Review: A Battle of Wills....
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 5, 2012
After being awarded lands and estates for his prowess on the battlefield as well as for his many years of loyalty and service to King William III "The Conqueror", Sir Rourke Thorsson, Lord of Weston (also known as "The Dark Axe") is anxious to claim his rewards.  He's tired of war..tired of fighting..and feels it's time to "settle down" and beget heirs.  Still, he's reluctant to claim the bride also waiting for him, Lady Alexa Barnett, but is resigned to do his duty.Lady Alexa is a real livewire.  She's a willful hellion, full of stubbornness and defiance.  She's angry that she's being forced to relinquish her home to a Norman!  She can curse like the worst of men.  She can wield a sword and ride a horse better than some men.  And she does NOT desire to marry....ever!  She's forced, bound and gagged to the marriage altar to take her vows.  Two angry strangers who hate each other (but love the passion and desire they kindle), are forced by the King to marry to help unite two warring factions...Normans and Saxons, toward peace.I loved this story of strong wills and determination.  I especially loved Rourkes character.  A handsome golden god with brute strength...and then he meets his match in this wildcat of a woman...his enemy wife!  Rourke is suffering from many emotional and tortuous wounds and when Alexa begins to realize this, she begins to soften towards him.  She begins to try to understand him.I equally loved Alexa's strong willed and determined character.  She too has suffered much with the loss of her parents and her only sister, (who was first betrothed to Rourke).  After her sisters' death, Alexa becomes his betrothed.This story has the usual suspected villains in the form of Saxon rebels who refuse to acknowledge William as the new King of England.  The entire first half of this story is dedicated to Rourke and Alexas' battle of wills, which can tend to be a little tedious.  She's very proud and refuses to submit to him - -he's equally proud and never backs down.  Only after Rourke is captured and held prisoner does he begin to value his marriage to Alexa.  He vows to never hurt her again etc.For the most part, I found this story entertaining.  There were a few weak, disjointed areas (the mysterious murders) where it seemed like the Author was grasping, but all in all it had good emotional dimension.  I especially liked how the Author intertwined historical facts in with her ficticious plot.  There's suspenseful intrigue, murder and lots of drama.