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The Blackthorn Trilogy #2
Midnight's Bride
The Heart Of A Warrior
Mereck of Blackthorn has vowed never to love-for he is cursed with baresark blood and it runs hot. But he must take a wife. When he meets Netta of Caer Caldwell, he is willing to spirit her away from her father's violence, even if he refuses to give her his heart.
The Soul Of A Lover
With her father determined to be rid of her, spirited Netta cannot escape marriage to the heathen Mereck. But she soon learns that he is not the barbarian he believes himself to be-and his kisses fire her blood with a passion she longs to claim.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
10 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
About the author
Sophia Johnson
49 books37 followersAfter our daughters were married and moved away, my husband and I retired. It didn't take long for the "empty nest" syndrome to strike. It took much longer before we did something about it, though. Fifteen years! We bought a little long-coat Chihuahua who became the terror of the neighborhood - even on a leash. When he was three years old and not even attmpting to be friendly with anyone other than my husband and me, we got him a companion. A tri-colored Papillon named Konner. He's a sweetheart and kisses everyone.
One day, our youngest grandson whispered in my ear, "Does Pop-Pop really think Jammie (the Chihuahua) is his baby?" I had to explain about us missing someone to take care of, so we cuddled the dogs when our grandchildren weren't around. After a big hug and kiss, he understood we needed someone or something to cuddle.
I love writing. One night, I dreamt that I couldn't anymore. You know what came to mind when I opened my eyes? I wouldn't be able to breathe life into the characters demanding their stories.
I think that's a little nutty, don't you? My characters become real to me, and when I'm writing, they tell me what they want to do, how they want to feel, what they will and will not allow. Cheez! Talk about bossy!
One day, our youngest grandson whispered in my ear, "Does Pop-Pop really think Jammie (the Chihuahua) is his baby?" I had to explain about us missing someone to take care of, so we cuddled the dogs when our grandchildren weren't around. After a big hug and kiss, he understood we needed someone or something to cuddle.
I love writing. One night, I dreamt that I couldn't anymore. You know what came to mind when I opened my eyes? I wouldn't be able to breathe life into the characters demanding their stories.
I think that's a little nutty, don't you? My characters become real to me, and when I'm writing, they tell me what they want to do, how they want to feel, what they will and will not allow. Cheez! Talk about bossy!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 3, 2023
After the death of a truly disgusting suitor when he has a heart attack when seeing her naked, the heroine's father decrees that the next man to come calling will be the one to marry her. Turns out the hero is that lucky man. Born a bastard he has no hopes of inheriting any of his family's wealth but by chance, marrying the heroine will allow him to own a castle that was once owned by his great great grandfather. The heroine sees the hero as nothing but a brute and a truly frightening one at that, so when she runs away the hero comes up with a scheme to make her think he's escorting her to a hideaway in Scotland. He shaves his beard and washes away his face paint and the heroine has no idea that he's in fact her betrothal. Accompanied by her weak and rather stupid cousin, the heroine and hero embark on the long trip into the highlands. Along the way the hero makes a game of outsmarting the heroine -which isn't all the difficult- and teasing her relentlessly. While she's pretending to be a servant, the hero takes full advantage and is constantly pointing out all the things she's doing wrong.
I did find the first half of the book to be enjoyable. The heroine is quite stupid and stubborn and cowardly but the hero makes the story passable with all his teasing. After that however, I felt the book went into a coma. Quite literally nothing happened from the arrival at the keep until the heroine was kidnapped about 2 thirds through the book. That blank time in-between was filled with fucking stupid conversations about the male anatomy and showcasing how idiotic both the heroine and her cousin were. God all mighty I wanted to shove both of them down a well. Funny enough the heroine went on and one about female equality and the fact that she wants a husband to have intelligent conversations with, when the girl is dumber than a light post! You could not have written a female empowering story with a worst female character. I truly felt so sorry for the hero having to deal with her. When she's kidnapped and nearly raped, the hero flies into a rage-justifiable- and kills the man who dares touch his woman. I found it heroic and sweet, not the heroine1 She's disgusted by his outburst and cringes away from him when all he wants is to comfort her. She turns instead to his brother for comfort. I almost leapt into the book to smack her. There are parts of spirit and life, but 90% of this book is flat and dead. Disappointing
I did find the first half of the book to be enjoyable. The heroine is quite stupid and stubborn and cowardly but the hero makes the story passable with all his teasing. After that however, I felt the book went into a coma. Quite literally nothing happened from the arrival at the keep until the heroine was kidnapped about 2 thirds through the book. That blank time in-between was filled with fucking stupid conversations about the male anatomy and showcasing how idiotic both the heroine and her cousin were. God all mighty I wanted to shove both of them down a well. Funny enough the heroine went on and one about female equality and the fact that she wants a husband to have intelligent conversations with, when the girl is dumber than a light post! You could not have written a female empowering story with a worst female character. I truly felt so sorry for the hero having to deal with her. When she's kidnapped and nearly raped, the hero flies into a rage-justifiable- and kills the man who dares touch his woman. I found it heroic and sweet, not the heroine1 She's disgusted by his outburst and cringes away from him when all he wants is to comfort her. She turns instead to his brother for comfort. I almost leapt into the book to smack her. There are parts of spirit and life, but 90% of this book is flat and dead. Disappointing
October 22, 2012
Mmmmm....
Why the heck I didn't check the reviews first I don't know and normally when I read a book out of sequence I try to be fair and pick up at least one other searching for a balance so having learned my lesson well, I checked the reviews first (including those on the other site) and I'm so glad I did Always Mine Sophia Johnson and particularly Risk Everything Sophia Johnson put me right off. No thank you. I make a promise to never ever read another book again without scouring the reviews first.
April 7, 2022
I love a good, trashy novel. However, this was not that. The book was mind-numbingly boring, and nothing much happened throughout. The naivety and 'innocence' of the two female protagonists was maddening. They were confused in every other sentence. I can't believe I slogged through over 300 pages of 'smouldering gazes from across the room'. Honestly, nothing really happens in this. It got reasonably exciting for a few pages at the end, but it didn't feel worth it to me personally.
June 29, 2012
I really enjoyed this book much more than the first in the series!
Netta is a very head strong and independent woman, however she is a little on the naive side. Mereck is a kind and gentle man even though he has been cursed with the Baresark in his bloodline. Together these two work really well and I could feel the love he felt for her, almost from the beginning. She wasn't nearly as bothersome as the heroine in the first book and Netta seemed to appreciate the love and protection that Mereck could give her. The two main characters in this book both fed off each other and their sense of humor and practical jokes kept me laughing until the end. Once again, one of my complaints about this book and the previous book is the ending. It feels so rushed and not at all like the rest of the story. SJ spends so much time weaving a story together, yet the ending is lacking.
I'm most interested in reading the next book in the series because it's about Megan and I really love her character. SJ is gonna be hard pressed to find a heroine that can deal with her, so I'm excited to begin the next book.
Netta is a very head strong and independent woman, however she is a little on the naive side. Mereck is a kind and gentle man even though he has been cursed with the Baresark in his bloodline. Together these two work really well and I could feel the love he felt for her, almost from the beginning. She wasn't nearly as bothersome as the heroine in the first book and Netta seemed to appreciate the love and protection that Mereck could give her. The two main characters in this book both fed off each other and their sense of humor and practical jokes kept me laughing until the end. Once again, one of my complaints about this book and the previous book is the ending. It feels so rushed and not at all like the rest of the story. SJ spends so much time weaving a story together, yet the ending is lacking.
I'm most interested in reading the next book in the series because it's about Megan and I really love her character. SJ is gonna be hard pressed to find a heroine that can deal with her, so I'm excited to begin the next book.
October 20, 2013
Mereck of Blackthorn is convinced he is cursed with baresark blood and won't take the chance on love because of it. When he sees Netta of Caer Caldwell, he sees a way to regain his birthright while saving her from her violent father. Netta has no desire to marry but she has no choice and leaves with the imposing and frightening Mereck along with her best friend Elise who was acting as her maid. Soon Netta realizes that Mereck is not the violent man she thought he was and she is welcomed warmly into his home by his relatives. But all is not going smoothly; there are those who want Mereck dead so that they can claim Caer Caldwell. Also, those were violent times and a woman wasn't safe outside the castle walls..........
I really liked this book although at times I was lost, possibly because it's the middle book in a trilogy. At times it was really funny like with Netta's complete ignorance about sexual matters. I hope I can find the other two books in the series to read.
I really liked this book although at times I was lost, possibly because it's the middle book in a trilogy. At times it was really funny like with Netta's complete ignorance about sexual matters. I hope I can find the other two books in the series to read.
July 26, 2013
MIDNIGHT BRIDE by Tanya Hanson is an exciting American Western Historical Romance set in 1880 Sweetcream,Texas. A fast paced story of scandal,secrets,heritage,mystery,love with a bit of danger and lots of passion. Follow Carrie Smith and Jed as they navigate their new marriage for convenience or so it starts out to be than.... love happens at the Lazy Jazy ranch....A great story of grandfathers,sons,daughters,and against all odds, falling in love. Well written with engaging characters who are charming as well as engaging and an interesting storyline. A must read!Received for an honest review from the publisher.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
June 13, 2013
The story-line is so boring, I don't even remember what it was. Let me see, there's this baresark, Mereck who like all other characters in a romance story is dashing & daring and all that blah. Then, there's this innocent (too annoyingly innocent, if you ask me) lady in distress, Netta, who runs away from home at the mention of marriage. Then there's a whole host of other characters that are quite irrelevant. This story has everything that I have read before - A cruel father, a villain, a knight in shining armor.... With an old plot and characters that lack depth and maturity, this novel was nothing interesting.
July 28, 2015
Loved the entire story! The small pieces of the supernatural/magic added spice! The hero, as well as, all of the warriors (and there were a few) were all superb specimens of the opposite sex. In addition, the story was filled with a grand dose of humor! Humor so well done, that I literally laughed my way through the entire story! It is a rare find to come across humor written this well, especially as part of a romance. This was one story that didn't lack for sex appeal and passion, but was able to achieve its "hotness" without throwing a bunch of sex scenes in your face. Again, a rarity in my estimation.
July 17, 2010
I would have given this one more stars for the humor, but a few things just didn't sit well with me:
* We know she's petite already, but jeez the constant references to her stature being like that of a child were just creepy!
* It just seemed to drag in the middle.
* It reminded me too much of similar genre books.
Worth a look, but there are better, similar books out there. I won't mention names 'cause that would just be tacky. Drop me a line for the title of an eerily similar book that's LOADS better.
* We know she's petite already, but jeez the constant references to her stature being like that of a child were just creepy!
* It just seemed to drag in the middle.
* It reminded me too much of similar genre books.
Worth a look, but there are better, similar books out there. I won't mention names 'cause that would just be tacky. Drop me a line for the title of an eerily similar book that's LOADS better.
August 24, 2011
This book was ridiculous (but funny). The two female characters were beyond silly and immature. But again, this made the story somewhat amusing. Also, the whole mind-reading thing was weird and seemed completely unfair. I mean really, how's a girl supposed to get away with anything if her husband knows what she's thinking all the time?
July 2, 2008
This book was very flippy flippy. Plus, could there have been a stupider heroine? I understand innocence, but seriously. Get over it.
January 22, 2011
The innocence in this books two female characters is so funny. And how their curiosity puts them in situations where lots of blushes are the result.
July 23, 2013
I mean if this is not the most hilarious and embarrassing book i have read then i dont know what is.... Absolutely BEAUTIFUL
October 27, 2013
Very good book. Loved the laugh out loud funny parts. Netta and Elise were so very naïve, it was hilarious.
November 1, 2012
Nul, à éviter de toute urgence!!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews