In the early 8th
century in
Galwyddel, Princess Elwytha's brother Richard hatches up a plan for
peace --- or at least peace is the offer he plans to claim vengeance
on the treacherous murder of their brother Thor. Only the kingdom
of Northumbria now remains their enemy and with it, the Prince and
the Commander. The disfigured murdering Commander is not exactly her
ideal choice of a husband but Elwytha is a warrior who plans to exact
her revenge on this evil brute, not marry him! As Princess Elwytha
enters the enemy's den, everything she has ever known will be put to
the test. The mysterious, enigmatic Commander treats her differently
than anyone in her family. Can she trust him or will he use her as a
part of a devious plot and then be done with her? She can't help but
question this plan which puts her life at stake, especially when
there seems more to her enemy than meets the eye. Whom can she
trust? Put in a position where she must betray either family or the
man who moves her heart, she must make a choice that will forever
change
her life.
Jennette Green's THE
COMMANDER'S DESIRE
is a romance full of emotion, intrigue and sparks as a fiesty woman
comes face to face with an unusual romance hero ---a back-stabbing
murderer with no sense of honor! Jennette Green. puts a difficult
heroine in a difficult, dangerous position. With her brains and her
physical prowess, she is a match for any man, even a man as powerful
as The Commander. Jennette Green steps up both the drama and humour
when
Princess Elwytha encounters the household of the Commander. Born
a princess, Elwytha certainly acts like one as she judges her new
household with the removed distance of a spoiled princess, making for
several wonderfully light moments within the story, but love ennobles
her,
making her a true princess in spirit. The Commander is a powerful
man that strikes terror in the hearts of her family. Battle scarred
and a murderous brute, no one in her family dares to even speak his
name. The Commander is a man of secrets. Within his own household, he
is a man of honor, the exact kind of healing force Elwytha needs.
On the surface, his
character may appear less developed than that of Elwytha, but yet, he
is a source of strength for
her. His innate steadfastness provides her with the constancy to
see
herself and her family more clearly, and thus becomes a catalyst for
her inner growth.
Jennette Green's THE
COMMANDER'S DESIRE
is a quick paced romance read. Much of the action is presented
through dialogue and inner thoughts rather than slower paced
descriptive detail. The reader easily sees the internal
transitions in the heroine as she moves from being ruled by her
family to becoming a woman of her own. The author adds some twists
here, not only in the Commander's name itself but in some of the
secrets that Elwytha uncovers. I could not help but think this book
could be enacted on a stage in one of the medieval enactment
festivals or some similar presentation because the action is centered
around close encounters between characters, not only between the
heroine and the hero but within the two households through the use of
dialogue and inner monologues that would play out well on the stage.
Some of the lines would be fun to hear aloud. Certain elements of this
story (especially the mystery of the Commander's name) remind me of
Medieval drama. If readers are looking for a sweet medieval
historical romance with lush, slow descriptions of scenery, this is
not the romance to choose. If instead, a reader prefers a dramatic,
emotional encounter between characters with a moving transformation,
THE COMMANDER'S DESIRE is a
romance that moves quickly with lots of emotional drama. Although
this romance does not have the polish of more heavily edited medieval
romances from larger publishers, THE COMMANDER'S DESIRE has a
refreshing innovation in
form more readily available in smaller press books. THE COMMANDER'S
DESIRE focuses on emotion, dynamic encounters and internal
transformation more than minute
medieval
historical details. Jennette Green is an author whose
career medieval romance readers should watch with interest,
particularly for her ability to make the reader feel the inner
changes within her characters.