Beyond Temptation: The Templar Knights [Mass Market Paperback]

Mary Reed McCall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 24, 2005

From the wonderfully evocative and talented Mary Reed McCall comes the first novel of an exciting new trilogy based on the mysterious and fascinating Knights of Templar.

Sir Richard de Cantor, a highly-skilled warrior, is hampered by guilt over the ambitious, materialistic way he'd lived before he joined the Templar Brotherhood -- a lifestyle he believes led to the death of his young daughter. Lady Margaret Newcomb is a disgraced daughter of a powerful English earl and has led a quiet life of penance and atonement. Though of different backgrounds, in truth they are both lonely, battered by the world, and in desperate need of each other's love and acceptance. Their fragile relationship is soon threatened when the French Inquisition makes its way to England, and Richard is faced with charges for his position as a Templar Knight, only to have their love further tested when someone from Meg's past reappears with the power to tear the two apart.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

I sometimes hear authors lamenting the fact that their books of the heart too seldom see daylight in these fast-paced, market-driven times. I am thrilled to have the opportunity, therefore, to share with you a story - the initial offering in what will be my first connected series of stories, in fact - that from the moment I conceived it fulfilled the description of a true work of the heart for me.

BEYOND TEMPTATION: The Templar Knights, tells the tale of two honorable people living in troubled times: Sir Richard de Cantor, the younger brother of Braedan, from THE CRIMSON LADY - all grown up now, a Templar Knight, and a tormented, powerful, and sinfully handsome force to be reckoned with - and Lady Margaret Newcomb, a beautiful yet fallen noblewoman whose heart has been deeply wounded in the past. When the two meet, passions spark and the chance for love beckons, forbidden though it might be...but first they must find the courage to face and conquer all the darkness, pain, and betrayal that has haunted them both for so long.

I invite you, gentle reader, to venture with me into a world of great beauty and great evil, of life-and-death choices, intrigues, and desperate affairs of the heart...into a realm of honorable warriors, valiant ladies, kings, and champions - all set against the backdrop of the mysterious, secret brotherhood known as the Knights Templar. I can only promise that I have done my best to detail on paper all the romance and adventure of Richard and Meg's story as it unfolded in my imagination - and offer my sincere hope that you will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. As always, to those of you who do decide to do so, thanks for coming along on the journey.

Best Wishes, Mary Reed McCall

About the Author

Mary Reed McCall once studied at the University of Leningrad and considered a career in national security. However, she soon realized her calling lay elsewhere and turned to her love of books for inspiration, eventually becoming a high school English teacher and a romance writer. She began work on her first novel one week after completing her M.A. in English literature. The award-winning author of seven novels for Avon Books, Mary lives in upstate New York with her family, sharing an often crazy but always wonderful life.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (May 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060593687
• ISBN-13: 978-0060593681
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,199,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Reed McCall grew up in a rural area of Upstate New York as part of a large and loving family. Before becoming a writer, she first considered a career in national security, studying for a brief time at the University of Leningrad before completing undergraduate degrees in Russian and English back in the United States, followed by a Master's degree in English Literature. The sixth of seven girls in her family, Mary now makes her permanent home in New York State, with her husband and children. When she is not writing or involved with family activities, she teaches high school and college level English.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Medieval Romance!, June 23, 2006

By 

Irene M. (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beyond Temptation: The Templar Knights (Mass Market Paperback)

I found the story BEYOND TEMPTATION to be a thoroughly fascinating and absorbing medieval romance. The story begins on Friday, Oct. 13, 1307 ~ the day King Philip the Fair, of France, ordered the immediate arrest and imprisonment of all men belonging to the Holy Order of the Templar Knights. Following the King's edict, a vile inquisition began that used terrible forms torture to force innocent men to make false confessions of heresy, or die with their righteous denial. Of the thousands of Templars Knights in France at that time, only very few were able to escape the country unharmed...

Frantically forging through a rain soaked forest in France, four desperate horsemen dressed in garb emblazoned with the scarlet cross of the elite Templars Knights are being hunted like animals by the king's men; they stop momentarily to rest and discuss how they will make their way the last few miles to the coast and a chance to board a ship headed for the relative safety of England. The knights agree their best chance to evade capture is to split up and cautiously make their way to Hawksley Manor, Sir Richard de Cantor's home in England; and hopefully a refuge from the dreadful ordeal they were being forced to endure.

When Sir Richard de Cantor arrives home he sadly finds his wife is in very fragile health; and is still suffering from the mental illness that had assailed her before his departure five years earlier. However, he also finds a lovely though unfamiliar woman has taken over the management of his home; someone who has a distinct dislike for Templar Knights and who seems to be annoyed that the Lord of the Manor has returned home unannounced. Meeting Lady Margaret Newcomb causes Richard to feel the stark ache of desire and an unwelcome longing for a women's touch and affections that challenge his most sacred vows.

Lady Margaret Newcomb, youngest daughter of the Earl of Welton, was sent to Hawksley Manor to serve as a nurse companion to her ailing Cousin Eleanor because her father felt the lowly position would teach his daughter obedience and remorse for her past licentious behavior. Meg, although devoted to Eleanor, is willing to perform any menial servant's task so she can stay at the Manor; rather then be forced to return to the life of pain and anguish she was made to suffer when her father sent her to the nunnery. When Meg meets Richard she can't believe how attracted she is to the strong handsome knight with the mesmerizing green eyes, but she knows she must deny her feelings.

Talented author, Mary Reed McCall weaves a powerfully enthralling and heartfelt romantic story around true historical events. She gives her readers an intensely emotional story of the hero, Richard; a tortured soul and a brave and honorable knight who not only must defend himself and the holy order he truly believes in, against a corrupt investigation by the French Inquisition, but who is also forced to return home to confront the heartrending tragedy that caused him to join the Templars in the first place. The author unveils an equally poignant story of our heroine Meg, a gentle caring woman with a strong spirit and a passionate loving nature; whose only sin was to fall in love with a young man below her station, thereby thwarting her father's demand she make an advantageous marriage to a wealthy nobleman.

Ms. McCall skillfully writes a convincing and compelling adventure with many surprising plots twists and turns that keep the reader captivated; as she brings these two emotionally scarred people together, against seemingly unbeatable odds ~ to give them a second chance at a love to last a lifetime.

This was an extremely satisfying story and I heartily look forward to her next book in the series: SINFUL PLEASURES.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great! Great! Great!, March 20, 2006

By 

Pamela Marshall "RomanceLover" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond Temptation: The Templar Knights (Mass Market Paperback)

The plot was described above. I really enjoyed this book, loved the h/h and their chemistry, the secondary characters, and the incredible tension near the end of the book. I literally bit my nails until I didn't have anymore. I encourage anyone to try this book. I have no idea how any romance lover could dislike it. This is part of a series and I plan on ordering the first book and purchasing the rest.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Medieval Romance, October 24, 2007

By 

Alianore (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond Temptation: The Templar Knights (Mass Market Paperback)

Beyond Temptation hooked me from the very first page and didn't let me go until the end. The early fourteenth century is depicted with great accuracy and care, the hero Richard is extremely sexy, brave but warm and tender, and the heroine Meg is great too, strong, independent and passionate - none of your wishy-washy heroines here. I don't understand a previous review that said there's no chemistry between Richard and Meg - for me, their attraction to each other blazed right off the page, and I've rarely read a romance where I was cheering a couple on as much as I did in Beyond Temptation. They're meant for each other, despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their way.

Philip IV of France's arrest of the Knights Templar and the terrible treatment they faced is brilliantly portrayed, and I was delighted to see such a sympathetic depiction of Edward II of England, who did his best to help the Templars.

In conclusion, Beyond Temptation is a compelling, exciting, and moving love story, with countless obstacles and problems for the hero and heroine to face. Both of the main characters are very likeable and come across as real people with pasts, and some of the minor characters have their own novels, which I'm now reading. :)