Customer Reviews

Loyalty's Web

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From the beginning, DiPastena paints a vivid picture of life in medieval times. She quickly draws you into the lives and passions of her characters in a way that leaves you anxious to find out what happens next. Her research is clear, and adds to the authenticity of the story, without ever taking away from the flow of the story itself. (It made me actually want to go and find out more about what really did happen during that time period.) If you have any interest in the time period, or just in a great read, this book will not disappoint you.

From the beginning I was pleasantly surprised with this book. Ms. DiPastena paints an accurate and intriguing picture of midevil times. The story itself was simply enchanting. The earl of Gunther, sent by the king to marry a beautiful girl as an allliance, is thrown for a loop when he falls for the younger, much more plain sister, Helene. Through a series of murder attempts Gunther and Helene must unite to find the truth and protect those who are closest to Helene. Though they fight their attraction to one another, the romance in this book is rare in it's beauty. I was most pleasantly surprised by the intrigue and twists in this story and would find it just as enthralling a second time!

You will really enjoy this book.

Loyalty's Web kept me up late several nights as these realistic characters marched across the chapters. My husband asked me if I was coming to bed one night at 2:00 a.m. Yikes, I had lost track of the time and needed to get up for work the next day!

Her characters are all believable. You are cheering for the heroine as she faces her family and external wrongs. I felt the pain of the hero as he struggled to maintain his duty, honor and his love.

This is a real page turner! I recommend this book to you!

I enjoyed reading every page of this book. In fact, I had a hard time putting it down. Right from the begining the mysteries, and secrets began to pull me in. And the romance is refreshingly without sex scenes, yet the undercurrent of passion, delightfully left me swooning. The characters came alive to the point that I was thinking about them when I wasn't reading. I learned so many fascinating details about the Midevil Times that I hadn't known before. A totally awesome Novel!

The Earl of Gunthar has been sent by King Henry II of England to assure obedience to the terms of the peace treaty with Prince Richard and his rebellious followers. Because eighteen-year-old Heléne de Laurant's father was one of Richard's supporters, King Henry believes an arranged marriage between Gunthar and Heléne's sister is the only way to assure Laurant's loyalty.

But loyalties are questioned when several assassination attempts are made on Gunthar's life and are linked to people close to the Laurant family. Now, Heléne must try to prove her loved ones' innocence by revealing the true killer in their midst.

As she struggles to unravel the truth, she discovers secrets, blackmail, intrigue, and finds herself drawn into a forbidden romance. Heléne becomes tangled in a web of loyalty and is unsure whether to reveal the secrets of loved ones or keep quiet and risk losing the man she loves.

DiPastena has woven a wonderful tale set in twelfth-century France. Full of action, romance, and conspiracy, LOYALTY'S WEB drew me in and held me as I traversed the maze of twists and turns to the very last page. I believe this sweet romance with ingenious plot twists will appeal to both adults and teens.

It was my pleasure to be ensnared in LOYALTY'S WEB, and I look forward to DiPastena's next novel, ILLUMINATIONS OF THE HEART.

Reviewed by: Joan Stradling

Wonderful! Engaging characters, believable conflict, heartfelt emotion, and lovely romance without graphic sex. This book has earned a spot on my keeper shelf. It was truly a joy to read and hard to put down. Do not pick this one up late at night. You will not be able to stop once you start. :o)

Note: I actually read the Leatherwood edition. At the time of my review, it was not yet available from Amazon. I have been told, however, that these editions do not differ greatly.

I very much enjoyed reading Loyalty's Web and recommend it to anyone who is ready for a great adventure. Ms DiPastina masterfully transports her readers into that mystic era of lords and castles, dungeons and knights. This historical fiction weaves its tale amidst the time of King Henry and his dominions in France. It lacks nothing, and is filled with suspense, romance, battles, dreaded arranged marriages, herbal concoctions, murder, and mystery.

Joyce writes with a freshness and authority for a first time writer. I hope this is not her last effort.

Loyalty's Web has been on my wishlist for quite some time so I was really looking forward to reading it. I was not disappointed in the clean, historical and engaging romance. It is very evident from the first page that Joyce DiPastena knows her medieval history well. Although a few scenes were a little cumbersome with lots of detail and I had to stop a few times to straighten out some of the characters, I was engrossed in the story and couldn't wait to figure out who was behind the treasonous plot. There was even one twist that I wasn't expecting at all.

I won this book from a giveaway and never expected to be so engrossed with the medieval life. I felt like I was there with Helen and her whole family. I wanted to jump in and help figure out who was doing what. The author does an excellent job painting an accurate picture of the times and lives of the medieval times. The mystery involved in who is trying to kill Gunther, the marriages Helen's mom tries to put together, the beatings from the which Sybil and what she is really up to. The list is endless which is the reason I loved the book so much. I have to admit I was up late a few nights as I did not want to put this book down.

Helen is trying to prove her loved ones have no reason to want the Earl dead. She is also trying to free one of her good friends who tired to kill the earl. Trying to save herself from a marriage she does not want all the while falling for an Earl that is supposed to marry her sister Clo. She has so much on her plate she is not sure she can handle it all.

The characters are all believable and keep you gripped to the book. The twists and turns keep the book flowing and leaving the reader wanting to know more. My only regret is taking so long to read this wonderful book.