Niki (mustreadalltheromance)'s Reviews > The Mercenary

Sir Guy Lavallais has always known marriage is not for him. Yet, when a nun overhears him quietly plotting treason with a bishop, she blackmails him into wedding her. As a member of the Order of the Broken Blade, a brotherhood devoted to curtailing King John's broad abuse of power, Guy's loyalty is to his mission and his brothers and he'll let no one stand in his way, especially not his new, unwanted bride.

Lady Sabine de Stuteville is no nun, but was forced into the abbey against her will after her parents' deaths. She's desperate to escape. After several failed attempts to do just that, she's desperate enough to maneuver a mercenary into marriage, one she assures him will be temporary, only until her guardian gives up pursuing her.

The more time Guy and Sabine spend together, the more real their marriage becomes, but with the danger inherent in their treasonous plans, their lives may be forfeit before they even acknowledge their growing desires for permanency.

I thought Cecelia knocked it out of the park with The Blacksmith, this book's predecessor, but The Mercenary is stunning. There's romance, not just steam, although there's plenty of that too, but true, swoon-worthy romance that had me rereading passages just because the dialogue was so lovely. Beyond that, there's also the ongoing intrigue and sense of danger that comes with treasonous plotting, although not so much peril that it took away from the development of the main characters' relationship, if that makes sense. Guy was a fabulous mix of vulnerable and strong and has more layers than even he gave himself credit for. Sabine was a strong and independent woman without being at all shrewish or hateful; she acknowledged her own ability to fend for herself but also her new discovery of her preference for a life with Guy and she wasn't afraid to voice her opinions and ask for what she wanted, even when Guy himself was. I always love it when the hero and heroine actively choose each other and that pushed this book up into my favorites for the year.

This book is exquisite. It was everything I enjoy in a romance and I can't wait for the next one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.