King Arthur and Her Knights by K.M. Shea

 From Goodreads: 

Long live the King?

When a modern young woman named Britt is pulled by a magical summons back through time she finds herself smack in the middle of the schemes of the surprisingly young and handsome wizard Merlin.

Britt has no interest in the throne, and she definitely doesn't want to pretend she is the legendary King Arthur, but Merline has some bad news. The real Arthur has run off, and the legendary sword in the stone has chosen Britt to take his place.

But Britt quickly learns that life in ancient Britain isn't safe.

The kingdom is fragmented, with enemies on all sides, and there’s little chance for mercy if her real identity and gender is exposed. Britt will soon find herself fighting for her life again and again on behalf of her people and the knights who serve her.

And then there’s Merlin. Focused on his goal to unite Britain, he’s oblivious of Britt’s growing feelings for him. Or so she thinks. But what future can they have in a world that only sees them as monarch and confidant?

My Take:

First, I can't believe I didn't write the review when I read the books months ago. Now all I can think to say is...

Oh. My. GOSH!!!

I've never thought of myself as a Arthur freak, but I loved every minute of all seven books. I was truly sad when they ended. The best part is they didn't stick super close to the legends, but they were close enough that things felt familiar. BUT, they also felt new and fresh. That's one of the things I love most about retellings. Make it feel new to me. Make it feel like I'm there and living the story with the characters. K.M. Shea always does that for me. 

Brit is an amazing character. She's strong and determined while still being feminine enough to need moments to cry for all that she's lost. I loved her, and even though they didn't know it, that's why her knights loved her. 

And the ending!!! Save yourself some time and money and just buy the boxed set. Now. Seriously. 

You can't be surprised that I'm giving this a 5. It also has a Clean rating. 

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:

Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen"

PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door

PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door.

PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy

R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

West of Paradise by Marcy Hatch

From Goodreads:
Katherine Kennedy has it all—she’s beautiful, wealthy, and engaged to a man who, at one time, seemed perfect for her. Only she can’t marry him, and she can’t say why. All she knows is there is suddenly nothing she wants. Not her fiancé Antonio. Not any of the hundred thousand things her money can buy.

Jack McCabe comes home from the war with a pretty medal and a lot of ugly pictures in his head. He has nowhere to go, nor anyone to go with. All he has is a vague sense of discontent, a restlessness that will not abate.

Separately, Katherine and Jack are drawn to Paradise Tours on the privately owned Cristobel Island, a resort promising life-altering adventure. Just choose the time and place. Suddenly they find themselves over 125 years in the past, 1881 to be exact. Neither of them knows the other is a fellow time-traveler.

For Jack McCabe it’s the life he craves, and he’s at the top of his game—until his run-in with Alanna McCleod, the beautiful but deadly train robber. Katherine no sooner lands back in time than she is mistaken for Alanna McCleod and can’t understand why—until she sees the wanted poster.

Set in the Old West, this high-spirited tale of mistaken identity, romance, and murder is part historical fiction, part time travel fantasy, and completely captivating.

My Take:
This is Marcy Hatch's debut novel and holy cow does she come out swinging. I read her book in one day. The best way I can sum up this book is Back to the Future III meets Somewhere In Time. Yes, there is time travel involved, the Old West, and someone gets left behind. Or do they?

I got lost in the story and didn't pay any attention to the writing. This is good because there was no author intrusion at all. I felt fear for Katie, angry at Jack for being such a jerk in the beginning, but grew to like him as much as Katie did.

Marcy floored me by making me feel like I really was back in 1881. The style is different, but the details were as good as the Louis L'Amour books I read as a teen. Didn't see that one coming did you? Yes, it was awesome. And when our characters were in the "near future" time of their actual time, Marcy had nice little details that made it feel real and totally possible. Nothing way out there crazy, but just little things that still gave it the flavor of "not now".

I give West of Paradise by Marcy Hatch a solid 5 because I couldn't put it down.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure