Although this book is of epic length at 909 pages, the timeline of the story is not, with the first 60% of the book taking place over a period of just a few months. Lady Jordan Scott is the only child of Earl Thomas Scott, Laird of the Scott Clan and a fierce opponent to the British in their ongoing border wars. In an era where women had limited freedom and were expected to be obedient and subservient, Lady Jordan is the exact opposite. She is fiery, stubborn, fiercely loyal, kind hearted, protective of those she loves and not afraid to speak her mind or ignore a direct command. Anyone who enjoys a strong heroine in their story will not be disappointed by Jordan and there are plenty of times you will sympathize with the men charged with her care. I love that in a time where sons are a father’s pride and joy that Thomas Scott loves and dotes on his daughter. She is a true light in his life and not cast aside because of her gender. When a directive is sent from King Henry III that Thomas Scott must provide a bride to secure a peace alliance along the border with John De Longley, a British Earl and border lord, it is with a heavy heart that he offers up his own daughter. Lady Jordan accepts her fate but is taken by surprise when Sir William de Wolfe, Captain of De Longley’s army, is sent to retrieve her and she recognizes him as the injured knight she secretly provided medical aid to when he was fatally wounded in a border skirmish months prior. An attraction sparked by an accidental meeting on the battlefield now has time to develop as William accepts full responsibility for Jordan’s safety.

I have said it before, there is no better place to find espionage, suspense, conspiracy, cunning, deceit, and illicit affairs than in the courts of the middle ages. Attempted murder, lies, sex and war are just a few of the events that play out within weeks of Jordan’s arrival in the De Longley household. The camaraderie between William and his knights provides plenty of sarcastic humor and occasional jealousy but these men are a very close brotherhood and would die for one another. I am positive the origin of the alpha male can be traced back to these nine broodingly gorgeous extremely tall and muscular knights who are the epitome of strength and power. Led by The Wolf, their six foot five, dark haired, golden hazel eyed captain whose reputation precedes him for all that he has achieved on the battlefield, the most feared knight in the realm, is powerless in the hands of the woman he loves. Although William and Jordan are the focal point of this story, the supporting characters, and there are A LOT of them, share just as much of the storyline. They are well developed and integral to the plot and Kathryn Le Veque does a brilliant job of weaving all of their stories together. She also keeps you guessing as to the ulterior motives of a number of characters. Those I expected to be ruthless were quite the opposite but never fear, there are plenty of traitorous people among both the Scots and the Brits and King Henry is far from finished with his interference. For a book that is just over 900 pages long, there is rarely a dull moment and I never found it boring or tedious. If I had to give you one complaint, it would be that we are continually reminded of the remarkable beauty of Jordan Scott. I don’t know how this woman does not have an over inflated ego because EVERYONE is complimenting her on her magnificence ALL. THE. TIME. But I had to dig deep for that one because I truly loved everything about this story and I promise, you will be spouting the ye, dunna, wunna, canna, dinna slang with a Scottish lilt in no time.

My absolute favourite part of this epic love story? The epilogue. It is completely unexpected and I absolutely loved the twist! Well played Ms. Le Veque! Now could you please write me a story to follow that epilogue because I think I love your genius.