Series: All the King's Men, #2
Traits & Tropes: widowed heroine; reformed rake; spies
Publication Date: 12.01.09
Genre/Setting: Historical; Medieval; Normandy, France, 1417
Heat Level: 3.5
Rating: 3/5
Narration Rating: 4/5
Lady Isobel Hume had hoped her widowed status would finally bring her the freedom she had so long desired. But that was not to be and now, once again faced with few options, she agrees to do her duty when the king decrees she marry a French nobleman to secure a political alliance. When she arrives in Normandy, she finds herself taken not with her arrogant betrothed, but with Sir Stephen Carleton, and is tempted to forsake her duty.
Stephen has always had his pick of women, but when he meets Isobel, all others lose their appeal. When Isobel finds herself in danger amidst a plot to kill the king, Stephen takes the opportunity to prove his devotion and sincerity.
First off, I loved the old school Medieval feel and setting of this book and enjoyed the author’s smooth writing style. The pace was fast and with enough action to keep me interested. I even wound up being charmed by Stephen as he cleaned up his rakish ways and his true honor and sweet nature shone through. The connection between him and Isobel was well drawn, and I loved his determination to have a future with her despite the obstacles in their way. My issue here was Isobel. She’s meant to be such a strong woman, skilled with a sword and such, but her actions didn’t show that very much. I kept waiting for her to grow a backbone and finally start fighting for what she wanted, rather than her endless complaining of her woes and the general suffering of women. Even when her maid cum spy presented her with information that could help her, Isobel was still reluctant to do anything. The final nail was when she assumed the worst of Stephen and his intentions without actually having a real conversation with him or allowing him to explain his feelings and actions without her jumping to conclusions. Thankfully, the supporting characters were there to be sensible and help set things to rights. Overall, I wound up being charmed by Stephen and rooting for him and I liked these two as a couple, I just wanted more spine and less air-headedness from the heroine. The plot itself was a bit predictable but I still enjoyed it and the setting, and I’ll continue on to Jamie’s story soon.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2465003165
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/672560379
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