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Dark Heart
In 12th-century England, as King Henry sets his sights on conquering Normandy, a valiant knight and a beautiful thief discover a powerful desire that will lead them to the utmost peril ...
Sir Gareth de Hugues has built a formidable reputation as a warrior. Now, eager to prove himself off the battlefield, he plans to manage his family's Devon estates --- only to be ambushed en route by a brazen robber. Furious, Gareth sets out in pursuit, and discovers his assailant to be a stunning, courageous young woman struggling to provide for her brother and ailing mother. Neither his conscience nor his sudden deep attraction will permit him to let her go, but bringing her family to his castle could endanger them all.
Growing up in the slums of London, Zetta had two paths open to her --- harlot or pickpocket. She chose the latter, and has survived using only her quick wits. Her mother's fate taught her that trusting a man leads to ruin, yet Gareth's tender courtship exerts an irresistible pull. But when Zetta's beauty earns the attention of the king, she and Gareth are drawn into a web of ambition and greed --- and only the boldest hearts will survive.
Sir Gareth de Hugues has built a formidable reputation as a warrior. Now, eager to prove himself off the battlefield, he plans to manage his family's Devon estates --- only to be ambushed en route by a brazen robber. Furious, Gareth sets out in pursuit, and discovers his assailant to be a stunning, courageous young woman struggling to provide for her brother and ailing mother. Neither his conscience nor his sudden deep attraction will permit him to let her go, but bringing her family to his castle could endanger them all.
Growing up in the slums of London, Zetta had two paths open to her --- harlot or pickpocket. She chose the latter, and has survived using only her quick wits. Her mother's fate taught her that trusting a man leads to ruin, yet Gareth's tender courtship exerts an irresistible pull. But when Zetta's beauty earns the attention of the king, she and Gareth are drawn into a web of ambition and greed --- and only the boldest hearts will survive.
347 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2008
About the author
Sarah Brophy
8 books3 followersSarah Brophy is a professor in the Department of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University, where she also serves as the Director of the MA in Cultural Studies and Critical Theory. Her research focuses on auto/biography, contemporary literatures, critical disability studies, health humanities, and visual culture, with a particular emphasis on cultural production in North America and the British Isles.
She supervises graduate students pursuing interdisciplinary approaches to disability, embodiment, and health humanities, as well as those exploring contemporary life writing, digital media, and cultural memory. Her work has been published in a/b: Autobiography Studies, ASAP/Journal, Somatechnics, Feminist Media Studies, Cultural Critique, and LIT: Literature, Interpretation, Theory.
Recognized for her contributions to teaching and mentorship, she has received the McMaster Students Union Teaching Award and the President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision. Her PhD students have gone on to hold academic positions at institutions such as Seton Hall, the University of Toronto, King’s College London, and the University of British Columbia.
She supervises graduate students pursuing interdisciplinary approaches to disability, embodiment, and health humanities, as well as those exploring contemporary life writing, digital media, and cultural memory. Her work has been published in a/b: Autobiography Studies, ASAP/Journal, Somatechnics, Feminist Media Studies, Cultural Critique, and LIT: Literature, Interpretation, Theory.
Recognized for her contributions to teaching and mentorship, she has received the McMaster Students Union Teaching Award and the President’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision. Her PhD students have gone on to hold academic positions at institutions such as Seton Hall, the University of Toronto, King’s College London, and the University of British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 19, 2019
I started reading this book because I had finished everything that interested me. I was going to buy one, then I remembered that my daughter has hundreds of books in her closet that she's already read that I'm storing for her until she finds a permanent residence. I looked through a slug of books to find one that wasn't fantasy related (vampires, trolls, or fairies), and settled on this one.
The story is set in the medieval times where royalty and place of birth are important to social status. It is the typical romance where a rich boy meets a poor girl who has a brother that's disabled and mother who was on death's door. There are some interesting twists and turns as the characters' origins come full circle. I did learn some things about planting a garden (ha, ha!)
Overall, I enjoyed it. Would I read it again? Probably not...
The story is set in the medieval times where royalty and place of birth are important to social status. It is the typical romance where a rich boy meets a poor girl who has a brother that's disabled and mother who was on death's door. There are some interesting twists and turns as the characters' origins come full circle. I did learn some things about planting a garden (ha, ha!)
Overall, I enjoyed it. Would I read it again? Probably not...
June 13, 2020
3.5 stars
This wasn’t a bad book actually. I always love a rags to riches story and Zetta certainly was that!
Gareth was just a good guy. I was worried at first that he was just looking for a leman but the guy pulled through & didn’t disappoint me. The book dragged here & there was mostly pretty interesting.
Cons: I wanted Zetta to be a little bit more of a badass once she was out of the slums but ultimately she was alright.
Sexiness (1 low-10 hotness): 4 1/2 not bad sexy scenes but I honestly found the villains in this story rather disgusting & that creates a lot of fire & brimstone all the way around.
Overall: yeah! Not too shabby.
This wasn’t a bad book actually. I always love a rags to riches story and Zetta certainly was that!
Gareth was just a good guy. I was worried at first that he was just looking for a leman but the guy pulled through & didn’t disappoint me. The book dragged here & there was mostly pretty interesting.
Cons: I wanted Zetta to be a little bit more of a badass once she was out of the slums but ultimately she was alright.
Sexiness (1 low-10 hotness): 4 1/2 not bad sexy scenes but I honestly found the villains in this story rather disgusting & that creates a lot of fire & brimstone all the way around.
Overall: yeah! Not too shabby.
June 15, 2010
Enjoyed this medieval a lot, a follow up to Brophy's Midnight Eyes, with small appearances by Robert and Imogen. Thankfully, you don't need knowledge of the first book to enjoy the second, which can be read as a stand alone.
Brophy employs the similar theme of disability in this book, this time on a secondary character, the brother Edrit, who suffers from lameness in both his limbs and his mind. Brophy is the first romance author I can remember that uses such themes in her books, and I applaud her for that.
I also applaud her for the enjoyment I found in the "who's your baby daddy?" theme that seemed to permeate the middle of the book - Edrit and Zetta's mother spent her years as a prostitute after she fell on hard times, and the characters in the book have some fun discovering the answer to this old Montel Williams talk show topic.
Overall, an enjoyable novel. I look forward to more by Brophy.
Brophy employs the similar theme of disability in this book, this time on a secondary character, the brother Edrit, who suffers from lameness in both his limbs and his mind. Brophy is the first romance author I can remember that uses such themes in her books, and I applaud her for that.
I also applaud her for the enjoyment I found in the "who's your baby daddy?" theme that seemed to permeate the middle of the book - Edrit and Zetta's mother spent her years as a prostitute after she fell on hard times, and the characters in the book have some fun discovering the answer to this old Montel Williams talk show topic.
Overall, an enjoyable novel. I look forward to more by Brophy.
March 23, 2009
So, what disappointed me most about this book was that the characters were so flat and boring. The hero is featured as a supporting character in another book called Midnight Eyes. He was much better in that book. I didn't really find anything lovable about the heroine and yet in the first few weeks, the hero falls in love with her. Eh.
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July 15, 2008A historical romance with a knight who is a second son named Gareth. He meets Zetta who happens to be an illegimate daughter of King Henry. King Henry wants Zetta to marry Gareth's oldest brother but Zetta wants only Gareth.
December 29, 2012
I liked this book.
July 21, 2014
I was a little disappointed in the characters. I felt that they fell flat. There was so much emotion in the writing, but no details to the emotion.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews