Good book. I especially enjoyed the setting of this one. Historical romances are overwhelmingly Regency era, but this one takes place mostly at the court of Elizabeth I with a little bit in Sweden. I felt that the portrayal of the intrigue and attitudes of the time were very well done. That said, the first 20% or so of the book dragged a little for me, but once Corrie and Rugar met, the story picked up quite nicely.

Corrie is eighteen years old and has been kept very sheltered by her parents. That comes to an end when Queen Elizabeth stops while on her progress around the country and takes a liking to Corrie. She insists that Corrie becomes one of her maids of honor. This horrifies her parents who are very familiar with the Queen's court and its ways, but they have no choice. Meanwhile, Corrie is thrilled with the opportunity to experience a wider world. It isn't long before Corrie becomes the queen's favorite. There are drawbacks to this, as Elizabeth is very possessive and warns off anyone who threatens her relationship with Corrie - especially the men. In spite of her intelligence and extensive education, Corrie is oblivious to the queen's machinations.

Meanwhile, Rugar is named ambassador to England by the king of Sweden and sent to establish good relations with the queen. This suits him to a T as he has personal reasons for going. As a lad of twelve, Rugar visited the court with his father, who was sent to propose a marriage between Elizabeth and the Swedish king. They were not treated kindly but mocked and derided for their differences. Rugar's father never recovered from the shame he felt at his failure, leaving Rugar burning with the desire for revenge. He arrives at the court determined to beat all the men in their manly contests and to seduce the queen's ladies.

It's at this point that the story picks up interest for me. Rugar is bowled over by his first sight of Corrie and makes her the target of his attentions. He is certain that she is just as immoral as all the other women of the court. Corrie is overwhelmed by Rugar's attentions, having never experienced anything like it. Her forthright nature supports Rugar's assumptions and his single-minded pursuit of her. I really enjoyed their interactions. Corrie's innocent reactions and questions draw Rugar closer to her. He is enchanted by her inquisitive nature and the passion he senses below her surface. As Rugar's attention stirs her senses, Corrie is determined to experience everything that she can. But as she becomes bolder, Rugar has to face the fact that he misjudged Corrie's experience, and tries to pull away. I ached for both of them at this point, because Corrie has fallen hard for Rugar, even though she feels that there is no future in it. Rugar, who has reasons for avoiding innocents, is determined to stay away from her but finds it impossible to do so. Dismayed to realize that he has fallen in love with her, Rugar is determined to protect her, even from himself.

There are outside forces that are determined to interfere. Elizabeth is angered by Rugar's attention to Corrie, even though she warned him off. She sets one of her spies on him, looking for a reason to send him away. Unfortunately, her spy has his own agenda. He has harbored a grudge against Corrie's parents for many years and looks on this a chance to even the score. When Corrie and Rugar are discovered in a compromising position, Elizabeth's rage knows no bounds.

The last part of the book flew by for me, as Corrie and Rugar escape the queen's attempts to keep them apart and flee to Sweden. I loved Corrie's joy in being there and ached for her as she faced resistance from Rugar's people. It was interesting to see Rugar's reaction to what happened and the effect it had on his view of the past. I was glued to the pages as the queen's fury continued to build and ripped Corrie and Rugar apart. I loved Rugar's determination to get her back, no matter what he had to do. The final showdown with the queen was a nailbiter. I loved Rugar's reaction to her demands and how he regained the upper hand. The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up to the story.

There was also a secondary romance between Corrie's cousin Anne and Rugar's friend Torgne. The sparks flew between them from the start. Torgne, like Rugar, had a low opinion of English morals. Anne, a relatively recent widow, is not ashamed of her needs and gets a great deal of satisfaction out of tempting him. When an unexpected mix-up throws the two of them together, the sparks burst into flame. I loved the scene on the ship as Anne goes all-out to break through Torgne's resistance. With both of them caught up in Elizabeth's outrage, there was some question as to their chances of a future together. I loved the scene at the end, as Rugar suggests the perfect "punishment" for Torgne's crimes. ( )