The Nun’s Betrothal

Curtis’s appealing follow-up to Song of Isabel sees a nun questioning her desires in ninth-century France. When Sister Gilda attends the christening of her brother’s baby, she gives in to her simmering attraction to her new brother-in-law, Lord Justin, an advisor to the king, and the pair share a blistering kiss. Though Gilda is yet to officially take her vows, she loves her life as a nun, which grants her freedom from male authority and the resources to help women in need, so she’s determined never to succumb to her curiosity about Justin again. One year later, Gilda is shocked when Justin shows up in her Mother Superior’s office with news that King Louis the Pious has assigned them both to investigate one of his nobles’ requests for an annulment. They travel together to visit Count Cedric and his new wife, Lady Mariel, and discover a tangled mystery behind the annulment request. Working together to get to the bottom of things, their true feelings become unavoidable, leading to a sweet, relatively chaste romance. This endearing love story is ideal for historical romance fans looking for a break from Regency era lords and ladies. (July)