THE WARRIOR'S RUNAWAY WIFE - Denise Lynn
Harlequin Historical
ISBN-13:  978-1-335-52280-1
July 2018
Historical Series Romance - Medieval

Scotland - 1145

Lord Erik of Roul is one of King David's Wolves, feared men who are expendable protectors of the King.  Elrik now owes a life of service to the King in payment for his father's act of treason, all at the behest of another man: Lord Galdon of Brandr Isle, who escaped punishment.  Now, his father is confined to Roul Isle, while Elrik and his brothers are at the beck and call of King David.  Today, Elrik learns that he must locate Avelyn of Brandr the daughter of the very man who set his father up for treason.  It seems that Avelyn's very own great-grandfather, King Ò lâfr has betrothed her to a common warlord three times her age.  Avelyn has run away.  And Elrik, with his ability to track and find anyone or anything, now has a job to do. 

Lady Avelyn fled her father's court when she saw the old and gnarled man she was expected to marry.  Avelyn is fully aware that her father cares no more for her than any other piece of his property, and he has treated her as such ever since he found her inside her mother's burned out hut after her parent died.  Lord Galdon wants only the ring Avelyn hides, a ring that proves her heritage, and he will stop at nothing, even if he has to kill Avelyn to secure the heirloom.  Even though Avelyn has royal blood, she is a bastard child.  Her mother was a servant in Brandr's castle, and when it was discovered that she was pregnant she was thrown out of the keep to raise Avelyn in poverty.  When she died, Galdon took fourteen-year-old Avelyn back to his keep and kept her barely alive.  He did not raise her as a daughter of the house, so she knows nothing of being a lady or things required of her station.  When Elrik finds her, she is hiding in a brothel and has just been sold to a willing patron to earn her keep. 

What can Elrik do with this young woman?  She cannot ride a horse, and they must make haste back to King David's castle lest her father's henchmen find them and kill Avelyn.  And later, when she is safely at Carlisle Castle, Elrik learns that King David has plans for him and Avelyn to wed!

THE WARRIOR'S RUNAWAY WIFE is a great novel!  Full of adventure and romance, the pages take readers across two continents, from Scotland to Normandy, first to bring Avelyn to safety, and lastly in a race to save Elrik's life and heritage before Brandr's henchmen kill both. In a rich tapestry of medieval times, Avelyn and Elrik's story is complex and exciting, and will keep you up reading all night just to travel along to their happy ending!

Full of dynamic characters, passion, romance and adventure, THE WARRIOR'S RUNAWAY WIFE is a must buy for July! 

Diana Risso