When Finnula Crais learns that her older sister is pregnant, she agrees to participate in the tradition of "man-napping" to earn money for her sister's dowry. Her quarry is not what she expects: instead of kidnapping a lowly knight returning from the Crusades with his riches, she finds herself saddled with Hugo Fitzstephen, Earl of Stephensgate. Over the days in which Finnula holds him captive, they succumb to passion. When the truth about his identity comes to light, Finnula's brother and the earl himself insist that the two marry. The pair meets with adversity in the form of Hugo's cousin, who has mismanaged the estate in the earl's absence. However, despite murder attempts, suspicion falling on Finnula's past, and a great deal of misunderstanding, true love triumphs. While the secondary characters are drawn with broad strokes, both Finnula and Hugh are well-crafted characters with likable personalities and real depth. The setting seems well researched, with enough detail that readers can clearly picture this 13th-century English hamlet. Cabot, writing as Princess Mia Thermopolis, has imbued this novel with enough humor to counteract the sometimes overly earnest love story. Witty dialogue and a plot that contains plenty of twists and turns work together to keep even the most jaded readers turning the pages. Cabot fans and romance readers alike will fall in love with feisty Finn and her strong, passionate earl.-Karen E. Brooks-Reese, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA