Customer Reviews

The Maiden Bride

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Linda Needham's latest book from Avon, The Maiden Bride, is a wonderful medieval and sure to please all of her fans out there who wait patiently, and not-so-patiently, for each of Linda's newest books. It will also attract more fans over to Linda's camp because of the beautifully crafted prose, the dark and brooding hero and a wonderfully intelligent, independent, and practical heroine - my favorite kind!

Lady Eleanor Bayard was married by proxy to William Nicholas Bayard, although she had never met him. When she learns of his death following the great plague, she decides to assert her rightful claim as his widow to Faulkhurst Castle. Granted this property by her craft king, she takes her little ragtag band of misfits across the countryside to the Northwest Coast of England to her deserted, crumbling castle. Eleanor knows the castle is in need of a lot of work and a lot of people to fill it and the surrounding village, so she plants the seeds of gossip along her trek. By leaving hints that the new Lady of Faulkhurst will be tithing to her tenants for five years, instead of the other way around, Eleanor is able to attract more and more misfits to join her. However, the greatest misfit of all is waiting for her deep in the shadows of the castle - "Nicholas," who agrees to be her steward when he can't scare her off, but who is really her tormented husband.

Nicholas has pledged himself to complete the rebuilding of the chapel at Faulkhurst before he dons a monks robes and sentences himself to life in a monastery. He is doing a self-imposed penance for the terrible life he led which he believes resulted in the plague that took the life of his young, illegitimate son. He does not want to have anything to do with Eleanor, even more so after he discovers she is his wife, but he cannot leave her to endanger herself or the children and innocents with which she surrounds herself by letting her live in the ramshackle castle. So, he takes on the role of steward and starts to set to rights the very destruction that he himself wrought on the castle and its belongings.

Even with such a dark, brooding hero, there is so much humor in the interactions between Eleanor and Nicholas that I found myself laughing out loud. She is a feisty and intelligent woman; Nicholas has had little contact with such females in his life of battle and decadence. He is headstrong and opinionated about the way his castle should be run, but doesn't want to reveal his identity to his wife. She is headstrong herself, but also optimistic and genuinely good-hearted. The various thieves and cutthroats that show up at the doors of the castle, in answer to Eleanor's prayers for tradesmen, make for an entertaining little troupe of secondary characters.

The sexual tension in this story is wonderful, especially because the hero and heroine become friends and develop a strong sense of trust and affection before they ever get to a bed. In fact, Eleanor's concern that her unconsummated marriage puts her claim to the castle at risk creates some humorous and tense moments for Nicholas.

Those of you who know and love Linda's work will not be disappointed by The Maiden Bride. If you haven't read any of her books, but are a lover of medieval, historical or just general romance, please pick this one up. It's sure to bring a smile to your face, a tear to your eye, and a quick pit-pat to your heart. Great work, Linda! Barb Deane Copyrightc 1999, Barb's All Romance Book Store. All rights reserved

In 1351 England, Lady Eleanor Bayard learns she is a widow even though she never met her spouse, having married him by proxy. Eleanor thinks her husband died in Calais. Needing a place to live, Eleanor travels to the Faulkhurst Castle, former home of her late spouse.

Lord Nicholas Bayard feels guilt over never meeting his wife, let alone sharing a wedding night with her. He believes she died from the plague. He is wandering all over his rundown castle when Eleanor arrives. She thinks he is an unemployed knight and offers the angst-laden Nicholas a job as her steward. He is shocked by her positive, uplifting attitude, but hides his identity from her because he feels he has no time for a wife in his present circumstances. However, as Nicholas and Eleanor fall in love, he wonders what will happen to his heart when she learns of his deception.

Medieval romance readers will long relish Linda Needham's touching tale, THE MAIDEN BRIDE. The story line is fast-paced and filled with the nuances of mid fourteenth century English life. The lead couple is a delightful compassionate pair whose droll repartees will give much pleasure to sub-genre fans.

Harriet Klausner

A woman who believes in everyday miracles and a man who has lost all hope work together to rebuild an estate wasted by the Black Death. Married by proxy, Lady Eleanor is a widow without having been a wife and she only wants to make a home for herself and the rag-tag group of survivors she has collected. Her isolated inheritance is empty and neglected, the shabby castle haunted by a man sickened by too much war, too much death. Nicholas insists on acting as her steward, not revealing that he is her husband, for as soon as he fulfills a pledge, he will enter a monastery for a lifetime of penance. But Eleanor's belief that there is a core of good in every heart overpowers his guilt and shows him that even the most wicked sinner can be redeemed by love.

Needham's characters come alive, her dialogue sings, and the emotional impact of her story keeps you turning pages until the satisfying, poignant last scene, when you wish there was more to read.

England, 1351.

The castle of Faulkhurst has been "abandoned"-emptied by the plague, and left a barren shell; with crumbling ramparts, locked doors, and fallow fields. `Tis naught but a challenge to Lady Eleanor, the "widowed" bride of Nicholas Bayard (happily consigned to the devil now). Accompanied by her three charges, Lady Eleanor has a plan to revive the lagging fortunes of Faulkhurst; to bring about prosperity and peace to the demesne of her cursed late husband. Haunting the lonely halls of Faulkhurst is a man closely linked to Eleanor's past. He claims the position of Steward-yet holds a much tighter claim to her heart. He is a man tormented and beguiled-by the beauty, vivacity, and stubborn-angel smile of the woman he wed long ago, yet never met: Eleanor, his salvation or hell?

THE MAIDEN BRIDE is a passionate, heartbreaking, yet uplifting tale of hope, redemption, and soul-searing love . There's humour aplenty; a taunt, sensuous chemistry between Nicholas and Eleanor; and a lushly descriptive narrative filled with beautiful imagery. Linda Needham has a talent for transporting the reader (although some may find her dialogue and character mannerisms a little too "modern"; I, however, found Eleanor and Nicholas to be a refreshingly honest duo.) Highly recommended!

Having read all of Julie Garwood medieval romances may have spoiled me for other medievals. I found this one rather lacking in the vivid descriptions of dress, housing, meals and customs I've so loved in other books.

That said, I found the book quite good in character development and plot. A sweet, caring and feisty lady who believes she's a widow without having ever met her husband, and who lost her whole family to the plague decides to bring her husband's abandoned castle back to life. And for that purpose she gives all kind of people a chance to remake their life with her and help her rebuild the castle. Arriving there, she meets a lonely knight, doing penance for the death of his son. How she lifts him from his despair and makes a good life for both themselves and their people makes for a very nice reading.

"The Maiden Bride" is one of those good books, where the main character tries to do some good and doesn't have any of those selfish or secret agendas that benefit themselves.

Eleanor is an optimistic and hopeful person, by nature. She journeyed to Faulkhurst with her friends, to claim a castle, which belonged to her through a marriage when her husband supposedly died. (Eleanor never met her husband and the marriage they had were really nothing. Because the marriage conditions/duties were never fulfilled and the marriage was just basically a signing of papers) Eleanor and her friends went to Faulkhurst and all she found was an empty town with a crummy castle and a person that resembled a gargoyle. The gargoyle introduced himself as Nicholas.

In truth, Nicholas is the husband that Eleanor married, but Nicholas doesn't reveal himself because of some internal pain he's going through. As time passes and little miracles are performed because of Eleanor's faith and trust, they fall in love. But the problem is that Nicholas's true identity is hidden and when it's revealed, would Eleanor forgive him?

I liked this book because it was really sweet. It wasn't one of those books where it was mostly about sex. There were a little more to it, like the rebuilding of the castle. The reason I liked this book was because of the character Eleanor. Eleanor showed so much hope and trust and she created small miracles and made the people her family. Eleanor reminds me of this character in "The Abduction of Julia" by Karen Hawkins. "The Abduction of Julia" is also another good book and I recommend it to people who liked "The Maiden Bride" or vice versa.

This is the first book that I have read by Linda Needham. It starts out a little slow but it was definitely worth finishing! It is a very positive thinking leading lady and a negative thinking leading man who wind up together in the same castle. The main characters, along with the various supporting characters are nicely developed. If you like sweet stories, with some emotional angst and children mixed in - this is for you!

Imagine being wed and bedded by proxy, losing your entire family to the Black Death, and then being granted a run down estate as your widow's portion by a king with a hidden agenda - rebuilding a kingdom devastated by the Plague. Imagine having an epiphany on the battlefield just as you are about to slay a child, abandoning the only career you know, as a warrior, and trying to rebuild your humanity, only to watch your dreams die off - again, in the Plague. Imagine getting a second chance to do it right. If you can imagine all these things, you have the feeling generated by this novel, and you are in for an enjoyable read about a hero and a heroine who are trying, like so many others in the novel, to make their second chances work.

I liked this book for its character development. Told alternately from the hero's and the heroine's point of view, it was fun to see the male versus the female perspective on an unexpected situation. The hero's character, strong to begin with, undergoes even more of a transformation. The heroine is written with optimism, strength, intelligence, and integrity -and not one to easily get her feelings hurt like so many other romance heroines. The author gives us a glimpse of day to day medieval life and the devastation wrought by the Plague in 14th century England; my only regret was that there wasn't a little more history woven into the story - the setting was ripe for it. An enjoyable story!

Linda Needham has once again combined her favorite characters - a woman who collects misfortunates and a man hiding a deep, dark secret - into an irresistable pairing. This book is lighter (and shorter) than her first four, but an inviting, charming story that will keep you turning the pages until the conclusion.

Linda's books are always keepers for me! She writes with such feeling that your heart can't help but become involved with her characters!

From the first of Maiden Bride, I was in love with Eleanor & Nicholas! The children in the book are charming & I DON'T even like kids! *G* When Linda describes the inter thoughts of her characters you feel exactly what they are feeling & even though her love scene's are late in a book you don't mind cause you have been there on every page of the book..

Thank you Linda for giving us two more wonderful characters to add to our favorites!