FROM ASH AND STONE by Julie Daines

Lady Margaret Grey of Hartfell wants for nothing. The daughter of a knight, she has a loving family, wealth, and even a secret romance with the blacksmith's son. But all that is torn from her one fateful night when her home is attacked and her family killed. She is left with nothing but bitterness, an unwavering mistrust of men, and a strange and mysterious curse that allows her to feel the thoughts of anyone who touches her.

Now, after six years away, Margaret is returning home for one reason: revenge. She hopes that by avenging her family's deaths, she will somehow be freed from her curse. But it won't be easy. The identities of the raiders are still unknown, she has little left to her name, and traveling alone in the Northumbrian hills during the border wars is dangerous. Matters are further complicated by handsome Angus Robson, a Scotsman whose charm threatens to distract her from her plans. But the raiders are closer than she knows, and Margaret soon realizes that what she believed to be a curse may be the key to finding those she seeks. One touch will reveal the truth.

 Opening line:
"Margaret laid on the ground with her eyes closed."

Margaret lives in the time of King Henry VIII and she lives in the path of men, on both sides of the border of Scotland and England, who raid homes with no thought to the people's lives they destroy except to take what they want.

Margaret's family died at the hands of such a band of reivers, and she has come home for revenge. Her plan is simple: find the man responsible for leading the attack on her family and kill him. Then, maybe, she will find the peace she desires for her family and herself.

Of course, Ms. Daines throws in the perfect guy to distract Margaret from her goals. Meet Angus Robson. Poor fool practically fell in love with "Meg" as he likes to call her. But Meg constantly pushes him away. She has a secret, a curse, that keeps her from any contact with skin. When she touches bare skin, she "hears" the thoughts and desires of those whom she touches. This is another reason she wants to kill the person responsible for her family's death: she hopes it wipes out the curse.

In the meantime, Angus is always trying to rescue her, which Meg can do on her own. She's quick, smart and knows how to use a crossbow. But sometimes, we need someone who loves us to save us from ourselves. And sometimes, we need to show mercy to those we hate.

Ms. Daines does a marvelous job of building her characters and the slow burn of the romance. Because of her, I was late to work! I couldn't put the book down!

FIVE STARS!