The Heart and the Holly

Rating:
Summary: an unusually intelligent historical romance
Review: I enjoyed every page of "The Heart and the Holly". I had never heard of Nancy Richards-Akers until her tragic death. After reading this book, I discovered her to be an innovator among romance novelists, due to her meticulous historical research. She made medieval Ireland come alive and explained its tangled history with England in an easy to understand way. Her story is set in Dublin during the 1300's. England has colonized Ireland and decreed a set of rules that forbids intermarraige among the Irish and English. Bran, the hero, is a fierce warrior determined to drive the hated English back across the sea. He never expects to lose his heart to Aislinn, who is half English, since this goes against all his principles and everything his family has fought for. Their story illuminates a little known period of Irish history. In addition, there is great dialogue and smoldering love scenes. I'm sure Nancy would have written many more fantastic books; her death is a true loss to lovers of historical romance.