A fight to save his people
A kiss to save his heart…
To regain his stolen lands and save his people from
suffering, Robert of Penrith has returned to marry his enemy’s daughter. To
Robert’s surprise, his dearest friend, Morwenna, helps him win the heiress’s
hand—despite the danger to them both. The fierce, beautiful miller’s daughter
has stood by him throughout his exile. But a single kiss ignites a passion that
threatens to upend all of Robert’s plans…
Good friends to lovers story. The book opens as Robert of
Penrith, his half-brother Piers, miller's daughter Morwenna and her younger
brother Brian have all been taken captive after Penrith castle was attacked.
They don't know why, but they sense that escape is their only option if they
want to live. They pull it off and go into hiding for the next two years.
Robert was sickly as a child, so he didn't have the warrior
training he should have had as the heir to Penrith. Instead, he was kept indoors
and spent much of his time reading. After the attack that killed his father and
gave his lands to someone else, Robert felt guilty that he hadn't been able to
defend his people. He spent the two years of exile training every day, waiting
for his opportunity to regain his lands. He was aided by Piers, with whom he
has a strained relationship, and Morwenna, who trained alongside the men. When
Robert hears that the new Earl of Penrith will hold a competition to choose his
daughter's husband, he sees it as the perfect opportunity to regain his lands.
However, this isn't as easy as it sounds. Robert can't just
ride up, announce who he is, and join the competition. He disguises himself as
a serf and sneaks in to check things out, accompanied by Morwenna. While things
look prosperous and well run, he quickly learns that everything is not as it
seems. An encounter with a serf who remembers him reveals that the new earl
rules with cruelty and an iron fist. He also finds resentment from the others
that he didn't stay and fight. Wracked with guilt over what he's learned,
Robert swears that he will find a way to rescue his people. He spends a few
days undercover before presenting himself under an assumed name as a contender
for Lady Gwen's hand.
In the meantime, Morwenna wants to do her part, even
though Robert has refused her help. She disguises herself as a lady in distress
and gains entrance to the castle and access to Lady Gwen. Morwenna tries to push
Robert as the best contender, but Gwen has her eye on someone else. Her deception
becomes especially dangerous when the new earl suspects she isn't who she says
she is.
The tension ramps up as unexpected twists put both Morwenna
and Robert in extreme danger from the earl. There is nail-biting drama as they
barely escape with their lives. Robert still has big plans on winning back his
lands and pursues an idea that Morwenna feels has a low chance of success. Meanwhile,
Morwenna gets some shocking news about a pendant that belonged to her mother
and what it may mean to her future. A final encounter with the earl causes a
change in perspective for Robert and presents a different path.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Morwenna and Robert. She has loved him for years and can't help dreaming of the
impossible. I loved her strength of will as she trained alongside the men so
that she could be near him. I ached for her when Robert started talking about
using marriage to Gwen to get his lands back. Robert is blind to Morwenna's feelings
for him and treats her the same as the others. That changes when they play
their parts at Penrith, and he suddenly sees her for the beautiful woman she
is. Unfortunately, he still has tunnel vision regarding regaining his lands and
fights his feelings for her. Even rescuing her from mortal danger doesn't derail
his plans, though he admits that there's something between them. I ached for
Morwenna as she gave up her dreams. Though I mainly wanted to shake Robert for
turning his back on love, I also understood his motivation. There are a couple of
twists and turns yet to come, where Morwenna and Robert have choices to make
that could change everything. I liked the ending and the decisions they made.
The epilogue was terrific.
The secondary characters are critical to the story.
Morwenna's younger brother Brian is protective of her but is only fifteen.
There are several scenes where he plays a vital role, but he feels like he let
her down. He joins a group on the way to the Crusades as a penance for his
failings. Robert's half-brother, Piers, has always resented his illegitimacy
and Robert's place as heir. He sees the competition as a way to get what he's
always wanted. There is an interesting turn of events involving him, and I
liked how Robert stepped up to support him. Lady Gwen turned out to be a bit of
a surprise. I thought she'd be one of those spoiled and over-protected types,
but she's a kind and compassionate woman with a stronger will than I expected.
I liked her immediate friendship with Morwenna, even when she knew the truth. Her
appearance later in the book was a surprise, and I loved her part. I hope these
characters get their own books because I'd love to see what happens to them.
A kiss to save his heart…
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