Caerwin & Marcellus

by Lizzie Ashworth

Caerwin has lost her family, her home, and her freedom. Her one last hope? Escape. Across the River Severn and into the western hills, she finds familiar language, the sounds of a village stirring in the morning, dogs barking, the smell of lamb stew. While it lasts.

After two short months, he finds her again. Marcellus, the man who wants her heart. He and the Roman army march forward with swords flashing, butchering her countrymen and her only surviving friend Seisyll. Once again, she finds herself at his mercy.

Refusing to eat or even to wash the blood from her hands, Caerwin only wants to die. He won’t let her. Lash in hand, he forces her compliance.

But her life is destined for even greater change. At the end of his term as legion commander, Marcellus returns to Rome. He’s taking her with him even if she refuses to leave her beloved Britannia. A journey fraught with high seas, banditry, and the blighted company of a woman she despises brings Caerwin to the heart of the Roman Empire.

To the arms of a man she refuses to love.

A story of breathtaking scope, Caerwin & Marcellus takes the reader from the heart of Britannia and across Gaul to the thriving metropolis of Rome. Set in 50 AD, their struggle to come to terms with each other’s needs and expectations exposes the underbelly of Rome’s legal system, its dependence on slavery, and sexual secrets from Marcellus’ past. Can young Caerwin rise to the challenge of womanhood?

Genres: Romance, Historical

ebook

Published July 20, 2016

About the author

Until recently, sex scenes in most books erupted behind closed doors. Why? Why was (and still is in some venues) it acceptable to describe the details of violence, hate, fear, anger, and greed, but not the details of touch, desire, and love? I feel fortunate indeed that now sex scenes keep the bedroom door open, show readers the tingle of flesh, and follow through to the heavy breathing, sweaty finish. It's about damn time.

Reviews

[Cranky - The Book Curmudgeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** 4 Cranky stars ****

This is the second book in the series and it picks up about 3 months where the first book left off. Where Caerwin finds herself back in the clutches of Marcellus where she is spirited away from her home land of Brittany to the foreign soil of Rome.



This new land is strange to her, the people are strange, even the God's she is told she must worship are strange to her. Will she ever understand these people and the life Marcellus wants her to live? Will she learn to be able to blend the world she grew up in with this one she is forced to be a part of?



Again the only reason I give this book 4 Cranky stars is that I was hungry to know Marcellus POV.



But, again this writer knows how to draw you into her story and the world she creates for the characters. Her historical facts are spot on and it is amazing how she blends her character's lives into it so well. This was a great read and well worth the time.

[Dana Busenbark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watching after Caerwin makes her escape, what happens to her, how she gets away and the people she meets, makes this interesting at the start of the book. When Silverus shows up in front of her, her new found friend, an old man, does something drastic. What does he do? How does it affect her? When she finds herself at the end of a Legionaire's sword, a man of Silverus, what happens that she is spared? When she is taken back to her captivity, what happens? When they get ready to head for Rome, what Caerwin does to avoid going is a hoot to read. I love her fire and her spunkiness. I love that she challenges Marcellus. Watching her cut off her nose to spite her face does seem to get old. WIll she ever just give in and be that woman that loves Marcellus? Will she always have to battle against him and everything he stands for? He has never hidden his agenda when it comes to her, so will she ever listen to Senna's words and make life easier for herself? What happens on their trip to Rome? After they get to Rome, what happens then? Things get mighty interesting. What things are in place to try to take down Marcellus? Why? Who wants his inheritance? Who is working against him? What information is uncovered? Can Marcellus and Caerwin ever have a life together? What secret does Caerwin hold at Saturnalia? You're going to have to read this book to find out. It was a lot of fun to read!

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.

[Fiction Vixens Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful conclusion to Caerwin and Marcellus's great story, we were able to follow them back to Rome. Where poor Marcellus had to do battle for him to be able to marry sweet Caerwin who isn't a Roman Citizen. All well defending a law suit of a young man ,who's father had relationship with, when he committed suicide. The research for this story was very well done for this story ,and the background was quite believable with details ,and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this story .The whole story was well developed with great characters ,speciality Caerwin oh how she found herself struggling to believe Marcellus devotion. The fire that Caerwin had and her spunkiness was amazing ,and her whole character was a hoot to read. I could tell you more about this story ,but that would spoil it for you. I highly recommend that you read this great story ,you won't be disappointed.

[Frances Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

What a wonderful conclusion to Caerwin and Marcellus's story. We follow them back to Rome where Marcellus has to battle to be able to marry Caerwin who is not a Roman citizen while defending a law suit brought by a young man his father had a sexual relationship with who then apparently committed suicide. So very well researched there was a rich background of believable detail . The character of Caerwin was still a trial to watch as she struggled to believe in Marcellus's devotion. Highly recommended.

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great conclusion to Caerwin and Marcellus' story! I am a big fan of historical fiction and the level of research Lizzie Ashworth did for this book was obvious. As always she did an amazing job of creating living, breathing characters and lush surroundings for them to inhabit. I could not put this book down and would have read it in one sitting if I didn't have to get off the plane.

[Lizzie Ashworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed By Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

I picked Caerwin & Marcellus by Lizzie Ashworth to read more because I was interested in the time period and the interaction between the Romans and the British than in the romance aspect. I have been interested in the history of both these countries since I was a kid. I feel America gets a lot of its attitudes, beliefs, and culture in a straight line from the Roman empire to the United Kingdom to the United States. Rome had a fascinating culture which has influenced the whole western world. America is like Rome in many ways, so I find myself eager to read about it. Nothing makes history come alive more than reading about how people fought, lived, and loved. This is where Lizzie Ashworth shines.

I think the characters have to dominate your attention in any romantic novel. Love is about people and if the people aren't interesting then you really don't have much to work with. I could see from the first few pages of Caerwin & Marcellus that the characters would have no problem getting and keeping my full attention. But the best thing is that they don't have to. The details of British and Roman daily life were every bit as fascinating as the romantic insights and interludes. The plot was brilliant, and Lizzie Ashworth kept the level of good writing at an even pace that carried everything to a very satisfying conclusion. I really enjoyed reading Caerwin & Marcellus and I'm sure that if you are a history buff and enjoy a romance thrown in with it, then this is the book for you.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What a wonderful ending to a fantastic story! Book two picks up where book 1 ended, (thank god!) and boy oh boy do they go through their share of ups and downs. This book is not nearly as erotic as book one, but with a story teller like Lizzie Ashworth penning the pages it’s not needed. Although Caerwin was a bit of a brat through book one and most of book two, I feel she redeems herself. I absolutely LOVE this author and this book is fantastic example of her brilliance! 5 Roman Stars!!!