Hearts of Steel

Five fierce heroines. Five fearless warriors. Five unforgettable beginnings.

In an age of honor, vengeance, and unbreakable vows, these powerful medieval romances forge the first sparks of epic love stories—each the opening chapter in a bestselling author’s beloved series.

From mystical gifts and healing magic to Viking exiles, clan feuds, stolen memories, and forbidden desire, this collection celebrates the strength of women who choose their own fate and the warriors bold enough to stand beside them.
Steel may shape the battlefield, but only love can temper the heart.

A Knight for Kallen — Alexa Aston

Raised in a convent and gifted with the ability to read auras, Kallen finds herself under the protection of a grief-hardened knight who has vowed never to love again. But when a royal bastard seeks to use her gift to steal the throne, only Griffith’s courage—and their growing bond—can change the course of a kingdom.

Highland Prodigy — Willa BlairJamie Lathan hides a forbidden gift: the power to heal, a magic that could cost him his life. When apprentice healer Aftyn discovers the truth, their forbidden love forces them to choose between clan duty and the future only they can create together.

Taming the Wolf — Virginie MarconatoWaking without her memory in a slave market, Merewen is claimed by Wolf of the North—an exiled Norseman who sees courage where others see only captives. He offers her freedom if she’ll become his wife, but resisting him grows harder than resisting fate itself.

Picking Up the Gauntlet — Elizabeth RoseLady Raven Blake refuses to be a trophy in her father’s tournament and secretly commissions the castle’s new armorer to forge her battle gear. But when passion ignites between a noblewoman and a common warrior, their forbidden love puts both their lives—and hearts—on the line.

Knight in Her Bed — Sue-Ellen WelfonderAccused of murdering a MacInnes woman, Laird Donall MacLean lands in the dungeon of the fiery Lady Isolde—chieftain of his clan’s sworn enemies. As desire flares between captor and captive, Isolde must choose between her clan’s vengeance and the warrior who could destroy—or save—her heart.

Previously published works, collected here for the first time to bring you five unforgettable beginnings in medieval romance.