3 Stars Short and to the point. I like that it is based on a real tale and that you get to see a positive portrayal of a non-white in that era in Europe. It was too short to really get a full assessment of the story. My brain had a hiccup with the main male character. I just kept seeing him in my head as Merida's (you know from Brave?) dad and it just... yeah it didn't work for me. Good overall. Also, Alyssa mentioned some of the books she used for researching the novel and those sound like something that would be up my alley. Cover 3; Characters 2; Pace 3; Plot 3; Writing 4; Enjoyment 3.

For a short story (MAYBE novella), Cole does a wonderful job setting the scene for this medieval romance featuring a black woman and a white Scottish Highlander. Agnes Moor was taken in by King James IV's court as an 'exotic' and while she finds the court friendly than most, she lives with daily reminders she is other. During a tournament, the King decides a kiss from Agnes shall be the prize for the victor and one knight seems determined to win the favor. When the "Wild Knight" emerges victorious, it turns out he is actually the Laird of a Scottish clan and someone with whom Agnes shared a charged encounter a while back. Someone who is here for far more than a kiss. Super fun, super sexy story. I only wish there was more to it.

My Year of Historical Romance - Book 9 Late Medieval (likely 1507/08 given the real event the story is based on), Scottish highlands. Black FMC Alyssa Cole is a one in a million within Romancelandia; she is doing fantastic things not just in contemporary romance, but in historical romance too and covering so many different time periods as well as characters of different sexualities in history. This short story (and it is short story length not novella length) is no different, and is based on actual historical fact, and is actually entertaining, romantic and sexy, even for how short it is. Historical Romance does not begin and end with white people only in Regency England and I really really wish that more people would promote this fact.