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Lord of danger
First published 1997
A classic beauty-and-the-beast medieval romance where a sheltered innocent melts the heart of a brooding, dangerous lord.
What it feels like
Reading this classic medieval romance feels like stepping into a shadowy, tapestry-draped castle where secrets lurk in every corner. The narrative unfolds at a steady, deliberate pace, allowing the gothic-tinged atmosphere to wrap around you as the central beauty-and-the-beast dynamic takes center stage. The prose is lush and earnest, capturing the intense, slow-burn sensuality of a sheltered innocent colliding with a deeply jaded, dangerously misunderstood hero. It is a deeply emotional journey that balances political intrigue with a tender story of redemption and healing. Fans of old-school historical romance who crave brooding lords, resilient heroines, and the undeniable power of a love that conquers dark pasts will find themselves completely swept away by this passionate tale.
- Mood
- shadowy
- mysterious
- passionate
- gothic-tinged
- Tone
- romantic
- earnest
- dramatic
- sensual
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- beauty and the beast dynamic · healing through love · innocence and cynicism · political intrigue · redemption
- The writing
- Lush and atmospheric, leaning into the dramatic sensibilities of classic nineties historical romance.
- The arc
- Moves from fearful apprehension and jaded isolation to a passionate, healing connection.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love old-school medieval romances featuring brooding, misunderstood heroes and gentle but resilient heroines.
Content notes
- political violence
- period-typical misogyny
- mild peril
About the book
Half-sister to Richard the Fair, Alys has been schooled in the sheltered ways of the convent, far from the treachery and intrigue of castle life. Until she is taken from the cloister and brought to a place filled with secrets. Here she is to meet her future husband, a man some call a monster. His name is Simon of Navarre, a powerful and mysterious lord practiced in the black arts. This sensual stranger both terrifies her and fascinates her...and sets her heart burning with an unfamiliar fire.
Jaded by war, no longer able to believe in human goodness, Simon has turned toward the realm of darkness. But the master magician finds himself bewitched by the innocent Alys, who fears his very touch could damn her forever. Yet even as Simon begins to work his seductive magic, Alys senses the wounded soul beneath the cooly elegant facade. Now, as the two become pawns in Richard's treacherous scheme to become England's king, only one power can save them: the unstoppable force of love.
Description from Open Library.
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