The Splendid Hour (The Executioner Knights Book 7)

As an Executioner Knight and son of the most powerful knight in England, Peter de Lohr is expected to make an advantageous marriage despite his illegitimate birth. After a chance meeting with Liora bat Thad, the Jewess daughter of the king’s favored jeweler, Peter can think of marriage to no one else. Marriage between a Christian knight and a Jewess is impossible in the 13^th century. War and political strife are tearing England apart, and in the midst of this turmoil, Peter and Liora must fight to find a way if there is to be any future for them at all.

Peter and Liora are a couple the reader can’t help but root for. Peter is an honorable, compassionate knight, and Liora is a hard-working witty woman, both of which can be hard to find. The politics of the knights add intrigue but also can be hard to follow at times.  This isn’t a light read and requires the reader’s full attention. Despite the heavy politics and war stories, romance is still the ultimate theme and what holds the reader’s attention. Liora’s little brother Asa is a small terror and hero one can’t help but love. All the colorful characters are so real and vibrant they jump off the page into the room. As Peter and Liora struggle to find a future and happiness, their relationships with their families also develop and progress. This is a novel full of intrigue, laughter, war, and love. It’s easily read as a standalone, and well worth the effort to keep track of the politics and characters.

Cara Cieslak