Taken by the
Passion
by Maxine Mansfield
~~~~~~~
~~~~~~
BLURB:
Lizbeth wasn't given a choice whom to marry. She'd been
betrothed to the, stubborn, arrogant, egotistical, Adan Hammerstrike, barbarian
prince, heir to the throne of Alaria, and...and...murderer, since the day she'd
been born. But, did that mean she wasn't entitled to follow her own dreams?
Especially if those dreams could keep those she cared for safe? And so what if
Adan had grown from the troll of a little boy he'd been into a ridiculously
handsome, sexy man. Her heart could resist him, couldn't it?
The last thing on Albrath, Adan ever wanted was to be
saddled for all of eternity to the screeching, boring, lackluster, Lizbeth
Soulenticer. Though her beauty's beyond compare, there are only so many turns
of the hourglass in a night to enjoy it. The rest of the unbearable time, he'll
be forced to contend with her silly, hero worship, and her stupid pet choices.
But, Adan is a man bound by duty and honor, and he will do what he must, even though
he longs for a mate who will challenge him in bed and out. Not that he'll give
her his heart, mind you, at least not until they both find themselves Taken by
the Passion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPTS
He held out a hand toward her. "Spend this one night with me,
Lizbeth, and if you still feel the same
in the morning, we'll talk about you
possibly going to the Academy and taking a few classes now and then. After all, how would it look to my family
and friends if my brand new wife took off before the sun rises on her wedding
night? I have appearances to uphold, we both do."
Lizbeth sizzled with anger. "I don't like you, remember? I couldn't
care less how this looks to anybody, and...and...and, I won't spend this night
or any other with you, until I have to, even on a bet."
Adan grinned. "Really? Not even on a bet? What if a bet was to get
you exactly what you say you want most? A life of your own without a moment's
interference from me until the day I do become king?"
Lizbeth shook her head and turned to leave, yet Adan's next words not
only stopped her forward motion but had her turning and facing him once more.
"I never took you for a coward, Lizbeth, guess I was wrong. You say
you know me better than I know myself. I say prove it, Lizard. If you can
manage to answer ten...no make that five questions about me correctly, you
win."
His grin grew even bigger. "And if you win, not only will I escort
you to the front gate and wave you through the portal on your way to the
Academy, I'll be happy to inform my family and friends that you're leaving me.
That you find a dusty, old institution more sexually appealing than you do your
own husband, and rightly so."
The grin disappeared from his face. "But, if you don't answer all
of the questions correctly, you'll spend this one night, this entire night,
willingly in my bed, in my arms, as my wife, in every sense of the word.
Deal?"
He held out his hand again, and Lizbeth stared at it. Her fingers itched
with the temptation to take him up on his offer. A life without interference or
being under Adan's thumb, even for a short while, was more than a little
tempting. Could she trust him, though? Lizbeth hesitated, weighing her options.
Other than being a bunny killer, Adan Hammerstrike was
known far and wide for his word. Once he gave it, he never took it back.
She'd spent the majority of every day, for as long as she could remember,
learning everything there was to know about the arrogant barbarian prince. She
couldn't lose, and this was an opportunity she couldn't afford to pass up.
Lizbeth smiled as she shook his hand. "Deal."
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Author Bio: Hi, my name is Maxine Mansfield and I write romantic
fantasy. I live in the far northern state of Alaska where the summer days are
long and the winter nights even longer.
I have one very special man, our three equally special children, and six
delightful grandchildren in my life. Not to mention a very bossy African Grey
parrot named Gabriel.
Oh, and Gnomes! many, many gnomes.
Links:
REVIEW
Can I say wow wow wow… This is not the typical romance book that I pick
up but was I impressed. I wasn’t too
sure about this story at the start but it turned real fast and I couldn’t put
the book down.
If you are looking for a novel with passion, fantasy and some kick ass
scenes this is the story for you.
What do you say when you are forced to marry someone, you no longer have
free will and neither of you truelly wants this. Lizbeth does does not want to be with Adan
because of his mama. She treats Lizbeth
like hell and will do anythibg in her power to keep them apart. She is the epitomy of the reason women are
afraid of mother in laws. Adan on the
other hand doesn’t want to marry little miss boring Lizbeth. Boy oh boy was he wrong. See how their relationship progresses. Read this rollercoaster and enjoy, one of the
best fantasy romances I have picked up.
