Romantic Fantasy published by Emscott Enterprises 16 Nov 21
Here we step back into the fantasy world M.J. Scott created with her Four Arts novels, which I devoured as they were released. Chloe de Montesse was once forced to flee from all that was familiar and beloved. Now back from exile, restored to her previous status, Chloe struggles once again to re-invent her life. Her magic is rusty, her parents want to wrap her up in cotton wool, but she needs more – which may come at a higher price than she’s willing to pay.
Lucien de Roche was once a close friend, part of the threesome between Chloe and her husband. However, his magic allows him to see the hidden truths in a person’s heart and mind, and he was the one who extracted the truth that convicted her spouse to a traitor’s death. A noble in his own right and high in the emperor’s service, Chloe’s first assignment forces her to accompany Lucien, along with a team, on a diplomatic mission in the far reaches of the empire.
There are seething undercurrents and magic at play, and Chloe is soon forced into the thick of it, given her position as wife to a man who once plotted to overthrow the emperor. Lucien is her key anchor in a world that she has a hard time understanding and navigating. Their sexual chemistry is off the charts. Unbeknownst to Chloe, Lucien has always loved her, but she had eyes for his best friend. So he retreated gracefully. There is nothing to stop him from pursuing this crazy passion now.
When an outing goes awry and they are forced to share their magic and spend a night out in the open, alone, the conservative court that they are on a diplomatic mission with forces them to wed or return in disgrace to the emperor. However, at their wedding feast, the enemy strikes again and Lucien is poisoned. Now Chloe has to save Lucien’s life, report back to the emperor, and figure out the pieces of what comes next.
What a cliffhanger. I, for one, can’t wait to see what comes next. An absolutely fantastic beginning to a new series and a return to the fantasy world and characters we met in those earlier novels. This is an entirely new story arc, and, while reading the other series, will give us some insights into Chloe. For the most part this book and series looks like it can be read as a standalone without delving into the earlier books.
Grade: A+
Summary:
To save her new life, she needs the man who destroyed her old one…
Chloe de Montesse never thought she’d return from exile. Now she has a chance to reclaim the life she fled after her husband was executed for treason. But coming home again isn’t as simple as it sounds. Her magic is rusty, her family want her to wrap her in cotton wool, and Illvyan society views her as a scandal waiting to happen. Worse, fate keeps throwing her into the path of the man who ruined her life.
Lucien de Roche’s magic bares the truth for all to see. He’s used it to serve the empire, but there’s one secret he’s always kept hidden. The fact that he fell in love with his best friend’s wife. And that he’s never quite fallen out again. Now Chloe is back and it’s no secret at all that she loathes him for his part in her husband’s death. A sensible man would forget her…but he’s tired of being sensible. And determined to keep her safe.
When a mission from the emperor takes them both into the wildest heart of the empire, to a country where power and loyalties collide, and old plots simmer back to life, Chloe finds herself dragged back into the past she wants to leave behind. And her only way out might be Lucien. The man she thinks she can never trust. The man she wants to hate. Or hates to want…
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