Customer Reviews

The Brat

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Balan of Gaynor needs a rich wife in the worst way, but does he need one badly enough to dare to wed the infamous Brat, aka, Murie, King Edward's beloved goddaughter? Something makes him believe there is more to Murie than her nickname implies, making him dare to disrupt an evil plot against her and win her heart for his own. However, not everyone wishes them well, so even as the pair finds great joy, someone is trying to turn Murie into a widow.

**** It is refreshing to see a story told so sweetly and without relying on artificial excesses. Murie's true nature and how she copes with the challenges of the court is a profound reminder to not be quick to judge, and her superstitions are very amusing. If you miss good, old-fashioned romances, then hurry and grab this. ****

Amanda Killgore

I wanted to like this book. The 14th century is my era of greatest interest, so I started THE BRAT with expectations. I kept reading and did not wallbang as I usually do when a book disappoints me. I hung in till the end!

I won't recap the plot since it's been done so ably on this site. However, the author could have set this story in early 1900s New York, West Texas in 1870, or Tudor England, changed a detail or two, and it would read pretty much the same. No medieval flavor. Not much detail that would place it in any particular time period. It read as though it was simply a generic romance where the author said to herself, "I know! I'll set this one in 1351!"

It tasted like chili without spices, beer without bubbles.

If you like your romances with medieval detail rich and well researched, give this one a pass.

The Brat by Lynsay Sands fell flat for me. The main character, Murie, was touted as being a big-time brat, but in the first 50 pages, it became known that she was just putting on a show. So I was expecting a brat and funny bratty behavior out of her towards the hero, but I didn't get that. So the title is misleading somewhat. It should have named something else.

The story is about Murie, who is ordered by the King to find a husband and marry. She is the King's goddaughter. She is very superstitious and believes that the man that she dreams about on St.Agnes day will be her husband. What ends up happening is that an evil plot is schemed by an evil lord to have Murie drugged so that he can sneak into her room and have her "dream" about him. But Balan steps in to stop this from happening, but ends up being the man that Murie "dreams" about.

Murie and Balan end up marrying and going to Balan's home which has been decimated by the effects of the plague. The rest of the story is them falling for each other, and Murie trying to keep Balan safe because someone is trying to kill him off. There is a twist on who the culprit really is which added to a somewhat rather cliche story. I usually find Lynsay Sands historical stories to be very humorous and laugh-out-loud, but this one missed the mark. 3 stars!

Actually I found Lynsay Sands' THE BRAT (2007) very entertaining with the right touches of sweetness, humor and a heroine's courage to keep her man safe, almost reminding me of one of Julie Garwood's sweet romances. Compared to the other Sands novel I've read THE RELUCTANT REFORMER (***), I thought THE BRAT was a quicker read consisting mostly of conversations and anecdotal, soap-opera-ish plotting. Although I was charmed by THE BRAT, I thought it lacked the settings, prose and magic of THE RELUCTANT REFORMER. Most of the time, it seemed like THE BRAT took place in empty space, and its tendency to resort to conversational diction reminded me of Julia Quinn's horrible THE DUKE AND I (*). Still, I'd read THE BRAT any day of the week, I enjoyed its offbeat, shy-yet-strong hero who fumbles around when he speaks to his heroine, and I definitely enjoyed our heroine Murie's resilience to keep her man safe. Murie & Balan enjoyed a very sweet and passionate camaraderie which seemed to resonate and easily overcome misunderstandings which mire most plots in romance novels.

The Premise.

THE BRAT showcases our heroine Lady Murie Somerdale's funny superstitions which though annoying, always seem to ring true. I thought the book is misnomer, and should be titled SUPERSTITIOUS, or something like that. In the second chapter, we discover Lady Murie's reputation as the brat unwarranted, and she plays on the reputation so as to avoid conflict at King Edward III's court and encourage other schemers at court to leave her alone. The King dotes on his goddaughter Murie after Murie's parents pass away, and now he's given her the choice to pick her own husband when she's well past the marriageable age for the time period. Her dubious reputation aside, Murie comes with a rich dowry from her late parents and significant connections, especially the King.

The Black Plague has hit Lord Balan Gaynor and Gaynor Castle hard. Balan finds himself destitute and in desperate need of a wealthy maiden to help his people at Gaynor. He's served the King faithfully and ably in campaigns in France and now attends the King's court with his cousin seeking a wealthy potential wife to save his people. After witnessing Murie's seemingly juvenile display of crying in front of the King, Balan shudders to even consider Murie as a possible candidate for his wife.

After learning Murie isn't really a brat and it's a show she puts on so people would leave her alone, Balan also overhears of a devious conspiracy to use Murie's superstitious nature against her. The treacherous yet wealthy and handsome Lord Malculinus Aldous wishes to gain Murie's connection with the King, and plots to use her superstitious predilections so she'll pick Malculinus as her husband.

Malculinus' sister explains that on St. Agnes Eve, if a woman fasts all day or eats rotten meat right before going to bed, she'll dream of the man she's to marry. Malculinus' sister Lauda schemes to drug the rotten meat and have Malculinus slip into Murie's room so she'll see him in a drug-induced fitful sleep. Balan diverts Malculinus and Balan kisses Murie in her drug-induced sleep instead. Murie briefly opens her eyes to see Balan, a man she's never seen before.

Murie and Balan's interaction is sweet, passionate and mature.

If I didn't know for a fact Sands can do better with the prose, settings and storyline (I've seen it), I would have given the book 4 stars. As it is, the book fails to really come alive, and the plotting dealing with the attempts on Balan's life too fragmented, its resolution very weak.

At first I was a bit annoyed at the main character Murie and her superstitions which may have had her married to an abusive husband if the hero didn't step in. But as towards the middle I began to like her more. The hero of the book though was refreshingly great. His honest candor was a great relief from all the "misunderstood rakehills" that are usually the main male leads. Balan was one of the reasons why I continued to read in the beginning when the female lead got on my nerves.

By 1351, everyone from the help to the closest advisors and family members of Edward III know that wealthy heiress Lady Murie is the most spoiled brat in the monarchy. Thus when Lord Gaynor decides he needs a rich spouse, he considers Murie, but his best friends plead with Sir Balan to reconsider.

King Edward spoils his goddaughter further when he allows her to select her husband. She chooses Sir Balan because she knows he is a kind and caring person. They marry immediately under the banner of a royal blessing. Murie plans to prove there is more substance to her than being the notorious brat. She knows his people suffered severely from the plague so she insures that everyone receives sustenance. Murie proves her worth and her love when she risks her life to prevent a killer from assassinating her beloved spouse.

This is an amusing medieval romance with a late suspense that seems apropos with the changing personalities and relationship between the lead couple. The story line focuses on the Brat trying to demonstrate to her new husband that there is much more substance to her than just being a spoiled royal ward. Lynsay Sands is in top form with this humorous fourteenth century taming of the shrew's husband.

Harriet Klausner

Murie is the king's ward, and his favorite. She has a reputation as a spoiled brat. She is of marriageable age, and he has graciously allowed her to choose her own spouse.

Balan of Gaynor is an impoverished knight. He has been completely faithful to the king and is thus rewarded, however, his home has been ravaged. Most of England has been ravaged. This takes place right after an incidence of the Black plague.

Though there are some small instances of misunderstanding betwixt hero and heroine, for the most part, they see eye to eye, and what angst exists in this story is faced by the two of them as a team. That is one of the things I like best about the book.

There are some historical inaccuracies - heck, there always are in romances. They're not meant to be texts on how people really lived then. There are interesting personal quirks in all of the characters. There's a relatively good (if not deep) plot.

All in all, a good read.

(*)>

You can never go wrong with a Lynsay Sands book.I laughed till I cried. I won't rehash the plot as others have done so, but pick up this book if you want a quick, cute, sexy story.

Take one supposedly spoiled goddaughter to a medieval king, add a feudal lord desperately in need of funds to restore his plague decimated village and castle, stir in a handful of well-meaning friends and relatives, spice up with superstitions aplenty, garnish with a true romance, and voila, you have The Brat by Lynsay Sands.

This tale is refreshing within the genre of historical romance. Captivating at every turn, I found myself wanting to dislike Murie (aka the brat) but soon learned to love her as the layers of her personality were revealed. Directed by the king to marry, she chooses Lord Gaynor since he was the one she dreamt of on St. Agnes eve. At least that's what she believes.

When Murie first sets her eyes on her new home, Gaynor Castle, she does something many other romantic heroine's don't do - she rolls up her sleeves and gets to work. I was happy to see an unromanticized description of what a castle was like - sooty, dirty, smelly, drafty, and drab. Not the wonderful kind of place that we see reflected in stories of Camelot.

Throughout their journey from the king's court and their first few months at Gaynor Castle Murie is taken aback by the repeated attempts on her new husband's life. Neither she nor Balan can quite figure out who would want him dead. But at long last Murie uncovers the culprit and of course they can now live happily ever after.

The humorous romps are thrown in at just the right places and in just the right amounts. A quick and interesting read. I highly recommend it.

Marion Marchetto

just what I expected from the author. A very sexy, light, funny read. Perfect. The heroine was likable, the lord - lovable. Good stuff.