A fictionalized account of the relationship between King Phillip of France and Richard, Duke of Aquitaine before he was crowned King of England, and the the conflicts that arise with the tensions between their respective kingdoms and responsibilities and their burgeoning feelings for one another.

I like the idea of telling this story about someone who is so tied to their title that it becomes all they are. They often say Phillip is France and Richard is Aquitaine (will be England), and those two factions cannot live together peaceably as they will always be looking to usurp the other.

There's this constant struggle, especially on Phillip's side, about figuring out who you are in terms of being a King to the people - and the land - but yet still wanting to be your own person. He's been groomed his entire life to be King and I think somewhere along the way he loses his wants and desires.

Conversely, you have Richard who was never supposed to become King (being the second son and all). His outlook is a bit more free. He loves Aquitaine, and despite being a Duke, he has a bit more freedom. That is, until his older brother Harry suddenly dies and Richard is set to become heir.

I think you really got to see the struggle between Richard and Phillip but also between Richard and his father and siblings. The power structure and the need to assert dominion over your title and land. The political machinations is strongly felt and shown that there's no easy answer there's no easy peace. There's always another angle to ruling.

I liked the hard-won devotion that Richard and Phillip show for one another and at the same time how they can feel at odds with one another. The story is peppered with little action. It's more a continuous yearning and a lot of quiet deception. In this story, Richard and Phillip's feelings for one another are common knowledge and I loved how Natasha Siegel allowed that to be. While it wasn't officially acknowledged by them, they still didn't really hide anything from anyone.

What really trips me up about the story is that it admittedly takes liberty with history. Not just in putting Richard and Phillip in a romantic relationship, but in other ways as well. I feel like this could have been a great story showcasing a relationship between two people on opposite sides finding that common ground, but didn't have to be with historical figures. I think the impact could have equally been reached with fictitious characters.

Overall, though, the story surprised me. Despite the overwhelming odds against them, Richard and Phillip fight hard for each other and that's always a refreshing thing to read. ( )