Castles in the Air [Mass Market Paperback]

Christina Dodd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1998

Bound by the King . . .

The document, signed and sealed by King Henry himself, commanded lady Juliana of Lofts to marry Raymond, Count of Avrach.

Shattered by the Past . . .

She refused, though it was treason to defy one's king. What man would have her once he discovered her secret?

One Knight Would Crusade for His Lady's Heart

Yet Raymond would not be denied. And when he came for her, she'd learn that even the strongest will cannot resist the softest touch.

"A great hero, a gripping plot and all the color and excitement of the Middle Ages. Christina Dodd is a joy to read."
Laura Kinsale

"Treat yourself to a fabulous bookanything by Christina Dodd."
Jill Barnett

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christina Dodd has penned eight historical romances from A Candle in the Window to Move Heaven and Earth which have gone on to win numerous industry awards, including the Golden Heart and RITA awards, and have earned her a permanent home on the bestseller lists.

Plotting a particularly juicy story will bring any conversation to a screeching halt, as she has discovered countless times while dining out with her husband and their two teenage daughters. "Should I shoot him while he's swimming in the river or after he's crawled onto the bank?; It's not an orgy if there are only two people involved; Kill him, kill her, I don't care, just make sure the dog lives!" Not many people would consider this normal dinner chit-chat, but to this Texas clan, it's one of the benefits of a having a romance writer in the family.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins (Mm) (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061085650
• ISBN-13: 978-0061085659
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,818,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( D ) > Dodd, Christina

More About the Author

Chat with Christina via Facebook and Twitter, and even better, join her mailing list to have her news delivered right to your inbox! http://christinadodd.com/lists/?p=subscribe

Readers become writers, and Christina Dodd has always been a reader. She reads everything, but because she loves humor, she likes romance best.

A woman wants things like world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants things like a Craftsman router with attachments, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will miraculously make his bald spot disappear. So when Christina's first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to quit work and write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?

Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before her first novel, CANDLE IN THE WINDOW, was published. In the twenty-two years since, her novels have been translated into 25 languages, won Romance Writers of America's prestigious Golden Heart and RITA Awards and been called the year's best by Library Journal. Christina Dodd herself has been a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle (11/18/05, # 13 Down: Romance Novelist named Christina.) Publishers Weekly praises her style that 'showcases Dodd's easy, addictive charm and steamy storytelling.'

Christina's 2011 releases include TAKEN BY THE PRINCE, #9 in the Governess Brides series, and in the tradition of Nora Roberts, a new romantic suspense series starting with SECRETS OF BELLA TERRA and REVENGE AT BELLA TERRA.

Christina Dodd is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Old-Fashioned Love Story Wins You Over, January 30, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Castles in the Air (Mass Market Paperback)

Although Castles in the Air has its share of intrigue, deception, and angst, it's definitely not a depressing book. That's because Raymond and Julianna are, from the get-go, basically two good-hearted people, who are destined to love each other. There are some different angles to the book - Julianna is a widow with two girls, her first husband wasn't evil (although just about every other man in her past was), and although she's plenty strong-willed, she's not totally goat-headed like a lot of heroines are. Yes, Raymond is the classic hansom hero, but he's got an endearing personality too. (Plus, he doesn't get along with his parents - don't heroes usually admire their father and worship their sainted mothers?) Another interesting side to the book is Dodd's attempt to portray medieval England at least somewhat accurately - the lady of the castle still sleeps in the great hall (enough of these castles with all these private rooms!), walls take years to build, 11-year-old girls aren't considered far from marriageable (or worse), pagan rituals are still observed, even by pious Christians. Some of the side characters are interesting and well-drawn (Kier just cries for his own book), others (Sir Hugh) aren't fleshed out enough to really understand. Love (the emotion) is very strong in this book, "love" (the physical act) is not as "fleshed out" (pun intended) as it is in other Dodd books. Overall, a great read because of the wonderful love story.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From beginning to end a wonderful love story., October 16, 2000

By 

April Kempler (Reno, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Castles in the Air (Mass Market Paperback)

This story will make fans of Christina Dodd. Raymond and Julianna were real people facing real issues. This book even had an exciting finale that will keep readers transfixed until the end of the book. Raymond was a true knight, to quote a couple of lines from a poem by Stephen Hawes on true knighthood: "And no quarrel a knight ought to take But for a truth, or for a woman's sake." It was especially refreshing to see that Raymond behaved like a man, and not simply a caveman by conquering what is rightfully his, but by being a sensitive human who is aware of the needs of other people. I strongly recommend this book to anyone, it is a sweet and complex story that won't disappoint readers.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Edge of Your Seat Reading, July 26, 2002

By 

M. Rondeau (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Castles in the Air (Mass Market Paperback)

This was such a good story with so many conspiracies it will keep you on the edge of your seat and turning pages with a passion! Raymond, Count of Avrache, confidant to the King and cousin to the Queen of England - was commanded by the King to wed lady Juliana of Lofts - only the bride doesn't show! This not only causes Raymond embarrasment - but it also made him quite angry. Who was this Lady Juliana to defy a King!
She should have known that sooner or later Raymond would come for her, but she mistakenly thinks he is the King's master castle builder come to build her another wall. Posing as a castle builder - Raymond who really has no idea at all about building anything (you will find some humour here) decides that it is a good way to find out what motivates this Lady Juliana and why she has such a distrust of men!
This is an amazing story with so many plots, twists and turns, yet it still keeps itself very much a medieval romance. The personalities and characters are all complex and it is such a page turner trying to find out all the secrets that are the so central to the telling of this story. So many times, I found myself holding my breath.

I truly enjoyed Raymond and Juliana - both with so much emotional turmoil scarring both of them that it was so gratifying to see them tear down one another's emotional walls and begin to heal each other's souls. Truly a wonderful story.