My Cherished Enemy [Paperback]

Samantha James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1992

Seeking protection from her scheming uncle, Kathryn of Ashbury is forced to turn to her despised enemy, Guy de Marche, an arrogant knight who demands more from her than she is willing to give.

Product Details

• Paperback: 395 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books (Mm); 1st edition (May 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380766922
• ISBN-13: 978-0380766925
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #912,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Samantha James' best..., June 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: My Cherished Enemy (Paperback)

...in my opinion anyway. I've read a couple of her other books but they don't have the depth of emotion in the characters as Guy and Kathryn do. I liked the fact that Kathryn is a strong woman, who is driven to keep her home because it's the only thing she has to hold on to. Guy is the invader, but he shows a soft side in the gentle way he treats her and his son. You can see the characters fall in love as Guy observes Kathryn caring for his son, and in how she watches him do things. The book is fast-paced and the character's attraction is evident from the beginning. A must for those who like brooding heroes and strong heroines.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely loved Kathryn and Guy, March 12, 2009

By 

Maria T. Francis "LaGypsyEyes" (LA, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Cherished Enemy (Paperback)

Granted they fought a lot, however Kathryn and Guy were two very strong-willed people, so neither was willing to give an inch...in the beginning.

I think if Kathryn hadn't stood her ground and fought with him, I would have found her very weak. Her fights were mainly about Ashbury (her home) and that was something that enraged Guy, but it was the last thing she had to hold onto. So it was only common that she would wish it to be hers.

Guy - ah I loved him. He was so mistrusting, but how could he not be? He was cruel and yet still kind to her. While reading, you saw where his character started to grow and when he had his relapses of faith in her. But once again, how could he not?

I admit there were times where I found myself grinding my teeth together in pure annoyance at how they could come so close and then yet again be easily torn apart. But that's one thing I also loved about this story. It covered all the elements...you saw the steps Guy had to go through to trust her and the same with Kathryn.

Truly I believed in their love. Amongst everything that went on, it was so obvious that they were meant to be together.

Although he did break her spirit, she was not altogether just a simpering pot of tears. She had a fight in her that remained throughout the book and that is something I adored about Kathryn.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well written, interesting characters, but..., February 18, 2009

By 

underlining silence - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Cherished Enemy (Paperback)

Samantha James has the ability to write very well. Her stories weave smoothly, without breaks, and it is easy to get into the story like any good reader likes. I also liked the characters, both Kathryn and Guy. It was true that she is very fiery and does not hesitate to speak her mind out loud, bold and showing no fear even when perhaps common sense would tell her to keep her mouth shut.

However, I found her personality to fit right into the story, especially since Guy was always so vicious toward her. Always provoking her, belittling her, and having took her away from the only family and home she had left. And Kathryn was very close to both, and so the emotional damage it did to her was what made her lash out at Guy.

The reason I gave the story 3 stars is because of Kathryn and Guy's relationship. Guy was so blind throughout the entire story, with his rage over Kathryn being Richard's niece, that he refused to trust Kathryn and constantly reeked havoc upon her emotions. Also, Kathryn, for whatever reasons, would not try to fight in a sensible way against his accusations. Instead, she would lash out at him and not bother to deny anything he accused her of.

I felt that this horrible strife between the hero and heroine was far too vivid, and lasted far too long. Toward the end of the story, I felt really bad for Kathryn and was actually getting mad at Guy for the way he enjoyed breaking her spirit and humiliating her, all because of this never-ending misunderstanding.

I would recommend reading another Samantha James book if you're looking for something fluffy or romantic. This story is more tragedy-genre.