Customer Reviews

Fountain of Dreams

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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This book has two great leads, a great plot and wonderful dialogue. I highly recommend this novel.

Neils is an American on a mission for President Van Buren to discover who was behind the explosion of a ship docked in Baltimore. He believes it could be a member of the royal Akoran family residing in London. To ingratiate himself to the family, he kidnaps princess Amelia, then rescues her.

Amelia is a very fine heroine. She is smart, cunning insightful but rarely pompous or condescending. She is attracted to Neils instantly. She has a bit of empathetic power and can feel certain emotions Neils keeps hidden.

Neils feels protective toward Amelia and genuinely likes and admires her but his mission must come first. He is honest with her when he needs to be but, of course, there are plenty of secrets he keeps hidden too.

Amelia's passion for Neils knows no bounds and once she is committed to him absolutely nothing is going to stand in her way, not her family, nor his own stubbornness, nor an enemy who wants them both dead.

The plot here is original. This has to be the first novel I have ever read regarding President Van Buren's administration. There were lots of twists and turns but the characters are what really drive this story.

London, 1837 - an intruder watches the estate of the Akoran royal familes for the precise moment when he can, with skill and stealth, slip past the famed Akoran guards into the mansion and abduct the Princess Amelia. Skillfully accomplished, though not without more of a struggle than he had anticipated from a mere woman, he and his ever faithful `Shadow' accomplish the first step in an elaborate plan to artfully infiltrate the closely guarded and select Akoran society. Amelia, reacts in precisely the way they had anticipated by escaping on her own and then being rescued on the road by an `unsuspecting' traveler - the Kentucky born, Niels Wolfson. With a special Akoran gift of being able to discern what is in a persons heart, Amelia senses the goodness in Niels and is ready to trust him, yet she also senses that he is more than what he seems. Amelia is definitely attracted to her handsome rescuer who appears not at all impressed by her claims to royalty.

Niels was on a mission to discover whether the Akoran's were friends or enemies to America, and his growing attraction to the Princess was a complication that he could not afford - nor could he deny. Her courage and her straightforwardness were attributes he could not ignore that drew him like a moth to a flame. How could a relationship survive if he uncovered facts proving the Akorans had initiated an act of war on America and that they would be enemies with their countries at war? Yet how could he resist?

This was my first Akoran historical romance with references that told me that this was a new generation from the original books. It had a definite a stand alone quality, although the many references certainly will have me looking up the previous novels in this wonderful series to learn more of this delightful island paradise of Akora and the men and women whose lives influenced this latest entry. Amelia and Niels were a wonderfully honest and straightforward couple. The excitement and the passion was just the right blend to keep you turning the pages well into the night.

In 1837, a man slips past the security protecting members of the royal family of Akora as they reside in their London estate. The intruder sneaks into the bedroom of Princess Amelia. He manages to abduct her and with the help of an associate escapes with Amelia as his prisoner. His compatriot implies to Amelia they expect a ransom for her, but they have a different agenda. They allow her to escape in a manner in which she thinks she did it on her own. Then Kentucky born Niels Wolfson happens to come along on horseback to complete the rescue of the Princess.

Amelia senses that Niels is hiding something from her that leaves him filled with remorse and guilt. Though quite attracted to the doubting cynical Yank, she needs to know what his game truly is. Niels cannot help but falling in love with the courageous woman he kidnapped, but once she learns the truth, he expects their relationship to end.

The latest Akora historical romance is similar to the previous tales, but is freshened up by the cunning American and by fast forwarding a score of years. The return of lead protagonists from the previous novels, albeit a generation older, adds a feeling of homecoming even while readers will appreciate the delightful duo Amelia and Niels. Though Akora seems too perfect, readers will cherish this story and look forward to a late twentieth century island paradise.

Harriet Klausner

Item shows a little wear, some browning around the book showing its age. But am overall happy with the product

The reason I love Josie Litton's books is because they are a little bit of fantasy mixed with historical truth. The characters are both fiction and actual historical figures, the places both real and made up. She has a way of spinning a love story that combines both action and suspense. I love that her characters are so real and so well portrayed. You understand them and their way of thinking and why they are acting a certain way, you love them, cheer for them, laugh out loud at situations they put themselves in.

This particular book is again about an Akoran Princess living in England with her parents and brothers. She is kidnapped by a mystery man and escapes and finds herself rescued by a handsome American who is 'vacationing' in England. She is returned to her family and the hunt for her kidnapper begins. The plot is full of twists and turns, awesome!

And now for the Akora Trilogy - the Next Generation! Having read all of Ms. Litton's books about the thousand years of history interconnecting the families of Akora, Hawkforte and their Viking ancestors, this new generation again brings that history alive. Niels Wolfson is an American descended from Viking Wolf Harkonson from Ms Litton's first book "Dream of Me". Amelia Darcourt is the daughter of half-English, half-Akoran Alex Darcourt, Marquess of Boswick AKA Prince Alexandros of Akora and Lady Joanna Hawkforte from her 4th book "Dream Island".

Niels is a man on a mission and that mission is to determine if the Akorans (specifically Amelia's cousin Prince Andreas) were behind an attack on an American sailing vessel that was about to leave Baltimore for a reconnaissance mission to Akora. In order to insinuate and ingratiate himself into the Akorans' circle, he creates a fake kidnapping of the Princess Amelia from which he "rescues" her. Grateful, they extend their friendship to Niels and as he spends more and more time with these warm and close knit people, he begins to wonder if they could really be involved in the explosion of the Defiant. But if they're not responsible, who is? He also finds himself extremely attracted to the lively and unpredictable Amelia, but any attraction to her is doomed and outright foolish if the Akorans are guilty.

Amelia is no less attracted to the enigmatic Niels. As with many women of her family she has a "gift" in that she can read what is in a person's heart. But in Niels' heart, she reads regret - but for what? When she discovers the truth of why Niels is here and what he suspects she is appalled. And when his brother is attacked by an unknown assailant using an Akoran knife, how can she prove to him that her family, her people would never be involved in something so dastardly? Is their fragile attraction truly doomed?

A great story driven by two great characters. Niels is cunning, determined, loyal and deliberate, focused on finding the truth. He's also a handsome, sexy, strong, self-made man who has done many things he's not proud of. And Amelia is one of the most appealing heroines to come along in a while. She's smart with lots of moxie, no guile or artifice and she's rational (unusual for a romance heroine!). She's also passionate, unpredictable and keeps the normally rock-solid Niels slightly off-balance. A highly recommended read and I look forward to the next two installments in the series about Amelia's cousins Gavin (Fountain of Secrets) and Clio (Fountain of Fire).