It was interesting to read a romance in this time and place (1153 on the border between England and Wales) but the heroine's desire to manage her own lands felt a little modern to me. The characters were likable enough but spent a big chunk of time being distant with each other, so not one for my keeper shelf.
Historical romance set on the English and Welsh country side
The village of Audham lay on England's borderland - a wild, savage backwater where Welsh raiders roamed, heedless of royal law. But to widowed Isobel Bayeux, the abbey at Audham was a refuge from a cruel world. She felt safe within its cloistered halls, where no man could control her life or her lands.
Then the magnificent Sir Hugh appeared, claiming Audham as a reward from the king. He promised no disruption to the abbey, only peace and protection. Yet even he was powerless to control the unrest that simmered beyond the gates - or the passion that would plunge Isobel into a dark web of treachery and peril. Was he the loyal and tender lover he seemed to be? Or would Isobel's world be rocked by betrayal...and the perilous temptations of her own yearning heart?
Then the magnificent Sir Hugh appeared, claiming Audham as a reward from the king. He promised no disruption to the abbey, only peace and protection. Yet even he was powerless to control the unrest that simmered beyond the gates - or the passion that would plunge Isobel into a dark web of treachery and peril. Was he the loyal and tender lover he seemed to be? Or would Isobel's world be rocked by betrayal...and the perilous temptations of her own yearning heart?
