Book Review: Lady Undaunted by Tamara Leigh

Genre: Medieval Romance

You’ll like this if you like: Feisty Heroines, Noble Heroes, or a Tense, Passionate Romance.

Cleanliness: There’s kissing. At one point, the heroine asks the hero to pass the night with her, but he denies her, saying they’d both regret it.

Hero Type: Alpha

Description from Amazon.com

BETRAYED

Declared illegitimate and denied his inheritance, Sir Liam Fawke has given six years of his life in service to his younger brother for the promise of being named heir to the Barony of Ashlingford. But when he is summoned to his brother’s deathbed, he learns his treacherous kin has secretly wed and fathered a son. Vowing to claim what is rightfully his, Liam contests his nephew’s succession. And not only finds himself at dangerous odds with the boy’s lovely, spirited mother, but attracted to one who is forbidden him—one whose son is the means by which he could twice lose all.

FORBIDDEN

Three years ago, Lady Joslyn struck a desperate bargain to wed a nobleman and provide him with an heir. Now widowed, she must protect her young son from her husband’s vengeful brother who will stop at nothing—including murder—to take what does not belong to him. But when she seeks an audience with the king to secure her son’s inheritance, she discovers Sir Liam may have the stronger claim and that the truth of him could make lies of all she was led to believe. More unsettling, she is drawn to the man beneath the anger who can never forgive her for the part she played in his brother’s deception—nor forget to whom she first belonged.

First of all, the set-up guarantees that there will be plenty of tension, which I love. Even though Liam, the Hero, has a reason to be furious for the part Joslyn has played in taking the Barony from him, there are moments when he’s surprisingly tender and protective of her. Liam has a temper to match his fiery hair, but it gradually cools as he and Joslyn fall in love. There’s also a hint of mystery and a few assassination attempts. I’m convinced any book can be improved by adding assassins 😉 Tamara Leigh does seem to use the feisty Heroine a lot and the girl-hates-boy-before-they-fall-in-love situation. Though this feels like it’s becoming a cliché in her stories, I still love them.

Purchase Lady Undaunted

What elements do you love in a story? What elements automatically ramp up the tension? What era do you prefer historical romances to be from? What are some of your favorite medieval romances?