Reviewed by Sarina
TITLE: The Fitzwarren Inheritance
SERIES: The Fitwarren Inheritance (Books 1-3) (All in one Volume)
AUTHOR: Chris Quinton, RJ Scott, and Sue Brown
PUBLISHER: Love Lane Books
LENGTH: 542 pages
BLURB:
One Curse, two families, three stories – The Fitzwarrens face yet another tragedy. But the man who cursed their line centuries ago left three cryptic conditions that would lift the curse. Now the Psychic, the Soldier, and the Lord, must each find their own path to the gripping conclusion.
Book 1 – The Psychic’s Tale by Chris Quinton
Four hundred years ago in rural England, a mob burned two men to death, but not before one of them, Jonathan Curtess, hurled a dreadful curse at the mob’s leader, Sir Belvedere Fitzwarren. The curse has followed the family through the centuries, bringing grief and loss to each generation.
Mark Renfrew is a closeted psychic and openly gay. When his grandmother discovers a family link to a 17th century feud and a still-potent curse, she insists he investigates and do his best to end it. When he travels to the village of Steeple Westford, he meets and falls for Jack Faulkner, an archaeologist. He also meets the Fitzwarrens, who are facing yet another tragedy.
Then Mark learns that the man who cursed them had twisted the knife by leaving three cryptic conditions that would lift the curse, and he knows he has to try to break the curse his ancestor had set.
Book 2 – The Soldier’s Tale by RJ Scott
Corporal Daniel Francis has returned to his childhood home in England to heal; the only one of his unit that survived a roadside bomb. His reasons for skipping medication are based on a stubborn refusal to become an addict, and he is overwhelmed with survivor’s guilt.
Doctor Sean Lester has joined his father’s surgery and when he is held at knife point by a patient high on drugs it is Daniel that leaps to his rescue-much to his horror.
When Sean nearly runs Daniel down in the dark he finds a man who needs help, and resolves to be the person to show Daniel that it is possible to live through guilt and find happiness.
Set against the backdrop of the Fitzwarren family curse, The Soldiers Tale is a story of one man’s fight to find his place in a new world outside of the Army.
Will Daniel and Sean fill the second of three cryptic conditions that can lift the curse?
Book 3 – The Lord’s Tale by Sue Brown
Phil Fitzwarren is surrounded by death and tragedy as a result of the curse imposed on his family by Jonathan Curtess. The estate is riddled with debt, his parents and brother killed and his young nephew and much-wanted heir to what is left of the Fitzwarren estate fights for his life after being born prematurely.
Phil also has to admit that as his friends and family pair off and marry, he is lonely, and maybe a little jealous. He takes his anger and frustration out on the climbing wall, only to be picked up by a gorgeous guy when he freezes twenty feet up.
Lee Curtis is a force of nature, inserting himself into Phil’s life before Phil has time to breathe. But there is the third part of the curse to break, “when the one who seeks in danger is sworn to the landless lord”. Phil realises that Lee is the final piece of the puzzle and the curse which has plagued his family for centuries may finally be broken.
Please note, the three books included in this title have been available to purchase separately since 2011. This title includes all three books in one volume.
REVIEW:
The Psychic’s Tale
Mark didn’t ask to be psychic but he’s done what was necessary to keep himself going, even in the face of disbelief and loss. He’s fairly resigned to his lot in life and is mostly happy with it until his grandmother discovers a connection between his family and a curse placed on another: The Fitzwarrens. Now he’s facing hostility and the overwhelming need to break a 400 year old curse before it kills anyone else while trying to figure out if a fledgling connection with a stranger can lead to something more.
I really enjoyed this story; I thought it was a great start to the series and the way that Mark uses his psychic abilities was unique. I was quickly drawn into the story and found myself invested in what happened to the characters in a short amount of time. Jack’s ability to put aside his skepticism and at least give Mark a chance was nice to see and I thought he worked well with Mark overall. Things do move at a faster pace since this is a novella but I found I didn’t mind that at all. The only think I didn’t care for was how quickly the first part of the curse was tackled but I understand it with the length of the story.
The Soldier’s Tale
Daniel prides himself on being a strong man but after living through a horrifying experience in Afghanistan, he’s on shaky ground both mentally and physically. All he wants is to be left alone to get along as best he can but a chance encounter, and later a near miss, with an irritating doctor changes that. Sean doesn’t understand why he can’t get Daniel off of his mind but when he’s given the chance to figure it out, he doesn’t hesitate to take it. Amidst the challenge of breaking a curse on a friend and helping out another in the hospital, Sean definitely has his work cut out for him.
While I enjoyed this next book in the trilogy, I find I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the first. Daniel’s connection to the breaking of the curse was unexpected but fit well and it was nice seeing Sean as a main character instead of just a secondary one. I don’t know what it was, however, but I just didn’t feel the connection between these two that I did with Mark and Jack. I could’ve believed that they were good friends or that something more might have developed over time but it just didn’t feel genuine to me with how quickly the relationship progressed. I’m not sure why. Still, it was a good continuation of the overall story even with how fast it moved.
The Lord’s Tale
Phil has lived his entire life under the shadow of the family curse and he’s just so very tired. Everyday seems like a struggle between trying to keep the estate afloat and keeping himself going but its hard. On top of that, seeing everyone around him fall in love and pair off just hammers home how lonely he is. Lee has spent months watching Phil come into the center to rock climb but when he freezes up on the wall, Lee finally takes the opportunity to talk to him while hoping he can find a way for more. The curse has almost been broken but unforeseen connections have Phil wondering if his family will ever be free and if he even belongs with Lee.
This was a great end to the book; up until this point the curse breaking had been going fairly smoothly but just when everyone thinks things are finally over, one more condition is brought to light, sending Phil and his family scrambling to try and fulfill it. I thought Phil was a likeable character and it was understandable that he saw the world in a glass is half empty kind of light. Lee’s character, however, was the opposite and I thought the two balanced each other out nicely. I found him calling Phil baby despite Phil’s protests to be amusing and the connection between Lee and Phil’s families brought a nice symmetry to the end of the story arc.
I enjoyed the book overall; it was a nice easy read without too much drama and just the right amount of paranormal to keep my attention.
RATING: 
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I enjoyed these books