They Lived Happily Ever After • Castles

Castles by Julie Garwood
Series: Crown's Spies #4
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: November 4, 1996
Source/Format: Bought || Kindle e-book

Orphaned and besieged, Princess Alesandra knew that only hasty marriage to an Englishman could protect her from the turmoil in her own land. To the amusement of her makeshift guardian, Colin, younger brother of the Marquess of Cainewood, the bold raven-haired beauty instantly captivated London society. But when Alesandra was nearly abducted by her unscrupulous countrymen, the fighting instincts that won Colin a knighthood for valor were kindled.

Deceiving himself that he wanted only to protect her, Colin swept her into a union meant to be a marriage in name alone...yet Alesandra's tender first kiss and hesitant caress ignited a wildfire in his soul. As the lovely princess dashed headlong into unforeseen dangers, Colin would follow, knowing he must claim her as his own forever. Now he would risk life itself before he would lose this sweet, tempestuous angel...

JULIE GARWOOD is one of my favorite romance authors of all time. I've read just about all of her books, thanks to my mom's collection and my sister's attempts to complete it, and I love them. CASTLES is one of my all-time favorites... and not just because the main character's name is Alesandra!

Colin and Alesandra make for an explosive romantic pairing. Alesandra's intelligence, stubborn nature, innocence and loyalty are remarkable; Colin, on the other hand, has a protective nature and a heart of gold hidden under a gruff, masked exterior. Obviously, they do fall into a certain character stereotype when it comes to historical romance. The only marked difference is how Julie Garwood chose to reveal their characteristics - and I can sincerely applaud her for a job well-done.

Other than that, the story is pretty fun to read because there are so many other things happening apart from the romance. There are abductions and schemes and murderers and mystery to be had... And all these things definitely make the book that much more exciting. Though the romance will always be my favorite bit, these elements definitely made the story stand out.

JULIE GARWOOD is certainly a master at writing convincing, entertaining and fun romance novels. I'd definitely recommend CASTLES because it has a handsome hero, a likable heroine and some action and mystery to boot.

This review was posted as part of Rewind & Review.

Rewind & Review is a great monthly feature started by Ginger of GReads! and Lisa of Lisa is Busy Nerding. Each month, participants will set aside some "older" titles to read and review on their blogs. This feature is the perfect opportunity to get around to reading that title you've been eyeing for years or that book that's been in your TBR for what feels like forever. For more information, you can visit this post.