Hello everyone!
Yes, yes, I know, you're probably asking yourself 'does this woman read anything else?!' and I promise that I do.
In fact I have like, five other books lined up from BookSirens right now that I have to chew through at some point, not to mention Sarah J. Maas and her Crescent City series, or even J. R. Ward with her Black Dagger Brotherhood and other spin-offs, really.
BUT.
When I got the email that Sarah Westill listed a new ARC on my favourite ARC site? I just had to look. It turned out to be of a novella I've been DYING to get my hands on, but that can be tricky given that they were originally only published through Amazon.
Now I had the chance. I JUMPED. Duh. Because it's a prequel to Guardians of Sziveria and is called Frozen Flowers Fallen.
Bella and the Beast Master is a series chronicling the story of Bella Fenwick and Markus Ralston, who just so happen to be the parents of one Deklan Ralston, you know, the beast master from Wolvenguard who we JUST met and read his own book about?
Well, his parents have a love story for the ages, too.
Bella's not exactly a gen-heir, not in the way it counts because the gift she DOES have - which is unique, in that she touches a painting or image and can find herself INSIDE it, able to have a look around as if she were in an actual place - is apparently useless to the government of Sziveria and can't be tested for. Allegedly.
In any event, she's just a filing clerk and working for one of the investigative guardians when Markus rolls into town on behalf of his High Marshal, to find out what happened to a girl said High Marshal considers a beloved niece.
Well, the end result is known - she unfortunately fell prey to a serial killer - but Ruthenia wants to see that Sziveria's going to find the guy and bring him to justice.
The only problem is that Bella can see the guardians assigned to the case aren't considering all the evidence, are just trying to wrap this up in a nice bow and close it, and won't be helpful to Markus whatsoever, not that SHE can do anything about it.
Except, she kind of can, when Markus figures out the same thing, finds her with his wolf Lunah by his side, and takes her on as his partner for the duration of the investigation.
This then leads them through the actual case following leads that no one else had really considered, and it's a fun one if you love murder mysteries (like I do, being an Agatha Christie fan), so I won't spoil it for you here. Suffice to say it's about flowers, and they DO grab their guy right at the end!
The important thing is the development of Markus and Bella together, learning that he wants a Ruthenian mate for the fullness of the bond that entails, and also learning that he's pretty high up in Ruthenia, actually. Not to mention that when it comes to Bella and her famed matchmaking mother (oh Madeleine Fenwick, how we love you!), we learn that her father's passed, he didn't make great choices while alive, which cause Bella and her mom to live in an unsavory, poor part of town, and her two older siblings don't really come by much or help.
Oh and also, Markus happens to want her for his mate. Naturally.
He fights it, first with his wolf Lunah berating him, and then just because he thinks it's not going to go anywhere, although the minute he threatens to kiss Bella to shut her up so she'll stop putting herself down, you know it's game over.
There's obvious attraction between the two and, when she gets attacked at the end? The wolf goes haywire and Markus comes running in so fast you think he's grown wings, terrified something might happen to 'his' Bella.
Well, Lunah claims Bella belongs to them, so, you know how it goes with wolves.
Unfortunately he's returning to Ruthenia BUT he promises to call and write, and we know from a preview of the second novella that he does in fact return to Sziveria at the end of summer - and that things absolutely heat up between the couple!
AHHHHHH!
Like I said before, I've wanted to read about Deklan's parents since he was first introduced, and this first novella of theirs does not disappoint. It establishes the two MCs, their views of the world, their beliefs, gives us just enough history to keep us interested, and then ties it off neatly with a bow including the investigation.
It's a wonderful window into a slightly earlier timeline from the main Guardians novels, and I can't WAIT to read more!
15/10 recommend!
Like I said before, I've wanted to read about Deklan's parents since he was first introduced, and this first novella of theirs does not disappoint. It establishes the two MCs, their views of the world, their beliefs, gives us just enough history to keep us interested, and then ties it off neatly with a bow including the investigation.
It's a wonderful window into a slightly earlier timeline from the main Guardians novels, and I can't WAIT to read more!
15/10 recommend!
xx
*image not mine
Levkaseon - Wintersfall - Raiventon - Kynhaven - Asherwick - Ericksen - Survaine - Wolvenguard
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