The Iron Princess

I would almost say it is better than the first book in the series… I was definitely very drawn in and could not put it down.

I love unconventional romances. There's something fresh and unique about them. I love it when it's a historical romance a little more, just because I read them so sparingly these days. The Iron Princess is definitely stands out for a number of reasons. The first is the time period in which it is set and the second is the location. Even better, the story features some characters from a book that precedes it, although you don't have to read it to keep up with what's going on.

Katia is the daughter of a powerful Jarl or warlord and she's received training in combat. She's no weakling. She's smart, brave, and proactive. She doesn't take no for an answer but will find a way to make things happen. I really admired that about her. Katia is also a little reckless even though she's got the best intentions at heart. I loved seeing her try to reconcile her attraction to Lothair and her desire to avoid marriage. It was very entertaining to see which would rule, her heart or her head. When it comes to Lothair, he also has power at his fingertips. He's also a child of nobility but the circumstances of his birth have soured him on his life, something I got. Lothair is looking to do something and finding a wife is not it.

Lothair and Katia are both passionate hot heads, Katia more so. The two butt heads often and it strengthens the tension between them. The two had amazing chemistry and I enjoyed seeing them get along as much as I did seeing them bicker. I think part of the reason that works out so well is because they were thrown together in a high pressure situation. Speaking of which, I loved the history lesson about the politics of the time. I was on edge for a large portion of the book. I wasn't sure what was going to happen and since the story is very fast paced there wasn't much time to stop and ponder what was going to happen next.

I think Sandra Lake has done a wonderful job at crafting a story that's suspenseful, romantic, and entertaining. I read this book in a handful of hours and in one sitting. It didn't matter if I was happy, on edge, angry, or sad, there was no way I could put this book down. My emotions were fully engaged. I don't know how Sandra is going to top this book, but I'm looking forward to it.

This book goes nowhere very slowly. The characters have no chemistry. Truly going to the dentist to remove teeth would be less painful experience.