PREGNANT BY THE WARRIOR (Series: Historical Series, #978) by Denise Lynn
Publication Date: January 01, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin
Format: Mass Market Paperback
288 pages
ISBN-13: 9780373295784
To save her lands from being taken over by another and forcing the people of her keep to choose war over neutrality Lady Lea of Montreau must become pregnant.This is something she is willing to of course do but with her husband recently drowned it seems an impossible accomplishment.Then the miracle she needs arrives in the package she desires but the man she claims to despise – Lord Jared of Warehaven.He was her childhood love and set to be her husband before she broke it off having found herself incapable of dealing emotionally with a man who might be killed in battle.Lea had lost so many she loved to unjust wars and territorial skirmishes all she craved was peace and knew that Jared would never provide it as a warrior but he was the answer to her problem and he most assuredly could provide her with a child.
Jared was at Montreau by missive from Empress Matilda his aunt and he is now the lord of her castle and the fate Lea never wanted becomes the nightmare she must live with and this destiny will provide Jared with the revenge he seeks against Lea for leaving him alone at the altar on their wedding day.The only light for Lea is that Jared has always had her heart and the passion that is felt between them is true and sincere and has never gone away.Lea loves him as much today as she did the first time she laid her eyes upon him – he was the man she dreamed about but knew she should not have.Before Jared has even settled his belongings they are entangled between the sheets and reviving the intensity of their passion and creating the child Lea needs.But both soon realize revenge does not taste as sweet when the person you seek it against is your soul mate.
Trouble soon comes in the form of Lea’s brother my marriage who looks to take over Montreau via a number of ruthless and self serving schemes.Lea is ready to counter every action with a reaction even when he shows up with a future husband and a supposed missive stating he is now the legal owner of Montreau.Lea did not see this coming but would that stop her – never.This problem seemed a huge issue but pales in comparison to the explosion that occurs once Jared discovers that Lea is carrying his child and takes the decision away from her regarding her future, their life together and the way life is going to be.
But can Lea overcome the deep fear she has that Jared will leave one day for battle and not return to her?Is their love strong enough and deep enough to overcome that which is the nightmare she has trouble waking up from.Jared believes they have enough love and passion for one another that nothing can stop them from being together to watch their grandchildren stir up trouble.Lea believes in dreams and understands that sometimes dreams and fates are all that is left and you live the life you are given.Luckily Lea is going to live her life with the man of her dreams.
The only word to describe this book is WOW!Jared and Lea are such amazing characters and the emotions are felt throughout the book – the sorrow, the love, the passion and especially the fear Lea feels at possibly losing Jared.Their love is intense and hot as all get out but not all consuming.The problems seemed realistic and very real for the time period.
Mary Gramlich (“The Reading Reviewer”) www.marygramlich.com
Crown Prince Rion Jaqard of Chivalri will do anything to protect his planet of Honor and expel the Unari from trying to destroy his world.He has lived his entire life under disguise to protect the throne and only went to Earth to retrieve the one person that could help him communicate with the Dragonshapers on Honor and set a revolt into place – Marissa Roarke.He is prepared to lie, deceive and even kidnap her to ensure her assistance but is he willing to take the power of love with him and trust his feelings enough to share them with her and tell her who he is and what must be done.
Marissa is a telepathic Dragonshaper who has been treated poorly by all the men in her life except her twin brother Lucan.But right when she is ready to let herself feel love and affection for another she finds that Rion is not looking for a relationship from her but only her ability to communicate with the Dragonshapers.The catch is that ability only works when they are making love and she is able to free all of her passion into a message of happiness and stop the Dragonshapers pain.But how can she trust Rion when all he has done is lie to her and can she truly believe that he now wants to love her as much as make love to her.
The true drama starts when they arrive on the Planet Honor from Earth and the chaos that Rion thought he knew existed is so much worse than even he could have seen.Rion has seen allot as he also has the power of vision.He is able to see in his mind flashes of the future and most are not pleasant and peaceful.However once he is reunited with family and Marissa is able to free the Dragonshapers another twist in the plot begins and one that Rion will find difficult to recover from even with Marissa beside him.
This second book in The Pendragon Legacy is as exciting and action packed as the first book Lucan.The alternate universe that Ms. Kearney has created is not only imaginative and deep with detail it is also full of characters that are as complicated as they are colorful.You feel their pain and want for their freedom and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Mary Gramlich (“The Reading Reviewer”) www.marygramlich.com
For years, I've been an active woman who didn't dare call herself an athlete. I've chosen challenging workouts but have not ever pushed myself completely out of the comfortable little box. I've done burlesque, belly dance, and some tough strength and walking training, but I've opted out of many opportunities to do the activity that has scared me the most -- running.
For some reason, I've decided to get over that fear and prove to myself that my body and my brain are tough enough to withstand a year of training. I'm trying my best not to worry about the possibility of injury, the impending awful winter weather, or the fact I am on my own for most of this process. I'm taking it one workout, one step at a time. And I'd love it if you'd join me as I do my best to finally become the runner I've been so afraid of becoming.
I hope you will chime in with your own experiences, advice, and stories. I promise to listen and to cheer you on. Hopefully, sharing the tough stuff -- like how tight my IT band is right now -- as well as the victories -- like how proud I am that I added two minutes to my time on the track today -- will make this whole process more fun.
First off, I want to talk about the most basic part of choosing to be active. For me, that is being motivated, not just to do something big, like tackle a big event or new way of exercising. It also means finding and holding on to the motivation to make it through each 20-minute session (or 10, or 60, or whatever it is for you). Here's some of the best advice I've culled from other runners on really getting out there/.
1. Call yourself names. I met a woman at a party who told me she hasn't worked out in years but on a whim, she signed up for a triathlon in 2010. She doesn't even own a bike or wetsuit, but still, she's set on doing it. I confided that I am trying to become a runner. Before I could even finish my sentence, she stopped me.
"Trying?", she asked firmly. I nodded my head and she raised her eyebrows at me and continued. "If you've already been out there once, you are a runner. Claim it. Be it. Stop trying."
So there we were, just days into our training, a runner and a triathlete comparing notes on breathing exercises and water bottles. The next morning, I thought of that as I pulled myself away from my laptop to get outside to exercise. How could I be a runner if I wasn't actively running? That question and owning the title was enough to set me in motion that day.
2. Buy pretty things. Whether you believe in buying sustainable workout wear or you are happy with a cheapy pair of Spandex pants from Target, putting on new exercise gear can be enough to get you out the door. I bought a new jacket that is not only adorable on, it serves a few important purposes. I can't avoid outdoor workouts now that I have the perfect-weight jacket for windy, brisk autumn runs. It has a tidy little place for my iPod, phone, and keys, so I don't have to hold on to a bunch of things while I am trying to focus on my breathing and pace. I also decided I will only wear it to walk or run, so it is a (very small but effective) reward for just getting dressed to work out. Clearly, having good shoes that fit well are critical -- and who isn't motivated by new shoes?
3. Build slowly. I love this post by Janice at Mom On The Run, who reminds us that reintroducing (or introducing, in my case) our bodies to running takes time. But she also says it takes consistency. While we can't expect to go from zero to half-marathon in a week, keeping a slightly slower but steady pace, running at the same time every day, and adding a little time and distance to your training every week will keep you going at a manageable rate. Today, I turned that into a visualization to help me go an extra lap around the park, thinking about building a tower out of those colorful, wooden kiddie blocks, one by one.
4. Make a commitment -- financial and otherwise. I was spending more time worrying about how to become a runner than actually trying to become a runner after a friend asked me to join a team of mom bloggers in a relay next summer. Then that same friend was inspired to sign up for a half-marathon to kick her training into gear. She and the other women she's running in that event with are blogging their progress here. That helped me jump into my own training a month earlier than I anticipated (are you following all this?). My plan is to sign up for several events along the way -- I have my eye on a stair-climbing challenge in one of my city's skyscrapers -- so I can prepare myself for and attain smaller goals on the way to the big one. Plus, paying to participate, whether it is twenty bucks or a hundred, will keep the event on my calendar and me out on the track training.
5. Center on yourself. This is not easy to do. But when Bob Harper said that the only REAL reason to exercise is to be good to your body and honor your own well-being, it made me realize how often I set those things aside. I've only been on this journey for a few weeks now, but I see the difference in how I feel when I remind myself of how running is fueling my physical and spiritual selves. I've already noticed that my stress level has dropped because I am pounding out many of my frustrations on the pavement rather than keeping them locked in my head. In the last laps of my workout, it has also helped me to really zone in on how much stronger my legs and lungs feel than the first day I huffed and puffed around the park. Just telling myself, "Damn, girl, your ass is going to look amazing in those jeans after this run" works. It's cheesy and superficial, but it does work.
Finally, as one of my best friends who is a long-time runner and has completed marathons all over the world told me, "No one and nothing messes with the time I take to run. Some days, that is 15 minutes and some days, that is 2 hours. But that is my time and I protect it fiercely." I have to tell you, saying that over and over and claiming that block of time for myself has been as empowering as checking out my slamming tush in the mirror.
6. Center on others. A woman who I am friends with on Facebook has a high-pressure profession as an attorney and two small children and makes time for running to stay in shape and keep a cap on stress. After a long day at work, she gets motivated by dedicating her workouts to people in need, friends who inspire her, or whatever can help propel her forward. It seems to me that this makes her workout like a prayer and that she is using her mental and physical energy to put a great intention out into the universe as well as keep herself going. I've seen other runners dedicate their training sessions or events to women undergoing breast cancer treatment, a struggling single mom, their own mothers, and politicians. I love the idea that focusing on those people can do such good things for us as well as them. And when I am having trouble making the time and expending the energy for myself, I am sure there are four or a thousand women out there who I can think of to give my all for during just one workout.
7. Find the small stretch of joy. I gathered a lot of advice from runners before I ever laced up my shoes. One of my favorite bits of wisdom came from a former colleague who has made her way all over the city during training runs. She told me, "You don't have to love your whole route. Just find one little stretch that you can't wait to get to each time." For now, I am running around and around a park near my house. It is fun to see kids on the playground and serene to watch the leaves fall across the sidewalk, but it isn't necessarily a gorgeous view. There is, however, a small stretch that I love. It's a path that goes slightly downhill and where I can pick up my pace just a bit on each lap. It's lined by big oak trees and a minute of quiet before I round the bend to a busy street where cars are honking and commuters are walking home. I push myself to get to this part of my route. It's one small stretch that keeps me going, so it counts for a lot.
Redemption is a wonderful experience – it is freeing and exhilarating all at the same time. Facing your demons straight on and making amends for the mistakes you have made in your life makes you stronger and more determined to finish the rest of your life as an upright human being. Rick Rousseau made such a mistake seven years ago in a moment of immaturity and selfishness.He recovered from the damage he did to himself but he has since that horrible night spent his life shedding the evils of yesterday and cleansing his body and soul everyday he has woken up since.He took his inheritance and built a dog store dynasty all the while never forgetting what he had been or how he overcame it.
Rick had a game plan for his life and had been living it for so long that on the day he met Josephine Sheehan it was earth shaking for him down to the bottoms of his feet.He knew that all his great plans to remain celibate were over once he met Josie and she came after him with a determined glint in her eye and a dog the size of a pony.
Josie was as equally surprised by her attraction to Rick since she and her four dog walking friends had decided to be “man-free”.Josie had sworn off men after too many complicated and failed relationships.With her new swagger toward life she was enjoying her newspaper job, going for walks with her friends and devoting herself to the care of Genghis her Labradoodle.But a chance meeting with a quirky woman has her acting with more bravado then she knew she had and pursing Rick with a great gusto.After looking at Rick she is convinced that the email she sent to the celestial angel of relationships had been answered with a double check on handsome.The next thing she knows her orbit is colliding with Rick and their two planets implode into magic.
Rick and Josie both have baggage and even when Josie learns all the sordid details about Rick’s past she still doesn’t give up on him or their relationship.She continues to believe in him and the chance for a future. But there is one huge problem lurking in the shadows and it is not the huge tattoo on Rick’s body. There is a man who is trying to not ruin Rick but kill him for ruining his life.All the determination Rick and Josie have to stay together may not happen no matter how much love you have if this man has his way.
What a wonderful story of overcoming your past and correcting the mistakes you have made in a healthy and loving fashion. We all stumble over choices we have made but the way you recover from them is the true test of who you are.Rick and Josie are real characters that speak to the reader about trusting in yourself as much as you do your partner.We are as great apart as we are together and friends are always there to remind you of how important you are to yourself.
Mary Gramlich (“The Reading Reviewer”) www.marygramlich.com
