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desertlover's review against another edition
4.0
I adored the Jenny; her charm and resilience completely stole the book. Royce was such a bear at times, but I loved the banter between these two. I can't wait to read more from this author, and can't help but think my sweet Nanny is laughing from a library in paradise.
catalbano's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Not for you if you hate the trope of “yes, he forced her to kiss him and coerced her into sex, but they’re so into each other and her main objection was her religion anyway, and besides after a few kisses she comes around to being an active participant”. But if you like a little pretend non-con, you’ll enjoy this book.
Unfortunately, I hate that trope and Royce’s constant disregard for Jenny’s expressed wishes made me hope that he would be beaten to a pulp at some point in the book, but I kept hoping that would be the lesson he learned. He does have the decency to say that hates when she’s frightened, and to tell her that defeating her against her will makes him feel like a “beggar”. He also says in the narrative after one such instance that he feels like an “animal”. Also, yes, she’s seventeen. I was willing to accept that this was the age of adulthood in that era, but he did refer to her as a child a few times despite considering her an adult. 🤺 get back you creep!
The only other downside to this book is the constant exposition dumps. It was also a tiny bit spicier than I like, but not terribly. The POV changes without even line breaks, but that actually didn’t bother me.
POSITIVES:
There was a lot to like about this book! At first, I liked Royce, I found him patient and lenient while still staying alpha-cool. I would’ve continued to like him if not for the aforementioned lack of consent. I liked Jenny too. Biting your captor twice is iconic. And the barriers that kept them apart felt realistic — when things fell apart at the midpoint, I was actually cringing for Royce. And I didn’t know how they’d make up at the end, but the way it was done was somewhat believable. Even if I wished Royce had groveled just a tiny bit more.
Unfortunately, I hate that trope and Royce’s constant disregard for Jenny’s expressed wishes made me hope that he would be beaten to a pulp at some point in the book, but I kept hoping that would be the lesson he learned. He does have the decency to say that hates when she’s frightened, and to tell her that defeating her against her will makes him feel like a “beggar”. He also says in the narrative after one such instance that he feels like an “animal”. Also, yes, she’s seventeen. I was willing to accept that this was the age of adulthood in that era, but he did refer to her as a child a few times despite considering her an adult. 🤺 get back you creep!
The only other downside to this book is the constant exposition dumps. It was also a tiny bit spicier than I like, but not terribly. The POV changes without even line breaks, but that actually didn’t bother me.
POSITIVES:
There was a lot to like about this book! At first, I liked Royce, I found him patient and lenient while still staying alpha-cool. I would’ve continued to like him if not for the aforementioned lack of consent. I liked Jenny too. Biting your captor twice is iconic. And the barriers that kept them apart felt realistic — when things fell apart at the midpoint, I was actually cringing for Royce. And I didn’t know how they’d make up at the end, but the way it was done was somewhat believable. Even if I wished Royce had groveled just a tiny bit more.
Content Warnings
Constant non-con kissing and some coercive sex from the love interest, of the “she said no repeatedly but then he kisses/touches her anyway and he’s just so good at it that she abandons her virtuous refusal and becomes an enthusiastic participant” variety. While he never rapes the main character, he states that he would have sex with her even if she was unwilling multiple times.
misnyder's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nnihann's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
allingoodtime's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I picked this book up because it was one of season two’s read-along books from the Fated Mates Podcast. This is my first time reading this author, but I went in prepared since this book was published in the 80s. Keep that in mind if you decide to read this story. Not only was it published when the world was a whole different place, but it takes place in late medieval times so the views on women are quite harsh. While I greatly enjoyed this story, know your triggers before going in. There are mentions of rape, sexual coercion, physical abuse, a lot of violence, tons of misogyny, and everything else that goes along with the Middle Ages.
That all being said, this story pulled me in and kept me engaged. I laughed and cried and got frustrated with the miscommunications between Jenny and Royce. Every time they would start letting their guards down, something would spark mistrust and they’d start fighting once again. Jenny was bright and quick on her feet. She also wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, even to the fiercest warrior around. Something Royce was not used to nor expecting. Yet Jenny was loyal to a fault with her family. She was naïve to how her father’s mind worked and put far more trust in him and her family than she should have. The more Royce got to know Jenny, the more he was able to read between the lines about her family’s true motives. He had a hard time trusting that this brilliant and fierce woman was so blind to her family’s intentions.
The chemistry between Royce and Jenny was fantastic. Even when they were fighting, there was a lot of respect between them. That only added to the sexual attraction they had for each other. I loved how well they understood each other while not even realizing they did.
I’m going to wrap this up with a quote from the book because I find it so timely while this book is over 30 years old. Jenny and her younger sister are outside as it’s getting dark just after Jenny is told she must marry an old, disgusting man to help her family. She tells Brenna it would be okay if she would prefer to go back inside, to which Brenna replies…
“I’ll stay with you. If you remain alone, you’ll forget about time and likely be pounced upon by a – a bear in the darkness.”
At the moment, the prospect of being killed by a bear seemed rather inviting to Jenny, whose entire life stretched before her, shrouded in gloom and foreboding.
Even in medieval times, we were choosing the bear!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape
amxgomex0624's review against another edition
5.0
Probably my favourite book in this saga. Jennifer is the least annoying heroine and Royce is not as presumptuous as Clayton.
shelbyalexandra's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
beckiebookworm1974's review against another edition
5.0
I haven't picked up this novel in years and it's one of my all-time favourites. I enjoyed it equally as much as I remembered and you just can't beat the older historical romances and this one gave me the warm feelings of nostalgia I was looking for. It's set in 1497 and we first join these two at their very tense wedding feast, before then backtracking to the beginning. This is set during a time of turmoil and our heroine is young Jennifer Merrick the daughter of a Laird who has spent the last two years residing at a convent. This is mostly due to her unruly nature and inability to be the biddable daughter her father expects.
When she and her sister Brenna are kidnapped by the black Wolf, a renowned warrior and nobleman rumoured to be the very devil himself and under the banner of King Henry she finds herself in quite the predicament. Determined to escape her captor Jenny pulls out all of the stops using her cunning and sheer resilience to outwit him and his men.
Royce Westmoreland the Earl of Claymore fights for and is favoured by his king. When the daughters of his hated enemies fall unexpectedly into his path he's determined to use them to cease hostilities and cause her father to surrender. But he failed to account for the sheer stubborn will and grit of his new Scottish guest. Brenna is timid and biddable but Jenny is a total spitfire who sets his temper and passions equally alight and it's not long before he determined to have her in his bed by whatever means and bargaining necessary.
When two kings decide that Royce and Jenny are to unite together in matrimony, there joining the peaceful resolution to end current hostilities neither is happy. Royce because he believes she has humiliated him before the whole country and Jenny as he's her family's sworn enemy and the man who stole her virtue and destroyed Her reputation. Can these two now meet halfway and traverse the divide to find their happiness in each other.
This is an oldie but a goodie, it's dual POV which is my favourite and is full of such historical ambience that it managed to transport me right back in time. It felt extremely authentic and this period of time in romantic historical fiction is a firm favourite of mine especially when it includes Scotland.
It's well written and such an easy page-turner, I liked both Royce and Jenny neither were perfect but did feel authentic to the time period. Royce was a product of his times and his choices and actions reflect this. Jenny was headstrong and opinionated but also extremely loyal sometimes to her own detriment as you can see with her father as it clouded her judgement making her act unreasonably and extremely vulnerable to manipulation. Even the character's respective ages reflect the times as Jenny is seventeen and is referred to abstractly as a spinster whilst Royce is older at twenty-nine.
It's packed full of passion love and danger and some truly swoon-worthy romance. I felt it has stood the test of time leaving it one of my top-ever historical romance reads and if you love this particular genre I'd recommend reading.
When she and her sister Brenna are kidnapped by the black Wolf, a renowned warrior and nobleman rumoured to be the very devil himself and under the banner of King Henry she finds herself in quite the predicament. Determined to escape her captor Jenny pulls out all of the stops using her cunning and sheer resilience to outwit him and his men.
Royce Westmoreland the Earl of Claymore fights for and is favoured by his king. When the daughters of his hated enemies fall unexpectedly into his path he's determined to use them to cease hostilities and cause her father to surrender. But he failed to account for the sheer stubborn will and grit of his new Scottish guest. Brenna is timid and biddable but Jenny is a total spitfire who sets his temper and passions equally alight and it's not long before he determined to have her in his bed by whatever means and bargaining necessary.
When two kings decide that Royce and Jenny are to unite together in matrimony, there joining the peaceful resolution to end current hostilities neither is happy. Royce because he believes she has humiliated him before the whole country and Jenny as he's her family's sworn enemy and the man who stole her virtue and destroyed Her reputation. Can these two now meet halfway and traverse the divide to find their happiness in each other.
This is an oldie but a goodie, it's dual POV which is my favourite and is full of such historical ambience that it managed to transport me right back in time. It felt extremely authentic and this period of time in romantic historical fiction is a firm favourite of mine especially when it includes Scotland.
It's well written and such an easy page-turner, I liked both Royce and Jenny neither were perfect but did feel authentic to the time period. Royce was a product of his times and his choices and actions reflect this. Jenny was headstrong and opinionated but also extremely loyal sometimes to her own detriment as you can see with her father as it clouded her judgement making her act unreasonably and extremely vulnerable to manipulation. Even the character's respective ages reflect the times as Jenny is seventeen and is referred to abstractly as a spinster whilst Royce is older at twenty-nine.
It's packed full of passion love and danger and some truly swoon-worthy romance. I felt it has stood the test of time leaving it one of my top-ever historical romance reads and if you love this particular genre I'd recommend reading.
alineide's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
zoe_m's review against another edition
4.0
Judith McNaught has written this book in the 1400s, which is the earliest of the ones I've read.
This story has some very welcome departures from the formula she has. It is not just about relationships in this book -- it's about the power struggle between England and Scotland, with two unfortunate girls caught in the middle.
This story has some very welcome departures from the formula she has. It is not just about relationships in this book -- it's about the power struggle between England and Scotland, with two unfortunate girls caught in the middle.