Lord of My Heart [Mass Market Paperback]

The hero is half Norman, half Saxon and he identifies with both the conquering side and the conquered side. You can see the struggle in him as he tries to figure out which side he is on. So he disguises himself, and travels from village to village to give his saxon people any help he can. The heroine is a Norman Heiress who the hero is forced to marry. It is a marriage he does not want, because he believes the heroine is cruel and vicious to his people(Saxons) and he does not trust her. The heroine does not trust her new husband because she believes he is committing treason against the new king by planning a saxon uprising. Eventually, they learn to trust each other and realize they are in love.

Lord Of My Heart is a well written story that is original in its plot. Jo Beverly has once again created a story that is well researched and plotted out. For those who have read and liked this story, try one of Jo Beverly's other medeival romances. Dark Champion is another good one.

It isn't a just comparison of course when the serious Lord Of My Heart is set in the pagaentry and chaos in the time era of 1065 Normandy where Norman conqueror William the Bastard ousted the Earl of Sussex to lay territorial claims on England after King Edward's demise. There lies the conflict of half Saxon-half Norman Aimery de Gaillard who pledges fealty to William but acknowledges his fraternity with English rebel Hereward. Aimery is torn between loyalty when he secretly and unwittingly helps the English populace as his disguised alter-ego Golden Hart battle injustices inflicted by powerful Norman landlords like Madeline de la Haute Vironge's uncle who rules Badderley with tyranny.

Madeline has to wed a lord to remove her uncle from her estate - and with a twist of fate she ends up choosing Aimery. Yet trust eludes them when Madeline fears that Aimery is a treasonous traitor and Aimery grips with rumors of Madeline's cruel facade behind her beguiling innocence.

Rich with historical details and majestic in its scope of war, betrayal and treachery, Lord Of My Heart sweeps the readers away with the period and embellishes it with a heartfelt romance that sparkles with wits and sensual delights. The clash of honours, familial ties and love evoke a powerful drama to rival the ferocious intensity of the swashbuckling extravaganza.

Convent-bread Madeline heiress to a barony, is offered a choice by King William of three lords to wed. The King's choice is obvious, the powerful and honorable Aimery de Gaillard. By his own machinations, William hopes to help Madeline make the "right choice". There is just one problem, Madeline has given Aimery her solemn promise that she will not choose him. She suspects that he might be The Golden Hart, champion to the common English folk, and as such, a traitor to the crown. She soon realizes however, that the handsome Gaillard is her only choice.

Torn between his Norman and Saxon roots, Aimery must balance his love for the English people, and his duty as a Norman knight. He does not need or want the complications of a marriage to a Norman heiress, especially one he believes to be cruel and oblivious to the English peoples' sufferings. Aimery must keep his covert raids secret and does not trust Madeline; he is sure she will eventually betray him to the King. Though neither of them want it, their attraction for each other is strong and soon becomes an all-consuming love.

Jo Beverley once again brings the medieval world to life, and fills her story with rich and complex characters. I know you will enjoy this book. It is a must read for her fans; indeed any fan of this genre.