Daughter of a werewolf mother and human father, Cassidy Holt is orphaned by age seven and raised by her human aunt and uncle, who despise her wolf blood. At 22, determined to find her mother's family, Cassidy travels to London where she meets her distant cousin, Braden Forster, the powerful and charismatic Earl of Greyburn. Cassidy's wolf instincts are strong and she is drawn to the handsome earl, as he is to her. But Braden has devoted his life to preserving his clan's dynasty of werewolf blood, and due to a closely guarded secret, he believes that he cannot claim Cassidy as his mate. Instead, he betroths her to his younger brother, Quentin. As Cassidy struggles to come to grips with her werewolf heritage, she and Braden are drawn together by mutual passion. But Braden is a man of deep commitments and a tortured past that threatens any hope of a happy future for the two lovers. And falling in love couldn't have come at a more difficult time, for Braden's life and his leadership of the clan are endangered by the bitter hatred of an evil werewolf.
Krinard's world of werewolves, with their blend of human emotion and animal instinct, is every bit as believable as the novel's descriptions of London and the English countryside. The rigidly structured human society in which Braden and Cassidy live provides a stark contrast to the wildness of their wolf heritage, while Braden's darkness of soul is balanced by Cassidy's innocence and faith. Add a strong plot to this story of shape-shifting werewolves and heroic characters and the result is a terrific paranormal romance. --Lois Faye Dyer
From the acclaimed author of Prince of Shadows and Body and Soul comes the first novel in a powerful new trilogy, the story of a noble clan whose elegance belies a savage secret--and a man who sill stop at nothing to preserve his family's dynasty forevermore. . . . Braden Forster, Earl of Greyburn, has devoted his life to restoring the purity of his clan's werewolf blood. He spent years searching in vain for a distant American cousin, a woman whose wolf bloodline is a vital link in his family's heritage. Braden had thought Cassidy Holt was lost forever--until she appeared one rainy night on the steps of his London mansion . . . her raven hair in disarray, her skin scented with sunlight and sagebrush. As Braden whisks young Cassidy to his family's secluded country estate, both can sense their undeniable attraction. But Cassidy soon learns that they can never satisfy their mutual passion; Braden has already betrothed her to another. Her only hope of claiming the one man she'll always love is to unravel the dark and lustful secrets of his past . . .