Customer Reviews

By His Majesty's Grace

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In fifteenth century England, Isabel Milton's patience and God-given wits had been her only weapons to keep her two younger sisters and herself safe after the death of their father. Her fabrication of The Curse of the Three Graces of Graydon had served them well for a long time, especially after Leon, the court entertainer, had romanticized it in song. However, as a ward of the king, Isabel's curse seems to have finally failed.

By decree of the king, she is wed to Sir Randall Braesford, a longtime friend and defender of the king. Even though Randall (Rand) is the illegitimate son of the deceased and disgraced Braesford, the king gives all Braesford's holdings to Rand as a reward for his service as a fierce warrior and a friend. The legitimate son of Braesford William McConnell feels these holdings are rightfully his even though his father was a traitor to the king and stripped of his holdings.

Rand is beset on all sides. Not only must he deal with the treachery of the king's advisors, he must deal with his vindictive half-brother and with Isabel's devious step-brother the Earl of Graydon and his less-than-honorable friend Henley who wants Isabel and her wealth for himself. In spite of all his good deeds and his loyalty to the king, Rand ends up in prison. He has no illusions about how things will most likely end, but it is doubly hard since he has reveled in the passion he aroused in the lovely Isabel. With his expert foreplay and gentleness, her defenses slipped away and her uninhibited and oh-so-eager desire to share love with him had transported both of them to ecstasy again and again until he was ordered from his bed.

Taken to the Tower by none other than his half-brother and Isabel's step-brother, Rand is almost fatalistic in his submission to the will of God and the king, but Isabel feels a deadly fury about the injustice and is even more furious about those who have pushed the king into taking such action.

Something that is hers has been taken and she wants it back. Using her aforementioned wits and every connection she has with those who have the king's ear, Isabel, with the help of Rand's squire David, sets about to outsmart and outmaneuver those who would have Rand hanged and destroy her chance at a life of happiness.

While her husband rages that she is just like the lady spider he watches in his prison cell that weaves her webs in obedience to her own caprice in defiance of her mate, Isobel, free to make her own decisions for the first time in her life, sets out on a mission full of intrigue and secrets that makes for adrenaline-pumping reading. She is a heroine after my own heart--one smart lady!

By His Majesty's Grace is brimming full of mind-shattering love scenes, clandestine chicanery, court intrigues, and undercurrents of women's ways and means of swaying the outcome of events that men set in motion in their never-ending struggle for power.

Jennifer Blake's masterful character development, her ability to weave history into the characters' lives and her fantastic plotting and love scenes make By His Majesty's Grace memorable--a tale sizzling with strong emotions. The outcome Ms. Blake brings about is "tinglingly" good.

Originally posted at The Long and Short of It Romance Reviews

Beloved author Jennifer Blake never fails to captivate her readers. Her heroines are spirited and intelligent and her heroes are to-die-for. Lush language, thrilling action, witty dialogue, and steamy love scenes will keep you turning pages long past your bedtime.

Her latest book, By His Majesty's Grace, is a masterpiece set in the glittering yet treacherous court of Henry VII. The heroine, Lady Isabel Milton, saw her mother mercilessly abused in a disastrous marriage and fears that she and her sisters will face the same fate. As wards of the king, the women expect to be used as pawns, betrothed to any ruthless knight or grizzled, old landholder he chooses to favor. After several of her suitors die, Isabel allows rumors of a curse to circulate, hoping it will prevent unwanted engagements. But when she's promised to Sir Rand, a knight so gorgeous and gallant that she dares to wonder if she might find happiness, the curse begins to seem all too real. Rand is arrested and charged with a heinous crime that carries a death sentence. She must fight to save a marriage she didn't want by helping to clear the name of the man she didn't expect to love.

Warning: Jennifer Blake's books cause laundry to go unwashed, dinner to go uncooked, and readers to go without sleep, but they're always worth it!

Lady Isabel Milton and her sisters are cursed with the curse of the Three Graces of Graydon, which says that any man betrothed to them without love is doomed to die. It's the perfect curse for someone who doesn't want to marry, like Isabel. After seeing the brutal marriage of her mother, it's her wish to remain alone.

But it's impossible to refuse the King when he orders her to marry Sir Randall Braesford, as a gift to him for his services.

I really liked Isabel. Even when she's being controlled by her stepbrother and the King, she wants very much to be independent and free. She has a liberal mind and a strong attitude, but she knows when or where she can't win.

But my favorite was Rand. Sexy and very strong, he has a sweet heart and respect for women like no other character in this book. He's delicate with Isabel, and he only wants to be accepted by her.

It's my first book from this author, but I'm really glad I read it. Also it's my first medieval romance and I wasn't sure I was going to feel comfortable with it, but the author manages to make you feel like if you are at that time, with a little bit of historical background and details of the life at that age, without making it boring.

The romance between Rand and Isabel was sweet. Isabel doesn't want a husband but Rand actually wants to have Isabel as his wife. He can't wait to have their wedding night, but then it's interrupted because Rand is being charged with the murder of a child. It's really the curse, or maybe one of Rand's enemies?

The plot has the perfect balance between romance, adventure and action. Rand is being accused for something he didn't do, but why? Could it be the King, Rand's stepbrother or Isabel's stepbrother? While Isabel and Rand are trying to discover who is behind this plot, they start to share more time together and get to know each other. Their romance scenes where very hot and also romantic, Rand is sweet but also desires her very much, while Isabel is more sensual. She doesn't only finds pleasure with him, but affection and maybe love.

Overall, I loved By His Majesty's Grace. It's the first book of The Three Graces series, and I can't wait to read Lady Isabel sister's stories, Cate and Marguerite.

I'm in the minority here but I found this book boring. I slogged half-way through before giving up. It's such a disappointment because I love Ms. Blake's early books such as Fierce Eden, Surrender in Moonlight, Prisoner of Desire. I still have them and treasure rereading them over and over. In those books the heros were fierce and brave and a bit intimidating and the heroines were independent and stood up for themselves.

The plot of this story was nonexistent and too much time was spent on endless speculating about other characters motives and court intrigue. The villains were not threatening at all and there was no suspense or tension.

Rand seemed bland and dull despite being described as tough and manly. He didn't act that way. Isabel had little spirit and gave in way too quickly to her marital duties. All in all a very boring couple.

I know there was a lot of criticism of the early books for the implied rape of the heroine but those people were full of fire and spirit and they fell in love despite themselves. Guess I prefer them to the boring and spiritless people of today's romance writers.

Lady Isabel is ordered by King Henry VII to marry Sir Randall of Braesford. Lady Isabel is reluctant to say the least because she grew up watching her stepfather abuse her mother and then is left in the care of her brutish stepbrother (along with her two sisters). Lady Isabel relies on the curse of the Graces of Graydon (men will die who try to marry one of the Graces) to keep suitors away from her and her sisters.
Upon meeting Sir Rand, Lady Isabel is afraid but resigned to her marriage. Before they consummate their marriage, Sir Rand is accused of murdering the King's illegitimate baby and possibly the King's mistress who has disappeared. The rest of the story is solving the mystery of what happened to the baby and the mistress and how Rand and Isabel progress in their marital relationship.
Seamlessly weaving Tudor history with a mystery and love story, the great book that has a good balance between the history, the romance, and the mystery. I have a fascination for castles and history and this book presented vivid tidbits of historical detail and life during the 15th century. The romance was good to see how Rand was a kind, loyal man and how Isabel became open minded Rand. It was also interesting to see this author's take on all the shenanigans of the War of the Roses and how Henry VII came to be king.

In 1486 England King Henry VII orders heiress Lady Isabel Milton to marry farmer Rand Braesford. Isabel is taken aback on two fronts. First four suitors have died while courting her so many believe she is a curse so why the royal decree; second she finds it difficult to accept the monarch would choose someone outside of his inner aristocratic circle.

She soon realizes her mistake re her fiancé as he is a veteran soldier loyal to the king and given Braesford and her as his reward. Isabel feels rather good about her marital status when Braesford is arrested on a murder charge. However, she quickly reconsiders her position of once a warrior always a warrior as she looks back at his kindness towards everyone. Isabel investigates the homicide in order to liberate her betrothed from the Tower and rid herself of the curse by marrying her intended.

The oldest sister of the cursed Three Graces of Graydon, Isabel is a fascinating protagonist who changes her mind about her intended as he may be the one to overcome her "affliction" with the cure of love. The story line is action-packed yet makes the early Tudor era come alive. Although the two lead characters are too perfect (Candide would have said they belong in Eldorado as the "best of all possible worlds"), fans will enjoy their duet as the heroine believes Rand is innocent of the crime and risks her life to prove it when she could have let him be executed.

Harriet Klausner

Lady Isabel Milton has been betrothed four times and her four betrotheds have died from various causes before their wedding day. Lady Isabel has used these events to create a cursing tale widely known as The Curse of the Three Graces. This curse says Lady Isabel and her sisters are cursed and any man who would want to join them in a loveless marriage will die victim of the curse.
The last thing Isabel wants is to marry. She saw how her mother's spirit was decimated thanks to the abused received by her stepfather, culminating in her mother's dead. Fortunately her stepfather died just months after her mother's demised, leaving them under the (hard) care of their stepbrother Lord Graydon.
After Henry VII ascent to the throne Isabel and her sister are place under the King's guardianship.
Rand Braesford is the bastard son of an earl with no title but under the favor of the king for services rendered to him during his exile and in the fight for the ascension to the throne. For his help and loyalty to Henry VII he has been given the lands that used to belong to his father and the hand in marriage of Lady Isabel Milton.
Lady Isabel is appalled she is to marry a man beneath her station but she doesn't see any way out, what the king decrees is law and Rand doesn't seem to care or believe about the curse.
Just before the wedding is to be performed emissaries of the King interrupted the dinner banquet. Rand has been accused of murdering a child and his and his bride's presence is required before the king.
At their arrival to the palace Lady Isabel thinks she is going to be free from this engagement too, just to realized the king has plans for them to wed next day and to reside in the palace while investigating the allegations against Rand.
What Lady Isabel has seen of men has made her afraid of marriage and especially of the wedding night. But Rand despite his warrior body is sweet, tender and caring with her, disconcerting her and maybe changing a little bit her impressions, at least in regards to her new husband.
Days later things change suddenly when Rand is apprehended and taken to The Tower to await for his conviction.
Lady Isabel has two options, to do nothing and wait for his husband execution or to help find out the truth about the accusations against him.

I really enjoy By His Majesty's Grace. I think Mrs. Blake did a great job intertwining real historical events with those of fiction.

It took me some time to warm up to Lady Isabel, but after learning more of her background and where she was coming from is easier to understand her abhorrence towards marriage and men in general.
I cannot imagine living in a time where women were almost a commodity, given in exchange of favors or where young girls were married to very decrepit old men just because it was a beneficial marriage.
At the end I liked Isabel very much, she is smart and strong willed. She cares deeply for her love ones and is willing to recognize when she has been wrong.

I love Rand since the first moment I met him. He is a teddy bear in a polar bear package. This means he can be caring and loving or a killer and protector is the need arises.

Rand and Isabel's relationship was a believable one. Even though there was an attraction their affection towards each other was not an instant one, but one that grew through the pages thanks to their interactions.

From the secondary characters I really like Rand's squire, David. I think (hope) there is a story behind him and I really would like to learn more about him.

This is my first historical set during the reign of Henry VII. And as I said before I love the historical setting thanks to the accuracy of events in Mrs. Blake writing. By His Majesty's Grace is one of those books that after you finish it you will have the need to do some research about this era and the characters depicted in it.

By His Majesty's Grace was my first book by Jennifer Blake and I can guarantee you I won't be my last. By His Majesty's Grace is the first book in The Three Graces series; the following two books would be about Isabel's sisters, Cate and Marguerite. I'm planning to read them when they become available.

I picked this book up from the library because the book I wanted was already checked out. The story on the back cover seemed interesting, however once I started reading this book it became obvious that this book was slow. The author kept describing in detail everything. If the heroine changed clothes three times in one day we had to read about each outfit. I don't mind descriptions that are need to see a picture of the story, but descriptions that go into too much details about every little thing is bored reading. The next problem is the constant questioning. The author keeps asking questions practically every other page. That becomes annoying after a while. Yes, I see authors ask questions and know it is a literary device to move a story along, but she took it to a new level. I decided to be nice and give the story three stars because the plot was something new.

BY HIS MAJESTY'S GRACE by Jennifer Blake is an exciting historical romance set in 15th century England.This is a fast paced story full of action,intrigue,court intrigue,secrets,betrayal,senual tension,sensuality,treachery,traitors,romance,love,clandestine cicanery and life in King Henry VII's court. Sir Randall Braesford(Rand) and Isabel Milton,their love,and the treachery of court. A must read for any romance,historical,15th century England,readers who enjoy a fast paced story full of action,love and mystery. Received for review from Net Galley and the publisher. Details can be found at Mira,an imprint of HQN and My Book Addiction Reviews.

First, I am a middle aged man and I don't read a lot of romance. However, I write fiction myself and a reader suggested I study Ms. Blake's books to get a better idea how to write romance. I particularly enjoyed learning a little bit about the history of that period in England, and the way so much of society was motivated by political considerations. But apart from the education, I so enjoy characters with passion, and Isabel is full of passion, "burgeoning, mounting, spreading,"--I quote from Ms. Blake, "until there was nothing else in the universe except the hot, bloodred glory and the man who held her." Fantastic!! I am eager to read the other two books in this trilogy. Jennifer Blake is an inspiration.