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Robert Maxwell, Laird of Clan Maxwell, longs for peace and the end to a bloody feud with the English Grahams. In order to achieve this, he decides to wed the oldest sister of the Graham family head. Robert enters into this agreement, much to the dismay of his entire clan, swearing to do whatever is necessary to make the alliance a happy one.

Caroline Graham is furious with her brother for signing her life away to the hated Maxwells. She has been convinced all her life no man would ever want her, the ugly sister, and she had planned to give herself to the Church as a nun. So she enters into this marriage determined to keep her icy demeanor (and her maidenhead) intact and show Robert just how unsuitable she was for a wife.

Robert is pleased when he meets Caroline and sets a course of seduction to convince her she is neither the ugly duckling she believes herself to be, nor the nun she desires to be. Caroline's walls are gradually beaten down by a very determined Robert, and she finds herself falling for him, all the while convinced he couldn't possibly love her.

An ancient legend stands in their way, however. There is a magical stone, taken from the scabbard of the legendary Excalibur, said to protect the possessor from harm. This stone is the basis for the nasty feud, and the cause of a deadly massacre 60 years previous. Problems escalate again upon the marriage of Robert and Caroline, as her greedy brother wants the stone for his own.

Can Caroline and Robert overcome their fears and plaguing doubts? Will their binding relationship put an end to the feud forever as legend proclaims?

Ms. Holling has woven an intricate tale of passion, greed, and vengeance. This book runs the gamut of emotions and desire. The characters are engaging, though it took this reviewer a while to warm up to Caroline. The plot is seamless and the legend of Excalibur is worked in effortlessly. The story is slow going for the first few chapters, but once it picks up, the reader will not be disappointed.

One will be eagerly waiting to see how the rest of the story pans out in successive books. This is a delightful read and comes highly recommended.

Ms. Holling has created a very nice read with the first of her "Brides of the Bloodstone" series. With a mystery surrounding a mythical stone two families are bound to the other looking for a way to hold the stone.

Robert Maxwell is looking for peace for his family and clan. This bold Scottish leader decides that the easiest way to do this is to marry Caroline Graham. Marrying this lass will solve two problems. One, it will insure peace between the feuding families, and two, hopefully Carolines' brother will honor the agreement by freeing his brother that is being held hostage. Robert wants this thing to work so he is willing to be patient with his new bride, but will he be able to thaw the ice that seems to surround her on all sides?

Caroline Graham wants to be a nun. A bride of Christ, not a bride of Robert Maxwell. She knows though that her wishes are the least to be considered. Men, after all think of them only as pawns in their quest for peace. Despite Caroline's stubborn nature, she can't help but wonder if her husband is truly sincere when it comes to her. Can he really find her pretty, and desirable? Only time will tell but can she trust her heart to such a man? Is it her heart he wants to hold, or the mythical stone?

This was a nice well written read. Robert and Caroline were interesting characters although Caroline after a time became a bit too much. Thankfully she had a hero with patience which balanced out the read. Ms. Holling is a talented author and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Official Reviewer for Romance Designs

I am somewhat new to Jen Holling's works but I have found this book to be a continuing work of her excellence in writing. I had never before been much interested in European background based novels, but Jen has a way of keeping you going with each page and drawing you right into the story itself. I have enjoyed this novel and will keep on reading her works. She has obviously done her homework and has done it well!