Lion's Bride

Lion's Bride #1

by Iris Johansen

Indentured to a silk merchant, Thea of Dimas steals a basket of wriggling worms and sets out for Damascus to start her own embroidery-design studio and then effect the escape of her little sister, Selene. After her caravan is destroyed, Thea is rescued by blustery knight Lord Ware and carried (pressed up against his hard, unyielding armor) to his desert fortress, Dundragon. Ware, hunted by the Knights Templar because he's discovered the secret of their Lion Throne, must protect Thea from the deadly consequences to anyone who gets close to him. Thea, an ambitious career woman, must stop Ware from running roughshod over her big plans. Together the feisty lovers battle crusaders, Muslims and their own misguided agendas before settling down in the Scottish Highlands to breed lusty little bairn

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Medieval, Medieval Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction

480 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Iris Johansen is a New York Times bestselling author. She began her writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success.

She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.

IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.

http://www.irisjohansen.com

Reviews

[Blacky *Romance Addict* · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You lied,” she whispered. “You said I’d be safe here.”
He smiled bitterly. “But I’m a brute and a bully. You cannot trust the word of such a rogue.”





This book was... AMAZING! I love medieval historicals, but this was my first involving Templars and the Crusades. I loved it! And I can't wait to finish this review so I could go and read the second book from this series

He pushed her down on the bed.
She looked up at him, startled, as he threw himself into the cushioned chair next to the bed.
“Go to sleep,” he growled. “I’ll stay.”
“You’ll try to sleep?”
“I said I’d stay. I didn’t say I’d sleep.”
“You might as well.” She turned over on her side and closed her eyes. “There’s nothing else to do….”

The story

Riding through the desert, Lord Ware stumbles upon a young woman who had obviously escaped the massacre that happened to her caravan. His friend Kadar convinces him to bring her with them to Ware's castle, Dundragon.
The woman is Thea, a runaway slave set on making her future with silk and embroidery, since she is one of the best in the area.
A shop in Damascus is her ultimate goal, and a way for her to set her sister free as well.
Even though she and Ware don't go very well (at all), he decides to help her, and sends Kadar to bring her sister to Dundragon.
During that time, Ware and Thea get closer, and eventually fall in love.
Everything goes downhill when Vaden, a Templar assassin, lets them know he plans to kill both Were and Thea, believing Ware told her the secret for which he was thrown out of the Templar order.
Now Ware must do everything he can to protect Thea, even though she doesn't want his protection. That leads to a big fight, with Thea and Selene (her sister) trapped in a harem

His gaze shifted back to her face, and any hint of softness vanished. “Why do you always stare at me as if I were some odd breed of camel?”
“In truth you do remind me of a camel. It is the eyelashes, I think.”
He frowned. “Eyelashes?”
“Camels have long eyelashes too. Many women would envy them.”
His eyes widened with outrage before his expression became even more forbidding. “Are you saying I have eyelashes like a woman?”

Wade

He is a former Templar, now a mercenary knight, doing battles, and waiting for the Templar assassin to kill him. He doesn't get close to anyone because he knows that person would be in danger too.
Wade is very honorable, and values his friendship with Kaden, even though he's afraid it'll get his friend killed.
He is often (well at least in the first half of the book) referred to as a beast, and I totally love it, because he really was like that, surly and growling at everyone, has a terrible temper and is never in a good mood :D
I don't know why I love heroes like that, but I can't help it
And he's a knight also, yum! All big and strong and wearing armour and going into battles
I did want to kick him on the head a few times, he was overprotective to a point where it was just bad but I got over it, and it didn't last that long in the book :)
It was very sweet, the way he loved to watch Thea with her hair down :D and when he started falling in love with her :D Reminds me of The Beauty and the Beast

“I discovered something while you were gone.” She made a rueful face. “I find I have a liking for you.”
He stopped with the meat halfway to his mouth. “I beg your pardon?”
“I know it’s astonishing, since you’re most unlikable. It surprised me also. I’ve decided that I must have the same weakness in my character as Kadar. Or perhaps it’s poor judgment.”

Thea

She's a daughter and a slave of a silk merchant, dreaming of owning her own silk store. She manages to escape with some stolen silk-worms, all with the help of her sister Selene, and goes to the caravan leading to Damascus.
After the caravan is attacked she manages to escape, but lack of food and water makes her sick. She runs into Wade, and they take her to Dundragon.
Thea is a rather strong character, for those days anyway, being a woman and alone, traveling in a caravan... Not good. She wants to make her own business that would help her free (buy) her sister. She doesn't like Wade, and fights with him all the time
I felt REALLY bad for her after she made the banner, and then was stuck in the harem. I think I'd kill Ware after something like that!!
She promised Kaden she'd look after Wade while he was away, and those chapters were my favorites I think
And when she decided to sleep with him at last, she basically had to convince HIM ahahah :DDDD I wouldn't mind if the sex was written a bit hotter, but it was OK I guess :D
And one of my favorite scenes with Thea was when she just told Were they'll marry and move to Scotland, he had no say in it hahahah that was awesome :D

Kadar chuckled. “Ah, but she’s a child who owns me. And I know my duty far better than you in such a situation.”
“She saved your life?”
“No, something far more valuable.”
“But what could be more valuable than the saving of a life?”
Kadar smiled over his shoulder. “Why, a soul, my friend. What else?”

Kadar and Selene

Kadar is such a GREAT character!!! I absolutely loved him, and can't wait to read his book I wander what's the promise he made to Sinan :O
Selene was pretty young in this book, I heard a lot of time will pass before the second, and I'm glad :)




And so, now I've found another great historical author don't know many that write medieval (who I like), so this was just perfect timing :)


Thank you Glam for recommending!!

[Nellab1984 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5

[Serialbookstarter:Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The banter is top tier.. as long as Ware and Thea are front and center the book is engaging. When the book drifts into the Knights Templar mythology/story arc I became bored and skimmed. I started to 3 star this one but the banter was so good I couldn’t relegate it to that rating. Ware comes upon Thea who has escaped a child labor silk house. She is a virtuoso silk embroiderer. She left her younger sister Selene to go find a place for them. Ware and his sidekick Kadar fresh from the crusades take her captive to protect her. Thea just wants to escape to Damascus.Theres lots of great dialogue between all 4 characters.

[Monica Hills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Word of advice, love is not keeping someone you love as a prisoner for two years just because you think it will keep them safe. I enjoyed the first part of this book as it is set in Syria during the Crusades in 1189 CE. (This is why I am putting it at 3 stars.) Thea escapes her life where she has been a slave to start her own house of embroidery. She plans on sending for her sister as soon as she is established. Thea runs away with a caravan but it is attacked and she is stranded in the desert. She is found by Ware, a former Knight Templar. Ware found out information he shouldn't and now he is constantly on the run for his life. Kadar is his faithful companion after saving his life. Ware has a stronghold at Dundragon and this is where they bring Thea. During this time Ware and Thea fall in love. Things are going well and Ware even sends Kadar to get Thea's sister out of slavery and bring her back. The only problem is that Ware is still constantly being watched and now Thea's life is in danger since she is so important to him. This is where the book loses me because of Ware's actions in his desire to protect Thea. I realize this book is set in the 1200s but it what followed in this book is not love. I felt angry for Thea as I really liked her character and thoroughly disgusted with Ware. There were also things that happened with Kadar as well that angered me. There was just too much misogyny in this book for me to get behind this love story. It honestly made me angry. I have read hundreds of books that are historical fiction with many of them being romances set during all different time periods. I don't think I have ever read one that made me so disgusted with the characters. I don't think this is a bad book and maybe part of it is the political climate we are currently living in that is making me so angry, but this is not what romance is.

[Corrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and it came thisclose to getting a five-star rating, not something I do lightly. I can't wait to pick up the sequel The Treasure that was just released last December.

Thea is a slave in the House of Nicholas. She's spent her whole life weaving and embroidering silk for her master, but when she gets the opportunity to strike out on her own, she takes it. Unfortunately, it leaves her stranded in the desert after her caravan was attacked. She is found by Ware of Dundragon and his companion Kadar. Ware, a Scotsman, is one of the most accomplished and sought after mercenaries in the Crusades, as well as being a former Knight Templar. His "former" status is why he has taught himself to not let anyone too close, because the Order is out to kill him for something he saw. Ware rescues Thea, who - though resentful at first at being ordered around - comes to feel gratitude and liking for the gruff Ware. Ware is bemused by Thea's spirit and of course, he's very strongly attracted to her. But if he let's her too close, will she be just another target for the Templars in order to hurt him?

What impressed me most about this story was the total unbiased rehashing of the history. Neither side was right, and Ms. Johansen pulls no punches in proving that opinion.

The thing that kept this from being a five star was the almost two-year separation of Ware and Thea about 2/3rds through the book. It caused a huge disconnect in the flow of the story, and IMO all the emotional tension that was building up so nicely fizzled and went flat. Near the end, when Thea and Ware are trying to escape, it builds up a little, but the momentum is lost, and though the end was satisfying, it would have been more so had the pacing of the relationship stayed even. B+

[Zeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite of IJ’s old hist-rom’s, Lion’s Bride is still a good read, even after all these years.

The story opens at the gates of Constantinople (another reason I love IJ’s old hist-rom’s? Exotic settings).

Thea of Dimas is taking her life back by escaping her slave master- who just happens to be her father.

Found in the desert by an exiled Scottish Lord and his Arabic friend, she’s frightened she’s gone from the frying pan to the fire- until she’s taken to a secret keep and treated as guest. Deciding the barbaric lord’s keep was as safe as any place, she sets about building her trade- silk. Armed with worms and dreams, she’ll never be a slave again.

At first, Lord Ware of Dundragon saw no need to rescue the girl, battling demons of his own and in hiding for his life. But the something about the girl pulls him and soon enough she comes to mean more to him then anyone ever has.

Determined to keep her safe from his adversaries, he turns her into the thing that frightens her the most- a prisoner.

An old Templar legend threatens them all now, and she’s become the very thing that can finally destroy him.

A bold heroine- one of my favorites because she's so what I admire- fierce, determined, and independent- and a hottie, possessive Hero- pffft it's a no-brainer. Plus the intrigue and medieval, arabic setting is kinda fun too. I've re-read this one from time to time through the years and it always pleases me.

Gonna have to go with amazing. 5 stars from me. (I hear the follow up The Treasure is not near as good, but I'm gonna read and let you know.)

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 STARS

Ms. Johansen has once again written a historical romance with passion, deception and a love that cannot be denied. LION'S BRIDE took place in Constantinople, the Syrian Desert and the mythical Dundragon during the late 12th century.

The heroine of the story was the prickly Thea of Dimas. On the run, she was caught by Lord Ware and his unusual friend and sidekick, Kadar. Her condition was weak and dirty but Kadar immediately saw someone special and convinced the former Templar knight to take her with them. For roughly the first half of this fiction, the warrior's actions best described him as an anti-hero. Ware and Thea did not get along.

Lord Ware, a damaged soul, was saved by Kadar early on and the young man now 'owned' him. Their relationship could easily have been a struggle but the author shared so many humorous quips and engaging retorts, I found myself smiling several times. I truly believe Kadar maneuvered and energized this medieval romance. Without him, the story would not have been near as good.

The author brought the characters into the spotlight with historical details, moments of vengeance and the importance of honor. Assassins, the silk trade, religious politics and a conspiracy were found within the pages. With numerous villains, a plot that held hidden twists and turns and the almighty quest for truth, Ms. Johansen brought this colorful era to life.

This was only my second historical romance by this writer but I immediately recognized her love for writing the men a shade darker than the norm with plenty of baggage from the their past. Like Ruel from THE TIGER PRINCE, Ware was lusty, restless and possessive. Her men had the best of intentions but could be very controlling. Some of it was influenced by the time period/setting and another part was just the men themselves. If I had to recommend reading one before the other, I would tell you to start with LION'S BRIDE.

[Glamdring · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it three times but I still love this book.

The story begins when Ware, a mercenary knight, returning home from a war mission discovers Thea, a runaway slave, lost in the desert of Syria. At the urging of his best friend (Kadar) Ware takes Thea with him in his fortress, but he is determined to get rid of her as soon as she has recovered from her journey in the desert. Of course, nothing goes as planned.

Ware is a former knight templar, condemned to death by the Order since he discovered their most sensitive secret. He's a lonely man who tries to keep everybody at arm length.

Thea is an exceptionally talented embroiderer and determined not only to make a place for herself and her sister in the silk trade but also to remain free and independent in a world where women have little more value than animals.

I loved a lot of things in this book.
I loved the story and how Iris Johansen weaved it in the History. In the French edition there is a note about the Assassins, to bad it isn't in the e-book edition.
I loved Thea and Ware relationship but also the secondary characters (Kadar, Selene, Vaden,...)

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review here:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Lions Bride" is the story of Lord Ware and Thea of Dimas.
Thea is the silk weaving worker in Dimas, who escapes her father's brutal captivity to avoid being sold and make a life for her and her younger sister Selene. After her caravan is destroyed by rebels, she is rescued, unwillingly thanks to Kadar, by Lord Ware and whisked to his Dundragon.
Ware is hunted by the Knights Templar because he's discovered the secret of their Lion Throne and lives his life filled with concern for his people, until Thea enters his life and turns it around.
While she wants to live her life independently, growing silkworms and being finally free from slavery, Ware too wants her to leave so he can move on, until fate, enemies and secret society intervenes.
The book is told across a time period of 3-ish years. We have a noble lusty hero, strong but stubborn heroine, a mysterious banner with powers, brutal enemies, hot lovemaking and a shocking amount of breeding kink.
The story between Selene and Kadar started out as sweet, then proceeded to be borderline creepy..until I realized the heroine Thea too was 17 when we started this book.
I've seen main couple's story usually gets lost in the plot and other characters in Iris's historicals, and the focus is mostly on secondary things.
It ends suddenly, Im guessing because there is a book 2, but I honestly wish this had a HEA or any hint of epilogue.
Off to the next!
Unsafe by definition H openly has mistress and even once almost has sex infront of the h with OW. Nothing is mentioned regarding his sex life during the two year separation
3/5

[Slayermel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story, full of adventure and wonderful characters. Iris Johansen is an excellent story teller!
She made it impossible for the reader to put this book down by adding bits of mystery so you had to read on to find out what would happen next. I found it very fascinating how she manged to weave in a story around the Knights Templar as well as focusing on the romance between her main characters Thea and Lord Ware, and still establish excellent secondary characters that you could not get enough of. She did all this without ever taking away from the story. I believe after reading this book I may just have to add Iris Johansen to my favourite authors list :o)
The sequel to this book is coming out this December called "The Treasure" which continues the story of the secondary characters Kadar and Selene, I can't wait to get my hand on that story. I can only hope it is as amazing as this one was.

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this 1996 novel. It posessed me from the first page. It was set at the time of the Crusades and is set in the Middle East. It was filled with excitement and brilliant characters like Thea, who has run away from slavery but escapes an attack on her caravan and is rescued by Lord Ware and his good friend. Both these men are flamboyant: one is strong, rich, a warrior, the friend is a trained assasin but he knows how to win the hearts of all those around him. There is mystery, intrigue and murder. The story is filled with romance and fire. Thea is a stormy, hot tempered lady who takes no grief from anyone. She is cagy to boot. You may find that you can't put this book down for long and that is a good thing!

[Vivian Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is perfectly executed. Set in the Middle East during the Crusades, the plot is fast-paced yet thorough. The characters are quickly developed and snag the reader's heart immediately. They're wonderfully complex and stubborn, no missish wallflowers! The settings are deeply interesting. The sex scenes are indeed sexy; Johansen does an amazing job of building up the sexual tension without being cloying. No silly plot contrivances here, just a well-written book.

I will definitely be reading the rest of this author's books!

[Barbara M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good but more romance than history. I was planning to read something about Syria but I didn't want anything too heavy - I've been reading too much of that lately and, though I've enjoyed what I read, I wasn't in the right place mentally to take anything too heavy this month.

The book was enjoyable but there were times that I hardly knew where (geographically) I was in the book. There were mentions of Tyre, Damascus and Constantinople. The date was 1188 and the Crusades were happening.

The book starts with Thea escaping from something (we don't know) with a basket that Selene brings her under cover of night. She has to leave to join a caravan and promises Selene that she will come back for her. During the trip, the caravan is attacked (that part is not detailed) and Thea is left to trudge the desert on her own, trying to get to Damascus, Syria. I looked it up, that distance is 935 miles!! She's nearly dead when Lord Ware comes upon her. He and his soldiers take her to Dundragon which seems to be in Syria. A rocky relationship starts between"only half beast" Ware and very feisty Thea.

I did get tired of hearing how "lusty" Lord Ware was. The characters were good, I mostly liked them. Slowly the story of why Lord Ware is the man he is comes to light. He was a member of Knights Templar but now they are out to destroy him and anyone close to him. Kadar, his close companion, is an excellent character.

Overall a good read if you want an historical romance with an emphasis on romance and not much history. It doesn't have a very strong sense of place in my opinion, and could be anywhere in the middle east but that could be because of the time period without strong border lines.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have re-read some of my previous favorites of Iris Johansen lately and found that I was not as thrilled with her work as I had been in the past. She has some unsavory habits in her writing that I am pleasantly pleased to say were absent from this book.

I loved the story. It is a historical type romance with a strong female lead. The character growth was well written and the story flowed well. I loved how the characters continued to fight for what they wanted yet new when to compromise. I look forward to the next book.

[Reba Julien · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for some light mindless fiction, and that’s pretty much what it was! The characters were mostly the tropes you’d expect of harlequin novels, but the plot was slightly more original than most. Was this great literature? No, but it was what I was looking for and expecting. I enjoyed it, in the same way you enjoy the entertainment of a rerun of an old Greys Anatomy episode.

[Grecale · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure that this my first HR to have taken place in the Middle East. It made me interested in the Crusades again.

[Amanda Bynum]

I've only read two other romance novels. One had something to do with Ireland, and the other was called VIKING! There was definite longing and moistness and throbbing manhood in each of these fine tales - you might say they were trashy romance novels. So I decided to go with a solid novel-y romance novel, by one of the great romance writers of our time, Iris Johansen. You can tell that she's a big deal because her name is the biggest think on the book cover - no heaving bosoms thrown back in ecstasy for Miss Iris! She's written a gazillion books! She's a New York Time #1 bestseller! I thought this might be a safe bet.

Too safe, it turns out. I didn't see my first nipple until about sixty pages in, and the first sex scene between the protagonists takes place on page 204! Outrageous! I was thinking that the sex would have started much earlier. Well, to be fair, the longing started earlier, but it took over 200 pages to get the the actual sex. And there was a lot of book that was not about sex. Lots of battles, and wounds, and fires and stuff, and some silk and magic, too. And I don't think I need to read another romance for a while.

Lion's Bride - C

[Aubry · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 30%. The writing is so stilted. It’s awkward. This translates to boring. No one is really likable. This is how it felt to read this book, the way I’m writing this review - matter of fact and bleh.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

On her perilous journey from Constantinople, Thea (a runaway embroidery slave) is rescued by Lord Ware, a former Knights Templar turned mercenary. The Knights wanted Ware's head because he knows too much. As a result, Ware refuses to let anyone close, thinking it will seal their own death warrant. Thank goodness Thea is super annoying and pries into everything and refuses to ever shut up or do what someone else says. Thanks to some crazy deus ex machina nonsense, they finally get to live happily ever after together in Scotland (I know, whaaaat?)

This book can be summed up in 4 words: not enough doing it. And when there was doing it, it was weirdly creepy ("Pain. Invasion. Fullness."). "Let's see how far can we rehash this hunted-by-the-Knights-Templar" was the clear aim here. Too far, Iris, too far. Just chill. The two stars I gave you were only because of Kadar (the Robin to Lord Ware's Batman) who I think was modeled after Donkey from Shrek.

[Kelsey Lensegrav · Rating 1 out of 5]

The history and setting in this book has interesting, but other then that it fell a little flat. It had an intriguing twist towards the end of the book involving religion, but it took way to long to get there, and while the twist had the potential to make the book, it just became a side note instead. It had potential, but it was honestly not worth my time.

[Nancy]

Typical "historical" romance...liked the setting, hated both the male and female protagonists. Obviously I cannot read these types of books that I thought were so good thirty years ago. Last one I will try....way too many new good books still to discover.

[Susan (the other Susan) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bodices that get ripped are silk ones, sourced from the heroine's very own silkworms. You go, girl. An independent-minded female entrepreneur in the Dark Ages!

[Jane Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll take Iris Johansen's historic romances over her contemporary novels any day.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars? I picked this up at a free library because I couldn't resist the absurdity of the description of the book's hero on the back -- "Brooding, powerful, boldly erotic, the infamous Lord Ware" -- I laughed so hard at "boldly erotic" I could only assume this beauty from 1996 would read as terribly dated. (think your typical harlequin bodice-ripper of ye olden days (the '80s/'90s).) This book was that, to a degree. But it also had more of a plot than I was expecting! And a wider range of character perspectives than usual. It wasn't as spicy as a historical fantasy you might pick up today (but there was still some spice!) but it didn't need to be.

I also assumed (incorrectly) from the description, and the kind of cheesy inside cover art, that this was historical fantasy. It was not.

This book was the first romance I have ever read set during the high middle ages/crusades?? Which was honestly a choice I found fascinating. An odd choice, and definitely felt problematic at points since she set the novel in what is present-day Saudi Arabia, but chose to make both the hero & heroine of European heritage (Scottish and Frankish/(or Greek?) respectively). And the hero was a former member of the Knights Templar -- who at the least were certainly not construed in a positive light. It's not an era of history I know nearly enough about to definitively state whether or not she encapsulated the cultural landscape with an appropriate level of nuance and respect. I can only hope I wasn't overlooking any major racist red-flags that my ignorance of that wouldn't allow me to pick up on. But I also am not about to base any of my judgments on an era of history or a region of people on a romance book from the 90s so we're probably safe.

Now I want to dive into a study of that era to figure out exactly how many of her background warring characters were plucked from real life and what actually did happen historically around this time.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me at least 3 years ago and I finally got around to starting it and reading it and consumed it completely.

A part of me did not want to enjoy this book because of the person who recommended it....mostly because I didn't want that person to be correct about what I do like and what I don't like but they were 110% correct!!!

The truth is, that I love stories that sweep me away into a land of yesterday & are a mixture of truth and fantasy.

I love stories that challenge my own vantage point of what is true in reality - i.e. in this case religion....

I did have one disappointment but it's not worth mentioning it would kind of ruin the story in a way so I will keep it to myself it's not that critical it's just a minor minor detail....

I'm eagerly going to start "The Treasure" by Iris johansen - the sequel to this book and perhaps in that book lies the answer to what I desire to know about Ware and Tessa!!!

I think primarily the rating I gave us book was 5 out of 5 stars because every time I check to see how far I was in a book and would experience such a bittersweet struggle of: "Oh dear, I need to slow down because the story is nearly complete and yet I need to hurry up and finish because it's such a good book I can't get enough of it!"

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars because she caused me to laugh out loud, shed tears and lose myself completely and utterly forget where I was in 2018 I felt like I was swept away back to a land of many decades ago.

I loved the romance, I loved the relatable - tangible mental & emotional struggles & euphoria of falling in love with your soul mate.

I whole heartedly enjoyed the articulation of a land I will never set my eyes upon.....except in my dreams!!

[Moonlight 🌸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this isn’t my usual genre it was nice. I stumbled into it while looking for war novels and while it’s not a war novel, it caught my attention.

My 4 star rating is because after searching for a good book for over a week, it’s the first decent one I’ve come across. Not really because I was overly impressed with the writing. The first 40-50% of the book has the usually storyline of beastly male, soft female that change each other and fall in love. But Thea wasnt at all soft though. Sometimes I really wished she was less... fierce? Didn’t like Selene or how there were no “soft” characters in the book. The growing relationship between a 10 year old and a 19 year old was honestly disgusting. I see Selene has a book but I will not be reading it. The author already made her unlikeable. Besides after thinking the closeness between she and kadar was teetering on pedophilic I don’t know why anyone would want to read their book.

However...

The hero grew on me and I liked Kadar from the start. The battle for Jerusalem and the Knight’s secret was one fascinating twist I didn’t see coming and that was when the book started getting better And less predictable.

Also the characters started seeming more human and easy to relate with. The whole thing became much better.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the latter part of the 12th century, this story of Ware and Thea is replete with the violence and raw times they live in. Life is not valued. Slavery is common. Only the strong and rough survive. Which is why I don't particularly enjoy books set in this time period and find it so hard to finish them. As usual, however, there comes a point in the book that brings a form of calm and the decision to finish. The supporting story of Kadar and Selene was almost as good as the one about Ware and Thea, so in the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Probably won't read it a third time, however.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thea is an escaped silk weaver/embroiderer from Constantinople in 1188. She's headed for Damascus to set up a silk business and reclaim her sister, a slave. Her caravan is attacked, she escapes and is found by Lord Ware of Dundragon.

Ware was a Knight Templar until he saw a Lion's Throne that he shouldn't have seen. Now he's hunted, but refuses to return to Scotland. They fall in love but Ware refuses to involve Thea in his problems. Inadvertently she becomes involved though, especially when the Crusades heat up again.
Eventually they make good their escape to Scotland.

Good story.