Lord Gunnar Rutledge is FINALLY ready for his vengeance. He has waited 13 years, ever since he was a young boy, to claim his revenge on his parents murderer - Baron Luther d'Bussy. It would be fitting, killing the Baron on the tournament grounds where he killed his own father. But when he gets there and realizes the Baron is not going to participate he needs another plan. He waited too long to forsake his claim for justice.
Raina d'Bussy has lived a comfortable life thus far. The daughter of the Baron who denied her nothing. She enjoys her days riding with very little care in the world. She might miss the mother she barely knew but she loves her father who has always cared for her. The first "twist" to her playful naive life comes when one of her closest friends - Nigel - tried to force his "love" for her only to be rescued by a dark knight. Riding away from the beautiful girl Gunnar rescued, he couldn't have guessed she is the daughter of his sworn enemy.
After Gunnar failed attempt at the tournament he ties his best to lure the Baron into a meeting (where he plans to kill him) but no matter what he does the Baron stays in his home even while his villages are plundered and burned. Only option left is to actually COME to him and take him out in his own home. But when he actually gets to his chambers he is surprised to find Raina there. On the spur of the moment he decides to take her with him as a bargaining tool against her father.
Gunnar doesn't know what to do with Raina. He won't harm her in any way. He had enough of that with what her father planned to do with his own mother. Yet he still needs to keep her with him and making her see "sense" is quite difficult with her strong spirit. Though she frustrates him, he is still impressed, intrigued, and yeah attracted to her. No matter what she says and does and how infuriating she can be in her disbelieve of her father's doing it's obvious first and foremost she is a kind and caring person. The exact traits Gunnar himself tries to hide from her.. But it doesn't take her long to realize the "Dark Knight" isn't as mean and heartless as he tries to show himself to be. From there little by little yet faster than one would expect (considering the amount of time they spend in close quarters) they fall for one another. Yet Gunnar still doesn't want to take advantage of her so it's up to HER to make the first real move. He might taunt her, but he would never harm her.
This resolve is put to the test when the meeting with her father nears and Gunnar needs to make a choice what will he do now when he meets his enemy and the one person left to the woman he loves. Yet what both of them plan or hope will happen isn't in their hands anymore when Nigel puts his own plan into motion. He too has waited for this moment his whole life and nothing and no-one would stand in his way. Well, he shouldn't have underestimated a couple in love...
I can't believe THIS is the first book Lara wrote! I've read and loved her Paranormal Romance series "Midnight Breed" and I can't believe how DIFFERENT this one to her more recent books. But nevertheless GREAT as well.
First thing I did before writing this review was getting all other Historical Romance novels by Tina (~cough~ Lara) and making SURE they are HIGH on my list. I AM READY FOR MORE!
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Rating:
★★★★★ |
E-Book
Edition |
329
pages
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Read on:
11-12 October 2019
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