Series Name: The King’s Knights, # 4
“Dark green and framed with long lashes, the look she’d given him had hit his heart like a lightning strike. There was nothing docile about those eyes; they spoke of a fire banked for now but ready to burst into flames. He’d been unable to pull his gaze away as something strange had stirred in the pit of his stomach.”
Bound to the Warrior Knight is another addictive installment in The King’s Knights series.
Wed to a stranger
Awakened by his touch
As the new wife to stoic knight Benedictus Monceaux, innocent Adela finds herself in a whole new world… Their union is one of convenience and power, but her feelings for the warrior unsettle and excite her. Hiding an inner strength, Adela knows she can be a strong ally to her husband—but she must walk a fine line between duty and desire, both at court and in the bedchamber…
I am impressed with how solid this whole series has been. Each book has been so enjoyable to read. Ella has done a wonderful job at ensuring the series stays interesting by creating individual stories that are distinctive from one another and have her readers itching to get their hands on the next book. Bound to the Warrior Knight follows Sir Benedictus and Adela. We met Benedictus in the previous books. He is the King’s right-hand man, and his life is consumed with the responsibility of running and protecting the country for the King. Benedictus has been betrothed to Adela for ten years and has finally decided to marry her so that he can use her large dowry to help fund the King’s war with France. I enjoyed Benedictus and Adela’s story.
Sinking into this book and going on this journey with these two characters was easy. There is a slightly slower pace to the overall story. Most of the book takes place in Windsor castle and focuses on Benedictus and Adela’s growing relationship. There is some political intrigue, and at the end of the book, there is more action but a relationship focus book over this. I loved the direction Ella went with this story. I felt engaged with the characters and invested in Benedictus and Adela’s relationship. I loved how Ella used England’s war with France as a backdrop to this story. She used this war and Benedictus’s role in it as one of the forces working against Benedictus and Adela’s relationship.
Adela is a character that you can help but love and root for. There is this innocence about her which comes from being so isolated all her life. Watching her experience new things and just learn to be free was wonderful. Adela’s character comes alive whenever she is around Benedictus. She wants to help him and ensure he is taking care of himself. I loved watching Adela grow a bit of backbone and learn to stand up for herself. Benedictus is that typical gruff broody warrior that you often find in historical romances. He has no intentions of ever falling in love with Adela. He will ensure she is taken care of, but his main focus is his duty to the King. I loved this man because underneath that warrior exterior is a man who is so vulnerable and unsure of how to act around Adela. This war is going on in his mind about his growing feelings for her, and he just doesn’t know what to do. Watching him fall apart at this end was delicious when he finally realized how important Adela was to him.
As you can tell, I enjoyed the romance in this book. Their love story has such a nice slow-burn feel to it. I also enjoyed the forced proximity and one-bed aspects of their relationship. There were just so many delectable moments between these two. There was this wonderful balance between Benedictus and Adela getting to know each other physically and emotionally.
Bound to the Warrior Knight is a satisfying romance book that I could not put down.
Thank you, Harlequin Historical and Rachel Random Resources, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
