Last time with the Bardens...
Look, I get it. You've found a book to read but - horror of horrors - its the third in a series and you don't want to or haven't yet read the first two.
While technically a standalone novel with its own, contained plot, A Vow Made Twice features characters and references previous plot points which may be confusing for a new reader. With that in mind, I've created this quick and handy guide to the first two books.
ONE NIGHT IN HARTSWOOD
William de Foucart, known to the few friends he has as Penn, runs away from his father's keep and his own inheritance the night before his arranged marriage to a woman he's never met. Lost and starving in the dense woods that surround his father's keep, he meets Raff: a hunter who promises to help him escape after Penn tells him he's nothing more than a servant.
Unfortunately for them both, Raff is not who he seems either. Raff Barden, son of Lord Griffin Barden, is the brother of Lily - the woman Penn was supposed to marry. Both lying about who they are, they begin to travel northwards, attempting to deny the attraction blooming between them.
During the journey, filled with close-combat training and huddling for warmth, they run into Raff's elder brother, Ash, travelling alone. Ash pressures Raff to act upon his feelings, telling him how Penn reminds him of his own lost love, Oliver.
As the pair continue on, the lies cannot hold, and Raff admits who he really is. Keeping his tongue, Penn agrees to go with him to his ancestral home, Dunlyn Castle. Once there, all seems well - until Raff's Lordly father returns with the news that Penn's Father has become convinced that Raff has kidnapped his son, and is mounting a force to bring him back.
Refusing to let Raff come to harm, Penn disappears in the night to return south. Ash attempts to stop him, but is forced to let him go after Penn confronts him, asking who the mysterious Oliver really is. Ash admits he is dead: and understands that he cannot stand in Penn's way.
Upon learning that Penn has fled, Raff follows, fearing what his cruel father may do to him. Upon arrival to the keep, Raff is faced with a party preparing for war, and as he attempts to gain entry he is shot with a crossbow by Penn's father.
Convinced Raff is dead, Penn falls into despair, until his sister Johanna informs him that Raff was merely wounded, and locked away in the keep's cells. Penn pulls him out, but the wound has been left untreated and Raff's life still hangs in the balance, now threatened by the rot consuming him.
After weeks of waiting, rescue comes: unbeknownst to both men, Johanna has written to Raff's sister, Lily, to tell her what has happened, and the Barden family are marching south to collect their son. Aware that this is a battle his father cannot win, Penn convinces him and his counsellors to broker peace with a hostage: himself.
Against his will, Penn's father is forced to give him up. Penn returns to Dunlyn Castle with Raff, a hostage in name alone.
ALL THE PAINTED STARS
18 months after the events of One Night in Hartswood, we return to Lily and Johanna - Raff and Penn's sisters.
After the death of Lord de Foucart, Jo's father, her little half-brother has inherited the title of Earl. In order to maintain the family's power, and win back the favour de Foucart lost, the young earl's counsellors have decided to throw a mighty tournament. But the tournament is not just a celebration of the new earl: during the event, a husband will be chosen for Jo.
Lily, who has been enjoying her freedom after being publicly jilted, is horrified at this prospect for her friend. Determined to give Jo the freedom she's found, she steals her brothers' old armour, their childhood training shield, and a sword, and sets off disguised as a man to save Jo from the yoke of marriage.
Entering the tournament as William Dale, Lily finds herself succeeding, making a name for herself amongst the other knights. Meanwhile, Jo is introduced to Lord Adam, and his right hand man Sir Lanval. Lord Adam, it quickly becomes clear, is the man everyone intends for her to marry.
It doesn't take long for Jo to realise who the mysterious - and compelling - William Dale really is. After Lily is wounded, Jo goes to her tent to check on her, but both women are taken by surprise by an unknown man attempting to gain entry. Fearing for her friend's life, Jo does the only thing she can: she stabs the man, and both women run.
Jo and Lily find safety with a local brewster named Mabel. They stay with her and her family for some time, Lily recovering from her injuries and Jo getting familiar with the business of running a brewery. Slowly, their bond deepens, and Jo begins to realise that the way she feels about Lily may not be simple friendship after all.
But their stability cannot last, and one night, as Jo struggles with her newfound discovery about herself, the brewery is invaded by a would-be bandit named Noll. Lily and Jo manage to disarm him and see him off, and powered by relief and long-held tension they finally kiss.
Soon after, the women are informed of a sizable delivery Mabel must make to a local keep. Keen to be useful, and to pay her back for her care, they volunteer to make the delivery themselves. Little do they know that the delivery is going to Lord Adam's keep: the man Jo was supposed to marry. Suddenly trapped, Jo fears she will have to go through with the match after all... until they come up with a plan involving William Dale to ruin the wedding and save her from Lord Adam's grasp.
In the prologue, Jo and Lily have taken over a small, run-down brewery with Mabel's assistance, where they're able to live how they choose.
