Horsewoman and warrior Ainslee MacNairn of Kengarvey struggles for her life and her heart against Anglo-Norman Sir Gabel de Amalville, who must prove his faith to the king by destroying the MacNairn clan and seizing its youngest daughter. Reissue."
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Ainslee MacNairn is captured and held for ransom, survives a murder attempt, an abduction and a seduction and commits her first two homicides-all less than halfway through this early-13th-century romance set in the Scottish Highlands by the author of Only for You. Not that things are all bad: her captor is the handsome Norman Gabel de Amalville, who's just too good to be true or, at the very least, far better than her sadistic father. Which still doesn't excuse the paltry couple of pages it takes for abductor and abductee to discover a cozy relationship. Howell's strong suit is her grasp of historical detail (though rarely any historical personage or event). Her weakness is in pacing her narrative and in occasionally clunky dialogue "Howbeit, she has adamantly claimed that she understands that her father has brought this fate upon himself."
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sizzling and Seductive,
By
This review is from: My Valiant Knight (Mass Market Paperback)
My Valiant Knight romance is a from an author who has the ability to break down her characters souls and feed their emotional struggles onto the pages. The reader will feel the despair, the heartbreak, passion and the joy of Gabel and Ainslee in this very excellent character driven romance. Ainslee is a trained as a warrior and she can take care of herself but I love that she is not macho. Gabel is kinda hearted and a little too trusting but not wimpy. Wonderful love story, great characters with an emotionally scarred hero and strong but vulnerable heroine, unique setting, intriguing plot, heart-tugging emotion, excellent writing, intense sensual love scenes, and a superb ending. Engaging characters, attention to historical detail, and humorous dialogue will keep you reading long into the night.
My Valiant Knight has intrigue, passion, revenge, and "wow" sensual tension.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The True "Valiant Knight" in this story is the leading female. The leading male was a wimp. Still, a gripping story.,
By Alyce In Wonderland "The Looking Glass" (Over the hill or underland, or just behind a tree) - See all my reviews
This review is from: My Valiant Knight (Paperback)
Personally, I like a man who will put his life on the line for the sake of saving the woman he loves. However, in this story, it is the leading lady (Ainslee) who throws herself in the line of fire twice to save the leading man (Gabel.) Gabel actually hands her over to her abusive father because he wants to marry a woman who will bring land and money into the marriage. Not my idea of a "hero." He then sits and watches while her father beats her nearly to death. He never bothers to try and help her escape her father's keep. He leaves her there for weeks, during which she is beaten twice more, attacked by her father with his sword, and thrown into his dungeon for over a week without food. It seems to me that a man in love would risk trying to help her escape, especially after watching the first beating. Gabel does not fit my idea of "valiance." Ainslee, however, risked her own life several times to save both Gabel and the people of her clan.
The story: Ainslee and her best friend Ronald are captured by Gabel and his knights. Gabel has been charged by the king to round up and clean out Ainslee's clan. He decides to use Ainslee as a ransom tool against her father, the laird of Kengarvey. The laird doesn't think his daughter is worth ransoming, so Ainslee is left in Gabels care for a few months. During that time the two fall in love. (In usual Hannah Howell style, they each spend the whole book thinking the other doesn't love them back. This idea is getting redundant in Howell's books.) Gabel takes her virginity, all the while never planning to honor her. He wants a wife with a title, land and money. Finally, Ainslee's father agrees to a treaty ransom. He will meet Gabel at a river to make the exchange. However, when they arrive Ainslee recognizes her father's plan to attack Gabel and his men. She knocks Gabel nearly out of his saddle, while throwing herself into the aim of her father's archers. Gabel and his men escape back across the river, leaving Ainslee to attract the attention of the archers. Gabel then watches as Ainslee's father drags her from her horse and beats her unconscious. Gabel and his men ride away. Once back at her father's keep, Ainslee tries to convince her father to honor the treaty which will save the lives of their clan. For this, her father beats her again. Ainslee decides there is nothing she can do but escape her father's keep. He finds her and tries to kill her with his sword. Ainslee's brothers step in and stop the murder. Her father still wants her dead, so he throws her in the dungeon without food. Ainslee's brother sneaks food to her every couple of days to keep her alive. Under the king's orders, Gabel attacks Kengarvey. He tries to spare as many innocent lives as possible. However, one of the king's other men wants to slaughter them all. When Gabel stops him, the two men engage in a sword battle. Gabel wins but spares the man's life. Angry, the man commands one of his archers to kill Gabel. Ainslee runs to push Gabel out of the way, taking the arrow in her own shoulder. After two harsh beatings and starvation at the hands of her father, Ainslee is weak. Gabel fears she may not be strong enough to survive the fever that her wound causes. He takes her back to his own keep in hopes of giving her better care. He waits by her side for days, praying she will live. If she survives, he will ask her forgiveness and ask her marry him.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fast-paced and exciting medieval Scottish romance - 4.5 stars,
By Michelle888 (Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: My Valiant Knight (Paperback)
In the Scottish Highlands in the year of 1210, no clan is more hated than the MacNairns. The most abhorred laird in Scotland, Duggan MacNairn has finally earned the king's wrath, and now has one last chance to save his life and his people's. Enter the king's man, Sir Gabel del Amalville. Sent to put a stop to the rebellious clan, Gabel chances upon Duggan's youngest daughter and takes her hostage.
With her friend injured and unwilling to leave him on his own, Ainslee MacNairn has no choice but to rely on her fighting skills to avoid capture. But the moment she sees the fearsome and powerful knight, she knows that capture is inevitable. But what troubled her most was the feeling that the sight of Gabel stirred in her; a feeling so foreign that she fears what the outcome of it will be. As for Gabel, not only is he captivated by Ainslee's beauty, but by her courage and strength. But having suffered a woman's treachery long ago, he knows that he must keep his distance from the enchanting and intriguing woman who can easily get to his heart. When picking up a Hannah Howell book, I always expect passion, intrigue and lots of adventure. MY VALIANT KNIGHT is certainly no exception. Right from the start, the witty dialogues and lively banter between the main characters entertained me. Ainslee is such a delight - strong-willed and courageous, but never stubborn, beautiful, kind-hearted and fiercely loyal. It was sad to see how she grew up hated by her own father, and this is what makes her so admirable, seeing the woman she grew up to be with only a crippled servant's guidance and love. With Gabel, learning of the emotional scars he still carries after being betrayed by a woman he once loved just had me wishing that he would quickly open his eyes and see the gift that fate has given him. And when he finally does, I knew that I was in for some exciting scenes when the knight in shining armor rescues the damsel in distress from the clutches of her evil father! With likeable and fun characters and an exciting storyline, this is another fantastic book from the author who has written some of the most enjoyable Scottish romances I have read. This is almost as great as AMBER FLAME and a fast and entertaining read.
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