Saxon Lady

The first time Lady Aelia and Baron Mathieu Fitz Autier see each other, she tries to kill him. They're in the middle of a battle, on opposite sides and the prize is Aelia's home, Ingelwald. The Normans have captured many of the Saxon lands and King William has awarded Ingelwald to Mathieu, one of his most favored and feared barons. Mathieu and his army only need to capture it and the entire estate is his to claim. From the moment they see each other, Aelia and Mathieu are aware of a powerful connection between them, one they are both prepared to resist. Mathieu, by order of the king, has to deliver Aelia and her little brother before his court in London and he will decide their fate. Plus, he is betrothed to a beautiful Norman lady, daughter of another powerful baron. Aelia is prepared to fight her attraction to the brutal Norman lord. She can't allow herself to fall in love with a man who has been part of the destruction of everyone she has loved. I thought this was a fast-paced and entertaining read. There was no tedium and the story moved along at a fast clip. The writing is pretty good, enough to earn your sympathy for Aelia and Mathieu. Aelia is a very strong character and that jumps out of the pages. After a painful struggle, she comes to terms with her army's defeat and helps to make the transition as smooth as possible for her people. She does the same with her heart. As much as she wants to despise Mathieu, she knows he is a good man, a compassionate leader, and her soul mate.

"The Bride Hunt" was my first experience by author Maguire, one I was pleasantly surprised with. While I enjoyed it immensely, her latest, "Saxon Lady", has blown me away. It's a sweet, heart-pounding tale of a woman destined to pay for the sins of her father and a man struggling to find his place in the world. With invasion by the Normans turning her life inside out, I was left breathless many times, wondering what their fate would be. Norman conqueror, Mathieu Fitz Autier, is under orders by King William to secure the holding of Inglewald and return its nobles to London for trial and possible death. He relishes the opportunity to take for himself a little bit of the respect that his position of illegitimate son in his father's household has long denied him. He will take what he can, gaining the means necessary to secure the noble wife waiting for him at court. As the heat of battle rages though, a split second glance of a beautiful Saxon woman forever changes that longed for life. Lady Aelia is not about to bow graciously to Norman barbarian who has come to claim her home. She fights beside her men with the guts and determination found amongst any one of the other knights present. When she looses her arrow on the Norman invader though, her heart is moved, and she despises herself for it. As the oppression of London and King William looms closer, can the two sworn enemies find a way to reveal their feelings and find a peace? First of all, I want no one to be misled. The heroine is not treated ill in this book. Yes, she has some close calls with some rather frightening individuals, but she is a strong heroine, capable of handling a weapon and she is in no way a wilting willow type. Mathieu is a man torn by his feelings for the beguiling woman and his duty to his king. He is determined to resist her, but his staid warriors sensibilities are no match for Aelia's kindness to her people, or her alluring attraction. Through their interactions, I experienced one of the most beautiful historical romances ever. Author Maguire is practically and auto buy for me now and I am highly anticipating her sequel to "The Bride Hunt", and I hope it is her next release, "The Perfect Seduction", available Sept. 2006. Wonderful read, Ms. Maguire! Thanks for the well-spent hours of fun. K. Montgomery Official Reviewer for The Mystic castle

Invading Norman, Mathieu Fitz Autier takes over Aelia's Saxon estate and they begin the trek to London, where she will be executed or enslaved by order of the new King of England. This poor lady is abducted, nearly raped, and enslaved so many times we lose count. Mathieu becomes her reluctant protector and comes to her rescue, time and again, just in the nick of time. The emotion between these two is powerful, but the love scenes are very tame. This was a fast-paced interesting book, but a little grim with Aelia's poor treatment by all the Normans. The Bridehunt is still my favorite of Margo Maguire's books.