A "Kingdom" Worth Visiting

Call me a snob, but I typically stick with certain genres of books.  NA, YA, some paranormal mixed in depending on the story.  You catch my drift.

Historical romance, on the other hand, doesn't typically interest me.

That is, until I met Samantha Gillespie at a small author event in Houston.  Something about the synopsis of her book was intriguing and I thought I would give it a chance.  Check out what I mean:

"Princess Meredith's eighteenth birthday is fast approaching, but unlike other girls, she is not looking forward to it.  Upon her coming of age, she is to marry the prince of Alder, the most powerful kingdom in the world.  Though the idea of marriage to a complete stranger is appalling, she knows she has no choice.  Without the marriage contract, Stonefall's alliance with Alder will be lost, and her people will be safe no longer; Theros, King of Talos, has set his eyes of conquest on Stonefall and he wants Meredith dead.

Conner, an elite soldier entrusted with Meredith's safety, arrives at the palace just as things begin to take a turn for the worst.  Together, they will embark on a journey of survival, in which Meredith will find that the only thing she never prepared for was falling in love."

See?  I was intrigued.  And I'm glad I took a chance, because for a debut novel, Ms. Gillespie did a really nice job!  

Now, it took a few chapters for the writing to pick up a bit.  But I think that's pretty normal for most first time authors.  And the way everyone speaks doesn't sound like it's from that time frame  But frankly, since I don't read historical romance, I'm not sure if that's a usual thing.  Is that so the reader can understand and not get distracted by the language?  Heck if I know.  I don't read historical romance.

And that may be part of why I liked it.  I didn't get slowed down in my reading by complex wording and unfamiliar phrasing.  It's one thing to watch it on TV.  But I'm a speed reader.  I don't like being slowed down.

Plus, with the story line itself, the twists and turns and characters...I really, really enjoyed myself.  It wasn't a hard read.  It was quick and easy.  And it was oh so entertaining.

Here's the best part for me...my 12-year old daughter picked it up after I did and she LOVED it.  Read it in a day.  I was shocked that she didn't cry at the same parts I did.  But it was so fun discussing it with her.

So give this one a shot.  If not for you, for your kid.  Mine can't wait until the next installment, and neither can I. (which is due out some time next year)  You can find it by clicking here.

Author Samantha Gillespie has created a "Kingdom" worth