by Tina St. John, Lara Adrian

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so not a fan of historical romances but this has changed my mind about the genre, at least where this author is concerned. I may even try others. 🙂 This was a great read with characters I could feel down to my toes and in my heart. The settings were so vivid that I could see them in my mind, which is a wonderful experience when you can become that immersed in a book. This grabbed me and refused to let me put it down without a fight as I moved from chapter to chapter wanting to find out just one more thing before putting it down for the night.

Isabel de Lamere(Izzy) meets the person who will fire her young imagination and heart when she is eight years old and finds herself lost in the forest. To her rescue comes Griffin of Droghallow, a boy who has dreams of someday becoming a great and honorable knight. They are in each others company for only a short time, but for Isabel it is long enough to form an attachment for the foster son of the Earl and to keep something dear to him for ten years in the hope that one day she can return it.

Ten years later and Isabel has had a hard life to contend with, she is the ward of the King and has been given in marriage to a man she has never met. This character is strong, confused, and knows her duty. I liked her because of all those traits but also because she could change and follow more than just the rules she had set for herself. She was also naive, but that was to be expected for the time period, she had been sheltered and really knew nothing of the world. Griffin on the other hand had seen to much of the world and had changed a great deal from that bright-eyed boy. His life took a dark turn and all he wants is to start fresh. When they meet again it is not a sweet reunion but one they will never forget.

This was an exciting story with sword fights, court intrigue, betrayal, romance, and some nice love scenes. It was both heart wrenching and pulse pounding in equal measures. I cried, laughed, and cheered. Great ending, just want I wanted and needed! I cannot wait to read the next in the series.