Overview
With over five million copies of her novels in print, New York Times bestselling author Virginia Henley has enchanted readers worldwide. Now she sweeps us back to an intensely romantic, tumultuous time in Scottish history. . . .When Lynx de Warenne, Edward Plantagenet's most prized warrior, invaded Dumfries castle, he took possession of Jane Leslie's home--and soon wanted something more from the headstrong lass. Desperate for an heir, he proposed a handfasting: a Scottish custom whereby a man can lawfully take a woman into his bed, then, after a year and a day, the couple can either wed or part. Any child of that union is deemed legitimate. Jane had no choice but to surrender to the invader's knowing touch. . . .
Fearless on the battlefield, Lynx was afraid to love. But Jane slowly stole into his heart. And as the fires of war raged around them, amid treacherous foes and brilliant intrigues, who would have thought that two such unlikely partners would fall in love--or that their breathless passion for each other would outlast . . .
Virginia Henley is the author of fourteen romantic novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Seduced and Desired. Her work has been translated into ten languages. A recipient of the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award, she lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Ontario, Canada.
Synopsis
With over five million copies of her novels in print, New York Times bestselling author Virginia Henley has enchanted readers worldwide. Now she sweeps us back to an intensely romantic, tumultuous time in Scottish history. . . .
When Lynx de Warenne, Edward Plantagenet's most prized warrior, invaded Dumfries castle, he took possession of Jane Leslie's home—and soon wanted something more from the headstrong lass. Desperate for an heir, he proposed a handfasting: a Scottish custom whereby a man can lawfully take a woman into his bed, then, after a year and a day, the couple can either wed or part. Any child of that union is deemed legitimate. Jane had no choice but to surrender to the invader's knowing touch. . . .
Fearless on the battlefield, Lynx was afraid to love. But Jane slowly stole into his heart. And as the fires of war raged around them, amid treacherous foes and brilliant intrigues, who would have thought that two such unlikely partners would fall in love—or that their breathless passion for each other would outlast . . .
Virginia Henley is the author of fourteen romantic novels, including the New York Times bestsellers Seduced and Desired. Her work has been translated into ten languages. A recipient of the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award, she lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Ontario, Canada.
Publishers Weekly
Scotland's 13th-century wars of independence provide the gory backdrop for Henley's 12th novel (and second foray into hardcover, after Dream Lover). Free-spirited Jane Leslie learns healing spells from her proud Scottish grandma and vows never to burden herself with a husband. But her father, Jock, the steward of Dumfries castle, has other ideas. He spies the perfect opportunity in Lynx de Warenne, the English lord who arrives to secure Dumfries for the crown. Warenne, a widower, is desperate to produce an heir. Citing the Leslie clan's tendency for prolific procreation, Jock offers Jane to de Warenne in handfastinga yearlong trial marriagein exchange for the lord's promise of making Jane his true wife if she produces a baby. Needless to say, Jane's wide-eyed navet soon turns to lasciviousness under the hand of the experienced lord. While the plot device of innocent-Scottish-maiden-meets-brave-English-lord may be hackneyed, Henley pulls off her version with panache, creating memorable characters including such historical figures as William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Steamy sex and bloody battles are vividly detailed in a nicely paced narrative that uses genre stereotypes without apology and to good effect. (Mar.)