Review: Almost five stars **Warning - Spoilers**
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 18, 2013
This review contains spoilers - if you don't want to know - skip this review!!****This book would have been five stars hands down except for one thing....the heroine was married and her husband didn't die until the very end of the book - like it or not, agree with me or not - that is adultery plain and simple and I can't condone it.That being said - if I ever did condone adultery- I would give Amie a "free cheat on your spouse" pass before anyone else!  Her husband Odo (great name for a villain!) was perhaps one of the most despicable villains I have ever read. The things he did to her were justification for her to leave him in my mind. In a time when women were not partners but chattel with no rights - she was a desperate women with no choices, no family and in fear for her life - She did not leave her husband for Ciaran - she left for her life with no intentions of cheating or even having another relationship - she was merely trying to survive long enough to enter a convent.Ciaran had demons of his own and was probably one of the most self loathing, tortured heroes you will ever meet in a book. He was a wonderful man who just couldn't forgive himself for his perceived sins.This book had quite a bit of blood and gore - but it was necessary for the story and the time. Ms Canham does not shy away from painting a realistic scene and as disgusting as it is to read - it really gives the reader a realistic view of the times.In the same token, her love scenes are hot and passionate without sliding into pornographic smut. None of the love scenes seemed gratuitous - and none take place until the last 25% of the book.  The first kiss doesn't even happen until the final third of the book and even then they don't immediately fall into bed.Even though I don't like books with cheating/adultery and usually stop reading and return the book if I come across it - this book would be my exception - while I don't agree with it - I can empathize and even understand it in this book - the heroine never wanted to marry Odo and was severely  abused to the point where to save her life she had to leave and even then she was almost killed - she didn't leave intending to break her vows or to fall in love with anyone.I have read the Robin Hood trilogy - in fact Randwulf de la Seyne Sur Mer makes a cameo in this book :) and the Pirate Wolf trilogy by this author and loved all those books - based I that fact I decided to give this book a try even knowing that there might be adultery - and I can honestly say I am glad I did. Ciaran and Amie will stay with me for a long time.