Demerjian’s vivid descriptions flood her writing, infusing the story with rich texture and depth. Emlyn is beautifully portrayed—“dark limbal rings around the corneas of beautiful hazel-green eyes created a sense of deep drama in a distinct and charming face”—while Dyfen’s aqua gaze and barely-bridled intensity match Emlyn’s hunger, launching the two into a passionate spiral of lovemaking, danger, and an emerging war. Demerjian forms their attachment slowly but steadily, generating plenty of heat and building to a feverish incident in the stable at the book’s midway point that leaves little room for doubt that these two are meant for each other.

Richard the Lionheart is thrown into the mix, as he speeds to Cyprus to rescue his fiancée from the self-proclaimed emperor Isaac Komnenus, and Demerjian weaves his fate into that of Dyfen and his brothers, who must undertake their own daring retrieval of Emlyn, taken captive by a dastardly duke with evil intentions. The mix of feuding families, battles ripe for conquest, and men fighting for the reputation of beautiful young maidens comes to a head in Demerjian’s cliffhanger ending, crafting a sweet setup for future installments.

Takeaway: Period romance with its fair share of daring rescues and simmering tension.

Comparable Titles: Lisa Kleypas’s Devil in Winter, Georgette Heyer’s Venetia.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A