Tempting the Maiden Sherwood Forest Shifters Book #3
Medievial, Historical, Romance, Werewolf /Shifters
Twin Moon Press
Nov 16, 2023
Kindle
224
Amazon
He was born to be a knight. I'm a noble lady. We're a perfect match — but destiny has other ideas…
MARIAN
Fairest maiden in the land? I’d rather be known as best swordswoman or best rider. Still, there are advantages to keeping my skills secret — along with my rare heritage. Like now, when I must outwit Prince John, the cruelest, most ruthless man alive. To do so, I head to a lawless corner of the country, hoping to find Robin Hood. But when the safe haven I was counting on turns out to be a double cross, I find an unlikely ally in a sinfully handsome friar.
TUCK
As the third son of a country lord, I had no choice but to join a monastery rather than head to the crusades as a knight, like I’d always dreamed of. Eat, pray, repeat was my future, and damn, was that future bleak. In a few short days, I’ll have to take my vows and make it official. Me, a lion shifter, living a life of poverty, obedience, and chastity?
Life gets a little more interesting when I start helping Robynne Hood… and a LOT more interesting when a mysterious woman appears, seeking refuge in the monastery. I’m her only hope, but it would take a miracle to earn a happily-ever-after. I’ll have to settle for saving her from greedy, ruthless shifters plotting to overthrow the monarchy — if she’ll let me. Still, I’ve always been a dreamer, and I’m not ready to give up hope, love, or the chance to fulfill my true destiny.
SHERWOOD FOREST SHIFTERS
Book 1: Tempting the Sheriff
Book 2: Tempting the Outlaw
Book 3: Tempting the Maiden
Reviewed by Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
This is the third and final book in this amazing series, and it is Friar Tuck and Maid Marian’s story.
Poor Tuck a lion shifter and about to take his vows as a monk at the Abbey where he has been stuck for months. Coming from a noble family, the first-born son inherits everything, the second born becomes a Knight and the third goes into a Monastery. Tuck always dreamed of being a Knight, but it would never happen because of a simple thing as what number he was.
Tuck is the least likely to be in the clergy every day seems like an eternity, and he is not afraid to cause trouble if it works out in his favor. A vow of poverty is not a problem since he grew up with a silver spoon and now, he is ready to pay back, obedience a little problem but chastity was a huge problem and all he can think of is a lifetime of prayers. His biggest complaint is why so much praying, day and night he figures even God gets time off.
Helping Robynne and helping disperse the funds she steals to people in need is something that gives him a little excitement, well just a little he craves so much more, and his craving will be satisfied when he goes to the library to help a fellow novice. This novice has a habit of doodling and most of the doodles are pornographic so when he leaves them behind in the library, he begs Tuck to retrieve them. When he enters the library, he is almost stabbed by a beautiful woman who appears to be in hiding.
Tuck forever a Knight knows that the woman is in danger and is determined to find out why and help. Her identity is a secret but as soon as she meets Tuck, she knows he is someone she can trust, and her other half agrees. Before long he learns that the woman in question is Maid Marian but what he doesn’t know is what she is running from. He and Marian are immediately drawn to each other but there is no future for a noblewoman and a monk.
Everyone believed that with the death of Sir Guy, a vicious man with no redeeming qualities would make things better but now his sister Lady Thornton has arrived in Nottingham, and she is a hundred times worse, and her arrival means trouble. While Tuck is trying to help Marian, their feelings grow she knows he is the man she wants and although he feels the same their different life paths make it impossible.
If one thing history has taught us is that even the clergy can betray you and that is the case when it comes to Marian. The monk’s betrayal led her worst enemy to her door, Prince John has demanded that she marry him only death would be preferable to that. Tuck accompanies Marian to visit the families she knows are against John and for King Richard in the hope that all the families can come together to defeat John’s attempt to seize the throne. Unfortunately, another betrayal puts a stop to all the plans and puts Marian into the hands of John.
With a risk of death against her friends and Tuck who she convinced John was the family Priest she had no choice but to follow John. So much happens in this book, all questions are answered and the chance of a HEA for all involved seems possible, but the cost of fighting could be deadly.
My only regret is that this amazing story of Robynne Hood and the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest is over. Secrets, betrayals, romance, sex and surprises kept me glued to this book as well as the first two and I read them in one sitting, couldn’t put it down till the end.