This was a decent quick read full of court intrigue set during the reign of Mary Tudor, known historically as Bloody Mary.

Our heroine, Catherine Linwood, is one of the Queen's ladies and has served Mary dutifully. When Catherine's father dies suddenly and under suspicious circumstances, Catherine's world is turned upside down. People she once trusted have betrayed her in the worst way just to keep their dirty little secrets from coming out. Even though this was a shorter story, I did feel a connection with Catherine. I can't imagine living in that time and those circumstances where people would sooner betray you than look at you.

While grieving for her father, Catherine has a chance encounter with Brand FitzAlan. Brand feels he owes a debt to Catherine's father, and vows to find the truth behind his death. Bran is a bit of a tortured soul with deep resentment for his father who refused to acknowledge him. He was also subject to scandal as a result of his first marriage. I liked Brand - he was a bit broody and broken, but was also gallant.

The intrigue and politics were well-written, as was the blossoming romance between Catherine and Brand. The ending felt a tad rushed or anti-climactic, but that could be attributed to the length of the book more than the writing. I always like to see the plot conflict drawn out with a bit more detail. Overall, I enjoyed the story and would read this author again.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 3 stars / 3 flames. ( )

One Forbidden Knight by Nicola Davidson is a 2015 Entangled (Scandalous) publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a solid historical romance set in the days of “Bloody Mary's” reign. Lady Catherine Linwood is the daughter of an esteemed physician, and is favored by the queen, until her father dies suddenly.

Catherine is immediately suspicious of the alleged cause of death. When she meets Sir Brandon FitzAlan, a bastard Knight, a man indebted to Catherine's father for his medical treatment of his mother, the two work together to figure out what really happened to Catherine's father, and end up falling hard and fast for each other. However, they may not live long enough to have their happy ending…

Catherine is an unconventional girl, uninhibited, educated, and loyal, while Brand has a few dark spots on his record and carries around a little baggage. Catherine seems like a cool salve for Brand's tortured conscience and bitterness toward his father, who will not publicly acknowledge him. I like both characters because they were mature, faced danger head on, with courage and honor, and proved their love was strong and could weather any storm.

This is a novella length story, but did not suffer from underdeveloped characterization. The plot does move quickly, but the story is fleshed out evenly with a nice mix of romance, intrigue and suspense. I'm not sure if this book is a part of a series, but even it is, it can be read as a stand alone. A perfect lunch break read for historical romance lovers!

Overall 4 stars ( )