Customer Reviews

In the Master's Bed (Harlequin Historical)

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Jane de Weston feels totally incompetent as a woman. She can't cook, sew, help with midwifing for her sister and so much more she knows is expected of a young wife in 14th Century England. So she runs away although she doesn't have any idea of what she will do when she gets to Cambridge. She knows she wants to be a student and learn what men do but she has no references, money or a place to live. On the journey, she meets a Scotsman, Duncan, who is a master teacher of grammar and rhetoric and a student of medicine. Duncan helps her get to Cambridge, but Jane knows she has to ditch him or he will surely discover that her boy disguise is a dangerous ruse, one that could land her in jail and innumerable other troubles.

Duncan for some strange reason can't forget this boy; and when they again meet in Cambridge, he realizes this boy has no place to live and has been rejected by four of the major school/universities. He volunteers to teach the lad enough that she will be better prepared to enter the university and stay there because of being better educated. However, Duncan has his own conflict to handle as well, arranging for his imprisoned father to be ransomed and freed and living with the devastating effects of the King's battles in Duncan's beloved Scotland.

Yes, there's plenty of romance and rising passionate flames increasing but all of this happens in the middle of a historical battle between the King and his adversaries. Jane is supposedly the illegitimate child of King Edward, a fact Duncan has never heard and hopefully won't as he views the King as his deadly enemy, and, by virtue of connection, anyone related to him.

Meanwhile Jane's family is totally distraught over her absence and searching everywhere for her. After Duncan realizes Jane is a woman, those dormant, fleeting feelings between them begin to kindle and roar into an almost out-of-control fire! But can it hold in the middle of political divisions when the truth is told about what side each is taking? In story world, anything can happen, but Blythe Gifford does a superb job of mixing romance and history in a magnetic, realistic fashion which makes the reader want to know what happens after the last exciting page of this very readable, sensual and historical novel. In The Master's Bed is screaming for a follow-up novel!

Very nicely done, Ms. Gifford!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on September 10, 2009

I love historical romances, especially those that step outside the traditional boundaries of regency-era comedies or medieval barons and their ladies fair.

In her latest book, In The Master's Bed, Blythe Gifford explores the world of the medieval scholar and quite cleverly turns the love of learning into a fabulous romance by putting her heroine in scholarly robes. How and why Jane becomes Young John is plausible. And the desire of one woman to live life on her terms will resonate with modern readers even as Gifford successfully remains true to the era.

Best of all, the romance between Jane and Duncan is fresh and lively, with the conflict between rooted in who they are and what they need out of life.

Jane de Weston has never been good at being a woman. When her sister suffers from a difficult labor, she finally has enough and runs away. Her plan, she'll head to Cambridge, enter a College, and become a King's clerk. Clerks see the world, make important decisions, and have power--something that no woman in 14th century England can hold on her own. As a bastard son of a king, she would have an unlimited future. As the daughter of the late King's disgraced mistress, she has nothing.

Jane's plans aren't exactly flawless. Her Latin isn't good enough to attract attention and she doesn't have much money. Only one master, Duncan, is willing to give her any attention at all, and Jane fears spending more time with him than she needs to--because being with Duncan makes her feel like a woman.

Still, Duncan's hostel is better than sleeping in a stable and Jane. As Little John, Jane studies her Latin, sings and parties with the guys, learns how badly and casually men often treat women, and schemes to bring herself to the King's attention. Except, how long can she keep her secret when her body wants to betray her?

Author Blythe Gifford creates an intriguing situation playing on the familiar woman-in-men's-clothing hook. I especially enjoyed the early part of this book, where Jane observed the world of men from the perspective of a female. For me, the story slowed down after Duncan finally discovered the truth. I would have preferred to see a deeper conflict, and more character growth as we moved toward the resolution. Still, Blythe Gifford's writing is strong, her characters interesting, and her handling of the setting convincing.

Bravo for Blythe! This story of a woman in a man's world and the love she finds there is impossible to put down. Jane and Duncan both are marvelous characters, each with flaws but each compelling in their own way. You'll root for them every step of the way. The emotion is adult and nuanced and non-formulaic. Blythe's attention to detail and history is amazing. Read it!

I am huge fan of Blythe Gifford, and this is another one of her great writings!! This time around she gives us Jane's story (Jane from The Harlot's Daughter). Jane is definitely different from Solay, but it still reads great!

My favorite parts of this book were the Solay and Justin bits, they are just so cute together!