Courageous by Dina L. Sleiman

Guilt-ridden by the mistakes of her past, Rosalind of Ipsworth joins a crusade to free captives from enemy prisons. She's determined to serve, train, and protect the children traveling with the crusaders even if it means sacrificing her life. Sir Randel Penigree feels much the same as he's haunted by past battle experiences. As Rosalind and Randel join together to lead the children, they are drawn to each other in spite of the fact that neither of them intends to ever marry. Will Rosalind and Randel find atonement for their past mistakes or will the shadows of the past lead them to lifetime isolation?

Courageous is the third novel in Dina L. Sleiman's Valiant Hearts series and features Rosalind and Randel, supporting characters from Chivalrous. The beauty of their love story lies in the divine redemption that overcomes the past, purifies the present, and lights their future path. It was a pleasure to observe the individual character development at each stage and how it later led to relationship development and romance. That part of the story was excellent. However, I was uncomfortable with the crusade setting. My knowledge of the Middle Age Crusades is limited, but I've always viewed them as misguided and unethical. The author did not glorify the crusades and created a worthy cause for fighting. Yet, the fact it was a crusade and that there were children involved just didn't sit well with me.

Courageous is my least favorite in this series by Dina L. Sleiman, but I'll keep it because I enjoyed its love story and its predecessors. If you've read Dauntless and Chivalrous, you'll probably be interested in Courageous.

Read an excerpt from Courageous by Dina L. Sleiman on the publisher's website.

Or read my reviews of Dauntless and Chivalrous on this blog.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."