Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book about two emotionally scarred people brought together by chance and destined for love. Joan is a young woman who believes she is cursed. Betrothed three times, each man died before the marriage could take place. The latest betrothal, near her brother's lands in Ireland, leads her brothers to ask MacEgan's King Patrick's advice.
Ronan is on the run to save his life and his kingdom. His stepmother and stepbrother betrayed his father and stole the crown. He has no idea if his father lives, but Ronan knows he needs help to reclaim his lands. His best option is to appeal to King Patrick. The king promises some men to help and advises Ronan to marry a woman whose family has the resources to help him. A woman such as the one whose brothers sit at the other end of the table.
Neither Joan nor Ronan wants to be married. Ronan won't marry with no home for a bride. He also feels that he has no right to marry and be happy. He feels responsible for his brother and his nephew's deaths, and the guilt he feels overwhelms him to the point of refusing to have children of his own. Joan doesn't want another man's death on her conscience. Her belief in the curse is unshakable, and nothing anyone says will change her mind.
I liked the development of the relationship between Joan and Ronan. Each feels caught in a no-win situation. Joan is certain that Ronan will die if she marries him, but without it, he won't have the men he needs and will likely die anyway. Ronan needs those men, but he won't give Joan the child she wants so much. Joan believes the only solution is to break the curse. Instructions from the local wise woman entail Joan giving herself to Ronan in one passion-filled night. But it doesn't go quite as Joan planned, and she soon finds herself married to Ronan after all. The attraction that burns between them may not be enough to overcome the obstacles between them.
Meanwhile, plans go on for Ronan's attempt to regain his lands. The intensity ramps up as Ronan discovers the depths his stepbrother went to in order to secure the cooperation of Ronan's people. Ronan is determined to succeed and will take any chance he can to tilt the odds in his favor. Several twists and turns lead up to the final confrontation, but the biggest one involved Joan herself. I loved her decision about the curse and what she did with it. There were still some loose ends to tie up afterward and some healing to do, but the outlook is bright for the kingdom.
All that was left was for Ronan and Joan to work past their fears. Fortunately, both had some eye-opening moments during that last battle and were finally able to open up about their feelings. There is one last fight to endure, and it's one that Ronan can't do. I felt his fear as Joan struggled to survive and hoped for a happy outcome.
One of the things I love about the author's books is the attention to the minute details of daily life in medieval times. Those descriptions give an added depth and reality to the story that is hard to match. I also enjoyed revisiting the MacEgan Brothers from her series of the same name. Those were my introduction to her writing, and I've been a fan ever since.
Ronan is on the run to save his life and his kingdom. His stepmother and stepbrother betrayed his father and stole the crown. He has no idea if his father lives, but Ronan knows he needs help to reclaim his lands. His best option is to appeal to King Patrick. The king promises some men to help and advises Ronan to marry a woman whose family has the resources to help him. A woman such as the one whose brothers sit at the other end of the table.
Neither Joan nor Ronan wants to be married. Ronan won't marry with no home for a bride. He also feels that he has no right to marry and be happy. He feels responsible for his brother and his nephew's deaths, and the guilt he feels overwhelms him to the point of refusing to have children of his own. Joan doesn't want another man's death on her conscience. Her belief in the curse is unshakable, and nothing anyone says will change her mind.
I liked the development of the relationship between Joan and Ronan. Each feels caught in a no-win situation. Joan is certain that Ronan will die if she marries him, but without it, he won't have the men he needs and will likely die anyway. Ronan needs those men, but he won't give Joan the child she wants so much. Joan believes the only solution is to break the curse. Instructions from the local wise woman entail Joan giving herself to Ronan in one passion-filled night. But it doesn't go quite as Joan planned, and she soon finds herself married to Ronan after all. The attraction that burns between them may not be enough to overcome the obstacles between them.
Meanwhile, plans go on for Ronan's attempt to regain his lands. The intensity ramps up as Ronan discovers the depths his stepbrother went to in order to secure the cooperation of Ronan's people. Ronan is determined to succeed and will take any chance he can to tilt the odds in his favor. Several twists and turns lead up to the final confrontation, but the biggest one involved Joan herself. I loved her decision about the curse and what she did with it. There were still some loose ends to tie up afterward and some healing to do, but the outlook is bright for the kingdom.
All that was left was for Ronan and Joan to work past their fears. Fortunately, both had some eye-opening moments during that last battle and were finally able to open up about their feelings. There is one last fight to endure, and it's one that Ronan can't do. I felt his fear as Joan struggled to survive and hoped for a happy outcome.
One of the things I love about the author's books is the attention to the minute details of daily life in medieval times. Those descriptions give an added depth and reality to the story that is hard to match. I also enjoyed revisiting the MacEgan Brothers from her series of the same name. Those were my introduction to her writing, and I've been a fan ever since.
