Customer Reviews

Hard Day's Knight

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Unemployed and unattached, Pepper Marsh was convinced by her cousin CJ that she would find the perfect man for her at a jousting competition at the Renaissance Faire in Ontario. Pepper wasn't at all sure of finding the `perfect' man but my, oh my, the men dressed up as knights, in their oh so skinny tights was enough inducement to turn the tide for Pepper who finally agreed to dress up and walk around the fairgrounds dressed in a very revealing bustier as a medieval `wench'! As it happened, Pepper did meet up with her knight in shining armor the very first day as he saved her from being pounded into the ground by a run away steed. Unfortunately, the devilishly sexy knight, with the very deep velvety voice didn't seem as taken with her as was in trading insults with the man who almost ran her down.

Walker McPhail, was once a champion jouster until the day he crippled an opponent. Since then, he stayed out of the ring, preferring to train and squire other jousters. Pepper was not about to let the reticent, moody, and incomparably sexy man get away - not when it seemed fate and a cunning maniacal cat seemed to keep them running into each other. She knew he was her destiny and she only had to convince him that he was hers!

Katie MacAlister, has become a master in creating offbeat and wacky heroines, that are not perfect female specimens - but just perfect for the heroes they ultimately end up with. In this latest novel she crafts a heroine who's self-esteem needed some boosting, as well as a hero who needed a push in the right direction to begin believing in himself again. She then she fills the pages with humor, wonderfully witty dialogs, highly sensuous bed sports, and lovely mix of supporting players to make this another delightfully sexy and tantalizing read that proves MacAlister to be a master of her game. Using an unknown (to me) real life organization for the re-creation of medieval games and times was a real treat, and had I ever been aware of such a thing as the League of Wenches (AND, if I was maybe 20 years younger) I'd probably be joining up myself! What a fun read this was!

---- Marilyn Rondeau, for www.contemporaryromancewriters.com

Nobody writes quite in the style as Katie Macalister does. Maybe that is a blessing since she is amazing, turning out wonderful book out after book. The market couldn't stand a dozen writers as prolific! Obviously, Katie Mac feels our lives dull and need more than a few zany giggles, and she keeps giving us original tale, with less than perfect heroines that seem to land in bizarre situations. A Hard Days Knight is another of her wacky, charming tales that has put her on the bestsellers list time after time.

This time Katie Mac takes on Medieval-Renaissance Faires, called Ren Faires by those mighty warriors of the SCA - Society for Creative Anachronisms. These devout worshippers across the world, keep history alive, and during the summers come together for old style jousting, melees and damsel fair. Macalister is in top form as she both pays homage to these stalwart troopers and has a wee giggle at them, too!

In this utterly delightful tale, unemployed software specialists Pepper March is lured into attending the Ontario Renaissance Faire by her friend and cousin CJ. CJ's boyfriend is one of a jousting team called Three Dogs Knights. Her cousin assures Pepper at the tourney she will finally meet real knights in shining armour, who treat women as chivalrously as Knight of Auld. A strange cat shows up and begins to play matchmaker. It catches peppers attention, then dashes in front of the galloping chargers. Pepper rescues the cat, and Walker MacPhail rescues Pepper from being trampled by the horses. Pepper is struck
that MacPhail is her true knight in somewhat shining armour, but then he opens his mouth and ruins the shimmering illusion by berating her for being stupid and risking herself for the cat.

MacPhail is also a member of the Three Dog Knights jousting team and once was the man to beat. But sort of like John Wayne in the Quiet Man, MacPhail injured his opponent in a previous match, and now keeps to the sidelines, training others in Knightly Ways. Pepper is determined to convince him she is his destiny, but our lad in plate is a wee bit resistant to the notion. It's up to Pepper and the magical kitty to see things are put to rights.

Macalister captures the festive fun of the Ren Faires completely, bringing the jarring clash of contemporary settings and ancient codes into a wonderful mix that will delight anyone wanting to read a book that makes them happy! You end with a big smile on your face.

Pure magic!

At the Ontario Renaissance Faire, Seattle visitor unemployed software specialist Pepper March attends as an English wench because her cousin CJ persuaded her that she would find chivalrous medieval hunks as she always dreamed of a knight in shining armor. When the cat she is watching gets loose, Pepper follows, but almost is run over by a horse. The actions of English knight Walker MacPhail saves her from a stomping.

However, her hero is not very chivalrous afterward as he rips her for being an idiot. Later, she learns from her cousin that Walker is a member of the jousting team Three Dog Knight that includes CJ's beau. As Walker and Pepper become acquainted, they begin to fall in love. However, he fears any lasting relationships as much as he struggles to reenter the jousting ring that he once owned.

This is a delightful somewhat reverse anachronistic tale that cleverly uses a Renaissance festival to furbish a medieval context in a modern day Canadian setting. The story line works because of the strong cast. The heroine wants a caring knight for her to nurture while her choice has issues to deal with. The secondary players provide the background that will lead the audience to believe they are attending the gala. The final joust between the lead couple is a brilliant ending to a fine contemporary.

Harriet Klausner

I love Katie Mac, and her books are growing on me. I discovered her (or rather she discovered us, the International Wenches Guild) 2 or 3 years ago. This was my 3 book that I read from her. She had me grinning and laughing regarding some of the things she said about faire (like the bodice...and the shelf it creates). I liked Pepper, but loved Walker. And the Elizabethan insult contest was funnier than hell.
That being said, I do agree that the Pepper/Walker relationship was a bit odd and fast. But I went with it and enjoyed the book to the very end. Just think of it like this...Faire relationships tend to be strange, fast, and run hot. They were just following the trend in that respect.
I did like the Jousting quite a bit, maybe because when I worked faire as an Ale Wench, my stand was located directly across from the jousting ring. I watched them all day, and let me tell you, it's facinating. She did her homework on that part.

Sorcha

I preferred Men in Kilts to this book. Learning the ins and outs of jousting was interesting, but it got a bit boring. There wasn't much else happening in this book. The characters were fairly two-dimensional and I never did figure out why Walker was attracted to Pepper. She just didn't seem his type. I guess she just overwhelmed him.

This book isn't horrible, but it really isn't a must read either.

This is possibly the most annoying book I have ever read. From the moment the heroine met the hero every excruciating word out of her mouth was uncouth and uncool. A usually love a strong female but Pepper became so incredibly annoying that halfway through the I could no longer tolerate her insipid sexual remarks. I find it highly unrealistic that ANY male would find her attractive given the fact that she just did not know when to shut up. I felt absolutely no chemistry between her and Walker and felt that their relationship was completely forced. Thank goodness I only borrowed the book and did not waste money purchasing it. I was truly disappointed in this read as I normally enjoy MacAlister's writing style.

Well, Katie has done it again. I could not put HDK down and I believe I had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading it cause my husband repeatedly said "Oh this book must be good cause you have been smiling since you started reading it and you can't get your nose out of it". He even asked last night to read a page just to see what was so good LOL!

It is my opinion that this is Katie's best contemporary novel to date and just leaves you feeling so good and having enjoyed yourself. The story is not predictable (I found myself occasionally thinking something was going to happen this way and it happened a different way). Loved the characters!. STRONG and intelligent, real female lead (she is one smart cookie) and a great cast of supporting charcters (Moth is Katie through and through). And Walker, the male lead is just yummy!

Kudos Katie! This is sure to be a hit. A refreshing contemporary with the medievel angle.

The overall book was pretty good, and i enjoyed. But from about halfway to the end of the novel, the secondary characters, CJ especially became really annoying. My frustration was such that it started to cloud my enjoyment reading the rest of the book. CJ is supposed to be Pepper's cousin, someone she's known her whole life and is good friends with, and CJ drags Pepper to another country to go a Ren Fair, and yet at every opportunity CJ doubts, excludes, insults, or blames Pepper. I couldn't believe it! There were numerous occasions in the book where if CJ was my cousin i would seriously have screamed at her. If CJ wasn't in the story at all, i probably would give this book four stars. If you can get over the obnoxious cousin, the book isn't that bad. Pepper is a little annoying sometimes, but it's a good light read, just don't expect any life revelations or anything.

If you like romantic comedy, then Katie MacAlister's HARD DAY'S KNIGHT is definitely the book for you. A modern-day romance set in contemporary times, this book has the feel of a historical comedy, revolving as it does around the world of a Renaissance Faire. For those of you who aren't familiar with this look into the past, Ren Faires are big business-a large number of people gather at these yearly events for a variety of reasons. A combination craft fair, historical reenactment, and performance arts, faires such as the one mentioned in this book draw huge crowds, from participants and spectators alike.

In Ms. MacAlister's world of the Renaissance Faire in Ontario, the characters might be make-believe, but the goings-on at the faire are anything but. For Pepper Marsh, being a software engineer without a job is bad enough. Being unable to find a date, and having nowhere else to look outside the geeks and computer techies she's used to working with, she travels with her cousin, CJ, to the Faire with an eye towards landing one of those hunky guys in tights that CJ is always talking about.

Unfortunately, the first things Pepper notices about a reenactment of medieval days of yore is the tireless effort it takes to put up a tent, avoid horse poop, and the disturbing chore of wearing revealing and embarrassing wench attire. Sure that all is lost, Pepper seeks out that knight-in-shining armor that she's sure is around the hot and dusty Faire somewhere. Stepping into the path of a hell-bent steed, she's fortunate enough to be rescued by none other than Walker McPhail.

A sexy, single, gorgeous Englishman who once jousted in the ring with the fervor of a true devotee, he's let a near-death experience keep him from jousting, his first love. The infuriating wench who seems out of her element is intriguing, even though Walker has a feeling that his buddies of the Three Dog Nights jousting team may have had a hand in their initial encounter.

With funny, believe secondary characters, fresh and humorous dialogue, and a hero and heroine who lock horns over just about everything, HARD DAY'S KNIGHT is a contemporary romantic comedy that you don't want to miss.

As far as Katie MacAlister books go, I stick to her humorous romances. I've read Men In Kilts, Corset Diaries & a few more. Hard Day's Knight ranks right up there with Men In Kilts (which I also gave 5 stars). This book's funny, fast-paced & deals with a group & some hobbies that lots of readers probably never heard of before...that's a plus to me. The lead characters DO hop into bed (tent, actually) pretty quickly but, that's how real Ren Faire romances tend to be. Events are so short that there's not time to really get to know people as you'd normally do before having sex with them. Nuff said on that. Bottom line, this is a good escape-from-reality romance with just enough laughs & a happy ending.