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A fan of sword and sandal movies, Anthea Laurelton's stories promise emotionally immersive romantic historical fantasy inspired by Ancient Sparta and Greek mythology. Blending slow-burn romance, dangerous quests, warrior culture and family intrigue for readers who crave epic adventures with heart.
Falling in love with Greek mythology at the age of thirteen, Anthea's love of the Spartans especially, came after reading Roger Lancelyn Green's THE TALE OF TROY where she cheered on Menelaus to take his Queen back! She left a career in IT to pursue her love of storytelling and pander to an extremely spoilt German Shepherd who she refers to as 'The Muse'.
A former horse-rider, Anthea enjoys keeping active and has a bucket list of travel destinations waiting to be fulfilled.
This story was meant to be part of a duology, morphing into the second instalment of a trilogy! I wanted Xanthia and Acastus's story to be very different from the first book while sharing a similar theme. I love those old-style swashbuckling movies, and this has influenced the way I wrote these books.
The third instalment - currently being written - has turned into a family drama with all the familiar characters in both books back on the stage.
Reviewed by Antoinette Wessels for Readers' Favorite
Destined Hearts, Dangerous Secrets: Hearts of Sparta Trilogy Book 2 by Anthea Laurelton is a love story for every historical romance lover. Xanthia was left to die as an infant. By the grace of the gods, she was rescued by two helots and raised in Mélon, knowing about her Spartan heritage. Acatus has a mission to bring Xanthia back to Sparta to reunite the family and bring her father out of exile. The hate Xanthia built over the years for Sparta makes this a difficult task. Through difficult territories and fighting for their lives, Xanthia and Acatus make it back to Sparta. But there is no denying the passionate bond that has developed between them. Will the secrets they hold from the past end their budding romance, or will it be something that brings them closer together?
You have to acknowledge all the research Anthea Laurelton did in writing Destined Hearts, Dangerous Secrets. She writes the novel historically accurately for her audience. I enjoyed this element about the book, learning things I didn’t know about historical Greece. The love story makes for an excellent feature in a book with history, fighting, and scheming. The love scenes were written in a way that will ensure you are not uncomfortable with it, but with enough passion that you are hoping for more. Anyone who loves historical romances should make it a priority to read this book. It has romance and suspense and will leave you wanting more when you read the last page. I know I did.
