Laurel O’Donnell 's
ANGEL'S ASSASSIN
Damien is an
assassin, a man with no home and a tortured past. Sold into slavery as a young
boy, he is trained to kill with cold calculation, without remorse. As a reward
for his ruthless success, he is given a chance to earn his freedom from his
cruel master. One last mission. One final person to slay…
Lady Aurora of Acquitaine is the epitome of purity and goodness, beloved by all her people. She lives her life trying to atone for her mother’s cruelty by being a fair and just ruler. Secretly she fears that one day her mother’s murderer will return for her.
When Damien enters Aurora’s life, tempting her with promises of dark passion and forbidden lust, he threatens to tear her peaceful world apart.
Can Aurora’s light heal Damien’s dark spirit or will his evil consume her? The eternal battle of good versus evil, love versus hate, dark versus light, all come to a shattering climax in this historical romance set in medieval England.
Enjoy an excerpt from Angel's Assassin
Damien watched the startled
expression cross her eyes, heard the gasp stop in her throat. His fingers trembled. One quick move… How innocent she was. How trusting.
How foolish. Foolish in her blind
faith and trust in him.
He had waited a long time for this
moment. His freedom was within striking
distance.
Her lips parted in a silent gasp
and she lifted her chin beneath the pressure of the blade. “Damien,” she whispered.
Betrothed. Anger flared through his veins at the thought
of Ormand laying his hands on her, at the image of him kissing her and tasting
her as he had. Is that why Roke wanted Aurora
dead? So no one else could have her if
he could not? Were Roke’s thoughts thick
with jealous rage just as his own thoughts were now? Did that make him just as evil and twisted as
Warin Roke?
He had to do it now. He felt himself swirling toward
oblivion. He was becoming lost. Lost to his mission, lost to his freedom,
lost to everything he held dear except for her.
Damien looked at the silver blade he held to the white skin of her neck. Your freedom means everything to you. He pressed the dagger up tighter against her
throat. Her beautiful, smooth, white,
flawless throat. Do it.
She should be afraid. Why wasn’t she moving? Why wasn’t she running or trying to talk him
out of it? Would she stand so motionless
before another assassin like this? All
of his victims had struggled and fought for their lives, especially when they
knew their end was near.
Aurora stood before him, her chin
held high, unflinching, unmoving.
Unafraid.
Damien clenched his teeth
tighter. Trusting, he thought with
bitter disdain. No one trusted him. No one.
Not his father. Not his
colleagues. No one. And rightfully so. He was an assassin. He brought death. He was death.
And yet… Aurora stood before him, imperiously,
bestowing goodness on him with a simple glance.
His hand shook, his fist tightening
around the handle of the dagger. “You’re
wrong about me,” he snarled.
In her eyes, in her stunning blue
eyes, he saw absolution. Damien could
not move. His freedom was at hand. Just a little slash with his sharp
dagger. But this was Aurora. She was so damned pure and innocent. He wanted desperately to kiss her. He wanted to have her. She was dangerous to him. So dangerous.
That thought could not save him from his desperate need for her. Damien growled low in his throat.
He threw the dagger aside and
grabbed her shoulders, pulling her against him tightly, pressing his lips to
hers. It was a frantic, despondent
kiss. A punishing kiss. He would not give up his freedom. Not for anyone. It was all he wanted. It was all he needed. She would not stand in his way.
Giveaway
The author is giving away one copy of "Angel's Assassin" and one copy of her medieval romance, "The Angel and The Prince". Just leave a comment to enter!
I did have the opportunity to review this a while back, but I will publish my 5-star review here just to make it easier to access.
Angel's Assassin by Laurel O'Donnell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the quintessential historical romance--practically perfect in every way. This was one of those books that I almost could not put down. I loved the writing style, the romance, the story, and you will probably not see the twists and turns that come towards the end. I sure didn't! This was crafted in such an amazing way, and I think most romantics would love it and even some history buffs might find it enjoyable.
There were a few minor issues as far as the book goes. I don't think there really was any profanity in the book--at least that I can remember. There are some sex scenes, and I didn't feel that the detail during one of the scenes was necessary, but it did not ruin my perception of the book--as you can see. While there is a lot violence, none of it is overly graphic. Yes, it paints a picture, but it was never offensive to me.
This author is absolutely amazing. Her powers of description are rare in today's writing world (at least from what I have seen). And her characterizations are amazing. Practically ever character is three-dimensional, and I truly connected with the story even though I am so far removed. I would definitely recommend this book, and I can hardly wait to read more of her historical novels.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
View all my reviews
Meet the Author
Laurel
O’Donnell has won numerous awards for her works, including the Holt Medallion
for A Knight of Honor, the Happily Ever After contest for Angel’s Assassin, and
the Indiana’s Golden Opportunity contest for Immortal Death. The Angel and the
Prince was nominated by the Romance Writers of America for their prestigious
Golden Heart award. O’Donnell lives in Illinois with her four cherished
children, her beloved husband and her five cats. She finds precious time every
day to escape into the medieval world and bring her characters to life in her
writing.
Website | Her Story Calls | Facebook |
YouTube | Goodreads | Twitter
10 Things You Can’t Do Without (from the author)
It is given that I have a comfortable warm place to
live with air conditioning.
Chocolate
A pen that never runs out of ink
A good cup of Coffee for every day (with sugar)
A comfortable chair
My cat Charming (and food and liter for him)
A super comfortable bed for that place I live in
Water
Toilet (with an endless supply of toilet paper)
A really hot man to tend to my needs
Ruth -
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me and giving your readers a peek at Angel's Assassin!
Laurel
Thanks for the grat review. I laughed when I read your ten things you can't do without especially the toilet with the endless supply of tiolet paper.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the book release. Can't wait to read it.
e.balinski(at)att(dot)net
That was a nice review.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Sounds like a book I would really enjoy. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeletemichelletucker at baconnation dot net