The Bride of Rosecliffe
The wild landscape and warring factions of medieval Wales come to life  in this first of a new trilogy. Ambitious Randulf Fitz Hugh deeply resents being sent by King Henry to the remote Welsh coast, where he is to build a castle and subdue the locals. Determined to do his duty quickly and return to London, he resists his growing passion for the niece of a local chieftan, Josselyn ap Carreg Du, who serves first as his cook and translator and soon becomes his sensual captive, a pawn with which he intends to settle political alliances. But Josselyn, equally determined to resist English domination, sees no choice but to deny her passion for Rand and unite the Welsh against him by marrying a brutal Welsh warlord. Well-drawn secondary characters--especially a tart-tongued girl and a rebellious son who will appear in future books--add to this vivid tale of tough, passionate people pursuing their desires no matter what the consequences.--Ellen Edwards