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Hidden Honor
Independent and headstrong, Elizabeth of Bredon wants only to become a nun, but her journey to the convent of St. Anne's threatens her choice. It's not the escort of holy friars who tempt her, but the man they are taking to do penance for his many sins. Elizabeth has heard whispers about Prince William's treatment of women --- the king's only son is a man well schooled in deception, cruelty and murder --- yet she cannot entirely resist his charms.
But when the journey takes a treacherous turn, masks of deception fall and there is no safe place but in the wicked prince's arms. With treachery drawing near, they are soon racing against time, murderous revenge ... and their own sinful desires.
But when the journey takes a treacherous turn, masks of deception fall and there is no safe place but in the wicked prince's arms. With treachery drawing near, they are soon racing against time, murderous revenge ... and their own sinful desires.
376 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
44 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Anne Stuart
203 books2,063 followersAnne Stuart is a grandmaster of the genre, winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, survivor of more than thirty-five years in the romance business, and still just keeps getting better.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
March 1, 2013
I read this about three years ago. Perhaps 3.5 stars. I liked the redemptive theme of this book. The only historical romance I have read by Anne Stuart.
I liked this book well enough, even though it is far from historically sound, and chock full of improbabilities and loose ends (a few, anyway). I guess Stuart isn't too concerned about the incredible power of the medieval church, the sanctity of a monk's vows, and bloody murder. Nah. Why fret over trivialities?
Just let all that go, and enjoy the ride, as I did. It's a decent romance. The relationship development is lovely. The hero is sexy as a sinless monk could be. Add in suspense and...what's not to like?
It's set in medieval England, with King John and Prince William. The prince is a vile rapist. Even though he got his equipment burned off some time ago, he somehow continues to force himself onto the ladies. Fancy that. (No, of course you don't.) So daddy sends his boy to the church to repent -- actually to keep him safe from the hoards of angry papas who want his blood.
Yup, the pickle-less prince is traveling to the monastery and/or convent (cannot recall). The king sends a monk along to protect Prince William. Yes, a monk. For protection. No, not for divine intervention, but by the sword of....well, not the sword of truth. This monk -- Peter -- was once a knight, one of the deadliest in the service of the king. Till he decided to repent from some horrible deed (which I cannot recall) and give his life to the church.
Along comes the girl, Elizabeth Braden. She's traveling to the convent, too, in the same party as the weenie-less prince and the knight-gone-good. She's got brains, which Peter quickly notes. He also notes her beautiful red hair -- the devil's own! (we hear this repeatedly). She's tall and thin and so glad to leave her abusive sire and join a convent. After all, nobody would ever want to marry her, so obviously unattractive (we hear this a lot, too).
There's a twist in the plot, revealed early by the author.
Elizabeth wonders if she's suited for the convent...
Lots of tension. Bloody murder. All is NOT what it seems.
A sweet ending, if unbelievable. Some yummy smexy parts.
I liked this book well enough, even though it is far from historically sound, and chock full of improbabilities and loose ends (a few, anyway). I guess Stuart isn't too concerned about the incredible power of the medieval church, the sanctity of a monk's vows, and bloody murder. Nah. Why fret over trivialities?
Just let all that go, and enjoy the ride, as I did. It's a decent romance. The relationship development is lovely. The hero is sexy as a sinless monk could be. Add in suspense and...what's not to like?
It's set in medieval England, with King John and Prince William. The prince is a vile rapist. Even though he got his equipment burned off some time ago, he somehow continues to force himself onto the ladies. Fancy that. (No, of course you don't.) So daddy sends his boy to the church to repent -- actually to keep him safe from the hoards of angry papas who want his blood.
Yup, the pickle-less prince is traveling to the monastery and/or convent (cannot recall). The king sends a monk along to protect Prince William. Yes, a monk. For protection. No, not for divine intervention, but by the sword of....well, not the sword of truth. This monk -- Peter -- was once a knight, one of the deadliest in the service of the king. Till he decided to repent from some horrible deed (which I cannot recall) and give his life to the church.
Along comes the girl, Elizabeth Braden. She's traveling to the convent, too, in the same party as the weenie-less prince and the knight-gone-good. She's got brains, which Peter quickly notes. He also notes her beautiful red hair -- the devil's own! (we hear this repeatedly). She's tall and thin and so glad to leave her abusive sire and join a convent. After all, nobody would ever want to marry her, so obviously unattractive (we hear this a lot, too).
There's a twist in the plot, revealed early by the author.
Elizabeth wonders if she's suited for the convent...
Lots of tension. Bloody murder. All is NOT what it seems.
A sweet ending, if unbelievable. Some yummy smexy parts.
January 24, 2022
Clever & well-paced romance between 17yo tall/gawky/plain nun-to-be virgin h & late-20s/early-30s ex-Crusades-Knight & monk-of-last-7years H who's pretending to be the infamous debauched bastard Prince while on a penance-pilgrimage to a convent per the King's demand after the Prince killed some royal's daughter. Multiple POVs including 2ndary characters but majority are H&h's POVs. Good romance & sexual tension. Good-enough sex scenes which happened after 70% of the book.
Good characterization/char development. Really liked h's snarky & frank ways & her toughness & practicality borne out of needing to survive & take charge of her abusive but stupid father's mostly-male castle. Liked h's hidden kindness in saving the women servants by daily dosage of libido-killing herbal potions she'd give to her father & brothers. Liked her confidence & her knowledge of her weaknesses yet not 1 to berate herself too long for them & instead moves on to something more useful. Liked having H's POV since we can see his conflict between his unexpected & growing attraction to h and his monk vows of celibacy & need to do penance for the killings he'd done during the Holy Crusades. Per Stuart's usual, H has anti-Hero/villain qualities. Especially at 1st, when not clear if he's a bad guy or a good guy. Loved how he later realized that he loved h more than his need for self-punishment & it was done with lots of angsty inner-wrestling. Liked H's goodness & his guilt-induced change to transform him from a typical blindly-killing Knight to a conscientious person who thought about how killing people simply for being of another faith didn't coincide with his Christian faith,
Sexual History:
virgin h was kissed by her former arranged-fiance until he jilted her for his cousin 3 years ago. H was a typical manwhoring Knight before & during the Crusades. No significant romantic attachments & he always pulled-out until h. He'd been celibate for past 7 years since joining the strictest monk order to do penance especially for burning innocent women & children in a building fire he ordered but was lied to by the Prince to think the building was empty. During his 7-yr celibacy, he wasn't tempted by any of the court's beautiful women until h came into the picture.
Good characterization/char development. Really liked h's snarky & frank ways & her toughness & practicality borne out of needing to survive & take charge of her abusive but stupid father's mostly-male castle. Liked h's hidden kindness in saving the women servants by daily dosage of libido-killing herbal potions she'd give to her father & brothers. Liked her confidence & her knowledge of her weaknesses yet not 1 to berate herself too long for them & instead moves on to something more useful. Liked having H's POV since we can see his conflict between his unexpected & growing attraction to h and his monk vows of celibacy & need to do penance for the killings he'd done during the Holy Crusades. Per Stuart's usual, H has anti-Hero/villain qualities. Especially at 1st, when not clear if he's a bad guy or a good guy. Loved how he later realized that he loved h more than his need for self-punishment & it was done with lots of angsty inner-wrestling. Liked H's goodness & his guilt-induced change to transform him from a typical blindly-killing Knight to a conscientious person who thought about how killing people simply for being of another faith didn't coincide with his Christian faith,
Sexual History:
virgin h was kissed by her former arranged-fiance until he jilted her for his cousin 3 years ago. H was a typical manwhoring Knight before & during the Crusades. No significant romantic attachments & he always pulled-out until h. He'd been celibate for past 7 years since joining the strictest monk order to do penance especially for burning innocent women & children in a building fire he ordered but was lied to by the Prince to think the building was empty. During his 7-yr celibacy, he wasn't tempted by any of the court's beautiful women until h came into the picture.
June 12, 2019
Fabulous story, fabulous characters. It's a story of guilt, penance and what happens when a cast of characters become caught between two men with very different ideas of what guilt is and what penance is required to atone for it. Like all the Anne Stuarts I've read, the story itself is so rich that the characters just slot in so easily. The book doesn't labor over each individual's physical or emotional attributes. It doesn't need to, and I love that. I also love the medieval setting, which is fairly well described but doesn't crowd the story nor the characters.
June 3, 2018
Más bien 3.5/5
La verdad es que desde que lo empecé no pude dejarlo hasta haberlo terminado. No es un libro de 5 estrellas pero me ha enganchado muchísimo.
Me ha faltado algo en el final, algo más de desarrollo, sabes de ella, dónde está, qué ha hecho, pero de Peter? dónde ha estado?... el final un poco cojo se me ha quedado. Por lo demás bastante entretenida.
La verdad es que desde que lo empecé no pude dejarlo hasta haberlo terminado. No es un libro de 5 estrellas pero me ha enganchado muchísimo.
Me ha faltado algo en el final, algo más de desarrollo, sabes de ella, dónde está, qué ha hecho, pero de Peter? dónde ha estado?... el final un poco cojo se me ha quedado. Por lo demás bastante entretenida.
January 20, 2024
I confess that the half baked characterisation and inconsistent plot inspired me to skim through the second half of this book. However, since the main couple doesn’t do anything but communicate through innuendos (glaringly improper for the time period and their supposed stations) and make out, I genuinely don’t feel like I missed out on much.
There’s the obligatory villain bent on revenge and a secondary romance featuring a fallen woman who likes to remind everyone at every turn just how fallen she is, but neither subplot could inject some spirit into the novel.
While the anachronistic dialogue often made me cringe, the ripetitive inner monologues were ten times worse. Read this only if you’re prepared to deal with a bunch of modern day people mysteriously thrust in a medieval setting, and leave all expectations of historical plausibility behind.
There’s the obligatory villain bent on revenge and a secondary romance featuring a fallen woman who likes to remind everyone at every turn just how fallen she is, but neither subplot could inject some spirit into the novel.
While the anachronistic dialogue often made me cringe, the ripetitive inner monologues were ten times worse. Read this only if you’re prepared to deal with a bunch of modern day people mysteriously thrust in a medieval setting, and leave all expectations of historical plausibility behind.
September 3, 2013
This was not a feel good story, partly because I was annoyed at contrived conflicts. It was not well done.
Prince William is a sadist. He beats and kills women. The king sent him to a monastery to be absolved of his crimes to start over. The king has knights escort William to the monastery. For security reasons, the knights and Prince William dress like monks for the trip. Peter is a knight but acts as decoy by pretending to be William. Two women join them - Elizabeth and Joanna. The women eventually fall in love with Peter and Adrian, but they don’t know the guys are knights in disguise. At the end, Elizabeth is furious at Peter for lying to her about his identity.
Sometimes lies can make interesting conflicts. But here it was not. After a crisis happens, Peter and Adrian could easily have told the women the truth about their identities. But they continued lying. It felt contrived.
More than once Elizabeth wants sex with Peter but he resists her for her own good, to keep her a virgin. But he doesn’t tell her that. Instead she assumes she is not desirable. And that creates a bunch of conflict.
And the heroine does something stupid. She wants to wash her dress, so she jumps into a deep rushing river and is drowning until someone saves her.
I wanted to know why Peter changed his mind at the end. It was not shown. So I wasn’t feeling real happy. It was a meh feeling.
For Adrian and Joanna: I would have liked more relationship development and more at the end.
I would have liked more information about William’s debauchery, especially since his manhood was destroyed by fire several years earlier.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 370 pages. Swearing language: mild including religious swear words. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: about 5. Setting: around the time of Crusades, probably England. Copyright: 2004. Genre: historical romance.
Prince William is a sadist. He beats and kills women. The king sent him to a monastery to be absolved of his crimes to start over. The king has knights escort William to the monastery. For security reasons, the knights and Prince William dress like monks for the trip. Peter is a knight but acts as decoy by pretending to be William. Two women join them - Elizabeth and Joanna. The women eventually fall in love with Peter and Adrian, but they don’t know the guys are knights in disguise. At the end, Elizabeth is furious at Peter for lying to her about his identity.
Sometimes lies can make interesting conflicts. But here it was not. After a crisis happens, Peter and Adrian could easily have told the women the truth about their identities. But they continued lying. It felt contrived.
More than once Elizabeth wants sex with Peter but he resists her for her own good, to keep her a virgin. But he doesn’t tell her that. Instead she assumes she is not desirable. And that creates a bunch of conflict.
And the heroine does something stupid. She wants to wash her dress, so she jumps into a deep rushing river and is drowning until someone saves her.
I wanted to know why Peter changed his mind at the end. It was not shown. So I wasn’t feeling real happy. It was a meh feeling.
For Adrian and Joanna: I would have liked more relationship development and more at the end.
I would have liked more information about William’s debauchery, especially since his manhood was destroyed by fire several years earlier.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 370 pages. Swearing language: mild including religious swear words. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: about 5. Setting: around the time of Crusades, probably England. Copyright: 2004. Genre: historical romance.
August 4, 2010
I won't synopsize because I'm feeling lazy- just look at the blurb- but immediately, I liked the characters and the setting (medieval- probably my favorite historical setting)of Hidden Honor by Anne Stuart and it quickly became a fast read.
There's a bit of a twist at the very beginning of this tale, but it's not really much of a mystery, as the author chooses to reveal the twist early on.
Anyway, the heroine- Elizabeth- is feisty and, although the author does start off telling rather than showing us how intelligent and rebellious she is, Stuart eventually gets down to business and completes the character development rather nicely.
The hero, and side characters for that matter, are just as engaging and I think you'll fall for them just as I did!
One glaring problem is the technical part of the book. Now, I’m not the best judge of what’s right or wrong grammatically, (obviously!), but this book had some big offenders. (One example: not only did she start sentences with AND she did it over and over. To the point of serious annoyance!)
I’m guessing this was an earlier book for Ms. Stuart and that the editor was a bit lazy. Other than that, I did like the book and found it a nice distraction for a couple hours.
There's a bit of a twist at the very beginning of this tale, but it's not really much of a mystery, as the author chooses to reveal the twist early on.
Anyway, the heroine- Elizabeth- is feisty and, although the author does start off telling rather than showing us how intelligent and rebellious she is, Stuart eventually gets down to business and completes the character development rather nicely.
The hero, and side characters for that matter, are just as engaging and I think you'll fall for them just as I did!
One glaring problem is the technical part of the book. Now, I’m not the best judge of what’s right or wrong grammatically, (obviously!), but this book had some big offenders. (One example: not only did she start sentences with AND she did it over and over. To the point of serious annoyance!)
I’m guessing this was an earlier book for Ms. Stuart and that the editor was a bit lazy. Other than that, I did like the book and found it a nice distraction for a couple hours.
January 20, 2022
I've been procrastinating this review for a few days now. Hopefully I remember enough...
The beginning had me thinking this could be a 5 star read. It's "funny" how Elizabeth tries to hide her intelligence, especially from her father, but Prince William sees right through her. Actually, the man she believes to be the prince is actually a monk who is disguising himself as the prince to protect the prince. It reminds me of how in Star Wars Queen Amidala had a decoy for her protection. I had a feeling Brother Matthew was the real prince all along! I thought it was kind of weird how only two of the monks were named in the story. So the Prince was either Matthew or Adrian, but this was before I read more to know that the rest wouldn't be named...
Peter used to be a knight but extreme guilt has him be a monk for the past 7 years. As you know, monks are supposed to be celibate, so he tries to not give into his desires for Elizabeth, but obviously this fails.
I don't know why Anne Stuart feels a need to add a secondary romance to each book she writes! I would like to read one of her books without one... This one was okay, but it's hard to feel the love between two people when they have barely talked to each other.
Like the last book by Anne Stuart I read, "To Love A Dark Lord", I found the sex scenes to be hot. I like how the hero goes a little mindless in passion and takes the girl in maybe not the most conducive places to have sex. Like against the tree, probably multiple trees, in this one.
The beginning had me thinking this could be a 5 star read. It's "funny" how Elizabeth tries to hide her intelligence, especially from her father, but Prince William sees right through her. Actually, the man she believes to be the prince is actually a monk who is disguising himself as the prince to protect the prince. It reminds me of how in Star Wars Queen Amidala had a decoy for her protection. I had a feeling Brother Matthew was the real prince all along! I thought it was kind of weird how only two of the monks were named in the story. So the Prince was either Matthew or Adrian, but this was before I read more to know that the rest wouldn't be named...
Peter used to be a knight but extreme guilt has him be a monk for the past 7 years. As you know, monks are supposed to be celibate, so he tries to not give into his desires for Elizabeth, but obviously this fails.
I don't know why Anne Stuart feels a need to add a secondary romance to each book she writes! I would like to read one of her books without one... This one was okay, but it's hard to feel the love between two people when they have barely talked to each other.
Like the last book by Anne Stuart I read, "To Love A Dark Lord", I found the sex scenes to be hot. I like how the hero goes a little mindless in passion and takes the girl in maybe not the most conducive places to have sex. Like against the tree, probably multiple trees, in this one.
December 19, 2014
A classic Anne Stuart romance, though the hero was less dangerous and threatening than her usual type. I really liked it and the feisty heroine (when she wasn't making comments about how good she was in judging men), but the hero was a little too self-procrastinating for my tastes.
A lot of action, adventure, a great secondary romance and some nice characters = entertaintment guaranteed:)
A lot of action, adventure, a great secondary romance and some nice characters = entertaintment guaranteed:)
February 11, 2014
Review: Hidden Honor by Anne Stuart
Rating = 4/5
Caliber SEAL: GREAT READ
Final Verdict: With sizzling sexual tension, Anne Stuart delivers a scrumptious read worthy of your time!
Review goes live at 00:00 hours MVT, February 12, 2014!
Rating = 4/5
Caliber SEAL: GREAT READ
Final Verdict: With sizzling sexual tension, Anne Stuart delivers a scrumptious read worthy of your time!
Review goes live at 00:00 hours MVT, February 12, 2014!
April 18, 2010
I think my last Stuart medieval had actually been the wonderful Lord of Danger, a very long time ago (before blog so I’ll have to reread and review one of these days), and so I was eager to start this one. I liked it, it’s Anne Stuart in the bad boy hero, in the secondary romance, but the end had a lightness that disappointed me a bit, I want those serious, dark feelings she made me look for.
Elizabeth de Bredon is a skinny, redhead young girl who is too smart for her own good. Since her father cannot marry her, he has decided she will go the convent. When they are visited by Prince William (bastard son of King John) and his men, who are doing penance and pilgrimage because the prince, known for his cruelty has murdered a young lady, Elizabeth’s father decides she will go with them.
From the beginning that there’s something between Elizabeth and the prince, it’s also obvious that the prince is not who he seems to be. Elizabeth, despite being very young (seventeen) is one of those outspoken heroines who just can’t shup up. If she has learned to control her tongue in her father’s presence she didn’t when faced with Prince William. Had he been what his reputation suggests I’m betting Elizabeth would be facing a none too pleasant fate but William is in fact Brother Peter, a knight who after returning home from the crusades has decided to become a monk and is now protecting the true William from being attacked on the road by changing identities.
When they are attacked William (Peter) and Elizabeth stay together and become even closer. The truth of who he is, revealed when they finally arrive at the convent, comes as a huge blow to her but the true Prince William, who has a score to settle with Peter, is quick to use Elizabeth for his own ends and Peter is unable to abandon her as was his plan.
Considering that we have a hero monk I think the story could have had much more anguish than it did, especially on Peter’s part, I think the end come about a bit abruptly and without any issues of his change of circumstances being addressed.. There’s also a secondary romance that I would really liked to see more developed.
Despite that, it was good and I enjoyed it.
Grade: 4/5
Elizabeth de Bredon is a skinny, redhead young girl who is too smart for her own good. Since her father cannot marry her, he has decided she will go the convent. When they are visited by Prince William (bastard son of King John) and his men, who are doing penance and pilgrimage because the prince, known for his cruelty has murdered a young lady, Elizabeth’s father decides she will go with them.
From the beginning that there’s something between Elizabeth and the prince, it’s also obvious that the prince is not who he seems to be. Elizabeth, despite being very young (seventeen) is one of those outspoken heroines who just can’t shup up. If she has learned to control her tongue in her father’s presence she didn’t when faced with Prince William. Had he been what his reputation suggests I’m betting Elizabeth would be facing a none too pleasant fate but William is in fact Brother Peter, a knight who after returning home from the crusades has decided to become a monk and is now protecting the true William from being attacked on the road by changing identities.
When they are attacked William (Peter) and Elizabeth stay together and become even closer. The truth of who he is, revealed when they finally arrive at the convent, comes as a huge blow to her but the true Prince William, who has a score to settle with Peter, is quick to use Elizabeth for his own ends and Peter is unable to abandon her as was his plan.
Considering that we have a hero monk I think the story could have had much more anguish than it did, especially on Peter’s part, I think the end come about a bit abruptly and without any issues of his change of circumstances being addressed.. There’s also a secondary romance that I would really liked to see more developed.
Despite that, it was good and I enjoyed it.
Grade: 4/5
August 27, 2021
B- at AAR, so 3.5 stars
For this month’s TBR challenge, I found myself with an embarrassment of riches in the TBR pile. My stack of books is much more varied than it used to be, but it still leans heavily toward historical, category romance and romantic suspense. Rather than dither over it, I just pulled out a historical romance at random and we were off to the races. The book in question? Hidden Honor, a 2004 release from the unforgettable Anne Stuart.
And unforgettable it certainly was. Love or hate them, Stuart’s books tend to be rather distinctive. The normally super alpha hero was a touch toned down here but we still had darkness and drama in spades. This book wasn’t my favorite from the author, but it’s still a pretty good read.
The heroine, Elizabeth of Bredon, basically runs her father’s household but said father and her loutish brothers don’t exactly appreciate her efforts. Now in her late teens, she’s been deemed useless and consigned to a convent. She is a redhead, taller than most men, and has already been jilted by one suitor, so her family did not see any viable marriage prospects on the horizon. A group of friars are passing through the area taking King John’s notoriously debauched son to do penance, and Elizabeth will be travelling with this party.
Elizabeth, for her part, is a rather interesting heroine in some ways. In others’ reviews of this book, I’ve seen her described as TSTL and she does have those moments. However, she also has areas of great competency. I read her more as a very young heroine who has been thrust into a world she doesn’t entirely understand.
This is a partial review. The complete text can be found at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/september...
For this month’s TBR challenge, I found myself with an embarrassment of riches in the TBR pile. My stack of books is much more varied than it used to be, but it still leans heavily toward historical, category romance and romantic suspense. Rather than dither over it, I just pulled out a historical romance at random and we were off to the races. The book in question? Hidden Honor, a 2004 release from the unforgettable Anne Stuart.
And unforgettable it certainly was. Love or hate them, Stuart’s books tend to be rather distinctive. The normally super alpha hero was a touch toned down here but we still had darkness and drama in spades. This book wasn’t my favorite from the author, but it’s still a pretty good read.
The heroine, Elizabeth of Bredon, basically runs her father’s household but said father and her loutish brothers don’t exactly appreciate her efforts. Now in her late teens, she’s been deemed useless and consigned to a convent. She is a redhead, taller than most men, and has already been jilted by one suitor, so her family did not see any viable marriage prospects on the horizon. A group of friars are passing through the area taking King John’s notoriously debauched son to do penance, and Elizabeth will be travelling with this party.
Elizabeth, for her part, is a rather interesting heroine in some ways. In others’ reviews of this book, I’ve seen her described as TSTL and she does have those moments. However, she also has areas of great competency. I read her more as a very young heroine who has been thrust into a world she doesn’t entirely understand.
This is a partial review. The complete text can be found at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/september...
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October 20, 2018
3.5 stars. After reading and LOVING Lord of Danger , I was looking for another medieval romance by Anne Stuart and came across Hidden Honor. But this one didn't give me the same feeling as Lord of Danger, nowhere near it TBH. So there'll be no full review for this one.
Peter, our H, is a monk who went to Crusade. He was a normal knight before that, but now atoning for his sins done during Crusade. And for that reason he'd taken vows for the strictest order of monks he could find. It intrigued me to know that the H was a monk cause I don't think I read another book where the hero was one. Now Peter, alongside a coterie of King's men disguised as monks, were accompanying a bastard prince to a monastery to be cleaned off of his latest sins. Peter was disguised as the Prince himself, while the Prince was masquerading as one of the monks. This Prince really was quite a piece of work. A cruel, sadistic POS, his history with Peter during Crusade comes to life later in the story, which also explained why there was so much enmity between them which was palpable even to someone like our h, Elizabeth.
At any case, I liked Peter and thought he was a hot monk. He actually was a very sexually active man, but since his return from the Crusade he'd been celibate. On that one regard, I agreed with Elizabeth. But for the most part I could never connect with her. She was quite young and impulsive. But what frustrated me most about her was that, though I didn't think she was horribly dimwitted or something, most of the times her confidence was utterly misguided. Misplaced even. Which did make me facepalm a few times. It led to some contrived misunderstandings between her and Peter that could've been avoided otherwise IMO. It might have to do with the fact that she grew up largely sheltered and had no idea of the horrors that lay on the outside world. Whatever is the case, I had a difficult time with her and I thought she wasn't a good match for Peter. He needed someone more matured, even worldly. Maybe even someone like Dame Joanna.
With Joanna, comes the part of the story that I actually loved. It was the secondary romance between Joanna, who was a courtesan and Peter's cousin Adrian, who was a knight. He was one of the men accompanying the Prince and they met while staying at one of the castles where Joanna was the mistress to one of the lords. I really wished the author wrote more pages on them rather then Elizabeth's shenanigans. I still don't know why exactly Peter was so attracted to her. :/ I don't want to sound harsh but it must've been that aforementioned celibacy. -_-
Overall, though I liked the story because it kept me hooked, it wasn't a favorite of mine by Anne Stuart. But I'll continue to check through her backlist for my next favorite. :)
Peter, our H, is a monk who went to Crusade. He was a normal knight before that, but now atoning for his sins done during Crusade. And for that reason he'd taken vows for the strictest order of monks he could find. It intrigued me to know that the H was a monk cause I don't think I read another book where the hero was one. Now Peter, alongside a coterie of King's men disguised as monks, were accompanying a bastard prince to a monastery to be cleaned off of his latest sins. Peter was disguised as the Prince himself, while the Prince was masquerading as one of the monks. This Prince really was quite a piece of work. A cruel, sadistic POS, his history with Peter during Crusade comes to life later in the story, which also explained why there was so much enmity between them which was palpable even to someone like our h, Elizabeth.
At any case, I liked Peter and thought he was a hot monk. He actually was a very sexually active man, but since his return from the Crusade he'd been celibate. On that one regard, I agreed with Elizabeth. But for the most part I could never connect with her. She was quite young and impulsive. But what frustrated me most about her was that, though I didn't think she was horribly dimwitted or something, most of the times her confidence was utterly misguided. Misplaced even. Which did make me facepalm a few times. It led to some contrived misunderstandings between her and Peter that could've been avoided otherwise IMO. It might have to do with the fact that she grew up largely sheltered and had no idea of the horrors that lay on the outside world. Whatever is the case, I had a difficult time with her and I thought she wasn't a good match for Peter. He needed someone more matured, even worldly. Maybe even someone like Dame Joanna.
With Joanna, comes the part of the story that I actually loved. It was the secondary romance between Joanna, who was a courtesan and Peter's cousin Adrian, who was a knight. He was one of the men accompanying the Prince and they met while staying at one of the castles where Joanna was the mistress to one of the lords. I really wished the author wrote more pages on them rather then Elizabeth's shenanigans. I still don't know why exactly Peter was so attracted to her. :/ I don't want to sound harsh but it must've been that aforementioned celibacy. -_-
Overall, though I liked the story because it kept me hooked, it wasn't a favorite of mine by Anne Stuart. But I'll continue to check through her backlist for my next favorite. :)
June 4, 2019
4.5 - Voto
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Emanuela - per RFS
Romanziera con all’attivo innumerevoli successi, penna agile nell’ambientare le sue storie indistintamente sia nel passato che nel presente, la Stuart ci regala questo nuovo successo La penitenza del crociato.
Ambientato nell’Inghilterra delle crociate e del vassallaggio, il romanzo ci racconta la storia d’amore tra la futura suora Elizabeth e Peter, un monaco travestito da principe. Complice il viaggio che condividono per raggiungere il convento di St Anne che ospiterà lei per sempre e lui finché non avrà espiato i suoi peccati, tra odio e attrazione, i due riescono a sfuggire ad agguati, equivoci e destini infausti grazie al legame che si creerà.
Elizabeth Bredon è tutto fuorché fragile: alta, energica e con lunghi capelli rosso fuoco (guardati con sospetto in quell’epoca). Donna dall’intelligenza vivace e dal carattere ribelle, viene spedita al convento per volere del padre, incapace di gestirla e di farle accettare un marito che la sottometta.
Peter è un nobile feudatario che in Terra Santa, in nome di Dio, ha compiuto orribili assassini. Ora deve fingere di essere il figlio bastardo del re (un pazzo criminale) per proteggere quest’ultimo da imboscate e consegnarlo sano e salvo al convento affinché possa espiare i suoi peccati. Peter è un uomo complesso, vittima del suo passato, dedito all’autoflagellazione e alla preghiera. Non è sicuramente alla ricerca di un’avventura.
Sebbene i due protagonisti abbiano caratteri molto diversi, tra i due nascerà un sentimento di stima e rispetto reciproco. Ma Elizabeth è ignara della vera identità di Peter, cosicché, quando tra i due la passione divamperà senza freni, non sarà facile fare chiarezza e intraprendere un destino comune. L’odio e la vendetta lavoreranno nell’ombra fino all’ultimo per separare i due amanti.
Molto simpatica la storia parallela tra Johanna, una donna di facili costumi che viaggia al seguito di Elizabeth e di Adrian, luogotenente di Sir Peter anch’egli travestito da monaco.
Un romanzo davvero imperdibile!
“…Non sarebbe stato facile. Non aveva pensato che fosse facile. Era sempre stato un uomo passionale e sensuale, e aveva scelto l’ordine religioso dalle regole più strette. I ben pasciuti monaci dell’ordine cistercense non facevano per lui. Peter si era consacrato a una vita di duro lavoro, di penitenza costante e di spartane privazioni.
Ma a quel tempo era appena ritornato dalla Crociata e niente gli sembrava troppo duro. La penitenza era meritata e il faticoso lavoro gli impediva d’impazzire.”
.
Emanuela - per RFS
Romanziera con all’attivo innumerevoli successi, penna agile nell’ambientare le sue storie indistintamente sia nel passato che nel presente, la Stuart ci regala questo nuovo successo La penitenza del crociato.
Ambientato nell’Inghilterra delle crociate e del vassallaggio, il romanzo ci racconta la storia d’amore tra la futura suora Elizabeth e Peter, un monaco travestito da principe. Complice il viaggio che condividono per raggiungere il convento di St Anne che ospiterà lei per sempre e lui finché non avrà espiato i suoi peccati, tra odio e attrazione, i due riescono a sfuggire ad agguati, equivoci e destini infausti grazie al legame che si creerà.
Elizabeth Bredon è tutto fuorché fragile: alta, energica e con lunghi capelli rosso fuoco (guardati con sospetto in quell’epoca). Donna dall’intelligenza vivace e dal carattere ribelle, viene spedita al convento per volere del padre, incapace di gestirla e di farle accettare un marito che la sottometta.
Peter è un nobile feudatario che in Terra Santa, in nome di Dio, ha compiuto orribili assassini. Ora deve fingere di essere il figlio bastardo del re (un pazzo criminale) per proteggere quest’ultimo da imboscate e consegnarlo sano e salvo al convento affinché possa espiare i suoi peccati. Peter è un uomo complesso, vittima del suo passato, dedito all’autoflagellazione e alla preghiera. Non è sicuramente alla ricerca di un’avventura.
Sebbene i due protagonisti abbiano caratteri molto diversi, tra i due nascerà un sentimento di stima e rispetto reciproco. Ma Elizabeth è ignara della vera identità di Peter, cosicché, quando tra i due la passione divamperà senza freni, non sarà facile fare chiarezza e intraprendere un destino comune. L’odio e la vendetta lavoreranno nell’ombra fino all’ultimo per separare i due amanti.
Molto simpatica la storia parallela tra Johanna, una donna di facili costumi che viaggia al seguito di Elizabeth e di Adrian, luogotenente di Sir Peter anch’egli travestito da monaco.
Un romanzo davvero imperdibile!
“…Non sarebbe stato facile. Non aveva pensato che fosse facile. Era sempre stato un uomo passionale e sensuale, e aveva scelto l’ordine religioso dalle regole più strette. I ben pasciuti monaci dell’ordine cistercense non facevano per lui. Peter si era consacrato a una vita di duro lavoro, di penitenza costante e di spartane privazioni.
Ma a quel tempo era appena ritornato dalla Crociata e niente gli sembrava troppo duro. La penitenza era meritata e il faticoso lavoro gli impediva d’impazzire.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2013
Lanky, red-haired, freckled, too-outspoken, unmarriageable Elizabeth of Bredon is headed for the convent. Her ever-loving dad picks the party of Prince William—the bastard son of King John, who under order of the king to go to the Shrine/Convent of St. Anne to atone for the sexual murder of the daughter of another lord.
She knows about William's alleged crimes but she issuicidal drawn to him. And, while she's at it, she thinks sweet-faced Brother Matthew is kinda hawt as well, in a celibate, way-too-innocent-to-be-real kinda way. In short, Elizabeth really digs guys who are (or should be)
Peter of Montselm returned from the crusades with a conscience so heavy that self-flagellation and hair shirts should be the least of his penance. He joined the strictest, most self-abusing (minds out of the gutter, people!) sect of his church he could find. Then he was asked to escort the errant, murderous, Prince William on his "pilgrimage."
The prince has enemies—go figure. Peter reckons the only way to keep this putz alive until he can be shriven is to change identities. Thus, Pete is pretending to be the prince, and the prince is pretending to be the ingenuous Brother Matthew. Some dumb luck they were asked to escort Lady Liz to their final destination. Peter's attraction to the gel makes him happy—but, after his crimes on the Crusades, he really, really hates himself.
So Peter doesn't do "happy" anymore.
Can't say much more without basically telling the story. Long story short, this is Anne Stuart, and historical—let's start at 4 points. Novella—drop by a point. Medieval—add a half-point back. Danger and adventure—add another half-point. Made me cry in spots—add another. This gets 4.5, which is a helluva score for a novella.
She knows about William's alleged crimes but she is
Peter of Montselm returned from the crusades with a conscience so heavy that self-flagellation and hair shirts should be the least of his penance. He joined the strictest, most self-abusing (minds out of the gutter, people!) sect of his church he could find. Then he was asked to escort the errant, murderous, Prince William on his "pilgrimage."
The prince has enemies—go figure. Peter reckons the only way to keep this putz alive until he can be shriven is to change identities. Thus, Pete is pretending to be the prince, and the prince is pretending to be the ingenuous Brother Matthew. Some dumb luck they were asked to escort Lady Liz to their final destination. Peter's attraction to the gel makes him happy—but, after his crimes on the Crusades, he really, really hates himself.
So Peter doesn't do "happy" anymore.
Can't say much more without basically telling the story. Long story short, this is Anne Stuart, and historical—let's start at 4 points. Novella—drop by a point. Medieval—add a half-point back. Danger and adventure—add another half-point. Made me cry in spots—add another. This gets 4.5, which is a helluva score for a novella.
November 6, 2022
Uma vida inteira com a família a dizer que era feia fez com que Elisabeth acreditasse que tudo nela era errado. Até encontrar um homem que a vê de outra maneira. Para quem ia ser freira ela passa muito tempo com pensamentos carnais 😂. Um livro que se lê bem e cheio de picardias entre as personagens principais.
September 8, 2017
Non è certo uno dei migliori romanzi della Stuart.
Ma, comunque, per quanto mi riguarda, è sempre meglio una "schifezza" di questa autrice dei "capolavori" di tante altre...
Ma, comunque, per quanto mi riguarda, è sempre meglio una "schifezza" di questa autrice dei "capolavori" di tante altre...
February 24, 2025
I am not going to act like this was a work of art, or even one of Anne’s best but she knows how to cook up an interesting story like no other! And I cannot pretend Peter wasn’t sexy as hell (or heaven in his case)? Too corny?? I’ll see myself out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2024
The Stuart Legend
two years ago, I started a journey of reading every day. I don’t know when I picked up the first book by this author, but it was a story about Christmas. I’m not a Christmas person, but I fell in love with the story, the writing, the characters and I startedto get to know the author. So I read every book that she witten and it was this book that closes my journey of two years. This is the quintessential Anne Stuart. the characters are amazing. Sometimes they are tortured sometimes they are glorified and yet with each step they take you as the reader accompanying them. The style of writing is so intimate that she suddenly become one of the characters and you see life through their lenses. Thank you for an incredible reading experience.
two years ago, I started a journey of reading every day. I don’t know when I picked up the first book by this author, but it was a story about Christmas. I’m not a Christmas person, but I fell in love with the story, the writing, the characters and I startedto get to know the author. So I read every book that she witten and it was this book that closes my journey of two years. This is the quintessential Anne Stuart. the characters are amazing. Sometimes they are tortured sometimes they are glorified and yet with each step they take you as the reader accompanying them. The style of writing is so intimate that she suddenly become one of the characters and you see life through their lenses. Thank you for an incredible reading experience.
September 24, 2011
Reread
I gave this book 2 stars mostly becuse I can`t stand this heroine,
This book is about Prince William on the trip to the convent for killing a woman while having sex and all the other perverted things he did sexuually.Peter who had tried to kill him once while on a crusade with him pretends to be him so an assasin won`t get him.
Elizabeth who is too tall and skinny(seems Stuart uses these h often)for anyone to love is also going on this trip to become a nun.Keeping her out of the skanky Princes clutches takes up most of their time.This 400 page book is another where the h cannot say one decent word to the H throughout the whole book,after wishing she had kicked him a couple of times she finallly let loose and slammed him in the stomach with her fist and then contiued beating him on the chest until the poor dear girl finally started to cry-from Attila the Hun to Girly Girl with tears.How feminine is this, and who wants to be of the same gender of these shrieking Harpy Eagles/Atilla the Huns? All because the poor guy tried to warn her of trouble and to stay away from the bad guys.
Only 2* for this book as I avoid history whenever I can and Atilla/ Harpy Eagle,the reread was as spoadic as the first reading
I gave this book 2 stars mostly becuse I can`t stand this heroine,
This book is about Prince William on the trip to the convent for killing a woman while having sex and all the other perverted things he did sexuually.Peter who had tried to kill him once while on a crusade with him pretends to be him so an assasin won`t get him.
Elizabeth who is too tall and skinny(seems Stuart uses these h often)for anyone to love is also going on this trip to become a nun.Keeping her out of the skanky Princes clutches takes up most of their time.This 400 page book is another where the h cannot say one decent word to the H throughout the whole book,after wishing she had kicked him a couple of times she finallly let loose and slammed him in the stomach with her fist and then contiued beating him on the chest until the poor dear girl finally started to cry-from Attila the Hun to Girly Girl with tears.How feminine is this, and who wants to be of the same gender of these shrieking Harpy Eagles/Atilla the Huns? All because the poor guy tried to warn her of trouble and to stay away from the bad guys.
Only 2* for this book as I avoid history whenever I can and Atilla/ Harpy Eagle,the reread was as spoadic as the first reading
November 16, 2016
I loved this book, maybe it was because it was different from other medieval romances. I am becoming more of a Anne Stuart fan, with each book I have read.
June 30, 2025
I've long said that Anne Stuart's historicals are among her best works and HIDDEN HONOR is no exception. Set during medieval times, this is the story of seventeen-year-old Elizabeth, a headstrong girl who is being sent to the convent to become a nun. She is to make the journey with an escort of monks, including Prince William, a cruel and hedonistic prince who is going to an abbey to be shriven of his sins.
Right away, Elizabeth catches the prince's eye. Only he's not exactly what he seems. For his own protection, the "prince" is going incognito, swapping uniforms with one of the monks. Right away, you learn that the man she thinks is William is actually a monk named Peter, who turned to the church to atone for his guilt in participating in the crusades. With him is Adrian, his cousin and knight to the king, who is there to act as the king's bodyguard. But the real prince might just be the wrench in all of their respective goals, with devastating consequences.
So I kind of loved this. Elizabeth was a pretty great heroine. I thought it was hilarious that she was feeding her philandering father potions to make him impotent. The fact that she was so young also made a lot of her actions excusable that would be more frustrating in an older heroine. To my surprise, I also really enjoyed the secondary romance between Adrian and Joanna, a courtesan. Normally, the secondary romances in Stuart's romances are tedious and read as filler, but this one didn't. Also, I really, really liked that the main hero was a celibate monk who hadn't been with a woman in over seven years. It was a totally refreshing change of pace.
I've been on a medieval romance spree and this was an excellent addition to my growing collection. I kind of wish I owned it in paperback because I think this is one I would actually reread. The only reason it isn't getting five stars is because all of the denial and prolonged UST between the main couple got kind of frustrating and repetitive, but I loved the banter and the action and the subterfuge, so four stars feels right.
4 stars
Right away, Elizabeth catches the prince's eye. Only he's not exactly what he seems. For his own protection, the "prince" is going incognito, swapping uniforms with one of the monks. Right away, you learn that the man she thinks is William is actually a monk named Peter, who turned to the church to atone for his guilt in participating in the crusades. With him is Adrian, his cousin and knight to the king, who is there to act as the king's bodyguard. But the real prince might just be the wrench in all of their respective goals, with devastating consequences.
So I kind of loved this. Elizabeth was a pretty great heroine. I thought it was hilarious that she was feeding her philandering father potions to make him impotent. The fact that she was so young also made a lot of her actions excusable that would be more frustrating in an older heroine. To my surprise, I also really enjoyed the secondary romance between Adrian and Joanna, a courtesan. Normally, the secondary romances in Stuart's romances are tedious and read as filler, but this one didn't. Also, I really, really liked that the main hero was a celibate monk who hadn't been with a woman in over seven years. It was a totally refreshing change of pace.
I've been on a medieval romance spree and this was an excellent addition to my growing collection. I kind of wish I owned it in paperback because I think this is one I would actually reread. The only reason it isn't getting five stars is because all of the denial and prolonged UST between the main couple got kind of frustrating and repetitive, but I loved the banter and the action and the subterfuge, so four stars feels right.
4 stars
August 30, 2024
This medieval romance started out well, a too smart woman Elizabeth with unconventional looks plays dumb around her verbally abusive father who sends her off to a convent in the retinue of monks and knights accompanying William, the bastard son of King John on his journey of repentance for abusing women including one death. Yet the austerely handsome prince doesn't come across as evil but witty and perceptive, seeing Elizabeth's light under her protective bushel.
His side of their conversation is very well written, intelligent and sexy. Hers, not so much but as he points out, despite her unusually large collection of knowledge she is not the good judge of character she thinks she is because she is an inexperienced 17 year old. These two seemingly mismatched characters are believably drawn to each other. However, Elizabeth does some stupid things that the hero brushes off as charming - she jumps in a swift-flowing river to wash her dress of blood and nearly drowns, hacks off her long red hair that was her only real beauty because she felt unattractive and rejected as he tried to keep her pure for the convent. After she discovers that the "prince" is really Peter, a knight turned monk who was acting as a decoy to protect the evil prince, she attacks him with her fists, perhaps justified as he knew they shouldn't be having carnal relations on the basis of religion. On the other hand, Elizabeth had sex with a man she believed to be an abuser of females so hardly on a moral high horse. Lastly, she defied his advice to stay away from the dangerous real prince merely to be rebellious.
Peter in turn became so weighed down by guilt from his time in the Crusades and later breaking his vow of celibacy with Elizabeth that there was danger of his becoming an unsexy hangdog. It all became a little too dark, erasing some of the romance, therefore 3 and 1/2 stars, rounded up to 4 because it's Anne Stuart with an impressive body of work.
His side of their conversation is very well written, intelligent and sexy. Hers, not so much but as he points out, despite her unusually large collection of knowledge she is not the good judge of character she thinks she is because she is an inexperienced 17 year old. These two seemingly mismatched characters are believably drawn to each other. However, Elizabeth does some stupid things that the hero brushes off as charming - she jumps in a swift-flowing river to wash her dress of blood and nearly drowns, hacks off her long red hair that was her only real beauty because she felt unattractive and rejected as he tried to keep her pure for the convent. After she discovers that the "prince" is really Peter, a knight turned monk who was acting as a decoy to protect the evil prince, she attacks him with her fists, perhaps justified as he knew they shouldn't be having carnal relations on the basis of religion. On the other hand, Elizabeth had sex with a man she believed to be an abuser of females so hardly on a moral high horse. Lastly, she defied his advice to stay away from the dangerous real prince merely to be rebellious.
Peter in turn became so weighed down by guilt from his time in the Crusades and later breaking his vow of celibacy with Elizabeth that there was danger of his becoming an unsexy hangdog. It all became a little too dark, erasing some of the romance, therefore 3 and 1/2 stars, rounded up to 4 because it's Anne Stuart with an impressive body of work.
June 8, 2025
Arrancó fuerte, con una premisa interesante y una promesa entre los protagonistas que resultaría interesante leer. Pero se fue desinflando MUY rápido.
Los diálogos son terribles, en especial los de William (el verdadero) cuyas motivaciones por ser tan sádico dejan de importar por completo cuando las explica.
Peter pintaba interesante tambien, un noble-vuelto Caballero de las Cruzadas-vuelto monje, pretendiendo ser principe? La arrogancia que debería exudar eso? Pero no, solamente se llega a vislumbrar algo de eso en los primeros capítulos. El resto se pierde en la nube de la culpa con la que carga.
Elizabeth por otro lado peca por ser una heroína de Anne Stuart: se vuelve totalmente insoportable repitiendo que se sabe fea y que nadie la quiere. Ya lo entendimos, a otra cosa.
Por último, no me gustó para nada la relación secundaria entre Joanna y Adrián (a quien describen literalmente como a un niño en casi todo momento). El romance en general entre ambas parejas es chatisimo y el final completamente apresurado.
No hay consecuencias para el asesino de un príncipe, no hay epílogo para la feliz pareja.
Los diálogos son terribles, en especial los de William (el verdadero) cuyas motivaciones por ser tan sádico dejan de importar por completo cuando las explica.
Peter pintaba interesante tambien, un noble-vuelto Caballero de las Cruzadas-vuelto monje, pretendiendo ser principe? La arrogancia que debería exudar eso? Pero no, solamente se llega a vislumbrar algo de eso en los primeros capítulos. El resto se pierde en la nube de la culpa con la que carga.
Elizabeth por otro lado peca por ser una heroína de Anne Stuart: se vuelve totalmente insoportable repitiendo que se sabe fea y que nadie la quiere. Ya lo entendimos, a otra cosa.
Por último, no me gustó para nada la relación secundaria entre Joanna y Adrián (a quien describen literalmente como a un niño en casi todo momento). El romance en general entre ambas parejas es chatisimo y el final completamente apresurado.
No hay consecuencias para el asesino de un príncipe, no hay epílogo para la feliz pareja.
May 30, 2023
I loved the story, and I just wish Stuart would write more historical ones as I’m having to delve further and further back into her back catalogue.
Heroine is a grumpy young lady who thinks that she is a unlovable and is therefore on the way to a nunnery. On the same journey is the illegitimate son of king John, a revolting, young man, wicked, in every way, who is going to do penance for his sins. Safeguarding, the prince is our hero who is carrying a lot of guilt arising out of events in the crusades. I don’t consider this a spoiler because the identities of the hero, Peter,and wicked Prince William are disclosed very early on to the reader, although not to anyone else in the story. There is a lovely secondary romance between Joanna a young woman who has had a difficult life, and one of the ‘monks’ Adrian. Very enjoyable.
Heroine is a grumpy young lady who thinks that she is a unlovable and is therefore on the way to a nunnery. On the same journey is the illegitimate son of king John, a revolting, young man, wicked, in every way, who is going to do penance for his sins. Safeguarding, the prince is our hero who is carrying a lot of guilt arising out of events in the crusades. I don’t consider this a spoiler because the identities of the hero, Peter,and wicked Prince William are disclosed very early on to the reader, although not to anyone else in the story. There is a lovely secondary romance between Joanna a young woman who has had a difficult life, and one of the ‘monks’ Adrian. Very enjoyable.
April 11, 2022
Novela romántico histórica, que nos lleva a la Edad Media, con caballeros Cruzados llegados de Tierra Santa.
Un príncipe bastardo, un caballero, un monje, una prostituta y una virgen que quiere ingresar en un convento por motivos equivocados, son algunos de los protagonistas que componen el grupo tan variado y que inicia un viaje hacia el monasterio de Santa Ana. No todos son lo que parecen, hay secretos, mentiras, traiciones y el viaje culmina con un ataque brutal donde algunos pierden la vida. Tras el ataque se dispersan y huyen, intentando llegar al monasterio cada uno a su manera.
Bonita historia de amor que consigue que estés atenta desde la primera página hasta la última.
El final me ha parecido demasiado corto y rápido pero el conjunto te hace disfrutar de la historia.
Un príncipe bastardo, un caballero, un monje, una prostituta y una virgen que quiere ingresar en un convento por motivos equivocados, son algunos de los protagonistas que componen el grupo tan variado y que inicia un viaje hacia el monasterio de Santa Ana. No todos son lo que parecen, hay secretos, mentiras, traiciones y el viaje culmina con un ataque brutal donde algunos pierden la vida. Tras el ataque se dispersan y huyen, intentando llegar al monasterio cada uno a su manera.
Bonita historia de amor que consigue que estés atenta desde la primera página hasta la última.
El final me ha parecido demasiado corto y rápido pero el conjunto te hace disfrutar de la historia.
June 11, 2018
Carino, fra gli Stuart fuori dagli schemi. Purtroppo sospetto che abbiamo smaronato qualcosa in traduzione/ennesimo adattamento, perché troppo spesso i personaggi sembrano psicotici. Sembra si siano persi piccoli pezzi perché passano da un estremo all'altro senza soluzione di continuità.
Prevedibile quanto basta, frizzante dove serve, adorabile nella doppia storia, che è un marchio di fabbrica della Stuart e le riesce benissimo.
Non male.
Prevedibile quanto basta, frizzante dove serve, adorabile nella doppia storia, che è un marchio di fabbrica della Stuart e le riesce benissimo.
Non male.
September 24, 2024
2.5. (inglés). (Explícito). Decidí darle una oportunidad a este libro y para la segunda mitad me arrepentí: me aburrí mucho y sólo lo leí por encima, me salté las partes donde era sobre Joanna y Adrian. No se me hizo muy original la trama pero sí está bien desarrollada.
Puede que no haya sido un buen momento para su lectura. Ambos protagonistas muy tercos. Final feliz.
Narrado en tercera persona.
Puede que no haya sido un buen momento para su lectura. Ambos protagonistas muy tercos. Final feliz.
Narrado en tercera persona.
July 28, 2025
this book has two romance stories in it. i the 2nd one more then the main one. but still i did enjoy the book. the villain is a nasty piece of work and im glady he got what was coming it him. IF he was real im glady history dose not remember him. this was a good read though it take me 2 weeks to read.
December 28, 2022
Riveting novel
Just the best ever. A Stuart Classic set in a time almost unimaginable for women chattel or the convent. I simply adored the characters and the plot of discovering that you don’t run but walk towards true love.
Just the best ever. A Stuart Classic set in a time almost unimaginable for women chattel or the convent. I simply adored the characters and the plot of discovering that you don’t run but walk towards true love.
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