Lion of Steel: A Medieval Romance

Sons of de Lohr #4

by Kathryn Le Veque

A powerful spinster, a lonely woman, and a hunky knight are front in center in this gripping tale of passion, meddling, betrayal, and truest of loves.

It’s Douglas de Lohr’s turn to shine!

As the fifth son of the Earl of Hereford and Worcester, one of the most powerful men in the realm, Douglas has his share of power and prestige also. Rather than linger in his father’s mighty shadow, or even the shadow of his important older brothers, Douglas is about to carve a path for himself that will either shatter his will to live… or make him the most impressive de Lohr son yet. It all begins when his father asks Douglas to go to the aid of the sister of an old friend, to an enormous castle in Devon where legends live and chaos reigns.

Lady Isabella de Fortibus is the sister in question, the heiress to the Earldom of Devon and mistress of mighty Tiverton Castle. A spinster all her life, she rules Tiverton with an iron fist until a medical emergency renders her an invalid. There are wolves at her door. She has requested that her brother’s old friend, Hereford, send help and it comes in the form of Douglas.

But he walks into a strange, new world.

Another member of this strange world has been battling danger herself. Lady Misery Elizabeth Ruth de Amada has been at Tiverton since childhood. Sent to the castle along with her twin brother, Payne, the de Amada children have been part of Lady Isabella’s world for many years. Lady Isabella looks upon Misery, or Mera as she is known, as her own daughter. It is Mera who helps Douglas gain his bearings in a castle that has only known instability as of late.

But there is a danger at Tiverton that focuses on Douglas the moment he arrives and Mera is in the crosshairs.

Join Douglas and Mera in a complex tale where a de Lohr son must learn to use his own claws wisely as Isabella and Mera are swept up into a deadly situation. Douglas falls for Mera as Isabella falls for Douglas. Complicating the situation is a living danger that would like to see both women, and Douglas, dead.

Can Douglas save the woman he loves?

Or will the woman who loves him become his sacrifice?

It’s an edge-of-your-seat ride in this epic de Lohr saga!

Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!!

Genres: Historical, Medieval

340 pages, Paperback

Published July 9, 2024

About the author

Juggernaut Indie author Kathryn Le Veque is a 'tour de force' in publishing.

Kathryn is a critically acclaimed 21-time USA TODAY Bestselling author, a charter Amazon All-Star author, an Indie Reader top seller, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance with over 100 published novels.

Among her many accomplishments, she is the CEO of Dragonblade Publishing, the #1 Historical Romance e-book publisher on Amazon. In 2020, Kathryn collaborated with Sourcebooks publishing for a Medieval Fight Club series set in Scotland.

Reviews

[🐝 Shaz 🐝]

Another good story by KLV.
Douglas and his brother go to help Lady Isabel defend her castle.
Douglas is left behind after the battle. To help keep the peace.
Lady Isabel young ladies all fancy Douglas. But he only has eyes for Mira. One of the young ladies, is very annoyed and jealous of the relationship. And causes trouble for everyone.
Interesting story with lots of twist and turns.
Tissues needed

[Carolyn]

Once again with this author, I didn't see THAT coming! Outstanding!

[🦉Maggie Whitworth]

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

A good read from Kathryn, I love her books and this was a wonderful book to get my teeth into.
Some brilliant characters that I remembered from other stories, some new ones too, all of them found a place in my literary heart.
Little bit of a tearjerker towards the end, but that’s part of the charm.
Definitely one to read .

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

[Anne]

Lion of Steel by Kathryn LeVeque is a moving medieval romance. Ok. I admit it. I dropped everything and moved this to the top of my queue. I love LeVeque’s novels and this was no different. De Lohr. Does that ring a bell? Well this is Douglas, one of Chris’ younger sons. An ally has called for help and Chris has sent it. Now he wants Douglas and his army to stay for three months to make sure the danger is really past. A greedy man had seen a sister, after her brother died, and sought to take all that was theirs by forcing her to marry him. When asked, she said to let him go back to his manor and be done. With it. Douglas didn’t agree, but acquiesced. Douglas was a very attractive man and Lady Isabella fostered a number of young women who were 12-18. They all fancied themselves in love, some more than others, and they followed him around and made nuisances of themselves. He sought to make it stop by making a deal with Mira in which they appeared to to be enamored of one another. It worked, for all but one of them, who was not a really nice person. Astoria, and she was a plotter and determined to make Douglas her own. As the reader might expect this ended in tragedy.

How LeVeque keeps conjuring up these storylines is beyond me. This story is different and original, if not heart-breaking. So may die. Douglas is a LeVeque hero, which is to day, handsome, strong, brave, and all that a knight should be. Mira’s birth name is Misery. Her mother gave birth to twins and named them Payne and Misery. Imagine her childhood. Lady Isabel was a loving woman that wanted the best for people and she worked hard to get it. It was a wonderful story, well-deserved as part of the De Lohr legacy. Thanks, Kathryn LeVeque!

I was invited to read Lion of Steel by Dragonblade. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #KathrynLeVeque #LionOfSteel

[Viper Spaulding]

Fascinating story!

Douglas is charged with defending the castle at Axminster, currently led by the spinster Isobel, who is determined to run things the way she always has since her brother's death, regardless of the threats against her. He's certainly got his work cut out for him, trying to convince her that she needs to let him take charge of the troops in order to protect her and her students, a bevy of young women she tutors in the finer aspects of a noble life.

The eldest of these ladies is Mira, who is more mentor to the younger girls than a student herself now. Still, she has to contend with the usual cattiness and petty jealousies that seem to be common in any group of young women. A few of them have set their sights on Douglas, to the extent that their attentions are keeping him from doing his job, so he proposes a fake engagement to Mira as a way to redirect their affections.

This setting leads to an exciting story, filled with political machinations, romantic liaisons, betrayals, sacrifices, and false accusations. There's more than one romance going on here, lots at stake to keep the Axminster estate safe and secure. A third-act tragedy leads to a shockingly unexpected yet surprisingly sensible marriage that I have to admit is unlike any I've ever read about before.

Once again I'm in awe of the sublime storytelling skills of this author, and the amazing depth she provides all her characters. This is a heartbreaking story of difficult choices and joyous rewards that will keep you entertained to the very last page. I can't recommend it enough for any reader who enjoys historical romances. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Cherie S]

Secrets, Chivalry, Fascinating
This epic tale certainly has a most grueling, disgusting battle that sets the stage for a tumultuous all-encompassing and a memorable romance story. I suggest you have your tissue box ready for this story will bring out an array of emotions that you don't see coming.
Dougals the handsome Viking looking son of a glorious family is just one heck of a person of honor, intelligence, and passion. 
Mira on the other hand is a sparkling sweet innocent girl that captures Douglas's heart and mine also.
The plot and the large cast of characters are quite involved with many shocking challenges that completely captured my attention until the very emotional tear filled yet happy ending.
The epilogue is outstanding and completely finishes Douglas and Miras love story.
This author always gives me an exciting story with the most dynamic characters that I always look forward to reading.
🏆This story deserves more than 5 stars.
💪Cover is outstanding. Douglas looks so fierce, yet he is very compassionate. 
🙋‍♀️I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy for my honest thoughts and opinion.

[Petula]

This medieval romance from my favourite author is about one of the de Lohr sons. When all the family are such well respected knights, it might be hard to be noticed, but our hero is very special in his own right. When a lady who has control of her own castle needs help, that doesn't mean she wants men taking over . 

Our hero needs to be as much a diplomat as warrior. 

Now, who is the heroine here??

We have a very independent,  strong lady and the young women she mentors. 

We get a lot of very entertaining moments from numerous characters.  You will need a box of tissues near the end . I wasn't expecting that to happen at all. Our sneaky author was leading us down a totally different path. It was lovely to meet some of our favourite characters from other books. Some we know the history of and some whose tale is still to be told. 

I loved every page and couldn't put it down. I buy every book this author publishes without even reading the blurb because I know I will never be disappointed.  

I loved it.

[Margaret Watkins]

I always know that I am going to read an exciting and romantic book with a swoon-worthy hero when it involves the de Winters and the de Lohrs! Sent to rescue Lady Isabel and Axminster Castle from a greedy and conniving contender for her hand Douglas de Lohr is ordered to stay behind to safeguard Lady Isabel once the battle is over. She wants him there almost as much as he desires to stay, which is not at all. With time Douglas wins the lady's respect but it is her ward Mira that catches his attention. Still, he does not take into consideration the attention he will gain from the rest of Lady Isabel's wards, or having to thwart one determined young lady's expectations. When unexpected visitors arrive at the castle, the parameters change and suddenly Douglas is faced with a choice that he never thought he would have to make. Having won Lady Isabel's gratitude and Mira's heart, the novel comes to a sweet and heartwarming conclusion. I received a copy of this exciting romance as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Rainelle]

Lion of Steel. My fellow readers there are only a few selected books that catch me off guard. Those few had me shedding a few tears, but that’s how much I connected with the characters and the story. The same goes with this story. You have your main characters Douglas, Mira, Isabela, and Eric.
These four people are the strength of the of the house of cards. They are also the ones that are going to give you a bloody good story. Oh readers… you’re going to love this book. The book reads like a late night television drama. A good television drama at that.
Astoria, you certainly played your part well didn’t you? What do I have to say about this book? I loved everything about it. What’s my opinion about this book? For the year of 2024, this is the best book I’ve read by far.
I don’t believe that this will change for the remainder of the year. The writer has checked off all the marks readers are looking for when they are looking for a candid book to curl up to. I give this book two snaps and a, my heart stopped at the dramatic twist. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!

[Crystal Butler]

OMG what a story!!

Isabel lived with her brother Eduardo de Kerrington who was the Earl of Axminster. He was in poor health and was widowed with no children so when he died Isabelle would be the heiress of Axminster.
Lady Isabel created a school of manners and learning for daughters of the nobles of England.
Lord Richard Tatworth of Tatworth Castle wanted to marry Isabel so he could inherit Axminster. She continually refused him and he attacked her castle. She sent word to her allies the de Lohrs, and de Winters and others to assist. One girl who had been there for years was Lady Misery Isabelle Rosalie D’Avignon.
They eventually win and to handle the problem of Tatworth, they take most of his army and all weapons from his castle. Because of this he loses all his allies.They also leave Douglas deLohr and a few other knights and quite a few warriors to protect the castle against Isabelle’s wishes. This was an excellent story, I could not stop reading it.

[Jo]

If you have read any of the de Lohr books, you will know this is Christopher's younger son. If you haven't read any of them, I strongly recommend going back and reading them. This author is one of my favorites and I stop everything around me to read her books. Each one is masterpiece of epic proportion and an experience not to be missed. Her female characters are always determined, resilient and have strong identities. Her male characters are the epitome of the knights of old. Great honor, warriors who manage to have a gentle heart and a gentleman's personality. Douglas is ordered to stay behind after a conflict. He is pursued by all the young girls and seeks Mira's help in managing their expectations. This is only the very top of the story so you must read it to immerse yourself into the beauty, drama, interge that makes each of these books so magnificent.

[Carol]

Kathryn is my #1 favorite author, and I know once I start, I will sit and read her stories in one sitting. While I purchase her books immediately, I wait until life and caregiving responsibilities allow me to fully enjoy each book. I love the notes that Kathryn gives us for each book.
Kathryn is a master story teller giving us history, strong knights, battles, suspense, secrets, and a romance that often brings tears to your eyes. Kathryn will occassionally show the brutality of life in history.
Lion of Steel gives us another story of the De Lohr dynasty. I totally enjoyed Douglas doing his duty to help protect Lady Isabel and Axminster Castle. As well as Douglas interacting with 10 young impressionable young wards. Douglas and Mira had great chemistry.
Thank you Kathryn for another winner.

[Margaret]

Douglas, fifth son of Christopher de Lohr, finds himself in a precarious position when he falls for Lady Misery ( Mira) Isabella d' Avignon. Lady Isabel de Kerrington of Castle Axminster, is the spinster heiress of the castle and trains young ladies to be some of the finest brides to in England. Mira is the one she sees as her daughter. After defeating the invasion of enemies at Axminster, Douglas stays to defend the castle. Is it any wonder that he is attracted to Mira? A young visiting knight thinks he can take what he wants, and he wants Mira. Her refusal will result in dire and tragic circumstances that will effect all the lives in the Castle. You never know what twists and unexpected surprises await in a book by Le Veque.
Descriptive sex and violence.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from Netgalley.

[Sahar's Honest Reviews]

Entertaining Medieval Romance

When Douglas answered the call to protect a formidable spinster's castle, he had no idea how his life would change. At first, he would solicit Mira’s help to stop the women in the castle from following his every step. Soon, the two found themselves falling in love. One of the women was quite jealous, and she was about to create mischief that would change the lives of everyone in the castle. This medieval romantic adventure kept me turning the pages. There is romance, treachery, intrigue, and plot twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to lovers of medieval romance. I look forward to what this author writes next.

[Shirley Hamlod]

Another excellent story in this series and what a set of tragic events! I wasn’t expecting most of this to happen! Douglas meets Mira when he goes to help defend Axminster against an aggressor. He is left to protect Lady Isabel and her holdings. However, what follows is an intricate set of circumstances that ultimately leads to tragedy for some of the main protagonists. Axminster is a prestigious place and many want to marry the aging spinster who inherits it. Who she finally chooses to marry, however, is unexpected. This was such a well written story with intrigue and depth. It is a miracle that Douglas and Mira are fortunate enough to survive it all and go on to be happy! A brilliant read!

[Mindy B (reader_of_the_lost_arcs)]

I really appreciate how Kathryn Le Veque addresses the reader at the beginning and end of the book. We get a rundown of who the characters are and who's related to whom. It's just a really lovely way of having a little chat with the readers, and makes her seem even more approachable as a famous author.
This is another great book! Douglas and his crew are sent to protect Lady Isabella and her castle as it's being attacked. Initially he gets a pot of boiling water dunked on his head by Mira, because she does not realize that he's a good guy. They battle people from within trying to keep them apart, but all the plotting will not keep them from a HEA.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

[Nancy Yohe]

Never a dull moment.

Another good book by my favorite author. Douglas de Lohr, 5th son of Christopher de Lohr, has been left at Axminster Castle to provide military support and protection to the Countess, Isabel. He did not want to be there and the countess did not want him there either, which made their relationship complicated. Isabel had 10 wards, young women she was training for their future roles. Mira was one of those. Unfortunately for Douglas all of the young women fantasized about him, stalked him, and basically terrorized him. All except for Mira. he convinced Mira to help him discourage the other young women by pretending they were in love. That brought more complications that made this a great story. Strong characters good and bad, manipulation, secret affairs, jealously, sacrifice, grief, you name it.

[Jill]

This is a great story that is presented in such a way that I was able to picture, in mind, what was happening as I read each word. The storyline is well thought out and the main characters are well developed. I also loved the fact that there are numerous secondary characters who contributed a lot to the story. Mira and Douglas were definitely made for each other and both strong willed. There is a lot of action in this story that made for great reading. This is a story that is definitely worth reading and I can’t wait to see whose story is next. Also, I love the men of the House of de Lohr.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and are voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pamela Blatter]

Another captivating story of the de Lohr sons and their trials focusing on Douglas.
The time period is focused and true with many of the legends and sons coming together for a battle to help Lady Isabel.
Isabel trains young women and as they grow they become spirited just like Isabel.
Mira encounters the strong handsome Douglas and their love story becomes a little rocky.
Other threads is the storyline kept me reading to see what will happen to all the characters.
Well developed and emotionally heart rending at times.
I received an ARC but the honest opinion is my own.

[Helen Melissa Roberts]

Once again a great story

As always a well written and wonderful book to read. With every book that I read the more I love and the characters that she brings into the wonderful stories that she comes up with. I have enjoyed every book that I have read and I believe that I have read all of them at least once. There are many that I have read several times. I always enjoy the books and respect greatly the woman who writes these wonderful stories. Thank you again for a wonderful time in reading this book.

Sincerly,
Melissa

[Carole Burant]

I know it's going to be an awesome read when I start a new Kathryn Le Veque book and this one certainly proved the point! It's Douglas De Lohr's story and wow, what a story it is! As usual, I had my box of tissues at my side and yup, I needed them a couple of times.

This story involves quite a few characters and there are a few twists and turns that you just didn't expect, making it a very riveting read. Douglas and Mira are so perfect together but they are surrounded by danger when another feels slighted and vows revenge.

Do yourself a favour and read this book, it's so worth it!

[Barbara A Canjura]

beautiful love story ❤️

Well as usual could not put the story down till I finished. I hope you never stop writing in all the families you have written about.Wold,DeLohr, etc. This was a beautiful love story. I loved all the twists and turns makes it that more exciting. It was very sad about Isobel & Eric, but great that Douglas & Mira’s daughter was named after her. When I read at the end of story & the first grandson was born & named Eric it brought tears in my eyes. Can’t wait till next book Will Johnathan Wolf find ❤️again

[Layne]

Misery and Douglas

A call for help brought Douglas de Lohr to Axminster Castle to help defend the Lady Countess Isabelle from an unwanted suitor. Once the battle had been won, soldiers including Douglas were left behind to maintain the castle . Lady Isabel trained young ladies to be the best mates to their husbands they could be and that's where Douglas and Misery "Mira" met and their story begins. This one made me cry. Its one of the best stories from Kathryn Le Veque.

[Sue]

I'm never disappointed by this authors books, you would think she was born in that time period she is that good at writing these stories. This book is no exception. This is one of Christopher's son, Douglas, the thinker. I loved Mira's character, she's a good match for him. There is danger of course, the beginning is very graphic. Happy and sad times. HEA.

[Dave Smith]

The De Lohr’s at their finest!

This is such a wonderful book. I think it’s the best of all the Sons of de Lohr. It’s one I will enjoy many times.
Kathryn Le Veque is such a fantastic author. I enjoy her books both in reading but also when they are in Audible. You can never go wrong in buying her books!

[Nadia Hinson]

Another winner

Once again Kathryn Le Veque has delivered, I read her stories very slowly to savour the entire journey, always with a bit of sadness that we have to wait another month for the next epistle. As we read we recognise all the different characters and wait for the next saga, so much better than TV.

[Katd]

I loved this book. There are so many twists and surprises. Sometimes, I had to reread a section just to make sure I got it right. A great job with the enemies. It's a great love story.

I do wish it didn't end so quickly. I would have liked to know more of their life together over the years and of their children growing.

[Sara Wright]

Another Epic

With the De Lohr blood in them, these sons are bound for greatness, and the women that they love are no less noble and worthy. Another great love story, and beyond that, a beautiful story of friendship and the family that those friends become. Wonderful and compelling relationships all around. Another must-read epic.

[Ann Morris]

Continuing Kathryn le vVeque's Sons of deLohr series.

Wow, a wonderfully written story of Douglas and Mira and how their love grew. So many twists to this story and many surprises that will keep you glued to this book. Lion of Steel really pulled me into their world. I so loved this book as I do all of Kathryn Le Veque' books of the Knights of old.

[Susan Brod]

Kathryn never disappoints!

Another winner. This was a good story for Douglas. I have read every book Kathryn has written, so I know the families, it is nice to see the stories of the other children. Douglas was a fifth son, I enjoyed his growing up and with a family of his own.
It is hard when the older generation dies, it is like losing friends.Thank you Kathryn.