Blog Tour Review: The Knight's Tempting Ally by Ella Matthews

I’m delighted to share my review today for The Knight’s Tempting Ally, a new historical romance by the fabulous Ella Matthews! Let’s check it out!

About the Book:

A knight’s enemy

Becomes his closest ally…

Knight Theo Glenville will do whatever it takes to discover who’s plotting against his King. So befriending—and even romancing—his target’s middle daughter, Medea, is merely part of his sworn duty. But what isn’t? Falling under the spell of a woman who’s anything but plain in his eyes! Yet every day they become closer, the more torn he is between his allegiance to king or his heart…

Purchase Links:

My Review:

The Knight’s Tempting Ally is a wonderful friends-to-lovers historical romance with political intrigue, dynamic protagonists, and a swoon-worthy love story. Determined to marry their daughters to suitors of influence, Medea’s parents bring the family to the king’s court to find husbands. While there, nefarious plots unfold, including the ever-increasing threat of war with France and a murder right under their very noses. As Medea’s family works to ensure husbands for her sisters, Medea befriends Theo, a knight, and works to solve the murder mystery. However, as Medea and Theo’s feelings for each other grow, will they give in to their feelings and take a chance on love, or will Medea enter the convent, as she originally planned?

Medea and Theo are great protagonists, and I enjoyed their love story. Medea is kind and astute, and though she is not the most beautiful of her sisters, she is brave, loyal, and compassionate. Theo is a brave, strong, and lonely knight who is very much judged for his appearance and demeanor. The pair has a lot of respect for each other, and they accept and support each other well.

Both characters feel like outsiders and we’re maltreated by their families, Medea because she is not as attractive as her sisters and Theo because of his origins. They connect on a deep level because they share many of the same feelings about belonging, love, and family. And their chemistry is wonderful! Medea and Theo start off as friends and really get to know each other before it leads to something more, and I love how this friendship grew over the course of the story.

The story includes a lot of political intrigue and suspense, as there is a brewing war, and it is unclear who is on the side of the king and who is encouraging war. Secrets, lies, manipulation, murder, and more add to the tension, and Theo and the other knights work tirelessly to find out who the culprits are. When Medea’s father becomes a suspect, Medea becomes embroiled in the mystery. It says a lot about her character that she is so determined to protect her family, especially considering how insulting and hurtful her parents are towards her.

I thought this was a great read. It’s exciting and suspenseful, and the romance is swoon-tactic! I would definitely recommend the book to readers of historical romance or romantic suspense. Special thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Ella Matthews, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Rating:

About the Author:

Ella Matthews lives and works in beautiful South Wales. When not thinking about handsome heroes she can be found walking along the coast with her husband and their two children (probably still thinking about heroes but at least pretending to be interested in everyone else).

Social Media Links:
Website: www.ellamatthews.co.uk
Twitter @ellamattauthor