Elena, daughter of the widowed Baron of Hawk’s End, is betrothed to be married. Unfortunately, after a tryst with a traveling minstrel, she is no longer a virgin. Fearing the discovery of her secret will unravel the tentative friendship between her father and Lord John William Giles, the young Baron of Dragon’s Reach, Elena and her maid Anna set off to find a witch to work a spell to hide her “shame.”

Instead of a witch, Elena encounters Smedley, the witch’s housekeeper. For two bits of gold, he offers to solve her problem. He does, sort of… Now Elena’s invisible. Such a typical male, claiming to be able to do something he obviously can’t do.

Worried that someone from Elena’s household murdered his father, Lord Giles has waited a year to claim his betrothed. When he arrives at the castle, it’s with his sorcerer, Markham. He expects treachery, but not in the conniving arms of Elena’s seductive cousin, Camilla.

If you’re into women’s liberation, powerful heroines, complex plots, and explicit sex, this story’s not for you. It is, however, a very sweet, simple, and straightforward romance that makes you sigh and go Awww at the end. Baron of Dragon’s Reach is perfectly suited for its short story format. Shereen Vedam has a solid voice and a good grasp of her characters and their motives. In this era, its lack of detailed sexual descriptions actually makes it stand out among its competitors. It’s a gentle tale I’d feel comfortable giving to my grandmother or mother to read.