Claiming Her (Renegade Lords)

Kris
Kennedy
Genre: 
Historical

There are rumors of treason at Rardove castle and Lady Katarina is behind it. The Queen is sending her inquisitor, Bertrand of Bridge, to make sure it is stopped and then the two are to be wed. When Katarina sees an entourage headed toward the castle, she assumes it is Bertrand and readies for his arrival, including opening the gates for him. What she realizes too late is that the arriving party is really a group of marauding Irishmen who have come to reclaim the castle. Aodh is the leader of the army and Katarina falls madly in love with him. She refuses to turn him over to the Queen’s men, so now she really is guilty of treason.

 

This is an interesting historical that touches an era when England had castles in Ireland and the Queen felt her English subjects should run them. Treason proliferates and everyone is suspect, even the most loyal of subjects. Interplay between Aodh and Katarina is fascinating, seeing how they spar with words. The piece does drag a bit, though, and the storyline gets lost in all the explicit sex scenes that abound. There are some editing issues throughout that need to be resolved. The history of Katarina’s family is rehashed and slows the piece of the story, but Katarina’s angst is felt as a result. She is a strong character and it is refreshing to see a resilient woman. The pronunciation guide for Aodh’s name is very helpful as are the author’s notes at the end of the book. For those who hunger for more, Ms. Kennedy has written several other novels in this series.

 

Belinda Wilson