Forever His

Stolen Brides #2

by Shelly Thacker

On New Year's Eve, she tumbles 700 years back in time—and into the bed of a darkly dangerous knight.

Sir Gaston de Varennes wanted a docile bride who would fit into his plans for vengeance and justice. Instead, by a king’s command, he’s forced to marry the defiant beauty who appeared so mysteriously in his bed. His thoroughly modern American wife soon turns his castle, his life, and his heart upside down. Will her desperate secret tear them apart after only a few bittersweet weeks of stolen passion…or will they conquer mistrust, treachery, and time itself to discover a love that spans the centuries?

Winner of the National Readers Choice Award: Best Historical Romance of the Year

Originally published by Avon Books. This Author's Preferred Edition ebook has been revised by the author.

The Stolen Brides Series
These regal brides are about to discover that falling in love with a warrior is the most dangerous adventure of all. Each book is a stand-alone, steamy historical romance:
Book 1: HIS STOLEN BRIDE (Darach and Laurien)
Book 2: FOREVER HIS (Gaston and Celine)
Book 3: HIS FORBIDDEN TOUCH (Royce and Princess Ciara)
Book 4: HIS CAPTIVE BRIDE (Hauk and Avril)
Book 5: HIS SCOTTISH BRIDE (Henri and Aileen)

Genres: Time Travel, Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Medieval, Fantasy, Time Travel Romance

418 pages, ebook

First published December 1, 1993

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Shelly Thacker has earned lavish praise from Publishers Weekly, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Detroit Free Press and The Oakland Press, who have called her historical romance novels “innovative,” “addictive,” “steamy” and “powerful.”

A two-time RWA RITA Award finalist, Shelly has won numerous other honors for her novels, including a National Readers' Choice Award, several Romantic Times Certificates of Excellence, and five straight KISS Awards for her outstanding heroes. The Detroit Free Press has twice placed her romances on their annual list of the year's best.

When she’s not at the computer, you’ll find Shelly reading with her kids, knitting in local cafes, or kickboxing at the gym. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two daughters. For the latest news and sneak previews of upcoming books, visit her at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorShellyT... or http://www.shellythacker.com

Reviews

[Bastet · Rating 1 out of 5]

So this book drove me to the brink of mindless rage, and almost spurred me to do bodily harm to myself and/or any nearby objects; my laptop being in serious danger. These actions resulted in writing a review regardless of time and my usual lazy predisposition and seriously doubting my sanity for all of the above and still reading the book midway. Gods, the female character drove me bananas! She is like Mother Theresa without any self-respect or much spirit. She is ridiculous lusting for the main jerk, Gaston, while he treats her lower than dirt not only because she is his apparent enemy, but also because he takes his sexual frustration on her. For half of the book all they did was have Gaston devise new humiliations for Celine while she moons over his splendid maleness, sniffles over hurt feeling and wins hearts all around except his. Ughhh what a torment...

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gaston... What can I say about this man? He was pig headed. Irritating. Commanding. Seducer. Demanding.
Arrogant. He never lets you finish a sentence. Finds you guilty before you can plead your case. He lets you think the worse and won't correct it, causing heartache. Basically, he was a serious annoyance. It took most of the book before he became someone worth liking.

Celine... She took it all in stride and put on her best face when needed. She also wears her heart on her sleeve at times. The only thing that irritated me about her, would be how she is treated by Gaston yet, her body reacts to him with one stupid kiss or touch and her no's are too quick to be yes's. How she could fall in love with this jerk face I couldn't tell you. Falling for him towards the end I could see, based off his new behavior but before that? I didn't get it.

Also, the love scenes are too drawn out.

This book felt too long and went around and around in circles with the same old I think I want you but I refuse to admit it to me or you so I'll be a brute to you...I want you but you're a jerk who should marry someone else though I love you and my body betrays that but I'll still try and push you away.

Blah!!!

[Chris ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ Warning: This book is not for feminists, so if you are one, this is not the book for you, my friend! I don’t consider myself one, and even my blood was boiling at times!😂

Do you know those moments in a book when all you want is for the third act to finally happen just so you can enjoy the mmc regretting his decisions and the way he treated the fmc? Just so you can say “You sooooo deserve this, you Neanderthal!!!” 🙌 No? I am the only one?😅
Well, that was me during most of this book! Mhhhhmmm! 🙂‍↕️😌😂

This was a true enemies to lovers romance, at least from his perspective it was! Even though they had great chemistry and he was really attracted to her, he saw her as one of his enemies from the start and he really wasn’t playing around! Like, he was really mean to her at times. Not to the point of being cruel or manhandling her or anything, but he would say things to her that would make even ME gasp! 👁️👄👁️ 😂

I won’t bore you with many details! Basically this is a time traveling marriage of convenience book set in 1300!
Gaston, our mmc, was a massive ass (to the point where I wanted to stab him in the eyes with a fork🙌😍, luckily he redeemed himself in the end, so all is well in the world🙂‍↕️)!
Celine, our very own Mary Sue fmc ( it didn’t bother me so much in this case), fell for him despite him being a massive ass, and in time, he fell for her as well, even though he did everything in his power to avoid that! When he realizes that he has feelings for her, you guessed it, he tries to push her away! And this constant push and pull between them, made for a VERY angsty read, at least for me it was!

Are some of the things that take place in this book far-fetched?You bet! But hei, what do you expect from a time travel romance!?😂 I did finish it in almost a day though, so that means that despite its flaws, I enjoyed reading it quite a lot!😏

Down below you will find some scenes from the book that had me like this! 👁️👄👁️
Maybe after reading these, you will understand why I was so invested in their story.

SPOILERS
________________________________

“It matters naught. Whoever you are, I am shackled to you now—till death do us part. All because I allowed wine and desire to overwhelm my reason and render me witless.”
“Shackled?” she repeated breathlessly, as if he had struck her. “But last night, you ... you said ...” She closed her eyes. “Don’t you remember any of it?”
He jerked on his boots. “Do not remind me of aught that I may have said last night, ma dame. I would have told you anything to have you hot and willing in my bed.” <— Bruh 💀

________________________________

“Nay!” His anger slipped its tether at her bitter accusation. “I allowed you to believe what you wished to believe.”
Her gaze snapped up to meet his. “Spare me. There’s no need for us to be dishonest with each other, Gaston. Not anymore. Just so I don’t go home with any foolish, naive notions and spend the rest of my life wondering about how you really felt, I’d like to hear you say it. Just once. Tell me the truth. All I’ve ever been to you is an annoyance, or an amusement.”
Her back stiffened and her eyes narrowed. “Or a one-night stand. Do you want me to define that for you?”
“I allowed you to believe what you wished because it made it easier, that is all.”
“Made what easier?”
“I do not wish to discuss it.”
“Made what easier?”
He spun on his heel. “Made it easier to convince myself that you mean naught to me!”
She gaped at him. That clearly was not what she had expected him to say at all.
“You wished the truth, milady? That is the truth.” He was breathing hard. “I did not correct you about the meaning of ‘playing tables’ because I did not wish you to know that there have been no other women since I met you. I tried to use the game to distract my thoughts, but it was of no use. You are all that I could think of. I have bedded no other woman since we said our vows.” His voice roughened. “Because I wanted no other as I want you.”

________________________________

“I will not wed Rosalind.” “
But you—”
“I will not wed her. I do not understand these feelings in my heart, but I cannot deny them any longer—”
“Gaston, don’t do this! Not now. Not when we have no time left. Don’t make me wish for what can never be. You’ve got to stay here and marry Rosalind, and I’ve got to go home.”
The last word came out as a sob. She realized in that moment that the twentieth century was no longer her home. And never would be again. Her home was here, with him, the man she loved. And any other place in the world or in time, without him, would never be anything more than a bleak, cold shell.
His face was lined with strain. “I care for you Celine.” His voice became rough. “Deeply.”
She tucked in her chin as her tears began to fall, and rested her forehead on his bare chest. She had thought she would never hear those words from him, the ones she had waited for, wished for. “But we were never meant to happen,” she whispered. “And I’m going to spend the rest of my life thinking of you, remembering you, every hour of every day. And I don’t want to think of you here alone, Gaston, waiting for me. That would kill me just as easily as the bullet in my back. I want you to live. Exactly the same fierce, reckless, passionate way you’ve always—”
“Naught will be the same for me.” His hold on her shifted, his arms sliding around her back. “Naught will ever be the same without you. There will be no passion left. No life.”
“But there has to be,” she said just as fiercely, raising her head. “You have to find it. Fight for it. I want you to find happiness, with your son, with your ... family. I ...” She could hardly speak through her tears. “I want you to have love.”
“I want no love but yours.” His own eyes were glistening. “And I will love no other but you.”
“Gaston—”
He crushed her close as his mouth captured hers, his kiss branding her, claiming her


Now…do with this what you want..🤷🏻‍♀️

[Shirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a well written story that I couldn't stop reading. It keeps getting better the more you read. What an exciting experience of time travel and the power of the love that developed with the characters. I love the strong unfearing Celine. I love the tough on the outside tender on the inside Gaston. The time travel was very believable as it happened. This was my first book by this author and I loved it! I will be getting more of her books to read. I highly recommend this book.

[Jennifer A. Cohen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hmmm...

Celine, from 1993, speaks, and understands, archaic French from 1300?

I struggled through the Canterbury Tales in English.

These "historical romances" are an insult.

Come on. We all know they're formulaic. One commentator once wrote that there must be a romance novelist app. Numerous readers have begged that the authors buy a dictionary and a thesaurus. Rasp, twitch, hard nipples, nub, hot wetness in the nether regions, apex of thighs, core.... Yikes!!

At least get an editor!!

C'mon you readers. You could write this stuff in your sleep. Make money; don't pay for it.

The historical romances are so formulaic, so predictable, so poorly written that they are an insult to the reader. They'll keep writing as long as you keep buying.

A challenge: Spend two months writing a historical romance. I will edit it, proof it, and check it for historical accuracy, for free. I have a college degree at an excellent college in English and Political Science. A law degree magna cum laude, senior editor of the law review.

Have fun; You can't do worse.

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a historical medieval time travel romance set in France 1299 our hero Sir Gaston De Varennes is in dispute with Duc Alain De La Tourelle he holds him responsible for the death of his family. The king orders them to desist hostilities and that to keep the peace Gaston is now to wed the Duc’s ward the Lady Christiane De La Fontaine. Gaston is not happy and vows that he will not be taking her to bed so the marriage can later be annulled and he then can honour his original betrothal to the Lady Rosalind whose lands border his own.

Celine Fontaine is home for the new year it’s been a full year since her accident that saw her shot and hospitalised. Still suffering both physically and mentally from her ordeal she tries to put on a brave face for her family. Upon retiring for the night and watching the eclipse through her bedroom window Celine finds herself falling through time and awakens in an unknown bed with a strange naked male who seems glad of her presence that is until he sees her face and declares her his hated intended the Lady Christiane.

So this reminded me of all the reasons I initially fell in love with this particular genre. I can remember when time-travel historical’s were everywhere and my flavour of choice. I must have somehow missed this particular gem. I really enjoyed this a lot it’s very typical of its time with lots of OTT descriptions and lyrical waxing. It comes complete with a brooding alphahole jerk of a hero that was oh so common with this genre and a heroine that can’t help falling hard for him despite his bad behaviour and multiple faults and Gaston had these by the bucketful. The man is everything you would expect in a thirteenth-century male. He’s overbearing and arrogant dismissive and a definite womaniser. He thinks men are above women the list goes on. There were certainly many times I wanted to brain his arrogant arse the man could be so single-minded in his pursuit of what he considered his truth.

But he also had many deeper qualities and as we learn more about him it quickly becomes apparent he cares deeply about his family and his people. He also suffers deep guilt over the deaths of his father and brother and feels a sense of responsibility to those now under his care. I’m not excusing his total block-headedness but Gaston was just a man of his era better than most but still a medieval male and when he finally does accept his feelings for Celine we get to see a whole new side of him. One which we have only caught brief glimpses of previously.

Celine is a modern woman caught in the past she definitely weathers Gaston’s behaviour admirably though I did wish at times that she had a tad more gumption when it came to standing strong against her husband's allure but again this was typical behaviour for this genre of novel so I’m not holding it against her. There were also some extra issues to do with her arrival in the past that add to the plot and confirm her reasons that it’s imperative she return back to her own time and the clock is literally ticking.

This is dual POV and very well written it’s very much enemy’s to lovers trope and there’s a slight paranormal element in as much as there is time travel involved but this contribution was slight and this still very much read as a medieval romance. I was also never bored with this and managed to read this in one sitting and it’s quite a long read. For me, this second book had a slight edge on its predecessor both are great reads though and for further context they can be read as standalone, they are set in the same world but only loosely connected. I definitely recommend this if you like medieval historical romance and I highly recommend this series as a whole. I’ve only read the first two books so far but from what I’ve seen so far I’m looking forward to the rest. I love that each one feels so different and not a rehash of the same plot.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars :0)

I will definitely be continuing this series. I read a few teasers at the end into the next book(s) and they sound great too :0) I'm a historical romance fan so though this wasn't one of the best I've read, not even topping most, I still felt that it deserves 3.5 stars because it was well written with a great plot & interesting enough characters.

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book I’ve read in this standalone series from this author and they’re so hit and miss for me, this one definitely being a miss and probably my least fav so far.

This is a time travel historical romance where the heroine falls back in time from 1993 to 1299. When she arrives in the castle of the hero, a place she’s familiar with and has read some history about him recently, she shows up in his bed with him. He immediately thinks she’s working with someone who tried to kill him and they don’t get off to a great start when she starts talking about being from the future.

I just didn’t care about the characters in this one, it felt too long, and I really only wanted the story behind the initials to happen. lol

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread. 2nd time. Time Travel.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est au moins la 3e fois que je relis cette romance historique qui fait partie de mes préférées !

Elle n'est pas sans défaut, mais elle est plutôt bien faite pour un time-travel. J'apprécie aussi que ça se passe en France en 1300, c'est devenu assez rare d'avoir des romances qui se déroulent à cette époque.

De plus, pour une romance publiée dans les années 90, je trouve qu'elle a plutôt bien vieillie par rapport à d'autres romans, notamment en ce qui concerne l'image de la femme et la relation amoureuse.

[Or_O · Rating 2 out of 5]

นิยายย้อนเวลาอีกเรื่องหนึ่ง คราวนี้ย้อนไปยุคกลางในฝรั่งเศสค่ะ

ถ้าจินตนาการไม่ออกให้นึกถึงผู้ชายใส่เกราะ ดาบ อัศวิน (โต๊ะกลม) ปราสาท กษัตริย์ แย่งชิงพื้นที่ครอบครอง สงคราม พวกนอกรีต

เปิดเรื่องมาในยุคสมัยของพระเอก เซอร์แกสตัน เดอ วาเรนส์ ซึ่งกำลังอยู่ในภาวะคับขึ้น พ่อและพี่ชายเพิ่งเสียชีวิตไปเพราะดยุคแลง เดอ ลา ทูเรลล์ คนที่เขาเชื่อว่าทรยศ

แต่กษัตริย์ไม่เชื่อคำที่แกสตันกล่าวหา เพื่อสงบศึกในจะได้มีใจรบศึกนอก จึงมีพระบัญชาให้แกสตันแต่งงานกับคริสเตียน เด็กในปกครองของทูเรลล์ผู้นั้น


ส่วนนางเอก เซลินี กำลังใช้ชีวิตอย่างหรูหราอยู่ในงานฉลองข้ามปี แม้เธอจะเพิ่งประสบปัญหาอย่างหนัก ไม่ว่าเรื่องงาน เรื่องหัวใจ หรือชีวิต และขณะที่เธอกำลังเข้านอน ดวงจันทร์ก็ฉายแสงส่องดึงดูดให้เซลินีตกลงในห้วงมิติประหลาด

และหล่นปุบนเตียงแกสตันย้อนกลับไปเกือบเจ็ดร้อยปี

แถมถูกแกสตันเข้าใจผิดว่าคือคริสเตียน คนในปกครองของคนน่ารังเกียจ ที่เขาต้องแต่งงานด้วยอีก

ถูกเขาตั้งแง่ เลยต้องเปลี่ยนชีวิต จากเจ้าหญิงในหอคอยงาช้าง มาเป็นคนรับใช้ในปราสาท

ซวยซ้ำซ้อนเลย นางเอกเรา


ช่วงเปิดมาดีมาก โอชอบมาก บรรยากาศในสมัยยุคกลางของพระเอก ดุดัน ขึงขัง หยาบกระด้าง ตัดกับบรรยากาศในงานเลี้ยงโก้หรู ชุดปราณีต อาหารวิจิตรบรรจงของนางเอกโดยสิ้นเชิง

บรรยากาศระหว่างพระนางก็ทำได้ดี

สับสน มึนงง เขินอาย วาบหวาม ขบขัน

ผสมแล้วออกมาโรแมนติกปนฮา น่ารักมาก

ช่วงนี้ถึงช่วงที่นางเอกต้องต่อสู้ชีวิตในปราสาทของเซอร์ใจร้าย ให้ 5

ช่วงกลางเรื่อง เนื้อเรื่องเริ่มไม่เดิน คนเขียนเทน้ำหนักให้พระนางมาก ขณะที่เนื้อเรื่องหลักน้อย ความสมดุลหายไป ไม่ใช้ประโยชน์จากฉากในยุคกลางอย่างเต็มที่ ตัวละครประกอบผลุบๆ โผล่ๆ รวมแล้วออกมาแบน

กอปรกับนิสัยพระนางที่ค่อนข้างไม่ฉลาด อ่านไปเริ่มเซ็งไป นางเอกพูดอยู่ประโยคหลักๆ แค่ "ไม่ได้" "บอกไม่ได้" "ทำไม่ได้" บทสนทนาวกวน และไม่มีประโยชน์ต่อเนื้อเรื่องหลัก เน้นฉากเข้าพระนาง ช่วงนี้ให้ 3.5

ค่อนเรื่อง เนื้อเรื่องกระเตื้องแบบหอยทาก ตัวร้ายแบน เนื้อเรื่องไม่ลื่นไหล ขาดความสมจริงในหลายส่วน เน้นฉากเข้าพระเข้านางมากๆ แต่ไม่เร้าอารมณ์ให้อยากอ่านหรือรู้สึกร่วม รวมๆ น่าเบื่อ ให้ 2.5

ช่วงท้าย คลายปมได้แบบประหลาดๆ หาเส้นโยงใยยาก ขาดความสมจริง ขาดความเชื่อมโยงกับช่วงต้น เนื้อเรื่องอ่อนเหตุผล อยู่ที่ 2


สรุปจากชอบมาก ลดลงมาถึงเบื่อในช่วงท้าย


เสียดายที่ช่วงแรกทำได้ดีมาก เสียดายความสมดุลที่มีตอนต้น เสียดายที่ลงน้ำหนักไม่ถูกจุด (โอเค แนวโรมานซ์ก็จริง มีฉากเยอะไม่แปลก แต่ควรมีจุดหลักให้ตัวละครยึดเหนี่ยว มีโลกที่รองรับพวกเขา เพื่อที่จะลากไปยังเหตุการณ์ต่างๆ อย่างมั่นคง อันนี้ จุดหลักยังคลอนแคลน จะให้เชื่อตามนั้นบอกเลย ยากค่ะ) เสียดายมุมมองขบขันที่สร้างบางช่วง เสียดายบรรยากาศที่สามารถโลดแล่นได้อีกมากๆ

โอรู้สึกว่าคนเขียนมีทุกอย่างอยู่ครบ แต่ยังใช้ประโยชน์กับของที่มีไม่ได้

2

[Rachel Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.25 stars)

Dear Gaston,


Seriously.

Ugh... I would have rated higher had there been any sufficient groveling.

[Glamdring · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! Over the years I've read it many times in French,this is my first read in English.

[Faswop · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a hidden gem. It is sweet, funny and every so often heartbreaking. It had a fun supernatural element that didn't overwhelm the story. The lead characters are like oil and vinegar. But even those two things come together eventually to make salad dressing; the lead characters just don't stand a chance. It was a hoot to watch Celine try to fit in with the times and Gaston continue to torment his "little wife". The writing was very nicely done. It never once felt stilted or awkward. It was in all a very well written story. I am excited to explore more of the author's writings.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I like time travel books. Around 80% this book just annoyed me. I thought the book was interesting, but I was ready to finish it. Suddenly it seemed like the author realized she needed another 30 pages for the book. I do not like it when an author just suddenly throws in the sex as a filler to get more pages written. It just didn't flow well for me.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It didn't grab me at first, but it didn't take long before I couldn't put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book read it twice in fact read all shelly thacker's books except the newest one so will check it out as I didn't know there was one!

[Pravana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This blurb of book “Forever His” attracted me in my current quest of Historical romances with a paranormal twist.
Though this is part of a book series, I read it as a stand-alone. Not many appearances of characters from other books.

The book is set in the Artois region of France in 1299.
Hero Sir Gaston De Varennes and his archenemy Duc Alain de la Tourelle while in the midst of a tournament are ordered by their King / Leige lord to stop their fighting, and, in a bid to ensure peace orders, Alain to wed his ward Christiane de la Fontaine to Sir Gaston.
Now, Sir Gaston had been promised to Lady Rosalind de Brissot and was dreaming of all the benefits which would accrue to him after marriage to her. He is therefore not at all happy with his King’s edicts. But, because his lands would be forfeit if didn’t obey the King, he reluctantly agrees to the marriage.
But, he is also cognisant of the fact that his bride and his archenemy could be in cahoots with each other. So he declares that he’ll wed the lass, but not he’ll not bed her!!! He marries her and then treats her like a servant and makes her perform all menial tasks.

The Heroine from the present day, Celine Fontaine is 23 years old.
The present date is 1993 New Year’ Eve. The whole Fontaine family has gathered in France for ringing in the New Year. Everybody tiptoes around the Heroine, because she has been injured / shot at in a robbery attempt gone awry and suffers from PTSD which manifests itself as panic attacks. Her fiancé breaks off the engagement after the shoot out incident. The doctors have informed Celine that she needs to undergo one more surgery to remove the bullet fragment embedded deep in her back which was in imminent danger of shifting close to a major artery. She chooses to withhold this information from her family till the New Year celebrations are over.

At the stroke of midnight, she finds herself transported back in time where she’s mistaken for Duc Alain’s ward Christiane and finds herself wed to Sir Gaston.

And that’s the summary of the Prologue and the 1st chapter.
After going through a lot of trials and tribulation over the remaining chapters (Totally 29 Chapters and an Epilogue) they get their HEA.

Disclaimer - Some of the incidences may leave you with a sense of suspended disbelief!!!
Surgery performed in 1299 on the Heroine’s back by present day doctors who were stuck in the past, to remove the life threatening bullet fragment which was near the radicular artery

Characters from other books in the series -
Lady Avril - Sir Gaston’s pregnant widowed Sister-in-law. She gets her book Timeless

[Ashley Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in 1993 and while it has a lot of old school vibes, it also has some more... “modern” aspects to it...🍆🍆🍆🌶🌶🌶👍👍👍
This is a medieval time travel romance that really kept me on the edge of my seat plot wise. I couldn’t predict what would happen next or how everything would resolve (I had a number of theories going as I read and none of them were right 😅). So in that sense I really liked this book a lot. Where it kinda fell flat for me was Gaston’s jerkiness towards the heroine combined with her continued attraction and love (?) for him in spite of it. She legit thinks he’s sleeping with a bunch of other women but still falls for his seductive lips or something. And the “small kindnesses” that supposedly make her soften towards her are like: he lets her keep her pet or he lets her sleep in a bed after working her for 24 hours straight the day before (no not in a sexy way). Like WOW, SWOON. Not. So in that sense it was a bit OTT but pretty typical for a romance written in the 90s.
Ok so all that said! The angst was spot on for both sides and though I didn’t really see WHY they fell in love with each other, we DO get in their heads enough to see how that develops for each (even if I think the reasons are thin and flawed in some cases). So let me sum up: all complaints and snark aside, this was a longish read (15 hour listen) and I wasn’t bored once in spite of an eyerolly moment here and there. So I’m going to recommend it: it is free if you have KU and on AE for the next couple weeks too!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A steamy swoon worthy treat that has left me gasping and in a place of pure bliss at the end after a wild ride to get there!

“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is not." ~ Henry van Dyke

Forever His by Shelly Thacker is a spectacular historical time-travel romance. I'm still in uber swooning mode, but I can tell you that Forever His will most definitely be on my CY2016 top ten list of books. I am searching for words to describe it and can only think in terms of masterpiece. I've shared before that my love for romance books was ignited by Kathleen Woodiwiss' The Flame and The Flower, The Wolf and The Dove and Shanna. This book is on par with them. Shelly Thacker’s Stolen Bride series is vivid storytelling akin to art and poetry.

On New Year’s Eve in the Artois Region, France, Celine Fontaine went to bed alone. She awoke in the Artois Region in France in 1299 – but she was not alone. She would discover that the dark stranger in her bed is Sir Gaston de Varennes, a French knight and an original owner of the chateau in which she slept. He is being forced to marry Celine, who he believes to be Celeste, by King Phillippe the Fair. You can understand that being forced into marriage does not sit well with Gaston, and, to put it mildly, he does not trust the motives of Celine/Celeste. It doesn’t help that he finds himself insanely attracted to her.

All the while, Celine is frantically trying to convince the people in 1299 that she is not Celeste. Having woken in medieval France, Celine also has to quickly learn how to cope without electricity, indoor plumbing or freedom. She has to do all this without being thought crazy. She only wants to find a way home before she loses her heart to the dark stranger whose bed she woke up in.

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from this glorious listen:

Celine glanced up as she passed under an arch, at another of the chateau’s decorations, her personal favorite: the entwined letters G and R, carved over every doorway. Family legend had it that one of the original owners of the chateau, a knight by the name of Sir Gaston de Varennes, was responsible for that bit of artwork. Sir Gaston, it seemed, had been quite a ladies’ man—until he had met and married his wife, whom he loved so much, he had had her initial engraved with his in every castle he owned.
---
His mouth captured hers with a strong, soft heat and Celine discovered something far sexier than this man’s voice or his body. His kiss. She never had the chance to think of a protest. To think at all. She had been kissed before, but never like this. It was neither awkward and teasing nor forceful and overpowering, but long, slow, confident, and devastating. It was as if he were binding them together, deftly drawing her soul into his.
---
She didn’t have a hat or a veil or anything in her hands. No one had offered so much as a single dried-out flower; she had nothing to hold onto to steady her shaking fingers. Her head pounded as hard and as painfully as her rapid heartbeat. She stood there, unable to move, staring at the man who waited at the end of the aisle. This unpredictable knight who hours ago had touched her, kissed her, caressed her in a way that still made her tremble, then sworn he would never do so again. This dark lord who despised her. This man she was about to marry.

I had many favorite scenes – (The Whole Book!) – but, I still laugh when I think of Celine and her crepes when Gaston walked into the kitchen:

“What are you cooking this night, wife?” One of the crepes picked that moment to dislodge itself from the ceiling. It landed at her feet with a plop as if on cue.
“Crepes.” She kept a straight face and tried to look like this was the normal way to make crepes.

I listened to Forever His in audio with the wonderful Julia Motyka narrating. I sat in my garage for over twenty minutes to finish listening to it as I could not go through my day until I had. She's one of my favorite narrators and her voice is a perfect fit for Shelly Thacker's books. She differentiates between characters and has a smooth, clear, well-paced voice exuding the appropriate emotions at the perfect times. She renders a professionally superb performance for an enchantingly exquisite story.

I would also mention that, while I listened to this book in its entirety, there were sections I wanted to enjoy again... word for word. I own the kindle version of this book, also, and it's whispersynced with the audible. I was able to switch back and forth between both editions seamlessly which further increased my enjoyment of the piece. I'm still on a glowing happy dance high right now. Thank you, Shelly Thacker and Julia Motyka.

I have now listened to all of Shelly's Stolen Brides series. I enjoyed the series completely out of order - so you may safely infer that every book in the series can be fully enjoyed as a standalone even though there are interconnected characters in the series. This is a series that I would enjoy listening to again and again. Each book has been a steamy swoon worthy treat that has left me gasping and in a place of pure bliss at the end after a wild ride to get there. OMG! Each trip back in time was so worth it. Forever His is sweet and funny and beautifully written. It teems with heart. If you enjoy historical romances like those of Kathleen Woodiwiss, I would highly encourage you to check out Shelly Thacker’s Stolen Bride series.

Suggested Reading Order:
Stolen Brides series
HIS STOLEN BRIDE (Book #0.5)
FOREVER HIS (Book #1)
HIS FORBIDDEN TOUCH (Book #2)
HIS CAPTIVE BRIDE (Book #3)

My full review is posted at Reading Between The Wines Book Club. Please check it out there: http://www.readingbetweenthewinesbook...

[Krystina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story!

I would give it 5 stars except the ending was a bit rushed to me. Overall, it’s a great story and plot. I sincerely hope that the author writes another book with the plot being that of the girl who went to the future in Celine’s place!

[Joelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up. Suspended reality and enjoyed

[Mariam Mohsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Antica]

So I was in the mood for a little time travel story so I stumbled on this one on my ipod


First of all, can I start this review by saying how beautifully written this book is! The language used was so intense, the descriptions so beautiful! it's almost like art and poetry combined in story telling


Celine finds herself being whisked back into time, 700 years in the past and in the arms of Sir Gaston de Varennes ... quite literally


and man what a first meeting that was!


Story wise: Damn this story was intense! I was hooked on every single word the author has written and the intensity only increases as the plot thickens and the twists and turns come to face our heroes.


Characters:
Celine: a strong independent woman, smart and witty with a kind heart and will not allow inconveniences to get in her way. I loved how she took everything that Gaston gave her to do in the beginning of the story like a trooper and showed everyone around her that she wasn't going to break. She does things for herself and will go out to try to find a solution, not just for how to get home but to also make sure that history does not change when it comes to Lady R.
The only thing that I didn't enjoy was that in the beginning Gaston did not treat her very well (despite the acts of kindness here and there) so I don't understand what caused her to fall in love with him when he was being an asshole to her.


Gaston: a whirlwind of emotions when it comes to this guy.... He is an asshole but also very sweet. Mostly asshole because I hated him how much crap he put Celine through just because of his hate for his enemy and not for her herself. but when it finally realized his feelings for Celine he was so incredibly sweet! and Hot!


The couple: At first, I wasn't a fan of them but as time went by I found that the relationship between Celine and Gaston was so incredibly strong! They learn to respect one another and you can really tell they love each other very deeply. They are willing to go above and beyond to make sure that the person they are in love with is safe from harm, even at the expense of their own life. So a rocky beginning at first but just sweet as honey when they started their relationship, especially that scene in the kitchen when Celine was cooking was just heartwarming!


Side Characters: Brina was amazing! I want Royce to have his own book damn it! Gaston's squire( whom I cannot spell his name) was darling!


4/5 stars

[Cary Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored Forever His by Shelly Thacker. I’ve been on a bit of a time travel romance bender the past week and being the 7th of it’s kind that I’ve read in a row, I was starting to get used to the idea that I wasn’t going to run into any 5-star reads in the genre. After all, I picked up this book on a whim from Amazon back when it was FREE—and the FREE section on Amazon is often very hit or miss when it comes to quality. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find a genuinely solid read.

Technically speaking, the book was exceedingly well written. I ran into maybe one or two typos the entire book. The grammar, punctuation, spelling, and the structure was spot-on. The narrative was clear and easy to follow, and I sunk into the story effortlessly. I found the world building to be well fleshed out without being overbearing, and the characters seemed to be genuine people with thought-out personalities.

I fell in love with Celine and Gaston as a couple. Celine was a genuine character, and I found it easy to relate to her. Gaston was hopelessly pig-headed at times and more than a little jaded, but the challenge of watching Celine bring him out of his shell against his will was an entertaining ride. They made a magnificent couple.

I honestly don’t have any complaints about the book. That is so incredibly rare for me to say, so bravo Ms. Thacker! I loved this book and the rich story of Celine and Gaston and their escapades in time, and I’d be happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a solid time travel romance to sink into.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Loved this book. The book starts right off with a battle between two enemies one is a French Duc and the other is the last of his line after the Duc had both his father and brother murdered in what was to have been a mock battle. Time skip to 1993, its New Years Eve and Celine is at the families ancestral chateau still dealing with the traumatic events from the year before when she finds herself swept away to the 1300's and into the arms of Gaston. Gaston, or Sir Gaston de Varennes, just so happens to be awaiting his bride by order of King Phillip; One Christine Fontain. Unfortunately when Gaston discovers that Celine is a Fontain he immediately assumes that she is Christine and thus begins his suspicions and accusations against Celine, who sadly enough has no way of proving that she is not in fact Christine. From there we watch as Celine and Gaston clash at every meeting, and while there is no denying the passion that they have for each other, Gaston has some serious trust issues. (though as it turns out latter that more that some of his suspensions were correct)

To say more would giveaway the best parts of the book so I will stop at that. The author keeps you engaged with the book, just as soon as you think you have it all figured out everything seems to shift. From time travel to plots of murder and romance, this book most defiantly delivers!

[Heidi (MinxyD14) · Rating 2 out of 5]

If pages upon pages of lengthy internal monologues that don't really take the reader anywhere or develop the tortured characters into decent human beings is your thing, this is the book for you.

The heroine is a 'human doormat'. Someone commented upon an earlier review of the book that, 'if you want a strong heroine with opinions and spirit you should start reading contemporary and stop reading historical'. That is utter rubbish. Yes, it was male dominated time period, women were chattel, yadda yadda! However, there are many examples in the Historical genre of strong-willed heroines, written by female authors. This author missed the mark in making Celine a respectable heroine. If Celine were a personal friend, I would shake the crap out of her for putting up with Gaston's nonsense. I wish the author would have given her more of Avril's qualities.

This story had wonderful potential, but the extent of Gaston's malicious mistrust of Celine and what I consider verbal abuse was uncomfortable. Her consistent response to just take whatever he was dishing out or have a panic attack made her appear spineless. That whole back and forth between them lasted far too long into the book.

[Lissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Shelly and I can safely say that I'm hooked. What attracted me to the book was the time travel aspect as this is a genre I like. The story flowed and kept my attention so much so that I couldn't put the book down.
Celine is an American who is transported back in time on New Years Eve to 1300 France. Everyone assumes that she is Gaston's unwanted bride Christiana. King Phillipe has ordered the wedding so that the two enemies Gaston and Tourelle can be united. Although Gaston goes through with the wedding he is determined not to touch his new bride as he wants to have the marriage annulled so that he can marry his rich neighbour Rosalind.
Celine is trying very hard to return back to 1993 but her attempt fails and the more she and Gaston spend time together the more they become attracted.
The story has lots of twist and turns and I enjoyed the ending.
Definitely recommend this book.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I really loved this story. The writing is addictive and the characters are very well written and layered.

Plot was unique and had me in suspense because I had no idea what was going to happen next!

I truly loved reading Celine and Gastons story. Feisty 21st century woman and a stubborn alpha knight from the year 1300. Just that huge difference there makes you think, 'how did that work?' But it did, the author did a wonderful job of writing Celine as an intelligent, quick thinking woman who when she needed it most her survival instincts kicked in. The unique plot and fantasy of time travel worked! It was perfectly written and I loved it!

I also adored the way Celine and Gaston fell for each other, it wasn't fake or fast.


I can't wait to read another story by this author!

[Rachel C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read and most of the things that cropped up as questions were readily addressed. That being said, it just wasn't that satisfying of a read to me in the end. It's not because of any quality of this book, it's more that I had a little bit too much imagination going on. I kept imagining different scenarios that would have been more interesting to me despite the fact that the overall story was actually very good and well written. That being said, I enjoyed this book, although I can't claim it as being a favorite... and I have a sudden urge to write my own time-travel romance.