Rogues & Angels Books
(Having read many books by this author, I was impressed how different the style of this book was when compared to her other novels. Including the other two that complete this triology. Genies, spells, enchanted palaces...quite a different venue than I am used to reading but very enjoyable. The story is complete, no loose ends left at the end and it truly brings a conclusion to the other books in the triology, yet you do not have to read them to get the gist of the story. Claire Delacroix will always be one of my favorite romance authors!)
Quinn de Sayerne vowed never to return home while his wicked father drew breath. Twenty years after his departure, the knight and crusader is summoned to claim his family holding after his father’s death. But the overlord decrees that Quinn must wed Melissande, the beautiful but frosty heiress of neighboring Annossy. Quinn resolves to win the heart of his lady wife, no matter what the cost, and thence the seal of Sayerne.Melissande cannot believe that her liege lord has ignored her betrothal and wed her to a mercenary. Worse, he has granted her beloved Annossy to her new husband against her every protest. Though Melissande finds herself the chattel of this rough knight, she is determined to fight Quinn on every front—for the sake of her betrothal, Annossy, and her own pride.But Annossy itself is in danger with brigands raiding its borders. Quinn is charged to oust the villains, but soon fears his lady wife is in peril—or is she allied with the brigands? Can this pair come to trust each other in time to work together for the sake of the future, or will a villain’s evil scheme cost them both everything they hold dear?
When the grim Lord de Tulley bequests his legacy to his niece and decides to arrange her marriage, the maiden in question knows that no man of sense will decline such a rich prize of a bride. Her jest, undertaken to ensure her survival and ease an old man’s loneliness, has become deadly serious. To Heloise’s dismay, Tulley chooses Lothair the Viking as his successor. Lothair is unlike the other knights in his company—just as powerful and decisive as his fellows, quiet Lothair is also perceptive. His very presence makes Heloise’s heart flutter and not just because she fears he will uncover her deepest secret. A man of honor like Lothair can only reveal the truth to Tulley and Heloise dreads the result. Can she charm her taciturn betrothed for the greater good? A warrior and a healer, Lothair is accustomed to being caught between objectives. Still, experience has not prepared him for the temptation of Lady Heloise, the beautiful niece of his overlord. The maiden’s very presence steals his wits and renders him mute, while her barest glance fills his heart with wild yearning. When Lothair discovers that Heloise is not the maiden she pretends to be, he is once again snared—between honor and duty, his dawning love for his new wife, and the lady’s determination to keep her secret. Can he dare to trust the woman who has stolen his heart, or is he just a willing pawn to his lady? Can Heloise trust the knight who swears to defend her forever instead of fleeing—or will her past demand its due from both of them first?