Historical
Guarded Heart
By Maria Shaink
Jan 20, 2008 - 4:50:37 PM

Set in 1840's New Orleans, Louisiana, GUARDED HEART begins with lovely widow Ariadne Faucher seeking out a certain sword master, Gavin Blackford. This is not a usual occurrence for Gavin, since most of his fencing pupils are male, but given Ariadne's desperation for tutelage he agrees to instruct her in the art of sword fighting. He later learns that this particular pupil, who is possessed of not only beauty, but a sharp wit and strong character, is training to challenge and kill the man who took the life of her foster brother in a sword duel. Gavin notes the despondency of Ariadne in carrying this burden, and feels a kinship to her for he too carries a grave weight on his shoulders, as does any man of good conscience who has taken a life without wishing it. And so, the pair comes together in secret to train, not wishing to become anything more than pupil and student, but unerringly setting the course for a great deal more.

As Ariadne trains with Gavin, her attraction to him grows with each parry of their swords. Their rapport gives away the desire they feel for each other and Ariadne begins to truly care for Gavin, which is the one thing she swore not to do. After all, Ariadne knows something about Gavin, and the vengeance she has sworn for her dead brother allows Gavin no special place in her heart. Sasha, Ariadne's friend and a man who has himself been in love with Ariadne for years, warns her off Gavin, but to no avail. Eventually the three of them end up in a nail-biting climax of jealousy, lust and love in which someone may lose their life.

GUARDED HEART is a boundlessly exciting and adventuresome tale, full of terrific characters and truly great writing. Ms. Blake’s use of dialogue and Victorian mannerisms is impeccable, and her writing is top notch. I found the rapport between the main characters to be at once titillating and sincere, and the passion between Ariadne and Gavin is scorching in its intensity. The excitement and intricacy of the plot is enhanced by a great cast of main and supporting characters, giving the reader a truly enjoyable experience. I thoroughly enjoyed and was enraptured by this book! GUARDED HEART is sure to be one of the best historical romances I will read this year.

REVIEWER’S NOTE: Although this novel is the fourth in the MASTERS AT ARMS series, I feel that the books can be read and enjoyed independently of each other. I was able to grasp the fundamentals of the series even though I have not read any of the others. However, after reading GUARDED HEART I am definitely putting all of the MASTERS AT ARMS novels on my To Be Read list!