Amounderness in Northeast England, and London - 1152

Horrified and repulsed when her father, Edgard the Briton, announces her betrothal to a Drudic Viking, a man even older than her parent, Bronwen flees Rossall Hall and the betrothal celebration. On the beach, she meets a stranger named Jacques Le Brun, a young man who claims he is her friend. But this cannot be! This man is a Christian, a consort of Henry Plantagenet who wants their land, Amounderness, and, Bronwen is sure, the end of the ancient reign of their Briton tribe. Still, Jacques Le Brun is kind to her, wrapping her in his own warm cloak when she becomes chilled. And then he kisses her!

Later, when Bronwen retires to the bedchamber she shares with her sister Gildan, she cannot forget Jacques’s kiss, and she shivers. Jacques is a Christian, and there are none worse than that. Christians refuse to worship the earthly gods; why, they claim to worship only one God! Bronwen pushes the thought of Jacques away, she must forget him and go on with the duty her father has entrusted to her. Tonight, before she ran from the castle, Edgard announced that Bronwen is to marry the Viking immediately! Bronwen shudders. She dreads marriage to that old man, and she doesn't wish to leave her beloved homeland and go with him to his castle at Warbreck in the North. But she must do her duty.

Having no sons, Edgard has trained Bronwen to take over his holdings at the time of his death, and he announced his wishes in front of all the warriors. Bronwen will hold Edgard's lands in trust for her own son, thus uniting the Vikings and the Briton tribe. And so, Bronwen does as is expected, but when things go terribly wrong, and an insurrection puts the Briton's Rossall Hall into the wrong hands, Bronwen doesn’t know where to turn. She must save her homeland, her sister Gildan, and her people. Ever since her marriage, she has carried her father’s written will hidden under her dress. But whom can she trust to help her, and how will she know what the parchment says if she can neither read nor write? Her heart tells her she must find the stranger, Jacques Le Brun.

Wow! Knights in not-so-shining armor, Vikings, bohemian outlands and civilized London are all part of a brand new imprint, Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical Romance, inspirational stories of love that take us back in time to places all over the world. THE BRITON launches this long-awaited new series which will release two books every month. I am hoping for many more stories in the future, but for now, check out www.eharlequin.com, where you can get your very own subscription to these great books!

Bronwen’s story takes us back to the year 1152, when many rulers fought to lay claim to what was then called The Kingdom of England. Bronwen’s father, Edgard of Briton, wants to ensure that his lands are kept in the hands of the Briton tribe, and even though he declares his wishes to a large gathering of warriors, he has also prepared a written will, which was a totally new idea in those early years. The Britons fight to hold their lands and keep them out of the hands of the Scots and the Christians, who are pushing to take over when the Norman Dynasty falls with the impending death of King Stephen.

The idea of one God frightens Bronwen, who has learned from childhood to worship the many different deities of the earth, the wind, the sun and so forth. But when Jacques tells her about his one God who has created the world, she is confused. Jacques speaks of love, but Bronwen does not know what the emotion called love is. She has strange feelings whenever he is around, could that be what these Christians call love? Jacques knows that Bronwen is his destiny, even though she is wed to another, but he will protect her and rely on God to save them both. A plethora of secondary characters come and go, but the most important are Enit, Bronwen’s maid; her sister Gildan, and Gildan's husband, Aeschby Godwinson; and finally, Olaf's son Haakon, who wants Bronwen dead.

THE BRITON is rich in the history and setting of England in yesteryear; don't miss it!

Diana Risso