Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding * * * * *
Review: BLACK LION'S BRIDE is a riveting blend of passion, intrigue, and excitement. As I have come to expect from reading her other books, Tina St. John does an outstanding job of putting you right there in the story with her characters. Secrets, danger, forbidden love - this book literally has it all. My heart was pounding through all the scenes of danger (not to mention all of the passionate ones!) and several times I wondered how in the world Sebastian and Zahirah would find their happy ever after. The ending had me sighing and wanting an alluring,... man like Sebastian for myself!This was a beautifully sensuous love story with a highly original plot and wonderful characters. I read it in one setting! I also loved the 2 other books that go along with BLACK LION'S BRIDE. They are WHITE LION'S LADY and LADY OF VALOR. The only trouble is I just wish Tina St. John could writer faster!!
Rating: 
Summary: Plodding
Review: Having enjoyed White Lion's Lady so much, I thought I would love this book, but it was like torture. The sentences were long, drawn-out, you had to read them several times to make sense out of some of them, the vocabulary and style were often wrong, her verbs were all over the place--the editor obviously did not look at some of this, and we romance readers really deserve better.
the autor admits herself it took her over two years to crank the thing out. Crank it did.
I never warmed to any of the characters except Logan the scot, and he was not supposed to be the hero! the stereotypes and the impetuous and not very pleasant nature of the heroine's real identity make this one a book to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Will leave you smiling and wanting more!
Review: I am on a great reading roll lately with excellent books, most recently this wonderful follow on title to Tina St. John's WHITE LION'S LADY. The romance in BLACK LION'S BRIDE was even more than I hoped for! How can you top a story that has a great, dark and dangerous warrior hero and an elusive, deadly assassin (femme fatale) for a heroine? I don't think you can! It's a story filled with emotion, action, and lots of passion that we romance readers all love. I loved it!
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable, until the author cops-out.
Review: I did enjoy this book but I had to give it 3 stars because I was totally disappointed and felt the author really copped out when 1/2 way through the book it's revealed ------ Don't read further if you don't want to know -- our heroine, Zahirah is not really Arab at all, but English! Not even 1/2 Arab. Not even a speck of Arab. In fact Sebastian doesn't even really declare his love to Zahirah until he suspects it...although I think it's clear he would have loved her regardless. I don't know why the author felt it necessary to do this. But it sort of wrecks the main premise and conflict of the book, that Sebastian and Zahirah can't help themselves and love each other despite their vast ethnic, religious, and cultural differences. The result: it just doesn't deliver the same punch (even though Zahirah doesn't know this about herself until near the end).
Rating:
Summary: One of my top five romance novels
Review: I have read all of Tina's books and this one is my favorite. It has everything you want in a medieval, passion, history, action and a hero and heroine who are equals and show their growing love for one another through what they say, do and feel. I really loved the hero, SEBASTIAN. He's strong, uber-sexy, intelligent and oh-so-male. Zahirah is the perfect counterpart to Sebastian in that she heats up the all-work/no play side of his heart. Yet she's quite tortured, too, with goals of her own and isn't a place-holder heroine. Buy this book. You will love it! Yay, Tina! You did it again! :)
Rating:
Summary: I have never read this author before, but...
Review: I'll be following her for now on. I read about an average of 4-5 books a week and I have to say that this book has really stuck to me.
Sebastian is loyal to his King, but ends up falling for the woman who is the daughter of his enemy and is sent to assasinate his king. Though Zahirah comes to love Sebastian and doesn't wish to assasinate his king anymore because she values Sebastian's trust so much, a new threat emerges that may break their love and causes a rift that must be forged.
The betrayals and the interaction between the characters made this story real for me. The internal conflicts that each of the main characters went through made it all the more emotional and a more compelling read for me. Finally, I've found a book that holds my interest, so much that I don't get bored and have to start skipping ahead to find interesting bits, but that I can read through and be satisified. I also agree with some of the other reviewers about Logan, Sebastian's loyal friend, who was a fun character throughout the book. I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, heart-warming read. For someone who reads so much and is not always satisfied, this was definitely a rare find. I am now ordering the rest of Tina St.John's books and hope to be equally as satisfied, or more!
Rating: 
Summary: powerful crusader romance
Review: In 1192 in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, a small person sneaks into the camp of King Richard and his fellow crusaders. The individual quietly creeps closer to the unguarded tent of the Lionhearted when Sebastian of Montbourne notices the sly movements. He intercepts the assassin saving Richard's life but takes a near fatal stab wound while the slippery foe escapes into the night.
Zahirah, daughter of the king of the assassins, regrets her error, as she desperately wants to prove her worth to her father. To atone for her failure, Zahirah sets in motion a diabolical plan that will get her inside Richard's camp. An almost healed Sebastian rescues Zahirah from an assassin. Shocked that her savior lives, Zahirah and Sebastian fall in love but she learned from childhood to detest the Christians and how will he react when he finds out just whom his beloved is.
BLACK LION'S BRIDE is a powerful crusader romance that truly depicts star-crossed lovers, as its prime protagonists. The lead couple is a delight as neither wants love with the other, especially Zahirah who always hated Christians. Though her "transformation" from loathing bigot to caring lover seems difficult to fathom, sub-genre fans will relish the locale, the differing perspectives, and the strong story line that displays the tremendous talent of Tina St. John. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: BLACK LION'S BRIDE by Tina St. John (Review)
Review: In this enchanting new romance by National Readers Choice Award winner Tina St. John, no one is what they seem--and love is more dangerous than any could ever imagine.... Daughter of the King of the Assassins, Zahirah was trained to be as deadly as she is beautiful. When she steals into the desert camp of the English army, she has one goal: to banish the crusaders from her homeland by murdering King Richard the Lionheart. Her deceptive strategy delivers her into the hands of the enemy--and puts her at the mercy of the dashing Black Lion, Sebastian of Montborne. Fighting for peace in a dangerous exotic land, Sebastian never dreamed that the tides of war would bring him a mysterious beauty in need of his protection. Nor could he guess that the lady who ignites his heart is the very enemy he has sworn to destroy on behalf of his king. Caught in a deadly game of passion and deception, their unbidden love could cost them their lives.... BLACK LION'S BRIDE is an excellent medieval romance by one of the genre's rising stars. Riveting action, heated sensuality, an exciting plot, and strong emotional characters that live and breathe like real people make this a medieval romance that stands out. The unusual setting of the Holy Land during the Third Crusade is also a nice added touch that only adds to the book's appeal. Highly recommended romance!
Rating:
Summary: Tina St. John's Best Book So Far!
Review: Just when you think an author can't possibly top her previous books, she writes a daring, sexy, book like BLACK LION'S BRIDE and blows you away! This book has it all - action, adventure, an exotic setting, bigger than life characters, and sensuality that will leave you breathless. I loved Sebastian of Montborne from his first appearance in WHITE LION'S LADY. He was noble and honorable then, but in this book he really lives up to his hero status. Strong, intelligent, sexy as hell, he is a hero to sigh over. And Zahirah, the assassin who has a secret mission to kill King Richard the Lionheart is one of the most tortured heroines I've ever read. I sympathized with her even as I wondered how she and Sebastian could ever work through the obstacles between them. And I loved the fact that she was actually a capable assassin and not just a misunderstood innocent who would never hurt a fly. Zahirah kicks butt and I loved it! BLACK LION'S BRIDE is a definite contender for my favorite book of 2002. It's exciting, passionate, suspenseful, and very different from the usual medieval. Read it and you will see why I am raving over it! (P.S. to Ms. St. John or her publisher - can we get a story on Sebastian's Scottish friend Logan someday? He was great!)
Rating:
Summary: Unique story line, Beautiful romance
Review: Sebastian and Zahirah are a refreshingly sweet couple. For once, the hero of the story does not spend most of the book denying his feelings. Sebastian falls true and hard for Zahirah, proclaiming:
"I love you. I don't care if you're brown or white. I don't care if you're English, Arab, half of each, or not of this world at all. I love you."
The entire book is filled with beauty like this. Tina St. John makes your heart do flip- flops with pure romance and steamy love scenes that never disappoint, nor do they get too repetative. Both the hero and heroine are devoted to one another, enough so to turn away from their own people, and risk their own lives to protect one another. When you sit down with this book, be prepared to stay in your seat. You won't be able to put the book down. You'll enjoy exciting sword battles, steamy love scenes, sweet romance, and a great base- story that keeps the book moving.
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