I have never read a medieval romance so eloquently and exquisitely paced before. Never. I felt fully immersed in 13th Century Wales while also being swept away by the slow-burning romance between Nan and Gryff. I usually get a bit antsy with slow-burners, but much like Kate Clayborn's contemporaries, Kingston makes you love ever aching moment of the build-up before that first touch, the first kiss.

Also, I cannot even believe I'm writing this sentence, but Gryff is the ultimate medieval soft hero. Yes, I'm calling a Welsh Prince, trained in the art of falconry and swords-play, a soft hero. He'll love your dog (yes there is a wonderful dog and the dog is safe the entire story). And by soft I mean he'll cut off the head of your enemies and gift it to you as tribute but will patiently and forever wait for your permission to touch, to love, and to cherish. His adoration of Nan is utterly swoon-worthy.

She felt in him, always, this allowance for her desires, for what she wanted and did not want. He accommodated her and she, who had grown accustomed to living in service of other people and other purposes, found it more pleasing than she could ever have imagined.

And let's not forget Nan. I did not realize she has her own novella, book 2.5, but I didn't feel lost without it. Nan is an inspiration, a heroine who is quiet, who knows what she wants and what she'll accept, but also a heroine with struggles, flaws, and desires. I appreciated her desire to find her sister, I appreciated her struggle to not judge her sister's decision to partake in the sex trade, to shame her sister, but also her unwillingness to allow her sister to put children into the trade against their will. I loved her knives, and the women around her who helped Nan become the woman Gryff would fall in love with.

PLUS the secondary characters are also amazing and add so much to the story and the historical setting. Kingston paints a diverse, accurate Medieval world, not ignoring the ugly parts of history.

There are so many details to absorb and love, and I'm so delighted I was given a chance to read this story in advance.

Content warning: There are some stabbings and violence and death, but not to major characters. Both characters have extremely traumatic pasts that are talked about. Nan was threatened with rape many times and physical abused.

**Free copy received in exchange for a fair review.