Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, married to King Louis VII of France, joins him on a campaign to the Crusades. Along the way to Jerusalem, they accept the hospitality of Emperor Manuel in Constantinople. The emperor’s personal bodyguard Raoul is stunned to see the ladies who guard the lovely French queen dressed in battle-ready gear. He’s especially dismayed when his liege orders him to gain information by sticking close to Lady Isabella. Using the code name Violet, she’s under oath to the queen and obeys the royal’s command to gather intelligence. But as the fierce guardsman and the wily widow spend time together, can they dare to let down their guard? Betrayed in his past, Raoul distrusts women. Will falling for Isabella mean risking his life to lie with the enemy? This story hooked me from the beginning and kept me going to the exciting finale. ( )

Special thank you to author Traci E. Hall for sending me the pdf and allowing me to read this book. I recommend her book LOVE's MAGIC. You will love it.

WHAT I LIKED
Each character was easily identifiable. I know there was a history lesson in there somewhere. I could not quite figure it out but appreciated author notes at end to clarify. Raoul was "hot".

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE
The book read more like a play to me than a book. Too much dialogue was distracting as events occurred. Historically confusing.

WHY READ THIS BOOK
If Historical romance with ESPIONAGE is your thing, this book is for you. ( )