Customer Reviews

By Design

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Set in 14th century England, in the time of King Edward III, BY DESIGN is the story of a noblewoman sworn to avenge the wrongful death of her father and restore her brother's birthright.

After losing her home during the war that overthrew Edward II and saw his son on the throne, Lady Joan de Brecon and her brother find themselves in the mercy of Sir Guy Leighton. Three years later, after escaping their oppressor, Joan ekes out a living selling her craft at the local market where she catches the eye of a well to do mason.

From the very first moment he saw her, Rhys was captivated by Joan's beauty and calm dignity. A few days later and Rhys finds himself playing savior to her and after caring for her, Rhys knew that he would do anything to be with Joan - and if it means buying her indenture, then so be it. And that's exactly what Rhys ends up doing, much to Joan's ire. But while Joan is initially defiant about the situation she's been thrown into, Rhys' kindness would eventually win her over.

What I liked most about this book is the undeniable chemistry between Rhys and Joan. Not only do we see the passion between them, but the bond that stems from their past. I thought that Rhys was a great hero - kind and honorable, and his tenderness towards Joan is truly touching. Joan's dignity is really admirable. You can't help but feel for her after everything she's endured. She's one of the most selfless heroines I have read about and there is nothing to dislike about her.

With its well-developed characters and the sexual tension between the main characters, not to mention the tender love that develops between them, BY DESIGN is an engaging historical romance. Even readers who are not familiar with the historical background won't lose interest for the author has done well in ensuring that you don't lose focus on the romance between Rhys and Joan.

This book reminded me of an overgrown shrub--it was undeniably beautiful in places, but it really needed to be trimmed back! A bit more editing should have been done before publishing to iron out its flaws and make the wording flow better.

To give the writer credit, though, she does seem to have a rather good feel for historical writing. In places I could almost see, smell and taste the dubious delights of ye olde London. The author didn't gloss over the harsh realities of life back them, but rather used them to her advantage: they don't bring down the book at all, or darken the story, but instead create a contrasting backdrop against which the main characters shine even brighter.

Joan is a lovely heroine, brave and determined and artistic. But it is the hero, Rhys, whom you will really adore. Unlike many of the 'heroes' I've read about in historical romances lately, he is not cruel or bitter or bent on revenge, but nice and honest and really very sweet, all of which makes him a lot more manly and attractive than those other annoying, overbearing 'heroes'!

This book actually has a decent plotline too--which is more than can be said for many romance novels thesedays--and while it's not a master work of literature, it is nonetheless an entertaining, appealing read that is reasonably good for its genre.

In the marketplace near the Cathedral, freemason Rhys observes a beautiful newcomer serenely and quietly trying to sell crockery. For some strange reason, Rhys finds himself enchanted by the "alien" and even more excited by her work that is geometrically perfect especially since he learns that she lacked the proper equipment. Reluctantly by gleefully for having met the latest hawker, Rhys finally moves on to conduct his own business.

A few days later, Rhys sees his enchantress in quite a different situation. Apparently she did something that led to her master blaming her. Now she is a victim of the stocks. Rhys rescues Joan by buying her indentured contract. Joan wants nothing to do with her savior even if he is kind and handsome, and she is falling in love with him. Even with the enticement of Rhys and his love, Joan's goal remains vengeance on those who destroyed her and her family though some of her enemies reside in the court of young King Edward.

BY DESIGN is an exciting late medieval romance that uses the political and economic conditions of the times as a backdrop to a warm historical romantic intrigue. The story line works because of the historical depth, especially that of the guilds which brings much color to the tale and leaves the audience feeling they are inspecting pottery among other wares. The lead couple seems real because of the full flavor of the period. Though Madeline Hunter has written a medieval romance that sub-genre fans will enjoy, readers of historical fiction will gain much pleasure from the novel too.

Harriet Klausner

Once you read this book, you will know why so many of us fell in love with it. The love between Rhys and Joan is so strong that many of us will pray that it will also happen to us in our life time.

Now I have to get my hands on "The Protector"!

Another wonderful love story by Madeline Hunter - She just keeps you enthralled with this time period. Having read the previous novel - By Possession - you tap into Rhys' story. Rhys was interested in Moira in the previous novel and lost her to Addis. Well, Ms. Hunter gave him his own story and wow, what a story it turns out to be.

Rhys, a well to do free mason runs into a lovely vision selling her wares in the market place. He recognizes her talent and is amazed at how good her work is when she doesn't even have the appropriate tools to work with. Her name is Joan, that is all she tells him and as luck would have it (for her) he runs into her again while she is in stocks being punished for someone elses mistakes.

Joan has issues, of trust, and it is not easy for Rhys to break down her barriers, when he has secrets himself that seem at odds with her issues.

This book is wonderful in that rather than the Lords and Ladies, balls and soirees, you get a glimpse into the lower classes life and see again, the class distinctions, and most of all not only a love story but two souls that come together as kindred spirits.

I loved this story as well as the previous ones and will retain this book for my keeper shelf as well.

This review will be brief:

I had only one M. Hunter book under my belt- "The Protector". I read the "By..." series out of order; "By Design" was my first. After reading it, a few things happened:

- I remembered what great storytelling was all about.
- I discovered an author who made her characters and their stories physically and emotionally visible (I could "see" everything in this book).
- I had to read the stories of the other characters who were touching the lives of these characters (you have no choice, it makes the whole reading that much more fulfilling)
- I cried towards the end of the book. That's never happened before.

That's how unique "By Design" was for me. Soft strength, deep emotion, keenly written, intelligent. Bravo!

I have read all 3 of her books, and I think that this is the best out of the 3. Like most romance aficionados, I like the standard formulaic fare. However, Madeline Hunter deviates a little by allowing us to really get to know the characters and see how and why they fall in love. The story between the two characters is really beautiful. Her heroine is trying to overcome her current tragic situation and painful memories. And the hero, Rhys, he is really something special. He is possessive, but not overbearing, understanding, and patient...willing to wait until the heroine comes to him. She also addresses the issue of class differences again, and does a fantastic job of, yet again. And she still manages to make the story very sensual, too. So, yes, it has depth, sex, and romance!!!

After reading some of the less-than-enthusiastic reviews given here, I am compelled to write in defense of Madeline Hunter's newest book By Design. I loved both of her previous books and this one is JUST AS GOOD. As much as I enjoyed Moira and Addis' story in By Possession, I was fascinated by Rhys, the mason who tried to woo Moira, and was thrilled that he would be the hero of the next book. In this story, Joan and Rhys have fabulous chemistry - their initial physical attraction, their mutual artistic talents, then the slow building of caring and friendship which eventually leads to love and beyond. I say "beyond" because they truly achieve the state we all wish for in our romance heroes and heroines ( as well as ourselves): a merging of souls so that two people become one. Joan and Rhys were not "wooden" as one reviewer said: they were slow, deep and unified in their actions and feelings towards each other. By Design is a thoroughly satisfying medieval love story. It's right up there with the high standards set by Patricia Ryan (Secret Thunder, Sun and the Moon), Julie Garwood (The Wedding), Susan Carroll (Bride Finder) and Judith McNaught (Kingdom of Dreams). Bravo, Madeline! I can hardly wait for your next book.

Yes, there was a plot, but this book had more love scenes than many of the romance books I've read. Mark (Marcus) I knew would grow up to be a fine man. And David as well. This was a great book, and with Addis and Moira in it, you can't get much better than that.

I won't bother writing a synopsis since other reviewers have done an excellent job of that. Rhy's patience in helping Joan overcome her trauma was very lovely and touching. However, once Joan's background as a lady is revealed, their love is depicted as impossible because of different stations in life and all the implications of that in 14th century England. Yet, in the last chapter, Joan is back with Rhys permanently with no satisfying explanation of how the barriers were overcome. It left me scratching my head a bit.