Book Tour for Taken by the Passion by Maxine Mansfield (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Taken by the Passion by Maxine Mansfield is a sexy story that incorporates some delightful humor.  It's a continuation of the Academy series and not to be missed.  Keep reading to get my impressions of it and make sure to leave a comment for your chance to win a bookstore GC!

Lizbeth wasn't given a choice whom to marry. She'd been betrothed to the, stubborn, arrogant, egotistical, Adan Hammerstrike, barbarian prince, heir to the throne of Alaria, and...and...murderer, since the day she'd been born. But, did that mean she wasn't entitled to follow her own dreams? Especially if those dreams could keep those she cared for safe? And so what if Adan had grown from the troll of a little boy he'd been into a ridiculously handsome, sexy man. Her heart could resist him, couldn't it?

The last thing on Albrath, Adan ever wanted was to be saddled for all of eternity to the screeching, boring, lackluster, Lizbeth Soulenticer. Though her beauty's beyond compare, there are only so many turns of the hourglass in a night to enjoy it. The rest of the unbearable time, he'll be forced to contend with her silly, hero worship, and her stupid pet choices. But, Adan is a man bound by duty and honor, and he will do what he must, even though he longs for a mate who will challenge him in bed and out. Not that he'll give her his heart, mind you, at least not until they both find themselves Taken by the Passion.

EXCERPT:

He held out a hand toward her. "Spend this one night with me, Lizbeth, and  if you still feel the same in  the morning, we'll talk about you possibly going to the Academy and taking a fewclasses now and  then. After all, how would it look to my family and friends if my brand new wife took off before the sun rises on her wedding night? I have appearances to uphold, we both do."
Lizbeth sizzled with anger. "I don't like you, remember? I couldn't care less how this looks to anybody, and...and...and, I won't spend this night or any other with you, until I have to, even on a bet."
Adan grinned. "Really? Not even on a bet? What if a bet was to get you exactly what you say you want most? A life of your own without a moment's interference from me until the day I do become king?"
Lizbeth shook her head and turned to leave, yet Adan's next words not only stopped her forward motion but had her turning and facing him once more.
"I never took you for a coward, Lizbeth, guess I was wrong. You say you know me better than I know myself. I say prove it, Lizard. If you can manage to answer ten...no make that five questions about me correctly, you win."
His grin grew even bigger. "And if you win, not only will I escort you to the front gate and wave you through the portal on your way to the Academy, I'll be happy to inform my family and friends that you're leaving me. That you find a dusty, old institution more sexually appealing than you do your own husband, and rightly so."
The grin disappeared from his face. "But, if you don't answer all of the questions correctly, you'll spend this one night, this entire night, willingly in my bed, in my arms, as my wife, in everysense of the word. Deal?"
He held out his hand again, and Lizbeth stared at it. Her fingers itched with the temptation to take him up on his offer. A life without interference or being under Adan's thumb, even for a short while, was more than a little tempting. Could she trust him, though? Lizbeth hesitated, weighing her options. Other than being a bunny killer, Adan Hammerstrike was
known far and wide for his word. Once he gave it, he never took it back. She'd spent the majority of every day, for as long as she could remember, learning everything there was to know about the arrogant barbarian prince. She couldn't lose, and this was an opportunity she couldn't afford to pass up.
Lizbeth smiled as she shook his hand. "Deal."

BUY LINKS:   AMAZON (KINDLE)   |   WILD ROSE PUBLISHING

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Into a fantasy-filled world of trolls, gnomes, dragons, elves, and sexy barbarians we are introduced to a strong-willed couple who have to put aside inner turmoil and outside interferences in order to find their HEA.  Their journey is a rocky one that puts their hearts and very lives in jeopardy at times.  As part of a series we're reunited with past characters while discovering new ones which adds an element of family to this story as the secondary characters band together to help the main couple reach their HEA.  Along with the vivid fantastical imagery comes a sexy and heart-wrenching romance that frustrated me at times as each character struggled to do the right thing throughout the story.

Lizbeth has been trained since birth to be the perfect wife to Prince Adan.  Every minute of every day is spent in classes learning every little facet of Adan's life from his favorite foods to favorite sexual positions.  As Adan's mother, the Queen, finds Lizbeth to be of inferior birth the training takes on a sadistic bent that leaves her traumatized and looking for some sort of reprieve of what's to come.  She's finally of age, and after devoting her youth to Adan, she finally wants to experience life.  She wants to go to the prestigious Academy to become an Enchantress so she can defend herself and those she loves from being hurt like she once was.  For years she's thought of Adan as a cruel bunny-killer only concerned with his desires, but is surprised by the man she discovers.  Adan is charming, sexy, and playful, desperately sorry for his youthful act of bunny-killing.  She finds him hard to resist but is determined to attend the Academy and it's with new husband in tow that she sets out to acheive her dreams.  Lizbeth starts off the story rather quiet but quickly evolves into a strong-willed woman willing to manipulate her man to get what she wants.  She's easy to upset, and at times shows a childish side with her emotional tantrums, but when push comes to shove she shows an unexpected backbone that puts even the Queen in her place.

Adan remembers the young Lizbeth well and thinks she'll be another bland female only concerned with his needs.  What he gets is a formidable woman desperate to spread her wings.  She's just as good at compromise as he is and he admires not only her cleverness but her beauty too.  Once he has her he doesn't plan on letting her go and follows her to the Academy where he plans to seduce her to get her to put aside her lifelong dreams and join him by his side.  Adan is like most men and doesn't understand the nuances of romance (he thinks Lizard is a cute pet name for her) so it's a comical war between the sexes as he tries to win her heart.  With his family and friends cheering him on it's an erotic and heartwarming journey to their admitting their mutual love.  It's not until a quest to kill a legendary creature that they realize the depth of their feelings for one another and how quickly the end might be.  This results in a teary-eyed conclusion that brings about an immensely satisfying conclusion.

This is a fun and at times action-packed story.  The main couple is delightfully complex but their tendency to jump to conclusions is frustrating at times.  Just when they appear to be heading in the same direction something sets the other off and we again hit a roadblock.  Their relationship is fun a flirty and highly erotic and there's numerous HOT scenes to make readers blush.  The secondary characters are equally entertaining and colorful and play vital parts in the story.  Lizbeth's childhood issues are understandably traumatic but it's stereotypical that she receive such vehement words from her mother-in-law though Lizbeth's ultimate handling of her made me smile.  The overall story does go on a bit long but I still found myself completely immersed in this fantasy world and look forward to returning to it soon.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

AUTHOR INFO:

My name is Maxine Mansfield and I write romantic fantasy. I live in the far northern state of Alaska where the summer days are long and the winter nights even longer.  I have one very special man, our three equally special children, and six delightful grandchildren in my life. Not to mention a very bossy African Grey parrot named Gabriel.
Oh, and Gnomes! many, many gnomes.

http://www.maxinemansfield.com/blog.html
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**********GIVEAWAY**********

Maxine will be awarding a $25 Amazon or BN GC (winner's choice) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 8/16.