Heart Duel by Robin D Owens is the third journey to the planet Celta where colonists of Earth live and develop their psi powers.

In previous books we have been introduced to Holm Holly, the heir to the powerful Holly family of fighters.  This is his story and that of Lark Collinson, a widow whose maiden name was Hawthorn, the family that the Holly's have been feuding with for years.

Lark is a healer who does not agree with the needless fighting which brings more and more people to the hospital where she works.  Keeping her distance from her family she does not want to be manipulated by them and maintains her married name of Collinson.  She knows she does not have a HeartMate and after the death of her husband she is now hoping to leave Druida and travel to a new life in Gael where she is hoping to become head of their medical facilities.  She is struggling against the wishes of her family to be allowed to do this and it is her mother's family, the Heathers who could potentially grant her the job or destroy her dreams.

Holm meanwhile also knows that he has no HeartMate, or that is what he believed after completing his three passages without connecting with them.  But his recent dreams dictate otherwise and when he meets Lark he knows that she is his HeartMate, a fact that is confirmed by his visit to a powerful matchmaker who tells him that he had to grow before he could meet her and that he believes that his recent trials enabled him to grow enough.  All he has to do is win her and persuade his family to accept her despite the fact that they are in a bitter feud with her own family.

Being pressured into a marrying Holm obtains her parents words that they will accept his HeartMate into the family, but he does not tell them who she is. 

Lark does not know that she has a HeartMate and Holm is forbidden by their laws to tell her. 

Spending more and more time together Lark and Holm struggle to put their differences aside but the feud is forever in the background and threatening to tear them apart.

The violence escalates and when an innocent is struck by a poisoned dagger things take a turn for the worse and Lark realises that they cannot have a life together.

But Holm is determined not to give up on their future and is willing to risk everything by breaking the rules.

With star-crossed lovers to rival Romeo and Juliet this is another powerful futuristic novel in a series that gets better and better with each book.  With a potent combination of tragedy, heartbreak and romance this is a book that should not be missed.

And of course there are a couple more unique kittens to provide the furry fun and humour. 

RATING : 
(if you need an explanation of the hearts ratings see my homepage)

Links to  online stores

Read an interview with Robin D Owens

Also by Robin D Owens: HeartMate and Heart Thief.

Visit Robin D Owen's website.