Release Blitz: The Forbidden: Sawyer Bennett
A Mardraggon Novel
Audiobook narrated by: Sean Masters and Kit Swann
Releasing July 23, 2024
Releasing July 23, 2024
The prince of his family’s Kentucky bourbon empire, Gabriel Mardraggon is a ruthless and cunning businessman. His sister’s death left Gabe’s parents anxious for him to wed and produce successors to the family fortune but marriage is the last thing he wants. After all, he’s the product of two people who always put money before love. Loyal to the family’s creed of winning at all costs, as well as their hatred of the Blackburns, Gabe will never accept peace between the dynasties.
Katherine Blackburn is Gabe’s polar opposite—carefree, lighthearted and completely mischievous. Kat works hard as a horse trainer but never hesitates to let her hair down and have a little fun. And lately that has included poking at Gabe and his buttoned-up ways, much to his irritation. Getting a rise out of the cold but gorgeous Mardraggon heir brings Kat unfettered joy, especially given their two families’ ugly history together.
When Gabe’s business dealings hurt Kat in a way he never imagined, his walls begin to crack and he makes it his mission to help her confront her demons, even though he’s the one who laid them at her door. Blackburns and Mardraggons are bitter enemies. Any type of relationship would be strictly forbidden. Gabe has to decide if he’s ready to alter the course of history or walk away from the only genuine thing he’s ever known.
The Forbidden: A Mardraggon Family Novel is an enemies to lovers novel within the Bluegrass Empires series. All books in the series can be enjoyed as standalones.
Kat is a Blackburn through and through. She’s a horse trainer and works tirelessly at her family's horse breeding farm. She’s also sassy, stubborn, and strong-willed. The Mardraggons are their family's enemies, and tensions have only gotten higher due to recent actions of the patriarch that threaten their shared niece. And now Kat has to work with Gabe Mardraggon to share the responsibility of taking care of their niece's legacy winery in Italy. Gabe has been seen as regimented, pretentious, cold, selfish, and arrogant, but is now off kilter due to the changes in his family dynamics recently affecting all aspects of his life.
These two together are fire and ice. They also have a secret history that no one else knows about where there were good times and bad ones. And when it ended, they just folded it into their family feud and hatred and let it keep going. But now that they’re spending more time together because of their niece, Kat is starting to see glimpses of the old Gabe she used to care about. And he’s realizing he still has some unresolved feelings for her too. The ice starts to melt away, leaving the smoldering fire that keeps getting hotter. Passion is one thing but they have already shared heartbreak once.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to like Gabe at first because he did seem pretentious and only driven by money, but I started to like him as I saw his layers peel away and how he felt about his niece and Kat and understood more about his past. He won me over and ended up being a protective, complex hero who sometimes has his own self-worth issues and realizes his family is a dark cloud around him. And Kat is just sassy and outspoken, but she does see more to him than he shows other people. It was nice to see how they had matured and could talk about their past but they also had to face some new challenges and try not to keep repeating the same mistakes. And Kat was a good bridge between Gabe and the Blackburns to help facilitate their niece's relationship with Gabe. And Sylvie is such a sweetheart, and I loved her relationships with her aunt and her uncle.
The hatred between their families runs deep and they gave up before even really fighting it in the past. Will they be brave enough and care enough to challenge their families and try for a second chance?
This is a forbidden, enemies-to-lovers, secret lovers, second chance romance set in the Kentucky backdrop with saddlebred horses and bourbon, but also brings in Italy and wine. It also has a bit of suspense and drama.
There are cameos by the side characters of her brothers Trey, Wade, Ethan and his girlfriend Marcie that we met in the first book, but it could be read as a standalone because the author made sure to explain some of the most important plot points of the first book.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to like Gabe at first because he did seem pretentious and only driven by money, but I started to like him as I saw his layers peel away and how he felt about his niece and Kat and understood more about his past. He won me over and ended up being a protective, complex hero who sometimes has his own self-worth issues and realizes his family is a dark cloud around him. And Kat is just sassy and outspoken, but she does see more to him than he shows other people. It was nice to see how they had matured and could talk about their past but they also had to face some new challenges and try not to keep repeating the same mistakes. And Kat was a good bridge between Gabe and the Blackburns to help facilitate their niece's relationship with Gabe. And Sylvie is such a sweetheart, and I loved her relationships with her aunt and her uncle.
The hatred between their families runs deep and they gave up before even really fighting it in the past. Will they be brave enough and care enough to challenge their families and try for a second chance?
This is a forbidden, enemies-to-lovers, secret lovers, second chance romance set in the Kentucky backdrop with saddlebred horses and bourbon, but also brings in Italy and wine. It also has a bit of suspense and drama.
There are cameos by the side characters of her brothers Trey, Wade, Ethan and his girlfriend Marcie that we met in the first book, but it could be read as a standalone because the author made sure to explain some of the most important plot points of the first book.
Gabe and Kat are on opposite ends of their families’ feud. They are connected by the niece they share and when Kat’s brother asks her to chaperone visits with Gabe, she reluctantly agrees. After all, it’s not like she told him about the time she and Gabe dated in college. In fact, she has tried to forget the feelings she once held for the man who was supposed to be her enemy.
I absolutely loved Gabe’s character arc in this story. From the first book in the series, readers know the role he played in the events from The Feud but getting to see his thought process brought him from the focused business man to a warmer man looking to protect his family’s legacy by a different path. I loved his relationship with Sylvie and watching as he and Kat took down the walls they had each kept around their hearts.
I appreciated the flashback scenes to learn what happened between them in college and the insight they gave us to both characters. Woven between the scenes in the present, these built the history between the two that had been kept secret all that time. As the present day plot unfolded, I couldn’t help but wonder how everything would play out and when all the secrets flying around would catch up with the characters.
I look forward to more from these families as the series continues with The Tryst. Each Blackburn sibling has a unique outlook on their responsibilities, the family legacy, and the feud with the Mardraggons and I look forward to seeing things from Trey’s perspective.
The Feud
Bluegrass Empires book #1
Bluegrass Empires book #1
Sawyer Bennett
Goodreads
Goodreads
6/25/24 All platforms
New York Times bestselling author, Sawyer Bennett, welcomes you to Bluegrass Empires, a sweeping series of sexy romance standalones. Set among the rolling hills of Kentucky horse farms and bourbon distilleries, these seductive tales are steeped in bloodline feuds that run deep and without forgiveness.
As the oldest of his siblings, Ethan Blackburn bears the weight of responsibility for the day-to-day operations of Blackburn Farms, the largest Saddlebred breeding and training facility in Kentucky. Serious, gruff and solely focused on the success of the family business, Ethan isn’t one to mince words or waste time on anything that doesn’t further his interests. But when his meticulous world is upended by a shadowed secret brought into the light, Ethan is sent into a tailspin.
Marcie DeLeon just navigated her way through a bitter divorce, now intent on reimagining her life as a single career woman. She’s not looking to revisit the burden of a relationship anytime soon but when Ethan turns to her for help, she can’t help but lend a sympathetic ear to the handsome and broody man.
Ethan and Marcie are strangers who find a common thread to weave them together, creating a bond neither were seeking but both are loathe to walk away from. When Ethan faces a high-stakes battle against his family’s bitter enemy, he knows without a doubt there is nothing he won’t do to win the fight. Ready to give of himself completely, Ethan prepares to face-off with his foe hoping that no matter what the outcome, Marcie will be by his side in the end.
The Feud: A Blackburn Novel is a friends to lovers novel within the Bluegrass Empires series. All books in the series can be enjoyed as standalones.
The Tryst:
A Blackburn Novel
(Bluegrass Empires, Book #3)
Audiobook narrated by: Sean Masters and Kit Swann
Date TBD
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
1 comments
Nice reviews. I loved this book!
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