He’ll mark her flesh. She’ll claim his heart.
Always the dutiful daughter, Lady Joselyn is weeks away from marrying a rival lord in order to secure the future of her father’s house. However, she suddenly finds herself in the clutches of an ancient beast she’s only ever heard of in legends. More terrifying than that is the beast’s master, a wild man who insists Joselyn is his bride by right, and plans to seal his claim in blood.
Wyvern-rider, Hollen, has finally captured the woman of his dreams, though he quickly learns waiting for her was less than half the battle. His new bride wants nothing to do with him and Hollen knows he only has one chance to change her mind. To win her over, he’ll do whatever he must, even if it means keeping secrets.
Their wills pitted against each other, Joselyn will go to any lengths to free herself from this savage and fulfill her marital contract. Her father’s life depends upon it. But even as she plots her escape, Joselyn begins to wonder if one can also be bound by a duty to their own heart.
Author’s Note: This is not a shifter romance. The Dokiri men are savage enough in their manly forms. That being said, this book features subdued sexual content. Enjoy the heat but don’t expect to get singed.
Trigger warning: This novel plays on the trope of abduction. While Dokiri men won’t let anything keep them from the woman they love, even that woman herself, all sexual acts between the hero and heroine are consensual.
(Blurb from Goodreads)
This is my second read by Denali Day. The first was Sven the Collector. You can actually read it for free if you sign up for her newsletter here. You should, it’s really good.
Hollen the Soulless is the first book in the Dokiri Brides series. In my mind, the Dokiri men look like Khal Drogo of the Dothraki in Game of Thrones. At the very beginning the story did remind me of Sven the Collector, but that quickly changed. The series has a unique feel. The Dokiri can’t sire girls, so they have to find their brides in another way.
I really loved how Joselyn really held her ground on what was important to her. She did what she needed to do to survive, and was always thinking about the next move. I also appreciated how it wasn’t an instalove story.
Honestly the book got really intense and I was up until 2:30 this morning to finish it. So if you’re looking for a new series to try, definitely pick up Hollen the Soulless, and Sven the Collector too!
***I received this book free from Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.***
