Rating: 
Summary: A Fun Romance
Review: This was another great romance by Ms. Bennett. The Rose and the Shield is a follow up to Lily and the Sword and is set in England a year after the Norman invasion.Rose is the very strong and independent mistress of Somerford and it's lands. Her people have been under attack and she needs help but is afraid to ask for it from her overlord Radulf (Lily and the Sword) because she feels that this would be a sign of weakness and he would take the land away from her. Rose has a understandable distrust for men and this is the reason for her not wanting to ask for help. She sends a messenger out requesting mercenaries to come and assist her with those that are harassing her people. The message is intercepted by Radulf and he believes that she is planning treason so he sends his best soldier Gunner to Somerford with the promise that if Gunner can prove the treason Gunner can have Somerford. Gunner is tired of being a paid soldier and longs for home and hearth. He comes to Somerford determined to win the land and a place that he can call is own. What he does not plan on is the attraction that he feels for the mistress of Somerford and how that could effect his taking of the land. Soon he realizes that Rose is not the one with treason on their mind and that she is just as much in danger as he is. He becomes her shield and protects her from those that mean her harm. This is a great story and the characters are very easy to like. Gunner and Rose are the perfect complement to each other. I found this story to be a fast read and I look forward to the next novel by the author.
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