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Medieval Song #7
The Valcourt Heiress
Set in medieval England, this lively historical romance delivers the trademark wit that fans have come to know and love from the #1 New York Times -bestselling author.
When Garron of Kersey returns home from the king's service to claim his title as Baron Wareham, he's shocked to find Wareham Castle very nearly destroyed by a man called the Black Demon.
According to the last starving servants still clinging to life inside the castle walls, the Black Demon was looking for gold belonging to Garron's brother Arthur. Among his remaining servants is the enigmatic Merry, the bastard child of the castle's priest. Garron quickly realizes that she is much more than a She reads and writes and makes lists, just as he does. Together they bring Wareham back to its former splendor.
But this is only the beginning. Did Arthur have a cache of gold? Who is the Black Demon? And the biggest question of Who is Merry?
When Garron of Kersey returns home from the king's service to claim his title as Baron Wareham, he's shocked to find Wareham Castle very nearly destroyed by a man called the Black Demon.
According to the last starving servants still clinging to life inside the castle walls, the Black Demon was looking for gold belonging to Garron's brother Arthur. Among his remaining servants is the enigmatic Merry, the bastard child of the castle's priest. Garron quickly realizes that she is much more than a She reads and writes and makes lists, just as he does. Together they bring Wareham back to its former splendor.
But this is only the beginning. Did Arthur have a cache of gold? Who is the Black Demon? And the biggest question of Who is Merry?
342 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
402 people are currently reading
1629 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews
October 5, 2011
It has been a LONG time since I have read a Catherine Coulter book, so I was very excited to find out that she has FINALY written (note: not REWRITTEN) a historical and I was so lucky to snag an Early Reviewers copy (from LibraryThing) of it! The book arrived and I just could not wait to start. The cover photo was great! Now all it needs is for the book to be as well, right?
To start, I must state that I respect the author and I loved her historical romance books (note: PAST tense). My favorite one is “The Sherbrooke Bride”. This was one of those authors that I had on “automatic” buy. I am not a fan of contemporary romance, or thriller so I’ve never read her FBI series. I KNEW her historical books, and this review is based on the “uncorrected proof” that was provided to me by Putnam Books.
Now, I wanted to like this book, I really, really did. That said, I was shocked and stunned that this got published. This reads as a rough draft manuscript, and even as such, it needs a LOT more work to make it anywhere near interesting, much less believable. There are many weak points in this manuscript. Here are just a few: Merry, upon running away from home, enters the Wareham Castle in which all men are destroyed by The Black Demon who had also destroyed most of the castle in his search for the “hidden silver”. She encounters the remaining servants, who are mostly feeble and old, persuades them to hide her and pretend that she had always lived there as the bastard daughter of the local priest. Then, lo and behold, she begins her work to restore the castle! All within couple of hours! Villains we have aplenty-Merry’s mother, Jason of Brennan, and Sir Halric, are all in pursuit of Merry and the treasure. They all remind me of Three Stooges. As a matter a fact this whole book seems to be Cartoonish. Case in point: Merry’s mother kidnaps her, drugs her and casts a spell on her. Merry’s twin sister impersonates her; Garron runs to rescue her but is thwarted by her mother’s potions. Oh, and those medieval expressions! There are a lot of them. Almost all the characters get to use them at least once through the book. Here’s some that get thrown a lot: “Praise St. Cuthbert‘s padded belly” and “By Saint Florin’s Boils”.
Our Heroine decides she wants Garron, so she seduces him by going to his chamber, candle in hand, and while he sleeps, she gets on top of him (mind you the mighty warrior is still sleeping, even though he asks her ”Are you the enemy?”) and proceeds to kiss him. Our hero is dead to the world, but he still manages to think that the woman with him is some Blanche, so the man just gets the deed done. ASLEEP!!!!
The dialog was boring and unrealistic! The characterization is thin and underdeveloped as well as totally ONE dimensional! Not one solid character or developed plot. Not one single enjoyable moment! I can honestly say that I’ve never read a book where the characters lacked so much personality and chemistry! As for the romance? What romance?! I wanted to care for Garron and Merry, but I could not. They were just plain silly! Try as I might, I really didn’t care for their story.
The people and plots are totally unbelievable. Page after page, I just kept reading; shocked how such uninspired manuscript actually got published! It actually gets worse and worse, as you keep reading it. I kid you not! I had to debate whether to continue reading or just give up! I grew more angry and disgruntled as I plowed through. By the last page, I felt cheated!
This was a disjointed story that left me confused, rolling my eyes in frustration, wondering how a veteran author could write this, and then allow such work to be published. It cannot be just me! Seriously!!! I am embarrassed for her! it’s quite possibly THE worst book I have EVER read. Totally, absolutely ridiculous!!!!! What a waste of paper, time and money! A huge disappointment! I think I had more fun reading David Lee Roth’s “Crazy From the Heat”!
To the reader who is reading this review, I do NOT recommend it. If you absolutely MUST read it, get it from the library. This isn’t worth your hard-earned money. As a matter a fact if you do get to read it, please let me know what you think of it.
Melanie
To start, I must state that I respect the author and I loved her historical romance books (note: PAST tense). My favorite one is “The Sherbrooke Bride”. This was one of those authors that I had on “automatic” buy. I am not a fan of contemporary romance, or thriller so I’ve never read her FBI series. I KNEW her historical books, and this review is based on the “uncorrected proof” that was provided to me by Putnam Books.
Now, I wanted to like this book, I really, really did. That said, I was shocked and stunned that this got published. This reads as a rough draft manuscript, and even as such, it needs a LOT more work to make it anywhere near interesting, much less believable. There are many weak points in this manuscript. Here are just a few: Merry, upon running away from home, enters the Wareham Castle in which all men are destroyed by The Black Demon who had also destroyed most of the castle in his search for the “hidden silver”. She encounters the remaining servants, who are mostly feeble and old, persuades them to hide her and pretend that she had always lived there as the bastard daughter of the local priest. Then, lo and behold, she begins her work to restore the castle! All within couple of hours! Villains we have aplenty-Merry’s mother, Jason of Brennan, and Sir Halric, are all in pursuit of Merry and the treasure. They all remind me of Three Stooges. As a matter a fact this whole book seems to be Cartoonish. Case in point: Merry’s mother kidnaps her, drugs her and casts a spell on her. Merry’s twin sister impersonates her; Garron runs to rescue her but is thwarted by her mother’s potions. Oh, and those medieval expressions! There are a lot of them. Almost all the characters get to use them at least once through the book. Here’s some that get thrown a lot: “Praise St. Cuthbert‘s padded belly” and “By Saint Florin’s Boils”.
Our Heroine decides she wants Garron, so she seduces him by going to his chamber, candle in hand, and while he sleeps, she gets on top of him (mind you the mighty warrior is still sleeping, even though he asks her ”Are you the enemy?”) and proceeds to kiss him. Our hero is dead to the world, but he still manages to think that the woman with him is some Blanche, so the man just gets the deed done. ASLEEP!!!!
The dialog was boring and unrealistic! The characterization is thin and underdeveloped as well as totally ONE dimensional! Not one solid character or developed plot. Not one single enjoyable moment! I can honestly say that I’ve never read a book where the characters lacked so much personality and chemistry! As for the romance? What romance?! I wanted to care for Garron and Merry, but I could not. They were just plain silly! Try as I might, I really didn’t care for their story.
The people and plots are totally unbelievable. Page after page, I just kept reading; shocked how such uninspired manuscript actually got published! It actually gets worse and worse, as you keep reading it. I kid you not! I had to debate whether to continue reading or just give up! I grew more angry and disgruntled as I plowed through. By the last page, I felt cheated!
This was a disjointed story that left me confused, rolling my eyes in frustration, wondering how a veteran author could write this, and then allow such work to be published. It cannot be just me! Seriously!!! I am embarrassed for her! it’s quite possibly THE worst book I have EVER read. Totally, absolutely ridiculous!!!!! What a waste of paper, time and money! A huge disappointment! I think I had more fun reading David Lee Roth’s “Crazy From the Heat”!
To the reader who is reading this review, I do NOT recommend it. If you absolutely MUST read it, get it from the library. This isn’t worth your hard-earned money. As a matter a fact if you do get to read it, please let me know what you think of it.
Melanie
August 24, 2021
A great way to finish the series! Could have done without the magic.
February 22, 2018
The book starts as a typical historical romance with wink wink hints of paranormal elements but later turns into a full on absurdity with witches, spells and illusions.
To involve actual historical figures like a Plantagenet king and queen was jarring to the extreme. The language was awkward too – trying to be that century’s and cute at the same time.
Still it started out well enough and I liked the h, even the H and their developing romance before the hocus pocus takes centrestage. The h/H connect deteriorates in the second half leaving me feeling very cheated and dissatisfied. This could have been so much better even with the other annoying stuff.
To involve actual historical figures like a Plantagenet king and queen was jarring to the extreme. The language was awkward too – trying to be that century’s and cute at the same time.
Still it started out well enough and I liked the h, even the H and their developing romance before the hocus pocus takes centrestage. The h/H connect deteriorates in the second half leaving me feeling very cheated and dissatisfied. This could have been so much better even with the other annoying stuff.
November 29, 2010
Okay, I liked Merry & Garron. I liked the beginning. Part of the middle. It did have promise.
I agree with some of the other reviews, when did they fall in love? The ridiculous magic stuff was just annoying. There was no displayed romance between Merry and Garron.
There was too much time on the other relationships. And then she is kidnapped.
I didn't go back and count the pages, but I think that if I did, there may be 25 pages in 356 for their interaction. And some of that is her rescue at the beginning.
There was more interaction between Garron and the imposter than Garron and Merry. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think so.
The magic was weird, too much time with her being captured and recaptured. I didn't even care.
In the end, all the interactions about where the silver came from and the twists and turns there, I just did not care.
He said he loved her at the end of the book, so they must have fallen in love, somewhere, but either that was not written in the book, or I missed it altogether.
Too much was spent on the other people and parts of the story.
I would read it only to finish the series that began so well.
I agree with some of the other reviews, when did they fall in love? The ridiculous magic stuff was just annoying. There was no displayed romance between Merry and Garron.
There was too much time on the other relationships. And then she is kidnapped.
I didn't go back and count the pages, but I think that if I did, there may be 25 pages in 356 for their interaction. And some of that is her rescue at the beginning.
There was more interaction between Garron and the imposter than Garron and Merry. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think so.
The magic was weird, too much time with her being captured and recaptured. I didn't even care.
In the end, all the interactions about where the silver came from and the twists and turns there, I just did not care.
He said he loved her at the end of the book, so they must have fallen in love, somewhere, but either that was not written in the book, or I missed it altogether.
Too much was spent on the other people and parts of the story.
I would read it only to finish the series that began so well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2010
I felt this was an okay foray back into historical romance for Catherine Coulter. While it is a step above what she has been writing lately (I won't even go into her suspense novels of late), it lacked the charm that her early novels had. Merry was quick witted, but I didn't really like her enough to be waiting with baited breath for her HEA. Her hero was a strong man, and fair, but really - if you knew your people were in danger, would you really allow an unknown woman to keep something that big from you?! Gilpin was the only character that I genuinely enjoyed. And the use of magic was yet another "huh" moment (what is WITH these historicals trying to do supernatural in a book clearly not meant for it) and I just read the last 75 or so pages because I wanted to get to the ending, not out of enjoyment.
November 4, 2010
Years ago, when Ms. Coulter wrote historical romance, I loved her, in fact she, along with Julie Garwood, are the reason I started reading Historical Romances at all. That is why I am so disappointed to report this one doesn't hold a candle to her earlier works. In fact, if her name were not on the cover, one would never believe this to be the same author who wrote all those wonderful Viking or Bride series. They entrance and intrigue, this.... well, bores. It's not that the basic story line is bad, the delivery just isn't particularly interesting. One could put it down at any time and never bother to finish it and not feel they have missed a thing. Sad but true, I had such high hopes of her return to history.
July 5, 2025
Hard book to rate. As a romance novel it's barely two stars. Merry is an adorable heroine, but Garron doesn't really appreciate her till the very end. They have exactly one hot love scene, and even then, he's out cold and she does all the work. There's not much banter or flirtation, just him telling her what to do as they try to save their castle from the bad guys.
But . . . as a medieval adventure story this is pretty good. It really shows the cutthroat reality of nobles using torture, murder and kidnapping as every day tools in the struggle to gain more land and power. The chemistry between Merry and the castle servants is about 100 times more touching and realistic than her relationship with Garron. I'd give this part of the book four stars.
The strangest thing of all is that while there's lots of good research and historical drama, and King Edward and his queen are both totally realistic and fascinating, Catherine Coulter blows it *again* at the end with her villains. I have read hundreds of great romance novels where the villain was too weak and too silly to be believable. Great romance writers like Mary Balogh and Lisa Kleypas almost always create weak villains, because they put all their passion into the love story.
Well, this time it's different. Helen, the evil witch with the captivating smile and glorious golden hair really stole the book. She's Merry's mother, but she's gloriously evil and so complex. It's impossible to describe how powerful she seems, how she can hypnotize, erase men's memories, seduce any man she sees, and generally just be awesome and desirable and scary. But you know, she's not the heroine. She's so hateful, yet so compelling, and at the end . . . well, not a lot happens. She doesn't confess, nothing about her life is explained, and her fate is left very vague.
But . . . as a medieval adventure story this is pretty good. It really shows the cutthroat reality of nobles using torture, murder and kidnapping as every day tools in the struggle to gain more land and power. The chemistry between Merry and the castle servants is about 100 times more touching and realistic than her relationship with Garron. I'd give this part of the book four stars.
The strangest thing of all is that while there's lots of good research and historical drama, and King Edward and his queen are both totally realistic and fascinating, Catherine Coulter blows it *again* at the end with her villains. I have read hundreds of great romance novels where the villain was too weak and too silly to be believable. Great romance writers like Mary Balogh and Lisa Kleypas almost always create weak villains, because they put all their passion into the love story.
Well, this time it's different. Helen, the evil witch with the captivating smile and glorious golden hair really stole the book. She's Merry's mother, but she's gloriously evil and so complex. It's impossible to describe how powerful she seems, how she can hypnotize, erase men's memories, seduce any man she sees, and generally just be awesome and desirable and scary. But you know, she's not the heroine. She's so hateful, yet so compelling, and at the end . . . well, not a lot happens. She doesn't confess, nothing about her life is explained, and her fate is left very vague.
January 4, 2012
3 stars out of 5
Catherine Coulter has always been a favorite author of mine but it has been years since I picked up one of her romance novels. So when I received this I was pleasantly surprised. It has that fairy tale quality to it that makes it an enjoyable romance read.
Merry flees her home to avoid a forced marriage arranged by her mother. She is almost abducted in the woods but is rescued by a mysterious nobleman, , Garron of Kersey the new earl of Warham Castle. Merry and Garron work togther to rebuild Warham Castle and their relationship develops. But their happiness is threatened as the unidentified Black Demon and Merry's wicked mother who each have their own plans. The Valcourt Heiress is delightful combination of historical fiction, fantasy and suspense. A really fun read.
The budding relationship between Merry and Garron was my favorite aspect of the book. I liked how it developed over the novel. The Black Demon's role is especially intriguing and I liked Coulter's twist on blending into the main plot.
Overall a good solid read that I liked. The medieval setting is one of my favorites and not often done with this much expertise.
Catherine Coulter has always been a favorite author of mine but it has been years since I picked up one of her romance novels. So when I received this I was pleasantly surprised. It has that fairy tale quality to it that makes it an enjoyable romance read.
Merry flees her home to avoid a forced marriage arranged by her mother. She is almost abducted in the woods but is rescued by a mysterious nobleman, , Garron of Kersey the new earl of Warham Castle. Merry and Garron work togther to rebuild Warham Castle and their relationship develops. But their happiness is threatened as the unidentified Black Demon and Merry's wicked mother who each have their own plans. The Valcourt Heiress is delightful combination of historical fiction, fantasy and suspense. A really fun read.
The budding relationship between Merry and Garron was my favorite aspect of the book. I liked how it developed over the novel. The Black Demon's role is especially intriguing and I liked Coulter's twist on blending into the main plot.
Overall a good solid read that I liked. The medieval setting is one of my favorites and not often done with this much expertise.
March 16, 2011
Grrrr. When there are so many books to read, I get highly irritated when I spend time reading a bad one. I picked this up because I have enjoyed Catherine Coulter in the past. I have only read her historical romance novels, and I was in the mood for something light since I just finished The Woman in White. She usually has great characters with great chemistry and predictable but enjoyable plots. This book, excuse my bluntness, sucked. Big time. I kept waiting and waiting for the book to be engaging - for me to really like the hero and heroine, for a really good sex scene, for the romance that would make my heart flutter. There was none of that in this book. There was a lot of stupid stuff I just skipped over to be honest. There was very little romance, and no character development. And no, I don't expect great things from a historical romance novel, but having read many others by Coulter, I expected more than a silly, pointless, and BORING book about two dumb people I cared nothing about. So. I guess you know how I feel about that book!
October 5, 2010
Review *slight spoilers*:
I’ll be honest the first few pages of the book were a struggle. I’m not sure if it was the story that I didn’t find engaging or it was due to the fact that I haven’t read a historical fiction novel in a good while. This book didn’t have as much romance as some of the other books I read. Normally, this wouldn’t bother me, since I am a fan of Philippa Gregory and some of the other well-known historical fiction authors.
All hesitations aside, I did enjoy this one for the most part, despite the slow start. It definitely had the fairytale feel with Merry’s mother Helen as the evil witch and the gallant knight, Garron. The magic was a nice addition to the storyline but it would have been nice to see it as more of a focal point throughout the entire story. I felt that it was added in during the last few pages to tie up all the loose ends, and thus lost some of its effect.
Garron and Merry are a decent couple but I would have liked to have seen more romantic scenes between the two of them. Garron was the valiant dedicated lover who tried to rescue her, but unfortunately failed. I just wanted to smack him at times for being so obtuse but I won’t go into that too much for fear of giving away the story. I found Merry a bit annoying and found it unbelievable that Garron’s subjects would just welcome her with open arms after the Retribution. I think they should have been more wary and that Garron could have easily discovered who Merry really was well into the first few pages of the book.
The ending of the book was disappointing despite the epilogue. I didn’t learn anything more about Garron and Merry’s life together after they married and didn’t really feel the love between the two characters, even at the very end. I wasn’t left thinking that these two belong together. I can’t think of anyone else that Merry should have married, but Garron just didn’t portray himself as her true love. I’m a hopeless romantic so I wanted a happy ever after with this book.
I’ve never read anything else by Catherine Coulter so I wasn’t prepared for her style of writing. Maybe her stories just aren’t as focused on romance as other authors? I’m not sure if I’ll pick up another one of her historical fiction books but if she wrote any romance novels I might be willing to give them a try.
I’ll be honest the first few pages of the book were a struggle. I’m not sure if it was the story that I didn’t find engaging or it was due to the fact that I haven’t read a historical fiction novel in a good while. This book didn’t have as much romance as some of the other books I read. Normally, this wouldn’t bother me, since I am a fan of Philippa Gregory and some of the other well-known historical fiction authors.
All hesitations aside, I did enjoy this one for the most part, despite the slow start. It definitely had the fairytale feel with Merry’s mother Helen as the evil witch and the gallant knight, Garron. The magic was a nice addition to the storyline but it would have been nice to see it as more of a focal point throughout the entire story. I felt that it was added in during the last few pages to tie up all the loose ends, and thus lost some of its effect.
Garron and Merry are a decent couple but I would have liked to have seen more romantic scenes between the two of them. Garron was the valiant dedicated lover who tried to rescue her, but unfortunately failed. I just wanted to smack him at times for being so obtuse but I won’t go into that too much for fear of giving away the story. I found Merry a bit annoying and found it unbelievable that Garron’s subjects would just welcome her with open arms after the Retribution. I think they should have been more wary and that Garron could have easily discovered who Merry really was well into the first few pages of the book.
The ending of the book was disappointing despite the epilogue. I didn’t learn anything more about Garron and Merry’s life together after they married and didn’t really feel the love between the two characters, even at the very end. I wasn’t left thinking that these two belong together. I can’t think of anyone else that Merry should have married, but Garron just didn’t portray himself as her true love. I’m a hopeless romantic so I wanted a happy ever after with this book.
I’ve never read anything else by Catherine Coulter so I wasn’t prepared for her style of writing. Maybe her stories just aren’t as focused on romance as other authors? I’m not sure if I’ll pick up another one of her historical fiction books but if she wrote any romance novels I might be willing to give them a try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2013
Went to the laundromat one day and realized I'd forgotten to bring a book, so I ran up to the dollar store and saw this and grabbed it. I've always liked Coulter, she was my intro to HRs, and I'll always have a fond spot for my first. I was hoping that at the very least, I would like this one better than I liked The Penwyth Curse. This was picked for me for the November monthly Pick It For Me challenge. All in all, it was a little silly, and definitely not the most historically accurate, but I did not dislike it. I will say right off the bat, that it in no way compares to Coulter's earlier books that I loved, but it was entertaining. Just don't go into it expecting something like Stephanie Laurens' levels of historical accuracy and seriousness. Coulter definitely has a light-hearted sort of sense of humor or something going on. Can't take the story too seriously. I was mildly surprised by the little bit of paranormal there was with Merry's mother, I kinda liked it. I did find myself liking Merry and Garron both as well. Secondary characters like Miggins and other servants, etc added to the humor. I found myself a little eager to find out how it was going to play out after Helen kidnapped Merry, and sped through to the end. It was an entertaining read, nothing deep, no real thinking necessary, but I liked it in a mild sort of way. I feel comfortable giving it a nice round three I think. I will put it with my collection of all of Coulter's other books I have, though of her medievals, Fire Song still sticks out as favorite in my memory :)
November 25, 2018
**Warning: this text may contain spoilers** *****Possible Trigger Warning******
When I saw this book for $7, in hardcover, I thought it would be worth it. After all, I don't expect much from my romances: passable plot, decent writing and character chemistry. That's it. That's all I want. Is it too much to ask for? Apparently, it is.
Let's start with the plot, or rather the plot holes. Garron comes back to Wareham after an absence of nearly a decade. He comes home to find that his home has been ransacked, the majority of his people murdered. Merry, running away from a forced marriage, sneaks into Wareham, and convinces the remaining populace to lie to their new lord and say she's lived there for the past 6 years. Why do they lie for her? Because she's going to fix Wareham...Why do they trust her over the lord that they watched grow up? I don't know. So that Merry has an excuse to stay there, I guess.
Fast forward, Garron and Merry are in London, when Merry gets kidnapped by the villain, Merry's mother. Somehow, her mother's henchmen snuck past a garrison full of sleeping guards to kidnap Merry. Why were the guards asleep? Because they drank drugged wine. Where did the wine come from? I don't know. Why were the soldiers drinking jugs of wine on watch? Because they had to be asleep! Don't ask too many questions. Then Whalen, captain of the king's guard, is berating himself and wonders what if it had been an assassin coming for the king? What does Garron say to comfort Whalen? "That couldn't happen. There are too many guards." Sorry, Garron, but were you in the same castle we were in last night? Because that is exactly what happened.
Throughout all of this, there's a cache of silver coins that everyone is trying to find. These coins are the reason Wareham was ransacked...and even though Garron knows there is a traitor in his castle; even though their lives have been threatened because of these silver coins; Garron and Merry tell everyone who will listen that there's a cache of silver coins, but they don't know where they are.
And even though we know Merry's mother is the villain, Merry doesn't demure when the queen sends people to retrieve Merry's personal items from Valcourt; yes, just advertise your whereabouts as you hide from your mother...
Writing: Honestly, the writing is terrible. It reads like a rough draft written by 14 year old. The dialogue is like listening to a group of toddlers. "I'll tell the king. The king will understand. The king is a smart man. The king is smart because he is well educated. I'm well educated." Uh...what? That's basically the formula for every piece of dialogue. Even the "really smart" characters ramble like this. At one point, one of the characters starts rambling about a saint that died from a cut on the sole of his foot? The character doesn't know what the moral of the story is; I don't know what the story had to do with the overall book; but, by jove, I now know there was a saint that died from a cut on the bottom of his foot. Thank you...?
My favorite part of the dialogue, though, is all the cutesey, saint phrases that every, single character uses.
"By St Catherine's bonny face."
"Praise the blessed and merciful virgin's womb."
"Thank St Bartholomew's left toe."
"By St Patrick's snake repelling staff."
"Thank St Albartross' holy boiled butt."
Ok, so I made some of these up...but that's only because mine are better. I actually would have thought it was funny, IF it had been a quirk of one character. Maybe a character who treads the line between devout and irreverent. That would have fit. As it was, these sayings were grating.
And those infernal lists! Merry writes lists. Garron writes lists. The queen writes lists. Maybe Garron will show Merry his lists. (Is that supposed to be a euphemism)? Every single chapter, somebody has to bring up these damn lists that they like to compile.
The narrator's voice was confusing as hell. It would switch from the inner monologue of one character to the next without any clear indication. For instance, Garron knows Merry has lied to him, but he's not sure about what exactly. He asks her a question, and she answers, realizing her answer is less than convincing. The narrator says "She was a terrible liar." But is it Garron that thinks that? Or is it Merry that thinks that about herself?
Character Chemistry: there is none. I could leave it at that...but I have to talk about the sex scene...or rather, the rape scene. Because that is exactly what it is! Merry forces herself on Garron while he's sleeping. The author skirts the issue of consent, by having Garron "participate" even though he's sleeping (he's dreaming about a former paramour, who used to wake him in the middle of the night to have sex). Waking up, Garron, convinced that the king is going to behead him for taking Merry's maidenhead, decides he might as well make the most of it and starts to force himself on her. He stops, when she asks him to, but still. Both characters are totally skeevy and completely awful human beings. Her for literally raping him. And him for attempting to rape her back. It was a train wreck, I couldn't look away. To top it off, the scene ends with Garron saying "Men can't be forced." Now, I do not expect every character to have a perfectly, enlightened worldview. That would be completely unrealistic and unbelievable. But, the narrator could have thrown something in there like "Merry realized the enormity of what she had done. She realized her actions didn't just effect her, but had also caused Garron pain. Pain that he was too proud to admit." Or anything!
When I saw this book for $7, in hardcover, I thought it would be worth it. After all, I don't expect much from my romances: passable plot, decent writing and character chemistry. That's it. That's all I want. Is it too much to ask for? Apparently, it is.
Let's start with the plot, or rather the plot holes. Garron comes back to Wareham after an absence of nearly a decade. He comes home to find that his home has been ransacked, the majority of his people murdered. Merry, running away from a forced marriage, sneaks into Wareham, and convinces the remaining populace to lie to their new lord and say she's lived there for the past 6 years. Why do they lie for her? Because she's going to fix Wareham...Why do they trust her over the lord that they watched grow up? I don't know. So that Merry has an excuse to stay there, I guess.
Fast forward, Garron and Merry are in London, when Merry gets kidnapped by the villain, Merry's mother. Somehow, her mother's henchmen snuck past a garrison full of sleeping guards to kidnap Merry. Why were the guards asleep? Because they drank drugged wine. Where did the wine come from? I don't know. Why were the soldiers drinking jugs of wine on watch? Because they had to be asleep! Don't ask too many questions. Then Whalen, captain of the king's guard, is berating himself and wonders what if it had been an assassin coming for the king? What does Garron say to comfort Whalen? "That couldn't happen. There are too many guards." Sorry, Garron, but were you in the same castle we were in last night? Because that is exactly what happened.
Throughout all of this, there's a cache of silver coins that everyone is trying to find. These coins are the reason Wareham was ransacked...and even though Garron knows there is a traitor in his castle; even though their lives have been threatened because of these silver coins; Garron and Merry tell everyone who will listen that there's a cache of silver coins, but they don't know where they are.
And even though we know Merry's mother is the villain, Merry doesn't demure when the queen sends people to retrieve Merry's personal items from Valcourt; yes, just advertise your whereabouts as you hide from your mother...
Writing: Honestly, the writing is terrible. It reads like a rough draft written by 14 year old. The dialogue is like listening to a group of toddlers. "I'll tell the king. The king will understand. The king is a smart man. The king is smart because he is well educated. I'm well educated." Uh...what? That's basically the formula for every piece of dialogue. Even the "really smart" characters ramble like this. At one point, one of the characters starts rambling about a saint that died from a cut on the sole of his foot? The character doesn't know what the moral of the story is; I don't know what the story had to do with the overall book; but, by jove, I now know there was a saint that died from a cut on the bottom of his foot. Thank you...?
My favorite part of the dialogue, though, is all the cutesey, saint phrases that every, single character uses.
"By St Catherine's bonny face."
"Praise the blessed and merciful virgin's womb."
"Thank St Bartholomew's left toe."
"By St Patrick's snake repelling staff."
"Thank St Albartross' holy boiled butt."
Ok, so I made some of these up...but that's only because mine are better. I actually would have thought it was funny, IF it had been a quirk of one character. Maybe a character who treads the line between devout and irreverent. That would have fit. As it was, these sayings were grating.
And those infernal lists! Merry writes lists. Garron writes lists. The queen writes lists. Maybe Garron will show Merry his lists. (Is that supposed to be a euphemism)? Every single chapter, somebody has to bring up these damn lists that they like to compile.
The narrator's voice was confusing as hell. It would switch from the inner monologue of one character to the next without any clear indication. For instance, Garron knows Merry has lied to him, but he's not sure about what exactly. He asks her a question, and she answers, realizing her answer is less than convincing. The narrator says "She was a terrible liar." But is it Garron that thinks that? Or is it Merry that thinks that about herself?
Character Chemistry: there is none. I could leave it at that...but I have to talk about the sex scene...or rather, the rape scene. Because that is exactly what it is! Merry forces herself on Garron while he's sleeping. The author skirts the issue of consent, by having Garron "participate" even though he's sleeping (he's dreaming about a former paramour, who used to wake him in the middle of the night to have sex). Waking up, Garron, convinced that the king is going to behead him for taking Merry's maidenhead, decides he might as well make the most of it and starts to force himself on her. He stops, when she asks him to, but still. Both characters are totally skeevy and completely awful human beings. Her for literally raping him. And him for attempting to rape her back. It was a train wreck, I couldn't look away. To top it off, the scene ends with Garron saying "Men can't be forced." Now, I do not expect every character to have a perfectly, enlightened worldview. That would be completely unrealistic and unbelievable. But, the narrator could have thrown something in there like "Merry realized the enormity of what she had done. She realized her actions didn't just effect her, but had also caused Garron pain. Pain that he was too proud to admit." Or anything!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2015
lemme say outright. This novel by Catherine Coulter didn't interest me the least. there is depth missing in the story and characters.the story just weaves on the fringes.
Disappointed:-(
Disappointed:-(
January 5, 2016
Did not like. Will be put in my donate pile. Maybe someone else will like it.
June 19, 2017
Unfortunately (for me) I listened to the audiobook and absolutely hated the narrator, Ann Flosnik. She had a very annoying voice which irritated me from the first sentence.
I liked Garron and Marianna "Mary" but I felt that the servants were very, very chatty and verbose for a medieval tale. They would go one for paragraphs answering a question from their lord which just seemed odd.
I did like the twists and turns in the story and the villains were well-written.
I liked Garron and Marianna "Mary" but I felt that the servants were very, very chatty and verbose for a medieval tale. They would go one for paragraphs answering a question from their lord which just seemed odd.
I did like the twists and turns in the story and the villains were well-written.
June 5, 2020
Delightful period piece with twists and turns galore. You will not know who to believe in this fight for land and glory in medieval England. I enjoyed the characters and learning about the life in the 1200s.
April 14, 2020
Very enjoyable!! I really loved that Merry was so feisty and took charge of her own survival. Garron and Merry needed more romantic moments but ultimately they connected. I was completely surprised by the ending.
November 2, 2010
The Valcourt Heiress - Merry - is hiding from her wicked fiancee and plotting mother in the household of Sir Garron. Garron is a man's man, tough, smart and forced to take over his dead brother's property as he comes home to find his home wrecked and half the village killed, while a portion hides in the woods. Merry, who has been hiding all long, slips into the household as one of the villagers and seamlessly fits it. She becomes the chatelaine/housekeeper for the property, giving people hope and Sir Garron a home.
It's charming the way Merry makes Garron's life so much more pleasant, but infuriating to both Merry and the reader because he dismisses her concerns and expertise just because she is a woman.
The little blessings/prayers of the book make you giggle, even in the middle of a scene: "Thank St. Coriander's white gums" and "By all St. Hermione's teeth" and so on.
I loved the book right up until they go to court. After a night of lovemaking, Garron discovers that Merry is actually Marianna, the Valcourt Heiress. He cannot marry her without the king's permission, especially since she is promised to another. But if they can marry, he will have the funds to restore his home and Merry can become a powerful lady.
They go to court and their obvious affection for one another charms both the king and the queen. The night before the wedding, Marianna is kidnapped, but her own mother.
Turns out her mother really is a witch. Not just controlling or powerful or a feminist, but an actual witch. The book seemed to avoid magic and mysticism for the most part and then it became a crucial part of the story. They search for Marianna, and just before they are about to mount an attack, she returns to them. My brain had trouble making the adjustment, but it seemed like none of the characters did.
All in all, a nice medieval romance with humor and tender moments.
It's charming the way Merry makes Garron's life so much more pleasant, but infuriating to both Merry and the reader because he dismisses her concerns and expertise just because she is a woman.
The little blessings/prayers of the book make you giggle, even in the middle of a scene: "Thank St. Coriander's white gums" and "By all St. Hermione's teeth" and so on.
I loved the book right up until they go to court. After a night of lovemaking, Garron discovers that Merry is actually Marianna, the Valcourt Heiress. He cannot marry her without the king's permission, especially since she is promised to another. But if they can marry, he will have the funds to restore his home and Merry can become a powerful lady.
They go to court and their obvious affection for one another charms both the king and the queen. The night before the wedding, Marianna is kidnapped, but her own mother.
Turns out her mother really is a witch. Not just controlling or powerful or a feminist, but an actual witch. The book seemed to avoid magic and mysticism for the most part and then it became a crucial part of the story. They search for Marianna, and just before they are about to mount an attack, she returns to them. My brain had trouble making the adjustment, but it seemed like none of the characters did.
All in all, a nice medieval romance with humor and tender moments.
October 8, 2015
I enjoyed the first half of this book up to the first part of their time in London. However, after that the story just got too weird and at least one of the big "surprises" was fairly obvious - perhaps not the fine details but the basic idea was fairly apparent (I am leaving off the specifics to avoid spoilers).
Also, all this nonsense with the witch got out of hand. I've read several other books in Catherine Coulter's medieval series and have been pleased overall. But this book strayed too far from the feel of the series for my tastes. I can handle a paranormal book if it is listed as paranormal, and I knowingly choose to read something in that genre. When it is sprung on me in the middle of an otherwise-believable series, it is just annoying. The books in this series have been based in at least plausible scenarios - until this one. Personally I felt the book would have been better had she made the witch a bit more realistic (she could still be dastardly without being magically all-powerful).
Had the book continued to be as enjoyable as the first half, I would have only been left with the complaint that it was too short. It WAS too short, actually, but what with all the witch nonsense going on in the second half, I found I was rather grateful it didn't go on longer (at least until the end, then I felt we didn't get quite enough happy-ever-after with the leading couple).
Also, all this nonsense with the witch got out of hand. I've read several other books in Catherine Coulter's medieval series and have been pleased overall. But this book strayed too far from the feel of the series for my tastes. I can handle a paranormal book if it is listed as paranormal, and I knowingly choose to read something in that genre. When it is sprung on me in the middle of an otherwise-believable series, it is just annoying. The books in this series have been based in at least plausible scenarios - until this one. Personally I felt the book would have been better had she made the witch a bit more realistic (she could still be dastardly without being magically all-powerful).
Had the book continued to be as enjoyable as the first half, I would have only been left with the complaint that it was too short. It WAS too short, actually, but what with all the witch nonsense going on in the second half, I found I was rather grateful it didn't go on longer (at least until the end, then I felt we didn't get quite enough happy-ever-after with the leading couple).
April 10, 2011
This is the first time I've read Catherine Coulter, and the first few pages surprised me in their clumsy triteness for a woman so practiced in story telling. It is also not historical fiction in the sense that it is woven and rooted into the time with real dependence on the political/cultural realities and currents of the time. Even the social history, customs and terminology are no more than a deft touch here or there to make the novel feel of a different time without being much the wiser about that time or about Edward I and those close to him in the real historical context. All that aside, and the unconvincing supernatural strain of the story, the main characters were enjoyable, and strictly as a love story it had moments of fun and moments where I cared. As a writer and obsessive researcher it was actually kind of liberating to see how little historical detail it required. My imagination and countless fairy tales and movies filled in the blanks very nicely. So as a work of escapism it does it's job and only occasionally so strains the suspension of disbelief to make one uncomfortable.
May 10, 2011
Ok, so I have no shame in admitting that I have been an avid reader of Catherine Coulter's formulaic historic romances (and her modern thrillers) since I was in junior high. I have always loved them for a quick escape from the world ... good books to disappear into for a couple of hours and come out the other side with some fun characters and stories to remember.
That being said, this book didn't quite fit the bill. Either this one in particular was just poorly done, OR my memory of the fun in reading these kinds of books has become blurred. Reading this book felt like a chore. It felt forced and ridiculous. I did finish it and it kind of worked as a fluff read, but mostly it just frustrated me because it was not as well written as some of her other books...
I won't give up on her, she is definitely one of my favorites for fluff, BUT I have to say I was disappointed.
That being said, this book didn't quite fit the bill. Either this one in particular was just poorly done, OR my memory of the fun in reading these kinds of books has become blurred. Reading this book felt like a chore. It felt forced and ridiculous. I did finish it and it kind of worked as a fluff read, but mostly it just frustrated me because it was not as well written as some of her other books...
I won't give up on her, she is definitely one of my favorites for fluff, BUT I have to say I was disappointed.
May 26, 2012
Words can not describe how disappointed I was by this book. I'm usually a big fan of Catherine Coulter's work, bother her historical & contemporary books. However, this story was long, slow & boring. I liked the heroine, but didn't care for the hero. Even when writing a historical book, the author must remember the readers have modern sensibilities. I can't like a hero who voluntarily engages in torture. In the last 150 pages of the book the story suddenly changed from a historical romance to a fantasy. The storyline moved into the unbelieveable. I just couldn't buy into it. I also found the romance in the story to be a minor point, with almost no emotion at all. Hope the next book is better.
January 6, 2011
This book was SO disappointing. I love Coulter's FBI series and have thoroughly enjoyed her smart, funny Regency books. But this seemed so poorly written that I couldn't wait to be finished! Jumping from one point of view to another multiple times ON ONE PAGE makes for a confusing read. And then the weird magic in the last third of the book? Ugh. I don't mind fantasy at all, but this magic didn't even make sense. Basically, this book was a waste of my time and really tarnished my view of Coulter as an author.
July 13, 2012
Though the writing was excellent and the referrals to characters from earlier stories were present, I did not think the plot of the book was realistic for its time period. The magic scenes in an otherwise mundane world were not believable. The reactions of the king, based on what I know from reading of him through multiple historical fiction authors, were unrealistically romantic.
The characters make the reading worthwhile.
The characters make the reading worthwhile.
December 18, 2010
not the best read by Coulter. she might want to give up writing the medival series. the plot wasn't very good and i kept getting angry cause it seemed a bit ridiculous. i mean, i love her work but this one was dissapointing. the events in the book didn't seem realistic, even for that day. and some of the things the characters said were just annoying. the first four in this series were great. i recommend those and not this one.
November 15, 2010
I saw this at the library and picked it up glad to see that she had a new historical romance novel. I was disappointed to find that it just did not have the same flair and humor of her earlier HR books. I skimmed through it and read the ending. The imposter added a nice twist, but I didn't think it was worth the time to read that whole thick book.
February 10, 2011
Another slightly tarnished White Knight story which I thoroughly enjoyed from Ms. Coulter. The female is no damsel in distress. She can give it back too and she's educated. Lovely historical romance.
April 21, 2011
So, never having read a Catherine Coulter book I felt it was my duty as a good librarian to at least try some popular fiction writers, and see what they offer. This was a disappointment--cliches, formulaic, predictable.
October 29, 2010
Good. Interesting story - includes some magic. Not as sharp and witty as some CC. Didn't care for the audio reader Anne Flosnik.
January 13, 2011
A pleasant historical romance, but nothing out of the ordinary.
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