#ill try to find the ref i used and link in the morning

[kevkage-blog]

[anthonypaulh]

The MIND really MATTERS !

Now that the last of the festive satsumas have finally been finished and the most wonderful time of the year is now just an empty Advent calendar, it’s time to move on. 

Yes another New Year and never have we needed more, to check that the old one really has left the building. Goodbye 2020 and very good riddance.

The last 12 months have been pretty unpleasant for all of us. Let’s be clear about it, 2020 was absolutely horrible. With Covid-19 and the the inherent health risks it has presented, the seemingly endless lockdowns, so many restrictions & so much uncertainty, it’s been tough. 

None of us like uncertainty but then add in that we folk, living with ITP already have plenty to think about and even more so those of us who are on immune suppressing drugs to control our enigmatic condition. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the perfect storm !

I have written before about the impact of being diagnosed with and living with ITP on our mental health but the latest Covid-19 pandemic and everything that goes with it, clearly ratchets things up  a few notches. The impact that it has had on our mental health is one of the most testing and often hidden aspects of the pandemic.

 It is important to understand that we all have different levels of tolerance for uncertainty and stress. We all have different perspectives and we need to recognise that what one person may find easy to adapt to and live with, another person may see as a major crisis. I always try to remember the old saying that you should never judge someone before you walk a mile in their shoes. 

The initial impact that my ITP had on me when I was diagnosed in 2006 was definitely more mental than physical. I had never been unwell before in my life so the arrival of ITP completely shocked me, knocked my confidence and undermined my self belief. 

Trickier still was getting across to other people, the mental fatigue that the illness inflicts upon us. It's the uncertainty. We are on the lookout all the time for any signs of mystery bruising, nose bleeds, gum bleeds or worse. It's part of our routine.

But, over time, I gradually learned to cope with it and my ITP diagnosis prompted me to re-assess the direction that my life needed to take as I moved forward. It gave me an opportunity to take a good look at the things that I really wanted to do and how I wanted to do them. I got the chance to completely reprioritise and reorder my life. 

Now I am not suggesting that everyone do exactly what I did but I can definitely recommend reassessing where you are & what you want to do. It is probably something we all say that we will do but never get around to. Life just happens while we are making other plans, sounds familiar !

As we forge ahead with new optimism for 2021, the following are ……

Things that I have found helpful -

Talk to your family and friends about your ITP - it helps to let those closest to you know what you are going through, what they might expect from you & how they can help.

Join the regular ITP Support Association ZOOM Local support group meetings & the Annual Convention. They are a wonderful way to connect with others & have eminent specialists in ITP available to put questions to. 

Make use of the FREE ITP Support Association HealthUnlocked platform at https://healthunlocked.com/itpsupport. It is a forum written by us, for us to share experiences, knowledge & support each other.

Read the ITP Support Association website regularly as it has plenty of up to date, reliable information, frequently updated www.itpsupport.org.uk 

Do NOT feel alone. The ITP Support Association has a panel of Patient Mentors available FREE of charge to MEMBERS. We also have FREE of charge to everyone (Members or not) a lively Facebook Group, TWITTER & Instagram Feeds.

TWITTER - Please feel free to Direct Message me on my personal TWITTER feed if you want a chat or someone to sound off to. None of us know all the answers but we can all help each other. My TWITTER feed is @Patch1Purple. 

Keeping busy. Especially with Covid-19 lockdowns & restrictions we have all felt more isolated than usual.                                                                                                                                                           

The Following things are those which have kept me busy during lockdown  (many of them part of my routine pre Covid-19 too) -

A) Gardening, I have been growing some of my own fruit and vegetables for the last 10 years & I am never short of work to do. Roll on Spring !

B) Reading, I read on average one book per week but still cannot bring myself to love E-Books. Must be my age !

C) Listening to music - I have over 3000 vinyl records so I have plenty of material to get through. Music has always been a huge passion but during this pandemic it has become vital.

D) Listening to PodCasts - my favourites are sport, music, gardening or book related.

E) Visiting favourite museums/galleries online - personal favourites are The Wallace Collection, The Sir John Soane Museum, The National Gallery, The Ashmolean, The British Museum, Tate Britain , The Museum of London & The London Transport Museum but options are numerous.

F) Using the Future Learn programme of FREE online courses at https://www.futurelearn.com to explore a wide range of subjects.

G) Utilising You Tube to explore information from the ITP Support Association and the Platelet Disorder Support Association, & of course any other subjects that may interest you,.

H) Listen to the Radio - I tune into the Robert Elms Show on BBC Radio London most mornings & BBC Radio Berkshire for local news.

I) Watch some TV - my favourite for 2020 was The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix but there is plenty available on all channels, especially the BBCi player.

J) Keeping in touch with family, friends, colleagues via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or just pick up the phone.

K) Watching an online /virtual music performance, my chosen venue is Ronnie Scott’s and they have regular FREE live streams at https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk 

L) Getting some exercise, A 30 minute brisk walk daily is enough. Just ensure you observe the Covid-19 social distancing & other guidelines BUT don’t overdo things (always consult your medical professional about how much exercise you should or can do).

 M) Writing, I try to post something every week to my blog but you may wish to start writing or take up another creative hobby like painting, drawing, cooking, photography, etc.

AND - Finally - Don’t forget to eat a healthy, balanced diet, drink plenty of water and get restful sleep.

Here’s to a happy, healthy 2021 !

PS - Anyone who wishes to read a full account of my ITP story since my diagnosis in 2006 will find everything about my ITP experience in my book - 

My Purple Patch - Living with ITP available in paperback or E-Book format via Amazon. 

For the UK the link is at - https://www.amazon.co.uk/MY-PURPLE-PATCH-Living-ITP/dp/1728761808/ref=sr_1_1?crid=SMPCRD3LU7DV&dchild=1&keywords=my+purple+patch+living+with+itp&qid=1611920059&sprefix=My+Purple+Patch%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-1

For the USA the link is at - https://www.amazon.com/MY-PURPLE-PATCH-Living-ITP/dp/1728761808/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611920315&sr=8-1

For anywhere else just search Amazon under books for - My Purple Patch - Living with ITP

The MIND really MATTERS especially during these very difficult times, we all need to find a little peace and calmness in our lives !

Picture taken by my good self in May 2018 East Preston , West Sussex

[dazzledbybooks]

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz. Caledon Holt is the Kingdom of Renovia's deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in brawn or brains, which is why he's the Guild's most dangerous member and the Queen's one and only assassin. He's also bound to the Queen by an impossible vow--to find the missing Deian Scrolls, the fount of all magical history and knowledge, stolen years ago by a nefarious sect called the Aphrasians. Shadow has been training all her life to follow in the footsteps of her mother and aunts--to become skilled enough to join the ranks of the Guild. Though magic has been forbidden since the Aphrasian uprising, Shadow has been learning to control her powers in secret, hoping that one day she'll become an assassin as feared and revered as Caledon Holt. When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they're forced to team up as assassin and apprentice to hunt down a new sinister threat to Renovia. But as Cal and Shadow grow closer, they'll uncover a shocking web of lies and secrets that may destroy everything they hold dear. With war on the horizon and true love at risk, they'll stop at nothing to protect each other and their kingdom in this stunning first novel in the Queen's Secret series. The Queen's Assassin (Queen's Secret #1) by Melissa de la Cruz Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons Release Date: February 4th 2020 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Book Links: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39334176-the-queen-s-assassin Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WQpCSR B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-queens-assassin-melissa-de-la-cruz/1131493132 iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-queens-assassin/id1463329191 Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Queens-Assassin-Melissa-de-La-Cruz/9780525515913?ref=grid-view&qid=1573047342544&sr=1-2 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-queen-s-assassin-5 Google books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Melissa_de_la_Cruz_The_Queen_s_Assassin?id=mNqXDwAAQBAJ Excerpt: Chapter OneShadowSomething or someone is following me. I’ve been wandering the woods forquite a while, but now it feels as if something—or someone—is watching. Ithought it was one of my aunts at first—it was odd they didn’t chase after methis time. Maybe they didn’t expect me to go very far. But it’s not them.I stop and pull my hood back to listen to the forest around me. There is onlythe wind whistling through the branches and the sound of my own breathing.Whoever is following me is very good at hiding. But I am not afraid.Slivers of light penetrate the dense foliage in spots, shining streaks onto theblanket of decaying leaves and mud under my boots. As I slice through thickvines and clamber over rotting logs, speckled thrushes take flight from theforest floor before disappearing overhead. I pause to listen to them sing toone another, chirping elegant messages back and forth, a beautiful songcarrying warnings, no doubt, about the stranger stomping through theirhome.Being out here helps me clear my head. I feel more peaceful here among thewild creatures, closer to my true self. After this morning’s argument at home,it’s precisely what I need—some peace. Some space. Time to myself.My aunts taught me that sometimes when the world is too much, when lifestarts to feel overwhelming, we must strip away what’s unnecessary, seekout the quiet, and listen to the dirt and trees. “All the answers you seek arethere, but only if you are willing to hear them,” Aunt Moriah always says.That’s all I’m doing, I tell myself. Following their advice. Perhaps that’s whythey allowed me to run off into the woods. Except they’re probably hopingI’ll find their answers here, not my own. That I’ll finally come to my senses.Anger bubbles up inside me. All I have ever wanted is to follow in theirfootsteps and join the ranks of the Hearthstone Guild. It’s the one thing I’vewanted more than anything. We don’t just sell honey in the market. They’vepractically been training me for the Guild all my life—how can they deny me? Ikick the nearest tree as hard as I can, slamming the sole of my boot into its solid trunk. That doesn’t make me feel much better, though, and I freeze,wondering if whatever or whoever is following me has heard.I know it is a dangerous path, but what nobler task is there than to continuethe Guild’s quest? To recover the Deian Scrolls and exact revenge upon ourenemies. They can’t expect me to sit by and watch as others take on thechallenge.All the women I look up to—Ma, my aunt Moriah, and Moriah’s wife, my auntMesha—belong to the Guild; they are trained combatants and wise women.They are devotees of Deia, the One Mother, source of everything in the worldof Avantine, from the clouds overhead to the dirt underfoot. Deia worship wascommon once but not anymore, and those who keep to its beliefs have theGuild to thank for preserving the old ways. Otherwise that knowledge wouldhave disappeared long ago when the Aphrasians confiscated it from thepeople. The other kingdoms no longer keep to the old ways, even as theyconspire to learn our magic.As wise women they know how to tap into the world around us, to harness theenergy that people have long forgotten but other creatures have not. Mymother and aunts taught me how to access the deepest levels of my instincts,the way that animals do, to sense danger and smell fear. To become deeply intune with the universal language of nature that exists just below the surface ofhuman perception, the parts we have been conditioned not to hear anymore.While I call them my aunts, they are not truly related to me, even if AuntMoriah and my mother grew up as close as sisters. I was fostered here becausemy mother’s work at the palace is so important that it leaves little time forraising a child.A gray squirrel runs across my path and halfway up a nearby tree. It stops andlooks at me quizzically. “It’s all right,” I say. “I’m not going to hurt you.” It waitsuntil I start moving again and scampers the rest of the way up the trunk.The last time I saw my mother, I told her of my plans to join the Guild. Ithought she’d be proud of me. But she’d stiffened and paused before saying,“There are other ways to serve the crown.”Naturally, I’d have preferred her to be with me, every day, like other mothers, but I’ve never lacked for love or affection. My aunts had been there for everybedtime tale and scraped knee, and Ma served as a glamorous and heroicfigure for a young woman to look up to. She would swoop into my life, almostalways under the cover of darkness, cloaked and carrying gifts, like the lovelypair of brocade satin dance slippers I’ll never forget. They were as ill-suited forrural life as a pair of shoes could possibly be, and I treasured them for it. “Thebest cobbler in Argonia’s capital made these,” she told me. I marveled at that,how far they’d traveled before landing on my feet.Yes, I liked the presents well enough. But what made me even happier werethe times she stayed long enough to tell me stories. She would sit on the edgeof my bed, tuck my worn quilt snugly around me, and tell me tales of Avantine,of the old kingdom.Our people are fighters, she’d say. Always were. I took that to mean I would beone too.I think about these stories as I whack my way through the brush. Why wouldmy mother tell me tales of heroism, adventure, bravery, and sacrifice, unless Iwas to train with the Guild as well? As a child, I was taught all the basics—survival and tracking skills, and then as I grew, I began combat training andarchery.I do know more of the old ways than most, and I’m grateful for that, but it isn’tenough. I want to know as much as they do, or even more. I need to belong tothe Guild.Now I fear I never will have that chance.“Ouch!” I flinch and pull my hand back from the leaves surrounding me.There’s a thin sliver of blood seeping out of my skin. I was so lost in mythoughts that I accidentally cut my hand while hacking through shrubbery. Thewoods are unfamiliar here, wilder and denser. I’ve never gone out this far. Thepath ahead is so overgrown it’s hard to believe there was ever anyone herebefore me, let alone a procession of messengers and traders and visitorstraveling between Renovia and the other kingdoms of Avantine. But that wasbefore. Any remnants of its prior purpose are disappearing quickly. Even myblade, crafted from Argonian steel—another present from Ma—struggles tosever some of the more stubborn branches that have reclaimed the road for the wilderness.I try to quiet my mind and concentrate on my surroundings. Am I lost? Issomething following me? “What do I do now?” I say out loud. Then Iremember Aunt Mesha’s advice: Be willing to hear.I breathe, focus. Re-center. Should I turn back? The answer is so strong, it’spractically a physical shove: No. Continue. I suppose I’ll push through, then.Maybe I’ll discover a forgotten treasure along this path.Woodland creatures watch me, silently, from afar. They’re perched in branchesand nestled safely in burrows. Sometimes I catch a whiff of newborn fur, ofmilk; I smell the fear of anxious mothers protecting litters; I feel theirheartbeats, their quickened breaths when I pass. I do my best to calm them byclosing my eyes and sending them benevolent energy. Just passing through.I’m no threat to you.After about an hour of bushwhacking, I realize that I don’t know where I amanymore. The trees look different, older. I hear the trickling of water. Unlikebefore, there are signs that something, or rather someone, was here not longbefore me. Cracked sticks have been stepped on—by whom or what, I’m notsure—and branches are too neatly chopped to have been broken naturally. Iwant to investigate, see if I can feel how long ago they were cut. Maybe days;maybe weeks. Difficult to tell.I stop to examine the trampled foliage just as I feel an abrupt change in the air.There it is again. Whoever or whatever it is smells foul, rotten. I shudder. I keepgoing, hoping to shake it off my trail.I walk deeper into the forest and pause under a canopy of trees. A breeze blowsagainst a large form in the branches overhead. I sense the weight of its bulk,making the air above me feel heavier, oppressive. It pads quietly. A hugepredator. Not human. It’s been biding its time. But now it’s tense, ready tostrike.The tree becomes very still. And everything around does the same. I glance tomy right and see a spider hanging in the air, frozen, just like I am.Leaves rustle, like the fanning pages of a book. Snarling heat of its body gettingcloser, closer, inch by inch. I can smell its hot breath. Feel its mass as it beginsto bear down on me from above. Closer, closer, until at last it launches itselffrom its hiding place. I feel its energy, aimed straight at me. Intending to kill, todevour.But I am ready.Just as it attacks, I kick ferociously at its chest, sending it flying. It slams to theground, knocked out cold. A flock of starlings erupts from their nest in thetreetops, chirping furiously.My would-be killer is a sleek black scimitar-toothed jaguar. The rest of thewildlife stills, shocked into silence, at my besting the king of the forest.I roll back to standing, then hear something else, like shifting or scratching, inthe distance. As careful as I’ve been, I’ve managed to cause a commotion andalert every creature in the forest of my presence.I crouch behind a wide tree. After waiting a breath or two, I don’t sense anyother unusual movement nearby. Perhaps I was wrong about the noise. Orsimply heard a falling branch or a startled animal running for cover.There’s no reason to remain where I am, and I’m not going back now, in casethe jaguar wakes, so I get up and make my way forward again. It looks likethere’s a clearing ahead.My stomach lurches. After everything—the argument and my big show ofdefiance—I am gripped with the unexpected desire to return home. I don’tknow if the cat’s attack has rattled me—it shouldn’t have; I’ve been in similarsituations before—but a deep foreboding comes over me.Yet just as strongly, I feel the need to keep going, beyond the edge of theforest, as if something is pulling me forward. I move faster, fumbling a bit oversome debris.Finally, I step through the soft leafy ground around a few ancient trees, theirbark slick with moss, and push aside a branch filled with tiny light green leaves.When I emerge from the woods, I discover I was wrong. It’s not just a clearing; I’ve stumbled upon the golden ruins of an old building. A fortress. The tightfeeling in my chest intensifies. I should turn back. There’s danger here. Or atleast there was danger here—it appears to be long abandoned.The building’s intimidating skeletal remains soar toward the clouds, but it’smarred by black soot; it’s been scorched by a fire—or maybe more than one.Most of the windows are cracked or else missing completely. Rosebushes areovergrown with burly thistle weeds, and clumps of dead brown shrubbery dotthe property. Vines climb up one side of the structure and crawl into the emptywindows.Above the frame of one of those windows, I spot a weathered crest, barelyvisible against the stone. I step closer. There are two initials overlapping eachother in an intricate design: BA. In an instant I know exactly where I am.Baer Abbey.I inhale sharply. How did I walk so far? How long have I been gone?This place is forbidden. Dangerous. Yet I was drawn here. Is this a sign, themessage I was searching for? And if so, what is it trying to tell me?Despite the danger, I’ve always wanted to see the abbey, home of the fearedand powerful Aphrasians. I try picturing it as it was long ago, glistening in theblinding midday heat, humming with activity, the steady bustle of cloaked menand women going about their daily routines. I imagine one of them meditatingunderneath the massive oak to the west; another reading on the carvedlimestone bench in the now-decrepit gardens.I walk around the exterior, looking for the place where King Esban charged intobattle with his soldiers.I hear something shift again. It’s coming from inside the abbey walls. As if aheavy object is being pushed or dragged—opening a door? Hoisting somethingwith a pulley? I approach the building and melt into its shadow, like the petname my mother gave me.But who could be here? A generation of looters has already stripped anythingof value, though the lure of undiscovered treasure might still entice adventurous types. And drifters. Or maybe there’s a hunter, or a hermit who’smade his home close to this desolate place.In the distance, the river water slaps against the rocky shore, and I can hearthe rustling of leaves and the trilling of birds. All is as it should be, and yet.Something nags at me, like a faraway ringing in my ear. Someone or somethingis still following me, and it’s not the jaguar. It smells of death and rot.I move forward anyway, deciding to run the rest of the way along the wall toan entryway, its door long gone. I just want to peek inside—I may never havethis chance again.I slide around the corner of the wall and enter the abbey’s interior. Most of theroof is demolished, so there’s plenty of light, even this close to dusk. Tinyspecks of dust float in the air. There’s a veneer of grime on every surface, andwet mud in shaded spots. I step forward, leaving footprints behind me. I glanceat the rest of the floor—no other prints. Nobody has been here recently, atleast not since the last rain.I move as lightly as possible. Then I hear something different. I stop, stepbackward. There it is again. I step forward—solid. Back—yes, an echo. Like awell. There’s something hollow below. Storage? A crypt?I should turn back. Nothing good can come from being here, and I know it. Theabbey is Aphrasian territory, no matter how long ago they vacated. And yet.There’s no reason to believe anyone is here, and who knows what I might findif I just dig a bit. Perhaps a treasure was hidden here. Maybe even the DeianScrolls.I step on a large square tile, made of heavy charcoal slate, which is stubbornlyembedded in the ground. I clear the dirt around it as much as I can and get myfingertips under its lip. With effort, I heave the tile up enough to hoist it over tothe side. Centipedes scurry away into the black hole below. I use the heel ofmy boot to shove the stone the rest of the way, revealing a wooden ladderunderneath.I press on it carefully, testing its strength, then make my way down. At the lastrung I jump down and turn to find a long narrow passageway lined with emptysconces. It smells of mildew, dank and damp. I follow the tunnel, my footsteps echoing around me.I hear water lapping gently against stone up ahead. Could there be anunderground stream? The passage continues on, dark and quiet aside from theoccasional drip of water from the ceiling.At the end of the corridor a curved doorway opens into a large cavern. As Isuspected, an underground river flows by. A small hole in the ceiling allowslight in, revealing sharp stalactites that hang down everywhere, glittering withthe river’s reflection. The room is aglow in yellows and oranges and reds, and itfeels like standing in the middle of fire. This space was definitely not made byhuman hands; instead, the tunnel, the abbey, was built up around it. There’s aloading dock installed for small boats, though none are there anymore.Then I see something that makes my heart catch. I gasp.The Aphrasians have been missing for eighteen years and yet there’s a freshapple core tossed aside near the doorway.That’s when I hear men’s voices approaching from the corridor behind me.Excerpted from The Queen's Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz. Copyright © 2020by Melissa de la Cruz. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may bereproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Original Link: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/567301/the-queens-assassin-by-melissa-de-la-cruz/ About the Author: Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat. Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas. She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews. Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!). She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.  Author Links: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21911.Melissa_de_la_Cruz Website: https://melissa-delacruz.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissadelaCruz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorMelissadelaCruz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormelissadelacruz/ Tumblr: https://authormelissadelacruz.tumblr.com/ Tour Schedule: February 4th The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Welcome Post February 5th The Book Bratz - Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes Sometimes Leelynn Reads - Review + Playlist + Dream Cast Ya It’s Lit  - Review + Dream Cast + Favourite Quotes Fanna Wants The World To Read - Review Shelf-Rated - Review + Favourite Quotes February 6th NovelKnight - Guest Post Booked J - Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes Whispers & Wonder - Review Foals, Fiction & Filigree - Review + Favourite Quotes Beware Of The Reader - Review February 7th Wishful Endings - Interview L.M. Durand - Review Ideally Inspired Reviews - Review + Favourite Quotes Gwendalyn’s Books - Review + Favourite Quotes Cluttered Books - Review + Favourite Quotes February 8th Bookish Looks - Guest Post Star-Crossed Book Blog - Review + Favourite Quotes Morgan Vega - Review + Favourite Quotes Inky Moments - Review mabookyard - Review + Favourite Quotes The.magicalpages - Review + Favourite Quotes February 9th Belle's Archive - Review + Favourite Quotes Shalini's Books & Reviews - Review Dazzled by Books - Review + Favourite Quotes Pretty Little Bibliophile - Review + Favourite Quotes dinipandareads - Review + Favourite Quotes February 10th Kait Plus Books - Interview Library of a Book Witch - Review The Reading Corner for All - Review + Favourite Quotes Confessions of a YA Reader - Review + Favourite Quotes The Shelf Life Chronicles - Review

http://www.dazzledbybooks.com/2020/02/the-queen-assassin-blog-tour.html

[celticbarb]

Book: The Highlander’s English Bride

By Vanessa Kelly

Series: Clan Kendrick, Book #3

Release Day: May 26, 2020

Reviewed by: Barb Massabrook ofi

1. Tartan Book Reviews

2. Purple Tulip Book Reviews

3. Celtic World of Historical Book Reviews

4.Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book Review Blog

Heat Rating: 🔥

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

London, England

Edinburgh, Scotland

1822

Lady Sabrina Bell feels ashamed and stupid when her admirer does not show for a tryst at Hyde Park as planned. Then she is horrified when she is robbed and thrown into the Serpentine! Yet she is especially mortified when she is rescued by a gorgeous strapping Scot, Graeme Kendrick. Could her day get any worse? Graeme who has been trying to find this gang of thieves who pray on the wealthy and royal Sassenachs of the ton. He is a government agent or as some would call a spy. His employers aren’t too thrilled with him as he seems to be losing his touch lately. Now he was tracking down one of the notorious thieves of the gang and is about to apprehend him. Then he sees the bloody black guard is charging for this wealthy dressed woman! Graeme sure wasn’t expecting this beauty in this horrible weather and member of the possible gentry or ton so early in the morning! Unfortunately she seems to be the thief’s next target! He is filled with fear when he sees she was pushed into the Serpentine he could not let this beauty drown! Once again he lost his prey but sparks fly for him immediately seeing this beautiful woman who he knows is Lady Sabrina Bell, though they had never officially met before. Yet attraction sparkles on both sides for this new acquaintance for both of them.

Later Graeme finds out the man she was to meet is a big enemy of his family. He had been exiled into the continent but now the villain was back and Graeme was furious and ready to break furniture! Anyone who read the previous books in this series will know what crimes this horrible vile, exiled Marquess of Cringlewood did! Unfortunately with nobility now he has the King’s mistress and other members of nobility backing him up.

Lady Sabrina was a wealthy heiress a daughter of a wealthy English Earl who hated everything Scottish since his Scottish wife died of illness there! Sabrina is also the Kings’s Goddaughter! Finally when others made Sabrina aware this Marquess was a cruel penniless fortune hunter but very bad cruel person as well. When Lady Sabrina questioned Graeme about the type of person the Marquess really is, he allowed her to know he is untrustworthy, abusive to women, besides being in financial debt. He warns her never to be alone with him. She just now remembered the scandal involving Graeme’s sister-in-law and his brother Royal, Sabrina had been out of town when this occurred. She was not shocked of he being a fortune hunter, as most men pursuing her were. Now Sabrina was no shrinking violet and planned to interrogate him and have him admit his crimes putting herself in danger again! She didn’t want him to hurt other young wealthy women. As the Marquess shows his true colors and the ugliness inside him. So she puts herself in another situation where Graeme saves her again!

Now Graeme had a new assignment to go back to Scotland which is something he hadn’t done in two years. As Graeme had many self esteem issues, plus he must get away for Sabrina Bell. He knew he was not good enough to even lick her boots. Graeme had many skeletons he needed to get rid of in his closet, but his father had been mentally abusive to him as a young boy. He turned to the spirits after his wife died blaming his children for her death, this filled Graeme with so much guilt and hatred for himself. Luckily the grandfather took care of them once he saw the cruelty.

Now Lady Sabrina’s father hated everything Scottish so he ignored everything Scottish even his own properties and estates which he let others run. Graeme was also a younger son and her father would never allow something to develop between this Sassenach angel and himself. His new assignment was to guard the King but he was surprised when he see’s that Lady Sabrina came with the King to celebrate in Scotland’s capitol! The feeling between these two just get stronger and love is in the Scotland air. Plus now his crazy family was doing everything to make a match between them with their crazy antics, as they wanted Graeme and Sabrina to be happy. This is also is an adventure, filled with danger and heroism!

Soon they trade places and Sabrina saves Graeme in some very dangerous situations. Though he is furiously spitting bullets, due to the fact that she is putting herself in danger for him. He sees Sabrina as this perfect woman who wants to make the world a better place and safer place for women and children or any person who suffers. She had always been hidden from the realities of the world, however when she befriends some young pick-pockets and tries to save them she sees the cruelties of the world. She also wants to save everyone, as it nearly breaks Graeme’s 7heart and during this scuffle he finds out the person with a target on their back is the women he loves for her fathers mistakes.

Will Graeme ever feel he is good enough for Sabrina? Will Sabrina ever be able to catch the one man who owns her heart? The one man who doesn’t care about her wealth. Will she be able to prove he is good enough for her, a true hero, the bravest, kindest, and most stubborn man she has ever met! Will they ever be able to get her Scottish hating father to accept their love? What will the King do? Will the Kendrick family be overjoyed? Will this couple ever come together and find a happily ever after? A book readers definitely don’t want to miss! Read and find out.

This book made me laugh and made me cry. The matchmaking Grandfather and all the Kendricks is absolutely hilarious! Even the flirtation of Royal and Ainsley, and other married characters are hilarious. The children in this novel have it so much character no matter if it was hilarity or orphans pulling your heart strings. I found this book a wonderful escape that I did not want to end besides it is absolutely brilliant! This is my favorite of the series as Ms. Kelly write another winner. This is my favorite Vanessa Kelly novel though I love them all.

“The Highlander’s English Bride” is a book you can read as a stand-alone. I personally think you will get more out of the background if you read all three books. As you will understand more about the family, brothers and the matchmaking grandfather Angus too. Kind of like connecting the dots. It’s the readers decision, this is just my humble opinion.

The Highlander’s English Bride was pure joy I can’t recommend it enough!

Clan Kendrick Series

1)The Highlander Who Protected Me

2)The Highlander’s Christmas Bride

3)The Highlander’s English Bride

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy and an advance reader copy from the publisher. I voluntarily agreed to do a fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Highlanders-English-Bride-Clan-Kendrick-ebook/dp/B07W8YZSBY/ref=sr_1_3

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-highlanders-english-bride-vanessa-kelly/1132868180?ean=9781420147056

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=The+Highlander%E2%80%99s+English+Bride+by+Vanessa+Kelly+

https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/39425

https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Highlander_s_English_Bride.html?id=htKnDwAAQBAJ

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Vanessa_Kelly_The_Highlander_s_English_Bride?PAffiliateID=1l3vnbh&PCamRefID=bookbubblogd&_bbid=12780430&_bbreg=us&_bbtype=blog&id=h