A Warrior's Passion - Margaret Moore

A Warrior's Passion, by Margaret Moore, was released through Harlequin Historical in 1998. By that point, according to the forward in the opening of the book, Ms Moore had already had seventeen full length novels released with Harlequin and two short stories. A quick look at Ms. Moore's website shows that she's gone from strength to strength and continues to write novels for Harlequin.

Seona is a daughter unwanted and unneeded by her gruff and near violent father. A child left by a mother who never wanted the marriage in the first place, the only place she has in her father's home is as a servant. Few are willing to see the beauty she truly is through her heart and spirit, and for the time being Seona is willing to live that way. Better unnoticed and unwanted than marriage bait and all but sold into a wedding bed because she catches the eye of the wrong man.

When Griffydd DeLanyea arrives in her home to broker a trade agreement with Diarmad the last thing he has in mind is falling in love with a woman. Let alone Diarmad's daughter, but there's something about her smile, the way she moves, and the spirit that shines through in her eyes that catches his attention. He can't get her out of his mind and the cruelty she's shown by the callous actions of her father only add to his desire to protect her.

Seona wants nothing to do with Griffydd, especially when her father all but orders her to seduce him into a marriage. But he's not the gruff, uncaring man she has grown used to. He's something special and when their chance for happiness together is torn apart by her father's plans the two lovers face a series of challenges that no young hearts should be forced to live through.

Ms. Moore's knack for historical romance's is one to be admired. Though I don't enjoy all of her works, this one did capture my attention. I could see a lot of courage in Seona, her strength and willingness to put her own happiness on the back burner in order to protect her people, the men and women she grew up with, was wonderful to see in a heroine. She also doesn't make mistakes with her heroine's that mark them as TSTL, which makes her books easier to read. Nothing will make me throw a book at the wall faster than a heroine who falls into that category.

As this book was released many years ago it's unlikely you'll find it in stores, so if you stumble across it in a library, thrift store, or sale, take a chance and pick it up.

ISBN: 0-373-290040-3