The Dove Queen

Adair Salomar loved the freedom of flying. As an Aviante shifter and Princess Royal, Adair unfortunately had to put up with a lot of protection from her guards. The only place she ever felt truly free and happy was when she was flying as a dove. Unfortunately, even then she couldn’t be totally free as she had to keep a look out for the dove’s enemy, the Aviante hawk shifters. Luck is not on Adair’s side this day as she gets attacked by two hawks and becomes very seriously injured.

Prince Royal Dominion Weathermead is royally angered when he comes across two hawks attacking a helpless dove. Though the doves and hawks had been enemies for a long time, Dom yearns for peace. He brings the helpless dove back to his castle where she can heal in safety, without fear of being attacked again. He has no idea that it is the dove Princess who is currently healing in his castle. All he knows is that from the moment he sees the dove in her human form, he is incredibly attracted to her. Dom has never felt this way about any woman before, and to suddenly feel desire for a dove… it’s not only arousing, but it’s shocking. Doves are genteel and soft, they are not the able warriors that the hawks are, or so Dom thinks before he gets to know his guest.

Adair wants out as she doesn’t feel safe in the home of the hawk Prince. She’s fearful that he plans to torture and kill her…instead, Dom totally turns the tables on her when he “tortures” her with desire, with lust, with passion and the promise of not only a peaceful coexistence between doves and hawks, but an everlasting love between Dom and Adair. But the path to happiness is fraught with danger, intrigues, and plenty of new friendships.

The Dove Queen was an amazing and sensual romance between two warring groups. The hawks and doves both have harsh preconceptions about each other and it will take a lot to make peace even a slight possibility, but Dom and Adair are both up to the challenge. Mara Lee has created two characters who are very strong willed, very stubborn, and who are both looking out for their people. They have each suffered tragedy due to the enmity between their groups, but their growing love and trust for each other point to the possibility of a brighter future. There is much hope in this story, along with an intriguing romance between two secondary characters. This book has it all: fantastic settings, an imaginative look at shape shifters, lots of internal strife, plenty of romance, and just an overall hopeful tone that shines through in the union between Dom and Adair. This is one book you definitely won’t want to miss!

Reviewed by: Sarah W