Dell Historical Romance (Paperback), ISBN 0-440-22210-9
Not just an able hostage taker, Virginia Henley earns the title "queen of all captors" in her latest historical romance, The Border Hostage.

As a result of his striking resemblance to Black Ram Douglas, Heath Kennedy finds himself the object of a murder plot. Dragged over the border into England and left to drown, Heath surfaces nearby Carlisle Castle. In need of a shirt and a mount, Heath steals from the first person he encounters -- an enchanting, dark-haired beauty named Raven Carleton. Leaving Raven in her undergarments, Heath rides off, vowing to return what he has taken.

Although Heath restores her shirt and horse, Raven cannot forget the handsome, maddening Scot. He invades her dreams, making it difficult for her to succumb to her mother's wishes and accept a valued marriage proposal from Christopher Dacre.

Heath Kennedy has another proposal in mind -- Christopher Dacre's life in exchange for the return of his horse, Black Adder. When he finds Dacre alone with the unforgettable Raven Carleton, he cannot resist the urge to take two captives. Even with her mystic powers and charms, Raven Carleton proves no match for the likes of the Gypsy-blooded Borderer. Soon, Heath releases Dacre but refuses to let Raven fly away. Can Heath train Raven to return as easily as she trains her beloved falcons?

From the very first page, Henley's The Border Hostage took my mind and imagination captive. Packed with endearing three-dimensional characters (including Heath and Raven, the fiery Valentina, the powerful Ramsey Douglas, the ill-fated Lord of Galloway, the cryptic old Meg, as well as the infuriatingly evil Dacres), The Border Hostage provides perfect escorts for an exciting escape to 1514 Scotland. A page-turning plot laced with history (the marriage of Margaret of Scotland), mystery, betrayal, deceit, passion, secret pasts and humor (and more passion) makes this book impossible to put down and by far the best book I've read in a long, long time.

Lynne Remick

Lynne Marie Pisano is a freelance writer, poet, book reviewer, SCBWI Metro New York LI Critique Group Coordinator and Co-Chair of the Long Island Children's Writers and Illustrators. She lives in New York with her husband Michael, her son Kevin and a daughter named Kayla, and Dante, a Schipperke.

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