Angel's Assassin

Angel's Assassin #1

by Laurel O'Donnell

Can Aurora’s light heal Damien’s dark spirit or will his evil consume her?
Damien is an assassin, a man with no home and a tortured past. Sold into slavery as a young boy, he is trained to kill with cold calculation, without remorse. As a reward for his ruthless success, he is given a chance to earn his freedom from his cruel master. One last mission. One final person to slay…
Lady Aurora of Acquitaine is the epitome of purity and goodness, beloved by all her people. She lives her life trying to atone for her mother’s cruelty by being a fair and just ruler. Secretly she fears that one day her mother’s murderer will return for her.
When Damien enters Aurora’s life, tempting her with promises of dark passion and forbidden lust, he threatens to tear her peaceful world apart with shadowy secrets of his own.
The eternal battle of good versus evil, love versus hate, dark versus light, all come to a shattering climax in this historical romance.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Medieval, Historical Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

Published November 12, 2018

Reviews

[Jericho McKraven]

3½ stars from me.

This book was really sweet from beginning to end. I loved the slow burn relationship, the turmoil Damian faced - and the fact that he didn't instantly change who he was because of a pretty face.

Arora was... perfect, unbelievably so, but I guess it worked well enough. And the happily ever after is adorable. So I'm not complaining.

This has some themes sensitive readers will dislike so I don't suggest it for those with triggers. But if you're looking for a historical romance with realistic (enough) vibes. This is a quick, fun read. 😊

[Becca]

I read this as part of the Love Historicals presents Once Upon A Kiss boxed set.

See review here.

[Anne]

A well thought out plot and made unusual by the hero being an assassin and then protecting the heroine. Good characterization too.

[Lori D]

Intense. That is the first word that comes to mind. I was not prepared for the emotions that took control as I read this story. A true battle between good and evil with a hero that needs saving just as much as the heroine. Damien, a trained assassin, has been raised in darkness after being sold into slavery at a young age. His goal is to gain his freedom from the cruel master that has held him all of the years. One final mission, to kill Lady Aurora of Aquitaine and his freedom is won. But can he do it when he meets her? Aurora is all that is good. Pure of heart, she is loved by all her people. But when Damien sees Aurora for the first time, he ends up saving her from an assassin! There are several twist and turns to this story that will keep you turning the pages and holding your breath as emotions erupt and lives are in danger. As Damien becomes Aurora's bodyguard (the wolf guarding the sheep?), the two spend a lot of time together and emotions that Damien has not felt in years come to light. She is the light to his darkness. Can Damien become the man he wants to be and save them both? I really enjoyed this story and cannot wait to read the next book by Laurel O'Donnell. What a great storyteller!!

[Morgan Wyatt]

Angel’s Assassin by Laurel O’Donnell is suspenseful historic
romance. Lady Aurora lives in the time of romantic castles, ambitious missions and far-reaching cruelty. Her task is to undo the evil her mother has spread throughout the land under her rule, but Aurora is up to the task. A stranger enters the picture winning her trust, while keeping his true purpose behind his visit secret.

Damien is a slave and a trained assassin. He is good at what he does, so good, in fact, that his master agrees to release him if he kills one last person. As a cold, calculating killer Damien never asks why a person must die, he just carries out his duty that is until he meets Aurora. The woman shines like a light into his dark life, illuminating corners he’d forgotten, making him yearn for both home and love. The only problem is to gain his freedom he must kill the only woman who ever truly cared about him.

Lady Aurora is aware her mother’s evil continues to reap consequences no matter how hard Aurora works to correct the wrong done. Her mother’s killer might possibly come back for her. Dark brooding Damien enters her world upsetting her already tenuous balance by creating forbidden desires for someone not of her station. She finds herself drawn to the unsuitable man. He is a stranger who keeps so much from her. Even though she knows all the reasons to stay away from Damien, she fails to heed them.

Angel’s Assassin, moves at a nice pace with excellent descriptions and supporting characters. There is a period flavor with no textbook-feel history lessons. Damien and Aurora’s romance progresses in stages as most romances realistically do. Usually finding out your lover is also your assassin is a bit off putting. As a reader, I wanted the two to work out their differences with no bloodshed.

Angel’s Assassin is a wonderful page-turner romance. Make
sure you have enough time to finish it because you will not be putting it down. Two thumbs up for Ms. O’Donnell and Angel’s Assassin.

[Ruth Hill]

This is the quintessential historical romance--practically perfect in every way. This was one of those books that I almost could not put down. I loved the writing style, the romance, the story, and you will probably not see the twists and turns that come towards the end. I sure didn't! This was crafted in such an amazing way, and I think most romantics would love it and even some history buffs might find it enjoyable.

There were a few minor issues as far as the book goes. I don't think there really was any profanity in the book--at least that I can remember. There are some sex scenes, and I didn't feel that the detail during one of the scenes was necessary, but it did not ruin my perception of the book--as you can see. While there is a lot violence, none of it is overly graphic. Yes, it paints a picture, but it was never offensive to me.

This author is absolutely amazing. Her powers of description are rare in today's writing world (at least from what I have seen). And her characterizations are amazing. Practically every character is three-dimensional, and I truly connected with the story even though I am so far removed. I would definitely recommend this book, and I can hardly wait to read more of her historical novels.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

[Harmony Kent]

I received a free copy of a box set with this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is a historical romance set in 1392 England. Damien is an assassin sold into slavery as a young boy, desperate to regain his freedom by any means necessary. Aurora is the kind and gentle daughter of a selfish lady, who witnessed her mother's murder years ago. When an attempt is made upon Aurora's life, Damien steps in and rescues her. When Damien enters Aurora’s life, tempting her with promises of dark passion and forbidden lust, he threatens to tear her peaceful world apart with shadowy secrets of his own.

The writing is passive, and the use of Americanisms such as 'off of' spoil the fiction. This is a North American phrase that you just don't hear in England, and especially not in 1392 Britain. It just jars. The scene where Damien finds Aurora in the cave and then beds her is unrealistic and undermines his whole characterisation to that point, especially when he feels it's an obvious trap/setup. For sure, he wouldn't get them both naked and so vulnerable. Other than that, the characterisation is okay, and the plot and pacing are steady. The book contains steamy scenes that are written well with a good build up. It gets 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to a soft 4 for rating purposes.

[Mandy]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I am not normally a huge fan of historical romances, but I really liked this book. Damien is an assassin hired to kill Lady Aurora, by doing so he will be granted his freedom. Fate has a different path for Damien; he actually saves Aurora from another assassin and in turn becomes her body guard. Lady Aurora sees the good in Damien and helps him to recognize that he has a choice in life. In the end goodness prevails over evil. Laurel did an excellent job of keeping the reader intrigued. I was rooting for Damien to have a change of heart. I thought this book was well written and would recommend it very highly.

[Sheila]

Damien has been sent to assassinate Aurora but saves her instead. Her father appoints him her bodyguard. Will he be able to complete his assignment or will he become the man she sees? Good characters. Stays true to the time period.

[Lauren]

Got for free and was surprised how good this read was.

[Rosemary Hughes]

I read this book as the 9th book in the "Lairds, Lords and Lovers" 10 Book compilation.

This is book of boys sold into slavery, wanting freedom. One escapes, but one doesn't. That one is sold on into a life of unimaginable torment. Until, he is sent on a mission, to kill a blue eyed angel. Her goodness changes his desires for freedom, to that of goodness and nobility.
His master has other plans, so that is a story worth reading.

[Loretta]

Wow,loved this book. It was gripping and exciting from the start. I couldnt put it down. This book had all and a bit more to hold your attention, an assassin that had to complete a kill to gain his freedom. I was swept away with this story, all the characters were believable and made me feel as if l was living in this era, and the ending just how l like them. ♡♡

[Mei]

Boring...

[Carol]

This book had a lot of action and intrigue as Damian ultimately changes his outlook and life around and he finds his hea with the lady his master wanted him to kill.

[Zoe]

I rate this book 5 stars because I really took to the story. The writing is fairly simple, so is the story. It is not one of those stories that keep you on your toes but rather, one that lets you sit back and relax. The plot is not complicated so if you like intricately intertwinced stories, this book will not do it for you. It reads however, very well and the story is sweet and tender.

The hero is an assassin. Being betrayed as a young boy by his brother, he was raised as property and to be an assassin for his master and never had a chance at learning the gentle side of life. He received an order from his master one day to kill a young girl, the heroine, in return his master will finally grant him his freedom. So he set out to kill the girl. When he finally met the girl, he saved her from another assassination attempt, albeit to his own dismay. He wondered why someone else was trying to kill her. So he stayed his hands to see how things would develop.

Heroine was grateful to hero for saving her life and scared out of her wits, asked her father to hire hero as her bodyguard. She saw her own mother murdered in front of her when she was young and still suffered from the experience. So the assassin became his target's protector. To make things worse, hero fell in love with the girl he was supposed to kill for his freedom. He was trapped. The girl was of noble birth and they never had a chance at love. He could not bring himself to kill her. He had no freedom and no hopes for a better future with heroine.

Hero's brother however, made a comeback later in the book. The truth about the murder of heroine's mother came out. Everything threatened the heroine's trust in things she believed to be true. People she trusted, her father, her bodyguard who she fell in love with, turned out to harbor secrets which once revealed, were devastating. Strong girl managed to stay in composure, which I admire greatly and took life in strides. No angry or crazy fits. Just grace. I love such heroines.

I went to greater length in describing the story in this review because I think to like this book, you have to like this kind of stories. It is not a literary success, has no complicated plots and is rather simple. But it is a good reading experience, if you like a tender redemption love story, where the hero is not a jerk, trying to hide his feelings by hurting heroine. Hero in this book is just a quiet man who did not get angry at heroine just so that he did not appear emotional. I enjoyed this book a lot and went on to another book from the same author. I did not like the other one so much because like this book it is also kind of 'simple". But what sets Angel's Assassin apart for me is the story itself.

[A. R.]

So let me start off with this...this book could have been so much more.

I liked the plot. By the end, it really was a page turner. I wanted to find out what was going to happen, how Damien and Aurora were going to come together.

I liked the characters. They were believable. They were vivid, especially Damien.

But I just cannot stand the cliche romance writing. It's not just this book - it's a lot of romance books. Now, I love romance as much if not more than the average person. But I am so tired of romance being portrayed as simply physical sensations - worn out physical sensations at that. I don't mind a spark of electricity, but good heavens...Some authors give way to much information! And they give it over and over again. That was one problem with this book. I got bored with all the tingling and heat generated from just a look of "dark, brooding eyes."

I also got tired of the constant "danger." I thought, if there is one more murder attempt I may just have to scream. Perhaps I am not cut out to read medieval romance. I know I am not if this is all that happens.

And then I have to say, I got tired of the writing mistakes. How can the sun be reflecting off the water in one sentence, and in the next be rising? It confuses me when I read things like that...and there were several in this novel. I would stop and say, "What? didn't he or didn't she just do something else?"

This novel could have been so much more because there was a great premise to start with. O'Donnell was onto something good, but just didn't quite deliver.

[mer]

4 stars

This book is a page turner. As the story went, each chapter held me with curiosity of what would happen next and kept wondering. It got me hooked until the end. Oh how I loved this book.

Two very tortured souls. Damien needed to kill to gain his freedom only to find that he fell in love with Aurora, his target. Aurora's life in danger. Several death attempts on her made she lived in fear and she didn't realize she developed feelings to a deathly assassin who always at her side, protecting her from another assassins.

From what I can conclude from my reading, it is all about love conquers all. It is because of love, Damien failed in his mission and instead, he chose to protect, granted a freedom to someone he loved rather than himself. It is because of love, Aurora forgave whatever sins Damien had committed and together they start anew. It is because of love, Damien's lurking darkness slowly vanished in him and he finally grabbed the happiness, joy, and freedom he yearned for years which also, made him a fiercest, bravest, and honorable man.

Read on your own peril.

[Heather Morland]

Lady Aurora is the daughter of an evil queen who died long before the story started, but whose evil legacy continues to plague her. Damien is a slave and a trained assassin who becomes her bodyguard after saving her life in obscure circumstances. As they gradually fall in love, they have to find out who else is trying to kill Aurora.

I must admit something first: I have a thing for dark and broody heroes, I love medieval settings, and assassins (especially medieval/fantasy ones) are definitely my catnip. So, obviously, I liked this book :) Now, I do think it's a book I would recommend to other people even it doesn't hit all their sensitive spots as it did for me. The writing is quite simple, but the plot flows well, the characters are likeable even if they're not particulaly memorable (of course the hero is very dark and very broody, and of course the heroine is all sweetness and light and innocence, and their love story is very lovely and very pure, and it's all very nice). Enough happens to keep the readers on their toes, with a couple of big reveals at the end.

A very fun read if not entirely original.

[Carlene Michalk]

Story of Love and Redemption that captured my heart!

This is my first book by this author, and should not be my last because I highly enjoyed this.

The story of Aurora and Damien kept me on my toes. He came to kill her to when his own freedom from his cruel evil master and yet he ends up falling in love with a beautiful Aurora. But it is not easy. There are other assassins that are willing to kill her and he has to protect her from each and everyone! I love my books with action, adventure, A little violence, of course when they touch my feels.That is how to win me over with the book. And this one I was really enthralled with it.

My favorite part of the book has to be when they were riding horses.I had a good chuckle and a good swoon after! Really love the chemistry between the two main characters. And how she let him see the light by touching his heart. This was a very romantic book and I highly enjoyed every bit of it!

Brava! I shall be reading more from this author.

[Diana Layne]

Set in a rich historical backdrop, Angel's Assassin is a unique medieval romance full of twists and turns that take the reader on an incredible ride. All the way through I kept wondering how the hero/heroine could possible resolve their very big differences. How could the hero possibly escape from the evil that drove him? How could the heroine ever resolve all that has happened to her in her short life? A talented writer, Lauren O'Donnell managed to surprise me many times before Lady Aurora and Damien got to ride off into their proverbial sunset. Fans of sensual medieval romances and tortured characters will love this book.

[Vinita]

It’s very hard to redeem a hero but when the author does a good job of it, it makes a book that much more interesting. I think Laurel has done a great job of this.

It's very easy to make the heroine too perfect but the author has done a good job of writing a well-rounded, realistic to the period character.

If medieval romance, a hero who needs to be redeemed and a realistic heroine are your cup of tea, I recommend this book heartily.

I first read this book as a judge for the Oklahoma Romance Writers of America's International Digital Awards and was unsurprised that it won first place.

Not an inspirational but still managed to remind me where my redemption comes from.

[Petula]

A very intense historical romance.
Damien was sold into slavery as a boy. Trained by his master to be one of his assassins. His next target will earn him his freedom. He will allow nobody to get in his way. Aurora is a picture of everything innocent and good. The first time Damien sees Aurora an assassin is trying to kill her. He must save her . She is his, to kill. Aurora has lived with the nightmare memories of her mother's killer for years. She will never forget his eyes.
There are assassins coming from everywhere in this story. Some great fight scenes,and just a tiny bit of sex. I really enjoyed this and will look for more from this author.

[Danielle Rose-West]

I really loved this book and it's characters. Damian was a strong and sexy hero with a tragic past, while Aurora shone as a compassionate, beautiful heroine that captured the hero's heart and helped him to change. I loved the action, the romance and the story was well plotted. My only complaint is that the book never really said what became of Helen, a woman who caused trouble for the couple but she didn't really get resolved. Did she change? Was she banished? Apart from that, everything else was tight and beautifully written.

[Jayne]

I enjoyed the story but the completely flawless and pure description of Lady Aurora goes a bit beyond the belief of the possible. Damien is a little more believable because he is not only very flawed he wants to be better than he is.

The hero and heroine also kept running into assassins, and that got a bit ridiculous.

The thing is the author spins a good tale, and a romance that you want. That's why I kept reading. I doubt I would read this story again but I would read other stories by the author.

[Pam H]

I have not read any of Lauras books so I had no expectations of her writing. I very much enjoyed the characters and the storyline. Damien has a rough upbringing and Aurora saves him and consequently herself. His brother Gawyn appears to be heartless when he bails on him leaving him on the slave ship but redeems himself. Lots of suitors want her dead if they can't have her....interesting way of exhibiting their jealousy.

I would read more of her books - quick and enjoyable.

[Barbara Literski]

Goodness Wins

I really enjoyed reading this story! Laurel O’Donnell has written about good and evil. Damien is a trained assassin and is sent to kill Aurora of Acquitaine. He has several days to do the deed. He saves her from other assassin’s but the goodness he sees in her changes him. The one man who owns him is evil to the core.
This is a good story to read! Goodness does win!

[Margaret]

I've read this book several times and I always feel each time I finish that I've been somewhere special. A young man, brutalized since he was a child, hopes to free himself of his life as an assassin. But his last job, escorting a beautiful young woman to her death, is not what he thought it would be. For the first time in his life, Damien is in love with an angel. You can't read this one and not get emotional.

[Susan]

Laurel pens "Angel's Assassin" a medieval romance with a smoothly plot and characters that are well developed and strong. Filled with mystery and romance, I found this book to be a page turner and recommend it to all romance fans.

This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review.

[Leslie Mcfarland]

Angel's Assassin by Laurel O'Donnell was a great read. It held my attention from the first page to the last.

The book was well written, the characters were amazing and the storyline very strong. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Aurora]

This book was great! It had me in tears. I really felt for the characters and by the end I was hoping they would get together. Very well done!