Customer Reviews

Heart of a Knight

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

A lot of other individuals gave detailed descriptions- So I will get to the point of my review. While others found the dialog insipid, I really enjoyed this story for its flirty interplay between the main characters: Thomas and Elizabeth. I enjoy sexual tension in a story more so than reading about the actual act, the getting to the bedroom is the fun part. Ms. Samuel delivered this tension in a very clever way while at the same time giving us great character development and growth. Thomas made a great hero- I appreciated that he was not totally perfect (although darn close) and not some type of womanizer. I also appreciated that Elizabeth was not bratty or churlish- which seems to be popular in romances lately- a strong willed woman who was allowed to be both feminine and strong. I enjoyed the historical time period; the author did a good job of giving us a believable glimpse of the medieval world without going into great detail.

There were definitely some parts where I felt that there needed to be less dialog and more action- in that I agree with some of the negative reviews, more outside conflict rather than all the termoil over duty and honor between our protagonists would have been helpful, but over all the book was well executed, the characters fantastically portrayed, with more than a satisfactory ending.

Barbara Samuel has captured the magic of 14th century love and life with wonderful accuracy. When the widowed Lady Elizabeth returns from exile she discovers a mysterious but captivating knight guarding her lands and her people.

The mystery deepens as she comes to know this gentle knight, Dark Thomas, as he is called by the common folk. Although sometimes awkward in his actions, his heart is as great as his size. But Elizabeth soon questions her feelings and discovers that she does not like the answers.

Set in the dynamics of rural England, this story takes on a life that thrusts the reader into the simplistic yet terribly complicated medieval age...when the word of a king has the power over life and death, and the tenements of caste govern all. Journey with two people as they discover their love and struggle for happiness under the harsh rule of their "social" age.

Note: this book won the 1998 Rita Award for the best Historical Romance - short category. She was up against some staunch competition from Jill Barnett, Christina Dodd, Barbara Dawson Smith, etc. Definitely a great read!

With a little editing, this book would easily be a five. First of all, the tension often held so long and came so closely on top of the last, I had to get up and walk away from it to give myself a break. Next, the love scenes were much too explicit. I would have been happier with less of the juicy details, because they left me feeling almost dirty. However, the story-line was enthralling, and the characters were rich and believable. Despite the fact it was hard to put down for long, if I had it to do over, I would not read it.

This book is all about romance. Yes there are some secrets and intrigue, but it all revolves around getting Thomas and Lyssa together, finally! So if you are looking for an interesting story (but not complicated) with very STRONG ROMANTIC elements this is a great book. I love Barbara Samuels style of writing because she gives enough plot development, dialogue, and romance to keep me glued to the finish...and she is NEVER, ever, repetative or boring. I can't wait to read her other books.

I loved this book! I really enjoyed the characters, not only the main characters of Lyssa, Lady Elizabeth with her long hair and love of spinning threads and weaving, the descriptions make you feel like you can actually see it and Lord Thomas, so handsome and virile that every woman wants him but who is kind and understands dogs and sullen boys but also has a bloodlust during the victorious hunt that you can almost feel yourself, but Barbara Samuels did a great job on the supporting characters. We all know of someone like the two stepchildren, Isobel, the wild, out of control, too sexy for her own good, teenage girl and Robert, the insufferable, arrogant, sullen, 12 year old boy, with no father. There is also Alice, the mysterious healer, and Tall Mary, the tall, gainly girl who doesn't realize how pretty she really is and how good her life could be if she would just stop wanting something else, and the good King Edward and the love of his life, his wife, the Queen. I wish this was a series and Barbara Samuels had written more books around each character. The writing,descriptions, and twists in the story were excellent, it was like I really knew these people and were there observing their life.

This book is now one of my all time favorites! I have never read this author before and thought I would try it since it was free. Im so glad that I did! The characters were very easy to get attached too. Lyssa drove me alittle crazy with her since of duty, and Isobel with all her tricks made me want to smack her, but in the end it all worked out, great HEA! Loved this book, I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good romance novel.

This was my first Kindle Fire book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though it's really a romance-type novel and I'm not a particulary romantic type of guy. Barbara Samuel kept it moving with action, the intrigue of intimate encounters and sex, and captured the fact that while outwardly men are largely misunderstood, inside they have a big and caring heart.

The only two disappointments I had in this entire book were towards the end. The final battle to gain knighthood (and live), was quite abbreviated when it came to fighting his two main foes, and the sex scene between the young beautiful neice and her new husband had a great buildup but was also quite abbreviated and lacking in detail. I felt like the author was trying to rush to get to the end of the story, or maybe I was just wanting more action and sex before finishing!

Otherwise, I still highly recommend this book, especially to guys who want to read something different and still enjoy it immensely...don't be afraid of it, and you might even score a few points with the opposite sex if you share it with her, or become more amorous as a result!!

This is the first book by Barbara Samuels that I have ever read and I'm very impressed! This book was so good I didn't want it to end. I loved the characters. At first I thought the heroine was a snob, but I ended up really liking her character. She was courageous and wise. I loved the Hero from the start! Very charming and funny! I loved the banter between Thomas and Lyssa. Their humor and true enjoyment of each other's company really made this couple seem real. This book really has a lot of things that I look for in a book, romance, history, humor, conflict, mystery, and detail, just to name a few things. This book took place in the time of the plague and I think the author did a good job of blending this historical aspect into the book and really making it a part of the story. The thing I liked most about this book was how genuine the feelings of adoration the hero and heroine had for each other. It wasn't a love at first site kind of story, you get to see their feelings grow for each other and build into a wonderful story that I think anyone would enjoy. I highly recommend this book! If you like historical romance, this is the book for you!

What a delightful book! I love the way Barbara Samuels weaves her tales of love and adventure. It's a little heavier on the love and a little lighter on the adventure, but it made for a sweet and lovely story of love between two people from different classes, interspersed with a dangerous secret that would certainly destroy them both. I was enthralled right up until the very end, convinced there was no way out for these two. The ending was perfect.

This is the 3rd Samuels book I have read, and I will read more. She is a colorful writer, and builds tension in such a way that leaves you breathless and engaged. If you like stories about how a good and generous soul conquers all, this is it. And not the least bit corny.