#jodyhedlund

Entwined by Jody Hedlund

About the Book

Title: Entwined
Series: Knights of Brethren #2
Author: Jody Hedlund
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Northern Lights Press
Release Date: December 7, 2021

During a time when legends were born . . .

ENTWINED

A princess cursed from birth, a loyal knight worthy of being king, and a sword that can determine their destiny.

After growing up on a remote farm, Lis learns she is the rightful heir to the throne of Norvegia. Even as she does her part to thwart a dangerous plot against the king, she resists pursuing her new identity and resigns herself to a simple life helping her elderly father with their farm.

With the king losing his mind, Sir Ansgar, the highest knight in the land, is desperate to save the sovereign he’s sworn to protect. But before Ansgar can uncover what is causing the king’s demise, he finds himself falsely accused of treason and dismissed from court.

In danger of losing his life, Ansgar takes refuge on Lis’s farm. Love soon blossoms between Ansgar and Lis, even as they realize a future together is impossible. Yet they must unite to save the kingdom from ever-growing forces of evil. Are their destinies entwined? Or will they be ripped apart forever?

The real story of Excalibur continues . . .

Purchase your copy here or read on Kindle Unlimited

About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over thirty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

My Review

Entwined
by Jody Hedlund
Book 2 in the Knights of Brethren series
Rating: 4/5

“Everything about him was engaging—his determination to protect the king, his effortless way of conversing, his intelligence and wit, his strong and compelling presence.”

I just flew through this story and enjoyed every moment. The chemistry between lost Princess Lis and Sir Ansgar was so apparent even Red recognized it before the two humans. I was excited to read more in this series and the author did not disappoint. The characters are further developed and it was fun to see my literary “friends” again. Though you could probably read this story as a standalone, it would make a little bit more sense if you read the previous book, Enamored, first. I believe this series will be four books total and I will be reading more in this series.

“The greatest honor a man can experience is dying to himself and living for a greater cause.”

The author’s characters and settings are so well done and the loose retelling of the King Arthur world is beautiful. This story was such a fun escape into Arthurian times but also included some faith aspects which I found appropriate and not forced. Lis must come to grips with her past and her heritage. Ansgar must deal with accusations of treason while trying to protect the king. As frustrating as villains are, the author does a great job with developing her villains and setting up the next books.

“One can never gain something truly valuable without sacrifice.”

Highly recommend for those that enjoy an explosive love story with dragons, bargains, and the magic of the real Excalibur!

Content: Clean read with some violence and action scenes.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Also Available

Read my review of Enamored here.

December 7, 2021 by Kim Book Reviews

Enamored by Jody Hedlund

Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

About the Book

Title: Enamored
Series: Knights of Brethren #1
Author: Jody Hedlund
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Northern Lights Press
Release Date: November 9, 2021

During a time when legends were born . . .

ENAMORED

A princess in need of a husband, a young Sage who cannot have her, and a web of deceit that threatens their love.

Having been raised by her childless aunt and uncle, the king and queen, Princess Elinor finds herself the only heir to the throne of Norvegia. As she comes of age, she must choose a husband to rule beside her, but she struggles to make her selection from among a dozen noblemen during a weeklong courtship.

With aspirations to become the wisest man in the land, Maxim is summoned home by his father Rasmus, a Royal Sage. Reunited with Elinor, once his closest friend, Maxim is quickly enamored with her even though he can never be considered a prospect for her husband.

Elinor’s feelings for Maxim are rekindled too . . . until she learns he has been unwillingly drawn into Rasmus’s scheme to take control of the throne. With the kingdom under attack both from within and without, can Elinor and Maxim overcome the deceit spinning around them? Or will it destroy their love once and for all?

The real story of Excalibur.

Grab your copy here!

About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over thirty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

My Review

Enamored
by Jody Hedlund
Book 1 in the Knights of Brethren series
Rating: 4/5

“God always gives us the exact amount of courage we need to face whatever task he puts before us.”

Wow! This reimagining of the story of Excalibur is adventurous and passionate and full of intelligent characters. The author is incredibly talented in making the reader fall in love with the main characters and want to see them together. However, I wish there was more world-building and felt that it will probably happen in the next few books. This particular story is more along the lines of retelling Merlin’s story then one of the knights of the round table.

“She was and always would be the sunrise in the dark shadows of my life.”

Jodie Hedlund writes a story of love unrequited that comes to a point of betrayal. She manages to weave her faith into the story in a subtle and tasteful manner. The love between the main characters is believable and one the reader will root for.

“If you let your fear determine your steps, you will always falter.”

The message of not letting fear rule your life is an important one. The characters must find a way to deal with their past fears and hurts to learn to love and trust again. I actually wasn’t sure the book was going to end on a happier note because it was a series and could technically continue their love story in the next book. However, the book can be read as a standalone.

“While I wanted more—a banquet of loving her for the rest of my life—I would gladly settle for any crumbs she might throw my way. Yes, I loved her enough that I would take even the smallest of crumbs.”

Highly recommend if you enjoy reimagined Arthurian tales with clean yet passionate romance, adventure and political intrigue!

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

November 2, 2021 by Kim Book Reviews

Book Review: Come Back to Me by Jody Hedlund

Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

About the Book

Title: Come Back to Me
Series: Waters of Time #1
Author: Jody Hedlund
Genre: Time Crossing Romance
Publisher: Revell Books
Release Date: June 1, 2021

The ultimate cure that could heal any disease? Crazy.

That’s exactly what research scientist Marian Creighton has always believed about her father’s quest, even if it does stem from a desire to save her sister Ellen from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them. But when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water believed to contain traces of residue from the Tree of Life, Marian must question all of her assumptions. He’s left behind tantalizing clues that suggest he’s crossed back in time. Insane. Until Marian tests his theories and finds herself in the Middle Ages during a dangerous peasant uprising.

William Durham, a valiant knight comes to Marian’s rescue and offers her protection . . . as his wife. The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?

Bestselling author Jody Hedlund is your guide down the twisting waters of time to a volatile era of superstition, revolts, and chivalry in this suspenseful story.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over thirty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

My Review

Come Back to Me
by Jody Hedlund
Book 1 in the Waters of Time series
Genre: Christian Romance, Science Fiction
Rating: 5/5

“She’d never expected to fall in love with the man of her dreams in 1381.”

Wow. Just wow. This book completely took me by surprise and I was up till 4am desperate to know what happened next. It is full of passion and romance with action and adventure plus time-travel. I definitely understand the comparison to Outlander but there’s something so endearing about the swoon-worthy Sir William Durham and his devotion to Marian. With hints of Outlander and Somewhere in Time, the author weaves an exciting and super romantic story about a woman trying to save her sister and her father.

Research scientist, Marian Creighton, is determined to find a cure for her sister. Working for Mercer Pharmaceuticals puts her in a great position, but she knows her sister is running out of time. When her father calls her with cryptic instructions, she doesn’t really put much weight into it because of his crazy theories and obsession with find the cure of all cures. When tragedy forces her to travel to Canterbury, she is determined to discover what happened to him and why someone seems to be after his research. As she follows the clues her father left her, she opens up a whole new world of time travel and decides to risk it all to save her sister and hopefully, her father.

What she experiences and finds in 1381 is not what she was expecting. When Sir William Durham comes to her rescue, she is grateful until she is forced into a marriage with him for her protection. The attraction between the two of them is immediate, but Marian must guard her heart and focus on her task to find the vials of holy water from the Tree of Life that will heal her sister. As she gets to know William, she finds that he may be feared as a knight but on the inside, he is a kind but tortured gentleman. He has his own demons to fight, but he realizes that there’s something about Marian that calms him and gives him peace. What will William do to protect the woman he loves? What will Marian sacrifice for love?

“Each moment with him had been more real than if she’d been living in the present. Every sound of his breath, every touch, every beat of his pulse—everything about him was more vibrant than anything she’d known before.”

The romance is strong with this one. My romantic heart could not take it. LOL. Obviously, in the beginning, all the attraction is mostly lust but as they talk and get to know each other, they fall in love. William marvels at how deeply he could fall in love with someone after his experience with his first marriage.

“He may be stubborn, milady. But he will love you to his dying breath.”

As for the science fiction and time traveling part, the theories about the Tree of Life are interesting and definitely come from history and the search for the “Fountain of Youth” and the author does a decent job of trying to explain the science and background. It’s still not crystal clear the way it all works but I hope to gain more understanding when I continue reading this series (because I will definitely be reading the next books). I was definitely impressed with the author’s world-building and cannot wait to read more.

Though I’ve said there’s lot of romance and passion, this book is still a CLEAN and CHRISTIAN romance novel with aspects of science fiction and time travel in it. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy Christian romance with lots of action and time-travel theories.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.