The illegitimate Romany son of a nobleman, Viscount Emilian St. Xavier has spent his entire lifetime on the edge of two worlds.  Half gypsy and half gadjo he doesn’t know where he belongs.  His heart lies with his gypsy half and his life lies with his English half and never the two shall meet.  Emil is used to the whispers and stares that he has been subjected to since his now deceased father found him and brought him to Derbyshire to live.  Educated at the finest schools and excelling in business, Emil is still aware of his Roma roots and when his Roma family comes to Derbyshire with devastating news of his mother, Emil doesn’t hesitate to join them and forget about his life as an Englishman for a while. When the caravan settles on de Warenne land and Emil comes face to face with Ariella, he sees the perfect opportunity to get revenge – by using the fair and innocent Ariella de Warenne.

Ariella de Warenne is not like other women her age.  Innocent yet educated, she loves to travel and read about history and immerse herself in all things educational. She isn’t captivated by balls and gowns but by real life experiences and things that she can learn.  When a band of gypsies invade her father’s land and she accompanies her father to their camp, Ariella’s life changes in an instant. When her curious and avid gaze meets that of Emil, the leader of the camp, Ariella knows in a millisecond that what she is feeling is forbidden and dangerous but she can’t help herself.  Unable to stay away from Emil, she and he embark on an illicit affair, an affair that each knows must end – an affair that neither counts on as becoming necessary for their existence.    

Brenda Joyce was one of the first historical romance authors I ever had the fortune of reading.  Her work thrilled me years ago and it thrills me no less today, years later.  A Dangerous Love is gripping and very forceful.  I could not stop thinking about Emilian and how he treated Ariella.  While he wanted to hate her, he couldn’t and that very fact made him livid.  He wanted to hate her and while his Roma side was almost like not having a conscience, his English side fought for him to love her.  Ariella, like all de Warenne’s fell in love immediately and completely.  No other man would ever do for her and she was the perfect balance between vixen and innocent.  She was patient and often times I wanted to just smack Emilian but in Ariella’s unassuming way she loved him, flaws and all.

A Dangerous Love is my idea of a historical romance.  I don’t think you can get any better than this.  Brenda Joyce is just emphatically one of the most talented historical romance authors I have ever read and I don’t envision my opinion changing any time soon.