She

Ivy is a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair who has magical powers and protects a sacred magical forest. She also happens to be a shape-shifting unicorn with the ability to heal, and who takes her responsibilities to the forest and her fellow magical beings very seriously. Blaze Williams is a wizard and Ivy was his first and only true love. In addition he is a virgin, something unheard of for a man his age in the present day. However, as much as he loves Ivy, he has done his best to avoid temptation by staying away from her because he was taught that he would need all his power for a great task, and having sex with Ivy would drain some of that power. On the eve of Blaze's father's death, he discovers the magical text, The Canticles of Al Farasakh is missing. With this book someone could create all sorts of evil. On top of it all, Blaze discovers that his father sold the land Ivy's forest stands on to an unscrupulous and dangerous man. With the book missing, and knowing that he cannot alone find it, Blaze contemplates asking Ivy to help him. In the meantime, there is an intruder to Ivy's forest, someone who has no respect for its creatures, and Ivy finds her cousin nearly dead from having her hide skinned and her horn cut off. Desperate to heal her cousin, but finding that she cannot do it alone, Ivy begins to search for a virgin with whom she can meld her power and heal her cousin. After a few tries later with less than satisfactory results she stumbles upon the man who left her, and his power is great. Will she ask him for his help despite the danger to her heart? Will Blaze risk the temptation to be with the woman he loves even though it means he may lose the very power he needs to defeat the darkness? Wow! She is a page-turner galore! Ms. Betts has written her best story yet with this one. I was absolutely ecstatic that for once the man got to be the virgin, instead of the woman. So many romances have the woman being the virgin, and it was so refreshing to have it be the guy for a change. The world building is incredible and makes the story so real that you feel as though the characters could step off the pages and talk to you. The story line is very original; this is not your mother's fairytale and by the end of the book, you will find that you are very glad this is so. I really loved the solid heart-centered characters, as well as the sizzling sex. I hope that Ms. Betts has more like this one planned in the future, because she now has a fan for life! Regina Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance

The most powerful book known to mankind and watched over with diligence for two centuries The Canticles of Al Farasakh has vanished from under his care. Virginal warrior mage Blaze Williams is frantic and despondent because he understands misuse of the tome means evil has entered the planet. He vows to find the ancient book or die trying. Ivy, guardian of the woods that protect the sacred Heart Of The World gemstone, source of all magic, is frightened as she realizes for the first time under her watch a viable threat has surfaced. Apparently an evil wizard who with a recent theft has become extremely powerful has plans for the stone. Realizing she cannot do her job alone, Ivy needs magical assistance. She knows who would be perfect as a complement to her power, but he rejected her in high school. Still pride aside, Ivy begs Blaze to help her protect the stone. He agrees because he thinks her adversary stole his book and besides he always was attracted to Blaze as a teen and now as an adult human and unicorn. This is a romantic fantasy thriller that though well written is outside the scope of the imprint as the sex comes late. Still this is an interesting tale as the two mages must merge their magic and souls to defeat a powerful amoral enemy. Readers will enjoy this fine thriller as Lucinda Betts provides an engaging tale unlike THE SUPPLICANT and MOON SHADOW; sans erotica. Harriet Klausner