A lady’s need for protection
A knight’s chance for redemption
Exiled Knight William Geraint answers only to himself. Yet, a mission to find and reunite lost heiress Lady Isabel de Clancey with her family is Will’s chance to finally atone for the torment of his past. With every rushed mile, their intense attraction becomes dangerously thrilling. He swore to protect Isabel not seduce her, but their desire for each other could threaten the redemption he’s worked so hard to achieve…
Purchase Links
Mills and Boon - https://bit.ly/3opfj5I
Harlequin Books - https://bit.ly/3234EEv
Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/31LLVga
Amazon US - https://amzn.to/3kyXj6K
Review
As a child, Lady Isabel is saved from an ambush by a young Will Geraint. Traumatised, she is sent to a convent and adopted by a miller and his wife to grow up in anonymous safety. Years later, Will is hired to retrieve the lost de Clancey heiress and escort her to her now-widowed mother, but danger is around every corner, danger that wants to find Isabel for reasons entirely their own.
The strength of this book is in the relationship between Will and Isabel as they get to know each other and fall in love. The ambush is merely the pinnacle of Isabel's painful past and I am glad for the relative peace and joy she found as a simple miller's daughter. Will's history is more shadowed but no less painful and I really liked how Isabel listened to him and encouraged him to step out of the darkness and self-recrimination. Will carries a lot of anger and resentment under the guilt and I love how Isabel outlines new perspectives that might help him let go. Will and Isabel believed in each other and brought out the best in each other which helped me believe in them together.
I did find the pacing a little unsteady - this is the medieval equivalent of a road trip story but they only get on the road at 20% after Will spends far too long trying to convince Isabel to go with him without really hearing out any of her objections. Slightly pettily, I also wish we got the scene where Isabel's adopted sister is informed that she is indeed not lost nobility and the handsome knight is here for her helpful and unassuming sister.
Once we get on the road, the true bonding time begins - as does the danger, which wasn't entirely expected based on the blurb. The tension did build nicely, but there did seems to be a few continuity errors. I especially wonder at the wisdom giving a Lady a knife during a combat situation, when the last time that happened it ended with the same knife at her throat. For a smart man, I can't believe that Will would make that mistake. Twice. You think he'd learn.
However, pacing and quibbles aside, this is a fine medieval romance between two lost souls who bring out the best in each other and I enjoyed it.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own
Author Bio
Melissa Oliver is from south-west London where she writes historical romance novels. She lives with her lovely husband and daughters, who share her passion for decrepit, old castles, palaces and all things historical.
Melissa is the WINNER of The Romantic Novelist Association’s Joan Hessayon Award for new writers 2020 for her debut, The Rebel Heiress and the Knight - Book 1 Notorious Knights.
Social Media Links
Twitter - @melissaoauthor
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/melissaoliverauthor/
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