Synopsis (from Amazon):
He took her inncence…She took his honor. But when danger unhinges their world, someone will have to fall on their sword.
The lust. The betrayal. The love. Sometimes the hardest battle…is seducing your enemy.
Alexandra wants one thing: to train with her sword, never mind the outraged public. But when the achingly handsome Monsieur Philippe kisses her, she finds herself willing to give up her heart and even her blade to be with him. That is, until she learns Philippe took another woman to bed after giving Alexandra her first kiss. Shattered and humiliated, Alexandra is done with etiquette.
She’s done with skirts and ruffles. And men. Now, five years later, she’s a mercenary, known for her quick wits, expert blade, and dedication to protecting the people she guides through the uncharted forests of Provence. And if, by chance, she ever sees Philippe again, she’ll have no problem knocking that seductive smile right off his goddamned face.
Philippe never forgot the tender kiss he and Alexandra shared, and he never forgave himself for acting so badly. Years later, when he finds himself tracking a mysterious band of foes, the mercenary hired to lead him is none other than the enticing girl he unwittingly destroyed.
But Alexandra is a woman now, a breathtaking and dangerous woman. Though he must balance his mounting desire for her with his duty to tame the venomous nest of criminals, Philippe soon realizes that winning Alexandra’s affection will mean he must strip his pride, lay his title on the line, and fight harder than ever before. And if dodging a few of her punches means he can maybe get another taste of her, then this adventure might be more explosive than he ever expected.
Excerpt
“I should have liked to have this pool to myself,” she said with a purr, a smile still on her lips. “It seems too small for two.”
Her teasing allowed him to find his words again. “When in truth it is far too big,” he drawled, his voice deep in his throat. He pursued her, moving closer as she inched back around the edge of the spring. He had tried so hard to manage his desire for her. He had promised to keep things professional during this trip; God knew how many times his attraction for this woman had turned so terribly wrong, but it was so deep-seated in him by now that he could no longer fight it.
Alex stretched her arms out in front of her. “You stay back,” she said, that smile still in her eyes.
“I shall try,” he said. “But you have left your sword on the bank, so you have no means by which to protect yourself.”
“Well, Monsieur,” she purred again, “I am much better at grappling than I used to be.”
He groaned and fell back into the water, the words having knocked him clean over. “Now you are just teasing me,” he said when he emerged.
“I am sorry,” she said coyly, “but I don’t know what you mean.”
“You are not so naïve that you don’t know what you are saying.” She smiled at that and continued slipping through the warm water. He was helpless to resist the pull and he continued his slow pursuit of her. “In fact,” he continued. “You are far too alluring to be so innocent.”
Her eyes opened wide as his comment put a blush in her cheeks. She looked down and drew a circle in the water. “You still don’t believe my innocence?” She asked, looking back at him, her eyes glimmering with playfulness once more.
“I do. But I don’t understand it.” He paused. “May I ask you a question?” he said.
“Aye,” she replied.
“There is something I wonder about you.”
“Aye,” she repeated.
“You shun the traditions of womanhood, but why have you not shunned…” he hesitated. “All of them?”
She looked at him quietly. “You mean to ask why I have not taken a lover?”
“Well, you have taken on the life of a man. But none of the fun.”
“Ah,” she said, tucking her chin down to her chest and looking up at him blithely. “It is very fun to take a man down with my sword.”
He moved around her, still searching for a way to get closer. “Answer my question,” he pressed.
“I will,” she said, his boldness seeming to shake her. “But then you will answer one for me?”
“I agree,” he said and took the liberty to run his eyes over her body once more.
She dipped again into the water, a slick stream licking her skin and changing the pattern of her hair across her breasts. “Well, My Lord,” she began. She was sarcastic at first, but then her face changed. She looked away, and when she looked back to him, her eyes were full of inexperience and it was the first time he had seen this face on her since she was young. It roused intense feelings inside of him.
“Philippe,” she corrected herself, using a smile to hide her nerves and giving him the rare gift of his name. “I don’t trust myself,” she said. She lowered her gaze. “I am weak. I fear I would get attached. To someone who isn’t as attached to me.” She brought her hands up to follow the ripples in the water. “And besides, it could never be what I hope for.”
“What do you hope for?”
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “To feel special, I suppose.”
He said nothing for a moment, her words having struck him deeply. He wanted to take her in his arms, to hold her body close in the hot water, but he feared she would run like a wild animal if he tried. Instead, he spoke softly, earnestly. “Alex.” He made sure to look deep into her eyes and hold her gaze. He wanted her to know he was sincere. “You are special. Don’t you know?”
She broke his eye contact. “I am strange,” she said with a smile before letting it fade from her lips as she spoke her next words. “It is not the same thing.”
He watched her, still pressing closer, unable to stop. “A man would be lucky to have you,” he said.
She laughed away his words. “You are being kind,” she replied. “But now it is my turn to ask a question.”
Why didn’t she believe him, he wondered. Did he not seem sincere? He wanted to press further but instead acquiesced, still afraid of pushing her too far. “Alright,” he said finally.
With his assent, her brashness returned. “Why,” she began with a teasing smile, “do you wait for me to go to bed each night in the towns? Do you fear I will run off with your horse?”
He stared at her for a long moment. “I thought it was obvious,” he said, looking into her eyes as bright as the stars. “I want you to see that I go to bed alone.”
Florence A. Bliss is an author from Las Vegas, NV who has a keen eye for writing love stories full of drama, heartache, humor, and enough seduction to light the pages on fire. With an MFA in creative writing from UNLV, Florence loves to write across genres but has found her home in romance.
She lives with her fancy Italian husband and two children. Together they love to travel, explore the ghost towns around Las Vegas, road trip up and down the Pacific coast, and of course drink coffee out of tiny cups (milk for the kids).
Florence is an avid people watcher and strives to understand why people do what they do, and she never tires of imagining the stories of what couples have had to overcome in order to come together.
Website
https://www.florenceabliss.com/
Amazon
Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213784980-taken-by-his-sword
Praise:
“This book has it all! It was spicy. It was exciting! There was a really compelling mystery I couldn't wait to solve. I loved how the author used fighting as foreplay between our main characters. DE-LICIOUS. Alex and Philippe are really well matched. I love a strong heroine and a worshipping hero. The slow burn was fantastic! Their chemistry was scorching hot. I love emotional love scenes, and Bliss delivers!!”
“Wow. I did not expect this! This book offered to take me away, and I let it. I cannot wait to see more from this author. It truly moved me, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.”
– Des (Amazon reviewer)
“Highly recommend to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a strong independent female lead, a bit of well crafted spiciness and a happy ending.”
–Emmeline Everdeen (Amazon reviewer)
“My first historical romance and it was wonderful! Set in 1600s France, Alexandra and Philippe have a history. What started as her first kiss ended in her first heartbreak. 5 years later, they reconnect for a mission and find so much more. Loved the reconnection, spice, and so much more!”
– Stephanie Stoffella (Amazon reviewer)
“If you’re like me, you’d hesitate to pick up a sword-fighting book set in France centuries ago. But the author made it so fun interspersing sexual tension with sword play. There was plenty of suspense and danger afoot too not knowing who could be trusted. Ms. Bliss mixed modern touches of strong women and popular language with the honor and lifestyle of that historical period. Can’t wait to read the next one!”
– boomerbookstagram (Amazon reviewer)
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