In 12th century England, Mallory de Saint-Sebastain is a young woman residing at St. Jude's Abbey. Since appearances can be deceiving, one would never guess that behind her youth and beauty hides a trained warrior sworn to protect England and the royal family by using martial arts skills that have been honed to near perfection. As unusual as this may be, she is not alone. Many young women reside and train at St. Jude's, a program founded by Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Now, Mallory has been called upon to leave the abbey and protect the queen's life. The queen and sons have waged war on the king trying to unseat him from power, but the king has many loyal supporters willing to aid him at any cost. The queen also has many supporters, one among them Saxon Fitz-Juste. He's part of the queen's entourage, but Mallory is confused as to his real purpose. Saxon acts a lute- playing seducer of women with not a care in the world one moment and a skilled knight and defender the next. But which part is an act? Mallory is troubled by the feelings Saxon stirs within her, but she's determined not to let Saxon's silken words or the thrill of his touch divert her attention.

The knowledge that Saxon hides something gives Mallory great concern. Until the queen's enemies are uncovered, everyone is suspect. Even the queen smiles as she warns Mallory to question Saxon's honesty. But Mallory needs no warning on that score. The past has taught her about the betrayal of men and how their lust can destroy families. Although a tender bond begins to grow between them, Mallory must learn who Saxon really is and where his loyalties lie. Unfortunately, the answers will threaten not just her chance at love but also her life and the future of the abbey.

This is the third in the Ladies of St. Jude's Abbey series and another winner for Ms. Kelley. As in the other two books, it's character driven. The heroine is determined and strong in character, but what makes her unique and sets these stories apart is that she's mastered knightly techniques that allow her to match a man's physical ability to fight and defend. She can be both tender and loving, yet hold her ground and best a male opponent in a contest of skills. And all of this without the brawn. Most readers will find the hero of this story more intriguing than the others and the sense of mystery surrounding him very appealing. Although the hero's true motivation isn't known until later in the book, it's easy to go along with the story and uncover bits and pieces along with the heroine. A well-written and exciting continuation of a series that will have readers eagerly awaiting the next St. Jude's Abbey story.