Welsh Marches, 1215
In the midst of setting up camp for the night, Anna de Limoges felt a tingle run down her spine, a feeling like no other she had ever had, only to turn and find a warrior watching them from atop the hill. Swen Siwardson felt drawn to the group, so asked to share their fires. Being caught up in the battle that followed, Swen continued on the village of Murat with them only to realize that he had had dreams of the Mistress Anna. Needing to know more about her and why he had dreamed of her, he vowed to protect her life and her innocence. The fact that Anna worked for the church as an artisan was one thing, but she had no idea that the Bishop had declared her ‘gift’ of site and craft connected to her virtue, until the night she tried to tempt Swen into more than just a kiss. The honorable man that he was, wouldn’t be tempted so easily, and the coward he thought himself to be did not feel he deserved a women such as Anna.

Ahhh, I loved Swens humor in ‘Heart of the Dragon’, unfortunately we don’t get to see as much of that in this book, he is missing that element, the emotions are all more down beat and serious. The camaraderie between the characters are there, but it is harder to see and feel from the readers stand point, it seems implied. The way that Lord Ian, Lord Rannulf and Lord Nicholas are brought back in are great, it is always nice to visit old friends (that is one reason I like a long series). I have been more critical of this book, but it is still a great Historical Romance because it has the drama of ’what if I lose him/her now’ and the building of the love as well as how to get around the church forbidding her from men, King John wanting her himself and the fact that she only knows one life (sorry about the little itsy bitsy spoiler). Just a good overall if older (1998) Harlequin Historical. This was actually the one I remembered the most of this series, prompting me to dig out the whole set and read it again. ( )