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Severely beaten and almost killed by her violent husband Ryle, Gisela Anne Balewyne and her son Ewan fled home finding sanctuary in the small town of Clovebury. Gisela knows should Ryle find her he will kill both her and Ewan. Therefore Gisela leads a reclusive life as a tailor constantly looking over her shoulder. Anticipating the money she can earn from one more commission to complete, Gisela will soon be able to move further away. All was going according to plan until Dominic de Terre, her first and only love, returned from the Crusades with the intent of finding a stolen cloth shipment belonging to his friend de Lanceau. Dominic had regretted leaving Gisela behind when he’d gone to war, but now that he found her he wasn’t about to let her go again. Unfortunately, not only was Gisele unknowingly hiding some of the cloth he sought, but he discovered that Ewan was his illegitimate son. While Dominic is reeling from Gisela’s betrayal, he is captured by the desperate thieves. With only one way to save Dominic, Gisela must go to de Lanceau, confess to her crimes and hope she is not too late to save Dominic’s life. *** Ms. Kean has once again penned another richly textured, jewel of a medieval romance bringing a masterful, emotionally riveting story peopled with beautifully drawn characters to life. Her imagery was is fantastic and the reader can’t help but feel a part of the marvelous tableau Kean drew. One of the images that clearly came across was the painful scar Gisela bore from the knife wound to her breast her husband Ryle had inflicted when he attempted to cut her heart out, or worse, kill her son Ewan. Having experienced a bit of chest surgery myself, I could fully appreciate the lasting pain of such a wound from her monster of a husband along with the threat towards her beloved son. The love that existed between Dominic and Gisela (his “Sweet Daisy”) was quite poignant, fully emotional and quite sensual. I could understand why Gisela would want to keep her secrets, fearing Dominic would want to avenge her, though I would have to disagree with Gisela’s keeping the truth of Ewan’s parentage a secret. (My opinion only) Three and a half year-old Ewan, Gisela’s “little warrior” was endearingly portrayed, and leapt from the pages right into my heart. I could definitely see him in my minds eye, holding his little sword, along with Sir Smug as he would defend his mama from all who would threaten her. Kean used him judiciously throughout the story to both lighten the mood as well as draw in moments of nail biting suspense when it appeared he might be in danger. For me, the plot was excellent, the suspense and danger totally in keeping and balanced well with the romance along with wonderfully drawn characters. Catherine Kean is definitely a highly recommended author and a great choice for romance readers looking for a richly embellished, and adventuresome medieval historical romance read. Bravo! Marilyn Rondeau – Reviewers International Organization (RIO) |
A Knight's Reward
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