Search - Alena (Harlequin Historical, No 220)

This is a romance set in Roman-occupied Britain. I have to say I was disappointed with this story. I usually love Merline Lovelace's writing, and I was intrigued by the different time period, but somehow, this story dragged. There was too much historical detail and not enough romance. (And I would never usually complain about too much historical detail. But somehow the mix didn't come off.) The hero was a just a little bit too controlling for my taste, too. It was readable, but not a keeper for me.

The wild heart of a warrior beat in the breast of Aena, daughter to a queen, and mother to a king. A Celtic princess, she resolved never to bend to the invader's rule. But how could she foresee that the iron fist of Rome would stroke her soul with a velvet glove of passion?

It was nice to read such a unique setting! The storyline was fairly common- two people on opposite sides of a conflict- but the author's handling of it and the time period made the book a nice read. The character development was done very well.