Desired

Henley's (Enticed) reputation for bold, bawdy storytelling proves itself in this medieval melodrama which plots sex above romance, political intrigue and war. In England's glittering Plantagenet court, described in brilliant detail, 17-year-old orphaned heiress Lady Brianna of Bedford anxiously waits for the king to name her betrothed. Her every romantic fantasy would seem to be fulfilled when the man named is the handsome Robert de Beauchamp--until the even handsomer and more intriguing Christian Hawksblood arrives at court to steal her heart. Christian, whose power over the minds and bodies of others excedes simple charisma, claims his right to the Beauchamp name as the first-born son of Guy de Beauchamp, Earl of Warrick. He is well-received by all but his half-brother; the brothers' story, a single thread among so many others, complicates the tale, but one can't help but read on and hope things sort themselves out, which indeed they do. Although her loyalty should be to Robert, Brianna finds herself irresistibly drawn to Christian and, like others who people this novel, her loyalty is strictly opportunistic. Readers will find themselves intrigued by the adventure, mesmerized by the pageantry and stunned by the book's ribaldry. Doubleday Book Club featured alternate; author tour. (Feb.)