…turbulent and torrid times.

Romance and intrigue set in the time of king making and wars and against the background of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine’s courts and Eleanor’s rules of honor and love--The Courtly Code--made much of by our heroine.

Adding romantic intrigue we have Raven, a tall, dark and, much maligned hero fresh from the Crusades albeit tainted with Saracen blood and favored by Henry II. To match him we have the gorgeous, honorable, ice-maiden heroine, Alienore. Unfortunately she does become somewhat tiring with her proclamations about courtly conduct.

Trapped in the middle of royal intrigue and whim, the machinations of claiming thrones and kingdoms by Henry II, Eleanor and Eleanor’s son, Henry—not to mention Richard and John, Alienore is never sure which side she should take, which is the more honorable.

Of course the pages sizzle with sexual frission as Ailenore and Raven fight their attraction, caught between their particular loyalties and duties and their barely damped down desire.
They both do their best to repudiate and stamp down this attraction but the fires of passion consume them and ignite the pages in either anger or lust--yet honor must have its way.

Not great literature but The Devil’s Temptress is a good medieval romance set against the turbulent history of the times.

ARC netgalley ( )

"The Devil's Temptress", by Laura Navarre, is a superbly told tale of medieval political intrigue and the two passionate lovers caught in the court's spidery web. Alienore of Lyonstone is the personal scribe and favored lady-in-waiting of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the displaced wife of Henry Plantagenet, King of England. Secretly trained in the skills of a knight of battle, Alienore takes up the cause of women she believes to have been wronged. She meets her match on the battlefield in the form of a mysterious dark knight known as the "Raven". Scarred inside and out, the Raven uses his position as master-at-arms to cloak his hidden agendas. Is the black knight honorable, or is he the Devil in human form? Should Alienore give in to the powerful longings created by the Raven's tough and tender manner? Will he give his heart, something he has vowed never to do again? Ms. Navarre spins this enthralling romantic tale with great skill and historical detail. "The Devil's Temptress" is a very involving adventure which is also richly characterized. Highly recommended! ( )

I wasn't a huge fan of this book--it has a very 'old school' romance feel. For example, the heroine is under persistent threat of rape/forced seduction. However, I think the biggest problem was with characterization. The characters' stated motivations rarely make sense with the actions they take--and I never really got a sense of wbat was most important to them. Plot involves political intrigue at the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine, which was a nice (but very brief) diversion. ( )