Accidental Knight by Nicole Snow

Accidental Knight by Nicole Snow

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Blurb

Accidentally wed to a screaming hot stranger.

I inherited a freaking husband.
Grandpa’s will was a shocker: huge fortune, gorgeous ranch, and the best horse ever.
The fine print? Marrying Mr. Grump-alicious.
The man who’s supposed to protect me from…what, exactly?
That’s what I hope to find out if Drake Larkin ever talks.

I know what I’m in for the first time his glance tears me open.
A broody enigma who’s large and in charge.
A mute who curls my toes when he barks a few words.
A silly, shameful, is-this-real-life crush I can’t afford.

Did I mention our pretend marriage-rodeo lasts six damn months?
Long enough to teach my heart cartwheels.
Time enough to seal this madness with a kiss.
Insane enough for secrets to slip – and sting.

Grandpa’s last wishes scare me. So do Drake’s real motives.
But it’s my beast of a “husband” who makes ridiculous seem right.
Have I found my knight?
Does love have a prayer when life throws us a dragon?

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow – a mistake meant to be. One moody alpha slayer gives his all to rustle up the damsel of his dreams. Full length romance novel with a heartwarming Happily Ever After.

Review

I was kind of nervous about this book, but it turned out to be one of the more fun books I’ve read in a while. The main characters each had their own unique issues and quirks, and while the whole “damsel in distress” thing typically pisses me off in this case it was handled beautifully.

Yes, Bella is kind of useless at first, but she’s funny and the whole point of Drake (and of her grandfather’s scheme in the first place) was to help her assert herself more and get out from under her parents’ thumb. She was young, and definitely naïve, but the reasons for that naivety seemed plausible.

Drake was – well, Drake was basically my catnip, a damaged hero covered in tattoos, who at least had qualms about the scheme the grandfather had cooked up. He’s smart, tough, and doesn’t try to pull any “I know what’s best for you little lady” bs on Bella.

The side characters are fresh and unique, although the villains could stand to have a little more depth. (At the same time, it’s nice to have villains who are easy to hate.)  The mother is terrible, but there’s an attempt to redeem her at the end. I could have lived without that, to be honest. While I’m largely over the whole “controlling mother” narrative in genre fiction, justifying her behavior with past trauma seemed terrible too. Sure, plenty of survivors don’t act in perfectly “nice” ways but also plenty of survivors manage their trauma without harming their kids.

The author also brought the treatment of Native women and girls into the story, highlighting disappearances and violence against this particular demographic. Given the location and the characters, some might see this as a little “white savior” for their tastes. It was an interesting touch to the story nevertheless.

Accidental Knight has a unique twist on the fake marriage trope. There’s plenty of sexual tension, some great suspenseful moments, and two heroes you can happily cheer on.

I received a free copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours for my own reading pleasure.