By: Cait Marie
Blurb
She needed an escape. He needed her.
Galina has been looking for a way out. So when she has the chance to break free of her kingdom and the man who wants to own her, she has no choice but to see it through.
Even if it means collecting on a life debt from the worst decision she’s ever made.
Davin’s mistakes are catching up to him. A lifetime of being the biggest scandal in the Lochlannian royal family has finally landed his people in danger. So when Galina shows up at his door in need of a betrothal, it might just solve all of his problems.
Even if it means pretending to love a woman who hates him.
But their ruse quickly becomes dangerous. Between spies, court politics, and an uprising that wants to destroy them both, they’ll have to decide if their lie is worth fighting for.
If they are worth fighting for.
Review
If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, by now, you know that I adore these authors and their books. I read their first co-written book Winter’s Captive in 2019, and it’s honestly amazing to see how far they’ve come since then and how much this Lochlann world has expanded.
Hollow Court is the first book in a new duology set in the same kingdoms but focuses on Davin and Galina, who were minor characters in the previous series, The Lochlann Feuds. You can jump in to this book without having read any of the others, but I highly recommend all of them because they’re fantastic.
Like I said, I’ve loved all of these books and series, and somehow, they continue to amaze me. Mahle and Madison easily suck me into the stories and keep me there without trouble. Their writing flows so well and is just easy to read. The characters and plot are so well developed. I swear, every single release, I think, “This is my new favorite.” And this book was no exception.
I really enjoyed Davin in the last series but wished there had been more of him, so I was super excited to hear he was getting his own story. Now, I love him even more. It was really great getting his perspective and seeing the man behind the easy-going façade. And Galina is just as wonderful. Growing up, she was taught to be obedient and quiet, but she wants so much more than that sort of life. When the opportunity arises to escape her dreaded future in an arranged marriage, she doesn’t hesitate to take it. She’s prim and proper, but she’s also brave and has her own type of ferocity.
Mahle and Madison, as always, did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life. I really connected to them, which made their stories that much more emotional. It was also fun seeing some characters from past books and more of this world. I really enjoy his cousins Galagher and Gwyn, and I hope we get more of their stories in the next book. Or if they get their own series too, I wouldn’t be mad (hint, hint). This book was exciting and intense, even without being overly action-packed.
There’s also a slow burn romance happening. Davin and Galina have a past together, but both are in denial of their feelings. It’s clear they both still care about each other though, and I can’t wait to see where that goes.
Just a heads up, this book does end in a cliffhanger. However, the next one is releasing this year. I believe I saw that it’s releasing in September, but don’t hold me to that. I’m very excited to see what happens next! In the meantime, I’m jumping into an ARC of the next book in their Twisted Pages series. 🙂
Functionally Fictional 