When you hate a whole family, could there be one exception?

Synopsis

She hates all Warstones.

Can this one win her love?

Balthus of Warstone secretly loved Séverine, even though she was unhappily married to his brute of a brother, then she fled six years ago. Now her husband is dead, Balthus must find Séverine and reclaim her sons as his father’s heirs. Balthus’ desire is to claim her too, and despite his battle-maimed arm and her distrust of his family, he’ll prove he’s a suitor worthy of such a courageous woman…

My review

Séverine is on the run from her husband and his family. The Warstones are known for their cruelty and thirst for power.
Her marriage with Ian was not one of love, and it wasn’t a happy one. To protect her two young boys, she decided six years ago to run away.
But now her husband’s brother Balthus is tracking her down because her children are the heirs now that Ian is dead.
However, Séverine has no intention to be found so easily, and she is determined to fight for her freedom.
Little does she know that Balthus has always been secretly in love with her, and his desire to find her may have an ulterior motive…

Every time I start reading a book of this author, I think I know what  can expect. Yet every time she manages to write a story that is different from the previous one.

From the precious books, I already knew how the Warstones were. And it was a very disturbing picture I had in mind.
So I completely understood the necessity Séverine had of running away, to protect her boys the same fate.
Even if her life isn’t what she pictured to be like, she tries to make the best of it. And it’s obvious how much she loves her children, even if there is a small fear of how much they inherited from the violent side of the family.
No matter how much she hates and despises the Warstones, she always helps when someone is in need, even if the one in need is her brother – in – law Balthus, chasing her.And this aspect shows the reader what a good and kind character Séverine is.
Despite her fear for Balthus, she sees how much he is suffering from his disfigured arm and she uses her knowledge to relieve him from his constant pain.

Balthus was a bit of an enigma for me. Of course if he were a brute like his brother, this wouldn’t be very romantic story, but I was surprised to read how he was so different from his own family. He has this kindness over him and it made me wonder how he had this, since all the other members of his family lacked that.
He may seem like a mean warrior, but rather quickly get to know what his real feelings are. And even when he makes the wrong decisions, like keeping the truth from Séverine, he does it with the right intentions.

I loved reading about how Séverine would go lengths to protect her children, finding people ready to fight in her corner. Also how she has to learn to trust someone she would never expect to trust or have other kind of feelings for.
Seeing how the dynamics between Séverine and Balthus shifted, was something expected but also made me wonder how all the pieces would fit together.

Even if this book is part of a series, it can be perfectly read as a standalone. And it will easily grab your attention and you’ll find yourself happily submerged in a world of warriors, maidens but also a world of love and attraction.