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His Lady Bride by Shelley Bradley
Ricardians will want to steer clear of Shelley Bradley's historical romance His Lady Bride, despite its interesting plot, good pacing, strong characterization and image rich description.
The first book in Ms Bradley's "Brothers in Arms" trilogy published by Zebra, it tells the tale of Aric Neville, the White Lion, who withdraws from court life after discovering that the Princes in the Tower had been murdered on the orders of Richard III, and Gwyneth de Auburd, a Cinderella-like heroine who learns there's more to life than being a lady. Though many aspects of this story are appealing, it is rife with historical errors that are hard to ignore for anyone acquainted with the history of the Wars of the Roses.
In her Author's Note Ms Bradley says "I have borrowed Ms. Weir's interpretation of the actions leading up to and directly following the disappearances and deaths of the two royal childrenYAny misunderstanding of these events is purely my own. My apologies to the Richard III Society, for I know you disagree with this analysis." I fully understand the need for authors to take artistic license. To be honest, casting Richard as the villain did not bother me nearly as much as the apparently sloppy research, since, for fictional purposes, the Shakespearean Richard is an extremely useful device.
Unfortunately the author's reliance on the questionable work of Ms. Weir becomes obvious in one of the errors that really jarred. Ms. Bradley makes no mention of the fact that Richard Plantagenet and Anne Neville were cousins-once-removed, and that, by extension, her hero (a fictional Neville) is also Richard's cousin. I puzzled over this, then looked at the genealogical table in Weir's The Princes in the Tower. There I discovered that Ms. Weir's table shows Anne Mortimer and Richard, Earl of Cambridge, Richard III's GRANDPARENTS, as his parents!
Other errors include the hero thinking about how hard his Uncle Warwick fought for a match between Anne and Richard, portraying Sir Thomas More as an adult in 1485, having a character mention that Queen Anne is still alive (though ill) at the end of April, 1485 and referring to the Garden Tower as the Bloody Tower (according to the Tower of London website the change in name didn't happen until the 16th century.) There are more, but I won't list them here. Suffice it to say that the romance in this story far outweighs the history. Not all historical romances are like this - a good example being Isolde Martyn's award-winning novel The Maiden and the Unicorn. (See "Ricardian Reading", Ricardian Register: Volume XXV, No. 2, Summer, 2000.)
While the hero is extremely appealing and strikes me as fairly true to the period, the heroine is very much a 20th century woman dropped into the Middle Ages. She spends much of the novel swearing lustily at the hero and whining about being denied her true status as a lady by her selfish uncle and aunt. I had little sympathy for her and soon grew tired of her constant stream of foul language and childish behaviour.
It is indeed unfortunate that Ms. Bradley took so many liberties with the established historical facts and created a thoroughly (at least to my mind) modern and often irritating heroine, as her writing style is engaging and her storytelling abilities more than adequate. Readers who enjoy a good love story might still find this book a good read, but those who prefer an accurate historical background should probably leave it on the shelf.
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This review first appeared in the Winter 2000 issue of The Ricardian Register
© Teresa Eckford, 2002
The Temptress by Claire Delacroix
The Temptress is the final book in The Bride Quest series. It follows the adventures of Esmeraude, a maiden in search of adventure and her determined suitor, Bayard.
Bayard has returned from the Third Crusade, a follower of King Richard I. Determined to protect his family's holding, he learns that he must win Esmeraud's hand before his grandmother will name him her heir.
Esmeraude's parents have arranged for the most eligible men in the kingdom to compete for her hand in marriage. But she surprises them by embarking on her own quest, seeking the man her heart will tell her is right. She is convinced that none of the men her parents have invited, especially the foreign ones, are right for her. After setting a riddle for all those gathered, she flees. If one of the knights is indeed meant for her, he will be able to solve her riddle and claim her.
Bayard arrives to find the lady in question gone. Determined not to be thwarted he sets off in search of her and finds her. She seduces him, believing that men want her only for her maidenhead. Little does she know that the stranger is one of her suitors, one who is not put off by her behaviour.
Once Bayard understands Esmeraude's yearning for adventure, he allows her to have one, admiring her spirit. They meet up with her other pursuers at her sister's castle, where the wooing begins in earnest. But there is one knight determined to have Esmeraude who values her only for her ability to bear children and when he learns she is indeed with child, the adventure becomes a desperate race to save herself and her child.
Part fairy-tale, part adventure and part romance, The Temptress is an engrossing read. In the hands of a less talented author it could have been very clichéd, yet each time the story appears to be going in one direction the author surprises the reader with a deft plot turn.
Esmeraude is a spoiled young lady who at first appears to be a stereotypical heroine - feisty, beautiful, stubborn and silly. Yet the author soon shows that she is much more than that as Esmeraude learns from her mistakes and matures. When she realizes that Bayard does not believe in marrying for love, she sets out to show him otherwise. Bayard is an intelligent and worthy hero, one who battles his own demons and comes to realize there is more to love than he ever expected.
The depth of the author's research is clear in the many historical details, yet she manages to slip them into the narrative unobtrusively. Ms Delacroix has been writing novels set in the Middle Ages for many years and her comfort level is obvious. Though historical events don't play a huge role in this story, there is no doubt that it is set firmly in the medieval world. At several points in the story, Bayard sings a ballad, the story of Tristan and Iseult, based on two separate translations, including that of Beroul, who wrote in the 12th century. An interesting subplot involves Dame Fortune, who appears after one of the characters invokes her name.
All the characters are unique and well depicted, even the most minor ones. Ms. Delacroix's writing style is fluid and elegant, with just enough archaic language to give a medieval flavour without overwhelming. There is also a supernatural element to the story, handled deftly by the author, adding to the fairy-tale quality of the story.
I found little to criticize as I read the book in two sittings. If the pace lagged a couple of times, specifically with a very minor subplot concerning the romance of Esmeraude's younger sister, it did little to detract from the book's overall appeal.
Fans of the romance genre looking for a well-written, literate tale would do well to pick up The Temptress.
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This review first appeared in the Winter 2001 issue of The Ricardian Register.
© Teresa Eckford, 2002
The Maiden and the Unicorn by Isolde Martyn
During the turbulent period, now known as the Wars of the Roses, Marjorie of Warwick finds herself caught between love and loyalty, wed to a man who would thwart her duty to her former love, King Edward of England. Danger stalks them as they travel through France on a dangerous mission, caught in the tangled politics of ambition and revenge.
Ms. Martyn's debut novel is an exciting, action filled historical romance. The story is well plotted, her lead characters, Marjorie of Warwick and Sir Richard Huddlestone appealing and intriguing and the historical background convincingly drawn. There is little doubt that the author did a great deal of research, and readers will enjoy the depth of historical detail and period politics alongside the developing romance between Marjorie and Richard.
Nearly all the characters in this novel really lived, including the hero and heroine. Ms. Martyn does a good job of portraying these historical figures as flesh and blood people. Fans of the era will particularly enjoy the scene where Warwick meets Margaret of Anjou to ask for her forgiveness and beg her help with his invasion plans.
My one quibble with this book is a rather long torture scene towards the end. It wasn't entirely necessary and could have been considerably shorter.
All in all, however, an impressive debut. I look forward to reading Ms. Martyn's next book, The Knight and the Rose, set in the early fourteenth century.
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This review first appeared in the May 2000 issue of The Historical Novels Review.
© Teresa Eckford, 2000
The Knight and the Rose by Isolde Martyn
Fans of Isolde Martyn have waited a long time to read this, her second novel, The Knight and the Rose, published in Australia two years ago. First published by Bantam (The Maiden and the Unicorn), the author has been picked up by Berkley.
Lady Joanna FitzHenry is married to Sir Fulk de Enderby, a brute who beats her night and day for, among other things, her failure to conceive a child. When she gets a chance to return to her childhood home, she takes it, ready to confront her parents about their apparent abandonment. She soon learns that her husband is to blame, while her mother seeks to find a way to save her daughter from the marriage she didn't want.
Geraint is on the run. He must save his young companion from a sure death and the best way to do that is to find somewhere to hide. When he is caught by the lady of the manor, he tells her he is a scholar who was robbed. She agrees to hide him and his companion if he will swear to a church court that he and Joanna secretly betrothed themselves before her marriage to Sir Fulk.
Set during the reign of King Edward II, just after the Battle of Boroughbridge in 1322, this novel is loosely based on a real court case from the period and straddles the genres of historical romance and romantic historical fiction. Though the main focus of the story is indeed the relationship between the hero and heroine, the politics of the era are not ignored and figure prominently. Geraint and Joanna fall in love while preparing for the court case, but must also deal with the consequences of Geraint's actions as a supporter of the rebels. Nor does Joanna's husband quietly accept that his marriage is not legal.
As with her first novel, The Maiden and the Unicorn, Ms. Martyn has created memorable characters, a realistic setting and exciting plot. Her writing is polished and the depth of her research is obvious in the many small details of daily life. Geraint stands out, a worthy hero with dark secrets who is noble yet far from perfect, while the supporting cast is, for the most part, well-drawn. Sir Fulk, however, comes close to being a moustache-twirling villain as the reader never truly understands the motivation for his evil personality.
Also slightly problematic is the character of Joanna, who at times appears shrewish and overly stubborn. Over the course of the story, though, she does grow and proves worthy of her husband, risking all in the end to save him.
The plot has many twists and turns, saving one last surprise for the end. Pacing, however, isn't a problem as the author has a deft touch, balancing periods of intense action with slower domestic scenes. Also, there is no awkward dialogue to interfere as there is little "gadzookery". Instead the period is represented through more formal phrasing and the occasional medieval word.
Readers who so eagerly anticipated this novel need not fear disappointment. As with her debut novel, Ms. Martyn has succeeded in combining romance and history with aplomb, crafting an unforgettable story of love, intrigue and adventure. I look forward to her next release, Moonlight and Shadow (to be published shortly in Australia as The Silver Bride), the sequel to The Maiden and the Unicorn and set during the upheaval of 1483. To learn more about the author or to read some excerpts, you can visit her website at http://www.hutch.com.au/~martyn/.
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This review first appeared in the Summer 2002 issue of The Ricardian Register.
© Teresa Eckford, 2002
Danegeld by Susan Squires
In this debut historical romance, set in late 7th century Britain, the Saxon witch Britta and Viking warrior Karn ally themselves against the
ambitious and cruel thegn Offa. Britta saves and hides Karn, nursing him back to health. But Offa discovers their whereabouts, forcing them
to flee to the mainland, where they encounter further danger.
The narrative oozes historical detail while Britta and Karn are true products of their time. Offa is horrible, yet avoids being a stereotype, though his behaviour early in the book might make some romance readers close it. In this manner, the author distinguishes herself and her work from the bulk of the genre. The story moves quickly, enhanced by the supernatural atmosphere and well-rounded collection of secondary characters. Britta and Karn's relationship develops believably, as each fights to overcome their inner demons and acknowledge their need for the other.
My only quibbles come from the author's propensity for changing history. Also, there was no mention of the specific year this story
took place - I discovered it by looking up the date of the battle depicted near the end of the book.
Still, an impressive novel that will satisfy those who love lots of history with their romance.
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This review first appeared in the May 2002 issue of The Historical Novels Review.
© Teresa Eckford, 2002
My Lady Beloved by Lael St. James
Gabriella Redclift has spent most of her childhood in a convent. When her betrothed sends for her, she bravely sets forth, only to be kidnapped by a young man in search of revenge. Morgan Chalstrey soon finds himself caring for his captive, when he should be concentrating on avenging his childhood sweetheart.
Set in England in 1369, this book begins and ends well, but the middle leaves much to be desired. The heroine repeatedly does stupid things, the hero and heroine don't communicate and the entire book is rife with anachronisms.
However, the writing is good and the hero far more appealing than his true love. Morgan is not a stereotype and learns a lot as a result of his conflict with the villain. The secondary characters are also quite appealing, especially Dame Johanna.
Fans of historical romance fiction who can get past Gabriella's foolish, headstrong antics, and don't mind too much about historical accuracy, might want to add this book to their TBR list, if only for Morgan's major scene near the end. It saved the book for me.
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This review first appeared in the December 2001 issue of The Historical Novels Review.
© Teresa Eckford, 2002
Slightly Wicked by Mary Balogh
Another entry in the Bedwyn series, Slightly Wicked is the story of Rannulf and his lady love, Judith, who has been sent to live with her wealthy relatives to help ease the burden on her impoverished father. When Judith's coach overturns an attractive young man offers to help. Convinced she will never marry (her parents have told her she is ugly and on the shelf), she seizes the opportunity to have a little adventure.
Rannulf is faced with the prospect of his grandmother marrying him off, a fact about which he is less than enthusiastic. Encountering a sultry actress in peril provides a pleasant diversion. Imagine his surprise when she turns out to be his intended's poor relation. Not only must their love overcome a wide social chasm, it must also defeat a vengeful spurned suitor.
Though the story is fairly standard, the quality of Ms. Balogh's writing sets it apart. She breathes fresh life into typical lead characters and surrounds them with an outstanding supporting cast (especially Judith's grandmother). Her setting is realistic, full of period detail without seeming like a catalogue of facts, while the plot contains some unique twists. A fast-paced, well-written enjoyable read.
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This review first appeared in the May 2003 issue of The Historical Novels Review.
© Teresa Eckford, 2002
The Dragon's Bride by Jo Beverley
When Susan Kerslake and Con Somerford meet again after eleven long years apart, much has changed. She is now sister to the chief smuggler and Con's housekeeper, while he is the battle-hardened new Earl of Wyvern. Determined to find the smugglers' gold stolen by Con's predecessor, Susan reluctantly remains at Crag Wyvern, despite the rising tension between her and Con. He suspects she is up to more than tending house and sets out to discover her secret.
The Dragon's Bride is classic Jo Beverley, a skillful mix of romance, history and adventure. As always, Ms Beverley's engaging characters and strong plot make the story sparkle with an energy all its own. The historical details blend naturally into the narrative, creating a rich and authentic backdrop. Con and Susan's romance, fraught with guilt and doubt, blossoms slowly as they rediscover each other and learn to put the past behind them. The smuggling subplot provides added depth and excitement as the local riding officer is determined to identify and capture the area's lead smuggler.
All in all, The Dragon's Bride is an enjoyable, well-paced and satisfying read. Very highly recommended for fans of the genre.
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This review first appeared in the August 2001 issue of The Historical Novels Review.
© Teresa Eckford, 2002
The Devil's Heiress by Jo Beverley
Clarissa Greystone, known as the Devil's Heiress, is haunted by the circumstances surrounding the death of her despised fiancé. Forced to take her place in society, she is intrigued to meet Major George Hawkinville. Little does she know that he is trying to prove her guilty of murder and fraud.
Major George Hawkinville needs Clarissa's ill-gotten fortune to save his family's estate. A fortune that rightfully belongs to his father. Expecting to find a devious beauty, he is surprised to find a rather ordinary, yet appealing young woman - one who does not seem capable of murder.
Danger from the past lurks in the background, threatening both Hawk and Clarissa. It seems Hawk is not the only one after the Devil's legacy.
Jo Beverley has crafted a well-written and historically grounded piece of romance fiction. Though the book is a little slow to take off, the unique characters and well-paced romance soon draw the reader in. The setting comes alive and the secondary characters sparkle. Fans of the author's Company of Rogues series will be delighted to encounter Nicholas, Lucien and Con again and will be especially thrilled by one of the final plot twists.
If you want to step back in time to Regency England and enjoy a well-written historical romance, this book is for you.
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This review first appeared in the February 2002 issue of The Historical Novels Review.
© Teresa Eckford, 2002
My Enchanted Enemy by Tracy Fobes
Juliana St. Germaine, born and raised beneath the sea, must break an ancient family curse by seducing the one man who fears her most. In
order to protect his family and keep the bloodline pure, Cole Strangford must marry a gypsy. He is far more interested in finding the Sea Opal stolen by Juliana's ancestor that will free the Strangfords from their bad luck. Yet something about Juliana appeals to him, and when she passes the seawater test, he reconsiders his initial rejection of the match.
Thus the stage is set for Tracy Fobes' sixth novel of paranormal romance. And an enjoyable one it is, if you prefer more romance than history. Set in 1810 England, My Enchanted Enemy features engaging characters, a believable romance and a satisfying conclusion. An interesting subplot revolves around Cole's efforts to invent an underwater diving suit and his rivalry with William James, who introduced an early scuba suit in 1825.
The pace lags in a couple of spots and the history is for the most part a decorative background. Fans of the genre, however, will find it a charming way to while away a summer afternoon.
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This review first appeared in the May 2002 issue of The Historical Novels Review.
© Teresa Eckford, 2002
Lady of Desire by Gaelen Foley
While running away from home Lady Jacinda Knight encounters handsome outlaw, Billy Blade, who is in fact Lord William Albright, Earl of Rackford and heir to his estranged father's estate. When he is betrayed to the authorities, he reconciles with his father to save his men and returns to society. There he pursues Jacinda who is determined to marry an elderly widower for convenience and gain complete independence after he dies.
While Ms. Foley is an accomplished writer, I found her lead characters, though well-drawn, to be rather unsympathetic. The hero is unreasonably vengeful, blaming the heroine for his own stupidity. Meanwhile she is far too cold and calculating. While it is true both have motivation for such behaviour and eventually learn from each other, the extremes to which the author goes early on spoiled them for me.
Though the well-paced story is somewhat predictable, the writing is smooth, if somewhat rife with purple prose. And while the basics of the Regency era are well-portrayed, several anachronisms popped up. Still, fans of the genre who like Alpha heroes and modern style heroines will likely enjoy Ms. Foley's latest effort.
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This review first appeared in the February 2003 issue of The Historical Novels Review.
© Teresa Eckford, 2003
Shades of Honor by Wendy Lindstrom
Radford Grayson finally returns to his hometown, five years after the end of the Civil War. Much has changed there, especially his younger brother Kyle, who has taken over the family sawmill business. Even more of a surprise is neighbour Evelyn Tucker, Kyle's fiancée, who is now running her father's livery. She has grown into an attractive and resourceful woman. Evelyn herself is disturbed by her attraction to Radford, but yearns to heal his wounded spirit.
What follows is a fairly traditional romance from debut author Wendy Lindstrom. The historical aspects of the period are woven nicely through the narrative and the story moves along at a good clip. But while the protagonists are reasonably well-drawn, I didn't find myself caring for them as much as I'd like. Nor did I ever feel that the Radford and Evelyn wouldn't find a way to be together.
It was, however, interesting to see a heroine not afraid of hard work or getting her hands dirty. The secondary characters, especially Evelyn's father and Radford's daughter, shone.
Fans of post Civil War era romance fiction will likely enjoy this book from a novelist who shows promise.
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This review first appeared in the August 2002 issue of The Historical Novels Review.
© Teresa Eckford, 2002
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