A Valiant Woman

A Historical Romance Mystery (Tabitha & Wolf Historical Mystery Series, Book 11)

De: Sarah F. Noel

Narrado por: Vicki-Jo Eva

After their unexpected detour to Anglesey, Tabitha and Wolf are looking forward to a relaxing summer in Pembroke.

Now that Wolf has embraced his inheritance of the Pembroke title, he finds himself curious about its history. Tabitha surprises him by arranging a private tour of the Pembroke Castle ruins for what was supposed to be a lovely family day out. As they wander the castle grounds, listening to the stories told by the knowledgeable caretaker, Tabitha and Wolf make the shocking discovery of a dead body.

While there seems to be much local interest in explaining the corpse away as a victim of a freak accident, Tabitha can’t shake the idea that there is something far more sinister at work. As she and Wolf begin to investigate, they get pulled into not just a murder case, but a puzzle that is over seven hundred years old and involves the very first Earl of Pembroke.

Can Tabitha and Wolf uncover a murderer even as they find themselves pitted against shadowy forces, their every move watched and danger lurking where they least expect it?

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Sarah F. Noel (P)2025 Sarah F. Noel

Boone Swoon is real, y'all!

*I received an ACX promo code for this title & am voluntarily leaving my honest review* Oh, my heart. You know that feeling you get when you just know a certain character in a series is absolutely going to steal your heart? That was Boone Michael Mason for me. He is everything I love in a hero- charming, swoony, compassionate, vulnerable, protective, the list goes on. I love and adore him so much. And my love for Jaxi (and Rosie, of course!) took me by complete surprise, but I truly think she's the best match for our Boone. The evolution of their relationship and how they handled the addition of a young child were phenomenal to read. I'm all for the big grand gesture at the end of the story, and Boone sure delivered. I might love Rosie just a teensy bit more, though (sorry, Boonie!) She's just so cute and wholesome and joyous, and I want to keep her in my pocket. Also, her latching onto Wade and Boone being all affronted was one of the best subplots I've ever encountered. Reckless truly had me swooning and laughing and being all up in my warm & fuzzies. It's a perfect addition to the Mason Family series. And can we talk about that little *thing* that happened at the end with Oliver??? If I'm right about what that was and where it's going, I will throw glitter bombs and rainbows.
I waited to listen to this audio instead of eyeball reading, and it was 10000% the right choice. Wen & Stella brought their A-game.

Reckless

Boone and Jaxi's story was everything I've come to know and love from Adriana Locke.

There's great characters who you can root for, a family who you grow to love, and a great mix of romance, drama, and humor. The chemistry between Boone and Jaxi was wonderful and I really liked the two of them together. I also loved getting to see more of the Mason family and how involved they are in each other's lives.

This book can be read as a standalone, but the whole series is amazing! I'm so glad I read this one on audio. Once I started I couldn't stop listening. The narrators were a great match for the characters!

Reckless

Every time Adriana Locke comes out with a new book, I know I'm not going to be disappointed. I can say I loved Reckless, and couldn't put it down. Reckless is the third book in the Mason Family series. This story is told from dual points of view from Boone and Jaxi.

Boone is the youngest in the Mason family. Being the youngest he feels that no one needs him or takes him seriously. When he meets Jaxi during a strange encounter he likes how she's different. Jaxi is staying at her cousin's house next door to Boone for a week before she takes off for a new job in Hawaii.

Something happens in Jaxi's life and her cousin's boyfriend ends upcoming home. So Boone offers for her to stay at his house until she can figure life out. Jaxi has had a rough upbringing and isn't use to the generosity of Boone and his family. She has trouble accepting help from strangers.

As Boone and Jaxi get used to this new life they start to have feelings for each other. Can she learn to trust Boone and his family? What happens when Boone realizes he's more than just a goofy playboy and has serious feelings for Jaxi. What happens with the thing that came into Jaxi's life? When wires get crossed and Jaxi thinks Boone wants her out of his house, how will they work to solve it?

I loved this book and everything it had. Both characters had a lot of growth. Boone realizing he is needed more than he thinks, and Jaxi learning to trust others.

I can't wait for the next brother in the series!

This was amazing

Get ready for the Boone Swoon! This was amazing! A series of unfortunate events brings this couple together, but they were meant to be.

Both of the narrators did a wonderful job bringing Boone, Jaxi, Rosie, and the Mason family to life. If you are a fan of the series or romance in general I highly recommend this audiobook. I thought they both did a wonderful job with the narration and the characters.

If you loved Boone as a supporting character in the other Mason books, you will love him as the leading character in Reckless. He is everything you would expect from him, funny, charming, caring, a little immature at times, but overall a good guy. He knows when to be responsible and how to get things done, he just doesn't always want to. Jaxi on the other hand has not been dealt a great hand in life, but she hasn't let that get her down. I really loved watching their relationship develop. This reads as a standalone, but it is the 3rd book in the Mason family series. Each book focuses on one of the 5 Mason brother's (you should read them all IMO). I love the Mason's and love spending time with this family and getting to know each of the brothers. Their mom Siggy is a gem and fully of wisdom and good advice. She also doesn't take any of their crap. I love her!

This is told from alternating points of view from the two main characters. They are opposites, but that is what draws them together. Jaxi has had a hard go at life, people have not been kind to her unless they want something in exchange for it. When things finally seem to be looking up for her with a nannying job in Hawaii on the horizon, tragedy strikes and her entire world is turned upside down. Fortunately, Boone Mason is there to swoop in and save the day. He doesn't want anything from Jaxi, he just wants to help her in her time of need. They kind of jump into their situation with reckless abandon without really knowing each other, but life throws Jaxi a pretty big curveball and Boone has the means and ability to help her. They don't rush into a romantic relationship right away, which I appreciated, despite their attraction to one another. Jaxi has some baggage to work through and Boone, who is known to be a playboy, is willing to give her the time and space to build trust in him and their relationship.

This took me through all of the emotions. I had tears in my eyes at times, was laughing out loud from the banter between Boone and his brothers, then my heart was breaking again, I was angry for Jaxi and the crap she had to endure, and then I was smiling again. But Adriana did not let me down, she knows how to write a story and this wraps up in the best way. I truly loved this story and I hope you do as well.

Swoon for this sweet story and fantastic narration

Audio & Performance:
Wen Ross and Stella Hunter do a fantastic job narrating for Boone and Jaxi. Wen Ross is becoming a favorite of mine as his style is so natural that I never feel like I am being read a story but rather having him tell me what happened and taking me there in my imagination. He also only uses a southern accent for dialogue which I really like as it clarifies exactly what is going on in each chapter/ scene/ etc. Stella Hunter's performance is equally enjoyable. The production value on all of Adriana Locke's books is some of the best in my opinion.

Story:
#Booneswoon is a real thing!
There is something very swoon worthy about Boone Mason. Besides Boone’s good looks and charm he has a knight in shining armor quality about him that makes him irresistible. While it is true that he is this “savior” for Jaxi it is a quality that extends beyond her and is part of who Boone is which makes it easier to handle for someone like me who isn’t always into this type of character. He is simply a genuinely kind person who clearly can’t see anyone hurting if he can help in anyway. And Jaxi needs all the help she can get. While she remains strong and determined this woman has been put through the ringer and it seems like the blows just keep coming. For the true cynics out there, like me and like Jaxi, we all could use someone like Boone Mason in our lives to remind us that there are good loving kind people out there and we should try and trust them / let them in when they come along. This book also reminded me that we all need a little help sometimes and that is okay.. An easy to read slow burn with plenty of heat when these two do get together.

A complete standalone but there are cameos from the other Mason family members and hints at what to expect when you read their stories.