These Harlequin Historicals always serve as a dish of entertainment. They're not too deep but they still manage to draw me into the whatever historical setting the author is writing about. 

The Iron Warrior Returns is full of the usual romance, mystery, and the third act drama that one can expect. But I really did enjoy the characters in this one. They were not the two-dimensional archetypes that you can sometimes get, which was welcome.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Michelle Willingham’s The Iron Warrior Returns is an evocative and enthralling Medieval romance that sweeps readers into a world of passion, emotion, adventure and vengeance.

Morwenna cannot remember a time when she wasn’t head over heels in love with Robert of Penrith. Despite the vast social chasm that divided them, Morwenna and Robert had grown up together and although she was a humble miller’s daughter, Morwenna’s heart firmly belonged to Robert. When Robert loses his lands to a nefarious earl who causes his people endless suffering, the determined and intelligent warrior vows to do everything in his power to take back what is rightfully his. Robert is going to use his skills and every weapon in his arsenal to take back his lands – even if it means having to wed his arch-nemesis’ daughter!

It breaks Morwenna’s heart to see Robert jumping through hoops in order to win another woman’s hand. With Robert having put himself in danger for his people, Morwenna decides to help him out the best way she can in order for him to reach his objective and claim back what is his – even if it means watching the man she loves marry another. With jeopardy round every corner and nobody they can trust, Robert and Morwenna must rely on one another to ensure that nothing gets in the way of their mission – not even the sizzling attraction that has flared between them…

Robert knows that he should focus on winning Lady Gwendoline’s hand and not allow his desire for Morwenna to put his mission in danger. However, Morwenna haunts his thoughts and dreams and has got under his skin like no other woman has before. With the stakes having never been higher, Robert finds himself torn between his duty to Penrith and his people and the woman he wants with every fiber of his being.

With the odds stacked against them, is a future for Robert and Morwenna at all possible? Or is their love simply not meant to be?

Michelle Willingham’s The Iron Warrior Returns is a vivid, atmospheric, beguiling and passionate Medieval romance that is hard to resist. A friends-to-lovers historical romance that so beautifully evokes the period it is set in, The Iron Warrior Returns is a sumptuous tale of love, loyalty and belonging with a resourceful, honorable and resilient heroine and a strong, powerful and noble hero who will keep readers turning the pages until the early hours of the morning.

A wonderfully written historical romance that delivers on all counts, Michelle Willingham’s enjoyable new Medieval The Iron Warrior Returns is sure to dazzle readers everywhere.

Good friends to lovers story. The book opens as Robert of Penrith, his half-brother Piers, miller's daughter Morwenna and her younger brother Brian have all been taken captive after Penrith castle was attacked. They don't know why, but they sense that escape is their only option if they want to live. They pull it off and go into hiding for the next two years.

Robert was sickly as a child, so he didn't have the warrior training he should have had as the heir to Penrith. Instead, he was kept indoors and spent much of his time reading. After the attack that killed his father and gave his lands to someone else, Robert felt guilty that he hadn't been able to defend his people. He spent the two years of exile training every day, waiting for his opportunity to regain his lands. He was aided by Piers, with whom he has a strained relationship, and Morwenna, who trained alongside the men. When Robert hears that the new Earl of Penrith will hold a competition to choose his daughter's husband, he sees it as the perfect opportunity to regain his lands.

However, this isn't as easy as it sounds. Robert can't just ride up, announce who he is, and join the competition. He disguises himself as a serf and sneaks in to check things out, accompanied by Morwenna. While things look prosperous and well run, he quickly learns that everything is not as it seems. An encounter with a serf who remembers him reveals that the new earl rules with cruelty and an iron fist. He also finds resentment from the others that he didn't stay and fight. Wracked with guilt over what he's learned, Robert swears that he will find a way to rescue his people. He spends a few days undercover before presenting himself under an assumed name as a contender for Lady Gwen's hand.

In the meantime, Morwenna wants to do her part, even though Robert has refused her help. She disguises herself as a lady in distress and gains entrance to the castle and access to Lady Gwen. Morwenna tries to push Robert as the best contender, but Gwen has her eye on someone else. Her deception becomes especially dangerous when the new earl suspects she isn't who she says she is.

The tension ramps up as unexpected twists put both Morwenna and Robert in extreme danger from the earl. There is nail-biting drama as they barely escape with their lives. Robert still has big plans on winning back his lands and pursues an idea that Morwenna feels has a low chance of success. Meanwhile, Morwenna gets some shocking news about a pendant that belonged to her mother and what it may mean to her future. A final encounter with the earl causes a change in perspective for Robert and presents a different path.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Morwenna and Robert. She has loved him for years and can't help dreaming of the impossible. I loved her strength of will as she trained alongside the men so that she could be near him. I ached for her when Robert started talking about using marriage to Gwen to get his lands back. Robert is blind to Morwenna's feelings for him and treats her the same as the others. That changes when they play their parts at Penrith, and he suddenly sees her for the beautiful woman she is. Unfortunately, he still has tunnel vision regarding regaining his lands and fights his feelings for her. Even rescuing her from mortal danger doesn't derail his plans, though he admits that there's something between them. I ached for Morwenna as she gave up her dreams. Though I mainly wanted to shake Robert for turning his back on love, I also understood his motivation. There are a couple of twists and turns yet to come, where Morwenna and Robert have choices to make that could change everything. I liked the ending and the decisions they made. The epilogue was terrific.

The secondary characters are critical to the story. Morwenna's younger brother Brian is protective of her but is only fifteen. There are several scenes where he plays a vital role, but he feels like he let her down. He joins a group on the way to the Crusades as a penance for his failings. Robert's half-brother, Piers, has always resented his illegitimacy and Robert's place as heir. He sees the competition as a way to get what he's always wanted. There is an interesting turn of events involving him, and I liked how Robert stepped up to support him. Lady Gwen turned out to be a bit of a surprise. I thought she'd be one of those spoiled and over-protected types, but she's a kind and compassionate woman with a stronger will than I expected. I liked her immediate friendship with Morwenna, even when she knew the truth. Her appearance later in the book was a surprise, and I loved her part. I hope these characters get their own books because I'd love to see what happens to them.

Book: The Iron Warrior Returns
Author: Michelle Willingham
ASIN: B09LR5TN26
Series: The Legendary Warriors, Book #1
Release Date: April 26, 2022
Publisher: Harlequin
Print Length: 265
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Blog Rating: 5 Saltire Flags

England, 1207

The King ordered Robert of Penrith’s castle to be savagely attacked and burned to the ground! As the Earl, his wife and many of the people were slaughtered. Due to the Earl’s son Robert being a sick child he grew up in isolation, he was advised to hide during the attack. He did not know how to defend himself, which caused his father to always be ashamed of his son and heir. The reason the King ordered this vicious attack is because his father refused to pay King John’s outrageous taxes! Yet it seemed that the soldier’s were also searching for the Miller’s teenage children, Morwenna and her younger brother Brian for some unknown reason. It was odd since they were only servants children, so Robert and his half-brother Piers try to rescue them where were abducted too. Were they being held for ransom or to be tortured and set as an example? However, no one knew the answer, but they weren’t taking any chances either. plus Brian felt he and his older sister Morwenna were being tracked for some reason.

The highly intelligent Robert finds a way for he, his half-brother Piers, Morwenna and Brian to escape their captivity. Robert could always easily figure out ways to put complicated things or situations together or apart, as he has a very clever mind and is a very thorough thinker. They found a place to hide at first it was his Uncle’s Abbey, but the monks didn’t want a woman under their roof for the obvious reasons. So after a few days they left, as they weren’t going to abandon Morwenna! They ended up at the ruins of Stansbury, it was a fortress that once belonged to his father and was their home for the next two years. Robert’s Uncle got them weapons and they trained hard everyday where all of them now had muscular bodies even Morwenna. What Robert doesn’t realize is Morwenna only did this to be close to him as she had fallen madly in love with him. Unfortunately Robert only sees her as another warrior, a dear friend, a family member, as she does realize that she will only end up with a broken heart! Morwenna knows the reality of the situation where she is only a serf and is too far beneath him in rank.

Now Robert who had so much guilt for running and hiding these past two years! He was only focused on getting his revenge, title, castle, property and his people of Penrith back! He was waiting for the perfect opportunity to present itself and now it has. As he discovers the new Earl of Penrith is looking for a husband for his sheltered daughter Gwendoline. He is having a feast where their were going to be many competitions for her hand in marriage, the winner will get to wed his daughter if she agrees. So he must learn how to woo her, the problem is Robert has no experience with women! Therefore he asks Morwenna for help and what choice did she really have! Already feeling jealous, how is Morwenna going to be able to watch Robert woo another woman without breaking her heart? When they arrive near the fields Robert notices the unusual silence and soon discovers how his people are being mistreated! They are working the fields to the bone, starving and being physically abused, violated, defiled and even murdered in some circumstances. It was horrible and Robert knew he would never abandon his people again!

Whlle they are there Morwenna goes to her families former destoyed home and finds some of her mother’s personal items that puts her life in danger. In womens clothing Robert opens his eyes seeing Morwenna dressed like a Noble woman Robert sees Morwenna in a whole new light. He always had feeling toward her she wasn’t aware of but this was even harder and after they share a kiss that totally opens Robert’s heart. It’s more than a physical attraction which makes it so much more difficult. Yet his people,are suffering pulling his heart strings wanting to save them! He know marrying Lady Gwendoline would be a loveless marriage and only needed her for get all that was lost to him during that attack two years ago. Soon he will have to make a difficult decision to wed for love or to save his people from a lifetime of torture, abuse and murder! Which woman will he chose? Does he even really have a choice? Can he watch Morwenna marry another man or leave? Will Morwenna have her heart shattered or fight for the man she loves? Read and find out!

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader’s copy from Harlequin Publishing. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

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Four and a half stars

The Iron Warrior Returns by Michelle Willingham is the first in her Legendary Warriors series from Harlequin Historicals.

Robert of Penrith barely escapes with his life the night his father is killed. For two years, he and his half brother Piers train together and build toward restoring their relationship. Morwenna and her brother, Brian, also survive that attack and join them.

Robert is determined to retake Penrith from the current Earl and to properly care for the people. One possible avenue is winning the current earl’s daughter’s hand. Morwenna simply wants to be with Robert, but her common background means that is out of the question.

Michelle Willingham’s plotting is exciting and her characters ring true. This was a great start to the series, and I’m eager to read the books to come.

Medieval best friends.

I liked this medieval best friends to more book.
Robert is trying to help his people, his solution? Marry.
Only, his best friend has been crushing on him for ever, but Morwenna is willing to help him marry to help his people. By marry, I mean to marry someone who is not Morwenna. Robert is definitely a bit clueless (or tunnel visioned). I did enjoy the settings, the medieval time period and that Robert and Morwenna were friends.

Recommend.
4.5

This book definitely took a left turn for me, in a very good way!

At the start, I found the relationship between Morwenna and Robert to be a bit ho hum. I didn't mind her as a heroine, but he wasn't doing much for me. I was also expecting low heat between the two of them, maybe a chaste kiss.
Ok, I was wrong.
The heat was high medium, very good, and followed a believable arc for two people with no previous sexual experience. Robert had a great character arc and by the end definitely fit the bill of "medieval romance hero" and I was really pulling for him to figure things out with Morwenna.
There were some side characters who I believe are getting their own books, which I would be interested in reading.
I'll have a longer review on my booktube in my April Wrap Up the first week of May!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwZwP8_3-e4ytCPK-MCpcqQ/videos

3.75/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing a review copy!

I'm really liking going back into medieval times this one 1200's aka King James time in England. We get friends to lovers with this one, Morwenna has had a crush on Robert the whole time they get away and learn how to fight. Robert is trying to figure out how to help his people, but he is a little bit an ass and doesn't notice Morwenna for who she really is, even when its right in front of him.

Loved the setting, castle and woods- the characters and the set up for more of this series. I'm excited to see where we go!

4 stars
3.5 steam

Thanks to Harlequin for a copy of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, an incredibly sweet friends to lovers, unrequited love story that had just about everything. Romance, adventure, action, and a promise of more lovely stories from this same universe. The ending was satisfying and the characters were delightful. This was my first Harlequin Historical and I can’t wait for more. Thanks netgalley for the advance copy!