9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
gripping, September 29, 2007
This review is from: Thrill of the Knight (Mass Market Paperback)
I read the other reviews on this page and decided to get this book in spite of the conflicting opinions. I guess something about the story appealed to me.
50 pages or so into the book, I felt like I was reading a spin off of one of Joahanna Lindsey's 80's medieval romances. Nothing "thrilling" seemed to be going on. A somewhat cliched plot of a lady in distress twitching roles with her maid and the hero lord pretending to be a poor man to save his noble betrothed, a woman he hasn't seen since childhood. But I liked the characters, so I kept on reading. I am glad I did.
Although it seemed that way at first, there was nothing contrived about the story. And every time it headed toward a cliche, at the last moment the author surprised me by taking the story to a completely different place than I had expected. I didn't even care that the sex scene came so close to the end because the sexual tension between the main characters was great and they were also busy in building a real and solid relationship. This is not a super scorching book, although the sex was hot. It is a wonderful novel with interesting characters and lots of twists and turns. Not in an epic way, but rather a small-scale but strong drama taking place within a castle during the reign of King Henry VII, just after the Wars of the Roses.
The heroine is clever and courageous and the part I liked most about her is that she didn't "swoon" at the hero's feet whenever he touched her, even though she was strongly attracted to him. I am so tired of "swooning" heroines that just cannot help themselves even though the hero is being a jerk. This heroine had a brain as well as hormones. She had genuine concerns that had nothing to do with lust.
The hero - a good guy and not a jerk - was right there beside her, understanding, trying to help, and definitely an alpha male. The friction between them was excellent at first, but then they became a real team, fighting to secure their future, battling their enemies as well as their inner worries that everyone feels in a normal relationship (not the "relationships" we read about in romance.) She was falling in love and she was scared. Totally believable and something I have not encountered in romance novels almost ever. There was no "big misunderstanding". Nor was the hero bad or dangerous. He was a good guy eager to help. Her fears simply stemmed from the fact that she was going to bind her life to a man she just met - what could be more real and relevent than that?
All in all, this book was fantastic. The deeper I got inside the story, the harder it was to put it down. I recommend it to readers who are tired of "sizzling romances" that have a sex scene on p.160 and a boring plot that takes a back seat to the sex. This book has it all, especially a good story and interesting characters. Be patient - you won't be sorry!
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thrill of the Knight, March 12, 2007
This review is from: Thrill of the Knight (Mass Market Paperback)
When a neighboring lord imprisons Lady Elizabeth Hutton in her own rooms, the clever heiress outwits him. Determined not to fall victim to his greed, Lady Elizabeth trades identities with her ladies maid.
Returning to find himself titled and engaged, Sir John hears that his affianced, Lady Elizabeth is being held captive. Although he hasn't seen her since his childhood, Sir John rides to her rescue. In disguise, he enters the captured household where he meets a maid. Sir John's vows are put to the test by his desire for not his fiance but her ladies maid. The choice between his honor and his heart is the hardest decision the noble knight has ever faced.
Fans of medieval romance will love Thrill of the Knight! Ardor filled romance, mistaken identities and a villainous wretch will keep readers engaged and begging for more. I am a fan of mistaken identities and enjoyed the tangle that Elizabeth and John found themselves in. I also enjoyed their passion and love for one another. A very satisfying read!
Annmarie
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Too Slow and Heroine too annoying, September 8, 2009
This review is from: Thrill of the Knight (Mass Market Paperback)
The premise was interesting but there were several flaws. The villian was not really cruel just greedy and opportunistic and really didn't have many moments in the book. John the hero was ok but really really bland. There was noting memorable about him. Elizabeth the heroine was so annoying I didn't like her. She kept whinning about her people and protecting her people and would not listen to anyone about anything. She didn't want to listen to John, had no respect for him as a man and a knight. If she would have just listened to him and trusted that he knew something about how to deal with the situation instead of insisting on doing things her way the story could have been better. Instead we had to read page after page of her pretending to be a maid so she can help her people but she never did anything to help them. Lord Bannaster never killed anyone or threaten her or her people with force. Common sense should have told her to escape as the maid go to her powerful neighbor who was fostering her sisters to ask for aid. But she was so paranoid (to a certain extent she had some valid concerns for not trusting men) she really thought walking arouund as a maid could solve her problmes. So I read 350 pages of Elizabeth and John going back and forth as to the best way to free her. If John was half the man a knight should be he would have done what knew to be the right thing and Elizabeth would have had to grow up and realize that she wasn't as smart as she thought. What John saw in her I'll never know. They never had any "get to know you" time and I could not see how they fell in love.
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