Review: The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy James

3 out of 5 scoopers

The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy James
Carina Press (Sept. 3)
ebook: $4.99 (On sale right now for $1.99)
ISBN: 9781426894305
Excerpt

Favorite Lines: “Rebecca Massee was no longer the kindergarten teacher who had been abandoned at the alter. She was no longer the one who looked to others for her self-esteem. And she was no longer the woman who was afraid to take the lead, to charge to the front. Rebecca Massee was an Amazon. She was Earth. And she was here to save humanity.” (p. 224, egalley)

The last thing Rebecca Massee expects on her wedding day is to go from jilted kindergarten teacher to Amazonian Earth warrior. But when she causes an earthquake after her groom says I don’t, she discovers that not only does she possess incredible powers, she is one of four lost chosen sisters who must fight to keep humanity safe from rogue gods and demons. Luckily she has help: ruggedly handsome Scottish warrior Artair MacKay, her protector and teacher.

An immortal, Artair has trained countless warriors for more than four hundred years. He understands Rebecca’s confusion at the new world she’s been thrust into and worries she is too emotionally vulnerable, but that doesn’t stop his growing feelings for the beautiful and fearless woman.

When an evil force threatens to destroy the Amazons, Rebecca must claim her full powers—but they come at a cost. Can she sacrifice the man she loves if it means saving the world?

When I read the premise for The Reluctant Amazon it sounded different from what I’d been reading and piqued my interest. Usually when I’m into a book I can read it in a day, but that’s not what happened with the story. I began reading it, disliked the heroine and put it down. I waited a while and tried again with the same result. Finally, yesterday I decided it was time to woman up and pound through the book. At the midpoint of the story, I began getting into it. By the last quarter, I was happy and quickly flipped through the remaining pages.

See it’s all about characters with me sometimes. I absolutely couldn’t stand the heroine Rebecca. She worked my last nerve. The same day she meets the hero she is looking at him with “hope and trust in her eyes” causing the hero to feel “humbled” that she “could offer him those gifts after the way he’d manhandled her all day.” Seriously? It was too much, way too fast. It was superficial and the main reason I wanted to put the book down. However, I’m glad I gave the book another chance because I’d have missed a great hero had I not finished.

Artair is a manly man who’s been training Amazons for four goddesses for over 300 years. He is tired of war and watching the people he loves die so he tenders his resignation in hopes of becoming a mortal capable of settling down with a wife and raising a family. That’s all before he meets the Amazon who slightly changes his mind. He sees the strength underneath the weak front Rebecca wears. She’s a nurturer, beautiful and the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Artair is caring, intelligent and stubborn. I love that he is able to step back and let his woman lead the way. Time is allowed to pass before he acts on his feelings toward the woman he calls “Becca-mine.”

I liked the romance because it meant Artair would be happy and it evolved with a more mature Rebecca than we are initially introduced to. The growth made Rebecca a strong heroine capable of giving her hero the balance he needed in order to have a happily ever after. The passion is secondary to the action and mystery surrounding the characters, so when it shows up it feels realistic and not forced.

It’s not one I’ll be reading again, but I’m glad I took the time to finish The Reluctant Amazon.