The Warrior's Wife by Denise Domning is a Medieval historical romance, originally published by Avon under the title The Warrior's Damsel. The book has been reissued under this title- The Warrior's Wife and is published by Steel Magnolia Press.
Kate's sire is practically obsessed with finding a match for his widowed daughter.
There are several choices available, but it never crossed his mind that Kate would find Rafe Godsol to be the one she wished to marry. The Godsol family and the Daubney family were mortal enemies. The lands of Glevering were stolen from the Godsol's by the Daubney's. If Rafe could win Kate over, the land would belong to the Godsol's once more. He is encouraged by his family to pursue her on these grounds.
This is a "Romeo and Juliet" type setting. Kate is treated very poorly by her father, who will get rid of her as quickly as possible and to the highest bidder.
Kate thought she may be married to her father's steward, a man she thought was honorable. But, the sinful passion she feels for Rafe, keeps her confused.
Kate is in constant danger from many men. She suffers a great deal at their hands. Her only hope is to somehow escape with Rafe. But, does Rafe love her or is he just after revenge against her family?
Will Kate escape the fate her father has arranged for her?
I love medieval historical romances. This one was probably an accurate portrayal of how vulnerable women were in those days to the whims of men. Thankfully, Kate had a good friend and some people looking out for her.
Kate's experiences with men had thinking all men were horrible and that intimacy was never pleasant for women, only men.
I couldn't help but feel sorry for women that lived in that period. Many of them probably had the same experiences Kate did. Thankfully, this Romeo and Juliet story has a much happier ending. Overall I give this one an A.
This novel is the first in a trilogy and I am looking forward to reading the other two.
This book and many other of Denise's backlist are now being released in digital format by Steel Magnolia Press and are available in the Amazon Kindle Store.