HERS TO COMMAND

Author: Margaret Moore ISBN: 0373770952 3/2006 MEDIEVEL Publisher: HQN
Time Period: 1243

She'd entrusted her lands to his skill, but her heart was another matter . . . Sir Henry was a knight-errant, capable of impressive prowess on the battlefield . . . and in bed. Finding two sisters -- one stunningly beautiful, the other steadfast and determined -- waiting patiently in his chamber, he entertained their proposition: a generous sum in exchange for commanding their men-at-arms in a battle to save their lands. Seduced by the beauty of Gisele, yet irresistibly drawn to the intelligence of Mathilde, a proud woman as complex as her secrets, Henry accepts their offer. But as invaders close in, it is Mathilde who must dare to trust her deepest desires . . . and the man willing to fight for all he is worth to prove his honor.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

When Mathilde and Giselle find themselves in the bedroom of one very sleepy—and quite undressed—Sir Henry, they realize that they may have been a bit impetuous in their decision to enlist his aide in helping them save their castle from an ambitious and abhorrent cousin. Henry is a wonderful character, so full of life and charm; it would be hard for any woman not to fall helplessly in love with him. There is also the teensy weensy fact that he is gorgeous and it is his sworn duty to protect damsels in distress, that make him absolutely irresistible. He is immediately drawn to Giselle's' beauty, and yet intrigued by how smart and strong Mathilde is.

Mathilde is a strong character and very worthy of a hero like Henry. She is feisty and determined that no man shall ever hurt her or her sister to assuage their lustful or financial fancies. She is a woman to be respected, and is loved by everyone who meets her. What I liked the most about Mathilde's character is that she is not a particularly pretty woman, but by the end of the book, I pictured her as being quite beautiful because of the strength of her character. From the first word that she utters, her character leaves the reader feeling supremely satisfied—this entire story does. It just works, with a chemistry and charisma that I have come to expect of Margaret Moore's books.

Margaret Moore is fast becoming a favorite author of mine. Her books are superb in every sense of the word, and this last offering just had me wishing that it would never end, or at least hoping for a sequel—which we can expect promptly in August of this year.

Kristal Gorman