A rogue knight and an enchanting renegade join forces to right old wrongs in award-winning author Kris Kennedy’s sizzling new medieval romance.

A warrior with questionable intentions . . .

Jamie Lost is the king’s most renowned commander, a fearless lieutenant ordered to kidnap an exiled priest before rebel forces close in. The mission is simple—until he meets a mysterious thief who will steal his quarry and then his heart.

A lady of remarkable courage . . .

Beautiful Eva is also seeking Father Peter, but she intends to protect him from a secret that could cost him his life. She senses that she, too, should fear Jamie—not just for his wickedly sharp sword and dangerously muscular body, but for the powerful longing he ignites within her.

A secret that could overthrow the king.

When a band of mercenaries abducts the priest, Jamie and Eva must form a volatile alliance. As civil war unfolds around them, they embark on an epic journey that betrays the truth about their hidden identities, their unexpected loyalties, and the simmering attraction that could seal their fates forever.

In this new historical romance tale by Kris Kennedy I’m immediately drawn into the drama in a race against time as a war is brewing and a kingdom is in danger.

I didn’t really know what to expect from this story since it is the first that I have read from Ms. Kennedy but in the end I found it an enjoyable read. This is a period piece set in England during the 1200s and with historical romances they are either hits or misses for me. Some focus way too much on the period letting the story and characters get overshadowed but I feel Ms. Kennedy did a good job balancing them all. I felt like I was back in England during the 1200 with the clear descriptions of the scenery and what was happening during that time. But while most of the focus was on the adventure there was still adamant romance between the main characters Eva and Jamie.

I found Eva to be a great character, strong, independent and smart mouthed which was refreshing to read giving the time period with which she lived. Eva had the perfect personality to go head to head with the strong Jamie (loved the name for him!). The banter and romantic tension between Eva and Jamie was what made this story so enjoyable to me. How their relationship slowly morphed and grew throughout the story while on this crazy journey and rescue mission was what had me turning the pages.

Besides the hot romance, the adventure that Jamie and Eva navigated was an enjoyable roller coaster ride. It wasn’t as predictable as one would think. Why was Father Peter such a hot commodity? Why was Eva on the run? Who was Roger? All these questions and more were raised within the story and Ms. Kennedy did a good job answering them while keeping me in suspense. I thought I had the answers but then another element was brought to light that switched things totally.

Overall Defiant by Kris Kennedy was a good historical romance filled with action, adventure and hot romance that readers of historical romance will like.