Lord Of A Thousand Nights by Madeline Hunter

Called the Lord of a Thousand Nights, Ian of Guilford was famed as much for his feats in the bedroom as on the battlefield. But Lady Reyna Graham had no idea of this when, disguised as a courtesan, she passed behind enemy lines with a desperate plan to save her people. Now, sitting in the tent of the dizzyingly handsome warrior who commanded the army outside her gates, the beautiful widow suddenly realized that she had underestimated her foe. For she found herself in the company of a man whose charms were said to be impossible to resist...and who would show no mercy in laying siege to her heart — and body — with every sensual weapon in his arsenal. For the sake of her people, she must not give in ... and she must somehow turn this legendary lover who never lost his heart into a man who would exchange all his thousand nights for one with her....


I was pretty discouraged when Kristie(j) said that this was her least favorite of MH's medievals. But since I had been wanting to read this book for a long time, I didn't pass up the chance when I saw it in the UBS shelf. I was glad that I got it 'cause it wasn't that bad. Okay. It wasn't as good as The Protector, where I first read about Ian of Guilford but I didn't fall aslep while reading it either. Not to mention that I had enjoyed reading about Morvan and Anna again.

I liked the way MH put enough complexities into the story to keep me turning the pages but not too much as to keep me from reading on while I get stuck pondering on what part of the puzzle was I already.

Ian of Guilford might have been dubbed the Lord of a Thousand Nights in court but all that was lost when he knew the passion of Reyna, lady of Black Lynne Keep. And the question of why, after twelve years of marriage--Reyna was married at the twelve to set neutral territory between two feuding clans--she was still untouched kept me wondering till it was answered. And the secrets Ian harboured from Reyna knowing that it was causing a rift between them made for another wonderful twist in the story. But the way Reyna received his explanations for his past really impressed me--I don't think I have read a character any less judgmental than her.

And I didn't mind the touch about surviving Templars and Hospitallers trying to get their riches. In fact, I think it was a beautiful addition to the story--it goes without saying that I'm a big fan of The Da Vinci Code.

So there goes another good find from the UBS that I'm keeping for now. Forget about her Regency romances, I'm sticking to MH's medievals. (Although I've read greats reviews for her latest Regency offering.)

Final verdict: 7/10. Good read.