Frustrated by his own failures at matrimony, King Henry VIII punishes an insolent nobleman by commanding him to marry the vagabond woman caught stealing his horse. Stephen de Lacey is a cold and bitter widower, long accustomed to the sovereign's capricious and malicious whims. He regards his new bride as utterly inconvenient…though undeniably fetching.
But Juliana Romanov is no ordinary thief—she is a Russian princess forced into hiding by the traitorous cabal who slaughtered her family. One day she hopes to return to Muscovy to seek vengeance.What begins as a mockery of a marriage ultimately blossoms into deepest love. AMAZON 4 STARS
Good storylines, really good people shown in the book. Interesting, complex main characters and also political intrigue. Stephen de Lacey, has so often suffered at the whims of his King, Henry V111.
This book had some interesting groups of people that made up the story, including the Gypsy tribe that had "adopted" Juliana. Lazlo, was a major person in her life, who became like a second father to her.
This story is not without a few twists and turns, that when they are revealed, it made me go, "yes, of course."
As time went on, the story dragged a bit for me. It came with the times when Stephen seemed to grow cold towards Juliana. Usually just after he allowed a fraction of his attraction to her to be seen. His coldness seemed to be for no reason, at least to her. But as a reader, we got some insight as to what was driving him. I loved the spunk that Juliana showed at those times as well as other times.
I give the author good marks for the good Epilogue, I enjoyed that part too.
