Customer Reviews

The Prize

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

GREATEST BOOK EVER!!

Ok for real, this has got to be the best historical I have ever read!! I should warn you now; this is going to be a long review!
Ok let's get the description of the story out of the way so I can tell you how much I loved this book!
The year is 1066 and the Norman's are taking over the Saxon's. Well
Nicholaa (what a cool name!) did not like that at all, since she is a Saxon and she has had to defend her home to Norman's trying to take it over. She defeats a couple of the invaders but the last one she could not. The king has ordered Baron Royce to bring the woman that had defended her home so well against his vassals. She was going to be The Prize for the lucky knight who won the battle for her. The King was allowing his knights to compete for her hand in marriage. But, Nicholaa ruined it for the knights when she saved the Queens niece. So the king changed his mind and allowed Nicholaa to choose from any of the single knights. So, of course since she had already spent a week or so with Royce she choose him because she saw that he was patient and seemed nice enough. They get married and then the fun begins!!
Nicholaa is funny. Almost all of Julie Garwood's females are strong and Nicholaa is no exception. During the initial invasion on her home she hit Royce with a rock from her sling. Then during the week they were traveling to London to meet with the king so that she could be married off she gave him hell. Julie Garwood does not go into great length with that week but what you get is very funny. Nicholaa is very protective of her family and when she marries Royce she decides to make the best out of it. She wants a happy home because she knew what it was like to have one because of her parents. She is faced with some hard situations but handles them very well. She is very cunning and smart. She is also a little stubborn but then so is Royce. She really wants to make Royce happy so she decides to be the type of wife he wants and totally changes, this did not upset me at all because you see how much Royce hates it and how he feels guilty about it because he was the cause of the change.
So on to Royce...........OH MY GOODNESS!! This character is great! He is a very well respected Baron and is known for his training of great warriors. He has a list of soldiers waiting to be trained by him. He is feared my many, but the man has a gentle and kind heart when it comes to Nicholaa and I absolutely loved that! He always wanted her to be happy and of course he was not a push over. He stood his ground when he thought it was important. He tries to come off arrogant and when it comes to his soldiers he is because his men are the best, but in other things he is reasonable. I did not get mad at him once. He is a bit insecure. He has a scar on his face, he is very tall and wide, normally women were afraid of him. But she doesn't see that, she only sees the silver flecks in his eyes. He can not understand why she loves him but he is very happy about it. Sweetness odometer (rate 1-10). He misted up when she tells him she loves him. He was so full of joy, I give that a freakin 20! Royce thinks that Nicholaa is very pretty but what he really likes is the fact that she is smart. He is more concerned about her mind then about her appearance. All
I have to say is pages 235-236 MY FAVORITE PART OF THE BOOK!! It shows the kind of man that he is which is a good one. He has an evil sense of humor and I loved it. Before you think I am crazy let me explain. Nicholaa wanted to get him drunk and he realized it and got her drunk then in the morning she had a hang over and he messed with her by shouting, slamming doors and having food sent to her. It is something I can respect and laugh about because it is something I would do and have had done to me. Come on you are trying to tell me you have never messed with some one when they have had a hangover? If not, you should try it, freakin fun!! He is also an order freak!! He does not like surprises where as she loves them. He likes to "Instruct" her in the ways this marriage is going to work, which she says is lecturing and I would have to agree with her. It is funny though.
Ok so can you guess I loved this book?? What I really really liked about this book is the fact that he wanted to wait until he had her complete loyalty and honesty before he touched her. He also did not want her to be afraid of him at all. So they ended up waiting for a little over 2 weeks before they had their "Wedding night". This book really is a great story! Julie Garwood out did herself with this book. The writing flowed very well and I was never bored! I laughed and sighed and laughed some more and sighed a whole lot more because Royce was so great!! Have I mentioned that I liked Royce? Oh yeah, it is that long paragraph above this one. The characters in the story were great and fit so well together. I really did not want this book to end at all. I have said that before but I really did not want this one to end. It was a great historical and you see how he trains his man and I thought that was great of Julie Garwood to put that in.

Chrissy

Julie Garwood is a master romance writer, and "The Prize" is one of her best. The lead characters are classic Garwood - a brave, naive heroine and a strong, patient hero. The genius of Garwood is that her heroines can be kind of flighty and ditzy and still be charming rather than annoying. Here, Garwood does a wonderful job of blending her plot in with the Norman invasion of England and the subsequent relationship between the Normans and the Saxons. The contest of wills between Niccola and Royce is hysterical - you will particularly enjoy Niccola's plot to confess all her wrongdoings.

In the year of 1066, England finally falls in the hands of the Normans under the command of William, the duke of Normandy. While many Saxons swear fealty to the new king, there are still those who resist, one of them being Lady Nicholaa, whose courage will become legendary in the king's court when she manages to resist capture by three of William's knights. But finally the king has had enough and sends in his most revered baron.

As soon as Royce secures Nicholaa's holding he immediately goes in search for the lady herself who has now become known as "The Prize". Intent on taking her back to William's court, what Royce never expected is to meet the first woman who will drive him to distraction and eventually capture his heart.

If there is one thing I have come to expect and love from a Julie Garwood novel, it is the quiet humor and likeable hero and heroine. THE PRIZE is certainly no exception. From the first couple of pages, I knew I was in for some entertaining reading, and couldn't wait for the romance between Royce and Nicholaa to blossom. Nicholaa is courageous and clever. I loved how she pretended to be a nun in the hope of escaping capture by the Normans. And reading about the guilt Royce suffered for the strong attraction he felt for the supposed "Sister Danielle" was quite delightful. And oh how Nicholaa managed to fool them all, albeit for a short period only. Sparks fly whenever those two are together. My favorite scene would probably be the part when Nicholaa was ordered by king William to choose any one from his favored barons to take as her husband. Checkmate it certainly was for Royce!

THE PRIZE is an entertaining and lighthearted read. You will enjoy the interaction between Royce and Nicholaa, and will adore him for his kindness and patience, not only with Nicholaa, but with her brothers and his men too.

I must admit that every one of Ms. Garwood's books are wonderful and this one is no exception. You are swept back into the time of William the Conqueror where you meet the brave and competent Saxon beauty, Nicholaa and the strong and noble Norman knight, Royce. Sparks fly between these two from page one. In fact, Nicholaa knocks Royce off his feet . . . literally! With the aid of her trusty sling and a carefully dispatched stone, she drops her "Goliath" where he stands. His heart follows not long after.

When Royce finally gets Nicholaa back to London, he discovers that a twist of fate and the queen, Matilda, makes him the "prize" instead of the Saxon beauty. Although he is stunned with the turn of events, he decides that "marriage is like a map". Little does he suspect that Nicholaa is about to turn his map theory and his life upside down.

Julie Garwood creates a superb romance with just the perfect amount of humor. A terrific story that I have read many times over.

The feeling I get when I put down a Garwood book is usually a tingling sensation and I always want another chapter to read more about the characters. I am mad that it's over and amazed at the story at the same time. At the end of all Garwoods (_Prince Charming_ and _The Gift_ are my favs) I want to demand more. But, with _The Prize_, I was left with a mixed up feeling. Was it really what I was anticipating? Did I read it with too high of expectaions? If penned by any other author, it would have been great, but there was no Garwood personality to it. Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood are authors that I expect great things from, so when I am left with a book like _The Prize_ to satisfy my hunger for a good romance, I wonder if the same author wrote it. First off, the begining was a little slow. I wanted action right away, a grabing opening line that pulls you by the collar of your shirt into the plot. _The Prize_ just didn't do that. But enough critiscim. I did give the book four stars, and I have very good reasons. 1) The characters were, as always, fabulous. Nicola and Royce were above average as characters, and I did feel for them. 2) Baby Ulric. I love to see children in romance novels. They add character and spice to the plot while keeping it grounded. They make the books seem very real, and I apriciat it being more like real life and not a fairy tale. 3) The historical setting. It is definatly one of Ms. Garwood's strongest suits, and I always enjoy that. I am very curious to see if her venture into contemporary romance with _Heartbreaker_ meets with the splendor of her historicals.

So, _The Prize_ is generaly a great romance novel, but it's not the best Garwood I've read. If you want a good one, read _Prince Charming_, _Ransom_, _The Prize_, or _Lion's Lady_. Then I think you'll know what I mean.

This was the second Julie Garwood book that I read after The Secret and I was not disappointed. I loved Royce, who's the perfect husband! He's kind, patient, and loving. Nicolaa was such a funny, sweet character also. I love how the characters are so affectionate with each other, just little gestures like a good morning kiss or her sitting on his lap. And the scene where she tries to get him drunk is so hilarious! I loved this book and I've read it dozens of times, that is, until I had to return it 'cause the cover fell off and the bookstore didn't have another copy.

A classic Garwood. Nicholoa is one heroine that you adore from the beginning she is witty, beautiful and loyal. Royce is suitable as her champion. Next to "The Secret" this is one of my favorite "Garwoods" The story line starts off with a surprise and keeps you enthralled from then on. Again, I cannot reiterate enough that it is best to read her books in the order of which they came out so that you can see her growth as a writer. A lot of authors since have tried to duplicate "Garwood's" style but she still is the original.

Think of 2 worthy opponents that are attracted to one another and throw in that one is sneaky and usually trying to get away with something and you have come up with Nicholoa, Royce shows great patience with her all the while. A must read if you want to get the best of Julie Garwood.

Happy Reading

I like Julie Garwood's writing style. It's easy to ready & fast paced. I liked this book but didn't really love it. I thought when we first met Nicholaa she was really going to be something else. Clever, feisty, beautiful. She ends up being a totally different character. She will do anything to make Royce happy. It got really tiresome. I still enjoyed the story. It might have been better to see a little bit more tension with her older brother Thurston. He totally gets lost in the book.

I have just finished reading this wonderful book by Julie Garwood. I first got hooked on her after reading the stories of the Clayborne family (starting with For the Roses... that was made into a made for TV Movie, "Rose Hill". Then came the trilogy, and finally "Come the Spring", Cole's story, a personal Favorite!) When You read one of her books you instantly fall in love with her characters, and can't put it down. WARNING! Once you read one of her books you'll be hooked for life... I've never been disappointed with her writing, and am looking forward to reading many more. The Prize was an "edge of your seat" kind of read. I even found myself laughing at the end of one of the early Chapters, you'll have to read it to find out why :) This is a great book! ENJOY :)

The last time I read a Garwood historical, The Lion's Lady, I stated in my review that it was her best romance I had read. Well, I now say that again. The Prize was even better than The Lion's Lady. This book however, is set in a medieval time frame. It is full of subtle humor and I laughed out loud many times. Although there are some serious aspects to the story, it reads as more of a light comedy. Both of the leads are strong and very likable characters.

Baron Royce, the hero, is one of the Norman invaders at the time William the Conqueror takes the throne of England. Tension runs high between the Saxons and Normans as the new king plans weddings between Saxon nobility and Norman knights that have served him well. In the opening pages of the book, Royce and his soldiers are capturing the family holding of Lady Nicholaa. Royce has been ordered by the king to bring Lady Nicholaa to London where she will wed a Norman of his choosing. King William refers to Nicholaa as the prize (thus the name of the book) because he will give her in marriage to a highly deserving knight.

Royce is a very popular leader of men and is known to be the best Norman trainer of soldiers. He leads a very organized, logical life and demands obedience from all who serve him. This is one hero who is alpha in the extreme yet very lovable at the same time. He has an evenly tempered personality and exhibits great maturity - until it comes to Nicholaa.

Lady Nicholaa is not at all happy with the Norman invasion of her home. She is a young lady full of mischief and a very expressive personality. She uses her wit to escape Royce once her family holding is captured. When he finds that he has been tricked by Nicholaa, he eagerly anticipates beating her at her own game. Before long, Royce has found Nicholaa and manipulated her into accompanying him to London. The journey to London is a long one and Nicholaa attempts to escape again and again and Royce prevents her escape again and again. He spends portions of their journey readying Nicholaa for her presentation at court and to the king. By the time they reach London, their relationship is a mixture of aggravation and fondness. Due to some heroic action during court on the part of Nicholaa, the king allows her to choose her own husband from the many single men that surround her. Although Royce can be thoroughly exasperating, Nicholaa has determined he is a man of honor and kindness. Much to Royce's surprise, she chooses him as her future husband and the two marry that very night. Shortly thereafter, the two return to Nicholaa's former family's fortress and begin married life.

This is a most enjoyable tale as these two match wits, annoying each other, yet growing in fondness for each other by the day. Royce is very much in command and never asks Nicholaa to do anything - he only tells her what to do. Their home is "his" home and she is "his" property and she is expected to obey without question and without delay. I laughed again and again as they react to each other and grow. It is thoroughly entertaining and not a page is boring. This is a book that concentrates on the romance between the leads and most of the book is dedicated to that romance. Although there are some interesting secondary characters and a couple of mysteries to solve, they take few pages overall. We get to read more and more about this juicy relationship developing between Royce and Nicholaa. There are some sensual scenes and they rate a solid 4.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines).

I highly recommend The Prize for an engrossing and delightful read. It will definitely take its place on my keeper shelf along with a few other Garwood books. Although I am not overly fond of Garwood's contemporary romances, I have yet to read one of her historical romances that disappointed me. It's just that I can't decide which one I really like the best because they are all so good.