With the King’s
recent proclamation concerning Merewood Keep, Eyreka knows there is only one
sure way to save her sons’ heritage and her people’s way of life. Upon
learning the man the King has promised Merewood Keep to is a widower, the
comely widow implores her King to consider the value of matching her in
wedlock to the new Lord of Merewood Keep.
Much to the dismay of Baron de Chauret, the King grants Eyreka’s request,
and they are married immediately. Augustin understands the logic behind the
match, but he had vowed never to marry again after his wife died. Yet with
each passing day, the strength and beauty he sees in his new wife endears
her to him more, making it impossible for him to ignore the long buried
feelings she stirs in him.
Although meeting Augustin stirred desires Eyreka never thought she’d
experience again, she didn’t expect to love Augustin, only hoped he would be
a man worthy of her respect and admiration. As he settles into his new role
as Lord of the keep, she discovers a man worthy of much more than her
admiration and desire.
C.H. Admirand’s newest novel, The Saxon Bride, is a sequel to
her first release with The Dark Castle Lords, The Lord of Merewood
Keep. I had the great pleasure of reviewing that first book, and as
much as I enjoyed that one, I loved the second story even more! Admirand
writes a wonderful historical, and the reader is immersed completely in the
worlds she creates. Her characters are believably real, and she
effortlessly creates empathy for them from the very first chapter,
maintaining that empathy throughout the story.
We first met Eyreka in The Lord of Merewood Keep, where she
was introduced as the young widowed mother of that story’s hero, Garrick.
She proved her mettle during the trials she and her daughter in law suffered
in that book, and her strength of will and character are even more evident
in The Saxon Bride. She will do anything, sacrifice anything,
for the good of her people and her children.
It is this strength that ultimately draws the gun shy Augustin to her.
While forced to marry her by the King, he was determined not to love any
woman again, fearful of losing a loved one again as he lost his beloved but
fragile first wife. Likewise, the fairness and reason he demonstrates with
his rule of the keep serve to allay Eyreka’s worries regarding the kind of
man she has married, and foster a deep love for him rivaling that which she
shared with her first husband.
Of course, the couple experiences a good many trials and a bit of angst
before they find their way to each other. The author provides both internal
antagonists in the shape of their fears of loving again, and external
antagonists in the form of the residents of the keep who balk at the
‘intruders’, Augustin’s men who are reluctant to accept Eyreka as his wife,
and a mysterious threat to all inside the keep.
Readers new to C.H. Admirand’s work will be happy to know that The
Saxon Bride can easily be read as a standalone novel and make
complete sense. Of course, it is enhanced by reading its prequel first, as
you will be privy to the relationships and nuances to the story that are
told in The Lord of Merewood Keep. I can’t recommend both of
these books strongly enough!
Reviewed by Jennifer
