A fierce elite guard. A loyal lady in waiting. They must work together to save three princesses from certain death.On the verge of dying after giving birth to twins, the queen of Mercia pleads with Lady Felicia to save her infant daughters. With the castle overrun by King Ethelwulf’s invading army, Lady Felicia vows to do whatever she can to take the newborn princesses and their three-year old … three-year old sister to safety, even though it means sacrificing everything she holds dear, possibly her own life.
Gravely wounded in battle and knowing all is lost to his enemy, the king of Mercia tasks Lance, one of his fiercest elite guards, to protect his family along with keys to an ancient treasure. As Lance makes plans to sneak the princesses out of the capital city, he doesn’t need or want Lady Felicia’s help.
With the dark enemy in pursuit, Lance and Felicia must put aside their differences to outrun King Ethelwulf and prevent him from killing the princesses. In a desperate attempt to hide the young girls, Lance and Felicia agree to a marriage of convenience, a decision that will change their lives—and hearts—forever.
YA books by Jody Hedlund:
The Lost Princesses
Prequel Novella: Always
Book 1: Evermore
Book 2: Coming soon
Book 3: Coming soon
The Noble Knights
Prequel Novella: The Vow
Book 1: An Uncertain Choice
Book 2: A Daring Sacrifice
Book 3: For Love and Honor
Book 4: A Loyal Heart
Book 5: A Worthy Rebel
Other books by Jody Hedlund:
The Orphan Train Series
Prequel Novella: An Awakened Heart
Book 1: With You Always
Book 2: Together Forever
Book 3: Searching for You
The Beacons of Hope Series
Prequel Novella: Out of the Storm
Book 1: Love Unexpected
Book 2: Hearts Made Whole
Book 3: Undaunted Hope
Book 4: Forever Safe
Book 5: Never Forget
The Michigan Brides Collection
Unending Devotion
A Noble Groom
Captured by Love
The Hearts of Faith Collection
The Preacher’s Bride
The Doctor’s Lady
Rebellious Heart
Historical
Luther and Katharina
Newton and Polly
more
What a superb story! In writing Always, Ms. Hedlund has created a strong and firm foundation for her new YA series, The Lost Princesses. Both young adult and adult readers will take delight in reading this novella. Within its chapters, Ms. Hedlund has crafted a page turning adventure filled with peril, sacrificial love, and virtue. I fell in love with the hero and heroine, Lance and Felicia. They are honorable and steadfast. They are exemplary characters who learn to trust in God’s strength, not their own. Please, don’t miss this treasure! It is a tale one will wish to read again and again.
*I am grateful to the author and publisher for providing a complimentary copy of this book. I was not obligated or expected to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
“In all the years I’d relied upon my own strength, I hadn’t needed God’s. Now I was coming to understand the truth of my father’s claim that God’s grace and presence shine the strongest in our humblest moments.”
It was going to take a miracle. A member of the king’s elite guard, Lance has just vowed to carry the dying king’s infant daughters to safety, along with the keys to an ancient treasure. When he enters the queen’s chambers, he discovers her majesty to have already passed from one life into the next, and a lovely young noble woman having made the same vow as his. With only minutes to escape their enemy’s encroachment, Lance acquiesces to allow the maiden to join him in their escape from the castle through a little known tunnel. But fleeing the grounds is just the first of many dangerous maneuvers that Lance and Lady Felicia must make on their way to “always”.
“Happiness is a choice we can make no matter what life brings us, is it not?”
A lovely, adventurous beginning to the author’s new young adult series.
What an amazing start to a new series by Jody Hedlund! If you plan on reading The Lost Princesses series, you need to begin with this novella. There is so much backstory here that I know is going to be important when reading future installments. Not only that, but it’s good! Hedlund provides a story that will keep you on your toes, surprise you, and toy with your emotions. I literally read this in one sitting because I could not put it down. You won’t be able to either!
A series for any age, not just young adults, readers will find themselves swept away with Hedlund’s beautiful writing, adventurous storyline, and wonderful characters. If this is any inkling as to what’s ahead in this series, I can tell you it’s going to be something great. Probably my favorite from Hedlund to date!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Jody Hedlund’s new series has it all! Medieval knights and ladies-in-waiting, evil kings and princesses in hiding, add in a little romance and a touch of something magical and Always is a recipe for success.
Lady Felicia made a vow to the dying Queen to protect the Princesses from the invading King Ethelwulf. Lance, an elite knight of the King’s Guard, gives the same promise to the King on his own deathbed. With the fate of the princesses in the balance and Ethelwulf’s forces close behind, the two must learn to rely on and trust each other quickly. Will they be able to accept their changed fates and safeguard the Princesses’ futures?
This novella did an excellent job of setting the stage for this new series! There were little hints of what’s to come and a cliffhanger that will have you eager to pick up Evermore as soon as it releases. With a fast-paced plot, characters you will want to meet again and some stellar writing, Jody Hedlund has begun an adventure that teens and adults alike will want to dive into.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
This novella was a perfect beginning to a great new series by Jody Hedlund! The story is set in a historical fairytale like setting with kings and queens amidst picturesque kingdoms being fought over by the tyrannical King Ethelwulf. This novella does not read like a novella in the sense that the characters have sufficient time to develop, the plot has depth and great descriptions, and the reader has time to truly get to know the story. I loved the strength and bravery of the characters and enjoyed watching the romance develop. The plot has some suspense as the danger lurks along every corner in wait. This book may be marketed to Young Adults, but I must say that readers of all ages will love this novel! I most highly recommend this book and am eagerly awaiting the rest of the series to see what happens next!
I received a copy of this book from author in exchange for an honest review.
“Sometimes, when we think we’ve come to a dead end, we’ve arrived instead at God’s stepping-stone on the way to bigger plans.”
In Jody Hedlund’s YA novella Always, Felicia is a noble lady-in-waiting to the Queen. With the kingdom under attack, the Queen elicits a vow from Felicia with her final breath… to protect her newborn twins and the three-year-old crown princess to the last. A vow Felicia intends to uphold… with no idea how she possibly can. She feels woefully inadequate— the youngest lady in the Queen’s court with her pampered upbringing and inexperience.
Across the castle, Elite Guard knight Lance is making his own vow to the mortally wounded King. Protecting the three orphaned princesses is his task, though the hardened warrior can’t fathom how he’s supposed to care for three tiny female humans.
Lance and Felicia reluctantly join forces and begin a perilous journey to escape the ruthless usurper, who will stop at nothing… wolves, torture, murder… to end the lives of the three princesses and anyone willing to assist them.
How will they ever succeed? Lance and Felicia must learn to trust God when they feel like all hope is lost. They must also learn to trust the advice of a very wise nun… who teaches them that dead ends can be God’s stepping stones to something far better than they ever could have planned.
I don’t want to give anything more away! Though this is a young adult novella, I loved it. The story is enjoyable no matter what your age and is an absolute must-read if you plan on reading the three full-length novels about each of the three princesses… which you will certainly want to do after reading Always! It is critical back-story for the series and an enjoyable story all by itself.
Many thanks to Jody Hedlund for giving me a copy of Always to read and review in order to spread the word about her new series!
So this is a really fun cross between Christian historical fiction and a fairy tale retelling! The only thing that I can compare it with is the historical fairy tale retelling series (Hagenheim) that Melanie Dickerson writes. So its amazing and I love it! This is like the preamble to Sleeping Beauty except the good fairies are replaced by a knight and a courtier. Now I really want to see what happens to the three princesses!!
This book was everything I hoped for, romance, adventure, danger. This would be a great book for your teenager as well!
The kingdom of Mercia is under siege, the king is on his dead bed from a fatal wound, and the queen has died giving birth to twin girls. Elite Guard Lance and Noblewoman Felicia are entrusted with the task of taking the girls to safety, pledging to protect the young princesses with their lives.
Lance takes his duty as an Elite Guard seriously, honored to be given the opportunity to make his family proud. He has vowed never to let distractions get in the way of his duty; he is determined to guide the princesses to safety with his heart intact despite his growing attraction to the beautiful Felicia.
Felicia has let everything that she’s known behind to fulfill her pledge to the dying queen. She is determined to see it through to the end. I admired her sacrifice and courage throughout their journey.
Felicia and Lance are dedicated to their mission, both willing to lay down their lives. I admired Lance’s humble devotion to the life that he had chosen and the esteem and respect that he has for Felicia. Felicia is strong in her faith and is willing to give up everything to serve her country. A fast paced plot, with compelling heroes, this prequel novella sets the stage well for what is to come. I hope to see more of Lance and Felicia in the future!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Spellbinding. In a fictional land ruled by Kings and Queens, there are struggles between generations with twins as to who is the rightful heir. Christian Historical Romance. I was hooked right away, on the edge of my seat the entire rest of the story. In depth characters. A noblewoman lady in waiting Lady Felicia was given newborn twin princesses to rescue by their dying mother the Queen, one of the King also chose one of his guards, Lance, for the task. But first they have to get out alive – then stay that way. And find the other Princess and take her to safety as well. Constant danger, strength and courage, deepening the character’s personalities and lives. A great way to start a series! Although this is marked as a young adult book, adults will enjoy it as well. Not childish in any way.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#Always #JodyHedlund #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #NorthernLightsPress
Jody Hedlund is an author that I always enjoy, so I eagerly anticipated this new series, especially knowing it would be a book my daughter would also enjoy. Stories of royalty are favorites in our home, especially combined with an element of danger. This prequel to the Lost Princesses series ticks both of those boxes, and nicely sets up the reader for the series that will soon release.
Even though this is a novella, Hedlund takes time to set the stage for the full-length books to come. The characters, while likely minor in what will follow, are well-developed; the reader can understand their motivations, their weaknesses, and feel the attraction between them.
The pacing is incredibly fast here with the action literally beginning on the first page. I had almost no breathing space throughout the novella with the events and reactions to them coming back to back in rapid succession.
I appreciated the world building that the author does, too. I know very little about medieval times, so I can’t speak to whether the customs and descriptions are real or Hedlund’s creation for her own fictional kingdom, but the vows, medicinal remedies, customs of the realm, and social divisions were interwoven with the plot to help readers understand why the characters might act differently than our modern expectations.
I highly recommend this novella for readers who enjoy historical romance or stories of royalty and court life. While an exciting and romantic novella, the content remains clean and free of overly graphic battle scenes or foul language, making it appropriate for my young teen to enjoy as well.
I received a review copy of this book from the author but was under no obligation to post a positive review. The opinions expressed are both honest and my own.
Always is a novella to introduce the back story of Jody Hedlund’s Lost Princesses series. I enjoyed this very much. Although written for young adults, I, a 53 year old woman, found it to be quite enjoyable. The plot was well thought out and moved at a decent pace. I liked how the story was told by Lance and Felicia in alternating chapters. I really liked the theme that we all need to depend on God for strength, we cannot make it on our own. I am looking forward to reading Evermore, the first full length novel in the series. So grab a glass of Ice water and settle in for a great read.
I was given a copy of Always by the publisher with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.
Superb! I was captivated from the first page. I was engrossed in the entire storyline as if being a fly following each character. Excellent story telling and the perfect type of YA reading my daughter’s truly enjoy!
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists,
and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive
reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this
in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
This is the first young adult novel I’ve read by this author and I can see I’ve been missing out. Geared toward teens, as an adult I enjoyed it a lot myself and I also enjoyed that it was a clean read.
This novella sets up the backstory for her new, The Lost Princesses series, which I look forward to reading and continuing the adventure!
Immaculate research from the author sets the story line in this medieval time line.
A true adventure fraught with danger will be yours while reading this exciting book .
Lady Felecia has been tasked by the dying queen to take her newborn twin princess daughters and three year old crown princess out of the castle to safety when an army invades.
Sir Lance has also been tasked with taking taking protecting the youngsters.
You will have an adventure as they are pursued through underground tunnels and caves. Can they make it to safety. As a knight of the king’s elite guard, Lance took a vow to serve til dismissed or til death so how do his newly awakened feelings for Felecia factor in and because of class differences would she even be interested?
Wow, what an exciting adventure and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Expected publication: August 13th 2019 by Northern Lights Press.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.
If the novella was this AMAZING imagine the full-length novel
Promising new series! Full of mystery, legends, adventure, romance – and I mean, true-loves-kiss-worthy romance! These characters have endeared to my heart and I can’t wait to catch up with them!
Always is the prequel to the upcoming new series, The Lost Princesses, by Jody Hedlund. I enjoyed this short story. It is a perfect back story to what is to come in this series.
I am giving Always a well deserved five plus stars. Readers will not want to miss out on this one. I highly recommend it. I can not wait to get my hands on the first installment of The Lost Princesses series.
I received this book from the author, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
O my! This novella is the stuff my dreams are made of! “Always” is the novella which is the prequel to Jody Hedlund’s new series entitled “The Lost Princesses.” So why did I love it so much? This fairy tale-esque story is set in a medieval-like time, has princesses and is full of adventure and budding romance! There is a daring escape amidst danger on every side. The story is fast-paced. I love that it is clean and it is a great book to give to teens that are looking for an amazing read (but it seems adults love it too)! Ms. Hedlund sets up a world that I can’t wait to return to in order to read more about these princesses and their respective stories!
Content: This is a clean read.
Rating: I give this book 5 stars.
I want to thank Jody Hedlund and Northern Lights Press for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
Full of adventure, Jody Hedlund’s prequel novella, Always is a powerful start to this YA medieval series. Wonderful characters filled this romantic suspenseful fairy tale with endangered princesses. As an escape plan unfolds, the action moves quickly, yet important lessons are learned along the route. A romance builds between the hero and heroine. Although their relationship faces trials, it is very touching. This back story has only left me want to see how this tale will unfold. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
As their enemy Ethelwulf invades their country, Lady Felicia and Lance, one of the true king’s elite guards, must save the now-orphaned newborn twin princesses and their three-year-old sister from the invaders. Although Lance initially thinks of Felicia, a noblewoman used to a pampered life, as a liability, he soon comes to admire her; however, as an elite soldier, he has made a vow of lifelong celibacy. With the lives of three young princesses in danger, will Lance and Felicia’s growing feelings distract them from their mission—or prove to be exactly what gives them the strength to fulfill their vows to their deceased monarchs?
This novella is a great kickoff to Jody Hedlund’s new series; it was full of fast-moving adventure and sets the stage for the next book, leaving me eager to find out how things play out for the princesses and their guardians. Lance and Felicia were a really cute couple. I like how the author incorporated the back story of the kingdom and why Ethelwulf wants to take over the kingdom. I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the series!
I read an ARC provided by the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.