THE CONQUEST – Julia Templeton
Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-425-22341-3
August 2008
Historical Romance

Scotland, 1080

Rhiannon MacKay, daughter of Scottish laird MacKay, mentally and emotionally prepares herself to wed her betrothed, Baron Malgor de Cion. Having not yet met her intended, Rhiannon is shocked when one of de Cion’s soldiers, Adelstan Cawdor, travels to Castle MacKay to escort her to her future husband’s home. The MacKay clan has been waiting for de Cion to come for his bride himself, but it was not to be, due to his recent illness. Rhiannon is attracted to Adelstan, but as a curious virgin, she doesn’t fully understand the feelings of longing and lust that the attractive Adelstan inspires. She’d love nothing more than to engage in an experimental physical relationship, and Adelstan may be the perfect candidate.

Adelstan Cawdor sees only the promise of a successful future if he brings Rhiannon MacKay safely to de Cion. Once he has completed his mission, Adelstan plans on returning to his home, Braemere Castle, and living a contented life. But Rhiannon is more than he bargained for. Beautiful and spirited, it’s not a far stretch of the imagination for Adelstan to fantasize about an afternoon spent in Rhiannon’s bed. But while a romp may be enough to slake his lust, it wouldn’t be worth it to ruin his mission. Bringing soiled goods to de Cion would surely be a death knell, even if the newly titled Baron has less than a stellar reputation himself. It’s not long before Adelstan falls to temptation and becomes Rhiannon’s first lover. What’s a knight to do when he becomes THE CONQUEST of one very determined woman?

While I miss the days when I’d read two or three medieval romances within one week, THE CONQUEST didn’t thrill me as much as I’d hoped. I won’t discredit Ms. Templeton, since she did successfully write an engaging story that’s very readable, but I never felt truly connected to Rhiannon. In a way, she was a brat, but since she’d grown up in the care of a less-than-doting father, one can forgive her that. But I would’ve preferred seeing this heroine become something more and elevating herself to more than a curious bride-to-be who’s not happy with her lot in life. Adelstan, on the other hand, carried more than his fair share of THE CONQUEST and made up for what was lacking in the character of Rhiannon.

THE CONQUEST is not a total scrap, though. I’m curious enough to see what else Julia Templeton can bring to the table and look forward to having my opinion changed with her other books. I do feel that she has a raw talent for writing an intriguing historical romance, especially medievals, but I’m afraid that THE CONQUEST may not be the best example of that knack.

Amy Cunningham