KNIGHT'S TEMPTATION

Author: Catherine Kean ISBN: 9781933836522 4/2009 HISTORICAL Publisher: MEDALLION PRESS
Time Period: 1183; 1195

Aldwin Treynarde, a squire who shot Lord Geoffrey de Lanceau with a crossbow bolt after being deceived by Baron Sedgewick, is ordered to retrieve a stolen ruby pendant before it falls into the baron and Veronique’s hands. Haunted by his guilt over being manipulated by the baron years ago, Aldwin wants to prove his worth to his lord. If he excels in his duty, he might even be awarded knighthood. Such an honor would also help redeem himself to his respected parents who, ashamed by his reckless near-murder of de Lanceau, told him never to return home. Lady Leona Ransley, in an effort to help her depressed father, only wants to hand over the pendant, collect the reward, and vanish. When she arranges a meeting in a seedy tavern, she never expected to face Aldwin, who almost caused her death twelve years ago when they disturbed a bee’s nest during a childhood game. Although Aldwin doesn’t recognize her, he’s reminded of Leona and is haunted by his belief that she died from the bee stings from that day twelve years prior. Believing that the woman before him is a courtesan and has information on the conspirators’ whereabouts, he takes Leona hostage and spirits her away, meaning to deliver her and the pendant to de Lanceau. She, however, fights him at every chance. He desires his warrior captive more than any noble woman he has ever met, and when hediscovers who she really is, he knows he has one last chance to protect his lady’s life. Only by resolving what happened between them and by fighting side by side can Aldwin and Leona defeat the conspirators and surrender to their greatest temptation—love.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I swear, the more Catherine Kean writes, the better she gets. A KNIGHT'S TEMPTATION hit all the right notes in all the right places for me, with plenty of action, a multitude of eclectic characters both old and new, and probably one of the most despicable, female villains I've ever enjoyed reading about in a romance. And to be quite honest, I hope that evil *itch (I'll be nice) never dies! Yes, a sick thought, I know, but Veronique is just so, so bad and yet so entertaining to read about!

One of the best things about Kean's female characters is that they're all strong women, all able to take care of themselves without the help of a man. Determined and forthright, the fact that they are independent, loyal, and yet sexy and sensous—all at the same time—just make Kean's romance stories so much more enjoyable. The male characters are all virile, totally alpha, and yet sensitive enough to allow their mates to stand side-by-side with them, instead of pushing them under (unless it's in bed, of course), which makes for greater chemistry between couples as well as some pretty intense and exciting moments.

To borrow some words from my review of A KNIGHT'S VENGEANCE: with sensual love scenes, great characters, excellent writing and dialogue, and a plot and storyline that never lets up, Catherine has sent an arrow through the bulls eye to score a Top Pick for A KNIGHT'S TEMPTATION with me. I can hardly wait for her next medieval romance to appear.

Nancy Davis