The Border Hostage
by Virginia Henley

Raven Carleton is every inch the English lady. But on this glorious morning, as she gallops along the seacoast -- her hair streaming behind her -- Raven is thinking about her freedom, not her imminent betrothal to aristocratic Englishman Christopher Dacre. Suddenly Raven is forced to draw rein when a man appears directly in her path. Silhouetted against the predawn sky, he is magnificent -- a darkly powerful stranger who will alter the course of her life.

Heath Kennedy is a loyal Scot who will defend to the death those he loves. After narrowly escaping his own death at the hands of highborn conspirators, he awakens on the banks of the River Eden ... and sees a creature of infinite loveliness riding toward him. Knowing that this wild English beauty can never be his, Heath devises a plan of revenge against his royal enemies. Raven will be the ultimate bargaining tool -- his exquisite ransom.

Yet from the moment he spirits her to his ancestral castle in Scotland, nothing goes as planned. Heath is irresistibly seduced by his headstrong captive, a woman who knows no fear and who calls him enemy ... even as desire flames between them.

In a land divided, there is nothing more dangerous than falling in love. But Heath Kennedy is a man beguiled. Risking the wrath of two realms, Heath does the unthinkable: He offers Raven her freedom. He asks only one thing in return....

Set against the passion and savagery of a tempestuous age, The Border Hostage captivates us with a truly unforgettable love story. It is yet another dazzling work of romance fiction from the incomparable Virginia Henley.

Virginia Henley's Bio

I write lush and lusty historical romances in both hardcover and paperback. My authentic medievals, set in England, Ireland and Scotland have received critical acclaim and garnered many awards.

My great passion is HISTORY...however, I am a historical ROMANCE author, and that means the romance has to play a greater role than the history. Because my books contain so much heavy, authentic history, they have to have an extremely sensual romance to offset and balance the story. I take a solid chunk of meticulously researched history and blend it with a hot, erotic love story, or sometimes I even use two couples. My heroes are dark, dominant and dangerous, and my heroines are always a match for them!

My readers have come to expect a certain level of lust when they buy a Virginia Henley, and I never want to disappoint my readers! When I weave a tapestry of history combined with hot sensuality, it's like magic; it's a one-two punch that satisfies the reader, and satisfying my readers is my number one goal.