Genre: Adult Fiction (Historical Romance)
Date Published: May 21, 2014
Publisher: La Loma Elite Publishing
A Lady Shunned by All…
Lady Viola Oberbrook only wanted to forget the ill-fated early morning duel that took the lives of two young, wealthy, promising men of the ton and sent her fleeing for her father’s country estate. Eight years later, she has her life in order: a fulfilling business, a few trusted friends, and no plans to return to London society. What she doesn’t expect is to come face to face with her past.
A Lord Betrayed by One…
Brock Spencer, Earl of Haversham, only wants vengeance. Recently returned from his military service to the King, his plans include repairing his family estate, finding a bride, and destroying the girl responsible for the untimely death of his twin brothers. What he doesn’t anticipate is falling in love with the only woman who should never be part of his future.
An Impossible Match, Destined to Be…
Shunned No More is the first book in the A Lady Forsaken Series by Christina McKnight. This was one of those books that really makes you feel emotional for its characters, even the supporting characters. Viola has spent the last few years since the death of the twins hiding from London society and at times using an alternate name. Brock has so many regrets plus thoughts of revenge towards Viola. Both of these characters go through such a complete transformation as they move past their past. I enjoyed the friendships within the story. Brock had Harold and Viola had Ruby. Their friends know how to handle them and keep them in line. I was pretty jealous of their friendships. I would love to see Harold and Ruby get together. Maybe in a future book? There were some things that are still left open, but I think that may be on purpose since is only book one, so it leaves opportunity for conflict in upcoming books. I fell for these characters, and I'm really looking forward to future books!
The ARC Shunned No More by Christina McKnight was kindly provided to me by Bewitching Book Tours for review. The opinions are my own.
Christina McKnight is a book lover turned writer. From a young age, her mother encouraged her to tell her own stories. She’s been writing ever since. Currently, she focuses on Historical Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance.
Christina enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots of coffee. Oh, and her books…don’t forget her books! Most days she can be found writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California..
To learn more about Christina McKnight and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.
Five books that inspire me to write!Every writer has that one book or series that influenced and inspired them to write. I’m no different. Books hold a very special place in my heart; they’ve taken me to new worlds, introduced me to new concepts and ideas, and taught me so much about human relationships.
Today, I’m going to share five books (and series) that pushed me to tell my story.
5. Little House on the Prairie
Little known fact about me…I couldn’t read until around age eleven. Yep, you read that right,
ELEVEN! I still grow faint at the idea of reading aloud to anyone but my daughter. Another
fact about me…I learned to read by first mastering braille with the help of my blind tutor, Chris
Hansen. From the second I was able to string together words (I know this sounds like such an
easy concept to some people) I took off! I read everything I could get my hands on. Up until
that point, I enjoyed watching the television show, Little House on the Prairie starring Michael
Landon and Melissa Gilbert. Imagine my surprise when I found the box set of books at my local bookstore. I was in absolute heaven! I spent the next year reading the series (including Laura Ingalls Wilder’s daughter’s story) and telling my mom how they differed from the TV show.
4. Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I
My next great inspiration was Julia Quinn (and really all Historical Romance writers). Quinn has a way of creating stories that draw a reader in…I become invested in her characters and I truly
care about their story. You know you’ve read an amazing romance novel when the happily ever after isn’t enough for you. I found myself wanting to continue on with her characters and find
out what happened next in their lives. After reading, The Duke and I, I was excited to learn that the book was part of a longer series in which her characters returned in each book. What? I don’t have to let them go? I was thrilled! If you enjoy Historical Romance, you’ll LOVE Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton’s series.
3. Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed Series
As an adult my taste in books diversified and matured…and so started my love of vampires and anything Paranormal or Urban Fantasy. Lara Adrian’s unique idea for who and what vampires are captured my attention immediately. I fell in love with her take on the genre and the characters she developed. Her series, The Midnight Breed, fulfills my love for returning characters. Maybe I have a problem letting go? With eleven books currently in the series, and more coming each year, I plan on immersing myself in her characters and their world every few months!
2. JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood Series
I was introduced to JR Ward around the same time as Lara Adrian…and HOLY SMOKES can Ward write a compelling book! Her characters are well rounded and believable (as much as anyone can believe in vampiresJ). Do I dream of meeting a male twice the size of the average man? Hell yea! Do I want a male willing to have my name permanently across his back in the old language? Umm, YES! I’d even sign up for the role of a doggen to be close to these men! LOL. Every time I finish reading one of JR Ward’s books I scurry to open my own project and find ways to captivate readers with my characters and plotlines.
1. The Twilight Saga
Say what you will about Stephanie Meyer’s writing ability and skill level, but I respect the hell
out of this woman! I’ve read The Twilight Series three times and each time is like the first. I
find myself falling in love with Edward, hating Edward for leaving Bella, falling in love with
Jacob, and then back in love with Edward. How does Meyer’s capture this type of emotion in
her writing? I’m still trying to figure this out (along with thousands of other writers). It was this
series that ultimately pulled me back into writing after several years off. The Twilight Series
proves that a book does not need to have hardcore sex scenes and gruesome violence to enthrall readers.
Christina enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots of coffee. Oh, and her books…don’t forget her books! Most days she can be found writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California..
To learn more about Christina McKnight and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.
Win 3 ebook copies of Shunned No More!
Thank you sooo much for the feature and review! Yes...book two, Forgotten No More (out in Dec) will feature Ruby and Harold.
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