Dangerous Gifts (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Haywood Smith's newest (after Secrets in Satin) is another jewel in her crown?an unusual medieval love story about two commoners in which the lovers don't even meet until a third of the way through. Even readers who prefer a more expedient romance will find this story of two emotionally wounded people deeply satisfying. Cast out of her house by greedy in-laws, widow Claire meets a healer named Nonna and agrees to marry her religious son, Palmer. The characterizations are wonderful; both Palmer and Claire seem like real people, albeit exceptionally courageous and heroic ones. The story line and secondary characters are as fully fleshed as the protagonists; together they compose a quiet but richly detailed story of past pains healed by the power of love. This unusual romance is neither action filled nor driven by internal conflict between the lovers, but those looking for a different read than your basic knight-and-maiden medieval romance won't wwant to miss this.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Smith delivers intelligent, sensitive historical romance for readers who expect more from the genre." -Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; First edition (March 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312968833
• ISBN-13: 978-0312968830
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,728,840 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book!, August 29, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

I wish more people would discover this author's wonderful work. I've read all her books except the first one (Shadows in Velvet), but plan to do so pronto! Her books are not only rich in history and romance, they have a touch of mystery as well. Also the plots are well developed with high quality prose and facinating characters that you fall in love with from page one. In DANGEROUS GIFTS, Claire and Palmer are two lost souls who find each other through the magic of healing. The author does a great job of delivering an excellent read here. Ten stars! Other really good books by H.S. are SECRETS IN SATIN and DAMASK ROSE.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ms. Smith gifts Medieval romance fans with this fine novel, January 30, 1999

By A Customer

In the last decade of the eleventh century, Claire's elderly spouse dies. Her nasty brother-in-law kicks her out of the manor, using her son William as a hostage to insure her cooperation. The distraught young woman wanders the countryside until she meets Nonna Freeman, a renowned local healer, who sees the hidden talent inside Claire. Nonna makes Claire her apprentice. However, to keep the lass at her side, Nonna informs her that her son Palmer, fighting overseas in the Hermit's Crusade, sent her a letter in which he agrees to marry Claire by proxy. Seeking the protection, Claire accepts.

When Palmer finally returns home, battle fatigue has destroyed his spirit and the fighting has broken his body. He becomes more despondent when he learns he has a wife he never asked for and his mother is too senile to recognize him. Claire tries to use her healing prowess, accompanied by her budding love, to help Palmer, but he just returns her kindness with ugliness. Plots from other players intercede even further, leaving a relationship making it even to the twelfth century seem unlikely even though love has blossomed between Claire and Palmer.

DANGEROUS GIFTS is a brilliantly designed Medieval romance that paints an insider's look at the last decade of the eleventh century. Claire is a courageous, warm, and witty character. However, Palmer makes the novel as he suffers from "Crusades syndrome", a Middle Ages form of battle fatigue. The story line is propelled forward by the plots of the secondary players, making Haywood smith's latest entry the ideal gift to give to sub-genre fans.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haywood Smith only gets better!, March 19, 1999

By A Customer

This book is her best yet! In an era when life is hard and painful, two soul-wounded and lonely travelers find room in their hearts for each other. A spiritually uplifting read in which we are reminded that we cannot succeed alone. The depth and sensitivity that Haywood builds into her characters is phenomenal. I will read this book again and look forward to her next!