Once A Bride
By Shari Anton

     Lady Eloise Hamelin of Lelleford doesn’t like surprises. Therefore, when Roland St. Marten invades her home on behalf of the king, she is furious. The man has treated her poorly in the past. Now, when her father has fled, accused of treason, she must deal with the handsome knight alone—a task she finds almost impossible when forced to trust him for protection and a means to prove her father innocent.

     Roland St. Martin has good reason to hate being at Lelleford. The last time he passed through the gates, his brother died. The arranged wedding with the beautiful Eloise never happened and Roland still blames himself. His last words to his brother had smacked of jealousy and worry that Eloise would prove to be too much a woman for Hugh. Her sultry looks, her seductive although innocent manner tied Roland up in arousal knots, then as well as now.

     Eloise and Roland combine wits and trust to fight a common enemy, the Earl of Kenworth. They believe he is responsible for her father’s arrest and incarceration in the Tower of London. Eloise flees the watchful eye of Roland to visit her father. Eloise is the victim of a failed abduction and Roland is frantic to protect her. When it looks as if her father will hang for his supposed crimes, he volunteers to wed the lady.

      Ms. Anton has painted a marvelous and witty novel of love. Knights may reign in this medieval tale, but it is the squires that won my heart. Edgar and Timothy show loyalty beyond the call of duty. Bravo to all the characters and to the conquest for love.