An orphan and a man who has fought for his own survival, Wulfe is a Templar knight sworn to the order for life. He will defend the order and his brethren to his last, but protests when he is included in a mission to deliver a package to Paris on the cusp of an attack on Jerusalem. The assignment so vexes him so that he seeks distraction in a Venetian brothel. Wulfe does not expect to encounter a courtesan of beauty and wit, her appeal for his assistance—much less his own desire to fulfill her request...
Christina recognizes immediately that the grim knight offers the chance to escape a despised life and reclaim her legacy. All she has to do is convince Wulfe to accompany her out of the city, a challenge that demands more than the power of her touch—when Wulfe is attacked, she seizes the opportunity to prove her value to him and his quest, uncertain whether her wits will be sufficient.
As attacks mount and danger engulfs the small company, Christina is the one who guesses the contents of the Templar package—and holds the key to its successful delivery. Wulfe is shocked to realize that she has awakened the heart he forgot he possessed—and when she risks herself to see his mission completed, he must choose between his duty and his newfound love...
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The Champions of St. Euphemia series follows the quest of a group of knights entrusted with a treasure in Jerusalem which they must deliver safely to Paris on their way to their respective homes. They find adventure and peril on the way, as well as romance. Since the stories overlap and build upon each other, they should be read in order.
1. The Crusader's Bride
2. The Crusader's Heart
3. The Crusader's Kiss
4. The Crusader's Vow
5. The Crusader's Handfast
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Templar, knight, medieval, action adventure, quest, treasure, disguise, secret identity, lost heir, widow, arranged marriage, marriage of convenience, friends to lovers, scottish, highlander, may december, warrior, jerusalem, venice, paris, scotland, england, robin hood, fish out of water
Deborah Cooke sold her first book in 1992, a medieval romance called The Romance of the Rose published under her pseudonym Claire Delacroix. Since then, she has published over fifty novels in a wide variety of sub-genres, including historical romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, fantasy romance, time-travel romance, women’s fiction, paranormal young adult and fantasy with romantic elements. She has published under the names Claire Delacroix, Claire Cross and Deborah Cooke. The Beauty, part of her successful Bride Quest series of historical romances, was her first title to land on the New York Times List of Bestselling Books. Her books routinely appear on other bestseller lists and have won numerous awards. In 2009, she was the writer-in-residence at the Toronto Public Library, the first time the library has hosted a residency focused on the romance genre. In 2012, she was honored to receive the Romance Writers of America’s Mentor of the Year Award.
Currently, she writes paranormal romances featuring dragon shape shifter heroes under the name Deborah Cooke. She also writes medieval romances as Claire Delacroix. Deborah lives in Canada with her husband and family, as well as far too many unfinished knitting projects.