Series: Brotherhood of the Border, #5
Traits & Tropes: widowed heroine; enemies to lovers; road trip; reformed rake
Publication Date: 08.30.22
Genre/Setting: Historical; Medieval; Northumbria, 1301
Heat Level: 3
Rating: 4.5/5
When he spies a hooded woman lurking in the shadows at his cousin’s wedding, Sir Hugh Waryn is immediately suspicious of her. He protects his family above all else and perceives the presence of an Italian-born Frenchwoman as a potential threat, even if he does find himself intrigued by her stubbornness and seeming dislike of him.
When Hugh finally succeeds in persuading Lady Criseyde to confide her true purpose in him, he becomes ever more attracted to her. With these two on the same side and now working together, Hugh’s desire for her could become even more of a danger than the mission she’s been sent on as the two journey north into Scotland alone. When they reach William Wallace’s campsite, Hugh is even beginning to question his determination to avoid love or marriage.
When the trip becomes even more potentially deadly, Hugh needs all his training and the help of his father’s old reiver friends to save Criseyde and ensure the future he’s come to crave with her.
I must say I was not a huge fan of this heroine to start off with. I found her insistence on talking in circles exhausting and her need to make everything an argument frustrating. However, as the story went on and she and Hugh came to realize they were on the same side and actually came to know each other, it became very clear that this sort of stubborn determination was exactly what Hugh needed to get himself in order and realize he was in fact capable of a committed, long-term relationship. Likewise, Hugh challenged Criseyde to reimagine the views she held up until this point about marriage, her potential to derive pleasure from a man, and the way men view women. He showed her that not all men are the same and that’s always excellent to read. I loved seeing him smacked by that realization and I especially enjoyed the fact that there was no high drama when it came to Hugh and Criseyde deciding to have their future together. There’s enough angst from the political upheaval of this time period that it wasn’t needed within the relationship to make a compelling story. Cecelia does such a good job of rapidly building a believable, solid relationship between characters you can’t help but root for and this story was no exception.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4954609112
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3175483367
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