Born with the family gift of foretelling dreams, Hugh LeCuir met his angel at the age of seven. Every year since, on the Summer Solstice, she comes to him in his dreams, growing from a darling babe to a beautiful woman.
This Summer Solstice, he is bound by orders from his king.
As captain of the King’s Guard, he and his men are charged to protect and escort Lady Astrid, her party, and her dowry to Bordeaux, where she is to marry Count Robert in an all too familiar political arrangement that benefits the crown.
Over the years, Hugh had listened and learned from his family’s stories, and knows the fates can be cruel beyond reason. So when he meets Lady Astrid and sees his angel standing in front of him, all his hopes and dreams are crushed under the weight of his honor and duty.
That she seems to long for him as he does for her, makes their arduous journey more complicated and difficult, and yet… He cannot stop wanting her.
When Hugh feels an approaching danger, he vows to do anything and everything to protect his angel, even though he has to deliver her to another man.
Don't wait. Buy this book now. Full of longing and adventure, Only Mine is the perfect end to the Foretold series.
Michele James lives in a southern California beach town with her understanding husband, one mini panther, and two crazy cattle dogs. She's written the ancient world, fantasy romance Destined series and the early medieval, historical romance Foretold series. Her books are full of action, adventure, and steamy romance, with swoon worthy heroes and strong willed women. A retired veterinary technician, her stories are also guaranteed to have some medicinal lore and an animal side character or two.
Only Mine picks up with the third generation of the Guiscard-LeCuir families. Readers follow captain Hugh LeCuir as he fulfills his orders to safely deliver Lady Astrid to her husband-to-be (Count Robert). This political alliance will bring more trade and unity to her esteemed family and their lands.
Captain Lecuir is all too familiar with these alliances and has previously delivered other ladies to distant lands for political marriages. The problem is that this time, Hugh recognizes Lady Astrid as "the angel" that has visited his dreams since he was seven-years-old.
Hugh's family have been known for their fortelling gifts. This is why Hugh knows that Astrid is meant to be his as his dreams have foreseen. However, if Hugh pursues Astrid, he will likely start a war and get them both killed in the process.
Will Captain LeCuir fulfill his duty to deliver Lady Astrid to Count Robert and walk away, or will his heart overrule his duty to the King and his country?
_____________________________________________
I really enjoyed this third installment in The Foretold Series! Being a huge animal lover, I appreciate the animal representation in these stories. I also am glad that Liane got a happy ending. I was worried about her!
Thank you, Michele James, for a copy of this novel for an honest review. I loved the depth of this story. 💕
5 Stars! This is the 3rd and final book in the ‘Foretold’ series & can be read as a standalone. This is also the 3rd book I’ve given 5 stars to! Michele James is such a talented writer & I’ve loved reading her books. The main characters in this book were Hugh & Astrid. They were both wonderful characters that I easily fell in love with. Longing, suspense, action, evil schemes, sexy times, gas hole bad guys that are easy to hate, HEA ending and so much more. I highly recommend this book and this whole series. I don’t give 5 stars easily but every book in this series has gotten 5 stars from me! Totally worth it, especially if you enjoy entertaining historical romance. *I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*
Every book that I've read from this author just leaves me swooning. Writing medieval romances isn't easy. The words used are different and there can be too much of a good thing. This author gets it just right. The story flowed so well and the characters were so well developed that it was easy to get attached and be sucked into the world of Tours and Bordeaux. You know the story is good when you don't want it to end and that's how I felt with Hugh's and Astrid's love story. It pulled at all my emotions in the best way the way a love story should.
I always know I'm getting a winner when I pick up a book by Michele James. Only Mine did not disappoint. Loved the story and characters. Can't wait to see what this author does next!
Only Mine is the third book from the Foretold series, and I was thrilled to find it captured the same intensity and passion as the previous two instalments.
In this story, we follow Hugh Le Cuir - Captain of the King’s Guard and gifted with the power of foresight like his ancestors - as he escorts Lady Astrid and her dowry to Bordeaux where she is to marry Count Robert in a political arrangement. This isn’t the first time Hugh has seen Lady Astrid. He’s been dreaming about her since he was seven and lovingly refers to her as his angel. Bound by honour and duty, he must follow King Charles’ order to protect and deliver Lady Astrid to her betrothed, but as their mutual attraction grows and threats attack them from all sides, will he be able to follow his orders, or will he decide to follow his heart?
Only Mine is beautifully written with plenty of historical references and descriptions that made me feel like I had travelled back in time. This is a character driven story, so naturally great care has been given to develop each one until they feel like an old friend. Hugh and Astrid are both amazing main characters, and their chemistry is steamy and believable. I enjoyed the slow burn, my favourite type of romance, and the innocence of Astrid’s character as she found her inner strength and self worth was inspiring. An added bonus are the animal characters that enhance the storyline and give the other characters more depth as we watch them love and care for their beloved pets.
I’ve loved all the books in this series, but this one has quickly become my favourite. I recommend this to fans of the Outlander series and readers who love historical romance with a dash of the paranormal.
This is the third of James’s books I have read, having read the rest of the series. And I enjoyed it just as much as the others. This series is wonderfully written, historically authentic, and bursting with romance, adventure, and excitement.
The third in her series did not disappoint. James continues to weave her trademark thread of magic subtly throughout the story, using it to enhance the plot and relationship between Hugh and Astrid, rather than tipping the book into the fantasy genre. As a result, it remains true to its historic setting of Medieval France and is a wonderfully immersive snapshot into the medieval era and how its people lived through political alliances, class, and power.
The relationship between Hugh and Astrid simmers and explodes into a fast-paced, hot and heavy romance, whilst having a strong respect and friendship underneath. It is a believable and exciting journey that you end up rooting for.
I really enjoyed this as an escapist read that has a little bit of everything: romance, magic, and adventure within a medieval setting.
Thank you to Michelle for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Short Story: Romantic Historical Fiction set in the 9th Century
My Review: It’s summer in the year 836. Captain Hugh LeCuir, under the order of Louis, King of the Franks, is to escort the Lady Astrid, daughter of Gerhard, Baron of Worms to her intended husband, Count Robert of Bordeaux. For Hugh, this is just a routine mission until he sees Lady Astrid. Since his seventh birthday, Hugh has had visions of a woman he knows only as Angel. When he sees Lady Astrid, he realizes he’s come face to face with his Angel, only to learn she is to marry another. If that wasn’t bad enough, someone seems to want Lady Astrid dead. Hugh will do anything to keep her alive.
I enjoyed this historical romance. The writing is excellent, the story well told. I love when writers include a little mysticism in their stories and the Early Middle Ages seems especially suited for it. There is plenty of action and of course romance. In the end, the guy gets the girl, and the bad guy gets what's coming to him!
Recommend to readers who enjoy Historical Romance.
Thank you so much Michele for allowing me again to read your book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the third part of this series a lot! It took me a long time time to finally make a review, but here it finally is!
After reading the first and second part of this series, I was so excited to read this part, and it definitely did not disappoint! Once I got back into the story I could not put this book down. Michele always finds a way to make both the main characters and side characters likeable (aside from the ones that need to be unlikeable for the story).
I always love a book where both romance and action are combined, which is definitely the case for this book. Sometimes books can be a bit boring when nothing much happens, but in this book there is a good balance between action and calmness.
I highly recommend reading this book. It has both action and romance, a good pace, and a historical setting!!
Only Mine is a worthy part of the Foretold series, set in ancient Europe. The main characters Hugh LeCuir and Lady Astrid are destined to be lovers. Hugh sees her in dreams from the age of seven and is flabbergasted when he meets her in person. He is charged with guarding her and her dowry as he is commanded to deliver her to another man. Many exciting adventures ensue as sexual tension mounts between the two. Duty clashes with love as the pair fulfill their foretold destiny. If you love historical fiction, especially the Early Middle Ages, you will adore this book. It is written in a way that doesn’t lose the reader in ancient language forms but keeps the atmosphere of the days of medieval courts and their intrigues. Definitely recommend.
Only Mine by Michele James will leave you believing in dreams of love and destiny! This firey romance set in medieval times satisfies on every level. I love a story that surprises me, is fraught with conflict, and the sexual tension is palatable. Only Mine deliverers on these and more. It adds a level of "foretelling" through dreams. This bonus of fantasy enhances the destiny of the romance and adds an element of intimacy to the characters that had me totally entranced from the first line to the very satisfying ending. I highly recommend this book!
This book is part France road trip, part domestic thriller, part medieval geopolitical machinations, and through and through, an achingly lovely romance.
James does a spectacular job balancing the romance and historical setting, by which I mean, she centers the romance, and the setting serves it. As the third book in the series, it honors the other books by continuing overarching themes of magic, fellowship with animals, and love in times of political strife. And the book takes readers back to the Hollow.
This was a solid read! The beginning started off a little formulaic, but it picks up into its own fairly quickly. I really loved the MMC, and I even appreciated that he was a bit of a playboy before he met *~her~*. All together a sweet story with some great action scenes. And horses. Lots of horses. 😂
Descriptive and filled with adventure, Only Mine by Michele James has a medieval setting, telling a story about a woman who is stuck in a political betrothal to a count and a man who has to escort her to this undesirable plight.
Summary: Lady Astrid of Alemannia is betrothed to an old count who already has two dead wives and two daughters. Captain Hugh LeCuir has had foretelling dreams about a girl since he was eight, dubbing her his angel. When Hugh is assigned to be Astrid's escort for her wedding to the Count of Bordeaux, he's pleasantly surprised to recognise her as his angel.
Tropes/Genres: • forbidden love • soulmates • medieval setting • historical romance • fantasy • forced proximity
Review: The writing is descriptive, and the characters pop. The plot is simple, engaging and easy to understand. Hugh and Astrid are powerful together, but they also shine individually. The references to the first two books in the trilogy are also enjoyable!
Hugh is such an honourable man. Knowing that Astrid was betrothed to another man, he didn't take advantage of her despite having power and kept a respectable distance. However, he also knew what danger Astrid was in and did his best to protect her, even if it went against his authority. He's such a great guy whose honour shines.
Astrid is a strong character. She doesn't wait for someone else to save her; she does it herself. She's smart and logical, so I understood every single decision she made in this book, especially when you consider the context and setting of this story.
Together, these two characters make a power couple. I find it so bittersweet that Hugh is the only man who has ever asked Astrid what she wanted instead of making decisions for her. Given the context of this world, I find it amazing and beautiful how much Hugh respects and cares about her.
In conclusion, I recommend this book to readers who would like to enjoy a medieval romance with the themes of forbidden love and soulmates. If you enjoyed the first two books in the trilogy, you may also be pleased to read references to the characters.