Conquest of the Heart

by Marilyn Grall

He was a mercenary soldier who wanted nothing more than a hearth, home. . .and heirs. She was an heiress whose lands had been confiscated by William the Conqueror. In the tumultous days following the Battle of Hastings, a young woman must face her destiny, a man the truths in his soul. Circumstances will force their marriage, but could love blossom from the ashes of war? Contains graphic sexuality.

Genres: Medieval

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Laurie]

At 17, Lady Mary has a lot of responsibilities heaped upon her shoulders. She's lost her parents and her older brother to the conquering Norman's and is responsible for the dilapidated Almswick manor, her near-starving people and her two very young sisters. She is looking forward to her betrothal to a fellow Saxon, Lord Albert, a man she believes will be an asset to her people and a good match for her despite the fact that she's not really head over heels in love with him. Little does she know that the betrothal has become null and void thanks to King William.

Stephen Dubois' years of hard work as a mercenary soldier are about to pay off in a big way. He's recently been given Almswick manor and its lady and he is anxious to claim both. Surprisingly, things don''t go nearly as well as he's planned. Mary is not enthused with her new intended husband and doesn't hesitate to let him know it. She's lost everything to the brutal Norman's and will not easily submit to the enemy.

Although Mary is attracted to Stephen, they have a hard road ahead of them. Mary is very young, very headstrong and her life has been shattered by the Norman's. Stephen is a domineering man who expects his orders to be obeyed without question. Fortunately for us readers (and Mary!) he's all bark and very little bite and underneath that rough exterior he is quite a marshmallow. It's that soft side that eventually breaks down Mary's barriers and allows her to heal and open her eyes to true love

I must admit that I'm the type of reader who prefers a kinder, gentler hero but much to my surprise I found myself enjoying the alpha Stephen's displays of manliness. Oh, he's definitely bossy and gruff, and, yes, sometimes he's even a little rougher than necessary, but he (thankfully!) doesn't cross the line into nasty or abusive. He's a decent man who feels regret and he knows how to apologize. As a result, he was darn near impossible to dislike. If you enjoy a take charge hero with a heart of gold you really can't go wrong with this guy. The way he unwillingly kowtows to Mary and then wants to kick himself made me laugh out loud at times. He's precious.

Mary is a *young* heroine in emotional turmoil, one whose youth and backbone tend to get her into trouble. She's suffered tragedy upon tragedy and, finally, when she's gotten her future somewhat settled in walks Stephen who turns her life upside down. She's upset with this impossible situation and reacts with emotion, often not thinking through the consequences of her impetuous actions. Stephen's strong personality does not initially bring out the best in her. Eventually, with experience and a lot of love and patience, she learns to trust Stephen and discovers who her real enemies are.

CONQUEST OF THE HEART is a fast paced, ultra-sexy romp that is probably not for the faint-hearted. The bloody, and treacherous darkness of the medieval period is brought to life in vivid detail and the villains are horrible creatures who do and think unsavory things that the reader witnesses. However, if you like your romances filled with explosive sensuality and have a fondness for strong *and* kind-hearted heroes you'll probably like this one a lot.

[Stephanie Bolen]

Meh, it was kind of cute but Mary was two separate characters. There was the one who was in love with her neighbor and wanted peace and the feisty Fury who fought her enemy. Neither aspect felt believeable.