THE TRUEST HEART

Lady Gillian is a hunted woman. After her father's failed attempt on King John's life, provoked by the monarch's refusal to abide by the Magna Carta, the vengeful king sends Gareth, lord of Sommerfield, to find and kill her. A shipwreck tosses Gareth, wounded and missing his memory, at Gillian's hiding place in Cornwall. She devotes herself to his care but can't help her suspicions of, and her tender feelings for, this mysterious man. Gareth recovers enough of his memory to recall that Gillian is in deadly danger and flees with her to Sommerfield, only to realize with horror that he is the danger she must avoid. To save her from the king's revenge, Gareth quickly marries her, claiming she carries his child—a claim they must substantiate or suffer the fatal consequences of deceit. With Gillian's nearly constant bitterness and mistrust toward her new husband despite all the risks he takes on her behalf, it's a surprise that Gareth falls in love with her at all; their compatibility seems restricted to the bedroom. But James (His Wicked Promise, etc.) adds nice touches, such as Gillian's anxiety about not measuring up to Gareth's first wife, and she gracefully depicts Gareth and Gillian's struggles against the backdrop of King John's tumultuous reign to shape a romance with unusual historical depth. (June 5)