20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spicy Medieval Romance With Enchanting Characters, July 1, 2004
When I first began reading historical romance, I noticed that some authors wrote dark and intense stories, while others created a playful and romantic atmosphere. Teresa Medeiros is the only romance writer I have ever seen who can create a tale that is dark and suspensful while still containing adorable characters and humor that really makes you laugh and laugh. I don't know how she does this, but she does!
Another mark of a truly great author is that she creates secondary characters who are even more memorable than the hero and heroine. Blaine, the lightweight, lying knight, would simply be a villain in any other romance, but in this book he is a much more complicated character. You can understand why he resents Gareth and why he lusts after Rowena without just being evil. Even better was Gareth's tomboy sister Marlys. Her signature is attacking her brother in the woods, jumping out from ambush, just like Kato in the PINK PANTHER movies. But in this book the horseplay is the sign of a very deep and complex family relationship. Teresa Medeiros is amazing at creating dark, even cruel characters that you ultimately come to feel great tenderness for. When you read this book you will ache for Marlys and long for her to find her own happy ending.
One thing I think is noticeable about this book is that Rowena, the heroine, is the soft, girly kind of heroine we don't see much anymore. She is the blonde who always gets picked on. Even her name is deliberately taken from the girl in IVANHOE who is sort of weepy and whiny and not in control of the action. Feminists may not like it but Teresa Medeiros does an extraordinary job showing how this kind of woman has her own kind of courage and her own emotional needs. Her weak, manipulative father is handled just right, in a forgiving but perceptive way, so you can see why Rowena might not have much self esteem at first. Yet even so, she is really far more courageous emotionally than the "stronger" characters who bully her. Read this book and you will soon realize that Teresa Medeiros is a major literary artist who happens to write romance.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book will keep you prisoner until you finish it., February 1, 1997
By A Customer
If you like historical romance with a twist of darkness, this is the book to read. The author brought every one of the significant characters to full bloom. Her characters personalities unraveled more and more as I read on. I felt the joy and disappointment of Rowena, the confusion in Sir Gareth, the weakness of Lindsey, the courage of Little Freddie. I felt each emotion as I read the lines.
This book made me miss my stop on the subway while going to work one morning. Now that's a sign of a great book...trust me.
Kudos to Theresa Medeiros...keep up the great work.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. Worth a read, January 6, 2000
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fast paced and well written. The only problem was that Rowena just let herself be walked upon time and time again. But once I got past that little fact. I enjoyed the story and was a little surprised about who killed the stepmother. Give this one a hard look, it is worth it.
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