Jeffe Kennedy had been on my radar for awhile, but I’d never managed to rouse myself up to read her. I’m not sure why, but probably one reason is that I’m not a huge erotic romance fan and I’m very persnickety about fantasy and paranormal, and while her books sounded interesting, it felt like a lot of work to figure out which book to read, and where to start – she has a lot of series with a lot of titles….
All that changed last year when THE ORCHID THRONE released.
First of all, ohmygoodness, how gorgeous is that cover?! I am not a reader easily persuaded by a pretty cover, but with her reputation as a great writer AND a pretty cover, okay, I was tempted….
But then there was the gloriousness of this:
In the Forgotten Empires magic is forbidden, dreams are destiny, and love is the greatest power of all…
A PRISONER OF FATE
As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Lia will do anything to keep her people free—and her secrets safe—from the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her father’s, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that it’s up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperor’s bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better world—a man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her own…
A PRINCE AMONG MEN
Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, has built an army to overthrow the emperor. But he needs the fabled Abiding Ring to succeed. The ring that Lia holds so dear to her heart. When the two banished rulers meet face to face, neither can deny the flames of rebellion that flicker in their eyes—nor the fires of desire that draw them together. But in this broken world of shattered kingdoms, can they ever really trust each other? Can their fiery alliance defeat the shadows of evil that threaten to engulf their hearts and souls?
Sounds great, right? I mean…
The best part is, it lives up to that description and the gorgeous cover – in fact, it exceeds expectations, even high ones.
Conrí and Lia don’t just spark, they sizzle. The sensuality between these two is explosive, and the intricate world Kennedy builds, both on the island and in the greater world beyond, that’s been conquered by an evil emperor, is simply stunning.
(The Uncharted Realms Book 1)
2017 RITA winner
Conrí is the epitome of a warrior prince, honed to fierce steel in the dangerous mines where he was forced into slave labor after the fall of his kingdom. Now following the prophecy that promises victory over the empire to whomever claims the hand of the Queen who wears the Abiding Ring, Conrí weds Lia and the two plot to save her people and overthrow a tyrant.
I can’t begin to explain just how well-written this book is, and how complex the machinations of all the characters in this book are, especially Lia. It is just so smart and intricate and sexy and delicious.
And the second one is every bit as good (such a relief) and yet another joyous read – not to mention another gorgeous cover!
I’d recommend this to any romance reader – the story is just so intensely sensual and satisfying – but if you love fantasy romance, you do not want to miss this series.
Now I have to wait another year for Book 3 – ugh! 😉
I should mention that while JK is most known for her fantasy romance, she has a wide spectrum of titles – erotic romance, some contemporary, short stories, etc.
Find the books:
Jeffe Kennedy @Amazon (all of her books)
The Orchid Throne @Amazon
The Fiery Crown @Amazon
The Pages of the Mind @Amazon
(This review is part of Read-A-Romance Month. Hope you’ll come back every day to check out my book recommendations. You can find the calendar here. Also check out The Romance of Reading, a Facebook “book club” where we’ll have great authors guest hosting every week.)
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Enjoy!