A Hundred Breaths (The Hundred Trilogy)

De: Jean M. Grant

Narrado por: Rosalind Ashford

Healing his heart...with her last breath.

1263, Scotland

Simon MacCoinneach's vengeance runs deep. The blade is the only way to end the bloodthirsty Nordmen's reign upon Scottish soil. His soul might be lost, but the mystical Healer he kidnaps from the isles could be the answer for his ailing mother...and his heart.

Isles-born Gwyn reluctantly agrees to a marriage alliance with this heathen Scot in return for the sanctuary of her younger brother from her abusive Norse father. Her brother's condition is beyond the scope of her Ancient power, for larger healings steal breaths of life from her own body.

As Simon and Gwyn fight to outwit her madman father and a resentful Norse betrothed, Gwyn softens Simon's heart with each merciful touch. Gwyn's Seer sister foresees a bloody battle - and an end to the Nordmen - but Simon will also die. Will Gwyn save Simon on the battlefield even if it means losing her last breath?

©2019 Jean M. Grant (P)2019 Jean M. Grant

Romantic adventure

A wonderful romance. I really enjoyed this story. I'm a sucker for anything Scottish and this fit perfectly! Adventure, romance, danger... all the elements that make an excellent story. The narration was excellent. I received a free copy in exchange for review.

A Great Twist on a Historical Romance

Healing his heart...with her last breath - 1263, Scotland - Jean M. Grant is a new author for me. I really enjoyed listening to this audio. The unusual aspect of this Historical Romance is the added element of mystical powers. The writing is so good that the mystical parts are just as believable as everything else going on during the time period. Simon has endured so much from his childhood and his only path is to fight for revenge. Gywn is from a family of healers with the exception of her ruthless father and she knows nothing else but kindness and compassion. I will say that it was not love at first sight for Simon & Gywn and the banter and slow burn just added to their frenetic chemistry and ultimate connection. As the story unfolds, so do truths and lies between Simon and Gywn, their families and clans and the uncertainty of what will happen to them. This is an angsty, very descriptive-detailed story of love and forgiveness. Rosalind Ashford was great with narration.

Perfect! LOVED IT!

Another winner as romance develops between family enemies, wars are fought, kidnapping, cruel fathers, secrets, clashing religions, and a lot of very good writing. The imagery is wonderful and the world is vivid. I found my heart actually pounding a little faster with fear for Gwyn as she watches battles unfold. Although there are some explicit terms in the sexual scenes, it’s not written with a heavy hand, it's just enough to feel their intimacy and the heat. In my review of “A Hundred Kisses,” I compared the imagery to Outlander, and here I have to again... Outlander's story is more engaging than the sex scenes, even though they are 🔥 HOT.

Be aware that the beginning is heavy with circumstance information, family background and people. Stick with it for a couple chapters. Rosalind Ashford has the PERFECT voice for this listen as she flows between voices seamlessly.!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. My review is HONEST.
TWO THUMBS UP HIGH!
👍🏻👍🏻

An adventurous romance

Simon kidnaps a mystical healer in hopes that she can cure his mother's body and mind. Their people are enemies but that doesn't prevent them from falling in love. Gwyn shortens her own life every time she heals someone. How much of it will she give up to save those she loves?
I don't usually read romance novels but I enjoyed this one immensely. This is the first I've read from this author. I'll be looking for more of her work in the future.
I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Simon and Gywn!

Scottish warrior Simon MacCoinneach goes with his father, brother, and their men to the Isles to trade with a clan of Nordmen, but the time for peace is over. His brother dies in the ensuing battle, and Simon is injured. The last thing he expected is a beautiful, guileless woman to offer him help, but he doesn’t trust easily.
Gwyn possesses magical abilities as a healer, and she helps anyone who needs it. Her father is a vicious man who has terrorized her community and subjected her family to much pain. After she heals Simon, he kidnaps her in order to force her father into peace.
Gwyn and Simon were interesting characters. She was kind, selfless, and determined to save her younger brother, but her desire to save everyone, even murderers and rapists, was aggravating. I couldn’t connect with Simon. He was bitter and war-hungry, especially in the beginning. After his back-story was revealed and he started to feel guilty about his actions, I finally understood him and began to like him.
I listened to the audio version. The narrator, Ms. Ashford, did a great job with the Scottish and Norse accents. Granted, I’m not sure what Vikings would’ve sounded like back in the day, but I liked her voices for them.
This is a fast-paced story that kept my attention, but the pacing slowed at times since the H/h kept arguing about the same things. Repetition tends to happen, however, when you have two stubborn characters that won’t agree or relent to the other’s will. I prefer this rather than having a wimpy heroine that kowtows to a man. Gwyn was definitely not weak!
I enjoyed all the references to book 1, A Hundred Kisses. The epilogue was the perfect ending for this story and a great preview for the last book in the trilogy.
This book is the prequel to A Hundred Kisses and should be read or listened to first, even though both books are standalones. I listened to Kisses first by mistake, so I learned some spoilers about the prequel. In my opinion, the main characters from one romance book should still be alive and in love in the following book. Killing off the hero or heroine is a big no-no for me, and it completely ruins the HEA. That’s just a pep peeve of mine. While Simon and Gwyn have a HEA at the end of their story, their life together is cut short long before the next book begins.
Anyway, I enjoyed this story a lot, but I wish Simon and Gwyn would’ve had decades together, not just 13 years.
4 Stars