SIN AND SURRENDER – Julia Latham
Avon Books
ISBN: 978-0-06-178348-7
January 2011
Historical Romance

London , England – 1487

Sir Paul Hilliard has been summoned back to England by the League of the Blade, legendary knights who fight injustice for the innocent.  Paul renounced his place in the League and went to Europe , entering tournaments and winning money and fair maidens.  Now, the King is in danger, and Paul has been asked to return and pretend to be one of the two missing Princes who were thought to be killed in the Tower of London years ago.  Paul's blond hair and general look could easily pass as Richard, the Duke of York, one of the two princes.  There are other Blademen who will accompany Paul on this mission: Sir Timothy Sheldon, who brought Paul and his two brothers to the League of the Blade after their parents were murdered; and Sir Joseph, and Sir Michael.  They are all Blademen, and don't totally trust Paul because he turned his back on the League.  Also as Paul's personal guard on this mission is another member of the League, Juliana Gresham.  Years ago, Paul had helped train Juliana in the use of the sword and dagger.  He left her behind when he resigned, and she has turned into a stunningly beautiful woman.  Now they all must travel to northern England and persuade everyone that Paul is indeed an heir to the throne and bring the traitors to certain justice.

Juliana was taken to join the League of the Blade after her father was arrested for treason and died in prison, and the horror of it all resulted in her mother's death months later, leaving her all alone with no relative willing to take her in.  She feels the League saved her, unlike Paul, who knows it was the League who arranged for the arrest of her father all along.  Now Juliana must portray herself as Paul's concubine across England and be his main bodyguard.  Juliana gets to act as she has heard other women act and enjoys the feeling of strength she gets while trying her seductive wiles on Paul and seeing how he reacts to them.  As they travel up north, Juliana tries to walk a fine line as his concubine and keep a careful eye out for those who are trying to kill him.

Paul and Juliana are playing a dangerous game by trying to start gossip that he is an heir to the throne brought back to life, and getting him noticed so that the traitors will use him to start an uprising.  It soon appears the hardest thing will be for Juliana to protect her virginity against the Paul who is revealed to her through the days and nights of their trip.  Will Paul keep his hatred of the League, and can he face his feelings for Juliana, or even decide what they are?

Julia Latham brings history to life while we live through Paul and Juliana as they struggle with their allegiance to the League and their King.  Told from each one's point of view, both Paul and Juliana suffered the death of their parents at an early age.  We learn the machinations of people wanting to overthrow the King, and the members of the League who have also made bad decisions that ruined lives.  Can the League claim to be any better than traitors who arrange things for their own benefit?

The members of the League of the Blade are all secondary characters that Paul and Juliana must trust to protect them from those who are trying to kill them.  Each one has his own history with Paul, especially Timothy, whom Paul blames for bringing him and his brothers into the League but never giving them the fatherly love they craved.

SIN AND SURRENDER is history and pageantry and jousts and tournaments.  As Paul and Juliana must survive the plots against them, her dedication to the League is in conflict with his anger at what they did to his life.  Enjoy the way Paul and Juliana reach a perfect compromise and face the fears of commitment they both have.

Carolyn Crisher