The feisty illegitimate daughter of King Henry II is forced into a marriage for protection, and she finds that loving her new husband won't be half as difficult as obeying him.
Read More
The feisty illegitimate daughter of King Henry II is forced into a marriage for protection, and she finds that loving her new husband won't be half as difficult as obeying him.
Read Less
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 400 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Always is a very fun book. Rosamunde is endearing and earnest as she tries her very best to obey her husband after making a promise to her father that she will do so. Because Rosamunde spent most of her life in a convent, her innocence and guileless behavior is very refreshing.
I truly enjoyed this book. It was equal parts fun and frustrating as the two main characters fight their own demons and personalities quirks in order to make their marriage work out.
cmstavenwise
Apr 13, 2008
Funny and good
This book has enough Sands humor to make it good. The story is good also - but I love the humor Sands infuses. Not a totally typical period piece. True; a marriage forced by the king by a warrior to a fair maiden. However, that is about all that is typical in this book. There is no kidnapping, revenge or greed that is causing issues. There is a plot twist of attempted murder - but that is not related to any of those things. Additionally, many attempts appear to be accidents - thus, they are not part of the initial conflict. The main conflict between the couple is not that they don't know each other, not that they do not want marriage (although they really don't so much), nor that one is wishing to join a clan to another to thwart war, nor one is saving another from an immediate danger (like being set upon by bandits) , or similar like is often read in period pieces. The main premise is a dad wishing to protect his daughter by marrying her off to a warrior capable of keeping her safe. That the man he marries her to is so jealous he could ruin it before it gets going is the main twist initially. That she is beautiful enough to warrent jealousy is really not an issue either. It does appear that Sands picks heroines who do not consider their looks of importance enough to use them. She writes about their other strengths and leaves the men to worry about their attractiveness and how it affects others - leaving the women apparently totally unconcerned/unaware of their affect on people due to their beauty. She is a total innocent raised from early in a nunnery, married the day before she takes the veil - just in the knick of time does the king thwart that plan. Giving a grand keep and gold as a dowry, they set upon life. She has some weird misconceptions due to a nun that has horribly ruined the bedding talk and while she is eager to please, she is also off putting with her misinformation. The wedding bedding is a disaster and the man has much to make up for - unbeknownst to the gal. He has much to overcome and fights tooth and nail to curb her abilities in order to keep her a virtual prisoner. As he slowly relents and offers more freedom when he learns her skill (and from prodding of his father and best friend) that is when things heat up toward murder. The attempts take an abrupt turn toward himself and now he is in danger also. It is a good read - fact paced due to the humor and the number of antics providing distraction. Recommended.
