Having recently returned from Crusade, Robert DeLyon is tired of fighting. He wants to collect his arranged bride, marry, and settle down to a life of farming and domesticity. There is intrigue in his bride-to-be's castle keep though. Someone is plotting to overthrow the absent King Richard. When Robert is robbed by thieves, he uses the search for these criminals as an excuse to snoop around.

Marianne DuBois, being a mere woman, is officially helpless to protect her people from her greedy guardian. Unofficially, she is the leader of a band of thieves. They steal back the riches her guardian takes from her poverty stricken tenants. A risky situation becomes even riskier when one of the men they steal from is Marianne's intended. Marianne is soon hunted by the very man who shares her bed.

Love Not A Thief is a delightful twist on the Robin Hood story. There are enough nods to the original story to please Robin Hood fans and enough deviations to keep the story fresh and interesting. Marianne and Robert have a wonderful chemistry. The dislike between Marianne and her guardian leaps off the page. Secondary characters like John Little are so rich in personality, you feel you know them. Love Not A Thief is one of the best Robin Hood romances I have ever read.

Reviewed by: Kimber