Rowan Fitzgavin journeys to Ireland in search of an heiress bride, but his plans go awry when he purchases a beautiful and spirited young woman from a slave merchant. The Heiress is the third book in Claire Delacroix's Bride Trilogy. It begins in London in 1172. Rowan de Montvieux has decided to accept his brother's challenge to wed the richest heiress in Ireland. On his way to Ireland he comes across a female slave who is not being treated very well. Despite her dirty, rag tag appearance her pride is still intact and Rowan finds himself attracted to her. She tells Rowan that her name is Ibernia. They come to an agreement whereby she is Rowan's property for a year and a day and then she will be free, but in return he has to agree that he will not touch her during this time. Ibernia is from Ireland and tells Rowan that she knows of Bronwyn of Ballyroyal, the richest woman in Ireland, and agrees to take him to her. As their journey continues all these promises made become harder to maintain.
They find themselves attracted to one another although hesitant to break their pact. So they make a new wager; Rowan pledges to win her willing surrender with no tool but his charm and if Ibernia manages to resist him on the journey to Ballyroyal she shall have her freedom. Let the games begin! I think this is the best book in the Bride Quest Trilogy. Claire Delacroix is one of the best writers in this genre. She manages to maintain the feelings of the time and the historical accuracy without dragging the reader down with unnecessary information. Her characters are multidimensional and I found Rowan to be an excellent hero. He had a great blend of sensitivity and the alpha traits that we all enjoy (in a novel). Claire Delacroix manages to mix love, laughter, and history into a story that cannot be put down! The Heiress is a fantastic end to a great Trilogy! You won't regret a minute that you spend with The Heiress... or anything else by Claire Delacroix.