Uncommon Vows

Book excerpt: An uncommon love story... Wrenched from a monastery before taking final vows, Adrian de Lancey's fighting skill wins him an earldom. Fierce discipline masters his darker nature—until he finds a winsome slip of a girl lost in his forest, an illegal falcon on her wrist. Encountering the ice-blond warrior Earl of Shropshire, Meriel de Vere knows his dangerous reputation—and hides her identity to protect her brother's estate from the enemy earl. She does not expect to be arrested. Still less does she expect such a great lord to want her as his mistress. Her passionate need for freedom clashes disastrously with his obsession with his enchanting captive. Given a second chance to properly woo Meriel, can Adrian learn tenderness? Will the two of them claim lasting happiness—or will they lose all to a brutal sworn enemy? Praise for Uncommon Vows: "Uncommon Vows is my favorite among Mary Jo Putney's books... Few authors can pull off a medieval backdrop without stripping the era of its darkness or allowing its dramatic historical politics to overshadow the romance, but Putney makes it seem effortless... The result is some of her strongest and most inspired writing.... A romance that definitely qualifies as uncommon." —All About Romance “A wondrous tale, brimming with adventure, intrigue, and memorable romance."” —Romantic Times The Bride Trilogy The Wild Child, #1 The China Bride, #2 The Bartered Bride, #3 Uncommon Vows (A medieval prequel to the Bride Trilogy)