[Review]: "Knight of Desire"

Title: Knight of Desire

Author: Margaret Mallory

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: July 2009

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: All the King's Men Series
Summary (B&N):
FEARLESS IN BATTLE

His surcoat still bloody from battle, William FitzAlan comes to claim the strategic borderlands granted to him by the king. One last prize awaits him at the castle gates: the lovely Lady Catherine Rayburn.

TENDER IN BED

Catherine risked everything to spy for the crown. Her reward? Her lands are declared forfeit and she is given this choice: marry FitzAlan or be taken to the Tower. Catherine agrees to give her handsome new husband her body, but she's keeping secrets, and dare not give him her heart. As passion ignites and danger closes in, Catherine and William must learn to trust in each other to save their marriage, their land, and their very lives.

KNIGHT OF DESIRE

Places to Order Knight of Desire at:

Amazon.com

B&N.com

Borders.com

My Review:

When a series debut is as wonderful as Knight of Desire, you know you are in for quite an adventure! Be sure to put Margaret Mallory's books on your wish list, I promise you won't regret it.


Although the plot may, at first, seem a bit cliche, or at the very least one that we've heard before, believe me when I say that it is anything but. The characters are very nicely developed, and just when you're sure you know what's going to happen next, Mallory throws you in a new direction! With her flowing, vivid descriptions, and the way she manages to draw from history (and then fictionalize, of course), to put the background into this novel, I was hooked from the very beginning.

Catherine is a very strong-willed heroine, and I greatly enjoyed seeing her grow and change as the story went on. She had a horrible excuse for a husband, but she fought bravely to get rid of him and get a better life for her and her son. I have to say, when the heroine of a romance novel proves, like Catherine did, that she's not just some silly bimbo looking for a guy, the author already has my vote! Nothing is worse then a character that can't even stand up to the storyline.



Our brave hero, William, was also a joy to read about. Although he was tough, with a bit of tortured-hero thing going for him at times, he was also very patient and gentle with Catherine.

The one flaw I found in this otherwise enchanting novel was the fact that William had such a difficult time believing Catherin! I understand why he may have had his doubts (most of the time, at least) and yes, it did make it more realistic, as far as new couples go... But if I was Catherine, I would have hit him every time he doubted me! A few scenes that showed the lack of trust built up so far, sure-- that's understandable, and even adds to the character and plot growth. However, after the third time or so that he reverted back to questioning her actions/feelings, I simply got a bit annoyed.

4 STARS! Almost a 4.5 rating, I enjoyed this book so much! From the romantic scenes, of which there were plenty; to the character connections, which ran deep, this was a truly magical romance novel for me. A captivating story, rich with historical backgrounds, but filled with twists and turns all through the book, Knight of Desire is a charming, sweet, and very passionate book--bring on the sequels!





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Thanks so much to Cheryl @ Cheryl's Book Nook, whom I won this from in a contest, and Grand Central Publishing for providing the book. (Back in September, but unfortunately, I've not been able to read and review it until now-- sorry!)
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And since I did not receive anything this past week in the mail (well, nothing book related at least!), there will be no 'What Did I Receive?' post today.




Enjoy!






Until Next Time,