"I'm not gentle with you because I doubt your strength, my lady, but because I know the full extent of mine." Lady Natalie Blackmere has always dreamed of meeting the infamous champions of Aldland, especially the legendary Brandon the Bear. When at last the Grand Tourney comes to Blackmere, Natalie swaps places with a barmaid and sneaks out to follow her dream. But when bandits besiege her town, Natalie barely escapes with the surviving champions. Alone in the woods with the man she has always admired, Natalie must keep her identity a secret and step up to become the leader she was born to be if she is to save her people. Brandon the Bear is a champion that ballads are sung about. Or, he was. Past his prime and struggling with each new tourney, Brandon fears his time as a champion has come to an end. When the fight becomes real, he is determined to save the townspeople of Blackmere and rescue the lady who ruled over it. Though there is no love lost for Lady Blackmere, the noblewoman who allowed her town to be vulnerable to attack, and his fellow champions slain. But when a beautiful barmaid looks at him with stars in her eyes, maybe he can be the hero she thinks he is. *** Content Guidance: this book is a slow burn romance and the first book in a trilogy following the same couple throughout their relationship. There is on-page payoff for the slow burn. On a couple of instances, an antagonist makes derogatory comments regarding the hero's weight. However, both the heroine and the author are besotted with Brandon and his majestic bod. Also includes mention of violence, blood and death.