"Exhilarating love story"

After three failed passages to find his HEARTMATE, warrior Holm Holly, heir to the House of Holly, believes he has none. Likewise healer Lark Collinson of the Houses of Hawthorne feels the same way as she never met her HEARTMATE during her three passages.

Lark heals the haughty Holm Holly, but while she works on his wound, he shockingly realizes she is his HEARTMATE. However, winning her over and forging the bond with her will be very difficult as Holm also knows that their respective families hate one another. As he works to win Lark's love and ultimate bond with her, her kin stabs his mother using a poisoned blade. The family feud explodes even while Holm continues his quest to gain the love of his HEARTMATE, who shares his feelings but feels their love is meant to fail.

The third Celta tale (see HEARTMATE and HEART THIEF) is an exhilarating love story with psychic powers to add to the feuds that threaten to keep the lead duo apart. The delightful story line is cleverly executed so that the audience can understand the planet's society and customs especially the bonding ritual and how deep a cut bad blood flows. Robin D. Owen proves once again that she is among the top rung of fantasy romance authors with this fantastic tale that will have the audience wondering if perhaps the Celta version of Taming of the Shrew will follow.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted April 2, 2004

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Summary

Healer Lark Collinson hates the street dueling that is a way of life among the noble families on Celta—it was just such a skirmish that killed her Healer husband and left her a grieving widow. The last thing she wants is to love a man to whom fighting is a way of life—a man like the brashly confident Holm Holly.

All it takes is one brief touch for Holm to know that Lark is his HeartMate, though wooing her will be his greatest challenge. For not only does she despise everything he represents, but the long-standing feud between their families has exploded into even greater violence. Their destiny has been revealed...but at what cost to their own hearts?