Customer Reviews

The Flower and the Sword

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

 

 

This is another romance about a hero who feels betrayed and thus treats the heroine like dirt. Rogan believes (wrongly, of course) that the heroine plotted to have him thrown into the dungeon. He kidnaps her, berates her, belittles her, forces her to toil at many jobs...

Lily puts up with so much that I found her unbelievable. The Medieval era was not for wimps. She could have been more strongly drawn.

The less said about the too evil to be believed evil sister, the better. Why do the other characters never figure out that they have evil incarnate in their household?

This writer has potential. Overall, her writing style is smooth. Rogan is also more sympathetic than similar heroes from the 1980s. If only she would write stronger characters...

I gave this book a D- at All About Romance.

I enjoyed Rogan and Lily's story. They were perfectly suited. Both characters were well-defined and created warmth and love between them. I found Rogan to be strong and although determined to make Lily pay for not believing in his innocence, he can't keep his feelings from responding to her sweet nature and her spunky responses to his punishment, turning it to her advantage. I loved the way he was protective of her despite the fact he felt she failed him when he needed her most. The children were an extra touch that endeared Lily even more with her caring. It was a good plot and the story kept you right on the spot and you hated for it to end. Rogan and Lily capturing their love that others sought to take from them gave a warm, fuzzy feeling while reading. It was such a nice feeling when they regained all that had been taken from them. I would highly recommend this story for ones who like the softer side in contrast to the brutal cruelty. I also recommend Samantha James' My Lord Conqueror. Both are delightful reads, especially for us squeamish readers who enjoy that warm-glowing feeling after a good read. They are among my favorites.

I love this book! I have had it for a while, but have not read it. I thought the name and cover were cheesy, so I never even read the back. When I finally cracked it open, I did not want to put it down. I cannot wait to read all of Jacqueline Navin's books. This was an original in the romanace world of been there done that books. Heck for as cheap as it is, DO NOT PASS IT UP.

Normally, it takes me months to finish a book because I simply never have the time for them. But The Flower and the Sword was such a great read, that I actually finished it in a single day. I felt that the characters were believable. Sure, Lily put up with a lot of physical and emotional abuse - but it was believable because she was -that- deeply in love with Rogan. It might be surprising to some, but when you believe you've fallen that hard and fast for someone, you would pretty much put up with any amount of bs they will subject you to.

And as for the evil sister in the household, they knew she was always up to no good. But she was family, you forgive and accept family no matter how screwed up they are because they -are- family. The situations, the emotions, the reactions were all woven together to create a very realistic story with very real characters. I definitely recommend this story for anyone who loves a bit of romance combined with a lot of 'pulls at your heart strings' type of conflict.

The only thing that could've made this story better were the action sequences, but it's no mystery that the author's strong point isn't on the blood shed and weapons clashing. Her writing is more focused on the heartfelt emotions and tender moments, which she does extraordinarily well.