Devoted to His Sword

by Florence A. Bliss

A dangerous mission. A deadly secret. A desire that could ignite a war.

Michel de Chevalerie has spent years navigating the brutal territories of the Mongol Empire, protecting the precious trade routes between France and the East. As heir to a powerful duke, he's a soldier, a diplomat-and a man who doesn't make mistakes. Until her.

When a mysterious Mongolian woman stumbles into his path, injured and alone, Michel is drawn in by her sharp wit, fiery will, and beauty that makes his blood burn. He knows better than to get involved. But one reckless decision pulls him into a treacherous game of deception, desire, and political intrigue.

Eve is fleeing everything she's ever known: a forced marriage, a bloodstained crown, and the enemies that hunt her like prey. Her only hope lies west-in the fabled lands of France. To get there, she'll use every weapon at her disposal, including the charming nobleman leading a merchant caravan through her homeland. But what begins as a calculated seduction becomes something far more dangerous.

Michel might be her best chance at survival. He could also be the ruin of them both.

As secrets unravel and armies close in, Michel and Eve must decide what's worth fighting for: duty, desire… or each other.

Devoted to His Sword is a steamy historical adventure romance filled with forced proximity, a runaway bride, grumpy/sunshine tension, and a journey across dangerous lands-perfect for fans of high-stakes love stories with epic backdrops and irresistible slow-burn tension.

Genres: Historical Romance

280 pages, Paperback

Published July 21, 2026

About the author

Florence A. Bliss is an author from Las Vegas, NV who has a keen eye for writing love stories full of drama, heartache, humor, and enough seduction to light the pages on fire. With an MFA in creative writing from UNLV, Florence loves to write across genres but has found her home in romance. She lives with her fancy Italian husband and two children. Together they love to travel, explore the ghost towns around Las Vegas, roadtrip up and down the Pacific coast, and of course drink coffee out of tiny cups. Florence is an avid people watcher and strives to understand why people do what they do, and she never tires of imagining the stories of what couples have had to overcome in order to come together.

Reviews

[Staycee Dee Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't wait to dive into this second book in the Swords of Chevalerie series and I was not disappointed!

I was sucked in from the first chapter! This author knows how to write female characters who are sharp and capable, yet soft and vulnerable. Eve was super feisty and kept Michel on his toes throughout but Michel was a strong character in his own right and oh so swoony! I also appreciate that we see the perspective of multiple characters, creating a more layered and richer story. I felt all the feels!

The humor, the wit, the emotional connection, and the spice are all on point! 🌶️🌶️🌶️

In a sea of historical romances, and I read them endlessly, this series just stands out to me. Smart writing, memorable characters, and did I mention the spice?!!

I am such a cheerleader for this author and I hope we see a lot more from her in the future!

[high.lady.katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 brought it! Could not put this down! Eve is a feisty FMC I loved! Slow burn perfection! You can feel the sparks between Eve & Michel burning hot🔥🔥🔥 An intriguing plot - secret identity, high stakes, danger and sword fighting action! This was exciting and had me swooning! I’m really enjoying the stories in the swords of chevalerie series!

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's the most unexpected meet-cute you've ever read?
Maybe getting "bought" then “kidnapped” and then refusing to leave!

Their first meeting has to be one of the wildest meet-cutes ever! And the “digusting” tea Eve is always making Michel drink… the yurt “remodel”... the banter and shenanigans were hilarious 😂

🌙 "For someone who claimed Michel owned her, she certainly never waited for permission."

Eve is fiery, stubborn, and convinced she can outsmart Michel... and watching him try to handle her had me smiling.
They are complete opposites, which somehow makes them absolutely perfect for each other.

🌙 "You haven’t even given me a chance to seduce you. Because you’ve been the one seducing me this whole time.”

Their chemistry is fiery 🔥 with a mix of banter, spice, and moments that had me swooning!

The adventure, danger, slow-burn tension, banter, and cultural details made this feel so fresh from other historical romances, and I loved learning more about the Mongolian and Moroccan influences along the way.

🌙 "You didn't just charm me, Siren. You bewitched me. Thoroughly."

The chapters from Eve's father added so much heart, too. And then the angst showed up out of nowhere and absolutely wrecked me in the best way.

Safe to say, one yurt is my newest trope obsession!

💫 Devoted to His Sword (Swords of Chevalerie, 2) by Florence A. Bliss
Historical Romance (Medieval) | Opposites Attract | Multicultural (French x Moroccan) | Forced Proximity (Trade Route) | One Yurt | Political Intrigue | 356 pp | 5⭐

💫 Favorite Quote:
"He had found a true treasure in the sand, and now he had to fight to protect it."

________________________________________

Thank you to Florence A Bliss for the opportunity to read and honestly review this eARC! All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

[Adri (books.with.adri) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. Even though this is book 2 in the series I was able to follow this book without reading book 1. Eve and Michel were perfect, and I love how they are both strong characters, Eve a little more than Michel lol.

I’ve read a few historical romance and I can say with confidence that this one will be on my reread shelf. Loved it!

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're back with Part 2 of the Swords of Chevalerie series, and this time we're along for the ride (more than one ride, actually, because Bliss knows how to spoil her audience) with the eldest of the Chevalier brothers, Michel. As first in line for the dukedom, Michel is all work and no play when it comes to his responsibilities, which include securing trade along the unforgiving - occasionally treacherous - Silk Road. During this particular visit, the stakes are higher than ever. Because in addition to desperately needing to procure a more lucrative product in order to avoid a potential civil war, Michel must also tactfully navigate all his routes with a rescued Mongolian woman in tow. Too bad for him, this woman is not only incredibly hot, she's also clever, beguiling, resourceful, witty, and fierce. If she checked only one of those qualities along with 'hot,' most guys would be done for. All five, though? Good luck, Michel. 💀

The woman, Eve, has secrets of her own that jeopardize the safety of all those around her as well as the family she was forced to leave behind. To trust Michel with them could put an end to her well-laid plans, but to not trust him practically guarantees his death and hers. Can he be relied upon? Does Eve really have a choice? Is it truly possible to still be sexy after weeks of horseback riding, bathing in streams, and living in a yurt? These are the burning questions.

I'll admit this book and I were in dangerous territory briefly because Eve is one of those heroines that typically makes me cringe. She's beautiful, smart, and good at everything she does (whether or not she has done it before). In fact, this last is one of her go-to lines. However, she avoids being insufferable through her playfulness and the eventual vulnerability she shows toward Michel. Michel is also artfully fleshed out, possessing that trademark, hetero maleness of being brilliant and well-respected in one facet of his life, but completely bungling and inept when it comes to emotional intelligence. What made this work so well for his character was his total willingness to admit ignorance and learn from it. He'd happily take one on the chin when it came to his ego if it meant getting closer to Eve.

The steamy scenes are perfectly balanced; I'll just say Bliss makes sure we never get bored in missionary and Eve and Michel's encounters with one another are timed in such a way as to keep readers on the hook, waiting for more.

All in all, I'm thrilled to report there is no sophomore slump here with Devoted to His Sword. If you enjoy historical romance, slow burn, *semi* enemies-to-lovers, and HEA, this should fly to the top of your TBR. Devoted to His Sword will be published and available on July 21st!

[Mama Needs to Read Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is published by Owl City Press, which has the tagline: "Escape Your World * Get Lost in Ours". That couldn't be more appropriate, given my experience with "Devoted to His Sword", by Florence A. Bliss. I felt thoroughly "lost", and I loved it!

We begin where the action is, with Michel, our hero, rescuing our heroine, Eve, from a dastardly villain. Michel buys Eve's freedom, but she opts to accompany him as his servant instead. From there, the balance of power between our hero and heroine is ever-changing. Michel never knows exactly where stands, which is how Eve, our mastermind, likes it. She's one of the most fierce heroines I've ever read, which is so refreshing.

Bliss clearly did her homework regarding western trade routes, French relationships with other countries, and tribal culture and politics. It was fascinating! Along with the healthy dose of history is a heaping helping of spice, ensuring the reader that even though they're learning, they're still enjoying a romance novel at its core. I loved Bliss' decision to use a 3rd person POV but to give us the perspectives of four different critical characters. The storytelling was richer for it.

The modern voice with which this is frequently told will likely appeal to historical romance readers both new and old. While the characterization didn't always feel super consistent, I appreciated the idea that the characters were evolving throughout the story. I had a great time with this book, from the adventure, to the chemistry, to the twists and turns. Such a fun time!

Content warnings: kidnapping, sexual assault, slitting throats (multiple times), stabbing, gushing blood/bleeding, stabbing (in great detail), surprise pregnancy, managing wounds, fighting, people being torn apart (off page)

I'd like to thank Florence A. Bliss for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Zita Carlo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoted to His Sword is the second book I read by Florence A. Bliss, and it is every bit as adventurous, romantic, and filled with sword puns as the first!

What begins in a dusty city in the Middle East, where Michel, the future Duke of Chevalerie, France, is unexpectedly saddled with a beautiful Mongolian runaway named Eve--and I must say, I loved that she was not a French damsel in distress. The story soon becomes a heart-pounding and page-flipping journey across the old Silk Road, filled with action, humor, rich historical detail, and a yummy slow-burn romance.

What I loved most about this book is the growth of both main characters. There is a lot of depth to their personal journeys which makes the romantic (and sexy!) moments all the more intense. Michel begins the story as a consummate politician. He's smart, savvy and always in control. Then he meets Eve, a woman with miles of secrets but a beguiling nature that disrupts everything Michel sets out to accomplish. Their chemistry is fiery hot as they bicker, butt heads, and slowly learn to trust each other despite the dangers pursuing them.

If you enjoy historical romance with vivid settings, memorable characters, witty banter, and a hero who would cross continents to protect the woman he loves, Devoted to His Sword is absolutely worth the journey.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoted to His Sword is the second book in The Swords of Chevalerie series by Florence A. Bliss, and was every bit worth the wait to read it.
There is danger and adventure in the 1600’s as Michel, heir to a French dukedom, and Eve, daughter of the ruling Khan, cross paths on the Silk Road. He is traveling to promote trade. She is escaping a kidnapping and forced marriage. He rescues her but they are relentlessly pursued on their path to happily ever after.
One of my favorite things about Florence's writing is her sense of humor. She has a way of slipping something funny into a scene when you least expect it. You can be completely caught up in the danger one minute and laughing the next.
Michel and Eve definitely have chemistry, and this book is spicy, so if you like your historical romance with some heat, you won't be disappointed.
Lots of twists that kept me turning the page to see how Michel and Eve achieved the happily ever after I rooted for along the way.

[Alina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and City Owl Press for providing a free Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

A French trader establishing a route in Asia meets a Mongolian woman fleeing her past, who demands that he take her to France.

Spice level 🌶️: close to 4

There is plenty of plot material: Eve’s past, the pursuit by the villain, Michel’s backstory, all the trade aspects, and long journeys in Asia and then toward France. The book is eventful. The spiciness worked for me overall. Not every aspect worked in every detail, but the relationship had chemistry and an arc.

For me, though, the balance of spice and plot was a little off -- a bit more plot and character development, and a little consolidation of the spicy material, would have helped. I also wanted more romantic build-up. The attraction arrives very quickly, from the first meeting. A slower, subtler start would have made the later intensity more persuasive.

The bigger issue is the weak sense of time and place. Eve often speaks and thinks in a way that feels very modern, her Mongolian identity often feels more of an ornamental dressing than something real, and her family’s complex backstory and conflicting loyalties are not sufficiently well developed and don't feel very authentic. The spicy parts, too, read 21st century.

Her character is somewhat inconsistent. She is written as unusually modern and independent, yet later behaves with a kind of dutiful obedience that sits oddly against that portrait. Too much of the conflict depends on her withholding information, then men pressing her for it, then scolding her for withholding. The last trip of the book was perhaps a bit superfluous, its only purpose to tie everything neatly -- but it does not really help build or resolve any tensions, and the length, difficulty, and tedium of a seventeenth-century journey barely register.

Readable and quite spicy, with some chemistry, but uneven in characterization, pacing, and historical texture.

[Stephanie Stoffella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was happy to receive an ARC for my honest review.

This is book two of the series and I did enjoy it, but not as much as the first. Eve is on the run following the death of her husband through an arranged marriage. She meets Michel who agrees to help her. There is immediate tension and attraction between the two. Eve is working on learning who she truly is while also learning who Michel is and if he is all he seems to be. Her true identity is revealed and decisions must be made.

[Cathy Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Devoted to His Sword by Florence A. Bliss is not my usual genre, I enjoyed the storyline of this book. The characters were engaging and I found myself smiling or laughing with them as the story unfolds. My first read of a novel by this author and I will read another of her works if the opportunity arises.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. I have not read book 1 but it was well written and held my interest.

[Teresa]

An entertaining tale. I'd recommend this if the trope suits the reader.