Hers To Desire

Brothers in Arms #5

by Margaret Moore

From the moment they met, Lady Beatrice yearned for the cynical Sir Ranulf. But as the daughter of a traitorous nobleman, she was tainted -- marriage was nigh impossible. With little hope of securing the man of her dreams for a lifetime, perhaps the clever young maiden could get her knight for one passionate night....

Ranulf never believed he'd ever love a woman well enough to wed -- until he met the vivacious Bea.

A jaded knight with neither power nor wealth had little to offer a noble lady. Sent by his liege lord to take command of a castle in Cornwall, Ranulf was surprised beyond belief when the virtuous Bea suddenly arrived, intent on seduction. Would desire or honor triumph in this game of love?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Medieval, Medieval Romance, Harlequin, Historical, British Literature

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Award-winning author Margaret Moore actually began her career at the age of eight, when she and a friend concocted stories featuring a lovely, spirited damsel and a handsome, misunderstood thief nicknamed "The Red Sheik."
Unknowingly pursuing her destiny, Margaret graduated with distinction from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. During that time, she also became a Leading Wren with the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, where she learned to use a variety of weapons and had the weepy experience of being tear-gassed.
In addition to being a wife and mother of two, she's also been an award-winning public speaker, synchronized swimmer, an archer, and studied fencing and ballroom dancing.

Margaret sold her first historical romance and the premiere book of her Warrior series, A WARRIOR'S HEART, to Harlequin Historicals® in 1991. Since that time, she's written over 25 historical romance novels and novellas. She has also written for Avon Books, as well as a young adult historical romance for HarperCollins Childrens Books. She now writes for Harlequin's new single title imprint, HQN.

Her books have been published in France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, Korea, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Russia, Poland and India.

Reviews

[DKC · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I was plagued by the fact that I'd been looking forward to reading Ranulf and Beatrice's story for so long, I had really high expectations for it. But there were other issues that bring it down to a 2-star, instead of a 3-star rating.

Inconsistencies:
Don't tell me how hard it's raining, and how the heroine is depending on the rain going on all through the night (and then it goes for another few days after), and in the middle of it, have a scene where the heroine is lit by the setting sun outside the window like a halo!!! No, no, no. Wow, did that throw me.

I get that this is Beatrice's coming of age story, but her maturing happened at light-speed, or at least it felt like that in places. Granted, she's not supposed to be a yearning little teenager the whole time, and definitely has to get a reality check on her hero-worship, but some of the instances of "boom - she's a force to be reckoned with" were done with less finesse than hoped for.

Ranulf gets a bit of his own backstory filled in, and his past sins revealed -- though honestly, I thought there'd be a dead lover with a dead baby in there somewhere -- and Beatrice has to deal with it. It could've used a bit more of a struggle, or her coming to grips with it, though.

Then, bada-bing, Beatrice is suddenly able to out-think a hardened smuggler, as though she's been privvy to the past scheming of her father and uncle in the past? Um, that's not what the other books led the reader to believe at all. It was this turnaround from naive, adoring girl, to sharp and fierce, with a side of cynical, that was hard to swallow.

Also, can I just say that I get a little tired of the author playing favorites among the villains? Seriously, most of the BIA books have had someone who would've had their head lopped off, no trial, no forgiveness, back in that day, but she keeps trying to do the 21st century thing and make them "understandable" and have the heroes go "oh, I'm no better than you, dude". That tends to irritate me. I can only be willing to suspend my disbelief so far, when we're talking actual historical periods.

At any rate, HEA all round, even for two minor characters that were pretty damn obnoxious in nearly all of their other interactions within the story. But I didn't feel the series ended on a high note, alas!

[DarkAthena59 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une histoire qui se laisse lire. Ça manque un peu de profondeur parfois, mais on s'attache aux personnages, même si Ranulf et Béa peuvent parfois agacer. Il y a quelques étincelles entre eux ce qui sauve leur histoire.

[Camila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esta historia tiene un poquito de todo y me ha gustado mucho, en especial como trabajan con la trama de los asesinatos y el romance de los protagonistas.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cornwall 1244

Our hero Ranulf is 28 and our heroine Beatrice is 17. Beatrice comes from Tregellas when she hears that Sir Ranulf isn't living in the best conditions while being castellan at Penterwell. Since she loves him, she sets out to seduce him while helping him. She comes there, he doesn't want her there cause he doesn't trust himself with her. Thinks he's too poor to deserve her. Oh and those nasty secrets he's hiding.

I loved this story! Ranulf was my favorite out this whole series so far (haven't read the first 2 yet). While I don't like red haired men, I can pretend he's dark haired. He's so strong and brave. It was good to see Constance and Merrick from the 3rd book. Ranulf had by far one of the best secrets in romance books so far.

The whole bedding the virgins wasn't that great but the murder of his brother was. So finally they make love and all is gong well until Bea is taken to be sold at a Tangier slave market. Ranulf goes to save her after finding from Myghal what has happened to her. And the sea battle was epic! Ranulf just sailed in there and rescued his woman, love it! Myghal was terrible and sad at the same time. Let the love of a woman he couldn't have to bad things. You kinda wanna feel bad for him, just you just can't make yourself. He did get his in the end. In this final book they let Lord Kiernan redeem himself from that annoying little twerp to a brave man. His turn around was the best. I hope there may be a book in the future for him? But since he's with Celeste, I doubt it.

The epilogue was good. Gave a little idea what happened with everyone you loved from the other books.

[Cruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Margaret Moore
First published: 2006
Length: 376 pages
Setting: Cornwall, England, 1204
Sex: Explicit but only the once. Caring, loving.
Heroine: Daughter of a traitor. Ward to Merrick, Lord of Tregallas
Hero: Knight and just-made-castellan of Penterwell

Another good Medieval from Moore which respects the historical context. It's fluff, but it's good fluff. A typically angsty Harlequin, it has a nice story, engaging characters and a believable HEA.

I liked it.

Brothers In Arms Series:
Book 1 Bride of Lochbarr - Lady Marianne and Adair Mac Taran
Book 2 Lord of Dunkeathe - Nicholas, Lord of Dunkeathe and Lady Riona
Book 3 The Unwilling Bride - Merrick of Tregellas and Lady Constance
Book 4 Hers To Command - Sir Henry and Mathilde
Book 5 Hers To Desire - Lady Beatrice and Sir Ranulf

References:
Author's website: http://www.margaretmoore.com/HTD.html

(ISBN 1-55254-525-3)

-CR-

[Leila Anani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally I love Margaret Moore and regard her as one of the best historical romance authors in the Medieval period but this one didn't float my boat as much as a lot of her other novels. My biggest issue with this one is the hero Ranulf. His sins are that he killed his brother and won a wager to deflower 14 virgins (ok it turns out to be only 4, but still...) these are not really excusable in a hero. Yes there were mitigating circumstances - his brother killed his dog, and he accepts the wager because the woman he loved ditched him for someone richer, but even so I found his actions unforgivable. The somewhat naive heroine doesn't though - once he's actually confessed these rumours are true, Bea deliberates for the evening and then decides she loves him anyway and jumps straight into bed with him. Eh?

Bea wasn't my favourite heroine either. I found her incessant chatter annoying and the way she kept chasing the hero even when he told her in no uncertain terms he wasn't interested. I did however like her competence as a chatelaine and her skill at healing - which did make me respect her a little more than I would have done otherwise.

The setting was good, as was the murder plot, although I was a bit disappointed with the ease with which the villains are dispatched - call me blood-thirsty but I like a decent length fight scene and a more warrior like hero - Ranulf is injured and faints as soon as he rescues Bea.

I may be being a bit harsh with this one, its not actually bad, it's just not nearly as good as many of Moore's other novels.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still trying to figure out why every single male character thinks "I'm not good enough".
It's a cliche storyline, but one Margaret Moore is good about doing.
At least there was some mystery to the story, though she also gives away the "who done it" way too soon :(

[Maggie Shanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute medieval romance of Lady Beatrice, tainted by scandal and the harsh, sometimes unsavory Sir Ranulf.