Picking Up the Gauntlet by Elizabeth Rose

♥ He’s been hired to guard her, but not even the best armor can keep one’s heart from breaking ♥

Lady with a Sword:
Lady Raven Blake has trained alongside her twin brother, Rook for years. She is intrigued with weapons and skilled at wielding a sword. Raven likes excitement in her life, but her father wants her to start acting like a lady. To her horror, he’s planned a tournament, and whichever nobleman wins will receive her hand in marriage as the prize.
Infuriated, Raven comes up with an idea to ruin this plan and stay single. Now, all she needs is the help of the armorer who her father has foolishly assigned as her bodyguard, trying to keep her out of trouble.

The Armorer:
Jonathon Armstrong is an armorer, swordsmith, and blacksmith who knows not only how to create weapons, but how to use them too. At times he has even hired out his sword and served as a mercenary to the nobles. Lord Corbett Blake has a trusted friendship with Jonathon and approaches him, offering him a temporary position as his new castle smith. However, what he really wants Jonathon to do, is to be his unruly daughter’s bodyguard during the day and only work at the smithy at night.
Jonathon can’t turn down a noble’s request, even though everyone knows the lord’s daughter has no trouble protecting herself. And when the beautiful Lady Raven tricks him into making her a suit of armor in secret, he falls into a situation that could easily bring about his demise. If being dragged into her deceptive plan doesn’t land him in the dungeon, something else surely will. Jonathon has grown fond of the woman. He’s lost his heart to the noblewoman, and she has returned the feelings for him.
Two people from such different walks of life are not allowed to be together. Love between a noble and a commoner is forbidden, and can only mean trouble in the end.

Love has no bounds, but marriage has rules. A noble must never wed anyone from below the salt.