by Linda Boulanger is anything but "ho hum"!
The idea of sailing off to meet the man you were "marked" to be with is such a romantic notion. There is one person on the earth to whom you belong, you share their blood, you will meet him and be immediately taken with him...it is every fairy tale ever written. But not in Dance With the Enemy. I won't spoil the story for you, you really must read it for yourself!
Tahruk is a strong, powerful warrior, capable and respected in his community. Elenya is a beautiful and proud woman, filled with courage and new ideas, the hope of her people. The sparks fly from the moment the marking takes over. He chases, she runs. He softens, she balks. Their love is challenging from the very beginning. Their entire traditional way of life will come into question.
This is a novel to read, then read again as you all in love with the characters Linda Boulanger has created. Watch for the twists and turns and enjoy this beautifully written book. I am so excited by the coming of a second novel in this series later this year. Thank you, Linda, for taking the time to share your gift of the written word!
The idea of sailing off to meet the man you were "marked" to be with is such a romantic notion. There is one person on the earth to whom you belong, you share their blood, you will meet him and be immediately taken with him...it is every fairy tale ever written. But not in Dance With the Enemy. I won't spoil the story for you, you really must read it for yourself!
Tahruk is a strong, powerful warrior, capable and respected in his community. Elenya is a beautiful and proud woman, filled with courage and new ideas, the hope of her people. The sparks fly from the moment the marking takes over. He chases, she runs. He softens, she balks. Their love is challenging from the very beginning. Their entire traditional way of life will come into question.
This is a novel to read, then read again as you all in love with the characters Linda Boulanger has created. Watch for the twists and turns and enjoy this beautifully written book. I am so excited by the coming of a second novel in this series later this year. Thank you, Linda, for taking the time to share your gift of the written word!
July 10, 2023
★★★1/2
I was pleasantly surprised reading this book. I tend to like my romances on the steamy side and this one was completely behind closed doors. Yet it wasn't until well after the first love scene that I realized it had been behind the closed door. I still felt connected to both H/h and believed in their passionate love for each other (as much as one can believe in insta-love). So while I missed the scenes for myself in retrospect, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book at all.
The 3 1/2 stars is not for the lack of smexy but because the book did drag just a little in the middle while the H was off fighting in a war. There were several plot points that looked like they were being set up for tension between the H and h when he returned but nothing developed with them. There was a development at the end that you could see coming but still worked, so there was still excitement upon the H's return, so again I didn't feel like the book was lessened any from the lack of real tension between the H/h.
All in all a good read that kept me up waaaay past my bedtime!
I was pleasantly surprised reading this book. I tend to like my romances on the steamy side and this one was completely behind closed doors. Yet it wasn't until well after the first love scene that I realized it had been behind the closed door. I still felt connected to both H/h and believed in their passionate love for each other (as much as one can believe in insta-love). So while I missed the scenes for myself in retrospect, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book at all.
The 3 1/2 stars is not for the lack of smexy but because the book did drag just a little in the middle while the H was off fighting in a war. There were several plot points that looked like they were being set up for tension between the H and h when he returned but nothing developed with them. There was a development at the end that you could see coming but still worked, so there was still excitement upon the H's return, so again I didn't feel like the book was lessened any from the lack of real tension between the H/h.
All in all a good read that kept me up waaaay past my bedtime!
July 15, 2013
305 pages
Too many times I found myself wincing through this ‘world of men for men’ novel but once or twice there was a glimmer of hope that the designated role of ‘marked’ women as royal breeders and ‘unmarked’ women put there purely for the sole pleasure of both marked and unmarked men and how they ended up in those roles would eventually come to an end. And it did. Whew.
That saved my wondering if Tahbruk really meant it when his thoughts lead him to a future defiance of society rules if Elenya were unable to produce the obligatory heir or two which is the position his father found himself in when he was forced to replace his marked with her younger sister for the continuation of the royal line. The only good that came out of that situation was Tahbruk’s response, he knew his father was powerless and knew he loved the older sister. He didn’t want that for himself or for Elenya. Nor did I.
Strangely enough I really liked it although I wouldn’t have felt the same way had it ended differently.
August 31, 2013
OK, I am not a 'romance guy,' and make no mistake, despite the fantasy elements this is first, foremost and always a romance. As such it's all about the relationship between the two main characters, which is just not that interesting to me. The plot is also fairly predictable.
All that being said, this is a very well written book. It falls short of five stars mainly owing to my preferences, not from anything particularly wrong with the story. While the characters are interesting enough I would have liked to learn more about their world and frankly to have more fantasy elements involved; aside from the unfamiliar locations and the ritual of 'Marking' there's nothing to tell you this is a fantasy novel...
Still, if you like romance novels and have a penchant for fantasy, I am sure that you will love this book and I strongly recommend it!
All that being said, this is a very well written book. It falls short of five stars mainly owing to my preferences, not from anything particularly wrong with the story. While the characters are interesting enough I would have liked to learn more about their world and frankly to have more fantasy elements involved; aside from the unfamiliar locations and the ritual of 'Marking' there's nothing to tell you this is a fantasy novel...
Still, if you like romance novels and have a penchant for fantasy, I am sure that you will love this book and I strongly recommend it!
November 10, 2015
Dance With the Enemy is the first book of series. It's fantasy meets historical as it takes place in a fictional historical land with fanstasical aspects with the Dremis celebration where warriors meet their chosen who were marked with their own blood making them irresistible to them. The book find such a pairing in an unlikely couple whose families have been enemies for centuries. The story keeps you engaged as the couple fight through that and ultimately fall in love. I have never been a fan of the historical romance books, but this series has enraptured me in spite of that. Each book leaves me waiting for the next. It is definitely a must read.
December 28, 2015
This book is Lord of the Rings meets Game of Thrones without all the gore. I was instantly swept away into Boulanger's world of warriors, family rivalries, and arranged marriages. I have no doubt that you'll love the characters and even hate a few. Boulanger does a lovely job of bringing you into the story, making you root for Tahruk and Elenya and by the end you'll be grasping for the sequel. Highly recommend.
July 26, 2013
What a fantastic book!! I fell in love with Elenya and Tahruk since the very beginning,the first pages grab you and don't let you go until the end...along the way we learn to love the rest of the family and hope to read more about them. I can't wait to read more books by Linda Boulanger and more books on this family. I totally recomend this book ;)
July 17, 2013
This is the first I've read this author. I thought this book was ok. Not really fleshed out very well. Not enough character development. I didn't really connect with the characters. The story was good, but seemed to be missing depth.
The intimacy was behind closed doors, but that's all their relationship was about.
The intimacy was behind closed doors, but that's all their relationship was about.
July 18, 2013
You know what I love about authors who give their books for free? It introduces me to books I absolutely love and authors I can add to my favourite authors list. This book is unlike any I have read before, a totally unique plot that kept me riveted from beginning to end. Definitely recommend it.
July 25, 2013
Very steamy book that borders on too much. A parallel world, Vintage romance, that is at first difficult to understand due to the invented terminology, customs, and politics. So... That said, I was still up till 5 am reading.
August 9, 2013
I liked this book a lot. Great characters, and strong. Elenya is off to hopefully find the man whose blood runs thru her veins. Tahruk is a fierce warrior and is so against Elenya being his. Everything that they go thru to find love and happiness.
November 17, 2016
Definitely different but very well written. I could feel myself in those castles and down the long halls. The people were so vividly written about that one could just imagine being with them inside those cold damp walls.
July 15, 2013
Awesome book!
August 22, 2013
Fantastic book!! Different from what I normally read but was so glad I chose it. I loved the characters!!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews