Ludlow, 1459 -
"Who would have thought to see Proud Cis brought so low? How shaming for her!" Isolda, standing at the window looking down onto the town square, noded in response to her mother's remark. "Yes, but how brave she is."
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The Blurb
The knight's target...
Becomes his greatest desire!
From the moment wool merchant Isolda catches sight of Sir Henry, she senses a powerful bond. But the vigilante knight is tracking down the person penning seditious poems exposing corruption...poems she secretly wrote!
Henry is torn after discovering Isolda's hidden identity, especially as he sympathizes with her cause. When Isolda's apprentice is murdered, Henry joins forces with her, hiding out in his manor, where passions run high! Yet after the traumatic death of his family, Henry can't let Isolda breach the walls around his heart. Still, he must find a way to earn her trust--their lives depend on it!
My Review
I was delighted when the author of this book, Lissa Morgan asked me if I would consider reading her latest novel. I have previously read, enjoyed, and reviewed her titles, The Warrior's Reluctant Wife and The Warrior's Forbidden Maiden, which form her Warriors of Wales series. Consequently, I had high hopes for this novel too, and I am glad to say that it surpassed those expectations, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The book is set in Ludlow in 1459 during the War of the Roses. Yorkists and Lancastrians oppose one another, and this brings Lancastrian knight, Sir Henry Wevere to the once Yorkist stronghold of Ludlow to seek out and punish the person who is pinning insurgent poetry to the church door.
When Sir Henry lays eyes on Isolda, who is the main character in the book, they both sense an instant chemistry. However, their loyalties lie on opposing sides of this war, and Isolda is, in fact, the author of the poems!
This was a fabulous premise for this book, and I loved watching it unfold. The chemistry between Sir Henry and Isolda was palpable, and it made for a wonderful enemies-to-lovers story.
Isolda was a marvellous main female character. She is a strong and determined woman. On her father's death, she took over his business as a wool merchant. Consequently, she is shunned by the Merchant's Guild because she is a woman in business. Her conviction that she is as worthy as any man to run a business perfectly sets up her strength of character, which we can see demonstrated throughout the novel.
Henry is fleeing his own demons after his family were all killed in a fire. This makes him a complex character, full of grief, dread, and unable to get close to anyone else for fear of losing them.
The author has created two brilliant characters who were likeable, and I was longing for them to find a way to put aside their differences and fears.
The author has skill in portraying historical stories while making them relevant to a modern readership. I think, as women, we can all identify with Isolda being held back merely because of her gender, a concept recognisable to the majority of women today.
I thought this was a book that was well worth reading, and I enjoyed it very much.
Book Details
ISBN: 978 1335540225
Publisher: Harlequin
Formats: e-book and paperback
No. of Pages: 272 (paperback)
Purchase Links
About the Author
Lissa Morgan hails from Wales but has travelled far and wide over the years, usually in pursuit of the next new job. A history graduate and former archivist, she now works in academia and freelance website design, which she fits in around her writing time. She lives between the mountains and the sea in rugged north-west Wales surrounded by medieval castles that provide the perfect inspiration for her books.
You can also find Lissa at:
(book courtesy of the author)
(all opinions are my own)
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.jpg "Author photo of Valerie Keogh")
