Warrior's Taking Book

The heroine has no had an easy life but she is resilient and determined to provide a loving home for her 2 young charges who have recently lost their own father. Never will they endure the horrors she had when she was left penniless and put into a girls school that didn't feed her of keep her warm in the winter. So, now that all of their futures are once again in question, she works hard to earn as much money as she can in hopes of caring for the 2 young girls who need her so much. One, day while collecting shells from the beach to sell in the market, she stumbles upon an unconscious man who has washed up from the ocean. When the man comes to, she in stunned by his beauty but more so by his arrogance and dismissive personality. She'd had to deal with such people all her life and one more will not break her, no matter how hansom this one may be. The hero is on a mission and nothing will prevent him from succeeding. He's been sent forward in time to collect a precious stone which will destroy the enemy that murdered his father. He's not expecting to remain in this world for very long and he's determined to not interact with the locals as much as he can. It's not hard to do because he is quite arrogant. As a prince, he's had everything given to him. He is rich, he is hansom and he's had his choice of willing females. He is also magically gifted and while he's prevented from using his magic now in case it attracts the enemy's attention, he is still dismissive of those less magically inclined. But when his quest for the stone turns up empty, he is forced to stay with the improvised woman who frustrates him to no end. It's slowly and without his complete awareness that he begins to soften towards the woman and 2 girls who depend in her. He is disgusted by how she is openly mocked and bullied by the towns folk and whenever possible he stands up for because she never defends herself. He is also stunned that the local men don't see how beautiful she is despite her shabby clothing. Still, he's not permitted to feel this way towards a woman whom he can never be with, however, that doesn't stop him from falling deep under her spell. The heroine feels like she's carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders what with the threat of being evicted from the house and having the girls taken away from her. She afraid to trust this foreign man to help her but whenever she is suffocating under the pressure and hopelessness of her situation, she finds herself in his arms and he's telling her he will sort everything. Dare she hope for a bit of good luck after a lifetime of bad?
What a marvelous book and such a strong but tortured heroine. I loved her character more than I can say because she was so damn admirable and relatable. She's had to make due all her life and never has anything seemed to work out for her but despite the constant misfortune, she has fought her way through. But she's up against a mountain now. The new owner of the estate has come home and he is determined to put the girls in that horrid school and kick the heroine out into the streets. But she doesn't fear for herself, she fears for those 2 girls. She had no self esteem and couldn't fathom any man paying any attention to her. She never fought back against any rude comments said openly to her face and she was under so much pressure to find a solution to her problems that, as the reader, you could feel that waves crashing against her. But, she had a kind soul and a selflessness that made her the perfect woman for the hero, though he fought it at first. He too was a great character who certainly evolved as the story progressed. He paid more attention to those around him and after seeing the heroine's struggles, vowed to see every single one of them repaired before he leaves. Together they had great chemistry and they didn't immediately fall into bed together which I also admired. Instead, it was a steady progression as they became less and less able to deny the growing attraction between them. The plot was interesting but perhaps a bit simple. The enemy didn't appear until the end but there was always this looming cloud of evil throughout the story as the suspense hung over the little English village. This author is truly gifted and I can't wait to read more.