What happens when friends and lovers are separated? Does the love die? Can you trust a person you once loved after they have betrayed you? Can the love you once felt for one another be real after time, life, and tragedy have shaped and changed who you are? In Margaret Mallory’s third installment of her All the King’s Men series, Knight of Passion, we meet Lady Linnet and Sir James “Jamie” Rayburn, childhood sweethearts who thought they were destined to spend their lives together. Fate had other ideas. For those of you who waited through the first two books of the series (Knight of Desire and Knight of Pleasure) for Jamie to finally grow up and get his own book, well let me just say it has been well worth the wait.
This medieval romance about second chances has elements of hope, revenge and love along with an acute sense of historical detail which gives the book a rich underlying texture.
Jamie has returned to England searching for a wife, but not just any wife. He wants a woman by his side that will support him, take care of their family and be there for him whenever he returns from battle. This is not as easy as it sounds because, unfortunately, he’s never been able to let go of his first true love—Linnet.
Linnet has been in love with Jamie forever, but instead of living her life with him she chose to seek vengeance on the people who left her and her brother homeless and destitute after her grandfathers death. To that end, she marries, quickly becoming a widow, but with enough funds to track her quarry and wreak her vengeance. It is when she befriends Queen Katherine that Linnet and Jamie meet again. But the question becomes will Linnet’s overwhelming desire for revenge keep her from Jamie once more. And will Jamie be able to trust her and find in her the woman he needs.
Linnet is not your typical romance heroine. Her main objective throughout the book is revenge and this certainly gets in the way of her finding happiness with Jamie. As for Jamie, he’s the character you root for. His stalwart, loyal, and honorable actions and behavior make him heroic.
Knight of Passion was a solid ending to Mallory’s All the King’s Men trilogy. With humor, passion and historical detail, Mallory takes you back to medieval England when men where knights in shinning armor and women were more independent and resourceful than history would have us think.
The heroine Linnet is extremely independent for the times. If you were thrown back to medieval times, what is the one modern convenience you would miss most?
Until next Thursday, lay off the chocolates. And remember, every Tuesday Melanie's got the latest in new romance releases.
Maria Lokken is an avid romance reader and an award winning television producer.
Maria, thanks for the wonderful review of my book! I'm thrilled you liked it. And yes, I did step out a bit with Linnet. All my heroines are strong, but she's a rule-breaker. 
Melanie, Jamie is the first heroine's son. He was a toddler in Knight of Desire and a teenager in Knight of Pleasure.
For me, it's indoor plumbing I'd miss, hands down.
Margaret
