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The Warrior's Touch
by Michelle
Willingham
Can
outcasts find love in Medieval society?
Michelle
Willingham's The Warrior's Touch
is a heart-moving historical romance between outcasts set in Medieval
times. Strong characterization draws the reader into the heart of the
story while layers of suspenseful detail emerge as the hero and heroine
reveal their desire. The Warrior's
Touch is an outstanding second book of what is turning into a
magnificent MacEgan brothers series.
Connor MacEgan is a warrior until he is found near death. Despite being
banned from healing, Aileen O Duinne must disobey her tribe and the
curse on her and try to save him. Connor finds death preferable to
never being able to brandish his sword. His manhood and his position is
dependent upon the health of and strength of his hands. Can Aileen's
herbs, splints and love bring life back into this warrior's heart and
body or will her tribe banish her, cursed as they think she is? As
Connor and Aileen grow closer, past secrets, former promises and layers
of deception threaten their growing passion. In the end, which is
riskier and more noble, the battle of swords or the battle of the heart?
Readers wondering how Michelle Willingham could match debut romance Her Irish Warrior can rest assured
---- she did. Her second book adds a new dimension to the MacEgan
Brothers' world. In The Warrior's
Touch, Michelle Willingham turns her attention to the outcasts
of Medieval society, a warrior who can no longer fight and a woman
healer now cursed. Around them death and disease threaten them while
inside both Connor and Aileen are haunted by the past and their
failures. When romance and love are at stake, can Connor and Aileen
battle themselves and all the forces outside who threaten their growing
love? Without creating spoilers, the idea of curses and the medieval
demons of disease here are indeed scary, especially to a world unable
to combat them quite as easily as we do today. Michelle Willingham
grabs the reader's attention and heart in her portrayal of the darker
side of Medieval society, not sensationalizing it, but allowing the
reader to feel some of fears of the medieval world from her characters'
point of view.
As in Her Irish Warrior,
Michelle Willingham once again demonstrates her ability to create
intriguing minor characters, here in Ewan an Whelon, that reveal hidden
sides of the main hero and heroine as they endear themselves to the
reader's heart. In The Warrior's
Touch, Michelle Willingham does an exceptional job of adding and
integrating elements of Medieval literature into her stories. The mixed
identity theme works very here as it creates secrets and romantic
conflict while simultaneously and creating a literary echo to Medieval
literary tradition. With her second book, Michelle Willingham has
firmly established herself as a new voice to watch among Medieval
enthusiasts.
Publisher: Harlequin Historical
(September 2007)
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Medieval Book Reviews
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