Bir Söze Mahkum

The Three Graces #2

by Jennifer Blake

Graydon'ın Üç Güzeli
olarak bilinen soylu kız kardeşler uğursuz bir laneti taşımaktadır: Âşık olmadan onlarla nişanlanan her erkeğin akıbeti ölümdür...

Tudor Kralı, Leydi Catherine Milton'a, İskoç Ross Dunbar'la evlenmesini emreder. Bir sınır toprak beyinin oğlu olan Ross uygun bir eş adayı olsa da evliliğe giden yol zorlu olacaktır. Dunbar, Cate'ten etkilenmiştir ama İngiltere'ye boyun eğip halkına sırt dönmek kolay değildir. Fakat taht için bir isyan çıktığında Dunbar ve Cate evlenmek zorunda kalırlar. Lanetin gerçekleşip gerçekleşmeyeceğine ise aşk karar verecektir.

"Blake'in titizlikle araştırılarak yazılmış romanları geçmiş zaman duygusunu öyle iyi yaratıyor ki, unutulmaz hikâyesinin her bir ayrıntısının içine dalıyorsunuz."
-RT Book Review-

"Büyüleyici, çekici kahramanlar… Tebrikler Blake!"
-The Romance Reader's Connection-
(Tanıtım Bülteninden)

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Medieval, Scotland, Regency Romance

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

A pseudonym used by Patricia Maxwell.

Jennifer Blake has been called a “pioneer of the romance genre”, and an “icon of the romance industry.” A New York Times and international best selling author since 1977, she is a charter member of Romance Writers of America, member of the RWA Hall of Fame, and recipient of the RWA Lifetime Achievement Rita. She holds numerous other honors, including two “Maggies”, two Holt Medallions, multiple Reviewer’s Choice Awards, the Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times BookReviews Magazine, and the Frank Waters Award for literary excellence. She has written over 60 books with translations in 20 languages and more than 30 million copies in print worldwide.

Jennifer and her husband reside in a lakeside Caribbean-style retreat in North Louisiana where they often entertain family and friends. Always a gardener, she spends much of her time encouraging her garden to bloom with her favorite daylilies and antique roses. She also enjoys walking her two dogs, Buffy and Lucky, and indulging in needlework, painting, and travel.

Reviews

[Gamze · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5-3 -_-

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Catherine Milton, middle sister of the three Graces of Graydon, has no desire whatsoever to marry. Plagued by the effects of the curse that haunts her and her sisters, she wants nothing to do with love and would never risk falling in love with someone only to lose them.
Cate’s view about marriage and love do not keep her out of the favor of the Tudor court, in fact, she is often found travelling with King Henry and his entourage. During one of her travelling excursions, Cate loses the trail and finds herself lost in the forest. Just as Cate prepares to defend herself to the death if necessary, a fearless Scot, Ross Dunbar, comes to her aide.

Ross is loyal to his country and comes to England in hopes of achieving an alliance with Henry. He has no desire to do anything that will tie him to a country that is not his home.

After it’s discovered that Ross not only rescued Lady Catherine, but also spent a night alone with her in the forest, it becomes mandatory for the two of them to marry. Cate fears the inevitable curse that will surely kill a man that does not truly love her. She finds herself rather drawn to Ross in a physical way that she’s never experienced before. Ross does not desire marriage, but he cannot deny that he is quite taken with Lady Catherine.

When acts of treason are discovered, Cate and Ross find themselves thrown into a battle that they never expected. In the end, when all is said and done, could they truly find love within each other?

This was an excellent story. The first book in this series was good, but this was GREAT!! It took me a few days to read it because life got in the way, but in the moments that I did have to read, I gobbled it up!!

Catherine Milton is a heroine to admire. In the 1400’s a woman’s sole purpose is to wed and bear children for her husband. Her opinions are of no concern, much less her wants or needs. In an act of sheer brazenness, Cate takes what she wants from Ross, and soon discovers, what she needs.

Ross Dunbar is my first Scot crush. He oozed off the pages with delicious sex appeal in his plaid’s baring a muscular physique. The author did a spectacular job of bringing him to life. At times I could almost hear him speaking with his oh so sexy Scottish accent!! Yum!!

This book has it all. Great plot, believable characters, hot steamy love scenes, and a truly touching romance.

Very good read and I would highly recommend this to any fan of historical romance. Four stars.

[♡PıNaR DeğiRmeNci ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bir Söze Mahkum
The Three Graces Serisi 2
Jennifer Blake
Bir şey söyleyeyim ben bu tür kitapları seviyorum gerçekten tarihi aşk kitaplarını
Kitabı iki üç gün önce bitirmiştim yorum yazmayı unutmuşum
kızlarımızdan ikinci olanın hikayesi
Ve İskoç oğlumuzun
Oğlumuz onu gördüğü an etkileniyor fakat bir hayli zorlu bir genç ama gel görün ki kralın istekleri herseyin önünde
bir gece yan yana kalmak zorunda kalan gençlerin evlenmek zorunda olduğunu söylüyor ve kızımızın lanet korkusu oğlumuzun ise baba istekleri ile çatışıyor
Engebelli güzel bir aşktı bana göre ilk kitabı daha da sevsem de bu kitapta doluydu.
Bu tür kitaplar insanı sersemleştirip olmadık hayaller kurulmasına öncülük ediyor bana göre😂😁😬

[Maria FantastikaRomance · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book set in Henry VII England. Rivalry among kings and high lords. Females used for what they bring to a marriage and nothing else.

This was a book in between a dry history book and a romance. And since I wanted to read a romance all the historical facts through me of a bit.
I think a well researched author is a good author but they should also know what genre they write for.
Ms Blake lost the romance in all descriptions of clothing, food and traditions.

[HÜLYA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tudor Dönemi okumayı eskisi kadar sevmiyorum.Ancak Graydon'ın Üç Güzel Laneti üçlemesinin ikinci kitabını genel anlamda beğendğimi söyleyebilirim..Üç kız kardeşlerden Cate'in hikayesi daha güzel idi. Ancak sonlara doğru romanın döngüsünden ek memnun plmasamda ilk romandan daha başarılı buldum..Serinin üçüncü romanını da merakla bekliyorum..

[Hana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The middle sister of the Three Graces of Graydon, Cate wholeheartedly believes in the curse. While she is aware her older sister "invented" it, after three betrothals that ended in the bridegrooms' deaths, Cate believes that her sister had merely put into words what is true. And so when her horse is spooked by a boar during a royal hunt, leading to a rescue from brigands, Cate demands that Ross Dunbar swear he will never marry her.

Ross swears, but court politics lead Henry VII to propose a marriage, should it be agreeable to Ross' father, his laird, and the Scottish king. Informally betrothed, Cate waits with baited breath for the curse to fell this man who is most pleasing to her eye. Ross survives several attempts on his life, most notably from his clan's enemy, Lord Trilborn. Cate helps her maid nurse him back to health after the shallow stomach wound gets infected. But after that, he is attacked with Lady Cate's dagger.

Cate forms a half-baked plan to become a nun to avoid Ross' death. Before she executes it, she sneaks into Ross' room and they spend a passionate night together (a betrothal being as binding as marriage, she figures God would be okay with that). She then decides to go through with the marriage and the couple are immediately ordered to go north to Lady Cate's sister and brother-in-law to alert them about a possible invasion from sea. A pretender has arisen against Henry VII and war is imminent. Ross leaves Cate to inspect his new English holdings (his father disowned him if he went through with marrying a Sassenach) but Cate makes a plan to go to him when her sister unexpectedly has her baby.

War comes from the opposite direction, and Ross leaves to attend to Henry VII. Cate and her sisters reluctantly welcome Lord Trilborn to the manse and he spills the plan to assassinate the king. Cate rides pell-mell to alert them but is put out to apparently not be believed.

This book is less concerned with Henry VII's court politics, which were overwhelming in the last book, so that was a plus for me. I did like Cate and Ross and how stubborn they were, and I liked that Ross was ready to forsake his clan and country to have and keep Cate. Trilborn was completely over the top, however, eclipsing Lord Graydon a hundred times over in villainy. It was a bit much.

[Susan Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

The synopsis for this book was misleading. The king never asked the heroine to seduce the hero.

This book had too much politics for me but if you are a history buff it will be right up your alley.

Lady Catherine gets into trouble when she leaves the king's hunting party. Her horse gets chased by a boar and she get waylaid by outlaws. Ross Dunbar saves her but both their horses are lost to them and they must spend the night together in a shelter awaiting rescue.

When King Henry finds out about this he basically forces them to marry ostensibly to save Cate's reputation, but in truth he wants a political alliance. But Cate is terrified that this means a death sentence for Ross because anyone who marries a Graydon woman without love, dies.

There is never any explanation for why the curse exists. And both our H and h are oblivious to their feelings or won't admit them to themselves or each other. At one point an assassin attempts to kill Ross with Cate's knife. He blames her. It seems ridiculous that he would think she was behind it when there is an long time enemy constantly trying to take Cate and kill Ross.

Note: After reading the reviews I found out the curse was made up by the oldest sister in the first book so that makes the premise even more ridiculous.

I read this book very quickly as opposed to savouring it because I found the political intrigue tedious and the fact that our leads refused to admit their feelings to each other annoying.

I must say I really like Ross - he was a perfect hero minus his reaction to Cate after his attempted assassination. Cate seemed oblivious to the fact that, even though Ross kept getting into dangerous situations, he was never killed, meaning he was in love with her and the curse was not a danger to him.

[CaliNativeBalboa · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my continued quest to explore the romance genre, I chose a straight up historical title in an attempt to warm up to these novels. I probably would have enjoyed "By Grace Possessed" a bit more had I begun with the first in the series, but the author did a decent job bringing the reader up to speed. Scotsmen seem to be the trend in romance, no matter which title selected. My Scotsman selection was set in the American Civil War, now this historical title features a Scotsman as the romantic lead! While not fine literature, "Grace" is a page turning, pool or beach side piece of fluff set during the end of the War of the Roses, an interesting time period in any author's hands.
Plucky heroine Lady Catherine (Cate) Milton is one of a trio of sisters named "the Three Graces", haunted by a curse that will result in the demise of their husbands. After becoming separated on a royal hunt, Cate is forced the spend the night under the protection of a dashing Scotsman, Ross Dunbar, held hostage by King Henry VII to ensure the cooperation of his northern family.
Although Ross behaved honorably, propriety forces the pair into an engagement.
Tensions rise as the attraction builds, and the potential for harm to Ross increases. Maybe I'm a fuddy duddy but I found the sex/romance scenes a bit boring and repetitive after the first skirmish and detracted from an okay plot line.
Ultimately, I've still looking to unlock the secret to the widespread appeal of this genre but this title was definitely readable!

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

More Balanced than His Majesty's
Compromising position or not, King Henry VII's ward or not, Lady Catherine Milton has accepted the word of Ross Dunbar, himself the son of a Scottish laird and current enforced guest...of a sort...to the Tudor king. He swears his loyalty is to his own king and his obligation to his own people. He swears he has no wish to be commanded to take a Sassenach bride. He swears he shall tell King Henry VII that very thing when the inevitable summons comes. He did, after all, spend the night with Lady Catherine. Not for any impure purpose, of course. He had, in fact, saved her from capture by outlaws. The result of that rescue, however, was the loss of their horses and a night stuck in wintry woods during a storm, nothing but a a hastily made shelter and a bonfire standing between them and a tragic, frozen end.

In other words, positive ruination of her good reputation unless he wed her.

Lady Catherine has no more desire to be wed to Dunbar than Dunbar does to have her as wife. In truth, even less. Second sister of the notorious Three Graces and as such protected from an unsuitable match by the curse that befalls anyone who is given her hand in marriage without the benefit of love, Lady Catherine is quite adamant in making sure her hand is not given to Dunbar. He's a rather fetching man, for sure, but he rescued her and shouldn't have to die for the deed.

King Henry VII gives no credence to curses, and he is a wily monarch intent on securing his tenuous reign against a new threat that has cropped up. Though it has been mere months since the last attempt to dethrone him, another uprising is brewing and a detente between Scotland's King James and himself would do nothing but serve. Henry VII commands their betrothal. Dunbar and Lady Catherine can do no more than grimly accept, their understanding of their roles as pawns quite clear to them both.

It is in part because Dunbar so appeals to her that Lady Catherine is so vexed. She doesn't wish him to fall victim to the curse. Yet when an unhappily spurned suitor and enemy to her betrothed turns his frustrations against crown and county as well as Catherine's own well being, it becomes clear that the curse may only be one of very many potential thorns in the rose bed of Ross Dunbar's continued existence.

~*~

After the complex medieval history lesson that was By His Majesty's Grace, the first book in Blake's The Three Graces trilogy, I debated continuing the series. I was and still am very impressed with the research that went into that book and the authenticity it lent to the series, but felt the balance between history and fiction was too skewed towards the nonfictional elements for me to really embrace it. Obviously, I finally decided to try the second book, hoping the fiction elements had been improved while maintaining the authenticity and legitimacy of the historical setting in the story of the second Grace sister, Lady Catherine.

I was quite happy to see that they had, and the book had a romantic plot arc that was far more satisfying to me than the one in the previous novel. For that reason, I found By Grace Possessed to be a more entertaining romantic read.

What I realized, though, is historically accurate medieval romances may not be my cuppa. I find the rigid constraints and grim reality for the position of women, as well as the lack of control the noble women had in their own futures and lives, to be counterproductive to romance. Is it realistic that both Lady Catherine's wishes and Ross Dunbar's loyalties would be utterly ignored in favor of a new king's political machinations? Absolutely. It just isn't an atmosphere that breeds or sustains romantic notions for me, and not even Blake's adept writing could quite convince me that love was a powerful motivator in the book.

I was thrilled that Dunbar and Cate weren't as personally close to, or as deeply involved with Henry VII as Isabel and Rand, and enjoyed the character of Cate more than I did Isabel (though I liked Dunbar just as much as I enjoyed Rand). The threat of Lord Trilborn seemed a bit close in theme and events to the conflict generated by Isabel's stepbrother in the first book, but I think the whole of the external conflict was better developed and incorporated in the storyline of this book, so the similarities were noted, not begrudged.

Unfortunately, I quickly became fed up with the repeated referrals to the dreaded curse and the way such a silly superstition affected Lady Catherine's thoughts and feelings. I had hoped that she'd be more sensible. I had also seriously hoped that Blake would ease off on repetitious mentioning of it. I was disappointed on both counts. I'm tired of the curse, which in the previous book readers learned was concocted by Lady Isabel to protect herself and her younger sisters from being made pawns to men's ambitions. I do not understand why the sisters have now glommed onto the curse as if the coincidences of its intended purposes are truly proof of its existence. And I don't like that they have.

That being said, I did have moments of pure pleasure as I enjoyed Lady Catherine and her Scottish laird-to-be, Ross Duncan. They were strong characters, and Catherine had a bit more fire to her blood than even Isabel did. That, along with my deep respect and appreciation for the work Blake put into nailing the historical accuracy and tone of the series, was why I found this one as entertaining as I did.

Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Mira Books publisher Harlequin via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cate knows damned well that the curse was made up by Isabel (revealed in the first book) so why all the angst in this one? Also, sidesaddles - again! And kilts and a distinctive clan plaid (too early for all). Silly error where she states that Edward IV and Richard III are descended from Edward III's eldest son. Nope. The Black Prince had Richard II, who had no issue. York's claim was from a later son, Lancaster's from John of Gaunt (third son).

[Stef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this series. I'm trying to read all of Jennifer Blakes books right now. And I have really enjoyed reading all of them so far. I read this series books 1-3 in a week.

And wow - just awesome kept me right there wanting more. Suspense, love, romance, horse and buggy days and castles oh my. Is there a curse??? read and find out

[Cindy Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good

I enjoyed reading this story. Blake is very good at writing a story with lots of factual historic background and giving you a different perspective. This is an easy read and the romance is done well.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. It is full of hot scenes, intrigue and danger. This story captured me from the beginning and held me to the very end.

[Kelsey Widman · Rating 3 out of 5]

felt like I knew way more about the historical context than the characters, but I did really like reading a historical that wasn't regency

[Debroah Vernier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story line

[katherine ✡︎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up because I randomly read one of Jennifer Blake's Masters at Arms series novels years ago, adored it, and tore through the others... but never read these. And honestly this was not terribly engaging for me. I don't think medieval historical is my cup of tea.

[Marcela (BookaholicCat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

By Grace Possessed is book two in The Three Graces series by Jennifer Blake.

Lady Catherine Milton is the middle sister of the famous cursed Three Graces of Graydon. Lady Catherine and her sisters Isabel and Marguerite are said to bear a curse in which any man who marries them without loving them will die soon after the betrothal victim of the curse.
Her older sister Isabel is now happily married with a man who adores her, but Lady Catherine knows that the possibility of a love match for her and her sister Marguerite is almost non existent because men are afraid of the curse and the ones willing to try their luck with the curse would do it just to get their hands in the Graydon’s fortune and not for love for the ladies.

Lady Catherine doesn’t like hunting and when she is invited to follow King Henry in one of his hunting excursions she starts to fall behind to avoid witnessing the gruesome killings. Without realizing Lady Catherine has lost her way and now she is lost in the middle of the forest and surrounded by a band of outlaws.
The Scotsman Ross Dumbar knows Lady Catherine always falls behind during the hunting parties, for that reason he likes to keep an eye on her and good that he did because now he needs to come to her rescue.
During the fight with the bandits Lady Catherine and Dumbar have lost their horses. Now they find themselves in the middle of a darkening and snowing forest with no mounts to return to palace, the only option is to stay put and wait for morning light and hopefully for a search and rescue party to find them.
Soon after the rescue party brings them back to palace they are call to the Kings chambers. Henry VII explain to them that after spending the night together and alone in the forest it is necessary for the to get married to maintain the appearances at court, so by King’s decreed they leave the rooms as a betrothed couple.
Lady Catherine appreciates Dumbar, for the same reason she doesn’t want to marry him, she worries he will die because of her curse. Dumbar likes Lady Catherine but as a Scotsman he doesn’t want to wed a British lady, he also knows his father will disown him and he would be cast out of his clan if his father finds out about his betrothal to a Sassenach.
But times of turmoil between the Yorks and the Lancasters will bring them together more than ever, leaving them not other option than to trusts their hearts.

I liked Lady Catherine, she knows want she wants and she goes for it. She may not believe in finding the love of her life but that doesn’t mean she won’t get her pleasure. I also like that she was a strong heroine not easily cowed.

Ross Dumbar is a sexy as hell Scotsman with a love for kilts. *swoon* He is smart, loyal, courteous and with a good sense of humor. What else could we ask for a perfect hero?

The attraction between Cate and Ross is off the charts making their journey to their relationship a believable one. They are a funny, lively and a well match couple.

From the secondary characters I liked King Henry; he is smart and a strategist at heart. He cares for his people and will do anything to protect them. Same with Lady Marguerite, she is the younger sister but sometimes she felt very wise for her years. I also loved that we see more of Lady Isabel and Rand’s life together (By His Majesty’s Grace) as well as one of my favorite character from book one, David.

Its complots, intrigues, romance and more make of By Grace Possessed a great addition to a great series. In this book Mrs. Blake continues to intermingle a very well written romance with historical accurate facts, making of By Grace Possessed and this series in general a great choice for all historical romance lovers.
The Next installment of this series Seduced by Grace bring us the story of two of my favorite characters, Lady Marguerite and David. Needless to say I’m looking forward to read it.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great read by Jennifer Blake, part of a series of three, based upon three sisters, who may, or may not be the sources of a curse, and following on from By His Majesty's Grace. I received it through netgalley, and, boy, was I glad I did!

Normally, romances with the curse theme going on don't work for me. They just come across as, well, cheesy, but I really like this one. For a start, the whole series is set at the start of the reign of Henry VII, a time of great political and social upheaval in England. Factions, loosely based around the House of York and the House of Lancaster, themselves much inter-related, have sliced England apart. Those with land or power have switched sides for personal gain, or lost out for picking the "losing" side, only to find favor as the tide changed again. Henry Tudor's own grasp on power was tenuous and pretenders to the throne were two-a-penny. Also, the church was still very powerful in all facets of life, the Reformation had not brought revolution in religious thought, and curses, witches and the mysterious were still very much a strong part of belief. In short, people really believed this stuff. So, the setting and the dubious nature of the curse itself, really works for me. It's a great little entertaining twist, but it doesn't dominate.

Neither does the history, although the way the author has wound in Lambert Simnel's history, the Battle of Stoke and the every day life at the early Tudor court is possibly the aspect of this book which just totally wins me over. I love it when authors not only do their history research, but make it such as integral part of the story, without boring you to death with descriptions of the mundane on every page. There is even a list of sources at the end, which I wish more romance authors would do. Henry Tudor himself plays an important role in this book as in the predecessor, and he comes across exactly as I would have envisioned him - a clever man, highly politically-astute, very strategic, driven and a notable warrior in his own right, but something of an emotionally-cold fish.

Now, as for the romance itself, well, who can resist a hunk in a plaid? And not just any hunk either, but a top-notch warrior, with sexy knees and a sweat-enducing burr ~~fans self~~.. And the heroine herself, is a sensible, self-possessed woman. She is not strong-willed in modern terms, since she would have been chattel either to her father, brother, husband or guardian, but the author manages, somehow, to make her fit the period, without making her a fainting wallflower either. It's quite a balancing act, and I loved it.

I absolutely can't wait to read the last in this series.

5 stars. I loved it.

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cate and Ross are an interesting pair. I enjoyed the book immensely when the two of them were at the same place at the same time. Other portions of the book didn't seem to blend together as well for me when the two weren't together.

Cate is the 2nd Grace of Graydon. She spends a night along with Scottsman Ross Dunbar due to her disliking being present during the 'kill' portion of a hunt. She's not aware that someone has set her up to be accosted or worse. Luckily, or unluckily depending on perspective, for her Ross Dunbar lags behind keeping an eye on her. He's intrigued by her beauty. When a wild boar spooks her horse and sends her galloping off to an unstudied trail, she has momentary panic which is immediately followed by dread as tootheless, unclean men approach her with lascivious comments and evil intent.

Being a fiesty one, she pulls her small knife ready to do battle. In rides Ross and saves the day. As night is about to fall and the weather is turning cold - Ross advises the stay where they are. He builds a fire and make shift shelter. The next morning when help comes looking for them tags begin to wag as an unmarried man and woman spent a night alone, unchaperoned...

The remainder of the story is Henry VII forcing the two of them to marry; Ross's father is unhappy he's wed an english woman; Cate's initial displeasure at marrying; threat to the throne; another man trying to entrap Cate and kill Ross - The two of them come out reasonably unscathed. They realize they love one another and at the end of the story Cate is expecting a babe. This was a fairly good story but, I didn't feel the same intensity between Ross and Cate as there was between Braesford/Isabel. Although, the author did well in tying up loose ends while leaving threads unraveled for Lady Margurite's installment to unfold.

I'm off to read the 3rd and final installment of the graces of graydon to see where young Margaurite's story leads and what mention there will be of Isabel and Cate. Should prove to be a good read. I love how life at court is so colorfully told.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-1/2 stars

While I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, By His Majesty's Grace, I enjoyed this book much better---and it's because rather than giving a dry recounting of the history that happened before the story started (the end of the War of the Roses that led to Henry VII's taking the throne of England), in this book, the history happens ON PAGE in the form of action and interaction and conflict for the characters, rather than just long paragraphs of dry history.

But I couldn't quite give it five stars---because I wish there had been more of Ross's viewpoint scenes, especially during the time he and Cate are apart when he's at Grimes. The story glosses over several months, but only from Cate's viewpoint. I'd really liked to have seen the development of his character, the development of his feelings for Cate, during that time rather than just have it assumed that he came to some of the same conclusions about her that she did about him during that separation.

I appreciated the fact that while there were misunderstandings between Cate and Ross, Blake never "went there"---never had the relationship break down because of their assumptions or misgivings about each other. While they didn't just talk it out, either, at least the author didn't rely solely on conflict that could have been easily solved by a conversation. I thought the relationship developed at just the right pace to match the action of the story (with the exception mentioned in the previous paragraph).

And, of course, I've always been a sucker for a man in a kilt! ;-)

Now I'm really looking forward to starting the third book in the series, Seduced by Grace, since there was just the slightest hint at Marguerite and David's relationship in this book that whetted my appetite for their story.

[Jen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book so much more than By His Majesty's Grace. The story centers on Lady Cate Milton. She's one of the so-called Three Graces, a trio of sisters said to be cursed. Any man who tries to marry one of them for a reason other than love, is destined for death. Cate's older sister, Isabel, has managed a happy marriage, but Cate doesn't believe it's in the cards for her.

That doesn't stop her from appreciating an arresting man like Dunbar. The sexy Scotsman saved her from a band of men who would have kidnapped her in the woods. Circumstances forced them to spend the night together, and he was a perfect gentleman. But in the 1400's, appearances meant a lot. And before they knew it, the couple was betrothed at the insistence of the king.

Cate goes back and forth with her feelings. She wants Dunbar, but she fears for his life because of the curse. He is just as torn because while he wants nothing more than to bed the lady, he knows that if they wed, his father will disown him. On top of that, he wonders if Cate has anything to do with an attempt on his life. But when push comes to shove, the king gives neither of them much choice in the matter.

I enjoyed watching Cate and Dunbar come together. And there was plenty of intrigue going on in the background. It was a little too historically complicated for me at times, but there was enough action and danger to keep me interested. That, and watching the relationship between Cate and Dunbar unfold. (I am such a sucker for a burr and a kilt.) I was also excited to see that David... a favorite of mine from the last book... appears to be the love interest for the last sister and will be featured in the next book. Yay! Almost 4 stars.


*ARC Provided by NetGalley

[Gaby G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved By His Majesty's Grace, the first book of the series. So I couldn't wait to read By Grace Possessed when I found it at NetGalley.

Lady Catherine Milton is still haunted by the curse. If she doesn't marry by love, her fiance would die. It has worked for her the last few years, but King Henry doesn't believe in curses, and he commands her to marry Ross Dunbar, a Scottish son of an ornery borderland laird.

Catherine doesn't want to marry, and she's nervous about her fiance's fate. And Dunbar doesn't want to marry either, specially with an England lady. But he decided to save her at the forest when she got lost, spent the night with her, and now they have to marry.

Of course, neither of them can hide their attraction to each other. It was easy for Catherine to fall in love with Dunbar. He was good with her, treated her with respect, and was totally hot. But for Dunbar is was more difficult, specially because he was surrounded by enemies and he always was suspecting of Catherine's motives.

I don't usually read medieval romance because women are usually quiet and in need for protection. Catherine definitely needs Dunbar's protection, but she's not quite at all. She has a fire inside her that made me like her immediately, and I was very pleased (and surprised) that she was the one who sought him.

Overall, I enjoyed By Grace Possessed. I really liked Dunbar's and Catherine's story, but I wished they would have been more open with their feeling since the beginning, it would have been much more easier to them to just accept they were meant to be together, hehe. Still, I'd love to read the next book, Seduced by Grace.

[Saba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book so much more than By His Majesty's Grace. The story centers on Lady Cate Milton. She's one of the so-called Three Graces, a trio of sisters said to be cursed. Any man who tries to marry one of them for a reason other than love, is destined for death. Cate's older sister, Isabel, has managed a happy marriage, but Cate doesn't believe it's in the cards for her.

That doesn't stop her from appreciating an arresting man like Dunbar. The sexy Scotsman saved her from a band of men who would have kidnapped her in the woods. Circumstances forced them to spend the night together, and he was a perfect gentleman. But in the 1400's, appearances meant a lot. And before they knew it, the couple was betrothed at the insistence of the king.

Cate goes back and forth with her feelings. She wants Dunbar, but she fears for his life because of the curse. He is just as torn because while he wants nothing more than to bed the lady, he knows that if they wed, his father will disown him. On top of that, he wonders if Cate has anything to do with an attempt on his life. But when push comes to shove, the king gives neither of them much choice in the matter.

I enjoyed watching Cate and Dunbar come together. And there was plenty of intrigue going on in the background. It was a little too historically complicated for me at times, but there was enough action and danger to keep me interested. That, and watching the relationship between Cate and Dunbar unfold. (I am such a sucker for a burr and a kilt.) I was also excited to see that David... a favorite of mine from the last book... appears to be the love interest for the last sister and will be featured in the next book.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Après un premier tome pas totalement convainquant, nous découvrons la suite de la série Les Trois Grâces et quel bonheur ! Et pas seulement à cause du héros écossais... enfin pas que. Nous retrouvons Jennifer Blake et sa plume particulière dans ce récit aussi riche en péripéties que le premier livre, mais sans ses défauts. Si dans l'histoire d'Isabel et Rand, les sentiments n'étaient pas mis en avant, ici ils ne le sont pas forcément plus, mais on voit de quelle façon les deux héros sont intrigués l'un par l'autre. On ne parle pas d'amour mais de désir même si on voit se dessiner les prémices de sentiments plus forts. Nous avons toujours en plus cette petite leçon d'Histoire et de cours à l'époque d'Henri VII et on découvre les troubles de son règne. Cette partie est néanmoins moins présente que dans le premier tome mais reste pour jouer son rôle d'intrigue en arrière-plan, même si le couple doit faire face à d'autres menaces plus personnelles.

Le récit est fluide et les réactions des personnages cohérentes. L'héroïne est touchante même si sa personnalité est déterminée. Le héros est bourru et courageux mais parfois aussi passionné et émouvant. Un couple sympathique malgré leur fort caractère. Un second opus enthousiasmant et une lecture très agréable. L'auteur nous offre une très belle romance historique qui ravira sûrement les fans de héros écossais.

[Cris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked our heroine, Cate. That's probably the most positive thing I have to say about By Grace Possessed. I'm not really sure why I finished the book. I certainly didn't care about the characters. I wasn't interested in the plot.

The villain is almost a caricature of a bad guy. He's so open and chatty about the illegal things he's attempting that I found the scenes to be more like bad farce than suspenseful.

I believed our hero, Dunbar, to be a good man for the first half of the novel. Then he decided to believe something really bad about Cate. As far as I can tell, the only reason was that Blake needed something to prolong the story and create friction between the hero and heroine. (The fact that it's incredibly stupid makes no never mind. Honestly! Why is it more believable to think a nice, intelligent woman like Cate would hire an assassin and give him her very recognizable poniard to do the deed than that Trilborn, an immoral coward who has already tried to kill Dunbar, would hire someone? Why would Cate team up with the man who tried to rape her in order to commit murder? Sheesh!)

Despite my complaints By Grace Possessed isn't badly written. I just didn't find any aspect to be particularly well done. And nothing appealed to me, personally.

[My Book Addiction and More MBA · Rating 4 out of 5]

BY GRACE POSSESSED(THE THREE GRACES) by Jennifer Blake is a delicious historical romance. It is the story of Lady Catherine Milton,the middle sister and Scottish highlander Ross Dunbar,who is held at the King's court to kept his father in line."By Grace Possessed" is book 2 in The Three Graces Trilogy,but can be read as a stand alone. See "By His Majesty's Grace". Three Graces of Graydon are, Lady Isabel Milton,the eldest,Lady Catherine Milton, and Lady Marguerite Milton,the youngest. Together, Lady "Catherine" and Ross will face their passion, adventure,struggles,an enemy who may be a traitor,the King(who is the sisters guardian),marriage,danger,romance,love,sweet sensuality,all while Ross is torn between his country(Scotland),his clan,England and the women he has come to love. I have enjoyed these fiesty,strong-willed young ladies and the men who loves them.A delicious story for anyone who enjoys historical romance,Scottish and English during King Henry's reign. Received for an honest review from Net Galley and the publisher. Details can be found at Mira Books,an imprint of HQN,the author's website,and My Book Addiction and More.




RATING: 4.5

HEAT RATING: MILD

REVIEWED BY: AprilR,My Book Addiction and More

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. I'll admit that I haven't read the first in the series yet (still on library's waiting list) and some things probably would have made a little more sense early on if I had, but it didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the story. This book does catch you up on the major things you need to know about the Three Graces and their "curse", though I'm hoping that book one does a better job of convincing readers that the curse is real (this one really just has the characters confirm it through their own beliefs; you don't really see any evidence yourself). I haven't read much set in this time period--I've read a bunch of later Tutor period works, and a few set earlier in the Middle Ages--so I wasn't terribly familiar with the politics of the times, but the author did a nice job of explaining what was going on throughout the novel. Her research of the period really shows--it gave a great flavor to the book. At times Cate and Ross did seem to be a tad bit obtuse, but this was only a minor distraction. Overall I am looking forward to reading book one and finishing up with Marguerite's story afterwards.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I'm just impatient, but I gave up on this book on page 126. I don't have time to waste on stories that don't move quickly enough. I was, literally, falling asleep as I was reading this book because it was so boring. This is a recap of everything that has happened, so far: Cate goes with the hunting party from the castle. Her horse is scared off from the rest of the hunting party by a boar. The horse takes her with it. This Scotsman named Ross kills the boar, and Cate and Ross spend the night together in the snow (and nothing happens between the two of them). The king forces them to become engaged because they spent the night together. Cate and Ross constantly bicker about the engagement. Some other guy comes out of nowhere and attempts to sexually assault Cate. Ross comes to her rescue, but not without getting stabbed by the bad guy. I quit reading the book as Ross is going through his fevers from the infected wound of the stabbing. There hasn't even been a kiss up until this point, and I've read 126 pages!! I've read many, many more exciting romance novels that take place during the same time period.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tudor King issues Lady Catherine Milton a most unusual command: SEDUCE Scottish Loyalist Ross Dunbar. The son of an ornery borderland laird, Dunbar would make an advantageous match, but King Henry cannot force him to wed. So Cate must ensnare him..... A rush of courtly parties and passionate nights in Dunbar's embrace leaves Cate breathless.. and confused, She desires a proposal for the sake of propriety and politics, but she ling to b truly loved. Tortured loyalties are not hers alone-though Dunbar is enchanted by Cate, he cannot bind himself to England and abandon his people. But when a pretender to the throne ignites a rebellion, the choice is made for them: to solidify northern alliances, Dunbar and Cate (must) wed. Suddenly Dunbar's death appears certain-either by his bride's curse or by a war he did not choose.

[Destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second Jennifer Blake novel and I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first Three Graces novel.

The love story between Cate and Ross was done really well I thought. It didn't seem to be too rushed, which really irks me in all types of genres, not just romance.

The only thing that I could possibly complain about is that Blake would start explaining things about certain people like Elizabeth Woodville or someone else. I can understand why she did since not everyone might not be familiar with this time period and hell even I found myself learning something. But I felt it could have been done in a better way rather than just an info dump. But other than that I really enjoyed the story.