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Synopsis

Setting: England 1349

Sensuality: 7

With one look, 9-year-old Lady Amiranth St. Clare fell hopelessly in love with Tristan Geraint, while Tristan never gave the girl a second glance, that is until her family agreed to an arranged marriage. At 15, Amiranth thinks her dreams are coming true until she overhears Tristan tell a friend that he is marrying her only for her impeccable bloodlines. His words cut her to the bone, and when he leaves her a week after the wedding to fight for his king in France, she feels betrayed and abandoned. Neither of them know that Tristan will be wounded, imprisoned, and absent from England for eight long years--years that teach Amiranth bitter lessons about men, life, and trust.

The memory of his young wife has kept Tristan sane during torture and isolation. He returns to find a beautiful, hauntingly familiar woman who claims to be Amiranth's cousin, Lily, and she tells him that his young wife has died in the plague that has decimated England.

Both Tristan and Amiranth (posing as Lily to escape her former life) have deep secrets they refuse to share, and both are drawn inexorably to each other. Now Tristan must not only accompany Amiranth to safety, but he must find a way to retake his position as Earl of Haverlocke, a title now claimed by his younger brother. He needs Amiranth's help to do so, and the two strike a bargain, working together in a castle filled with intrigue and treachery. They can't trust the nobles that surround them, but can they trust each other when eight years apart have taught them to rely on no one but themselves?

The Secret Swan is a tale of two people wedded as youthful strangers, separated, and brought together again as adults who have been tested by time and heartache. This deeply emotional and intense story not only has superb characterization, but also features a terrific plot, a complex villain, and a wonderful setting. Author Shana Abe just keeps getting better and better with each new novel, so if you love fine historical romance, don't miss The Secret Swan. --Lois Faye Dyer

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