Once He Loves [Hardcover]

Sara Bennett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2003

Lovely Briar Kenton has lived with loathing in her heart for two years. Now she has the opportunity to wreak vengeance upon Lord Radulf, the man she blames for the deaths of her stepmother and father, and the ruination of her family name. Briar's plan is simple, she intends to seduce the lord with her charming song and lush beauty, then let his indiscretion be known, destroying his happy family just as he destroyed hers. But the man who succumbs to her wiles is gentle and kind, filling her with unexpected tenderness. And it is not until later that Briar discovers she seduced not Radulf but his knight, Ivo de Vessey. Will her continuing quest for vengeance ruin her chance for love?

Product Details

• Hardcover: 374 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books (2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 073943277X
• ISBN-13: 978-0739432778
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,769,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What happens when you seduce the wrong man?, June 14, 2003

By 

baltimore0502 "Hon!" (BALTIMORE, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Once He Loves (Mass Market Paperback)

This third post-Norman invasion medieval from Sara Bennett follows "The Lily and the Sword" and "The Rose and the Shield". Briar Kenton has vowed revenge against Lord Radulf, known as the "King's Sword". She blames Radulf for her stepmother's death and her father's downfall (he was declared a traitor) and subsequent death. She also blames him for the life she and her sisters have been forced to live since - outcasts forced to serve and sing to survive. Lord Radulf is widely known to be desperately in love and completely devoted to his wife, the Lady Lily, so Briar decides to seduce Radulf, thus ruining his relationship with his Lily - see how he feels when his whole world crashes in around him!

And so, she lures him to her bed and, to her shock, it is not at all they way she imagined. He's sweet, gentle and the experience is the most wonderful and passionate of her life. This was not supposed to happen! And things go from bad to worse when she discovers that this is not Radulf in her bed, but one of his men, disgraced knight Ivo de Vessey! Good Lord, what has she done?!

Ivo de Vessey is also shaken by the passion they shared and eventhough she thought he was someone else, it can't erase her response - to him. And on the most primal level, he decides that this woman is now his. But Briar is so emotionally unglued at the moment, leaving her to her own thoughts is probably for the best. And anyway he is called away by his lord to help put down a skirmish in the north. But he vows to return to her.

Though Ivo is certain that they can make a future together, Briar is not so easily convinced. What will the future hold for a disgraced knight and the daughter of a traitor? And before we can have a happy ending, Ivo must face his malevolent brother Miles and put his past to rest. While Briar has to face some unhappy truths about what really happened to her stepmother. And in the background, we see the sweet, surprising romance that blossoms between Briar's innocent younger sister Mary and Ivo's worldly fellow mercenary Sweyn. These two are adorable together!

An enjoyable and recommended read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ONCE HE LOVES is a book not to be missed!, May 16, 2003

By 

Tara A. Green (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Once He Loves (Mass Market Paperback)

Raw sensuality combined with a story rich in historical detail gives this book high marks from HistoricalRomanceWriters.com!
Set in 1072 York, England ONCE HE LOVES takes you on a journey of passion, vengeance, and love. Briar aims to destroy Radulf, the knight who destroyed her life years ago. His attendance at the nobleman's great hall where she is to perform gives her the opportunity she has been waiting for. Using her gift of song to entrance him she sends out a very bold message, that she wants him and will have him. Her hope is for Radulf to betray his wife, Lilly, knowing this will destroy his life completely.

After a night of passion, Briar soon finds she has seduced the wrong man! Ivo de Vessey, one of Radulf's knights, is the man who falls under her spell and he is not going to let go easily. Ivo is a former knight, his hand disfigured, but he exudes danger and an attraction Briar finds undeniable. Briar instead decides to wield Ivo to her biding and exact revenge that way, though she finds she is at the mercy of the seductive pull Ivo has on her.

There are ties to Ms. Bennett's previous books, THE LILY AND THE SWORD and THE ROSE AND THE SHIELF though this book stands alone as a wonderful and fast-paced tale.

This book is more sensual than Ms. Bennett's previous books, and it is a daring move that puts Ms. Bennett's in the same category as Virginia Henley, another master who weaves romance, sensuality and history together to make the ultimate historical romance experience. Sara Bennett continues to be one of our favorites here at Romance Designs and with this book, we feel she is only getting better and better over time.

ONCE HE LOVES is a book not to be missed!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Her Best, November 27, 2006

By 

Baazumi (New York City, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Once He Loves (Mass Market Paperback)

Really Two & a Half Stars:

Being a fan of Sara Bennett's books, (Lily & the Sword", "Beloved Highlander" and "The Rose & the Warrior",) I looked forward to reading "Once He Loves". From the beginning of the book I found myself confused as to the character of Ivo -was he an oaf? - was he an interesting man? It was difficult to determine. Once he displayed his sexual talents, he came more to life, but thoroughout the story I found difficulty in feeling who he was- something was missing from the whole book, and it was depth and clarity of characters and story. As for the herione, Briar, she was so prickly and confused most of the time, it weakened her character, and you simply lost interest in her. (have you noticed how fragmented and confused female heriones are written?) If she called Ivo a "disgraced Knight" one more time, I would cringe. Sara Bennett usually writes strong, clear characters and stories which are great to relate to. However, in this book I don't think Ivo was given his due, and Briar became more and more fragmented as the story progressed. (SPOILER here) As for Jocelyn, how could she continue to hide her secret in the face of Briar's revenge? It just didn't make sense and overall didn't flow well. Sometimes you get the feeling the authors are so pressured to release a book a year by their publishers, they just spin them out.

Anyone can put words on a page, but it's those talented authors who move you and make them come alive. (Mary Stewart "The Crystal Cave"; "The Princess & the Barbarian" by Betina Krahn; Dark Queen Trilogy" by Susan Carroll (book 1 "The Dark Queen" - book 2 "The Courtesan", book 3 "The Silver Rose"; "Once a Warrior" by Karny Monk; "The Pize" by Julie Garwood, and "A Kingdom of Dreams" by Judith McNaught (although I bought 4 books by J. McNaught this was the only book I enjoyed though.