Twelve strangers. Six marriages. One year in Esperance.
Amryn has many reasons to hate the empire. Her latest is her forced marriage to General Carver Vincetti, better known as the Butcher. If he learns even one of her secrets, he will kill her. And Amryn has many secrets. Not only is she an empath with forbidden magic, she's also a newly recruited rebel intent on destroying the empire—starting at Esperance.
Carver knows the rebels have infiltrated the remote temple of Esperance. His job is to hunt them down before they can wreck the emperor’s new peace. Despite the demons that haunt him, Carver is intent on his mission—but he’s not prepared for Amryn. From her fiery red hair to her surprising wit, his new wife has captured his attention. The attraction that flares between them is undeniable. Now he just has to determine if she’s the enemy.
When the newly married couples become targets in a violent game, Esperance becomes more dangerous than anyone anticipated. Carver and Amryn are about to discover that no one is exactly who they appear to be—especially each other.
Esperance is book one in a New Adult fantasy romance series by Amazon bestselling author Heather Frost. If you love enemies-to-lovers romance, surprising twists, and an action-packed story you can’t put down, you’ll love Esperance!
Excerpt:
Carver’s warm breath teased the nape of her neck before Amryn felt the cool salve of the aloe mixture. Every hair on her body lifted as he brushed the salve carefully over her burned skin. She could feel the rough callouses on the pads of his fingers, but his touch was infinitely gentle.
Ahmi had applied this salve last night, but it had felt nothing like this.
“Sorry,” he murmured. His voice was so low and deep, it resonated throughout her entire body.
Her fingers tightened on the end of her braid, which she still held. “Sorry?”
“I had no idea you were getting sunburned yesterday. If I’d realized, I wouldn’t have kept you so long in the yard.”
She forced herself to speak past the tightness in her throat. “Unfortunately, sunburns are common for me. My pale skin can burn in Ferradin, even on a cloudy day.”
His short laugh brought a sharp exhale against her neck. With the ointment covering her skin, the sensation was heightened, making her shiver.
His fingers lifted, only to return a moment later with more aloe. His touch started just below her ear and glided down the side of her neck, to the edge of her nightgown’s wide collar at her shoulder. Her skin tingled.
She peeked into the mirror just as his eyes flicked up, and their gazes locked.
The air was charged, and nothing in her experience had prepared her for a moment like this. The surge of attraction they both felt made her lungs tighten. Her toes curled against the stone floor.
His throat rolled as he swallowed. He eased back a half-step, still keeping her stare in the mirror. “Can you turn?”
She should say no. She should take the salve from him, thank him for his help, and leave to do the rest herself. Getting close to him for the rebels was one thing, but this . . .
This was something else entirely.
Her body moved without her giving the order. She twisted to face him, her lower back now pressed against the hard edge of the counter. She tilted her chin up. She couldn’t meet his gaze, so she stared at his jaw as he leaned in, the crisp smell of the aloe mixing with the spicy sandalwood scent that was purely him.
The brush of his fingertips against the curve of her cheek made her knees weak. She gripped the counter’s edge behind her, silently ordering herself to stop reacting to a stupid, medicinal touch, but her body didn’t seem interested in listening. While his smooth touch drifted over her cheeks, offering relief to the burn on her skin, it only strengthened the burn low in her belly.
Feeling the heat and intensity of his emotions did not help.
As he angled his head for a better view of the side of her face, she caught sight of the small scar on his chin that she’d noticed at the altar. Out of all the scars on his body, it would be the easiest to ask about. But despite the strange intimacy of the moment, she didn’t feel like she could.
His fingers skimmed along her jaw, leaving a tingling trail. Then his fingertips dipped to her throat.
Her breath caught.
His fingers stilled, then curled away.
She nearly leaned in to follow his retreating hand, but he was only scooping up more of the ointment to apply to her throat.
A tremble skated through her entire body at his gentle touch.
When he finally shifted back, she could feel the pulse of his reluctance.
Strange, how it echoed her own.
She had to crane her neck to meet his eyes. “Thank you, Carver.”
His throat flexed as he swallowed. “You’re welcome.”
The moment felt weighted, and neither of them moved.
A distant knock on the main suite door made her jump. She straightened sharply, and Carver took a deliberate step back, the jar of ointment dangling from his long fingers.
“Thank you,” she whispered again, because she didn’t know what else to say. Then she ducked her head and fled to the safety of the bedroom.
Review:
This is the start of a new series by the author who wrote the Fate of Eyrinthia series. I thoroughly enjoyed that series, so I jumped at the chance to read this story. Please note, if you like your stories to be solved, finished, and neatly tied up with a bow in one book, this might not be for you. (Although you should really try it anyway, because the storyline is just that good.) This book is clearly just the beginning and while the reader isn't left on a cliffhanger, the story definitely isn't finished by the end of this book.
This author does a great job at bringing her characters to life and making you either love or hate them. I had my guess at who the bad guy was, but it kept changing as I got further into the story. I was fully invested in the characters and the story line, and didn't want to stop reading. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
About the Author:
Heather Frost is an #1 Amazon bestselling author of YA/NA fantasy romance. Her books have been Whitney Award and Swoony Award Finalists, and Royal Decoy was a 2022 semifinalist in The Best In Indie Awards. She has a BS in Creative Writing and a minor in Folklore, which means she got to read fairy tales and ghost stories and call it homework. Heather lives in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains in northern Utah. To learn more about Heather and her books, visit her website: www.HeatherFrost.com.
Title: Esperance
Purchase: Amazon
No comments:
Post a Comment