"Worthy of Legend" by Roseanna M White - Secrets of the Isles, book 3

After a summer of successful pirate-treasure hunting, Lady Emily Scofield and her friends must hide the unprecedented discoveries they've made, thanks to the betrayal of her own family. Horrified by her brother, who stops at nothing to prove himself to their greedy father, Emily is forced to take a stand against her family--even when it means being cut off entirely. Bram Sinclair, Earl of Telford, is fascinated with tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table--an interest he's kept mostly hidden for the last decade. But when a diary is unearthed on the islands that could lead to a secret artifact, Bram is the only one able to piece the legends together. As Bram and Emily seek out the whereabouts of the hidden artifact, they must dodge her family and a team of archeologists. In a race against time, it is up to them to decide what makes a hero worthy of legend. Is it fighting valiantly to claim the treasure . . . or sacrificing everything in the name of selfless love?

This was an exciting conclusion to the Secrets of the Isles series; it makes a fun progression from focus on a pirate to an exiled pirate prince to none other than a knight of the Round Table (with treasure hidden accordingly). I'm fairly familiar with Arthurian legends (Gerald Morris's young adult series The Squire's Tales informed me of some of the more obscure ones, and gave me an appreciation for how ridiculous they can be), but Tristan and Iseult is not one I've spent a lot of time pursuing--I'm just not one for doomed romance (or poor life choices). But this story redeemed Tristan a bit for me.

Not that the story was that heavily about Arthurian legend; the focus is, of course, on Bram and Emily, and trying to keep ahead of her odious brother in all the treasure hunts. They have  sweet love story, a bit slower than the others. Bram impressed me with his insight into people, such as truly seeing Emily and her struggles that not even her best friend totally picked up on. It certainly felt like the whole island chain was coupling off by this book, but I would absolutely accept a follow-up story about Millie--I mean, Millicent--and the American Dutchman (to be honest, they had more chemistry than the leads. Granted, it was leaping off the paper from the very first scene they are together).

This book did have a really solid point about mercy--that those who need mercy most are those who deserve it the least. But, as a scene reminiscent of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade proves, you can't force people to accept it. (There's really a nice allegory here for those who question why a loving God doesn't save everyone from hell; it's not spelled out as such in the story, but it's very present). 

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Secrets of the Isles
1. The Nature of a Lady
2. To Treasure an Heiress
3. Worthy of Legend