Tender Crusader — Linda Lang Bartell

The Holy Land at the time of the Crusades -- a place of chivalrous deeds and treacherous intrigue -- where scented oils perfume the air and the hot sun arouses forbidden desires...

Defiantly independent, Brielle d'Avignon leaves the safety of the French abbey of St. Bernadette to embark on a perilous journey: the search for her missing father rumored to have died in a Muslim dungeon. Dependent of Reynaud de St. Remy, the enigmatic Templar knight, for protection, Brielle is offended by his contempt for her mission -- one he is certain is a fool's errand. And yet, his voice makes her heart race and his touch sends a disturbing heat to her flesh.

The idealistic Reynaud de St. Remy entered the religious military order to please his father. Disillusioned with mankind and religion, he has little patience for this innocent beauty's misguided quest. But as they travel together, facing dangers at sea and betrayal on land, each step brings them closer to the truth about her father, and to a rousing passion that will test the bounds of love.