Secrets

Crown & Crosses #1

by Violet Malvik

She wants to listen to her heart, but nothing could have prepared her for the consequences.
The day her father would ask her to marry is a day Maisie has dreaded for too long. As the daughter of Laird Eanraig, Maisie is just as skilled in a fighting ring as she is in the domestic keep. If only she could have both in her life…

When she meets her suitor, Magnus, she finds he is nothing like what she had expected. Maisie knows he’s different from all the men she grew up with, but will that be enough to win her heart? After spending days in his company, Maisie realizes it is time she took the most important decision of her life: embrace her passion to be a warrior and face her relentless father, or settle down and start a family of her own with a man that respects her. What will she choose?

Intrigued by the sparkle in Maisie’s soft eyes, Magnus is utterly taken by the fiery lass. She seems to understand and accept him for who he truly is. Still, there is something in the bond Maisie shares with Graham, her trusted friend, that Magnus cannot quite move past. Could he ever make her just as happy? Torn by his duty to stay and make their match work for the sake of their families’ alliance, Magnus fears his time with Maisie will be short-lived.

With enemies trying to take over his father’s territory and talks of war spreading all around the kingdom, Magnus knows the stakes have never been higher. Consumed by his quest to prove his worth, Magnus contemplates the cost of winning Maisie’s heart, but little does he know, none of this will matter for long…

Unseen forces are already at play, and soon everyone will have to answer to the call of war before it’s too late.

Don’t miss the first book in this series from an exciting new voice in Scottish Medieval Romance.

"Crown & Crosses" is a historical Scottish romance series of more than 15,000 words (around 100 pages). No cheating and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Perfect for fans of Tanya Anne Crosby and Kathryn Le Veque.

79 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 15, 2022

Reviews

[Ingrid Vermeulen-Quakernaat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for an ARC of the book "Secrets" part 1 in the Crown and Crossess series.

Part 1 has several main characters that the story revolves around.
Magnus, son of the Laird of the South. His father wants him to marry Maisie.
Maisie who doesn't wants to marry Magnus but gets on well with him, but as a friend. Her wish is to be a warrior but also to start a family.

In the background the story of an upcoming war with the stakes; dismiss Magnus' father as Laird. When Magnus finds out about this, he doesn't want to cooperate. Even though he doesn't have a good relationship with his father; that's going too far for him!
And then the start of a war in which at the end of this part already 5 villages have been completely destroyed, the inhabitants gruesomely murdered. The laird of the South has gathered all the other lairds to find out who is behind the starting war but all the lairds are shocked. Who done it?

A really exciting start to a series. Enough questions out there; Who is behind the attacks that were committed? Will Maisie and Magnus' friendship turn to love? What happens to Magnus' father? And what happens between Maisie and Evander?
Enough to keep reading in part 2: Consessions

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good!

This too was a very good story. Violent and chilling but good for the storyline. I am off to read 2 new books before I start this series again. Lydia Kendall’s new one and Cecelia Mecca’s new one 🥳🥳🥳 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting introduction to a new series! While Maisie and Magnus are supposedly destined to marry, it seems that not everything is settled. With attacks happening against people and villages with increasing viciousness, it’s difficult to understand who is behind us. I really enjoyed enjoyed getting to know many of the key characters and be lured into the suspense of who is behind the war. The interactions with characters seemed quite realistic although the attempts to imitate accents through words force me to slow down and think about what I was reading to really understand what they were saying. The cliffhanger ending makes reading the next book a must!

I received an ARC and am voluntarily sharing my honest review.

[Reva Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magnus was sent by his father, laird of the Southern Kingdom to ask for Maisie's hand in marriage. Maisie was the eldest of two daughters of a neighboring lord. She took after her father, tall with a yearning to be a warrior. She has no desire to marry and neither does Magnus; even though he agrees with her, he spends the week enjoying her company. Meanwhile, his father deals with the fact that four villages have been wiped off the map. His tactician suggests inviting the other lords to consult with them and Maisie's father agrees to take her on the trip but not to the meeting.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in the Crown & Crosses series, the start of Maisie met Magnus' story. It is a well written short story that held my interest until the end. I want to read the next part of this series. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Reader_for_LifeTLG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it but...

...I got a little confused with all the clans and border lairds toward the end. I also wasn't expecting that this would be a serial. Oh well. Onward to the next chapter. I gotta know how this plays out.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn’t get into the story with all the numerous characters and the very unusual spelling of words.

[Shelley Jo Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a little confused!!

This book was so different from the others. Some of the characters were cowards. I felt like there was no hero or strong warrior at all.

[shelly shells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost

This is a complex story weaving together so many characters that in hoping the pattern comes together shortly... But it's good so far..