Highborn and privileged, Valeria has never known life outside her father’s Roman fortress. But when Hadrian’s Wall falls, Valeria’s world shatters.
Ripped from her bed, she’s captured by savages. Terrified, she prays her betrothed will mount a rescue. But it is the enemy, a Pict with Celtic tattoos and hair of fire who wields his sword and fights for her freedom.
When she seeks refuge in the warrior’s stronghold, the Picts eye her with distrust and force her to earn her keep as a commoner. But the longer Valeria remains, the more agonizing it becomes to conceal her burning love for the Celtic warrior.
Known for her action-packed, passionate romances, USA TODAY Bestselling Author Amy Jarecki has received reader and critical praise throughout her writing career. She won the prestigious RT Reviewers' Choice award for THE HIGHLAND DUKE and a RONE award from InD’tale Magazine for Best Time Travel for her novel RISE OF A LEGEND. In addition to being a USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Amy has earned the designation as an Amazon All Star Author. She holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland and now resides in Wisconsin with her husband where she writes immersive historical and contemporary romance novels.
Become a part of her world and learn more about Amy’s books on amyjarecki.com!
Pleasant romance read featuring a Pict warrior and a Roman maiden. This was fast paced and interesting; but very low on angst. The H and the h fall blissfully in love from almost the first moment they lay their eyes on each other. After that, various unscrupulous characters and circumstances threaten to tear them apart till they are finally united without further ado (there's no OW or OM /no OTT displays of anger/ no forced seduction/ not even a well timed misunderstanding that forces a lover's quarrel). End of story.
I actually liked this but somehow, couldn't really connect to it. The H Taran and the h Valeria were both likeable characters but their relationship was a little bit tepid. Which is sad because there was plenty of opportunity for angst and heat - given that the story began with the H and h at odds with each other - because of their background/ethnicity and also the fact that Taran was a captive in Valeria's father's prison. Unfortunately it was not to be and so I can only rate this 3 stars for obviously extensive research gone into the book and the quick moving plot line.
As usual Amy Jarecki has written an amazing story. The amount of research that she does for her stories always astounds me, and when you read one of her books its like going back in time and experiencing it. The history of Scotland shines through in this story! Loved it!!
"Rescued by the Celtic Warrior" is a first time read by Amy Jarecki, new author to this reader. I thought the story was very interesting coming from a Pict/Roman historical romance. The author has a way of story telling but there was little angst between the hero/heroine in the story. While I do love a trope of "love at first sight", I would have preferred for this one to be a slow build love relationship. There is plenty to read with regards to adventure, action, treachery etc. that makes this also entertaining. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Amy Jarecki has become one of my very favourite authors. Her story telling is fantastic and her characters so strong and vivid. I didn't want to put this book down for one minute! This story with a Pict warrior and a Roman aristocrat was spellbinding. I highly recommend this wonderful story.
*4.5 Stars* Really surprised and happy with how much I liked this one. Historical's are really hit and miss for me so its hard to finds ones I actually like. Definitely going to check out more books from this author!
Overall I enjoyed reading this novel, but I think the author missed some opportunities here to make it truly great. It started very promising: Roman lady Valeria travels to meet her father and maybe get herself a husband. She meets her captive Pict warrior and steps in to help him. That shows she has spine and courage which she does display throughout the novel. The abovementioned Pict warrior Taran is immediately smitten and feels beholden to Valeria, so that's how their journey starts.
The author managed to create the ancient Rome atmosphere through her words which I enjoyed a lot. There were some historical tidbits thrown here and there but very little. I would have loved a bit of background on Picts and Romans and the relations between tribes, but the author skipped that part. Another thing that could have been expanded was the relationship between Valeria and her personal slave Pia. It was all glossed over and was never delved in deeply. Romans owning slaves versus Picts disapproving of the practice was introduced in the book but didn't get proper attention. A secondary romantic line that happened off page between Pia while she was still a slave with one of Taran's warriors would have made the book richer for me.
The romance between Taran and Valeria was sweet and cute. I liked it until about 85% of the book. That's when they became intimate. From what I understood how Taran was talking about intimacy, both MCs were virginal and inexperienced. It didn't show it in those moments. The entire encounters were very sugary filled with flowery words. It was not *he pushed his burning rod and his love juices flowed* kind of thing but was getting really close to it. Thankfully they were short.
I really enjoyed the last part of the book where Valeria went through the challenge of becoming a Pict. The author really showed Valeria's trials, her despair and then how she rallied. I liked how fierce she was. What I didn't care for was her childish "I am ugly now, Taran will not love me" attitude. Give the man some credit here. He was gentle giant all the way with her and was so in love he could barely see straight.
The pace was steady, with mild suspense, some bloody fighting and a lot of internal musings from both MCs. I would have loved if the author didn't switch POVs ever so often but I managed not to get confused. There were some typical misunderstanding plot twists to create a bit of drama as well as some situations that I could have done without but we can't have it perfect, I suppose. I enjoyed the story and was able to put these issues aside to finish the book and see Taran and Valeria get their happy ever after.
Wow, I read where this was this author's first manuscript and I can tell you I was shocked how good this story was. These characters are so likeable...you become vested in them from the very beginning.
Taran, is a Pict Warrior....but also a Prince. He has been captured by the Romans and is incarcerated and set to be executed. He needs to return to the Pict lands, for the King is ill.
Valeria is a Roman noblewoman, who is also the daughter of the Commander/Roman General of the garrison which holds prisoners. She arrives from a three month journey to be with her father. As she arrives, she witnesses some brutality with a prisoner and she intervenes. She is mesmerized by a pool of blue eyes and cooper hair of a huge warrior.
Taran is bewitched by the Roman beauty who is his enemy. Her kindness pulls at his heart strings. Can he continue to view her as the enemy or will she be his salvation? He has extreme responsibilities in the near future. Will his life be forfeit?
All hell breaks lose when the garrison is overpowered by savages!
These two will go through an array of emotions and a treacherous journey. There is violence, despair, intrigue, sacrifice and lots of passion throughout the pages of this very good story.
I look forward to reading the next book. This author is extremely talented and it shows in this story. I highly recommend it.
Jarecki possess this magic of sweeping readers off their feet with her enchanting, untamed tales. I am anything except immune as each time I read a story penned by her I fall more and more in love with both the character and the plots.
This isn't my all-time favorite read that the author has penned as it was a little too fast paced for me, but that doesn't mean that I didn't love this story, because I did. I think it is too impossible not to be consumed by Jarecki’s books. Forget Outlander, Jarecki is one of my top picks for not only Scottish themed books but for historical romance!
One of the traits that stands out to me about her writing is the fact that she combines heroic men that are wounded emotionally or at times physically and the she breathes life into the story by breathtaking, truthful romance. If you are a reader that has considered the possibility that you have fallen out of love with historical novels then I suggest you read Jarecki's novels as she will remind you as to why you fell for the genre in the first place.
Love all the characters...both the two main characters are strong and they know what they want in life. hoping that the author will write about his best friend next...I would love to read about him....I think he should have a interesting story also.
Valeria, a daughter of Rome, arrives in Roman Britannia and is immediately enraptured with the captive Pict Taran. He is just as taken by her. When Valeria is taken by the cannibal tribe of the Attacotti, Taran comes to her rescue and brings her to his home of Dunpelder. But life has much more in store for Valeria and Taran. They have to overcome many hard obstacles in order to be together. Romans, Picts, Attacotti, Saxons, wolfs attacks, kidnappings, traitors, banishment, and much more. A very interesting read that easily had me devouring every word.
Oh to see the early years of the Alpin tribe of Scottish Pict warriors, and along Hadrians wall!! In this book you get sword fighting, adventure, action revenge, treachery, despair, depression, hunting, and that's just the Roman born heroine on her quest to reunite with her Pict king. Very well worth reading!! I simply could not put it down, and stayed awake all night!!
There just isn't much NOT to love about this story! It's a superbly written tale that is unique in its setting during the time of the Romans and Picts. And, beautiful in the romance between a Pict King and a Roman princess whose countries are worlds apart and at war. Of course, some may say it's a little too predictable but for a wonderful escape after a long day, it's the perfect remedy!
Taran and Valeria were such great characters. I loved how Taran patiently helped Valeria see through all of her preconceived Roman notions to see who the true barbarians were. And the lengths they would go through to be together. This was the first book I've read by this author and I will definitely read more.
2 1/2 stars This book really dragged for me. It was supposedly set in the time of conflict when Romans built Hadrian's wall in England. One thing that I had real difficulty getting past were the inconsistencies in the language. At the same time that characters were using language like "ye ken", the characters also used modern day phrases like "Let's give it a go" "come here boy" to a dog, "I'm sorry I fibbed". It made it very difficult to feel that the story was believable. The characters also made decisions that were not justified. The h decides to defy her father's treatment of the H, a prisoner, not just by providing better conditions but by providing a knife. They decide to make a seemingly pointless journey when the H has just become a newly crowned king and experience a series of attacks. Reckless behaviour to abandon his people and risk his life for the sake of the h who is a Roman and his enemy. The only point of the abandoned journey seems to be to have provided the h with the skills needed to survive the test of living 28 days in the wild by herself so that she could prove herself worthy enough to marry the H.
This is the first book I read that takes place in the Roman/Pict era and I thoroughly enjoyed it! After reading this story, it really makes you want to go visit the remnants of the Hadrian's Wall in Scotland!! I knew it had been built by the Romans but I never knew its true history. Add a romance between a Roman and a Pict into its history and you have a book worth reading:)
Taran is a Pict warrior, taken prisoner by the Romans and Valeria is a Roman aristocrat who finds herself helping Taran escape her father's gaol. When Hadrian's Wall falls and she's taken captive, Taran comes to her rescue and brings her to his people. Always having been told that the Picts are savages, she's surprised to learn that they are a very honorable people and it doesn't take long before she falls in love with them, especially Taran. She will do anything to become one of them, even if it kills her!!
This truly is a sweeping saga of historical proportion and I now look forward to reading the next book in the series. Well written and whetted my appetite for more!!
I hated the heroine. It took until after 60% of the book for her to question slavery & I get it was her culture, but I hated reading her thoughts. At one point she even says to her slave she ‘freed’ that she wishes she was born a slave so she could marry easily like the slave did & be accepted quickly to the Picts... what? She’s just so insensitive, honestly doesn’t care let alone try to, and she was awful to read.
On top of that, there’s just no way this chick would have survived 80% of the stuff that happened. Who even taught her to light a fire like that? And she kills a wild boar with the first strike of a dagger? What? She had no ill effects from living in the wild for 28 days, and that’s just the end. She’s locked in prison with no issues, fights off and kills a high ranking soldier (granted he was weakened, but she still practically insta-killed him too).
Overall just wasn’t for me. Hated a lot of it and it was super hard to push through at times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Valeria is a Roman noble woman. She has come to visit her father at Hadrian's wall. While there she encounters a pictish prisoner, Taran, being mistreated by Roman soldiers. Valeria can not stop thinking of the prisoner. So she concocts a idea to visit him in the gaol. She decides to help him in any way she can. When Pict Barbarians arrive and take over the wall Taran is released from his prison. He discovers that Valeria has been kidnapped by vicious warriors. So he heads after her to repay her for her kindness. The story was well plotted. I loved the setting and historical atmosphere. I was disappointed that some people didn't meet more heinous ends after the havoc they caused. Especially for the time period. But I really liked the story itself.
This exceptionally well-written early 300s era novel depicts a wealth of research and information of the warring groups of England. As with a typical early era novel of this time, it contains many (very descriptive) bloody warrior battles, some steamy sensual scenes and adventures. It takes one right back to the time where Valeria joins her Roman father in England and helps to rescue a Pict, Taren, from certain death (who is in line to serve as a king). He returns the favor and falls in love with her, despite being betrothed from birth to another. Highly recommended to anyone interested in history of this era presented in a mesmerizing story form.
Extremely Exciting Romance Journey: WOW💥 what a terrific story. This books reads like the Energized Bunny. It never lets up it just keeps going with one thrilling moment after another, The fast pace of the story is breath taking and I thought captivating. Incredibly tense and their journey to get to their happy ever after is amazing. The chemistry is undeniable, romantic, scary, heart wrenching and more. Many OMG moments. One "Oh Yeah!" moment, a tear or two. I just can't say enough about this story other than try it if you like lots of romance, battle, adventures, bravery and yes villains. Just plain thrilling from beginning to the end. I loved the cover🔥🔥🔥 Heat Rating: 2 out of 5
WOW what a fantastic read .this author is new to me and it was the cover of the book that caught my eye first then reading the details of it I knew I had to read it. I would normally read a great read lime this in one go but the book was huge with over 30 chapters. It has such a intriguing storyline and such fierce strong characters. It was a totally additive read and i had to read even until the early hours of the morning. I am downloaded the next book in the series and pleased I am on kindle unlimited.
Lady Valeria come to the aid of a Celtic warrior on her way to join her father.
Lady Valeria being escorted from Rome to her father by a Roman Priest comes to the aid of a Celtic warrior just before they arrive at the villa by the Roman wall. This meeting starts the changes in everything she believes. She has arrived just before the barbarians attack the wall. Just before her father has told her he would like her to marry a hateful man. Just before her life is changed forever. Exciting, well written, and worth five stars
nothing gives a girl more GirlPower than killing a wolf with a little knife. she's setting example for claire fraser a thousand years on and I love it.
also: this book could have been a series on it's own, seriously. i was hung to it like i would've been with a good adventure/fantasy saga and i would definitely like to see more of her life with the picts and the struggle of the kingdom against internal and external threats. fascinating material.
An excellent story of a Roman girl who falls in love against all odds with a Pict King. There is action, drama, tension between all the tribes as well as the Picts and the Roman’s. Takes place during the time when the Roman’s lost Hadrian’s Wall in a series of skirmishes by all the tribes banding together I. Order to keep the Roman’s out. Very exciting book with an unexpected ending for Valeria, the young Roman girl. 😍
At first I wasn't so sure about this book. Amy Jarecki is a talented author and once again delivered an incredible tale. The characters were well-written and interesting. The book was a little slow at times, but fast paced at others. Book two will definitely be on my TBR pile.
This book was phenomenal. I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. The history was fascinating. It was fast paced and interesting throughout. This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites, as I have yet to read a book by this author that didn’t fascinate me. A must read for those who enjoy historical fiction.
dnf... couldn't really get into this story, but I might finish it one day.
safety info that I could gleam from what I read: heroine is a virgin, hero might also be a virgin (or one part of the story was misleading if not), hero is engaged to OW when he meets the heroine so I'm sure there will be OW drama.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I LOVED this book! The pains and growth that the main characters have to go through and overcome in order to be together along with some history makes for a great story that I couldn’t put down. I can only hope that the author revisits Taran and Valeria in any future books for this series.
Could not put it down. The hero was gorgeously portrayed and the heroine as strong. Fell in love with the characters, and felt every hardship and adventure they suffered. Definitely recommend!