Publisher: Zebra
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Everyone knows that I adore debut novels. There is just something extra special about opening the cover of an author’s very first published book. I feel the excitement and wonder of the author as I begin to read her work of art. It is like discovering a delightful little bakery on the outskirts of town and sitting down and tasting the first delectable bite of sugary confection.
Here is the first bite from Angela Johnson’s debut novel:
”Lady Katherine of Montclair squeezed her thighs tightly around Hunter’s sleek body and rode him hard. Sunlight speared the oak forest canopy, dappling them with heat. Leaning over Hunter, she whispered loving words into his ear and stroked her hand down the taut length of his neck and powerful shoulders. In response, his flanks flexed beneath her, thrusting harder, faster. Her heart pounded sharply and excitement pulsed in her blood.”
Now THAT is an opening paragraph!!!
Forced to marry Sir Alex de Beaumont at an early age due to her father’s failing health, Lady Katherine is shocked by the passion Sir Alex stirs in her on their wedding night. A passion that is quickly doused the morning after when Lady Katherine awakens in the marriage bed alone, with only a note from her new husband stating he has left with King Edward’s forces to fight in the Crusades. Mad beyond words, Lady Katherine takes her frustration out on the marriage sheet and throws the only evidence of the consummated marriage into the fire.
Six long years have passed and believing her estranged husband is dead, Lady Katherine is set to move on with her life. Standing in St. John’s Chapel at Westminster Palace in front of King Edward and the court, Lady Katherine is poised to speak her wedding vows to Sir Luc de Joinville, a man who desires children and will see to her happiness. But before the ceremony can proceed, the silence of the chapel is disturbed by the crash of the doors opening and the appearance of a disheveled and dirty man. None other than Sir Alex de Beaumont.
After two years fighting in the Crusades and four years being held as a slave in a Saracen prison, Sir Alex has finally set foot on English soil only to discover his wife, Lady Katherine, is about to marry his one-time friend, Sir Luc. Needless to say, Lady Katherine is shocked to see her husband alive. Her shock soon turns to anger as the feelings of abandonment and betrayal fill her heart again. But Sir Alex will not be gainsaid. He will have his wife again and soon. Not having sex for six years tends to make a man very moody, aggressive and more than determined! Striking a marriage bargain agreement with Lady Katherine, Sir Alex is given one month to woo his lady wife back or he agrees to apply for an annulment to the Pope. In addition to winning back the woman he has dreamed about every night for the last six years, Sir Alex is also intent on discovering the identity of the person who oversaw his capture during the Crusades and his harsh, brutal imprisonment.
This is a wonderful story, full of betrayal, intrigue and the up and down journey of two individuals learning to trust and open their hearts to a love full of companionship and passion. I hope that you will give this debut a try!
~ Buffie
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