For the past two decades, Castle Serennog has been falling into disrepair and the animals and people are beginning to starve. Circumstances are dire as "winter is coming" (sorry--had to say it). There is a lot of pressure on Lady Apryll to marry in order to save her barony; unfortunately, all of her suitors are unsuitable. *snort* Her half-brother, Payton, has a plan which may help but it involves tricking Lord Devlynne of Black Thorne by distracting him during a party while Payton and his cohorts steal the Black Thorne treasury. Apryll grudgingly agrees to do her part but isn't expecting to be disturbingly attracted to Lord Devlynne, who himself, after three years of mourning his deceitful wife and unborn babe, has just cast off his mourning band and is surprisingly drawn to the lovely and mysterious Apryll. He also isn't expecting her to slip away...with his young son.

The storyline is fun as Black Thorne pursues Apryll in order to locate his kidnapped son. She is captured more than once and escapes more than once. Although they are now sworn enemies, they both can't get over the feeling that they may be destined to be together.

The heroine has spunk and a great sense of humor, their chemistry is great and the love scenes between them are full of anticipation (he knows what he's doing, ladies). There is betrayal by those who should be loyal to them and you are trying to figure out throughout the book who can and cannot be trusted. It's a great story.

My one problem with this is is had shades of the bodice rippers of the 80s where the hero is a bit too out of control and domineering at times, which in this day and age some of his actions would be construed as forcing himself on the woman. As readers we know what's going on inside his head and that he's a good guy, but his actions don't always prove it. That might be disturbing for some. It doesn't ruin the story but seems to date it as an 80s novel, although it was published 20 years after that time. It might have helped (me) if they would have had an actual conversation wherein they explained their past histories and why they were making the choices they were making. All the information we got about them was from thoughts they had inside their own heads and/or from eavesdropping on other people who were gossiping about them. ( )