The Gladiator’s Temptation by Jennifer D. Bokal

Publisher & Release Date: Montlake Romance, February 9, 2016  

Time and setting: 100 B.C. Rome

Genre: Historical Romance/Historical Fiction

Length: 270 pages

Heat Level: 2 Flame

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description:

With her standing in Roman society already on shaky ground, Fortunada must be careful with her reputation. After her faithless husband cast her aside and married another, the devoted mother of two wasn’t eager to let another man fill her bed—until she met Baro, Rome’s reigning gladiatorial champion. It’s in his strong arms that she finds true pleasure and, to her delight, love.

When her champion proposes marriage, pledging to make her family his own, it seems fate has finally smiled on Fortunada. But her fortune takes a turn when her former husband resurfaces, demanding to take their children as is his right.

With Baro having already sacrificed his career for their love, throwing away his title in a bid to break free of his contract, how can she tell him that the price of her sacrifice—her children—is too high? Will love triumph, allowing Fortunada both her champion and her family, or must she walk away from the man who’s given up all for her?

Buy Link:

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B016ZNRBXE

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28113479-the-gladiator-s-temptation

Vikki’s Musings

I received an Advance Reader Copy of The Gladiator’s Temptation from the publisher via Net-Galley in exchange for an honest review. The book description sounded interesting, and I looked forward to reading it. I had read The Gladiator’s Mistress and while I enjoyed it, I liked this book a great deal more.

Fortunada is a divorced woman and takes the gladiator champion of Rome as her secret lover. She never expected to fall in love with Baro, but he steals her heart. When he offers marriage and promises to care for her children, she believes her life will, at last, be happy.

Baro is under contract to a Ludo, but he is a free man. He is captivated by Fortunada. When he sees Fortunada taking seeds to prevent pregnancy, he realizes her wants her to be his wife. While he has two years left on his contract, Paullus is a fair man. Surely he will release him if he stays on as an instructor.

When Fortunada’s ex-husbands returns for his children, Fortunada is placed in a terrible position. She must either remarry Albinius to keep her children, or follow her heart. Meanwhile, Baro is faced with losing to an opponent to gain his freedom.

Will Baro and Fortunada find a way to be together that allows her to keep her children, or will she succumb to duty to stay with her little ones?

The historical detail is fantastic, and I truly got the sense of this very long ago time. From the description of the costumes to the vivid description of the gladiator’s arena, I became enmeshed in that part of the story.

Baro is a great hero. He’s brave, determined and loyal. He truly tries to do the right thing, but his lanista refused to listen. He’s very protective of Fortunada, even though she has broken his heart.

Fortunada’s character is more complex. She’s torn between her love for Baro and her duty to her children. That’s a terrible place to be. My heart hurt for the decisions she has to make to be with her children. In her time, she has no rights. She has to be with her children even if it means having to marry her ex-husband.

There is a good bit of suspense in this story, and it had me clinging to the arms of my chair waiting to find out what would happen next. Ms. Bokal paints a great visual picture of the action scenes. I could feel the terror that Baro and Fortunada experienced.

The Gladiator’s Temptation is a great romance. Baro and Fortunada have fantastic chemistry from the first scene to the last. If you are looking for a story set in a period of history that is fascinating, then you will enjoy this book as much as I did. Happy reading!

The Gladiator’s Mistress by Jennifer D. Bokal

Publisher & Release Date: Montlake Publishing, July 14, 2015  

Time and setting: 100 – 104 B.C. Rome

Genre: Historical Romance/Historical Fiction

Jennifer D. Bokal

Length: 330 pages

Heat Level: 1 Scorching Hot Flame

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description:

Phaedra, a dutiful daughter of Rome’s most influential senator, has no choice but to marry a man chosen by her father. But a chance encounter with handsome gladiator Valens Secundus sends her pulse racing—and, for the first time, makes her wish she could choose her own fate. They make each other a promise: she’ll insist on having the right to select her next husband, and he’ll do everything within his power to win his freedom.

A gladiatorial champion, Valens has fought his way up from poverty to become a star in the arena. The only two things he craves are his freedom and the luscious Phaedra, both seemingly far out of reach. But four years after their fateful meeting, Phaedra returns to Rome and soon becomes a widow, and Valens answers to no one but himself. They’re finally free to explore their fiery passion—while evading a powerful and wealthy new suitor of Phaedra’s—until Valens must return to the arena one last time. And in order for Phaedra to control her own destiny and claim her love, Valens will need to survive the battle of his life.

Buy Link:

http://smile.amazon.com/Gladiators-Mistress-Champions-Rome-ebook/dp/B00SX9CTLI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436272420&sr=1-1&keywords=the+gladiator%27s+mistress&pebp=1436272422099&perid=02H906ENA2JS2RES8NVS

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25456793-the-gladiator-s-mistress

Vikki’s Musings

I received an Advance Reader Copy of The Gladiator’s Mistress from the publisher via Net-Galley in exchange for an honest review. The book description sounded interesting, and I looked forward to reading it. While this book does have a strong romantic element, I would not say it is historical romance, but historical fiction instead.

The historical detail is fantastic, and I truly got the sense of this very long ago time. From the description of the costumes to the vivid description of the Gladiator’s arena, I became enmeshed in that part of the story. I loved the description of Valens’ living quarters while he was still a slave.

I quickly bonded to Valens Secundus’ character from the start. He’s an honorable warrior who has fought his way up from poverty to become the Gladiator Champion of Rome. He takes care of his mother and sister as well as he can since he is still a slave in the beginning of the story. I always enjoy a warrior archetype, and Valens fits it perfectly.

I had a more difficult time identifying with Phaedra’s character. I did not see her as honorable for one thing. She meets Valens on her wedding day and immediately develops romantic feelings, even though honor demands she give her affection to her new husband. While I understand her father married her to a much older man of great political importance, she is still honor bond to the man she marries, but she is not loyal,even though nothing physical occurs. I think part of the problem is that the book jumps ahead four years, and I did not get to see her learn to have affection for her husband.

I struggled through a good part of the book before I became engaged with the story. Most of the time the hero and heroine is apart. I could not understand how they could fall in love. They never had a chance to truly get to know each other until well into the story, and even then it was more physical than emotional.

If you want to get a good feel for Roman times and the life of a Gladiator, then you will enjoy The Gladiator’s Mistress, but if you are looking for an emotionally-charged romance, you will have to wait until the last part of the book. I did enjoy this novel, and I’m glad I read it. However I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had gone into it knowing it was a historical fiction piece rather than a romance. Happy reading!