THE LEGACY - T. J. Bennett
Medallion Press, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1933836362
April 2008
Historical Romance

Wittenberg, Electoral Saxony (Germany) - 1525

The dungeon is dark and cold. She’s hungry. She hasn’t eaten for five, or is it six days? Chained to the stone walls, imprisoned like an animal, the Baronesse Sabina von Ziegler is held captive by her stepfather. No one knows she’s there, deep in the dank, damp recesses of his castle, and the Baron has promised she will stay his captive until she either starves to death or agrees to marry a man he has chosen for her. Sabina is strong. She has to be after nine years of imprisonment in a convent where the Baron left her following an impetuous marriage to a rake. But Sabina finally escaped and came for what is rightfully hers -- an inheritance of gold left her by her mother. The Baron has no intention of giving Sabina the gold. He would rather see her dead, especially after she cost him the life of his only son and heir. Finally, Sabina makes the bargain the Baron has forced her into, she will marry Wolfgang Behaim. But first, she wants her inheritance. Baron von Ziegler is no fool, and he agrees. But he lies. His signature on their contract means nothing. Sabina will never get one speck of her gold.

The last thing Wolf Behaim wants is a wife, but he agrees to marry the Baron’s stepdaughter, sight unseen, to save his family from ruin. He's made a devil's bargain, and Baron von Ziegler will never let Wolf forget that he's beholden to him. Likewise, Sabina is forced into a marriage she does not want, and she vows this union will never be consummated. And as soon as she regains her strength, she’ll collect her gold and be gone from this man’s sight and his household. However, from the moment Wolf and Sabina meet, every contact ignites a smoldering passion they feel in each other’s presence. Even though both of them deny the spark of interest they feel, it's only their strength of will that prevents their obsession from becoming full blown.

THE LEGACY Sabina von Ziegler is entitled to might never be hers to call her own, not if her stepfather the Baron has his way. Forced into this marriage against her will, she has unwittingly signed her inheritance over to her new husband, Wolf Behaim, who has his own reasons for allowing the evil Baron von Ziegler to blackmail him into marrying Sabina. Secrets are kept on both sides in this thrilling and emotional tapestry of love and betrayal. The Behaim family servants, Franz and Bea; Wolf's brothers, Peter and Gunter; and Wolf's daughter, Giselle, make up the majority of immediate secondary characters that are fully drawn and vibrant.

Set in the volatile era of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther's rebellion against Catholic doctrine, the beginnings of mechanized printing presses, and the end of the feudal system, new author T. J. Bennett's debut novel is an extraordinary look into a fervent time in history, where romance is rare and true love is still powerful.

Diana Risso