The King’s Man

A recovering English villain finds love with a young Welsh noblewoman amid intrigue and the threat of civil war in Kingston’s languid historical romance set in medieval England. Sir Ranulf of Morency, known as King Edward’s butcher for his skill at assassination, has come home to claim his holdings on the border between Wales and England—the holdings he earned by murdering his foster father, Aymer of Morcency, at Edward’s command. Gwenllian of Ruardean, who was wed by proxy to Aymer when she was only 10 years old, contends that the land should be hers. The last thing Ranulf expects is to find himself falling for the tough young woman whom Gwenllian has become. She’s been trained as a warrior according to her mother’s wishes, in defiance of all custom, and her heart is as armored as her body. As mutual lust between Ranulf and Gwenllian becomes marriage and love, the two are caught in the middle of a plot to hatch civil war that could tear them and the land apart. Kingston’s leisurely pace may feel too slow for some readers, but her attention to period details and the growing emotional attachment between her lovers will be enough to keep most readers turning pages. Fans of unusual couples will be caught up in this story of romance and redemption. (BookLife)