The Dragon and the Jewel [Paperback]

Virginia Henley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 1991

With her sapphire eyes and silken dark hair, Princess Eleanor was a bewitching beauty made for a man's pleasure.  Once a child bride, but widowed at a tender age, she swore never to marry again and took a vow of eternal chastity...until Simon de Montfort marched into England and set his smoldering dark gaze upon her, King Henry's youngest sister, the royal family's most precious jewel.  Bold, arrogant, and invincible, the towering Norman knight inspired awe in the bravest of men...and a reckless desire in Eleanor's untried heart.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

With her sapphire eyes and silken dark hair, Princess Eleanor was a bewitching beauty made for a man's pleasure. Once a child bride, but widowed at a tender age, she swore never to marry again and took a vow of eternal chastity...until Simon de Montfort marched into England and set his smoldering dark gaze upon her, King Henry's youngest sister, the royal family's most precious jewel. Bold, arrogant, and invincible, the towering Norman knight inspired awe in the bravest of men...and a reckless desire in Eleanor's untried heart.

From the Inside Flap

With her sapphire eyes and silken dark hair, Princess Eleanor was a bewitching beauty made for a man's pleasure.  Once a child bride, but widowed at a tender age, she swore never to marry again and took a vow of eternal chastity...until Simon de Montfort marched into England and set his smoldering dark gaze upon her, King Henry's youngest sister, the royal family's most precious jewel.  Bold, arrogant, and invincible, the towering Norman knight inspired awe in the bravest of men...and a reckless desire in Eleanor's untried heart.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Dell (November 10, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440206243
• ISBN-13: 978-0440206248
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #257,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( H ) > Henley, Virginia

More About the Author

New York Times best-seller Virginia Henley is the author of 26 lush and lusty historical romances and 5 short stories. Her books are published in 16 languages around the world. She is the recipient of a dozen awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times, A Maggie Award for Excellence from the Georgia Romance Writers, and a Waldenbook Award for top-selling long historical for 1994.

The St. Petersburg Times calls Henley "The Queen of Steamy Romance."

Kathe Robin, RT Book Reviews says: "Henley's gift for bringing remarkable women to life in colorful, turbulent times is what turns her romances into keepers. Henley heats up the pages with her love scenes, and her skill at portraying actual historical personages with humanity while maintaining historical accuracy wins our minds. Henley knows what historical romance is all about and always gives the readers what they want."

Henley says: "My hero is always dark, dominant and dangerous. Then I create a woman who is a match for him...or more than a match!
Men come up to me at conferences and thank me for writing my books. One man said, "I don't read them, but I always know when my wife is reading a Henley!"

My next book The Dark Earl goes on sale September 6 and is the third in the series following The Decadent Duke, and The Irish Duke.

I have just turned two of my backlist books into Kindle ebooks. Wild Hearts and Bold Conquest are historical romances. My novella Hot As Fire, also available on Kindle, is my only contemporary. I have a short story up on Kindle called Letter of Love that is FREE.

Next month I will be offering a new ebook that is a Southern family saga.
MASTER OF PARADISE tells the story of Nicholas Peacock who is disinherited of his title and wealth in England. He sails to Charleston, South Carolina, and starts a cotton plantation just before the Civil War disrupts everyone's life.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second book to trilogy..., July 20, 2000

By 

Tracy Talley "Book Addict" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dragon and the Jewel (Paperback)

This is the second book to the Plantagenet Trilogy. The first is FALCON AND THE FLOWER and the third is THE MARRIAGE PRIZE. This story is about Princess Eleanor Plantagenet, the King's "Precious Jewel". After King John died, his children King Henry III, Richard of Cornwall and Princess Eleanor were left alone to basically run England. Their mother Queen Isabella married another and moved on. This is the great love story of Princess Eleanor Plantagenet and the famous warlord Simon de Montfort, the Earl of Leicester. This true story of these two passionate people is told with such flair and sensuality that only Virginia Henley could tell. True the story is compressed to about three years, when in reality is was more like thirty. But she pulls it off with no problem. The sequel, and last book to this trilogy begins in the year 1253, this book ends in 1240. That is the reason for the dropping off at the end. The story continues into the next book, for all those complaining about the sudden abrupt ending. The characters from the first book make many appearances in this one, namely their son Sir Rickard de Burgh. He is appointed the Princess's gaurd. In the beginning of the story their is about 190 pages of story between Eleanor and her first husband, the Earl of Pembroke, William Marshal. He was much older than her and when she became a widow at the age of 17, she took a vow of chastity of perpetual widowhood. Simon first saw her and fall in love. He had to have her at any cost. The passionate love these two shared and the enemies and treachery they endured, is awe inspiring. Simon is breathtaking, a great warlord of his time, and Eleanor is beautiful and strong willed. She is a woman ahead of her time. This story will make you smile and feel like you are there with Simon and Eleanor. Henley has an uncanny knack of bringing the reader into her world. I could almost hear the swords clanking and the King shouting. This is an excellent read, don't miss it. I have read this many times, and still find myself enthralled everytime. Virginia Henley is an extrememly talented writer, she brings these people to life and shows you the sacrifices they made for their beloved country, when civil war was knocking at England's door. Simon was a great warlord and leader, I think you will enjoy this great 13th century love story in all it's glory. It's a keeper.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Love Story For The Ages & Excellent Historical Fiction!, February 16, 2004

By 

Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dragon and the Jewel (Paperback)

Virginia Henley brings 13th century England to life with this historical novel about Princess Eleanor Plantagenet, daughter of King John and sister to King Henry III, and her warrior hero husband Simon de Montfort.

Married at age 10 and widowed by age 16, Eleanor swore a vow of chastity to the Church. She didn't figure on someone like Simon de Montfort, a disinherited aristocratic Frenchman who become an English earl, entering her life. Swept away by their passionate love for each other they risked the wrath of King and Church to wed.

Ms. Henley, an award-winning author, tells a tale filled with conflict, treachery, betrayal, pageantry and true love with such skill that the reader truly gets a picture of life in medieval England and a look into one of history's most intense romances. A great read that is hard to put down.
JANA

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars favorite by V Henley, second favorite romance EVER, August 2, 2002

By 

Connie L. Mayberry (Jefferson, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dragon and the Jewel (Paperback)

I received this book as a gift from a college roommate and I have read it over and over. It is one of my all-time favorites. And since I read this first Henley book, I have built a collection of about 11 of her novels. Simon de Montfort is my dream hero, and the most romantic leading man ever. He sees what he wants and he takes it!
My only warning is this, if you love Simon and Eleanor, DON'T read THE MARRIAGE PRIZE. They are here as an older couple and it is heartbreaking. I also highly recommend DREAM LOVER by V. Henley. There is a little bit of violence but if you love Simon de Montfort, you will also love Sean O'toole.
Nobody writes romances as well as Virginia Henley.