Always keep your eyes on the mission…

Synopsis

A dramatic Medieval convenient marriage story

Will he risk his mission… for her hand in marriage?

Part of The Knights’ Missions. On a secret quest to expose a traitor, Sir Hugh enlists in a tournament to win the hand of his target’s daughter, Lady Bronwen. But the clever, driven maiden jeopardises his plans when their unexpected attraction threatens to distract him from his duty! She’s desperate to escape her father, and Hugh can protect her by claiming his prize and marrying her. Yet honour demands the noble knight keeps their desire at bay, for completing his mission means betraying his new bride’s trust…

My review

Sir Hugh is one of the most known and feared Knights of the Kingdom. Now he is on a secret mission, trying to expose traitor. In order to do so, he needs to participate in a tournament, where the prize is the suspect’s daughter, Lady Bronwen. But Sir Hugh doesn’t know that he may be facing his biggest challenge ever… because once meeting Lady Bronwen, sparks start to fly around. And that may jeopardize his whole missions, as suddenly he cannot image someone else worthy of Lady Bronwen’s hand. Even if Bronwen is the prize of the tournament, she won’t just accept anyone as a winner. Because she has a plan of her own: to escape her own fickle father, and whoever will become her husband, she never wants to lose herself. Yet there is something about Sir Hugh… With both having plans and missions of their own, and an undeniable attraction, how will this tournament end?

Knights.. how many women in the present have had their own fantasies about these kinds of men? Well, I can admit without any shame that I for sure have! And reading stories involving Knights are a little guilty pleasure of mine. And as I have read several book from this amazing author, I knew that I would get a real treat!

Sir Hugh right from the start had my sympathy. He has two close friends, knights themselves. And it’s clear that without Leo or Tristan, Hugh wouldn’t be the kind of man he is now. His upbringing was not easy, as we slowly learn through the story. And in one way it makes sense, because in order to become a knight, you need to have a specific kind of skills. And that means training, dedication and determination.

But Hugh was rather young when his training started, and that also means a distance between him and just every member of his family. And being the last of many children (poor mother though! 😊) means that there is isn’t a connection between him and his two other brothers, which is painfully exposed…

And there is the fact that his best friend Tristan that makes the women turn their head. Hugh has learned the hard way that women aren’t afraid to use Tristan’s friend to get closer to Tristan himself. That made Hugh wary and even afraid of opening up…

Yet there is a lot to like Hugh for. There is obviously his loyalty, he took an oath, a vow, and he is committed to fulfil it till the end. And that is not a trait that everyone has! That commitment shows the kind of man Hugh is, you know that when he promises you something, you can count of him to achieve that.

And then there is Hugh’s character… yes, he is on a mission, but he never loses his heart and compassion. We see this clearly when he befriend other knights on the tournament, but especially his worry and care when injuries apply.

When he sees injustice, he isn’t afraid to put things back right.

In other words, Hugh is scarred yes, but he is also just a great man. And even if he promised himself to never fall in love again, when he meets Lady Bronwen, he is a goner….

Bronwen for sure is the kind of character I pitied… Not only is she being used as a prize at a tournament, but also her own relationship with her father is a strained one. Not because her father has been a bad person the whole time, but he has changed during the years. A change that not only affected Bronwen herself, but also her mother…

I could understand why she accepts her fate, but I admired how she wanted to add her own twist to it.

She has seen what love could do to someone, as she sees the effect on her mother, and she never wants to lose herself because of love. And thus she is determined to marry someone (as she has no choice than getting married off) to at least someone that won’t ever break her heart, as she won’t give it away to anyone.

And that is the funny (in a way) fact of this book. Because we all know that love won’t be stopped, no matter how much you fight against it.

But while there is an initial physical attraction between Bronwen and Hugh, it’s their emotional and intellectual connection that makes spark fly around.

Despite their many differences, they also have a lot in common, and there is just something that makes them connect. They understand each other, they care about each other and they just *see* each other.

And that made me devour this lovely book so fast. Of course there is more than the romance between Hugh and Bronwen, as obviously there is a traitor to be found and discovered and a tournament to be won.

Perhaps some bits didn’t come as a surprise, and a few resolutions came a tiny bit too quickly. But that didn’t take away the pleasure I had while reading. On the contrary, because as I have apparently missed reading the first book this series, I will for sure need to catch up now! 😊