Seven book series with added bonus material!In a bold political move, Sir Branford claims a handmaid as his bride instead of the expected princess in an attempt to spark a war. Poor Alexandra knows little of how to behave as the wife of a future king and knows nothing of the man who is suddenly her husband.Alexandra knows she is being used as a pawn and must do her best to avoid scheming … scheming noblewomen and the scorned princess, accept her position as her husband ascends to the throne, and overcome her fears of the man with whom she now shares a bed.
Sir Branford is determined to have it all – the kingdom, a wife of his choosing, and the revenge he seeks for the death of his father. He doesn’t expect the naïve handmaid to become more important than he ever could have foreseen.
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BE STILL MY HEART!!! UTTERLY MESMERIZING!!!
Title: Unexpected Circumstances
Series: Unexpected Circumstances
Author: Shay Savage
Designation: The Complete Series, Full-Length Saga (760 pages), No Cliffhanger, HEA, Medieval Historical Romance
My Rating: Five Unputdownable Stars*****
Be still my heart! I loved, loved, loved Unexpected Circumstances and Shay Savage is the bomb! I’m a newcomer to Savage’s work, or I should probably say latecomer since her Goodreads biography states she’s been publishing since 2012, but after reading only one book, I immediately became a fan. A week ago, at the recommendation of a friend, I purchased and read Transcendence by Savage and was so impressed with her storytelling that I immediately raced back to Amazon and purchased several more of her books. Best decision ever! Without a doubt, Shay Savage is an extraordinarily gifted storyteller and skilled wordsmith, and one of the most accomplished authors I’ve ever had the opportunity to read. Her passionate prose is almost beyond description – it’s beautiful, sensual, emotional, engaging, addictive, eloquent, fluid, and flows effortlessly. In her biography on Goodreads, she states, “It’s my job to make you FEEL. That doesn’t always mean you’ll feel good, but I want my readers to be connected enough to my characters to care.” And she does just that! I smiled, I laughed, I snorted, I sighed, I raged, shook my fists in anger, and at times sobbed uncontrollably as my heart broke for headstrong Prince Branford of Silverhelm and his commoner bride, kind-spirited handmaiden Alexandra Fay- and LOVED every single second. I was immediately smitten with Prince Branford and completely captivated by Alexandra. The majority of the first-person narrative is written from Alexandra’s perspective, so we see Branford through her eyes, and I wasn’t the only one smitten with the handsome prince. Alexandra and I both were definitely in agreement that he was dashing, stubborn, virile, extremely accomplished as a knight, maybe just a tad bit spoiled, after all he was a royal, and could be such a charmer when he so desired, but our hero was all alpha and definitely had a hair-trigger temper. He also probably suffered from PTSD as a result of an early childhood trauma, but no spoilers from me! And Alexandra was such a joy. She was sweet, innocent, kind, loyal, completely guileless, strong of spirit, smart as a whip, and beautiful, both inside and out, but she was also a serf, a commoner, a simple handmaiden won as a prize in a tournament, yet she became an important political pawn who would become a queen, one so beloved that the subjects of Silverhelm were willing to wage war and sacrifice their lives, all for their ‘commoner queen’. She was also the best thing that ever happened to Prince Branford, the future King of Silverhelm. The interaction between these two unlikely lovers was nothing short of mesmerizing. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, yet I never wanted it to end, but when it did and I read the last line, I was happy, satisfied, and well entertained. This story had everything I look for in a great book, danger, drama, adventure, action, angst, suspense, evil machinations, nefarious villains, wonderfully engaging protagonists, sensual romance, and a love so tender, so great, so all-consuming, nothing, or no one, could destroy it. At one point, my heart was pounding so hard I thought I might swoon (just like Alexandra). Sigh… It was fantastic! I’m so thankful I was able to purchase the complete Unexpected Circumstances Series in this compilation consisting of all seven books of the series, Book 1: The Handmaid, Book 2: The Seduction, Book 3: The Consummation, Book 4: The Shortcoming, Book 5: The Concubine, Book 6: The Apprehension, and Book 7: The Devastation. I love when I don’t have to wait for the next installment of a story or stop to switch over to the next book, although it did literally destroy my daily schedule. Once I started reading this story, I literally couldn’t stop. I ignored my doorbell and refused to answer my phone. Thank goodness, I did manage to stop long enough to feed me and my Shih Tzu and take occasional potty breaks for us both. My poor little furbaby felt so ignored. lol… I read all day and through most of the night, slept for 2 hours, then began again and finished the next afternoon. Whew, I was totally exhausted, both physically and emotionally. I felt like I’d run a marathon and it was wonderfully exhilarating! So, did I like this book? I think you already know the answer but allow me to make myself perfectly clear. I didn’t like; I LOVED it! I was completely captivated, glued to my seat with a death grip on my ereader, my heart beating wildly in my chest as the pages flew as quickly as the time! Will I read this author again? Abso-freakin-lutely! I’m about to dive into Evan Arden, another of Savage’s series and thank goodness I was able to once again procure all the books in one convenient collection! Would I recommend it? You bet, and I am but only for adult readers. The sex scenes were simply exquisite! And did I mention they’re smokin’ hot? Prince Branford was quite the stud! And finally, was I entertained? Completely! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read! Well done, Shay Savage – AGAIN!