Helen Kirkman, Forbidden

Forbidden

Helen Kirkman

Harlequin, Mar 2004

ISBN: 0373836295

When the hunk in chain on the auction block stops Eadward the King's Reeve of Lindherst from using his knife on him, wealthy aristocratic widow Rowena notices. She especially liked the way the slave made Eadward not only pauses, but show fear for the first time. Rowena buys the thrall planning to use him as a tool of vengeance on the odious tax collector whom she knows killed her spouse.

Rowena offers her new penal slave Wulf his freedom in exchange for his killing Eadward. Desperate to escape bondage, Wulf accepts. However, even before she bought the proud Wulf, Rowena and he shared an attraction, but both thought it must be A MOMENT'S MADNESS. Now those feelings are blossoming into love, but a lowly slave and an elitist noblewoman could never share a relationship beyond that of servitude and his mistress, could they?

FORBIDDEN is an enjoyable historical romance that grips the audience with the almost helpless feelings that Rowena and Wulf display regardless of their social position. The story line is action packed, but really driven by the lead couple. Though Eadward is too vile to offer any positive rivalry, sub-genre fans will root for love to serve as the mechanism that Rowena and Wulf use to overcome a societal taboo that the villain cleverly exploits for his personal use.

Harriet Klausner