Candra's Freedom - The Golden Key Chronicles by AJ Nuest

Candra's Freedom, Book II

The Golden Key Chronicles

I would like to thank the author AJ Nuest for sending me this book in return for a fair and honest review.

What They Say:

The key would unlock his future, and the safety of his kingdom,  but he never imagined the sorceress would unlock his heart...

Lost in a world she doesn't recognize, Rowena struggles to find her place. Yet her abilities with a blade and the loyalty of a fierce falcon don't discourage the heated advances of the handsome Prince Caedmon, and the connection between them seems much deeper than her troubled heart can recall.

If you are still in love with the Disney princes of your youth, and wish one would show up in your bedroom late at night, then you will love this breathtaking fantasy romance series from AJ Nuest!

What I say:

Yesterday I reviewed the 1st book in this series and I absolutely loved it.  When AJ sent me this book to review I couldn't wait to get started and finished it in one night. 

I was not going to bed until I had read the next part of Rowena and Prince Caedmon story, this book was totally different from what I expected.  I didn't exactly expect them to run off into the sunset of happy ever after as I knew there were 4 books, but really didn't expect what was in this book.

The books is set 2 years after book 1.  Time hasn't been kind to either Rowena or Caedmon.  

Again I loved Rowena, her strength of spirit is amazing, I envy her resilience  and strength.  With every chapter you can feel the chemistry between her and the Prince.  If the Prince expected to return and Rowena to fall into his arms he was wrong and this makes this book different.  There are other characters that are now coming to the fore especially the evil brother.  The wizard Fandorn and the prince's mentor and friend  Denman.

Not long to wait for book 3 and I for one can not wait.....

5 out of 5 stars.

 
Excerpt:

Water rained down his body. His sodden shirt clung to each sharply defined muscle in his chest, his leather pants glued to the contours of his rigid thighs. Her heart tripped a beat at the magnitude of sheer, gritty determination forged in the scowl on his brow. 

Prince Caedmon was a man on a mission. That was a nice idea for a change.

He finally made landfall, fisted his hands and increased his pace. A few trumpeters blew a half-hearted attempt at announcing his arrival, but their notes blurted like a fat man’s flatulence and faded listlessly in the air. Some people knelt, others remained standing, and several bobbed like apples in a rain barrel, unsure which action to take.

Another victory at denouncing their absurd rituals. Rowena chuckled under her breath. Bravo, sir. Well done.

He locked onto her and she grinned, even when his penetrating stare pierced her like an arrow and he clenched his scruffy jaw. The real icing on the cake would be if he ignored his father. But no, that would never happen. Even as the thought occurred, Prince Caedmon strode straight for King Austiere’s open arms.

Except.......wait a second. He wasn’t heading for his father. He marched straight for her. 

Oh no…

All the amusement fled her body. She glanced left, then right before meeting his formidable gaze a second time. Of course. Distracted by his gallant swim to shore, she’d forgotten. His dismissal of the pageantry didn’t have anything to do with defiance. He thought them still engaged.

She withdrew a step, but her shoulder blades bounced off the front of Marcelene's ample bosom. Dammit! Pressed inside the crowd, no other escape route was available. And time was quickly running out. Her pulse leapt and her fingertips tingled as if she'd touched Fandorn's lightning catcher. She couldn't seem to draw any air. Great tits above, what was the man planning to do?

Prince Caedmon shoved past his father, seized her around the waist and fell to his knees, burying his face in her skirts. Rowena instinctively placed a hand on his back. Blessed tears of the nine. What had they done to him? Who…or what was responsible for his wretched state?

In one swift stroke, she gleaned a small measure of what he had suffered. Those first few months after he disappeared. The despicable way she had been treated. Those who weren’t terrified by her appearance only befriended her for their own gain, their vows of loyalty abandoned the moment they learned she held no sway in court. And the insufferable way she had cowered in their presence, consistently saying the wrong thing, trying like hell to fit in. Only so they could call her mad, spread vile rumors and laugh in her face. To these abhorrent people, Prince Caedmon had returned, and gratefully so…which meant wherever he had been, the conditions were much, much worse.

She covered the side of his head with her other hand and narrowed her eyes at the stunned, expectant faces of the crowd. By the great path of Helios, if anyone even looked at him the wrong way, she would claw their eyes from the sockets!

She sharply inhaled and tossed her shoulders back. Oh, no…no, no. She had been fooled by such grand displays before. And no matter what affectation this prince exhibited for her benefit, the day would come when his demeanor would change.

He was, after all, one of them.

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Candras-Freedom-HarperImpulse-Fantasy-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00FVE4RP4/

Meet the Author

I am a multi-published, award-winning author who lives in the middle of a cornfield in NW Indiana. My loving husband, two beautiful children and a bevy of spoiled pets have agreed to stay and, in exchange for three rations per day and laundry service, tolerate my lunacy. While I spend most days happily ensconced in crafting romance across a multitude of genres, an underground coup has been percolating. The dogs just informed me the cat is secretly vying for dictatorship.

Website:  http://ajnuest.com

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Email:  ajnuest@yahoo.com

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