Heart of the Hawk
Lois Templin
Viking Historical
Can the love of a loyal knight and a headstrong lady survive the test of the king’s wrath?
“Hawk” Grogan, the king’s most trusted knight, has never failed a mission. When the king sends him to Hawkspur Castle in the Welsh Marches to uncover suspected treason, Hawk has every intention of getting to the truth at any cost. He soon learns, however, that there’s one factor in his plan that he hasn’t accounted for–Lady Alyce. The lord’s sister is obstinate, an incompetent liar, easily flustered, and completely beguiling.
Lady Alyce is reluctantly drawn to the brooding knight who trusts no one, roams the castle as if it is his own, and pricks her temper at every opportunity. She is desperate to prove to him that everyone at Hawkspur Castle, English and Welsh alike, is loyal to the king of England. As war erupts around her, she will do everything necessary to save her brother and the village she loves from ruin.
But something is amiss at Hawkspur and Lady Alyce is determined to discover what it is before Hawk can, despite her growing attraction to him. As plots are uncovered and alliances forged, the bond between Hawk and Alyce grows stronger, even as they are both forced to question whether the other can be trusted.
Will their opposing loyalties tear them apart? Or are they willing to forsake king and country to be together?
Uncaged Review: Widowed Lady Alyce Chetwynd, feels as if she has no choice. Her brother Cynwulf had arranged a marriage for her. Unfortunately, the man whom Cynwulf wants her to marry is a lot older than her. Alyce, despite being chatelaine of Hawkspur Castle, lives with her dead husband’s bastard-born son and mistress. Alyce doesn’t know it, but Sir Grogan, also known as Hawk, revered knight of King Edward, is on his way there to Hawkspur Castle to protect it from the Welsh rebels. As Alyce gets to know Hawk, she doesn’t really trust him, but then again, he also seems to have her best interests at heart. As Cynwulf becomes more involved with the Welsh without Alyce knowing, he ends up leaving her alone and Hawk must do everything he can to help, even lose the battle, to not fall in love with her. Hawk must stop a war destined to drive a wedge between him and Alyce without it killing them both.
These medieval romances, for some reason, never bore me nor do I get tired of reading them, especially this one by new to me author Ms. Lois Templin. I really enjoyed this story with its deep tale of family loyalty, chivalry, knights, castles and a deep-abiding sign-worthy love that not only makes you root for the couple but hope that even with the unimaginable odds. They will find a way to be together. Ms. Templin really seems to have done her research into the strong opposition between the Welsh and English. The deep wounding antagonism between them is easily felt. A love that wasn’t supposed to happen is just hard to even imagine but still prevails. In the beginning, Alyce seemed like a bit of a push-over. Her dead husband’s bastard son is living with her and her brother. Even though she couldn’t stand her husband’s mistress, who lived in the castle, when her brother could have sent him away. So, I really felt pity for Alyce, but as I got deeper into the book, I was actually cheering her on. Sir Grogan, known as “Hawk”, really brought the best out in everyone except maybe Cynwulf, Alyce’s brother. I didn’t care for Hawk’s real name and kept thinking of baby Yoda, but maybe Grogan did fit as being all wise and knowing, so maybe the reference isn’t a bad thing. Do I look forward to the next in the series? Strangely, of course I do!
Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst
4 Stars
