Garrick of Hawkwood had been sent to marry d’Arcy’s widow and take over the fortress for the King. The king and his wife were at odds. The women of Fairfield had been followers of the queen and the king sent Garrick to take back the land holdings for his reign. That would also give Garrick his own territory. When he arrived and asked for d’Arcy’s widow, Emma lied and said that she had gone to France when, actually, she was at a convent very close to them.

The king came to visit and insisted that Garrick wed Emma. That escalated the conflict. Added to the melee, Emma’s ex-brother-in-law had been blackmailing her father and he continued to seek monies from Emma.

There are many characters in this book. The plot is different in that there were almost no men at the castle. The two main characters, Garrick and Emma, had background problems which followed them into their mandated wedding. Garrick had lost his one true love and Emma had been abused by her deceased husband. The sub-characters were believable and, even though there were many, they were distinguishable. The tale was both captivating and addictive.

There is a lot of action in this book. Much of it is comical but it does have its sensual undertones. The author wrote a multi-dimensional story but it was well written, fast paced and highly emotional. I liked the storyline and the manner in which it was presented. I recommend this for medieval fans that enjoy comedic relief. It was refreshing.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Very sensual

Reviewer: Brenda Talley
November 2, 2007