A Knight in Shining Armor [Hardcover]

Jude Deveraux (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1989

Once upon a time...

...as a fair maiden lay weeping upon a cold tombstone, her heartfelt desire was suddenly made real before her: tall, broad of shoulder, attired in gleaming silver and gold, her knight in shining armor had come to rescue his damsel in distress....

A Knight in Shining Armor

Jude Deveraux's beloved bestseller has captivated readers the world over; now in a special edition featuring new material, this timeless love story greets a new generation. Abandoned by her lover, thoroughly modern Dougless Montgomery finds herself alone and brokenhearted in an old English church. She never dreamed that a love more powerful than time awaited her there...until Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck, a sixteenth-century knight, appeared. Drawn to him by a bond so sudden and compelling that it defied reason, Dougless knew that Nicholas was nothing less than a miracle: a man who would not seek to change her, who found her perfect just as she was. But she could not know how strong were the chains that tied them to the past -- or the grand adventure that lay before them.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her hardcover debut, Deveraux ( The Taming ) offers an imaginative romantic historical fantasy, whose virtue of unpredictabiity is undermined by plodding, graceless prose. Vacationing in England with her lover, Robert, and his spoiled teenage daughter, heroine Dougless Montgomery is abandoned by them in a remote country churchyard near the tomb of Nicholas Stafford, an earl who died in 1564. Almost immediately, an armor-clad swashbuckler materializes--Nicholas himself, reincarnated in the 20th century to clear his reputation, having been unjustly convicted of treason. Intrigued by his plight, Dougless agrees to help Nicholas learn his accuser's identity and restore his good name. They become lovers, and their adventures briefly lead Dougless back to the 1560s, allowing Deveraux to portray that period from a contemporary woman's perspective, as well as 1988 through the eyes of a confounded Elizabethan nobleman. Well-detailed historical highlights and a heartwarming conclusion will enhance the novel's commercial appeal to those Deveraux fans willing to lay out the extra cash for froth bound in hardcover. Doubleday Book Club main selection; Literary Guild alternate.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Chicago Daily Herald A glorious love story that spans centuries, worlds, and souls....A Knight In Shining Armor will capture your heart -- and hold it. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 341 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books; First Edition edition (July 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671678574
• ISBN-13: 978-0671678579
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (537 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jude Deveraux was once a fifth-grade teacher who loved to read. When her imagination began to be filled with her own stories to tell, her career as a writer began. Jude's novels have been set in both contemporary and historical periods. Her strong, lyrical writing style and ability to write stories with memorable characters, rich detail, and believable dialogue has garnered her many devoted readers.

Jude has had over thirty books on the New York Times bestsellers list, has over 60 million copies in print, and has been translated into 18 languages. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading murder mysteries, working in her garden, and in boxing class she likes to show much younger males that she can throw a mean right cross.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

151 of 156 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best time travel!, November 10, 1999

By 

Bonnie Gilbert - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Knight in Shining Armor (Mass Market Paperback)

Okay, I'll say it. This is the first time I've read Jude Deveraux and I can't believe I haven't read her before! A Knight in Shining Armor is a wonderful, funny and touching book.

In 1988 Douglass Montgomery is on holiday with her live-in boyfriend in England. After a huge fight with him and his daughter Douglass is left behind with no money or passport. In grief she goes to the nearby church and cries out that she wishes she had a knight in shining armor. Low and behold Nicholas Stafford, the earl of Thornwyck appears out of sixteenth century England. At first Douglass doesn't believe him that he's from the sixteenth century. She finds his way of dress strange, his talk ridiculous and the fact that he doesn't know what a car is or how to use the bathroom is outrageous! Well, eventually Nicholas wins over Douglass and the two are set to finding out who tried to set Nicholas up for treason in Elizabethian times.

After finding no answers, Nicholas finally resigns himself that he will stay in the 20th century and that Douglass is the love of his life. As soon as the two fall in love, poof! Nicholas is gone back in time. Douglass is at a loss, especially since history has altered and Nicholas was beheaded for crimes he did not commit. She is determined to find the answers to clear his name. But as soon as she finds her answers she is wisked back in time to 1560 and finds herself at Nicholas's home, before he was an earl and everybody was happy, although Nicholas does not remember her.

Douglass must win over Nicholas's trust to change history again, knowing that once it is changed she will be dragged back to the twentieth century.

This story was wonderful! I highly recommend it to anyone, especially time travel lovers. I loved the way that Nicholas was so excited over little things we all take forgranted, such as can openers and vacuum machines. I also loved the interesting information that the readers learns of Elizabethian times. If you haven't read A Knight in Shining Armor, you must do so now!

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Jude's Best!, July 31, 2001

By 

Nicole L. Brant "funnybookworm" (Bridgeport, WV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Knight in Shining Armor (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read almost all of Jude Deveraux's books and I can honestly say this is my absolute favorite. (Sweet Liar is a close second) You cant help but fall into the storyline that catches your attention from page one.

The lovely Dougless Montgomery, on vacation with her annoyingly inconsiderate boyfriend and his brat of a daughter, ends up stranded at a church in the middle of nowhere, England.

She falls upon a tomb in the church, wracked with tears. Praying for her Knight in Shining Armor. And thus, her wish is granted in the form of Nicholas Stafford, an English Earl who died in 1564. And that is only the beginning of this wonderfully romantic tale. It is funny, heartwarming, passionate, and all around fabulous. I highly recommend this book.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HISTORICAL ROMANCE MASTERPIECE!, July 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Knight in Shining Armor (Mass Market Paperback)

The timeless love story portrayed in this novel is utterly profound. No other Jude Deveraux historical romance has ever affected me as much as this has. And I never would have read it if I haven't read the author's commentary at the end of her novel "The Taming." Ms. Deveraux has talked about the endless hours of research she has put into this masterpiece so I was definitely intrigued to try out "A Knight in Shining Armor." I usually stay away from this genre (time travel) and prefer more realistic story lines but I'm glad I didn't. It took me weeks to get over the "withdrawal symptoms." I now want to go to England and visit the remote village of Ashburton, Devonshire, look into St. Andrew's church and maybe find my own knight. I also want to see the house that Sir H. Stafford built in the Elizabethan era (was Thornwyck based on this?). The author is definitely a genius. She has reflected the lifestyle of the 16th century in authentic detail that I totally got immersed in it. Thanks, Ms. Deveraux for writing this one. I'll treasure this book for always.