Series: All the King's Men, #1
Traits & Tropes: arranged marriage; widowed heroine; damaged heroine; warrior hero
Publication Date: 09.01.09
Genre/Setting: Historical; Medieval; English/Welsh border, 1405
Rating: 4/5
Heat Level: 4/5
Narration Rating: 4/5
Successful in battle, William FitzAlan has been rewarded for his service to the king with a strategically located fortress and lands on the Welsh border. Along with the land comes the lady of the keep, the beautiful and newly widowed, Lady Catherine Rayburn.
Catherine risked everything to reveal her late husband’s treachery to the king only to be rewarded with the loss of her lands and forced to either marry Lord FitzAlan or be imprisoned in the Tower. Catherine agrees to submit to her new husband but keeps her heart apart. William doesn’t wish to settle for half measures and works to woo his wife. The passion between them heats as danger encroaches on their budding relationship and they’ll have to learn to be open and trust each other if they hope to preserve their lands and lives.
This was a more traditional Medieval/Middle Ages romance along the lines of those that first got me into historical romance. There was plenty of steam, which I not only enjoyed but which was also key to the development of the story and the relationship between the MCs. William was rather clueless, but he tried so hard and his sweet tendencies and tenderness with Catherine were charming enough to make up for the times he was blindly jealous and territorial. His continued mistrust of her did get old, but he made up for it in the end and Catherine’s resilience and resourcefulness were admirable. I was also quite charmed by the family dynamic that developed between Catherine, William, Jamie, and Stephen. There was a lot of action to keep me interested in this one, though I must say my sentiments fell more in line with the ultimately unsuccessful Welsh rebels. I would’ve liked a bit more communication between the MCs, but I enjoyed the story overall. I appreciated the strong morals of both Catherine and William and their ability to apologize when needed. This was an enjoyable read and I’ll be moving on to Stephen’s story now.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2388068240
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2793479034
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