Heart of the Hunter by Linda Anne Wulf

From Amazon - Eight years ago, Fianna Morgan defied royal forest law and her father by entering Dinsmore Wood - and then ran for her life after witnessing a crime. Since that day, she has kept a hopeful eye out for the young man who saved her life, swore her to secrecy, and disappeared into the forest. Now nineteen, Fianna is burned out of her tenant home and forced to serve Lord Graham at Dinsmore Hall - where she recognizes his son, Gareth, as her rescuer from Dinsmore Wood. Yet Gareth claims he has never met Fianna. Confusing her even more, he seems concerned for her safety, but acts rude and distant; nothing like her caring rescuer of eight years ago. Determined to make Gareth acknowledge their past connection, Fianna corners him - and gets far more than she bargained for.

The cover of this book caught my eye.  I wanted to know what or who she was hiding from and what or who she is peeking at.  Very dark and with a historical feel by the clothing she is wearing, I couldn't wait to crack open the story. 

The characters are complex and true to their time in history.  The romance blossoms slowly, the blush of love developed as the plot unfolds.  I didn't expect a serial killer, which was a delightful surprise and one that kept me riveted.  I wanted to know more about who did it then about the relationship blooming with Fiona and Gareth, but others readers may prefer the latter.  The pace is steady and this novel is easy to finish in one day .  Wulf writes with just the right amount of details to lend authenticity to the period, but it's her clever dialogue and multi-dimensional characters that make this novel shine.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.