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The Blade Keepers #1
Knight in Blue Jeans
When he quit a powerful secret society, Smith Donnell lost his fortune--and walked away from love. Beautiful heiress Arden Leigh deserved a man who could give her everything. Not a high-society outcast with nothing to his name and a bull's-eye on his back.
But when Arden's curiosity made her the society's new target, Smith had to protect her--and win back her trust. Convincing Arden to let him back into her life would take a miracle. But Smith would do anything to keep her safe, even though he'd already sacrificed his heart--and this time, the price might be his life.
But when Arden's curiosity made her the society's new target, Smith had to protect her--and win back her trust. Convincing Arden to let him back into her life would take a miracle. But Smith would do anything to keep her safe, even though he'd already sacrificed his heart--and this time, the price might be his life.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
39 people want to read
About the author
Evelyn Vaughn
36 books31 followersEvelyn Vaughn is one of the nom-de-plume used by southern author Yvonne Jocks. Yes, the pun of E. Vaughn being her first name, Yvonne, is deliberate!
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 22, 2009
Prologue. A cave under Mount Vernon. A secret meeting of a secret society. Four young men square against their elders. Smith Donnell decides to walk away from the society. Two of his buddies follow. They lose their fortunes, their fathers (also in the secret society) denounce them, they lose their jobs (since the secret society is all-powerful no one wants to give them references), and Smith dumps his girlfriend to protect her.
Fast forward to one year later. Arden Leigh is threatened at knife-point in her garden, because she’ trying to uncover the truth about a secret society, the Comitatus. One of the Comitatus holds his long knife to her, but a knight in blue jeans comes to her rescue brandishing a tree branch. It’s Smith Donnell. The guy who broke her heart by drunkenly dumping her over the phone. The guy who suddenly appears everywhere. The guy harboring deep secrets, but unable to tell them because of the vow to secrecy. The guy who keeps protecting her even when she doesn’t want him to. The guy she still has the hots for. Blah, blah, blah.
This story was all over the place, with a couple of star-crossed lovers (the southern bell, former beauty queen heroine just rubbed me wrong), a super secret and highly corrupt society, an "enchanted" sword forged by Hephaestus, a strange informant, an almost blind old lady, a highly protective younger brother, and two evil fathers prepared to kill their own offspring to keep their secrets.
Rearrange all these elements just right and you might get a pretty decent story, but unfortunately the author obviously flunked Story Element Rearrangement 101 so this particular book tanked. But not entirely, thanks to the awesome sword-fighting action scene toward the end. 2 stars for the effort.
Fast forward to one year later. Arden Leigh is threatened at knife-point in her garden, because she’ trying to uncover the truth about a secret society, the Comitatus. One of the Comitatus holds his long knife to her, but a knight in blue jeans comes to her rescue brandishing a tree branch. It’s Smith Donnell. The guy who broke her heart by drunkenly dumping her over the phone. The guy who suddenly appears everywhere. The guy harboring deep secrets, but unable to tell them because of the vow to secrecy. The guy who keeps protecting her even when she doesn’t want him to. The guy she still has the hots for. Blah, blah, blah.
This story was all over the place, with a couple of star-crossed lovers (the southern bell, former beauty queen heroine just rubbed me wrong), a super secret and highly corrupt society, an "enchanted" sword forged by Hephaestus, a strange informant, an almost blind old lady, a highly protective younger brother, and two evil fathers prepared to kill their own offspring to keep their secrets.
Rearrange all these elements just right and you might get a pretty decent story, but unfortunately the author obviously flunked Story Element Rearrangement 101 so this particular book tanked. But not entirely, thanks to the awesome sword-fighting action scene toward the end. 2 stars for the effort.
June 13, 2010
Very weird book to me. I couldnt ever fully get into what was going on. A year ago, Smith Donnell quite an exclusive secret society, that only men know about, when he felt the society was moving in the wrong direction. In doing so he was disowned by his father, lost all his money, and is a disgrace within the secret society. That night he went to a bar, got drunk, and broke up with girlfriend, Arden Leigh, whose father is head of the exclusive society. Arden never knew why he broke up with her. A year later when Arden starts looking into information on the secret society for an old woman, Smith and his friends show up to protect her when it becomes know to the organization that she is poking around. Donnell wants to take down the society that cost him the woman that he loves, but that would include her father..... Together along with friends, lines are drawn and secrets are reveiled.
April 4, 2020
What an explosive combination - romance and secret societies - packed with action and fantasy?
When he quit a powerful secret society, Smith Donnell lost his fortune and walked away from love. Beautiful heiress Arden Leigh deserved a man who could give her everything. Not a high–society outcast with nothing to his name and a bull's–eye on his back.
But when Arden's curiosity made her the society's new target, Smith had to protect her and win back her trust. Convincing Arden to let him back into her life would take a miracle. But Smith would do anything to keep her safe, even though he'd already sacrificed his heart and this time, the price might be his life.
When he quit a powerful secret society, Smith Donnell lost his fortune and walked away from love. Beautiful heiress Arden Leigh deserved a man who could give her everything. Not a high–society outcast with nothing to his name and a bull's–eye on his back.
But when Arden's curiosity made her the society's new target, Smith had to protect her and win back her trust. Convincing Arden to let him back into her life would take a miracle. But Smith would do anything to keep her safe, even though he'd already sacrificed his heart and this time, the price might be his life.
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January 9, 2010Amazon preorder
May 13, 2013
Nice book....Smith is total Kick-ass.. He is everything I wish for in my hero to be...honourable, daring and dashing... I was soooooo into it that I finished reading this book by one night.....
January 4, 2016
DNF.
Uninteresting characters with a cliched plot (Masons, anyone??).
And lets face it, there is only 1 reason I read Harlequin novels and this one was seriously lacking in that department.
Uninteresting characters with a cliched plot (Masons, anyone??).
And lets face it, there is only 1 reason I read Harlequin novels and this one was seriously lacking in that department.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews