Heart and the Holly

Opening with a heart wrenching goodbye The Heart and The Holly keeps the action and emotions in high gear. Set during King Edwards's Reign, there's much distrust and violent clashes between the Irish and British soldiers. Bran O'Conner is chief of his clan and quite proud that his family has never had any English blood to taint their heritage. He meets a beautiful woman in Dublin during a wedding feast he crashes. She is Aislinn, the daughter of a British peer and he is attracted to her right away. They share a stolen kiss that shakes him to the core. Aislinn is half Irish and English but really considers herself an Irish lass. She is smitten by the stranger that kisses her and is shocked to see him the next day when he and his warriors steal her family's horses as they are on the road to her father's keep. She chases after one of the warriors and is caught. It turns out to be Bran's brother Niell and as they share in their mirth about being Irish and besting the Brits a plan is hatched in Aislinn's mind. Noticing that Niell is interested in her she gets him to agree to meet her again. She plans to marry him so she will not be forced to wed an Englishman. Her plans do not come to pass as Bran discovers her plot and meets her at a designated spot instead of Niell. These two are almost combustible and they share an all consuming passionate night. There is real loneliness and unguarded tenderness in their words. However the next day Aislinn is delivered to her father and bound for a ship to England. Her tearful good bye is so lonely it is heartbreaking. Her time with Bran is not over yet though as she must find a way to escape the ship and return to her beloved Ireland. I was rooting for Aislinn from the very first page. There are a couple of other storylines within this novel but they never distracted from the main story, they in fact enhanced the main character's romantic adventure. Aislinn is brave but never foolhardy and Bran, even though stubborn, recognizes that even though Aislinn is half English, she is the only woman that has ever made him believe in Fate. This is the second book I have read by the author and I must say I am impressed. The writing is fluid and her heroines and heroes are fierce and vulnerable. I understand this talented author has passed away, she was imaginative and so very creative.

I enjoyed every page of "The Heart and the Holly". I had never heard of Nancy Richards-Akers until her tragic death. After reading this book, I discovered her to be an innovator among romance novelists, due to her meticulous historical research. She made medieval Ireland come alive and explained its tangled history with England in an easy to understand way. Her story is set in Dublin during the 1300's. England has colonized Ireland and decreed a set of rules that forbids intermarraige among the Irish and English. Bran, the hero, is a fierce warrior determined to drive the hated English back across the sea. He never expects to lose his heart to Aislinn, who is half English, since this goes against all his principles and everything his family has fought for. Their story illuminates a little known period of Irish history. In addition, there is great dialogue and smoldering love scenes. I'm sure Nancy would have written many more fantastic books; her death is a true loss to lovers of historical romance.