Bride by Command

In Jones' Fyne Witches trilogy a pair of twin sons are born to Emperor Sebestyen of Columbyana. Now adults, Emperor Jahn and his moments-younger twin, Prince Alixandyr have begun an adventure to find a bride for the Emperor. There is to be a contest, six women of worth from varying lands are to be brought to the palace to be offered the chance to be Empress. Messengers are sent to the far places at the height of the Spring Festival to return with the ladies in time for the Summer Festival where Jahn will choose his bride. The majority of Bride by Command coincides with the stories from Untouchable and 22 Nights, as Jahn himself sets out to bring one of the bridal candidates back by himself. A little adventure before becoming a married man seems like a good decision so he travels to fetch one of the nearest ladies, one Lady Morgana Ramsden. Before her mother died Morgana promised to marry only for love. Since then she has refused plenty of offers of marriage much to the annoyance of her adoptive father. Naturally, when the emperor's sentinels arrive to escort her to the palace as a potential future empress she refuses once again. Not only will she only marry for love but she has a secret she must hide. When one of the emperor's sentinels--the Emperor himself--catching her stepfather in a moment of temper claims Morgana as his bride she has no choice but to be lead to the palace. But as the journey comes to an end a fondness grows between them. Jahn cannot keep up the charade of sentinel and emperor forever and with his bridal cadidates being picked off Morgana is in grave danger. As the secrets begin to unravel the secrets they've been keeping from one another could bring them together... or tear them apart. If you've been following this trilogy from the beginning chances are you've been waiting for this one with baited breath. Fortunately, Jahn and his heroine do not disappoint! Sure, the story is a little cookie-cutter formulaic but who doesn't love a good 'secret identity' romance? As a couple Morgana and Jahn's chemistry begins with a slow bubble which eventually comes to a passionate boil. During the time she doesn't know who he really is the way she falls for him was very endearing. Just the sort of realistic falling in love tale a real woman can relate to. As the final book in the trilogy the conclusion of the overall story including the evil former empress Rikka and her scheming comes together a little unexpectedly but with lots of fireworks. As with the other books in the trilogy a secondary romance between one of the bridal candidates Danya and another secondary character (sorry not spoiling it for you!) provides another entertaining sidestory. Overall this closed out the trilogy very nicely and the trilogy as a whole was a lot of fun. Romantic, adventuresome and great paranormal fantasy romance!

I loved this book! Linda Windstead Jones really knows how to explore and develop her characters. She takes the time to gently show us the complexity of their actions and emotions in such a way that I ached for them! Even if she stripped all the paranormal aspects which I find irresistible, the characters would STILL carry the story. This book was no exception. Bride by Command is the 3rd in her trilogy that actually is connected to 2 prior trilogies. (The first of the Fyne Witches, then the Children of the Sun and this series the Emperors Brides) The world building and magical characters are vivid and mesmerizing. She deftly crafts a paranormal world that is constantly changing, but flows so easily I never found myself getting lost. In this story she writes about 2 people who wish for love but feel they will be unlikely to find it. Because of this, the miracle of their growing love is all the more poignant. One because he is an emperor and must marry for politics and the other because she is afraid of her uncontrollable powers. Both find love in an unexpected and tender story that was a sheer joy to read. (Added bonus are other characters with moving stories, too!) I don't know what write except you must give this author a try. Because it is part of a series you might want to read the prior books but it is not necessary to enjoy this treasure. If you are looking for an emotionally satisfying read that pulls at the heart and will bring tears to your eyes, you will not be disappointed!