OctaviaI stepped off the plane and was hit by a jolt of electricity.It's as if lightning is striking me, the first time I see him. As I step off the jet and onto the tarmac, there he stands, as if summoned from my fantasies. He is gorgeous, muscled, Scottish, and there for me.The electric pulse that dashes across my skin as his kiss brushes against my hand pushes that pulse lower. This is to be the next leg in my journey to discovering what I want out of life. After years of focusing on nothing but work, it's time to focus on myself and the adventures I’ve dreamed about. Will those adventures include a wealthy Scottish Lord?MalcolmWhen our eyes met, I knew she was mine.Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. Finding out I am adopted and have a half-brother could have sent me into a spiral. Instead, it gives me a foundation. Seeing him happy with his perfect woman, shows me what is important in life, and I want what they have for myself.I never imagined I’d find my perfect woman stepping off my brother’s private jet. But as luck would have it, O isn't looking to settle down. Our mutual paths lead us to a castle wedding in the Highlands, where things start to unravel. When the gun is pointed at my head, I have only one regret, O.Publisher's This steamy mystery contains graphic scenes and a theme of power exchange.
Malcolm was in the gallery of his father's estate glancing over the faces of the past Fitzwilliam men in the family. Men that he just found out were not his family. He had been adopted and his real mother was being now in the Edinburgh Clinic after trying to kill Laughlin...his half-brother. He still can't believe the events that lead him to kidnap Laughlin's fiance. Events guided by a mother that until recently he had no idea existed until she approached him to tell him he was adopted and she was his mother.
Octavia had been a yoga instructor for ten years and she needed a sabbatical. It was time for her to make a change. In a few days, she was leaving for Scotland to see her friend Suri. She has sorely missed her the last three months but was happy that Suri had found love.
So when Suri called and asked her to move her trip forward because she was getting married in three days she made the jump. She was looking forward to the next chapter in her life.
Malcolm may own gyms throughout Europe and worked out regularly but he was finding out he was in need of more cardio as Laughlin was putting him through the paces sparring. While he was having a hard time breathing Laughlin wasn't breaking a sweat.
He was surprised when Suri asked him to pick up her friend from the airport, but he agreed to do so. Octavia couldn't seem to take her eyes off the gorgeous man who picked her up from the airport. She's never had such an instant sexual connection and deep attraction to someone when first meeting.
I loved this book. This is the second book in the Crown & Cross series and it is told with multiple POVs. I love all the characters in this story. They are full of life and passion. We get further into Suri and Laughlin's romance with their wedding celebration which gives more insight to their Canadian friends.
It is instant love between Octavia and Malcolm. Octavia balks at first to Malcolm's dominant nature but soon realizes that this is what had been missing from her life. The passion and steamy hot sex between these guys jump off the page.
This book has multiple twists and is full of intrigue as the Templar mystery is finally solved. There are so many moving parts in this story, but Skylar West expertly weaves them together. The book is very well written and the storyline is very in-depth bringing both LAUGHLIN and MALCOLM together seamlessly.
I highly recommend this book and if you haven't read anything by Skylar West then you are missing out.
This is the story of Octavia and Malcolm. Malcolm has just found out that his father is not his real father. He was adopted. He found this out from his birth mother, Annie. Things are not what they seem with Malcolm. He is on his way with his adopted father to his half-brother Laughlin's home to apologize to him and his girlfriend Suri for the things that he did to her. When he gets to Laughlin's home, there are some other people there and he is introduced to them. Laughlin and Malcolm find time to discuss things and all is forgiven. Laughlin and Suri are to be married and she wants a friend of hers to be there so Laughlin sends his private jet to get her. Suri has things to do for the wedding so she asks Malcolm to go and pick up Octavia. When they first meet, they don't get along very well. When they get back to Laughlin's home, he has her thrown over his shoulder and takes her upstairs to give her what she deserves. Malcolm finds out a few things when he and Laughlin talk some more. There are people after Laughlin, Suri, and Malcolm but they are not sure who it is. Laughlin has an idea but he can't prove it. He knows why they are after him and he needs answers to find the information out. The more that Octavia is around Malcolm, the more she is falling for him. Malcolm feels like they should be together but it has to be her choice to be with him. This story has so many twists and turns, it will keep you reading from the first page to the last page. You will think you know what will happen, but it will turn you in another direction. Will Octavia and Malcolm get together? This was a wonderful book and I would recommend it to anyone.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really had a hard time getting my head around all the goings on in this book. The “blurb” made no mention of this being a continuation of Book 1 but it certainly is. I strongly urge you to read “Laughlin” before this one or you may be as befuddled as I was. There are a lot of good things in this story (featuring the developing dd/lg relationship between Octavia and Malcolm) including heated action, sensual domestic discipline and steamy erotic sex. The characters are quite complicated with almost no one being who they appear to be and not even family being totally trustworthy! The plot is equally complicated, involving the Order of the Knights Templar, the OSG and the inter-workings of the Scottish Clans. There are also heavy references to yoga, both positions and philosophy, so non-practitioners may be confused, confounded, or just plain annoyed. Having said all that, you will understand my multiple ratings of this book as 3 Stars (if you haven’t read Book 1 nor have knowledge of yoga) or 4 Stars (if you are at least a fan of yoga as well as spanking romances) or 5 Stars if you have also read Book 1 and enjoyed it. For me it is between 3 and 4. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A bit of a struggle to read. Malcolm is book 2 of Crown and Cross duet. It definitely is not a read alone book. It jumps right into the story that ended in the first book Laughlin and it is fast paced action all the way thru. There are so many characters in this book it is difficult to remember who everyone is, if you have not recently read the first book and because of that, as a reader I felt a little lost trying to figure out who everyone was. I read Laughlin, the first book a month ago, and have read many books in between that one and this one, so I have a lot of remembered storylines and characters running thru my head. I found myself often a bit lost as to who everyone was. There is very little back story to explain who all the players are which may have helped, but rather the action starts immediately and continues to escalate as the book goes on. After I figured out all the players and got them straight in my head, it was enjoyable, and it did answer many of the question that were left unanswered in the first book. I think this would be a great 2 books to combine and sell as a complete duet in one book. I think the read would be much more enjoyable. I received a reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I went back and reread the book. I wanted to give the book another chance after a friend and I talked about this book and the first one in the Crown and Cross series. So below is my second review.
Malcolm (Crown and Cross Book 2) is an interesting mix of suspense, mystery, and drama. Action and fascinating historical references are central to the storyline. The romance elements embrace eroticism and include themes of power exchange and dominance/submissive relationships. If those types of relationships are not your cup of tea or you find them triggering, this is not the book for you.
I did not read the first book in the series, Laughlin (Crown and Cross Book 1), before reading this one. It might have made the book's flow make more sense to me if I had done so. Although I liked the book, it was initially challenging to get into as some of the histories behind the relationships were unclear, and elements of the relationship between Olivia and Malcolm felt forced. It muddled the storyline a bit for me. I will now go back and read the first book and future books in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Book Two of the Crown and Cross Series, and must be read after the first book. Let's pick right up with where we left off. But, add a few more characters, a few more pieces to the Templar puzzle, more distrust, jaw dropping revelations, and a wedding. In this book, our beloved Suri and Laughlin still have a substantial roll, even though Malcom and Octavia are our starring players. These two have a chemistry from the moment that they meet that explodes into an combustible passion. The love scenes in this book were barely safe to put on paper. With the passion of the couple, it leads to each character doing some soul searching to find who they are and where they need to be. Jam packed with one event after the other, the story still feels natural with it's flow. One thing just leads to another as events unfold. It is a page turning ride for the reader. In order not to spoil the whole thing I am having to be vague in this review. I received an advanced copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
The addition starts with the book cover….yeah…yeah…yeah don’t judge a book by its cover they say ….well we all do it and this one here it is the scratch to your itch or better yet the filling to your oreos! Speaking of filling…..wait, that’s for later. Within the first chapters you get the panoramic view of whom you’re dealing with! This is book two of the Crown and Cross series it appears each book will read as a standalone however, why just read one when you can start at the beginning and keep reading through the series it won’t be a waste of time. Octavia’s best friend is getting married and of course she is her besties Maid of Honor, so she hopes on a plane to Scotland. Malcom is sexy as all get out friend’s half-brother of the groom and the moment he see Octavia he knew. The moment she meets him there is an instant attraction of course they have to get through some twists and turns but will it lead to happiness?
I enjoyed reading this book. It had great characters and an interesting story. This book can be read on its own but I think more of the story will make sense if you read “Laughlin” first. Malcolm is Laughlin’s brother and there is a really interesting story behind their relationship. He meets Octavia when she comes to town for Laughlin’s wedding to her friend Suri. He instantly knows that she’s the one for him but she isn’t looking for a relationship. He will have to win her over if he wants more than just a hookup. This story also had elements of suspense. It references Templars and Mason and identify treasure. The group of friends are in danger when people come looking for the treasure. The story takes a couple of twists that you don’t expect. Overall a really good story and I’m interested to see if there will be a third book about Siri’s sister Lenore and their friend Marcus.
I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the second book of the Crown and Cross series. I recommend that you read 'Laughlin' first. Otherwise, you are going to be confused of the direction that this series is going in. Octavia is Suri's best friend. When Suri announces that she is getting married and wants Octavia as her maid of honor, Octavia gets on a plane to be there for her besty. Malcolm is Laughlin's newly discovered half brother. When he meets Octavia, he knows that they have a connection. They come together and they have their HEA. Meanwhile there is a mystery involving the Templars to solve. I enjoyed the story, but I really would like more information about some of the characters in the book. I think if we had the background, it would be a more enjoyable story.
I received an advance copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
by CathyHannah This the story of Malcolm and Octavia and plenty of Templar .and how Malcolm and his brother Laughlin Campbell and how he and Octavia became close and the relationship of Octavia aka Stacey and Suri aka Mary became close. They are both into yoga and both in love with brothers. Laughlin has just recently found out that he and Malcolm were brothers. This story I gave a four because of all the different characters in the story and their interaction. I really didn't understand what was really happening until the end of the book. I guess I need to read the story of Laughlin to understand some of what happened in this story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Octavia has gone to Scotland to be in her friends Suri's wedding. Suri sends Malcom, Laughlin's half brother, to pick up Octavia. When O and Malcom see each other their world tilts and there is an instant connection between them. There is so much action and suspense going on in the story, with parts of each couple involved as descendants of the Templar mystery and if you aren't very knowledgeable about the Templar Knights it is very hard to follow the story. It kept me interesting and wanting to find out who was trying to kill certain people. Plenty of action, mystery, suspense, spankings and steamy scenes. I enjoyed the story and loved how they decided to put the treasure where no one could find it. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Malcolm meets Octavia, best friend of Suri, who is marrying Laughlin, newly found half-brother to Malcolm. The romance of the two couples is steamy and trusting. Other people and parents arrive and then things go very wrong. Characters are not who they say they are and there are hidden agendas, go back into their history. A Templar secret stash is the mystery. Suspense rains as guns are pulled, sink holes are formed, lives are changed and family histories are told. Talk about cleaning house! Loved the ending where it all came together.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I did not read the first book - shame on me! I didn't realize that this book was part 2 of Laughlin, As a result, I felt lost much of the time while reading Malcolm, and didn't understand the references to past events. That being said, I still enjoyed reading this book. There's a lot of action here, and some twists in the story line. The plot is complicated, and I wasn't sure which characters could be trusted. Octavia isn't sure she wants to be with Malcolm, but she can't deny the chemistry between them. And that's one steamy relationship. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Skylar West does it again with Malcolm, Crown and Cross Book #2. We get to know more about Malcolm and Suri's bestie and fellow Yogi, Octavia as we join the crew for Suri and Laughlin's wedding. More Templar secrets are revealed and more danger and deception is afoot. The Crown and Cross series shows us how we all have many different sides to ourselves and with the right people and environments in our lives help us become the people we were meant to be. There is loss and love and extremely strong bonds and very deep secrets within the pages of Malcolm by Skylar West. skylar-west
Octavia is a yogi as her best friend Suri is. Suri has met the man of her dreams and she is getting married to Laughlin. They move their wedding date up to accommodate the group from Canada. Suri contacts Octavia to make sure she gets to Scotland for the wedding and sends a private jet for her and she leaves her masters class of yoga to a good friend Tsui. Their lives become so entangled in Murder, mystery etc. you have to read this to believe it. A great read and hats off to Skylar West
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it continues the romantic mystery of The Templar Knights and Laughlin's relationship with his half brother Malcolm he never knew anything about.
Along with a number of plot twists having you wonder who are the good and bad guys. There are many similarities between the two brothers including their sexual proclatives.
Queue Laughlins wedding which is certainly eventful, and the growing relationship between the brothers and the whirlwind romance of the brides best friend with Malcolm Definitely worth reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was quite a story. If you have not read Laughlin first, you may be a little lost at times like I was. The characters were different, to say the least and not really my style. While this book was certainly entertaining and intriguing and had an air of mystery to it, there was something missing that I can not put my finger on.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Octavia has a yummy sight it would seem. He is also Scottish with this being a plus for me. This girl has me following her to see what she will do with this man. Malcom has had a few daggers in life thrown at him but he does not make him bitter. That is not all though we are given as we are going along then bammm suspense in the mix. Heat and needles is a combo in reading that keeps you turning those pages to find out if we get the ending we want.
Malcolm is the second book in Skylar West’s Crown and Cross series. In this book, readers witness the romantic journey of Octavia and Malcolm. Octavia is a confident, smart, and beautiful woman who revised her career goals and ends up as a yoga expert. She goes to Scotland for her best friend’s wedding. Malcolm is a successful owner of a gym. He recently learned that the man he thought was his father is his stepfather. He is a Campbell. He connects with his stepbrother Laughlin and becomes Laughlin’s best man. Suri and Laughlin’s wedding brings these two together. Amidst the wedding plans, readers follow the mystery of the Templar’s treasure. How will all this intrigue play into Octavia and Malcolm’s romantic journey? To find out, you must read this book.
I enjoyed Ms. West’s writing style. I found it easy to follow. I appreciate her skill with literary devices such as dialog, a dual POV, and descriptive language. I liked how she uses intrigue and suspense to move her story along. Nicely done, Ms. West.
I loved this story. It's really a continuation of the first book Laughlin, and you do get a lot of background from reading that first. The mystery continues in this book and with new characters, Malcolm and Olivia are introduced. There is connection and also intrigue. Definitely a happily every after with this couple, but there are so many questions I have about some other characters. I hope those stories will get told.
I just loved the characters of Malcolm and Octavia in this story of love at first sight. A very good storyline and I like it when the story also relates to the first book in this series. Plenty of sexy romance and mystery makes this an exciting read. This is another good story from Skylar.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a good story with Malcolm and Octavia. There is drama, mystery and of course, sexy times. A bit of a warning though, you really should read the first book as this is a continuation of what that story started. All in all, I enjoyed this story and will probably go back at some point to read it again......just to see if I missed anything!
I had a great time with the characters in this storyline they are engaging and entertaining and kept me turning the pages. The flow of the storyline is well developed with a smooth flow throughout the pages.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Please note that this book two and is the story of Malcolm and Octavia. I had a hard time understanding the book as you really need to read the first one. I will say that I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story once I was able to make sense of everything.
This is a quick and easy read. The storyline is well-crafted, intriguing, suspenseful, has drama and steam. The characters are defined, and likable with sizzling chemistry. I liked it.