Customer Reviews

Thrill of the Knight

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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

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.

The cover was great and since I've read alot of the stuff by the same author I thought I would enjoy this one as well. To me the story dragged, that combined with the heroine's need, stress on the need to be able to trust the hero, really was annoying, I mean it's wasn't as if there were any other options. I finished it because I wanted to see how it's ends and to try to give it the full benefit of the doubt. I did buy "One Knight Only" the same night. I'm looking forward to Anne and Phillip's story they seemed to have some chemistry and he seems to have confidence and a good personality.

Can I just say how much I loved this book? I had high hopes for this book and I was not disappointed in the least. I enjoyed both the hero and the heroine, as well as secondary characters (and future hero and heroine) Clifford and Anne. I seriously could not get enough. The twists kept coming and I did not find myself bored at any point. I immediately purchased the second and third books in the series and will continue to read Julia Latham's books in the future. She has become a permanent fixture on my Automatic Buy List.

This is a good book for a lazy day. It's not too heavy and is an easy and enjoyable read. The h/h are likable and the setting makes it interesting. It's not heavy on the romance and is pretty predictable though. The heroine is an independent woman who wants to martyr herself for the hero.

It was nice, sweet, & fun. I enjoyed this book and thought it had a good story that was easy to follow. I really like books where a protagonist self-imposes restraint and then watching them unravel themselves. Good read.

Lady Elizabeth Hutton is in a bad situation. She's promised to marry one man and yet she finds herself prisoner by another who would seek to be her guardian until her way-ward husband to be finally arrives to marry her. Deciding she doesn't want to be at the mercy of Lord Bannaster she switches places with her daring friend and maid. Now, Elizabeth can move freely and learn all she can in order to save her people and herself.

Sir John Russell never thought he'd be in the place he is now, forced to marry a woman his older brother's were engaged to. He's a free spirit having traveled to far reaching locations, indulging in adventure after adventure. None of these have prepared him for the passion he feels for Lady Elizabeth's maid. The fire between them is intense and goes against all that he has been taught is noble. Will he be forced to make the ultimate choice or will honor and love go hand in hand?

Well known historical author Gayle Callen is the name behind romance writer, Julia Latham. Ms. Latham has created a very endearing set of characters to inhabit her make-believe world. Elizabeth and John are thrust into a situation that on the surface seems cut and dry but looks are deceiving and nothing is going to be simple between them. Seldom do I enjoy a story where misinformation and hiding of identities between the main characters is used as the vehicles for the story. Ms. Latham has done a find job with this and thereby making this a good and believable conflict between these two characters. The passion and attraction between them is hot and instant which only adds to the build-up to the finish. Lord Bannaster is a proper evil doer and Anne, Elizabeth's maid rounds out this secondary cast of characters. This is a fine medieval romance and I look forward to reading Ms. Latham again in the future. CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

I love nothing more than to lose myself in a great historical novel, and Julia Latham's debut, THRILL OF THE KNIGHT, was just the ticket for a cold, snowy Sunday afternoon. The characters were believable, the plot was delightful, and the setting was rich with detail that placed me smack dab in the middle of the story. I can't wait to read the further adventures of The League of the Blade.

In 1486 Gloucestershire, England, Lady Elizabeth Hutton rejects the courtship of Viscount Bannaster. However her persistent neighbor refuses to go away even when she insists she is betrothed to another; though she knows being betrothed did not stop her from marrying another man. Bannaster's knights take over her estate and lock her inside her bedroom.

Sir John Russell has returned from Normandy as a Baron to wed his betrothed Elizabeth to keep her safe from fortune hunters and to use her wealth to rebuild his family's neglected lands as he only recently learned of the demises of his older brothers. However, instead of Elizabeth he finds himself attracted to her fiery maid. Still he may be half way in love with Anne Kendall, but duty comes before the heart so it is the lady he must "steal" from Bannaster. Meanwhile the maid begins to fall in love with the knight, but wonders how to explain to the intruder that she is actually Lady Elizabeth having switched places with her loyal Annie to thwart the ambition of King Henry's cousin Bannaster.

This is an exciting fifteenth century romance due to the antics of the lead duo struggling to prevent the efforts of the arrogant royal cousin and other gold-diggers from abducting the widowed heiress. Sir John is a fascinating protagonist who has come home to see his estate in trouble, his betrothed incarcerated, and his prospects of retuning to the tournament circuit nil. Elizabeth is an intrepid person who knows her wealth makes her a male magnet and plots accordingly to elude these greedy suitors. Though Bannaster is so egotistical that he seems genuine and worthy of reader scorn, fans of the King Henry era novels will appreciate Julia Latham's fun-filled historical intrigue.

Harriet Klausner