This Is All I Ask [Paperback]

Lynn Kurland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1997

A courageous border lord who has lost everything he has ever cared about finds new meaning in his life when he encounters a young woman willing to sacrifice it all to find love. Original."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This medieval historical romance doesn't offer any of the paranormal elements found in Lynn Kurland's first two books, Stardust of Yesterday, and Dance Through Time, yet Kurland's fans will not be disappointed by this sensitive and moving romance. Gillian of Warewick knows no other treatment than the terrible physical and mental abuse issued by her father. When he arranges a match for Gillian with Christopher of Blackmour, she is fearful: Blackmour is rumored to be an evil sorcerer. When Gillian meets him, he proves to be far more of a man than her father is, yet he is unwilling to be a lover to Gillian. She finds that Blackmour has as many psychological scars to heal as she has physical scars.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Jove (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515121398
• ISBN-13: 978-0515121391
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (111 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #425,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Poignant, January 23, 2000

By 

Harmoni (United States of America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Is All I Ask (Paperback)

This is the beautiful story of two injured individuals who learn to accept themselves and love each other.

Gillian of Warewick has been emotionally abused and beaten by her father all her life. Her brother, William, protected her as he could, but he meets an early death. William had squired together with Christopher of Blackmour and had obtained Christopher's promise to take care of Gillian if anything happened to William. After William's death, Christopher, who is now blind, offers for Gillian and sends his friend Colin of Berkhamshire to bring Gillian for their marriage.

Gillian is easily frightened and often cowers or strikes out in fear. She is also not physically beautiful - as her father repeatedly told her. Christopher and his men are very patient with Gillian and want her to never again feel the fear and worthlessness instilled in her by her father. Their tender concern for her is quite touching.

Christopher has his own fears and vows never to love another, because his blind love for his beautiful first wife led him into the trap that blinded him.

As each rises from soul-deep despair and learns to see the good in life and in themselves, their lives begin to blossom and they grow to love each other. In the end, Christopher is actually thankful to have lost his eyesight, because with it he would never have given Gillian a glance. Without his sight, he could see past the physical world to what he never could have seen otherwise.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A moving romantic fantasy in medieval England, February 27, 1998

By 

Catherine Asaro - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Is All I Ask (Paperback)

Lynn Kurland's novel, This Is All I Ask, is one of those rare stories that will stay with me for years to come. It tells the poignant tale of an achingly lonely young woman and an emotionally ravaged warrior in thirteenth century England, two people whose heartbreaking lives are all the more touching because of their courage, vulnerability, and strength. It's been a long time since I've been as moved by two characters as I was by Gillian and Christopher. The setting is wild and majestic, a forbidding castle high above the sea near Scotland. The love scenes are tasteful and never resort to the purple prose that can so often ruin an otherwise good story. The touches of sweetly gentle humor further enhance the tale, another sign of Kurland's gifts as a storyteller. This is a book well worth the read, for romance and fantasy lovers alike.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Read!, May 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: This Is All I Ask (Paperback)

In "This Is All I Ask," Lynn Kurland has succeeded at what I feel is the most difficult type of romance to write--the kind driven by character, not by plot, where conflict is caused by personality clash that can only be resolved by personal growth and self-awareness. In this novel, the hero, the heroine, and their friends are not cardboard cut-outs but actual people taking up residence in your imagination for the space of the story. They have strengths, and they have weaknesses, and how they overcome those weaknesses, and find true strength in uniting against evil, will keep you riveted to the end. A beautfiul love story, a tense battle between good and evil, and characters worth getting to know--this book has it all. I also enjoyed the gentle humor of this book, based upon the characters' foibles and small vanities rather than on some sort of sitcom joke.