If there is an author who can sweep you away for the perfect historical romantic escape, it's Tamara Leigh. I became a fan of Leigh when I read her last novel Dreamspell. She continues to thrill me with this novel, about a medieval heroine who is strong, intelligent and bent on avenging her brother Jonah's death at the hands of Wulfrith, the warrior who trained him, and who believed him to have been a betrayer.

Leigh develops a plot that keeps the pages turning, always keeping me in suspense as to what will happen next. Needless to say, I devour her books. She builds characters I can relate to and that I care about. Her heroine Lady Annyn Bretanne, orphaned at a young age and raised by her uncle, prefers hunting and swordplay rather than becoming a wife to a man who will grant her limited freedom and treat her abusively. She escapes her castle, disguised as a boy, to avenge her brother's death. What she did not expect was to begin admiring Garr Wulfrith, who she saw as her brother's murderer.

One of the things that strikes me about Leigh's writing is how she so easily transports me fully to the medieval era, with her grasp of that time's mode of speech and old English expressions. I read this on my android phone and was delighted to get the definitions of words with the touch of a finger on my screen. I have read medieval settings in books but have not come across some of the expressions Leigh used. The dialogue is so witty, and I simply loved the banter between the hero and heroine.

What I admire about Leigh's romance books is that she does not focus on her character's looks but their personalities. I do not usually read the romance genre per se precisely because it focuses so much on sex and outer beauty. Leigh's books are clean and yes, her characters are attractive, but not in the typical way. Yes, there is romantic tension but so much more. Her characters have inner struggles and chivalry prevails. Faith in God is tested but not in a preachy way and also in conformity with how the Church was viewed in medieval times.

The Unveiling is Book One of the Age of Faith Medieval Romance series. It can be a stand-alone novel, however, because the ending is complete with no cliff hangers. I love this book cover, by the way. It portrays the heroine very well. Book Two is being released on December 18, and I simply can't wait to see how Leigh will continue this series that so readily captivated me and gave me hours of delightful reading.

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