reviewed by
ANNA C. BOWLING
Jane Leslie, the youngest of Jock Leslie's ten children, is a child of nature, a natural healer with the ability to communicate with animals. Lynx de Warrenne, a warrior for Edward Plantagenet, lives to fight for his king, and when he needs an ally in Jock, agrees to handfast with Jane for a year and a day. As widower Lynx desperately wants a child, he vows that any child born to Jane during their union will be legitimate, but keeps his heart guarded. Jane suspects Lynx does not have her best interests at heart, though she is intrigued by strange visions of a lynx (the animal) that mirror Lynx's arrival in her life.
Lynx brings Jane to his family home, where she meets an ally and mentor in the form of his sister, Jory, lover to Robert the Bruce and an adversary in Alicia, Lynx's mistress, who has plans to turn things to her own advantage. Jane insinuates herself into life in the de Warrene household, through both her own her own healing talents and Jory's tutelage in how to handle Lynx. Jory and Robert's poignant yet ill fated romance sometimes threatens to overwhelm Lynx and Jane's story, while Lynx is off at war and Jane blooms with their child. Hardened warrior Lynx proves a tender father to be, sticking close by Jane through her delivery, though duty takes him away soon after their son is born. Still, the pair has been dancing around the issue of making their union permanent, physically intimate though trying to keep an emotional distance at times.
When Lynx returns, seemingly mortally wounded, family and friends must rally around. In one of the most touching wedding scenes I've read in a long time, Henley puts readers through the wringer as Jane grapples with the thought she might really lose Lynx, whom she has come to love. At the same time, she shows the strength of a mother's love for her child, and Jory steps in at a pivotal moment to illustrate the power of female friendship and sisterhood.
While this rousing Scottish romance of Braveheart's time will appeal to readers who want a good dose of medieval history with their romance, there are a few snags. Paranormal fans may wish Henley had put more emphasis on Jane's talent and visions, while those who prefer a straight historical may find the mentions superfluous; a stronger hand one way or the other may have given a more definite flavor. Lynx and Jane resume lovemaking apparently within days of childbirth, unless I read it wrong, and one healing technique Jane uses on Lynx may push buttons for some readers.
Rich in history, with a hero and heroine who grow to truly love each other, and filled with interesting characters, A Year and A Day is worth the read, and whets the appetite for Jory's own adventures in Infamous.
