A novice nun stolen away by a ruthless clan-chief. The warrior who must turn his back on everything to save her. The emotional tale of a woman in jeopardy and a reformed rogue in Medieval Scotland. Leanna MacDonald never wanted to become a nun—but it was the only way her father could protect her from the attentions of a cruel man who wanted her as his wife. However, when Leanna’s father … However, when Leanna’s father unexpectedly dies, her recently widowed former suitor decides he will have her no matter the cost.
Ross Campbell has served Clan-chief MacKinnon loyally for years. But his allegiance is tested when MacKinnon orders him to steal a novice nun away from Kilbride Abbey. Ambitious and arrogant, Ross has worked hard to gain his position as MacKinnon’s right-hand. He doesn’t want to tear this young woman away from her cloistered existence, yet he won’t risk everything he’s worked so hard to obtain.
Leanna’s abduction is the turning point in Ross’s life. He soon realizes that MacKinnon will ruin this brave, spirited young woman—and when she pleads with him for help, Ross must make a decision. How far will he take his loyalty to a man who doesn’t deserve it?
AWOKEN is Book #2 in The Sisters of Kilbride series set in 14th Century Isle of Skye, Scotland. Readers who enjoy Diana Gabaldon, Cecelia Mecca, and Donna Fletcher will love this action-packed, emotional Scottish Medieval Historical Romance.
Preorder your copy now and AWOKEN will be delivered to your Kindle on April 23, 2020!
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Awoken is Book 2 from the series, The Sisters of Kilbride, by one of my favorite authors, Jayne Castel. I loved her books written about the Dark Ages, and have wanted to read everything she has written. This is the first of her books that I’ve read set in the Medieval Era. While I enjoyed the story, I felt something was missing from this book. Halfway through I realized that I enjoy the Dark Ages setting because women had a lot more freedom. During the Medieval Times women were subordinate to men and more restricted in their behavior. This was a letdown after reading books about the bravery of women several hundred years before this, but it was an accurate portrayal of that era.
Having said all that, the book started off a little slow, but as soon as Leanna escaped from MacKinnon the story picked up and flew by. I loved the Hero, Ross Campbell, not only because of the way he loved, respected, and took care of Leanna, but also the way his character evolved in the book. Awoken refers to the way he felt after having met Leanna. He reassessed his old life and realized it was not who he was nor what he wanted.
Some of the secondary characters were introduced quite quickly and there was not a lot of time spent on them, but when I started reading Castel’s series, The Brides of Skye, I realized that there is a whole series devoted to those characters, which I plan to read next.
I enjoyed reading Awoken, and will read book 1 and 3 as well. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Repentance and Redemption
Though Lady Leanna has felt save since arriving at Kinbride abbey, she has never felt contentment. Not since she was forced to leave her home, she can’t shake the need to find a place where she belongs.
Ross Campbell has spent many years earning his place in the MacKinnon guard. Still, his level of unease shadows him like a ghost. He’s always relied on his survival instincts, which are now on high alert. His latest orders may just be his undoing.
Amid violence, madness, danger and sorrow, Awoken is a gritty tale of two restless souls that may only find true completion in their mutual desire be free and find and a place to belong.
As with the previous book in this series, Jayne Castel weaves together an engrossing tale with breathless moments amid sweeping landscapes. Ms. Castel deftly deals with the complexities of not only the time period, but also the customs, which were not always kind to women. Happily, this standalone novel has a splendid ending that is both tender and oh so sweet.
Content 411: Although there are no offensive vulgarities, there is some physical abuse and violence. There is also a mildly descriptive sexually intimate scene.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the author. I am voluntarily submitting my honest review.
Another fantastic book by Ms. Castel! I won’t say much about the plot as other reviewers have done a great job explaining it. What I will say is if you love well written stories with well developed characters and lots of suspense, action, and emotion, this is the book for you. Did I mention wonderful love scenes? *sigh!* It has everything! I couldn’t put it down and when I had to, I couldn’t wait to pick it up again. It’s that good! It’s fast paced, beautifully written, and I didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait for her next book! Highly recommended!!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A brutal Laird. A woman who will never give in. Duncan MacKinnon has never given up hopes to have Leanna as his bride, so her father dies, he sends his men to kidnap her from the abbey. She is taken to his keep by force and when she tells the priest that she is a nun and was kidnapped, and the priest refuses to marry them, MacKinnon kills the priest. Instead of waiting for a new priest the MacKinnon decides to force himself on Leanna, but finally several of his people have had enough of this brutality and help her escape. Ross Campbell, one of the men who kidnapped her and MacKinnon’s faithful man, now helps her. While on the run they will find safe keeping for a time with outlaws, but MacKinnon will never give up looking for them. They need a place where he will never find them. Neither the abbey, nor Leanna’s home will do. He will find them there. So where can they go? I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
Any time a new Jayne Castel book comes along, I voraciously read it and this was no exception! I had read the first book in the Sisters of Kilbride series and couldn’t wait for the second one to come out. Oh my gosh, this was soooooo good!!
She’s a novice nun and he’s a warrior….put the two together and you’ve got one heck of a story. I loved both characters, Leanna is such a spitfire and Ross is the strong silent type. All she wants to do is go home to attend her father’s funeral but on the way there, trouble abounds and before she knows it, she’s captured by Ross and brought to the Clan-chief MacKinnon, a brutal and cruel man who insists she marry him. Ross realizes his mistake in obeying his chief’s orders of capturing Leanna when he sees the kind of future she will have with the MacKinnon. He is so torn apart, wanting to help her and yet, the thought of undoing all the years of hard work to be where he is today is no mere decision.
Lots of action, danger, twists and turns, adventure and of course, hot passion abound throughout the story. I literally could not put the book down and was up until 2 a.m. reading it! So worth the lack of sleep:)
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Leanna MacDonald was sent the to abbey at Kilbride not because she wished it but as her father’s best effort to keep her safe from the cruel laird who was determined to have her for his wife. But when an accident sees Leanna’s father dead, her former suitor, now conveniently widowed, sees his opportunity to have her at last, no matter what he must do to achieve that goal.
As the youngest son of many, Ross Campbell had few options for bettering himself so he has remained serving as a loyal guard to the callous Chief MacKinnon for years, working his way up to the prestigious position of Captain of the Guard. This loyalty is sorely tested when MacKinnon orders Ross to kidnap a novice nun from an abbey. Ross has no desire to uproot this woman’s life, but he’s ambitious and has worked too hard to obtain his position to risk it now.
Ross’ resolve is tested as he sees his clan-chief devolving more and more into madness and realizes that the man has every intention of breaking Leanna. This is a sharp awakening for an ambitious and arrogant man who is rapidly realizing that his leader is undeserving of his loyalty and Ross must decide just how far he’s willing to go in the name of fealty and ambition.
This was a great book. It was fast-paced and engrossing and watching Ross grapple with his feelings and complete emotional upheaval was great. He actually wound up being very sweet and delivering some of the best dialogues I’ve read in some time. These two were adorable together and such an unlikely couple, but I was happy to see them forging a life together. Now I’m looking forward to the next book and the hopeful comeuppance of our truly vile villain.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book slowly draws you in with a death and a kidnapping, then has you cheering when she drops the bad guy and escapes with her hero, then they go on the run and there is so much more in this exciting story
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.