Unexpected Circumstances by Shay Savage Release Day Reviews

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.

Poor Alexandra is just a young handmaid to Princess Whitney when her life is turned upside down. You see, Sir Branford wins a tournament, and his prize is the hand of any female in the kingdom. King Edgar expects Branford to pick Whitney, but he refuses. He picks Alexandra, and she is thrown into a situation that she is ill prepared for. Is it possible for Alexandra to be the type of wife Sir Branford needs? How will Sir Branford react when he develops feelings for the girl he initially planned to use only as a political pawn?

Overall, I enjoyed this book. However, I was left with some unanswered questions, and I hope this will be rectified as the story line unfolds. If you are looking for a quick, sexy read with some historical flare, look no further!

Renee’s 5 Star Review:

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.

The Handmaid is a new series from Shay Savage. Unexpected Circumstances is the first of seven books in the series Each being about a hundred and twenty pages in length and releases just a few weeks apart.

Alexandra has been a handmaid for Princess Whitney for as long as she can remember. She wakes up one morning preparing Princess Whitney for a Grand Tournament and ends the evening being the prize of the handsome Sir Branford from the neighboring kingdom. He picked her out of every maid in her kingdom to be his wife. It’s a bold political move on Sir Brandford’s part as he’s out for revenge for the death of his father. What he’s done could spark a war between the two kingdoms. He wants it all the kingdom, a wife of his choosing which is Alexandra. The handmaid whom has no idea what to expect or what is going on.

I loved this first book in The Handmaid Series. I do not read historical romance at all, ever. I find some of it hard to read and keep up with and the language hard to figure out. When I found out Shay Savage was doing a historical series I jumped at the chance to get to read and review each book. I loved this first book. I love that it reads like two people just sitting around having a conversation. I can’t wait to see how Alexandra develops and comes into her own in future books. She’s got the potential to be on tough female character. Sir Branford it seems has secrets and is sneaky and I’m dying to find out what one conversation in particular was all about.

Shay Savage has done an amazing job with this first book and I can’t wait to get the second one in my hands.

Excerpt:

“Parnell, I’m only going to say this to you once.” Branford’s voice turned cold. “Regardless of your feelings regarding my marriage, Alexandra is my wife now, and you’ll not speak of her with any disrespect. I will not have you refer to my marriage as ridiculous. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sire,” Sir Parnell responded, the tone in his voice switching quickly from jovial friend and cousin to properly chastised servant. “Forgive me.”
I felt Branford’s hand through my hair again, nearly lulling me into true unconsciousness. The carriage bounced through a rough section of the road, then continued on as the driver called out to the horses. The rain lessened, and the pattering sound on top of the carriage became softer.
“Something has changed, has it not?” Parnell said quietly.
“Perhaps.”
“What is it, Branford?”
There was a significant pause before Branford responded.
“Parnell,” he said, “when I came up with this plan, I thought I was considering everything. Edgar would be angered but impotent to react since he brought it on himself. Whitney would be insulted, and between both those reactions, one of the next blows would lead to war. At the same time, it gets Camden off my back about finding a wife. Sunniva holds her tongue about wanting grandchildren, and I get it all—the kingdom expanded when we invade, the crown, an heir, and nothing else changes. At home, I have someone who can take care of me and my needs. I didn’t have any intention of being faithful, so it’s not as if my life away from home would change with the introduction of a wife.”
“I thought I had gone through all possibilities,” Branford said, continuing. “The woman who would be the catalyst was always nameless and faceless. It didn’t matter who she was as long as she wasn’t Whitney. I decided on one of her handmaids while I was out on the field because they sat close to Whitney, and it would be more…visually dramatic. I could walk up right in front of her and turn away at the last second. It would also anger her intensely, which is exactly what I wanted. There must have been a half dozen of them, and I didn’t care which. They would all be skilled in matters of the home, which keeps me from having to employ any servants whose loyalties are questionable. I only picked Alexandra because she looked at me early on, when I was first declared victorious, and she blushed when her eyes met mine. The color on her cheeks was simply lovely, and she has beautiful eyes.”
“Now your bride is no longer nameless and faceless,” Parnell said.
“No, she is not,” Branford replied. “When I took her up to my room, I had every intention of bedding her. I had been staring at her in that dress all evening, and I was ready to see what was underneath it.”
“And was she lacking?” Parnell asked. “You can still annul since you haven’t consummated the union.”
“She’s a commoner, Parnell.” His voice turned hard and callous. “I could open the doors of this carriage in the middle of a busy marketplace, take her in front of a dozen witnesses, declare her a lousy fuck, and still have the marriage annulled.

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