Destiny's Kiss

Legendary Bastards of the Crown #0.5

by Elizabeth Rose

(Prequel to the Legendary Bastards of the Crown Series) The Cursed Twin: Lady Annalyse Granville became cursed the day she was born the second twin. Feared by all because of superstition, she was sent away to be raised in an abbey. But now her sister is heavy with the king's bastard and she's been called to be at her twin's side during the birth. The Scotsman: Ross of Clan Douglas has a plan for revenge, as his hatred of the English king is strong. But the minute he kisses the beautiful angel named Annalyse under the mistletoe, his plans change forever. Should he be concerned that everyone calls the girl cursed and bad luck? And will he be able to carry out his plan of revenge when all he can think about is the girl he kissed under the kissing bough?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Medieval, Historical, Historical Fiction, Amazon, Audiobook

88 pages, Paperback

Published December 30, 2016

About the author

Elizabeth Rose is the author of medieval, paranormal, fantasy and contemporary novels. While based on romance, her novels have complex plots, action and suspense. She loves writing bad boy tortured heroes and empowered feisty heroines.

Her books have won rave reviews, and been seen on The History Channel as well as Wild Chicago. Elizabeth's books have won and been finalists in many contests. Here is a partial list:

Highland Spirit - Highland Chronicles WINNER of the Raven Award.
Bedeviled - Portals of Destiny, WINNER Creme de la Cover Contest
Beguiled - Portals of Destiny, WINNER - Creme de la Cover Contest

RONE Award finalists include:
Doubting Thomas - Bad Boys of Sweetwater
Highland Steel - Highland Chronicles
Tristan - Pirate Lords
Igniting Andrew - Bad Boys of Sweetwater
Highland Secrets - Secrets of the Heart
Seductive Secrets - Secrets of the Heart
Forgotten Secrets - all Secrets of the Heart
Summer's Reign - Seasons of Fortitude

Kindle Book Review Awards finalist and semi-finalist:
Highland Secrets
Forgotten Secrets

International Digital Award finalist:
Highland Spring - Seasons of Fortitude

Golden Palm Finalist:
Mary, Mary - Once Upon a Rhyme

Raven Awards Best Cover finalist:
May Queen - Holiday Knights

Raven Awards Runner-Up:
Lady and the Wolf - Tangled Tales

Books and Benches Reviewer's Choice:
Restless Sea Lord - Legendary Bastards of the Crown

Sapphire Award Finalist:
Kyros' Secret - Greek Myth Fantasy Series

Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice:
Thief of Olympus - Greek Myth Fantasy Series

Seen on the History Channel:
The Oracle of Delphi - Greek Myth Fantasy Series

And More!

Elizabeth is known for her many series which include:

Below the Salt Series
Highland Outcasts
Portals of Destiny
Legacy of the Blade
Daughters of the Dagger
Elemental Magick Series
Bad Boys of Sweetwater: Tarnished Saints Series Greek Myth Fantasy Series
MadMan MacKeefe Series
Legendary Bastards of the Crown
Seasons of Fortitude
Secrets of the Heart
Second in Command
Pirate Lords
Highland Chronicles
Barons of the Cinque Ports
Tangled Tales Once Upon a Rhyme
Holiday Knights
Dark Encounters
Cowboys of the Old West
Working Man Series, and more!

Someday Elizabeth hopes to visit the castles of Scotland and England personally. However, she has been to the jungles of Peru and Machu Picchu which inspired her novels, Curse of the Condor and Bistro Bachelor.

Visit her website to view her latest books and to read excerpts of her work. http://elizabethrosenovels.com.

Reviews

[HR-ML · Rating 2 out of 5]

Medieval.

Twin sisters of a noble family engaged in too much
drama and jealousy. Was the hero sincere?

[Aou · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't like the MCs!

[Lori D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really a great story that begins the series of the Legenday Bastards of the Crown series. Ross's hatred of the English pushed him to seek revenge and he had just found a way to do it. He intercepted a missage that the English King Edward's mistress was about to give birth to his babe. The plan was Ross was going to steal them both right under his nose!
Lady Annalyse Granville, was the second twin. She was cursed in that she was thought of as the spawn of the devil. She had just come home for Christmas after sneaking out of the numnery due to her sister, the King's mistress, sending her a missive to come home. As she stood under the kissing bough her thought was she'd never been kissed and probably would not ever.
But that changes suddenly when a Scot comes up to kiss her.. She didn't know why a Scot was even in the castle but Ross was going to kiss her.
An adventure with a lot of twist and turns. Could Christmas change the hatred Ross had for the Scot's and find love with the English Lass? Loved it!

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twins were believed to be unlucky during medieval times, probably because a mother could not easily feed more than one baby. In this historical romance tale the superstition has been carried to stronger extreme and the younger twin girl was sent to be taught by nuns while the older was raised at home. One became a mistress of King Edward and as the tale starts she is expecting a baby, while the sister from the nunnery has come to help her, although she stands under the green kissing bough just in case any man drunk on Christmas ale will kiss her.
We get the differences between English, Lowlanders and Highlanders aired, though not the reasons. Detail writing is nice and characters come across strongly. I would give this better marks if the sister hadn't continually been kissing the man who was betrothed to the expectant mother.

This is an unbiased review.

[Gillian Murrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really quick read that sets the back drop for a series about triplets who are the bastard son's of the King of England but are raised by a Scott.
Ross Douglas plans to trick the Kings pregnant mistress to marry him and whisk them away before the King finds out what he is up to. All good plans go astray and this one goes so wrong yet it turns out brilliant for Annalyse Granville the second born twin to the King's mistress.

[Dee Deacon Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a few Elizabeth Rose books on my iPad waiting for their turn to be read when a friend gifted me a copy of Destiny’s Kiss. As it was a novella I decided it would be a quick read so I opened the first page and was hooked!

This prequel to Ms. Rose’s Legendary Bastards of the Crown series starts pry to the birth of the bastards.

Superstition and fear follow Lady Annalyse Granville wherever she goes. When she shows up at her family home just before Christmas she gets more than superstition and fear as secrets and lies come to light and a handsome Scotsman lends his support. With her twin sister’s delivery can Annalyse forgive those who have lied her whole life which thrust her into a life of misery? Can she grant her dying sister’s wish and will a certain someone be there to help?

Ross Douglas despises the English King. When the King’s messenger takes shelter in the same tavern it provides Ross with the perfect opportunity to take from the King as the King has taken from him. What Ross doesn’t bargain for is his attraction to the sister of his intended target. Will Ross go through with his plan before the King shows up or will he forgave his vengeance for love? When a death occurs will he step in and help his love fulfill her dying sister’s wish?

Maybe it was destiny that my friend sent me the book; as I said above I am hooked on this new-to-me author. And Ms. Rose has written the perfect beginning to what I expect will be some riveting tales for the Legendary Bastards. Cannot wait to start the next one!

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a love story that begins as a means to revenge and ends, defying superstition and the kings order, with the rescue of three tiny boys destined to become legendary. The decision Ross and Analyse make that day is the foundation for stories of several generations of adventure, mystery, and romance in The Legendary Bastards of the King, Seasons of Fortitude, and Secrets of the Heart. Fantastic narration by Brian J. Gill. Excellent beginning! Loved it!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great short story about Ross and Annslyse how their life changed and what secrets were kept from her. Both of their lives change and the responsibilities that they have to encounter. Looking forward to reading more in the series to see where the characters go.

[Anna Bowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure I know how I missed that there was a prequel to the Legendary Bastards of the Crown series, but I am oh so glad there is. A cursed second twin, holiday traditions of both Christmas and Day of the Holy Innocents (which is not at all innocent, ahem) a Scots plan to strike back at the king, some family secrets, and a love for the ages. If a second twin is cursed, what does that mean for second and third triplets? Especially when those are the illegitimate sons of the king? Did I mention that the mother in this case is herself a twin...but which one?

The plan was simple enough. Convince the king's mistress that the king no longer wants her or their babe. Our Scots hero will marry her and raise his enemy's child as his own. But no plan is foolproof and when our heroine, living under her own curse, deduces the truth, the power shifts.

Steeped in the history and folklore of the time, this gripping tale delivers on all fronts, and whets the appetite for the stories of the triplets, their kith and their kin. A delightful winter (or any season) treat.

[Janet Denise Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS, HISTORICAL MEDIEVAL ROMANCE, MYSTICAL, REVENGE, SUPERSTITION

5 STARS for this beautifully well written storyline for this prequel. It is set in the medieval era with plenty of period flavor with Christmas holiday being celebrated in the middle of our romance drama. So, with kissing going on with those kissing boughs hanging up it does help create a festive time for the people of the day regardless of their status. We have a clever low lander Scotsman who hates the English King & has ran into a way of his making to step in & steal the King's mistress & her newborn the King's newest bastard.
What a bold Scot for sure, in the meantime he falls for her accursed twin & her for him. Yes, kissing under the kissing boughs.
It is a wonderful book and does show how ridiculously superstitious people of the day were & how people who were different suffered. I loved it & look forward to reading the series now I have read the prequel to whet the appetite of my curiosity.

RECOMMENDED

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking to start a new series and need a quick read, then this book is just what you need. The prequel to the Legendary Bastards of the Crown series will definitely get you warmed up to start that series. Ross of Clan Douglas only has vengeance against King Edward in his plans, until he kisses Lady Annalyse Granville, shunned her entire life by her family and their people for being born a second twin, under the mistletoe. But she isn’t part of his plan of vengeance as she is the twin sister to Lady Gabrielle, pregnant mistress of King Edward, who is. Little did Ross know that his vengeance would lead him to the love of his life and an instant family. This story kept my interest throughout and was an easy, quick read. I am now looking forward to getting into the Legendary Bastards of the Crown series.

[Karen Voitik · Rating 3 out of 5]

>Book Review – Destiny’s Kiss
>I am an independent reviewer. This book is a prequel to the Legendary Bastards of the Crown series. Ross is a Scot wronged by the English King. Ross concocts a plan to trick the King’s mistress in to marrying himself, instead of the King. Ross seems to be attracted to all the females, from a bar maid to the mistress’ sister, Annalyse.
>The story relies heavily upon curses and omens, causing the actual romance between Ross and Annalyse to fall flat. The writing is stilted, with very little character development and even less scene descriptions. This book is appropriate for an adult audience. I am giving this book 3 stars. This book may have been better off told in book 1 of the series, maybe through a series of flashbacks.

[Mary King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annalyse Granville is a twin that is born second so it is believed that she is cursed sent to live with the nuns. her twin is pregnant with the kings baby and request that her sister come and be with her as she is close to the birth of her child. Ross is an enemy of the king and has a plan to marry the kings mistress and take his child and raise it as his own. but every thing changes when he kisses Annalyse and he starts to have second thoughts about if he going to marry the wrong twin. This story is hard to put down and i loved it and the ending is proof that fate has a way of showing up when we dont plan on it

[Mary King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annalyse Granville is a twin that is born second so it is believed that she is cursed sent to live with the nuns. her twin is pregnant with the kings baby and request that her sister come and be with her as she is close to the birth of her child. Ross is an enemy of the king and has a plan to marry the kings mistress and take his child and raise it as his own. but every thing changes when he kisses Annalyse and he starts to have second thoughts about if he going to marry the wrong twin. This story is hard to put down and i loved it and the ending is proof that fate has a way of showing up when we dont plan on it

[Lauralee Wiltsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Destiny’s Kiss
Elizabeth Rose
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I liked Annylaise and Ross' story but wasn’t surprised to learn of the superstitions of multiple births during the medieval period. If twins were cursed, I couldn’t imagine what they would think should a woman birth triplets as in Destiny’s Kiss. Sometimes, it takes a tragic event to bring people together and that is certainly what happened in this story. If not for Gabrielle's death, Annyelaise and Ross would have never gotten together and Gabrielle’s children wouldn’t have had a chance to grow up.

[Marilyn Parry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Destiny’s Kiss

Fantastic. I enjoyed every word of this book. The Audible version was excellent and the narrator was wonderful as usual.

Twins have been born but they were deemed as unlucky in those
Days. One twin had a life the other in a convent. The twin that had a life was the mistress of the Kng and she was pregnant with
His baby. The heartbreak and decisions were taken from the King when his wife got involved. I really didn’t want for it to end, and Ross is such a kind man.. looking forward to reading the next books in the series. Thank you Miss Rose for writing this book and recording it on Audible. xxx

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who came first

I different take on the power of twins and what the superstitions that were attached to them. Lady Annalyse is the second born twin and was sent away to the nunnery, because of the curse associated with out. She didn't grow up in the castle like her sister Gabrielle, with all the benefits. But now she is called back to the castle by her sister at Christmas. Gabrielle is the King's mistress, and is pregnant with his child. Also at the castle is Ross Douglas, who is trying to get back at the King, who killed his family. He has waylayed the King's message. Secrets are finally reveal and changes everything. Great introduction to the series.

[Susan Harrowa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced quick read!

Ross and Annalyse's story is about being in the right place at the right time to meet the person who is meant to be your other half. Even if that was never how anyone planned it to be. It has old traditions and superstitions, it has fear, some humor. But most of all it has love-between sisters and as the start or two people meant to be. This short story gives some background that leads up to the Legendary Bastards of the Crown series. I enjoyed both this novella and book one of the series. I highly recommend both!!

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I did like this it started off really well the characters were great i loved annelyse from the start.
It was a good story but I felt it became very rushed and had a lot crammed in to towards the end of the book.
I know it was a novella and a prequel but I would have liked it to be more developed and a little less rushed.
Overall a good read and I will probably read the next one.

[Jennifer Yeakel · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ross, his brother and friends happen to come across a message from the king stating he will be visiting his mistress for the birth of his child. Ross schemes to get back at the King, for the death of his clansmen. He decides to forge a note stating the king no longer wants Gabrielle and arranges an alliance through marriage with Ross.
What will happen when Ross sees Gabrielle’s twin sister Annalyse.

[Cherie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this before the Legendary Bastard Series but, it wasn't published before then. Even though it brought back good memories of the original series I was happy to have read it now.
Wonderful characters and a heartfelt love story.
The entire series with this prequel added completes a set of stories not to miss.
It is best to read them in order even though they can stand alone.
It makes me want to read all of the books again.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

A novella - read as part of the Under the Kissing Bough collection.

I'm sorry, but I did not care for this novella. The story was ok. However, the writing was just not very well done. The characters were not all that likable, and I found that I really didn't want them to get together in the end, kissing bough or no.

This was one of the weakest stories in the collection, in my opinion.

[Rosemary Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revenge is a powerful emotion. It can make people do dreadful things.
This book starts out as revenge, but turns into a love story, with a very strange twist to the usual romance.
It also lays out the history of the triplets' birth circumstances and how they come to be raised by their Aunt and a lowland Scot.

[PAMpublish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I typically don't care for prequels, since they are short and the books to follow are usually not affordable to me, this however, despite being more fanciful than realistic, held my interest. Have read other books from this author which I've enjoyed before. It did offer a self-contained complete story which I appreciated and will look for future sequential books on promotion to read.

[Bonnie Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This prequel is the story of the birth of King Edward’s bastard triplets, of which much has been written. I enjoyed finding out their beginning and want to continue the series, although I have already read another set of stories about them as adults. Excellent well-researched writing.
Good narration as well.

[Ieshea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another stunning prequel

Once more a prequel that just makes me want more with every page........Scots,Royalty,twins and triplets,what a mix and the superstitions of the time worked into the story seems to be a specialty from this author

[Kat Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous read that sets the stage for the next three books in the series. At first I wasn't going to bother to read, but I'm so very glad I did!!! Great characters, well developed that complement and establish the plot and continuing saga. Excellent prequel!

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this via Audible. This is my first novel of Elizabeth's and I enjoyed the story. It had a steady pace and kept me interested to find out what would happen to Lady Annalyse next! I look forward to listening to the next book in the series; the Restless Sea Lord! :)

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is how it all began. How the bastard triplets came to be raised by their Aunt and Uncle. This book made everything fall into place with the rest of the series. I read it after I had read 2 of the triple books, so if you plan to read the series start here! Good story.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The prequel tells the background very well. The king's mistress dies giving birth to his triplets. As twins, much less triplets, are considered bad luck, the king orders them killed. However, their mother's sister smuggles them out to save them and raise as her own.