Anita Mills; LADY OF FIRE - A Favorite Heroine in a Great Medieval Romance set in Normandy!

This is one for the keeper shelf. I loved it. Set in 11th century Normandy and England, this is the story of Eleanor of Nantes, daughter of a Norman count. She is young and innocent, but oh, so courageous and spirited.

 

When King William first encounters her, she is defending her bastard half-brother, Roger FitzGilbert, fighting off the bullies who are after him. The king is taken with the 12-year-old girl and would betroth her to his own son, Henry. But fate takes a harsh turn upon her mother’s death and Eleanor is sent to a convent. All the while, another man swears he will have her for his wife, the rich, powerful and cruel Robert of Belesme. However, Eleanor’s heart belongs to Roger, who unknown to her, is not her brother at all which she discovers at 19 when she leaves the convent to be betrothed to Belesme.

Eleanor is a heroine to admire, consistent in her strength, intelligence and nobility of character. Roger is the kind of knight every woman longs for. He sees all Eleanor’s faults and loves her passionately and proudly, notwithstanding. Robert of Belesme, the villain who is obsessed with Eleanor, is terrible and cruel yet also strangely sympathetic (kudos to Mills to create such a complex character). The story is rich in historic details with an intricately woven plot, fast-moving dialog and suspenseful action.

It’s a page-turner and so well written. I recommend it!

The Fire Series:

Lady of Fire
Fire and Steel
Hearts of Fire
The Fire and The Fury
Winter Roses

 

 

Anita Mills; LADY OF FIRE - A Keeper of a Medieval Romance set in Normandy!

 

This is one for the keeper shelf. I loved it. Set in 11th century Normandy and England, this is the story of Eleanor of Nantes, daughter of a Norman count. She is young and innocent, but oh, so courageous and spirited.

 

When King William first encounters her, she is defending her bastard half-brother, Roger FitzGilbert, fighting off the bullies who are after him. The king is taken with the 12-year-old girl and would betroth her to his own son, Henry. But fate takes a harsh turn upon her mother’s death and Eleanor is sent to a convent. All the while, another man swears he will have her for his wife, the rich, powerful and cruel Robert of Belesme. However, Eleanor's heart belongs to Roger, who unknown to her, is not her brother at all which she discovers at 19 when she leaves the convent to be betrothed to Belesme.

Eleanor is a heroine to admire, consistent in her strength, intelligence and nobility of character. Roger is the kind of knight every woman longs for. He sees all Eleanor’s faults and loves her passionately and proudly, notwithstanding. Robert of Belesme, the villain who is obsessed with Eleanor, is terrible and cruel yet also strangely sympathetic (kudos to Mills to create such a complex character). The story is rich in historic details with an intricately woven plot, fast-moving dialog and suspenseful action.

It’s a page-turner and so well written. I recommend it!

The Fire Series:

Lady of Fire
Fire and Steel
Hearts of Fire
The Fire and The Fury
Winter Roses

 

Anita Mills’ FALLING STARS – Beware Handsome, Mysterious Russians Offering Jewels

 

Mills serves up an unusual story that sweeps the heroine from the ballrooms of London to the grand palaces of Russia. The story begins in London in 1814 where Katherine (“Kate”) Winstead, and her younger sister Carissa, are enjoying the London Season with their brother, Harry, Baron Winstead. [Usually the title and surname are not the same but here they are.] Harry’s best friend is Bellamy (“Bell”), Viscount Townsend, a rake of the first order with the face of an angel. He and Kate constantly exchange barbs and unpleasant truths about each other.

 

By all accounts, Kate is both short (5 feet tall) and plain, and at 22 “on the shelf”, yet when the Russians come to town with young Czar Alexander, all that changes. For some reason known only to his sister Galena and him, handsome Count Alexei Volsky takes a fancy to Katherine and quickly offers for her. Now why would a handsome Russian count do that? Why, indeed. To have such an offer as a plain girl is unheard of and Katherine does not fail to accept, particularly when the count’s sister, Galena, tells Kate the huge betrothal ruby on her finger proves Alexei loves her.

 

I thought Mills did this part especially well, preserving the mystery as the wool is pulled over Kate’s eyes. Ah, but no reader will fail to wonder just what’s going on.

 

Meanwhile, Viscount Townsend must escape a woman in London who has set a trap for him, so he decides to go to Russia when Kate and the Russian entourage leave town. And the plot thickens.

 

Russia is a very foreign place to Kate: the language, the people and the customs. She feels trapped inside Alexei’s huge estate as the snows pile up outside. There, she learns she is pregnant and is thrilled—until she discovers, to her horror, her marriage is a sham and underneath it all is a horrible truth. Kate decides (reasonably so) to flee Russia in winter. And who should come to her rescue but Bell, Viscount Townsend.

 

This is an unusual, well-told tale that kept me turning pages. Mills did very well with the Russian culture and scenes in and around Moscow in the winter. I felt the cold and lamented the loss of green England along with Kate. You must be patient to see the hero as an actual hero (though there are earlier hints) but he does come around in the end.

Anita Mills; LADY OF FIRE - A Keeper of a Medieval Romance!

This is one for the keeper shelf. I loved it. Set in 11th Century Normandy and England, this is the story of Eleanor of Nantes, daughter of a Norman count. She is young and innocent, but oh, so courageous and spirited.

 

When King William first encounters her, she is defending her bastard half brother, Roger FitzGilbert, fighting off the bullies who are after him. The king is taken with the 12-year-old girl and would betroth her to his own son, Henry. But fate takes a harsh turn upon her mother’s death and Eleanor is sent to a convent. All the while, another man swears he will have her for his wife, the rich, powerful and cruel Robert of Belesme. However, Eleanor's heart belongs to Roger, who unknown to her, is not her brother at all which she discovers at 19 when she leaves the convent to be betrothed to Belesme.

Eleanor is a heroine to admire, consistent in her strength, intelligence and nobility of character. Roger is the kind of knight every woman longs for. He sees all Eleanor’s faults and loves her passionately and proudly, notwithstanding. Robert of Belesme, the villain who is obsessed with Eleanor, is terrible and cruel yet also strangely sympathetic (kudos to Mills to create such a complex character). The story is rich in historic details with an intricately woven plot, fast-moving dialog and suspenseful action.

It’s a page-turner and so well written. I recommend it!

The Fire Series:

LADY OF FIRE
FIRE AND STEEL
HEARTS OF FIRE
THE FIRE AND THE FURY
WINTER ROSES

 

 

Anita Mills’ LADY OF FIRE – A Keeper with a Great Heroine!

For medieval romance lovers, this one should be on your keeper shelf. I loved it, and though it was my first by Mills, it will not be the last.

 

Set in 11^th Century Normandy and England, this is the story of Eleanor of Nantes, daughter of a Norman count. She is young and innocent, but oh so courageous and spirited. When William I first encounters her defending her bastard half-brother, Roger FitzGilbert, the king is taken with her and would betroth her to his own son, Henry. But fate takes a harsh turn upon her mother’s death and 12-year-old Eleanor is sent to a convent to stay until she is 19. And another would swear to have her, rich, powerful and cruel Robert of Belesme. Her heart, however, belongs to Roger, who unknown to her, is not her brother at all.

 

Eleanor is a heroine to admire, consistent in her strength, intelligence and nobility of character. Roger is the kind of knight every woman longs for. He sees all Eleanor’s faults and loves her passionately, proudly, notwithstanding. Robert of Belesme, the villain who is obsessed with Eleanor, is terrible and cruel yet also strangely sympathetic. The story is rich in historic details with an intricately woven plot, fast-moving dialog and action. It’s a page-turner and so well written. I recommend it!

 

 

The Fire Series:

 

Lady of Fire

Fire and Steel

Hearts of Fire

The Fire and The Fury

Winter Roses

Anita Mills’ BITTERSWEET –Post Civil War Heading West

A well-written story of two people who find love in the midst of recovering from the past and the war that tore apart a nation.

 

The story begins in Tennessee in 1864 as Spencer Hardin, surgeon for the Southern troops, is trying to provide medical care without supplies to do it. Meanwhile, his young wife, Lydia, sends him letters urging him to desert and come home. While he tells her to endure, he sends a friend home with a medical discharge and encourages him to take care of Lydia and help her manage until the war is over. As it turns out, the friend will help himself to Spence’s wife.

 

A year later, the war is over and Spence returns home only to discover his wife has run off with the other guy, taking Spence’s young son with them. Intent on recovering his son, Spence heads for San Francisco where he learns they may be. Along the way, he discovers his wife has died of cholera, but he goes on. In a railroad camp, he encounters a pregnant Laura Taylor, the widow of a man who once helped him and died working on the railroad.

 

Spence and Laura are the kind of people you want to know, noble, courageous and despite their own hardships, willing to help others. Life on the frontier in railroad towns is not easy but Laura decides to take in laundry. Spence, who is desperate to find his son, won’t leave her in the lurch. Each must come to terms with the shortfall in their marriages and what they want for the future.

 

A post Civil War story from a great storyteller!

Anita Mills’ LADY OF FIRE – A Keeper with a Great Heroine!

For medieval romance lovers, this one should be on your keeper shelf. I loved it, and though it was my first by Mills, it was not my last.

Set in 11^th Century Normandy and England, this is the story of Eleanor of Nantes, daughter of a Norman count. She is young and innocent, but oh so courageous and spirited. When William I first encounters her defending her bastard half-brother, Roger FitzGilbert, the king is taken with her and would betroth her to his own son, Henry. But fate takes a harsh turn upon her mother’s death and 12-year-old Eleanor is sent to a convent to stay until she is 19. And another would swear to have her, rich, powerful and cruel Robert of Belesme. Her heart, however, belongs to Roger, who unknown to her, is not her brother at all.

Eleanor is a heroine to admire, consistent in her strength, intelligence and nobility of character. Roger is the kind of knight every woman longs for. He sees all Eleanor’s faults and loves her passionately, proudly, notwithstanding. Robert of Belesme, the villain who is obsessed with Eleanor, is terrible and cruel yet also strangely sympathetic. The story is rich in historical details with an intricately woven plot, fast-moving dialog and action. It’s a page-turner and so well written. I recommend it!

The Fire Series:

Lady of Fire

Fire and Steel

Hearts of Fire

The Fire and The Fury

Winter Roses

Anita Mills’ BITTERSWEET – Love After the Civil War Heading West

A well-written story of two people who find love in the midst of recovering from the past and the war that tore apart a nation.

The story begins in Tennessee in 1864 as Spencer Hardin, surgeon for the Southern troops, is trying to provide medical care without supplies to do it. Meanwhile, his young wife, Lydia, sends him letters urging him to desert and come home. While he tells her to endure, he sends a friend home with a medical discharge and encourages him to take care of Lydia and help her manage until the war is over. As it turns out, the friend will help himself to Spence’s wife.

A year later, the war is over and Spence returns home only to discover his wife has run off with the other guy, taking Spence’s young son with them. Intent on recovering his son, Spence heads for San Francisco where he learns they may be. Along the way, he discovers his wife has died of cholera, but he goes on. In a railroad camp, he encounters a pregnant Laura Taylor, the widow of a man who once helped him and died working on the railroad.

Spence and Laura are the kind of people you want to know, noble, courageous and despite their own hardships, willing to help others. Life on the frontier in railroad towns is not easy but Laura decides to take in laundry. Spence, who is desperate to find his son, won’t leave her in the lurch. Each must come to terms with the shortfall in their marriages and what they want for the future.

A post Civil War story from a great storyteller!

Anita Mills’ LADY OF FIRE – A Keeper with a Great Heroine!

For medieval romance lovers, this one should be on your keeper shelf. I loved it, and though it was my first by Mills, it will not be the last.

Set in 11^th Century Normandy and England, this is the story of Eleanor of Nantes, daughter of a Norman count. She is young and innocent, but oh so courageous and spirited. When William I first encounters her defending her bastard half brother, Roger FitzGilbert, the king is taken with her and would betroth her to his own son, Henry. But fate takes a harsh turn upon her mother’s death and 12-year-old Eleanor is sent to a convent to stay until she is 19. And another would swear to have her, rich, powerful and cruel Robert of Belesme. Her heart, however, belongs to Roger, who unknown to her, is not her brother at all.

Eleanor is a heroine to admire, consistent in her strength, intelligence and nobility of character. Roger is the kind of knight every woman longs for. He sees all Eleanor’s faults and loves her passionately, proudly, notwithstanding. Robert of Belesme, the villain who is obsessed with Eleanor, is terrible and cruel yet also strangely sympathetic. The story is rich in historic details with an intricately woven plot, fast-moving dialog and action. It’s a page-turner and so well written. I recommend it!

The Fire Series:

Lady of Fire

Fire and Steel

Hearts of Fire

The Fire and The Fury

Winter Roses

Anita Mills’ FALLING STARS – Beware Handsome, Mysterious Russians Offering Jewels

Mills serves up an unusual story that sweeps the heroine from the ballrooms of London to the grand palaces of Russia. The story begins in London in 1814 where Katherine (“Kate”) Winstead, and her younger sister Carissa, are enjoying the London Season with their brother, Harry, Baron Winstead. [Usually the title and surname are not the same but here they are.] Harry’s best friend is Bellamy (“Bell”), Viscount Townsend, a rake of the first order with the face of an angel. He and Kate constantly exchange barbs and unpleasant truths about each other.

By all accounts, Kate is both short (5 feet tall) and plain, and at 22 “on the shelf”, yet when the Russians come to town with young Czar Alexander, all that changes. For some reason known only to his sister Galena and him, handsome Count Alexei Volsky takes a fancy to Katherine and quickly offers for her. Now why would a handsome Russian count do that? Why, indeed. To have such an offer as a plain girl is unheard of and Katherine does not fail to accept, particularly when the count’s sister, Galena, tells Kate the huge betrothal ruby on her finger proves Alexei loves her.

I thought Mills did this part especially well, preserving the mystery as the wool is pulled over Kate’s eyes. Ah, but no reader will fail to wonder just what’s going on.

Meanwhile, Viscount Townsend must escape a woman in London who has set a trap for him, so he decides to go to Russia when Kate and the Russian entourage leave town. And the plot thickens.

Russia is a very foreign place to Kate: the language, the people and the customs. She feels trapped inside Alexei’s huge estate as the snows pile up outside. There, she learns she is pregnant and is thrilled—until she discovers, to her horror, her marriage is a sham and underneath it all is a horrible truth. Kate decides (reasonably so) to flee Russia in winter. And who should come to her rescue but Bell, Viscount Townsend.

This is an unusual, well-told tale that kept me turning pages. Mills did very well with the Russian culture and scenes in and around Moscow in the winter. I felt the cold and lamented the loss of green England along with Kate. You must be patient to see the hero as an actual hero (though there are earlier hints) but he does come around in the end.

Anita Mills’ FOLLOW THE HEART – Enthralling Adventure From England to the American Wilderness During the French and Indian War

Mills is a great storyteller, her research is meticulous and her love stories gripping. And, if you loved the movie, Last of the Mohicans, I think you will love this book.

Set in the 18^th century during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) when British America fought against New France, this is the story of Sarah Spender, whose baron father gambled away their wealth leaving Sarah in poverty.

Sarah has known the Hastings brothers, Devin, now Viscount Audley, and Adam, now Captain Adam Hastings, since they were all children. As Sarah grew into a beauty with spirit and uncommon courage, both Devin and Adam developed feelings for her. When her father died and her home is forfeited to the Hastings family for debts, Devin makes her a dishonorable offer, which she soundly rejects. Adam, unaware of his brother’s dishonorable act, offers marriage to Sarah. Having loved Adam all her life, she accepts.

As Adam readies to leave with his regiment for the war in the American wilderness, Sarah learns she is with child and so Adam’s plans to take her with him must change; she will stay behind in England—where his brother remains, a rising political figure aligned with William Pitt, and increasingly attracted to Sarah.

Much happens in both America and England in this well-written story. Mills has done the research to put you into the sweeping historical events, using real historic figures, such as William Pitt (in this story, Devin’s superior), and John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun, who in 1756 was made the commander of the British forces in America (in this story, Adam’s superior officer). Adam will join Rogers’ Rangers and lead his own group of rough men.

This time in American’s history fascinates me because it contains the seeds of what would become America’s war for independence. Mills brings it to life in a love story where two brothers love the same woman, who incidentally, is a very worthy heroine. I highly recommend it.

Review: Anita Mills’ FALLING STARS – Beware Handsome, Mysterious Russians Offering Jewels

August is Exotic Locales month on my blog, so plan to take a vacation of the mind to some very different settings! I'm starting with Russia.

Anita Mills serves up an unusual story in Falling Stars, sweeping the heroine from the ballrooms of London to the grand palaces of Russia. 

The story begins in London in 1814 where Katherine (“Kate”) Winstead, and her younger sister Carissa, are enjoying the London Season with their brother, Harry, Baron Winstead. [Usually the title and surname are not the same but here they are.] Harry’s best friend is Bellamy (“Bell”), Viscount Townsend, a rake of the first order with the face of an angel. He and Kate constantly exchange barbs and unpleasant truths about each other.

By all accounts, Kate is both short (5 feet tall) and plain, and at 22 “on the shelf”, yet when the Russians come to town with young Czar Alexander, all that changes. For some reason known only to his sister Galena and him, handsome Count Alexei Volsky takes a fancy to Katherine and quickly offers for her. Now why would a handsome Russian count do that? Why, indeed. To have such an offer as a plain girl is unheard of and Katherine does not fail to accept, particularly when the count’s sister, Galena, tells Kate the huge betrothal ruby on her finger proves Alexei loves her.

I thought Mills did this part especially well, preserving the mystery as the wool is pulled over Kate’s eyes. Ah, but no reader will fail to wonder just what’s going on.

Meanwhile, Viscount Townsend must escape a woman in London who has set a trap for him, so he decides to go to Russia when Kate and the Russian entourage leave town. And the plot thickens.

Russia is a very foreign place to Kate: the language, the people and the customs. She feels trapped inside Alexei’s huge estate as the snows pile up outside. There, she learns she is pregnant and is thrilled—until she discovers, to her horror, her marriage is a sham and underneath it all is a horrible truth. Kate decides (reasonably so) to flee Russia in winter. And who should come to her rescue but Bell, Viscount Townsend.

This is an unusual, well-told tale that kept me turning pages. Mills did very well with the Russian culture and scenes in and around Moscow in the winter. I felt the cold and lamented the loss of green England along with Kate. You must be patient to see the hero as an actual hero (though there are earlier hints) but he does come around in the end.

Buy on Amazon.