September 1, 2024
Donovan (Sunrise Cabin) offers a unique rom-com premise. Sir Griffin de Beauford has been cursed to appear as a stone statue. Emily Porter works at the Art Institute of Chicago and is restoring Beauford when she breaks the curse. A medieval knight alive in the 21st century could be what HEAs are made of. Prepub Alert.
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September 15, 2024
While restoring a statue of a medieval knight for the Art Institute of Chicago, conservator Emily Porter could swear the statue is speaking to her. It is certainly true that Emily has been under some stress at work and at home, so could she be losing her grip on reality? It turns out that Emily is not imagining things. Centuries ago, Sir Griffin de Beauford was imprisoned in stone by a disgruntled, jealous friend with access to magic. With some assistance from her witchy coworker, Rose Novak, Emily bestows a kiss upon Griffin that breaks the spell and sets him free. Emily has dreamed of one day finding her own knight in shining armor, but can Griffin successfully make the transition from living in the days of yore to entering a world he never could have envisioned in his wildest dreams? Readers looking for a fresh and fun take on paranormal love stories will be smitten with Donovan's whimsical, witty, and wonderfully amusing romance.
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September 16, 2024
Arthurian legend meets spicy modern rom-com in this diverting contemporary from Donovan (the Knights of Manus Sancti series). Emily Porter abandoned her own dreams to support her husband—and now she’s trying to put her life back together after their divorce. A temporary conservator position at the Art Institute of Chicago is a good start and when she’s put in charge of restoring a statue of a medieval knight, she hopes it’s an opportunity to prove that she should be hired permanently. There’s something odd about the statue, however. Sir Griffin de Beauford was transformed into stone by a centuries-old curse. Though paralyzed, he’s able to communicate with his statue’s owners in their dreams—and Emily is the first person ever to listen. She reverses the curse with a kiss, freeing him. Donovan has a lot of fun with the culture clash between life in modern-day Chicago and Griffin’s chivalric sensibilities and flowery language (“You are the queen of my heart, and all the days of my life I will do you service where you will command me,” he tells Emily), and tosses in plenty of steamy sex scenes. Unfortunately, character development is occasionally lost in the mix, with little room for nuance as the plot careens along. Still, there’s plenty to enjoy here.