The emperor has decided to marry and has chosen six potential brides to be summoned to him. Belavalari is one of his chosen six, and she has spent the last five years simmering in anger, hurt, and bitterness and has been planning her revenge on a certain man who took her virginity, married her, and left her without looking back.

When General Merin learns that Bela is to be one of the six potential brides, he volunteers to go to her village and bring her back to the emperor, because he knows that her people will not allow a stranger into their village, and he also knows that he has a bit of a history with her. Imagine his surprise when he arrives at the Turi village and learns that he and Bela are married!

By mutual consent, the two decide to dissolve their marriage. The Turi custom decrees that a short rope must bind them for 22 days before the dissolution can be complete. Now they must make it through those long 22 days without killing one another. The couple quickly find themselves in danger from an enemy, and they must rely on each other and a little unsuspected magic to keep them alive.

Linda Winstead Jones has done a magnificent job creating a magical story, which kept me captivated to the very end. The setting is years ago in a magical kingdom and time, which the author did an amazing job of describing in great detail. She also created unique and likeable characters, which I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know. Bela is a princess in her village, the daughter of the Turi Chieftan. She is not a conventional lady, preferring to wear old men’s clothes and fight along-side the men of her village. Much to her family’s dismay, she lost her virginity and got her way. With not much chance of a suitable marriage and no chance of children, she can live as she pleases. Merin is a strong man born to poverty, who has worked himself to the top. He is a powerful general for the emperor and is up for a large promotion. However, he has not been all that happy with his home or station in life and feels that something is missing. When he meets back up with Bela, he is horrified to learn that he is married to her, but that horror quickly turns to something very surprising.

22 Nights is the second book in The Emperor’s Brides series. Although it is the second book, it can be read as a stand-alone. However, after reading this book, I do regret that I have not read the first book, because this one was so amazing. I look forward to catching up with the first book of the series and I eagerly await the release of the third book!

Reviewed by: Melissa C.