Margaret Moore effortlessly draws the reader into a tender medieval love story. From the first page you are right there as an observer, watching a young couple’s heart wrenching journey enfold.

Lady Rhiannon, the Welsh daughter of Emryss Delayna, is young and animated. She is lively; simply enjoying her youth and her popularity, dancing and laughing away at a party with smiles for everyone. Little does she know that her flirtatious nature is about to get her into serious trouble.

At the same party, after winning yet another tournament, the Norman, Bryce Frechette sits by himself in a brooding, bitter mood. Though justifiable, mistakes of this youth have left him alone, landless and penniless, not to mention, no longer a member of the sought after nobility. Poor Bryce doesn’t even own a change of clothes. Lost in his own thoughts, he sits and admires the lovely Rhiannon twirl around the dance floor from afar. If only he were the man dancing with her...

Afterwards, in the shadows outside of the party, their lives are changed forever. During an accidental encounter, Bryce and Rhiannon share a kiss. Both are fascinated with one another but share warped perceptions of the others character. She believes he is a spoiled brat who deserted his family after a temper tantrum. He believes that she is a spoiled brat who makes a habit of seducing unsuspecting men with her feminine wiles. Both believe their single kiss should be forgotten, as they will never see one another again.

Bryce’s fortunes are about to change, being an excellent warrior; albeit with a tarnished reputation, Bryce comes under the attention of the Welsh Lord Cynvelin. I usually don’t say a lot about a stories villain, but Cynvelin is a silver-tongued devil in disguise. He is a creep! In most novels you never know exactly who the bad guy is, at least not at the beginning of the story and there is always one bad guy in every book who is out to ruin everything for everybody. Margaret Moore delivers a refreshing stance by putting her villain out front and center. There is no guessing the despicable mans idenity, just the anticipation of exactly how far the wretch will go with his evil machinations.

Cynvelin goes to the extremes. He harbors a deep hatred for Rhiannon’s father and plots to kidnap her in an effort to force her to love him, therefore exacting revenge on her father. Cynvelin hires Bryce, who without any other viable options readily joins his forces. His first assignment however makes him question his own wisdom to align himself to a man he has just met. Bryce is ordered to kidnap Rhiannon for his new employer! Bryce is led to believe that the barbarous Welsh normally abduct their future wives as a lark. Any resistance on the part of the soon to be bride or her family would just be pretend. And besides, he has been promised a chance at a knighthood and estate. Rhiannon is indeed kidnapped, snatched kicking and screaming from her father side. The stoic Bryce ignores her protests.

Of course, instead of the captivity bringing Cynvelin and Rhiannon together, it brings Rhiannon and Bryce closer together. Frustration abounds as the two try to make sense of their burgeoning feelings for one another while managing their precarious situations. This book is rather chaste compared to some of Moore’s other novels. Two simple kisses carry Bryce and Rhiannon on a whirlwind of feelings. They were not sustained by lust, but by their deepening emotions for one another, which is sweet. Bryce & Rhiannon are both great characters because they readily admit their faults. As with all villains, Cynvelin’s true character eventually comes out in a rush of evil as Bryce’s honor shoots though with a rush of adrenaline. The only thing that bothered me was the Bryce did not seem to make a huge effort to learn the Welsh language. But I sure am glad he learned all about, “Caru yn y gwely”! ( )