This is the second in the All the King's Men series and, as noted in my review of Knight of Desire, is being read because the third book in the series is being read by my book club and I as I've stated before, I'm a firm believer that series should be read in order.
In this book, Prince Harry is now King Henry and his army's have recently taken Burgundy in France. Our two star-struck lovers are Sir Stephen Carleton and Lady Isobel Hume. Sir Carleton is the half-brother of Lord William FitzAlan, who was raised from about age 12 by FitzAlan and his wife, and is now serving the King at Caen Castle in Burgundy. Lady Isobel has been widowed by her much older husband, a man who betrayed her by bequeathing his lands to another man and left Lady Hume with three choices: marry the man who will inherit the Hume land (a man she despises), go back to her father and hope he can arrange a new marriage for her (most likely the same type of marriage as her marriage to Hume -- a repulsive old man) or go to Caen Castle and marry a French lord and help secure the alliance between England and the newly conquered French people. She chooses the French lord.
Lady Isobel has been raised as quite the tomboy and while extremely beautiful, she is also quite proficient with the sword. Upon her arrival at Caen Castle, she mistakenly thinks that Sir Stephen is the man she is intended to marry but soon learns that he is not and that her betrothed has not yet come to the castle. She is soon quite relieved to learn that he is not her betrothed for she quickly views him as a lady's man who will never commit himself to one woman. All the women throwing themselves at him don't do much to prove her wrong.
But, as with all our favorite romance novels, the two are attracted to each other, but neither is willing to admit their true desire and constant misunderstandings ensue.
Then, Lady Isobel's betrothed arrives and despite a multitude of efforts to delay the official betrothal, the event is forced by King Henry and Lady Isobel is forced to leave with him, despite the danger that awaits her.
Can Stephen arrive on time to rescue his lady and prove that the that only pleasure he truly desires is Lady Isobel?
Yes, the last sentence is quite the moot point -- of course he does. But really, isn't the adventure in the getting there the twists and turns the story takes to get the couple to realize they belong together? Of course it is.
I really like this series -- in fact, I now hope that she write many more.
In this book, Prince Harry is now King Henry and his army's have recently taken Burgundy in France. Our two star-struck lovers are Sir Stephen Carleton and Lady Isobel Hume. Sir Carleton is the half-brother of Lord William FitzAlan, who was raised from about age 12 by FitzAlan and his wife, and is now serving the King at Caen Castle in Burgundy. Lady Isobel has been widowed by her much older husband, a man who betrayed her by bequeathing his lands to another man and left Lady Hume with three choices: marry the man who will inherit the Hume land (a man she despises), go back to her father and hope he can arrange a new marriage for her (most likely the same type of marriage as her marriage to Hume -- a repulsive old man) or go to Caen Castle and marry a French lord and help secure the alliance between England and the newly conquered French people. She chooses the French lord.
Lady Isobel has been raised as quite the tomboy and while extremely beautiful, she is also quite proficient with the sword. Upon her arrival at Caen Castle, she mistakenly thinks that Sir Stephen is the man she is intended to marry but soon learns that he is not and that her betrothed has not yet come to the castle. She is soon quite relieved to learn that he is not her betrothed for she quickly views him as a lady's man who will never commit himself to one woman. All the women throwing themselves at him don't do much to prove her wrong.
But, as with all our favorite romance novels, the two are attracted to each other, but neither is willing to admit their true desire and constant misunderstandings ensue.
Then, Lady Isobel's betrothed arrives and despite a multitude of efforts to delay the official betrothal, the event is forced by King Henry and Lady Isobel is forced to leave with him, despite the danger that awaits her.
Can Stephen arrive on time to rescue his lady and prove that the that only pleasure he truly desires is Lady Isobel?
Yes, the last sentence is quite the moot point -- of course he does. But really, isn't the adventure in the getting there the twists and turns the story takes to get the couple to realize they belong together? Of course it is.
I really like this series -- in fact, I now hope that she write many more.
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