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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Poignant and humorous medieval romance, December 23, 2001
Peril, Lord of Whitmore, is desperate for a virtuous bride in order to remove a curse from his newly inherited estate. Where better to find one, he thinks, than at the Brides of Virtue convent? Unfortunately, the abbess won't promise him a wife, rather, she sends along with him an ambitious but bungling novitiate, Eloise of Argent, to test the young earl and decide whether Peril is worthy to be a husband of one of her maidens. From this initial fun premise, the book spins into constant adventure. The path to true love between these two very sympathetic protagonists is anything but smooth as, together, they battle treachery from all sides. Peril must work through his deep guilt at desiring a "nun," and Eloise must grow to care for Peril enough to consider abandoning her previous plans to become an abbess. In spite of the often slapstick humor of Eloise's many well-intentioned plans-gone-awry, she is a strong, direct, intelligent heroine. For fans of tortured heroes, Peril will amply fill the bill. A powerful warrior forged in the fire of harsh experience, he discovers with Eloise a wealth of tenderness inside him he never knew he had. The emotional intensity and the sexual sparks between these two are incendiary. And as always, Ms. Krahn, a master at portrayal of the medieval era, makes it come so alive on the page, you will feel you are actually there.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Ms. Krahn's best books, yet!, December 9, 2001
Eloise of Argent, novice and aspiring abbess at the Convent of the Brides of Virtue, is well intentioned and a little too eager to please which causes all kinds of trouble. The abbess is at the end of her tether when Eloise nearly burns down the kitchen. Salvation comes in the form of Peril, Earl of Whitmore, who is looking for a woman, er...a bride, someone of great virtue who can break the "curse" on his land -- of course, there is never any mention of the curse to the abbess. Eloise is shocked, dismayed, then pleased when the Reverend Mother chooses her to judge Peril's fitness to marry. This will be the chance she needs to prove herself worthy of her vocation. Peril is far from happy to hear that he won't be walking away from the convent with his bride, but must first prove himself as reliable husband material. Fostered at the age of three, Peril earned his spurs at an early age and is a warrior, not a landowner. Since inheriting his late father's lands two years ago, he almost believes the villagers' fears that the curse placed upon the estate by the late Whitmore's mistress must be real. How can he hope to live up to "Sister" Eloise and the abbess's standards when he's unable to control his own estate? Betina Krahn creates endearing and strong characters in this tender, yet dramatic tale of past love gone wrong and the people who try to make amends in the future. Filled with self-loathing at his overwhelming attraction to the novice, Peril is confused and tormented. When Eloise sees the softer side of Peril, she is determined to make him succeed in bringing himself, his lands and people up to par in order to fulfill his bride quest. Here are two very lost people, uncertain of their true lots in life, who eventually find solace in one another, but with the knowledge that it will never, can never, culminate in a love match. Fast paced and rich in historical detail, THE HUSBAND TEST is a delightful, conflict-filled read with many twists, turns, and surprises. Ms. Krahn paints vivid word pictures of medieval times, peoples' superstitions and the power of love to conquer evil and betrayal. I highly recommend THE HUSBAND TEST as classic writing from Ms. Krahn -- an historical romance not to be missed.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
And to think I almost didn't buy this book!!!!, May 12, 2002
What a delight! It has all the elements we look for in a romance but so much more. Most importantly there is humordelightful humorsudden surprises that caused me to laugh out loud before I realized it. Not seltzer-in-the-pants humor but the kind that sneaks up on you and takes you unawaresyou knowthe kind that comes in real life! And the story line is not one I have read before. It really was different, without being absurd (what a relief! I get so tired of the foolish ones!). While I am not a great student of history, and cannot tell just how authentic much of the background is, it was plausible enough for the average chick. It didnt beat a dead horse. By this I mean, there was no torturous dragging out of misunderstandings, no endless agonizing over imagined slights, no feeling that the author was counting words to figure out her royalties (do they still pay by the word? I dont know, but many books that should end after 20 pages go on for another 200 for some reason other than story development!). There were conflicts, concerns, and attacks of conscience but they all were covered, handled, dealt with and still the story MOVED ON! There were several lessons inserted in a gentle, non-preaching fashion. One never felt beaten over the head" actually, slightly warmed by them. Yes, the romance was there. One could feel tingly and tantalized without all the gruesome details (I never like feeling that I have been caught reading porn), the imagination is still the best source of titillation. How cleverly the physical and emotional needs were brought to bear. Even the nuns were decidedly enthusiastic for all aspects of this relationship! Oh, and it had the good grace not to have a cover featuring the ever present (it seems) sweaty chests (his) and heaving breasts (hers) so popular in the romance circles. Those covers drive me crazy-I hate them! It was really a joy to read and I shall proceed from here to find more books by this authormy complements and my thanks to her.
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