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The Heirs of Liri #1
His Majesty's Forbidden Temptation
NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maisey Yates dazzles with her 100th romance for Harlequin Books — be captivated by this thrillingly passionate royal romance!
He swore he’d resist her…
...how long before he gives in to temptation?
Independent Tinley Markham is back in the kingdom of Liri for one to uphold the marriage agreement her beloved father made or risk losing everything…
Honor and guilt dictate that King Alexius must help the woman once promised to his late brother to find a husband. He doesn’t expect impossible Tinley to consume his every waking moment. And soon the fire raging between them is combustible enough to destroy everything. Even a king’s iron self-control!
From Harlequin Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
Read both The Heirs of Liri
Book 1: His Majesty's Forbidden Temptation
Book 2: A Bride for the Lost King
He swore he’d resist her…
...how long before he gives in to temptation?
Independent Tinley Markham is back in the kingdom of Liri for one to uphold the marriage agreement her beloved father made or risk losing everything…
Honor and guilt dictate that King Alexius must help the woman once promised to his late brother to find a husband. He doesn’t expect impossible Tinley to consume his every waking moment. And soon the fire raging between them is combustible enough to destroy everything. Even a king’s iron self-control!
From Harlequin Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
Read both The Heirs of Liri
Book 1: His Majesty's Forbidden Temptation
Book 2: A Bride for the Lost King
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2020
About the author
Maisey Yates
1,220 books3,235 followersNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
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November 4, 2020
He was not accustomed to this. To this feeling.
The sort of reckless, out-of-control sensation.
Temptation.
In his world there was no temptation.
Imagine having the hots for someone, but being unable to have him/her, because he/she had been betrothed, since childhood, to your younger sibling.
I’ve heard that sex often holds more appeal when the object of desire is forbidden.
That's the plight of the H, in this novel. The quirky, unconventional heroine has always gotten under his skin and threatened his infamous self control.
“This. All of this, it tempts me. When you were a girl of eighteen all I wanted was to press you up against the wall and claim you as mine.”
She was the source of his greatest sin, that girl.
She's the least suitable woman to be queen:
“Not suitable for any damn thing. I am a king. And I must keep my head. I am a king, and I must have supreme control over myself and all that I do. And you test that. I am at my end. If you had not been his then...”
He needs a wife who's polished and sophisticated; not a mouthy firebrand who challenges him and collects stray animals in need of a good home. Then there's a further complication: she'd been his late brother's fiancée, for most of her life.
...What I wanted was to sink myself into you and make you mine. You were unsuitable for him. You were supposed to be mine.”
The words, the ferocity behind them, shocked even himself.
This novel, which deals with the forbidden love trope, is Maisey Yates' 100th novel for Harlequin. As a fan who's always looked forward to her HP novels, specifically, I congratulate her on this accomplishment.
Admittedly, Ms Yates has written a few books I didn't enjoy, but there's one thing she's very skilled at doing: creating ultra sexy, unapologetic alpha male heroes with lots of bad boy vibes, that are thrilling to this reader, who's becoming very bored with the current toned down Beta H trend in HPlandia.
And, in her 100th novel, she's delivered unto us an awesome, dominant and sexy alpha male H, in Alexius.
This is the H, Alexius:
He was the Lion of the Dark Wood, and he would devour that which wandered into his path.
He would devour her.
The heroine, Tinley, is a cute little redhead with lots of self esteem issues, because she's failed to live up to her glamorous mother's expectations. The H has been her lifelong nemesis, based on her inaccurate assumption that he dislikes her. In her naivety, she failed to see that forbidden sexual chemistry was the cause of their mutual antipathy:
In her innocence, she’d thought that discomfort had to be anger. But no. It was desire. Desire for a man she knew she couldn’t have.
In her quest to despise the H, she'd even convinced herself that she'd been in love with her cheating, manwhore fiance, Dionysus. This had been the low point of her life, because the average female would've heard alarm bells if she had a fiancé who treated her like a sister while chasing lots of other women openly.
Dionysus, the late fiancé , had been her big blind spot. She'd been childishly awed to be engaged to a handsome prince who wasn't the broody type like the H and had refused to acknowledge all his glaring personality flaws. It was as if she'd been completely idiotic where he was concerned...
This is the heroine, Tinley:
Her gown was much the same. A daring shade that went off the shoulder and revealed far more creamy skin than he was comfortable seeing on her.He hated it.
It was not Tinley. And yet it was. Her voluptuous figure on display, her full lips dewy from some gloss that verged on pornographic.
She's brought back to his kingdom, because there's an important clause in her late father's will, which requires her to get married before her 23rd birthday or forfeit her entire inheritance.
Alexius has convinced himself that it'll all work out well: he'll invite lots of suitable men to a ball, so she can choose one of them. He still thinks that she's not queen material, despite his raging lust for her and he's even scoped out a boring but beautiful socialite to be his future wife.
He's not physically attracted to Nadia ( OW ), has never been intimate with her, hardly sees her and yet he thinks she'll be his perfect queen. When he's with the heroine, he forgets about his prospective marriage of convenience because he's overcome with lust for the heroine.
Is the poor man deluding himself, thinking that he can marry her off to someone else and just let it go ?
The author even includes a mystical element to the story, because the castle is located near to a forest, named the Dark Wood. Legend says that only the man who's meant to be King, will be able to enter and escape unscathed. It seems like superstitious nonsense until you hear that the H's 2 younger brothers lost their lives there.
There's a mystery to this Dark Wood, but you'll have to read the book to uncover that. But I would add that one of the H's brothers ( Lazarus ) turned up alive, at the end. I'm not too fond of scarred heroes but I wonder if he's getting his own story in the future 🤔.
The most enjoyable part of this romance, was the possessive, jealous and obsessed H. He'd been so obsessed with her and jealous of her engagement to Dionysius, that he'd actually planned to seduce her on the night of his brother's death:
I let my brother go into the woods so that I could seduce his fiancée.
That's the main reason why he's filled with such self loathing and had pushed her away, after his brother's funeral. He abhors infidelity but had wanted her so much that he'd been ready to steal her from his brother. This is something that he, as the stereotypical dominant alpha male, views as a weakness on his part.
She never does end up meeting prospective husbands at the ball, because the MC's have sex before the festivities begin and the possessive H announces to all guests that she's his future wife !
And that was a scorching, seductive sex scene, set in the royal ceremonial bath chamber. Some of the sexiest prose ( and dialogue ) in the novel, is written in this scene:
He smiled. A predator’s smile.
Lion or wolf, it didn’t matter.
It was still all the better to eat her with.
The author successfully captured all the bottled up long term longing, that had existed between these MC's and the consummation scene was explosive. The reader could actually feel all the pent up desire that the obsessed H had been holding at bay, all these years:
She was the embodiment of his temptation. Of his weakness. And when she took a step toward him, he knew that his fate was sealed.
And, there's the part where she's awed by his nude beauty:
He was facing away from her, and he lifted his arms, running his fingers over his hair, water sluicing down his back. His every muscle moved and flexed as he did so. And she was enthralled.
His shoulders and back were so broad, his waist narrow. He was like a god.
Or a wolf.
The moment she had thought it might all be safe.
She had forgotten.
That the deadliest predator was in the palace walls, not beyond them.
Obviously, there's a lot more angst and drama before they get their HEA. They're even separated briefly. But this review is already too long to add further spoilers. The big weak point of the novel, in my opinion, is the extremely brief epilogue that merely outlines their wedding. This could've been a 5 star novel if Maisey Yates had just expended a bit more effort to create a an epilogue that was as enchanting as the romance itself.
This is Algie, the heroine's extremely overweight cat:
She wanted him to like her cat. To at least tolerate the hedgehogs and the ferret. Because caring for them was part of her.
Safety: No OM, no cheating and both MC's are celibate during their extremely short separation. The H had been working on a marriage of convenience arrangement with an Arabian royal/socialite, but he'd never had a relationship with her or even kissed her. The heroine had never been intimate with her dead fiancé.
The sort of reckless, out-of-control sensation.
Temptation.
In his world there was no temptation.
Imagine having the hots for someone, but being unable to have him/her, because he/she had been betrothed, since childhood, to your younger sibling.
I’ve heard that sex often holds more appeal when the object of desire is forbidden.
That's the plight of the H, in this novel. The quirky, unconventional heroine has always gotten under his skin and threatened his infamous self control.
“This. All of this, it tempts me. When you were a girl of eighteen all I wanted was to press you up against the wall and claim you as mine.”
She was the source of his greatest sin, that girl.
She's the least suitable woman to be queen:
“Not suitable for any damn thing. I am a king. And I must keep my head. I am a king, and I must have supreme control over myself and all that I do. And you test that. I am at my end. If you had not been his then...”
He needs a wife who's polished and sophisticated; not a mouthy firebrand who challenges him and collects stray animals in need of a good home. Then there's a further complication: she'd been his late brother's fiancée, for most of her life.
...What I wanted was to sink myself into you and make you mine. You were unsuitable for him. You were supposed to be mine.”
The words, the ferocity behind them, shocked even himself.
This novel, which deals with the forbidden love trope, is Maisey Yates' 100th novel for Harlequin. As a fan who's always looked forward to her HP novels, specifically, I congratulate her on this accomplishment.
Admittedly, Ms Yates has written a few books I didn't enjoy, but there's one thing she's very skilled at doing: creating ultra sexy, unapologetic alpha male heroes with lots of bad boy vibes, that are thrilling to this reader, who's becoming very bored with the current toned down Beta H trend in HPlandia.
And, in her 100th novel, she's delivered unto us an awesome, dominant and sexy alpha male H, in Alexius.
This is the H, Alexius:
He was the Lion of the Dark Wood, and he would devour that which wandered into his path.
He would devour her.
The heroine, Tinley, is a cute little redhead with lots of self esteem issues, because she's failed to live up to her glamorous mother's expectations. The H has been her lifelong nemesis, based on her inaccurate assumption that he dislikes her. In her naivety, she failed to see that forbidden sexual chemistry was the cause of their mutual antipathy:
In her innocence, she’d thought that discomfort had to be anger. But no. It was desire. Desire for a man she knew she couldn’t have.
In her quest to despise the H, she'd even convinced herself that she'd been in love with her cheating, manwhore fiance, Dionysus. This had been the low point of her life, because the average female would've heard alarm bells if she had a fiancé who treated her like a sister while chasing lots of other women openly.
Dionysus, the late fiancé , had been her big blind spot. She'd been childishly awed to be engaged to a handsome prince who wasn't the broody type like the H and had refused to acknowledge all his glaring personality flaws. It was as if she'd been completely idiotic where he was concerned...
This is the heroine, Tinley:
Her gown was much the same. A daring shade that went off the shoulder and revealed far more creamy skin than he was comfortable seeing on her.He hated it.
It was not Tinley. And yet it was. Her voluptuous figure on display, her full lips dewy from some gloss that verged on pornographic.
She's brought back to his kingdom, because there's an important clause in her late father's will, which requires her to get married before her 23rd birthday or forfeit her entire inheritance.
Alexius has convinced himself that it'll all work out well: he'll invite lots of suitable men to a ball, so she can choose one of them. He still thinks that she's not queen material, despite his raging lust for her and he's even scoped out a boring but beautiful socialite to be his future wife.
He's not physically attracted to Nadia ( OW ), has never been intimate with her, hardly sees her and yet he thinks she'll be his perfect queen. When he's with the heroine, he forgets about his prospective marriage of convenience because he's overcome with lust for the heroine.
Is the poor man deluding himself, thinking that he can marry her off to someone else and just let it go ?
The author even includes a mystical element to the story, because the castle is located near to a forest, named the Dark Wood. Legend says that only the man who's meant to be King, will be able to enter and escape unscathed. It seems like superstitious nonsense until you hear that the H's 2 younger brothers lost their lives there.
There's a mystery to this Dark Wood, but you'll have to read the book to uncover that. But I would add that one of the H's brothers ( Lazarus ) turned up alive, at the end. I'm not too fond of scarred heroes but I wonder if he's getting his own story in the future 🤔.
The most enjoyable part of this romance, was the possessive, jealous and obsessed H. He'd been so obsessed with her and jealous of her engagement to Dionysius, that he'd actually planned to seduce her on the night of his brother's death:
I let my brother go into the woods so that I could seduce his fiancée.
That's the main reason why he's filled with such self loathing and had pushed her away, after his brother's funeral. He abhors infidelity but had wanted her so much that he'd been ready to steal her from his brother. This is something that he, as the stereotypical dominant alpha male, views as a weakness on his part.
She never does end up meeting prospective husbands at the ball, because the MC's have sex before the festivities begin and the possessive H announces to all guests that she's his future wife !
And that was a scorching, seductive sex scene, set in the royal ceremonial bath chamber. Some of the sexiest prose ( and dialogue ) in the novel, is written in this scene:
He smiled. A predator’s smile.
Lion or wolf, it didn’t matter.
It was still all the better to eat her with.
The author successfully captured all the bottled up long term longing, that had existed between these MC's and the consummation scene was explosive. The reader could actually feel all the pent up desire that the obsessed H had been holding at bay, all these years:
She was the embodiment of his temptation. Of his weakness. And when she took a step toward him, he knew that his fate was sealed.
And, there's the part where she's awed by his nude beauty:
He was facing away from her, and he lifted his arms, running his fingers over his hair, water sluicing down his back. His every muscle moved and flexed as he did so. And she was enthralled.
His shoulders and back were so broad, his waist narrow. He was like a god.
Or a wolf.
The moment she had thought it might all be safe.
She had forgotten.
That the deadliest predator was in the palace walls, not beyond them.
Obviously, there's a lot more angst and drama before they get their HEA. They're even separated briefly. But this review is already too long to add further spoilers. The big weak point of the novel, in my opinion, is the extremely brief epilogue that merely outlines their wedding. This could've been a 5 star novel if Maisey Yates had just expended a bit more effort to create a an epilogue that was as enchanting as the romance itself.
This is Algie, the heroine's extremely overweight cat:
She wanted him to like her cat. To at least tolerate the hedgehogs and the ferret. Because caring for them was part of her.
Safety: No OM, no cheating and both MC's are celibate during their extremely short separation. The H had been working on a marriage of convenience arrangement with an Arabian royal/socialite, but he'd never had a relationship with her or even kissed her. The heroine had never been intimate with her dead fiancé.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2020
I haven't read a MY book in a long time..the title alone made me want to read this one..just the words...Forbidden and Temptation sealed the deal.It is also the author's 100 th book..that is quite an accomplishment and Congratulations!
This book had a sense of fantasy tinged with the pnr.There was the forbidden woods with rabid wolves who devour the unsuspecting who dare to enter,the mystery of the lost Prince who went into the woods as a young child never to be seen again,and our hero the King.,the Lion.. an Alpha male ,mountain of a man.
There was also a third brother...the fiancee of the heroine who was killed by the wolves,the playboy Prince.
.I liked this one..the King had always wanted the heroine and even made plans to seduce her away from his brother ,but the brother was killed by the wolves before his plan was put to motion.
There was a surprise thrown in when the long presumed lost Prince returned... a fitting name..Lazarus.Now he had some stories to inform the King about the true heritage of their country.. You see he was not lost..,but stolen as a young child by the people of the forest.
This was a nice change of pace that I enjoyed and looking forward to Lazarus's story.
And again this month, the lack of a satisfying epilogue made me drop a star as it could have easily been a 5 star read.
This book had a sense of fantasy tinged with the pnr.There was the forbidden woods with rabid wolves who devour the unsuspecting who dare to enter,the mystery of the lost Prince who went into the woods as a young child never to be seen again,and our hero the King.,the Lion.. an Alpha male ,mountain of a man.
There was also a third brother...the fiancee of the heroine who was killed by the wolves,the playboy Prince.
.I liked this one..the King had always wanted the heroine and even made plans to seduce her away from his brother ,but the brother was killed by the wolves before his plan was put to motion.
There was a surprise thrown in when the long presumed lost Prince returned... a fitting name..Lazarus.Now he had some stories to inform the King about the true heritage of their country.. You see he was not lost..,but stolen as a young child by the people of the forest.
This was a nice change of pace that I enjoyed and looking forward to Lazarus's story.
And again this month, the lack of a satisfying epilogue made me drop a star as it could have easily been a 5 star read.
Read
November 4, 2020I'm sure it's a cute story because MY is amazing but an epilogue without pregnancy/baby just doesn't cut it for me unfortunately.
November 8, 2020
Classical Ms. Yates with flowery language and little angst.
November 9, 2020
A good read, it could have been amazing read Iif the author chose to write an epilogue with babies or pregnancy but ...she chose to not 🙃
I wish the brother Lazarus have his own story he seems interesting .
I wish the brother Lazarus have his own story he seems interesting .
April 12, 2021
"His Majesty's Forbidden Temptation" is the story of Alexius and Tinley.
The hero is the mysterious Lion and the heir to the throne of Liri. Having lost two of his brothers to the mysterious woods that surround his kingdom, he is made the king after his father's death. He has never known his mother's love, yet covets the sweet fiancé of his late brother- whom he has known forever.
He coerces her to move into his palace, trying to marry her off.. but soon passion ignites between the two. But will he ever give up his inhibitions and learn to love her? Or will he continue rejecting her?
This book was very different and had a gothic feel to it. The hero was extremely moody and brooding, and the heroine was sweet and lovable. The reveal was predictable, but the ending a bit abrupt.
Good in parts.
SWE/Unsafe
3/5
The hero is the mysterious Lion and the heir to the throne of Liri. Having lost two of his brothers to the mysterious woods that surround his kingdom, he is made the king after his father's death. He has never known his mother's love, yet covets the sweet fiancé of his late brother- whom he has known forever.
He coerces her to move into his palace, trying to marry her off.. but soon passion ignites between the two. But will he ever give up his inhibitions and learn to love her? Or will he continue rejecting her?
This book was very different and had a gothic feel to it. The hero was extremely moody and brooding, and the heroine was sweet and lovable. The reveal was predictable, but the ending a bit abrupt.
Good in parts.
SWE/Unsafe
3/5
July 4, 2021
Congratulations Maisey Yates - 100 books! what an achievement. Maisey is one of my favourite Mills and Boon authors so I was looking forward to this and I wasn't disappointed!
This has a fabulous hero and heroine, Tinley and Alexius. Tinley was engaged to his younger brother before he died and seems unable to see what a ratbag he was. Alexius is the King, has lusted after her for years, but is determined to make another woman, his Queen.
Maisey Yates really knows how to make you love her heroes! This story is a history of misunderstanding, lust, and deeper attraction, fabulous dialogue, and an exciting developing story that keeps you on your toes waiting for the inevitable resolution. I devoured this in one sitting and loved every single word!
As always, Maisey Yates writes brilliant, steamy, and romantic sex scenes. As others have pointed out, the epilogue was a little brief and unsatisfying - so 4.5 stars instead of the 5 which the rest of the book definitely deserves.
This has a fabulous hero and heroine, Tinley and Alexius. Tinley was engaged to his younger brother before he died and seems unable to see what a ratbag he was. Alexius is the King, has lusted after her for years, but is determined to make another woman, his Queen.
Maisey Yates really knows how to make you love her heroes! This story is a history of misunderstanding, lust, and deeper attraction, fabulous dialogue, and an exciting developing story that keeps you on your toes waiting for the inevitable resolution. I devoured this in one sitting and loved every single word!
As always, Maisey Yates writes brilliant, steamy, and romantic sex scenes. As others have pointed out, the epilogue was a little brief and unsatisfying - so 4.5 stars instead of the 5 which the rest of the book definitely deserves.
January 6, 2021
4.5 stars
Major Plot Spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk
This was a very unique Harlequin Presents. While reading it, I was getting serious dark fairy tale vibes with many fairy tale image referenced in here like wolves, beast, and dragons. Even though it was a contemporary setting, it felt very gothic and dark from the setting of the forest to just the dark images and feelings. In fact I would say that this was the darkest tone that I have ever read in a Harlequin Presents. It was a refreshing change from the glamorous style that Presents is known for. There was glamorous here as well, but it had that undertone of darkness that made it dangerous and edgy. I loved that so much.
The darkness that surrounded this story just added even more complication and struggle between the romance of Tinley and Alex. Because Alex believed that he had so much darkness inside of him, he tended to stay away from Tinley and allow him not to feel things as deeply as he should. He blocked his emotions as well as dealing with his guilt over his brothers’s death. It just consumed him so much that he would refuse to let the light in his life aka Tinley. He had his dark and broody moments that just added so much more to the story. It upped the intensity in the story quite a bit because of that. I really enjoyed seeing that play out among the pages.
However that wasn’t only thing that caused them to struggle to their HEA. For one, he was a king. She wasn’t seen as queen material because she was quirky, frizzy, and a little awkward. She wasn’t poised or elegant type that was expected. Alex wanted a socialite that knew the rules and how life as a queen would be. She could play the part of queen. He even had someone all picked out for the role even before the story began.
Second problem for them was that at one time Tinley was engaged to his late brother. It was an arrangement between Tinley’s father and Alex’s father. Even though at the time she believed that she loved his brother, there was always this brewing tension between Alex and Tinley throughout that arrangement that had taken place over years and years. In fact she was promised to Alex’s brother at the age of 8. Alex’s brother and Tinley were never really romantically involved nor was Alex’s faithful during their engagement. It had multiple woman over the course of the years. However that still caused an obstacle for Alex and Tinley.
The heat between these two had been there from the moment that she turned 18. He always had this insane attraction towards her that he tried to quash down. He thought she was beautiful in all her glory, not believe as other that she had to change or make herself “beautiful” in order to be seen as attractive. He was already there and finding it hard to resist. He loved her red hair, her freckles, and just her uniqueness. It hard for him. It killed him whenever he was close to her because he wanted to be closer. So, he would have these heated moments were passion would be released through anger. It was hard for him to contain both in the past and the present. It was delicious and amazing. It just showed how much chemistry that they had.
But the thing was that it was on Tinley’s side too, but she didn’t know it. It played off the trope of enemies to lovers as she tried to convince herself what she felt was hate for when in reality she was feelings something she just didn’t understand. Her love for Alex’s brother was safe while what she felt for Alex was not. As she struggled with these new feelings, the hotter their encounters became. It just got more intense and passionate. I loved that so much.
Those passionate scenes were out of the park good. It wasn’t just the intensity of the scene either it was how the scenes were written that were gorgeously done, which so many layers to the story. It beautiful and gothic and just reflected what was happening between Tinley and Alex in the scene. It was utterly epic of how the were done and written. There were so many of those scenes. Like the ballroom scene where she was learning to dance for the first time. The amount os sexual tension could have been cut with a knife that was how steamy and hot that it was all under the gorgeous backdrop of the the ballroom. Then their first kiss was done in an epic way as well in as fantastical of a setting as the dance scene. Again it was very hot and spicy between them when passion finally was released between each other. It had been repressed a long time between the two of them Then their first time scene was phenomenal. It was sensual and romantic with very beautiful writing of these bathing pools that one would indulge in right before a ball or special occasion. I could see it so clearly in my head as she drifted from pool to pool before finally spotting him at the last pool in all his naked glory. The passionate that erupted there was steamy, steamy. It was amazing. All first time scenes should be like that. There was the sexy dinner table scene, which was very elaborate and over the top, yet had a lot of spice to it that wasn’t on plates either. Another great scene between them to show off their chemistry as well as the connection that they had with one another. It was about them getting close to each other. It was just really well done.
I will say that I wish there was an aftermath scene after one of their lovemaking scenes. I just like those moments when they cuddle together and talk. It would show that they were connecting in every way besides physical. I just love those affectionate moments between a couple, but it wasn’t done here unfortunately.
At parts it did drag a teeny tiny bit because there was a lot of internal monologue going on either from Tinley and Alex. It was a little repetitive because the same thoughts and feelings would come again and again. It got to be a little much. There were a lot of justifications of why they couldn’t be together or why this wasn’t a love match. It just went on for a little too long and slow the pacing a bit especially in the middle. I just wanted them to get to it already.
There was a shocking twist that I didn’t see coming. I guess I should have because there’s a number two in this series, but I was thinking it was going to be about someone else. Now I know perfectly well who the story is going to be about. I’m intrigued. I want to know more. I had to blink a couple of times when this twist came up because I couldn’t believe my eyes of what I was seeing because it was the crux of why Alex acted the way that he did. He was surprised to learn the truth as I was and flipped his switch very quickly because everything he knew was just turned upside down. It was a game changer. I want to know how this plays out in the next book. I need a lot questioned answered after this revelation. It was shocking.
Overall I loved this story. I thought it was unique and different to any Harlequin Presents that I had ever read. It had more gothic feeling to it with all the dark imagery going on like the forest and wolves. It felt like this could have had a magical/ paranormal element to it as it alluded to magic. The chemistry between Alex and Tinley was insane. It was intensity. There was plenty of good build up that happened over the course of the years that kept building and building until it finally exploded. They had some great head butting moments. They challenged each other. They stood up to each other. They just were a huge explosion of feelings. The writing was awesome with all those detailed settings. The love scenes were hot and steamy. They had a great physical as well as emotional connection. They loved each other for a long time even if they didn’t admit it so that increased build up. The setup was good and interesting and made for an even more complicated romance. It did drag a little in the middle, and I wish there was an aftermath scene but other that this one was pretty darn good. It was another win for Maisey Yates world.
This was a great 100th book for Maisey Yates writing for Harlequin. It’s great addition to her backlist and her work. The story proved of why she has written over 100 books over the years. She just a master of her craft. I applaud for writing so many great stories over that I have seriously enjoyed. She has become one of my favorite authors of all time. So, congrats to Maisey Yates on 100 books and as her dedication said in this book hopefully she will write 100 more. I’m board with that.
Major Plot Spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk
This was a very unique Harlequin Presents. While reading it, I was getting serious dark fairy tale vibes with many fairy tale image referenced in here like wolves, beast, and dragons. Even though it was a contemporary setting, it felt very gothic and dark from the setting of the forest to just the dark images and feelings. In fact I would say that this was the darkest tone that I have ever read in a Harlequin Presents. It was a refreshing change from the glamorous style that Presents is known for. There was glamorous here as well, but it had that undertone of darkness that made it dangerous and edgy. I loved that so much.
The darkness that surrounded this story just added even more complication and struggle between the romance of Tinley and Alex. Because Alex believed that he had so much darkness inside of him, he tended to stay away from Tinley and allow him not to feel things as deeply as he should. He blocked his emotions as well as dealing with his guilt over his brothers’s death. It just consumed him so much that he would refuse to let the light in his life aka Tinley. He had his dark and broody moments that just added so much more to the story. It upped the intensity in the story quite a bit because of that. I really enjoyed seeing that play out among the pages.
However that wasn’t only thing that caused them to struggle to their HEA. For one, he was a king. She wasn’t seen as queen material because she was quirky, frizzy, and a little awkward. She wasn’t poised or elegant type that was expected. Alex wanted a socialite that knew the rules and how life as a queen would be. She could play the part of queen. He even had someone all picked out for the role even before the story began.
Second problem for them was that at one time Tinley was engaged to his late brother. It was an arrangement between Tinley’s father and Alex’s father. Even though at the time she believed that she loved his brother, there was always this brewing tension between Alex and Tinley throughout that arrangement that had taken place over years and years. In fact she was promised to Alex’s brother at the age of 8. Alex’s brother and Tinley were never really romantically involved nor was Alex’s faithful during their engagement. It had multiple woman over the course of the years. However that still caused an obstacle for Alex and Tinley.
The heat between these two had been there from the moment that she turned 18. He always had this insane attraction towards her that he tried to quash down. He thought she was beautiful in all her glory, not believe as other that she had to change or make herself “beautiful” in order to be seen as attractive. He was already there and finding it hard to resist. He loved her red hair, her freckles, and just her uniqueness. It hard for him. It killed him whenever he was close to her because he wanted to be closer. So, he would have these heated moments were passion would be released through anger. It was hard for him to contain both in the past and the present. It was delicious and amazing. It just showed how much chemistry that they had.
But the thing was that it was on Tinley’s side too, but she didn’t know it. It played off the trope of enemies to lovers as she tried to convince herself what she felt was hate for when in reality she was feelings something she just didn’t understand. Her love for Alex’s brother was safe while what she felt for Alex was not. As she struggled with these new feelings, the hotter their encounters became. It just got more intense and passionate. I loved that so much.
Those passionate scenes were out of the park good. It wasn’t just the intensity of the scene either it was how the scenes were written that were gorgeously done, which so many layers to the story. It beautiful and gothic and just reflected what was happening between Tinley and Alex in the scene. It was utterly epic of how the were done and written. There were so many of those scenes. Like the ballroom scene where she was learning to dance for the first time. The amount os sexual tension could have been cut with a knife that was how steamy and hot that it was all under the gorgeous backdrop of the the ballroom. Then their first kiss was done in an epic way as well in as fantastical of a setting as the dance scene. Again it was very hot and spicy between them when passion finally was released between each other. It had been repressed a long time between the two of them Then their first time scene was phenomenal. It was sensual and romantic with very beautiful writing of these bathing pools that one would indulge in right before a ball or special occasion. I could see it so clearly in my head as she drifted from pool to pool before finally spotting him at the last pool in all his naked glory. The passionate that erupted there was steamy, steamy. It was amazing. All first time scenes should be like that. There was the sexy dinner table scene, which was very elaborate and over the top, yet had a lot of spice to it that wasn’t on plates either. Another great scene between them to show off their chemistry as well as the connection that they had with one another. It was about them getting close to each other. It was just really well done.
I will say that I wish there was an aftermath scene after one of their lovemaking scenes. I just like those moments when they cuddle together and talk. It would show that they were connecting in every way besides physical. I just love those affectionate moments between a couple, but it wasn’t done here unfortunately.
At parts it did drag a teeny tiny bit because there was a lot of internal monologue going on either from Tinley and Alex. It was a little repetitive because the same thoughts and feelings would come again and again. It got to be a little much. There were a lot of justifications of why they couldn’t be together or why this wasn’t a love match. It just went on for a little too long and slow the pacing a bit especially in the middle. I just wanted them to get to it already.
There was a shocking twist that I didn’t see coming. I guess I should have because there’s a number two in this series, but I was thinking it was going to be about someone else. Now I know perfectly well who the story is going to be about. I’m intrigued. I want to know more. I had to blink a couple of times when this twist came up because I couldn’t believe my eyes of what I was seeing because it was the crux of why Alex acted the way that he did. He was surprised to learn the truth as I was and flipped his switch very quickly because everything he knew was just turned upside down. It was a game changer. I want to know how this plays out in the next book. I need a lot questioned answered after this revelation. It was shocking.
Overall I loved this story. I thought it was unique and different to any Harlequin Presents that I had ever read. It had more gothic feeling to it with all the dark imagery going on like the forest and wolves. It felt like this could have had a magical/ paranormal element to it as it alluded to magic. The chemistry between Alex and Tinley was insane. It was intensity. There was plenty of good build up that happened over the course of the years that kept building and building until it finally exploded. They had some great head butting moments. They challenged each other. They stood up to each other. They just were a huge explosion of feelings. The writing was awesome with all those detailed settings. The love scenes were hot and steamy. They had a great physical as well as emotional connection. They loved each other for a long time even if they didn’t admit it so that increased build up. The setup was good and interesting and made for an even more complicated romance. It did drag a little in the middle, and I wish there was an aftermath scene but other that this one was pretty darn good. It was another win for Maisey Yates world.
This was a great 100th book for Maisey Yates writing for Harlequin. It’s great addition to her backlist and her work. The story proved of why she has written over 100 books over the years. She just a master of her craft. I applaud for writing so many great stories over that I have seriously enjoyed. She has become one of my favorite authors of all time. So, congrats to Maisey Yates on 100 books and as her dedication said in this book hopefully she will write 100 more. I’m board with that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
hq-to-read
November 4, 2020Independent Tinley Markham is back in the kingdom of Liri for one reason: to uphold the marriage agreement her beloved father made or risk losing everything…
Honor and guilt dictate that King Alexius must help the woman once promised to his late brother to find a husband. He doesn’t expect impossible Tinley to consume his every waking moment. And soon the fire raging between them is combustible enough to destroy everything. Even a king’s iron self-control!
Honor and guilt dictate that King Alexius must help the woman once promised to his late brother to find a husband. He doesn’t expect impossible Tinley to consume his every waking moment. And soon the fire raging between them is combustible enough to destroy everything. Even a king’s iron self-control!
January 5, 2021
I’m such a huge fan of Maisey Yates! I’m can’t believe this was her 100th book! It was such a sweet, sexy, & emotional read! Alexuis & Tinley were meant to be! I loved that these two had been fighting feelings and lust for several years even though Tinley was sure what it was. Alexuis is a King. He’s a big man and don’t want love or feelings. He has lost 2 brothers to the forest the grazes his castle property. Tinley is the ward now that Alex is the King & her former fiancé passed(which was Alex’s younger brother). Alex has to find Tinley a husband...she agrees but is unsure. Tinley and Alex have a hard time fighting the attraction as the days pass to the ball where Tinley will make a debut to gentleman callers. This book had so much tension, wittiness, & all the sexy times one could ever need! Of course we got to our HEA even if our hero didn’t want it at first! I really loved this book! It will def be making it into my reread pile!!
August 2, 2021
I liked it. I really liked the heroine, especially her finding herself and I liked that she didn't follow same pattern as most HP books that once it's said that heroine will have to marry the hero that the heroine fights it and tries to run away. The heroine accepted it and made decision to make it work and I really liked that it was different from what I expected. I liked the hero even with all his tortured past and I could somehow look past all the other women he was with during 4 years heroine was away a college (he wanted her but sent her away). The book wasn't 4 or 5 stars because of the end reveal of heroes brother being alive and the whole people in woods thing was just a bit much for a HP. P
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2020
the story is cute and all but there's no baby included in epilogue :(
The heroine was destined to marry the King's brother, but he died. She had to marry in order to inherit her father's inheritance. The king tried to find him a groom but they fell for each other instead.
The heroine was destined to marry the King's brother, but he died. She had to marry in order to inherit her father's inheritance. The king tried to find him a groom but they fell for each other instead.
July 19, 2021
Sweet
Maisey Yates has a way of telling a story with deep truths. One really does have to be happy with oneself before they can be happy with others. I look forward to The Heirs of Liri, 2.
Maisey Yates has a way of telling a story with deep truths. One really does have to be happy with oneself before they can be happy with others. I look forward to The Heirs of Liri, 2.
July 26, 2021
An okay read
This was a very hard book to read and finish. The plot and characters were very boring, it took me days to finish the book. The chapters were long and boring but the ending felt rushed. The epilogue was not good.
This was a very hard book to read and finish. The plot and characters were very boring, it took me days to finish the book. The chapters were long and boring but the ending felt rushed. The epilogue was not good.
April 30, 2022
boring!
This book was extremely boring. I always find Maisey Yates’ books entertaining and enjoyable so I’m extremely disappointed with this book. I had to force myself to finish it. I won’t be reading anymore of The Heirs of Lori.
This book was extremely boring. I always find Maisey Yates’ books entertaining and enjoyable so I’m extremely disappointed with this book. I had to force myself to finish it. I won’t be reading anymore of The Heirs of Lori.
November 15, 2020
Loved this story about King Alexius and Tinley and their finding their happily ever after.
July 16, 2021
Great book,, one on my favorite authors, loved the brother lost in the Dark Woods mystery. Can’t wait to read the other book in the series A Bride for the Lost King.
July 30, 2021
I enjoyed Tinley and Alex's story. Interesting story and characters. A lot of personal growth and a happy ending.
October 15, 2021
The prose was a little choppy, but the erotic scenes were steamy and well executed. However, I'm not sure if I feel as though this couple is going to make it long term. They're very different people, and the heroine more than once stated that she wasn't comfortable with court life, despite having been raised in the palace. But it was not a wholly unpleasant read, and there were moments I enjoyed. For my full review, you can listen to my podcast at https://hopelesslyromanticpodcast.com....
November 19, 2020
It is good book
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