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"Impressive - A Keeper!"

With a complex plot and sizzling romance, this medieval debut was hard to put down. The many layer of the arrangement itself, are peeled away one by one, surprising the reader to the last chapter.

The court is astonished when King Edward promises his ward, Lady Christiana Fitzwaryn to David de Abyndon, a lowly merchant. The arrangement appears quite straight forward on the surface. It is said that David, having seen Christiana, had wanted her and had paid a king's ransom to have her.

In truth, David has yet to meet her. The marriage in fact, is a ruse to cover the covert dealings between David and the King. No one must ever suspect the truth. Christiana is penniless, however she bears noble blood and an old family name. She is far about David's degree. The marriage is viewed as an insult to her, while certainly a feather in David's cap. I will surely elevate the status of his children.

Christiana opposes the marriage for reasons of her own. She fancies herself in love with a young knight. Naively she believes the arrangement to be a punishment for a romantic indiscretion. One night she sneaks out after curfew, an makes her way to David's home to plead her case.

David is not at all what she expected. Rather than an old man in need of a noble bride to give him heirs, the merchant is handsome, young, proud, and virile. Her rank does not intimidate him and he is not persuaded by her arguments against the marriage. Having finally met her, he is even more determined to go through with the wedding.

While her mind clings to thoughts of a life with the young knight, David's passion and charm are slowly winning her heart. There is much she doesn't know about this complicated man. David's past holds many secrets. Everything he's done in his life has been part of his hidden agenda of vengeance. Born a bastard, he's used every opportunity to attain the position he now holds. He has a great many enemies and his only true allegiance is to himself. On of these enemies would not be above using Christiana as a bargaining chip.

Though the marriage is pleasant, David is not confident of Christiana's feeling for him. This plays into right into said enemy's hand. A contrived misunderstanding plunges them both into grave danger. David will be forced to choose between loyalty and honor, or fulfilling a life long dream of revenge. Has his love for Christiana softened his heart? Will she stand by him no matter what he decides?

Christiana is not a complicated character but she is the one who shows the most growth. She is at first naïve, spoiled and prejudiced against the lower class. At time goes on she becomes a woman of courage, passion, and wisdom. David is much more complex, though his basic nature does not change. He is a passionate, driven man, an opportunist who sees profit in virtually every situation. Yet he proves he is able to bend for the sake of Christiana's happiness, becoming noble in a way the marriage itself could never make him.

Ms. Hunter's debut is most impressive. She has brought history back to historical romance. By Arrangement goes straight to the keeper shelf.

Copyright © 2000

Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted August 23, 2001

The lady and the commoner...

Lady Christiana Fitzwaryn was not opposed to marriage. But she demanded to be married on her own terms, not as punishment for a romantic indiscretion, and especially not to a common merchant. Yet she was in for a shock when she met David de Abyndon. For she was confronted by no ordinary merchant but a man of extraordinary poise and virility. He was unaffected by their difference in social status. And even less affected by her well-thought-out arguments against their upcoming betrothal. Instead, it was Christiana who felt uneasy in the presence of this naturally lordly man behind whose cool blue eyes she sensed the most uncompromising of passions.

David de Abyndon understood Christiana's dilemma, for he too harbored a secret pain. How could he tell her that there was more to this arrangement than met the eye? How could he tell her about his deal with the king-a deal that meant he had all but bought Christiana sight unseen?

What's more, now that he had seen this beautiful, spirited woman, how could he convince her that the love she sought was not in the callow knight she had romanticized but in the flesh-and-blood arms of the man who may have bought her body-but in the bargain lost both his heart and soul?