What do you think?
Rate this book
The Roselynde Chronicles #4
Gilliane
Fate made them enemies…
Temptation made them passionate lovers.
An exquisite beauty trapped in a deadly game of political intrigue, Gilliane is an innocent pawn of the ruthless, power-hungry barons swarming around her. Forced to marry a man she abhors, she soon becomes the helpless prisoner—and dazzling prize—of her husband’s most dangerous foe, Adam Lemagne—only to surrender her heart to her handsome captor.
In a breathtaking tale of forbidden desire and smoldering temptation, the star-crossed lovers must survive pain and peril in their stormy quest for love.
Temptation made them passionate lovers.
An exquisite beauty trapped in a deadly game of political intrigue, Gilliane is an innocent pawn of the ruthless, power-hungry barons swarming around her. Forced to marry a man she abhors, she soon becomes the helpless prisoner—and dazzling prize—of her husband’s most dangerous foe, Adam Lemagne—only to surrender her heart to her handsome captor.
In a breathtaking tale of forbidden desire and smoldering temptation, the star-crossed lovers must survive pain and peril in their stormy quest for love.
440 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1979
31 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Roberta Gellis
57 books184 followersRoberta Gellis has been one of the most successful writers of historical fiction of the last few decades, having published about 25 meticulously researched historical novels since 1964. She was married to her husband Charles for over 50 years and they lived together in Lafayette, Indiana with a lively Lakeland terrier called Taffy. She has one child called Mark.
Her page at the Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase
Her page at the Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 25, 2021
This is the fourth in a series of book that first sparked my interest in thirteenth century English history, back when I was in my teens: King John is dead, his son Henry who is still a child is the new king of England with William Marshal as regent. King John's death did not end the attempts of Prince Louis of France and the rebellious English barons to conquer however and the fighting goes on.
Against this backdrop, Gillian, a ward of a French knight is brought to England to secure English estates to Louis. The machinations and plotting of her guardian end in his death and Gillian meeting Adam, son of Alinor of Roselynde and romance ensues.
As with all the other books, while the romance is fun, it is the historical details and political descriptions that have led to this author and this series being lifelong favourites. Gellis' background as a historian brings the period and it's people to life in a way that I have rarely encoutered. Though these days it is not uncommon for people to write well researched historical novels, in which daly items and processes are added in, Gellis' early writing in this theme has bourn the test of time for me.
In Gillian there is an added element of interest; previous Roselynde chronicals have started with a strong woman in a well established domain. In this book we start with a strong but scared, traumatised and alone teenager. Gillian's need to learn without having been trained for the role of a strong woman, establish control of a castle not originally her own makes for a lot more character development than in previous books. The fact that she is politically naive and in any case French, allows Gellis' more rein to explain the political and military details that are a little more forced in other books.
Anyhow, a long term favourite of a re-read, one that is never disappointing.
Against this backdrop, Gillian, a ward of a French knight is brought to England to secure English estates to Louis. The machinations and plotting of her guardian end in his death and Gillian meeting Adam, son of Alinor of Roselynde and romance ensues.
As with all the other books, while the romance is fun, it is the historical details and political descriptions that have led to this author and this series being lifelong favourites. Gellis' background as a historian brings the period and it's people to life in a way that I have rarely encoutered. Though these days it is not uncommon for people to write well researched historical novels, in which daly items and processes are added in, Gellis' early writing in this theme has bourn the test of time for me.
In Gillian there is an added element of interest; previous Roselynde chronicals have started with a strong woman in a well established domain. In this book we start with a strong but scared, traumatised and alone teenager. Gillian's need to learn without having been trained for the role of a strong woman, establish control of a castle not originally her own makes for a lot more character development than in previous books. The fact that she is politically naive and in any case French, allows Gellis' more rein to explain the political and military details that are a little more forced in other books.
Anyhow, a long term favourite of a re-read, one that is never disappointing.
August 20, 2008
The Roselynde Chronicles Book Four 3.5 stars. King John is dead and his young son Henry rules England with William Marshal as regent, and Prince Louis of France is in cahoots with the rebellious English barons in an attempt to oust Henry and rule England for himself. Gilliane is the orphaned daughter of a minor knight and was raised in an abusive household. She is brought from France by her foster father to marry the disabled son of a rebellious baron so that he can control their lands for himself. Adam Lemagne, son of Alinor and her first husband Simon,takes control of Gilliane's lands, and of course sparks fly between the two.
While I enjoyed this tale, it is not quite up to the standards of Gellis' previous entries in the Roselynde Chronicles. As always, Gellis provides lots of historical detail on the period and political intrigues of the times, but the love story was a bit more of a bodice ripper than the three previous books, and I found some of the love scenes to be almost silly. While I understand the need for misunderstandings in the story to keep the lovers apart until the very end, the ones in this book were at times over the top (but these two were very young, Adam was only 18), and I found Gilliane to be quite irritating at times and found myself wanting to slap some sense into her. Thankfully, Adam eventually takes Gilliane to Roselynde and is taken under Alinor's wing where she quickly instills some common sense into Gilliane.
Those minor quibbles aside, this was an entertaining, fun read but just not up to the standards Gellis set with Roselynde and Alinor. Due to the minor irritations, three stars for the love story between Adam and Gilliane and four stars for Gellis' superb historical details. 3.5 stars. As a side note, the prices for this used book listed here on Amazon are a bit steep. I shopped around alternate used book sources and was able to purchase this for quite a bit less.
While I enjoyed this tale, it is not quite up to the standards of Gellis' previous entries in the Roselynde Chronicles. As always, Gellis provides lots of historical detail on the period and political intrigues of the times, but the love story was a bit more of a bodice ripper than the three previous books, and I found some of the love scenes to be almost silly. While I understand the need for misunderstandings in the story to keep the lovers apart until the very end, the ones in this book were at times over the top (but these two were very young, Adam was only 18), and I found Gilliane to be quite irritating at times and found myself wanting to slap some sense into her. Thankfully, Adam eventually takes Gilliane to Roselynde and is taken under Alinor's wing where she quickly instills some common sense into Gilliane.
Those minor quibbles aside, this was an entertaining, fun read but just not up to the standards Gellis set with Roselynde and Alinor. Due to the minor irritations, three stars for the love story between Adam and Gilliane and four stars for Gellis' superb historical details. 3.5 stars. As a side note, the prices for this used book listed here on Amazon are a bit steep. I shopped around alternate used book sources and was able to purchase this for quite a bit less.
September 4, 2022
Comfort re-read. 20 October 2013.
This one holds up the best. Love this book.
This one holds up the best. Love this book.
June 10, 2024
3.5 stars
June 10, 2020
So I'm over the age of 50 now...I read this book when I was in my teens. I grew up in NY and now live in AZ and every time I go home, I search through my Mom's many bookshelves to try to find this book because it was my favorite read when I first fell for romance novels. I gave up, figuring she donated it with a bunch of other old paperbacks. Fast forward, my kids are grown and about 5 years ago, I fell back into reading romance novels and started thinking about this book. I couldn't remember the author but I remembered the title. No matter how many searches I did, I couldn't find this book anywhere. And then about 2 weeks ago, I found a list on Goodreads of classic historic romance book covers and the author's name shouted out to me. I finally found Gilliane and ordered it from a small book store in Missouri.
After diving in again, I realized just how much European history was involved in this story - impressive. No one writes like this anymore. Not to mention I forgot Gilliane's past and the trauma she suffered that was mentioned only in passing. Amazing how much story-telling and attitudes about women have changed since this was published.
But it was so cool that there were passages in the book that I remember from when I first read it. Even though I doubt that I'll read it again, I'm hanging on to it as a reminder of romance in a very different time.
After diving in again, I realized just how much European history was involved in this story - impressive. No one writes like this anymore. Not to mention I forgot Gilliane's past and the trauma she suffered that was mentioned only in passing. Amazing how much story-telling and attitudes about women have changed since this was published.
But it was so cool that there were passages in the book that I remember from when I first read it. Even though I doubt that I'll read it again, I'm hanging on to it as a reminder of romance in a very different time.
June 5, 2020
Incomparable
If this author has been writing historical fiction for 40 years then
I've been reading her books that long, and I have all of them in paperback. I don't see my favorite listed; Bond of Blood.
It's been awhile since I've reread Gilliane and what strikes me almost decades later is accuracy, beauty of sentence structure, very non-p.c., She tells it like it was. And she tells it beautifully. While living in that era was a horror for most women the details and battles are not gross in details. It's still very readable.
Ms. Gellis's quality of writing is so rare compared to today's current authors that you should do yourself a favour and read a master. Maybe the powers that be will bring back all of her early historical romance books. I'm lucky, I found her early on and collected all of them. I think I know what I'll reading for the few weeks.
If this author has been writing historical fiction for 40 years then
I've been reading her books that long, and I have all of them in paperback. I don't see my favorite listed; Bond of Blood.
It's been awhile since I've reread Gilliane and what strikes me almost decades later is accuracy, beauty of sentence structure, very non-p.c., She tells it like it was. And she tells it beautifully. While living in that era was a horror for most women the details and battles are not gross in details. It's still very readable.
Ms. Gellis's quality of writing is so rare compared to today's current authors that you should do yourself a favour and read a master. Maybe the powers that be will bring back all of her early historical romance books. I'm lucky, I found her early on and collected all of them. I think I know what I'll reading for the few weeks.
August 13, 2022
Five Stars
The late Roberta Gellis has always been and will be one of my favorite authors! She had a college degree in history and another college degree in biochemistry. I never found any historical mistake. I am 73 and a history and trivia buff so I also know my history.
The late Roberta Gellis has always been and will be one of my favorite authors! She had a college degree in history and another college degree in biochemistry. I never found any historical mistake. I am 73 and a history and trivia buff so I also know my history.
December 21, 2023
Medieval delight
Escapism in the best of forms: historical medieval romance. Like only the very best of authors, this book rolls along with a lovely story that holds your interest and never gets old. It rates a solid 4.8. Enjoy a really good read.
Escapism in the best of forms: historical medieval romance. Like only the very best of authors, this book rolls along with a lovely story that holds your interest and never gets old. It rates a solid 4.8. Enjoy a really good read.
June 7, 2023
Yeah, no! She has the cruelties inflicted upon WOMEN and the serfs of this time but absolutely NO romance. 👎🏽👎🏽
December 31, 2012
'Gilliane' is the fourth installment in Roberta Gellis's beloved 'The Roselynde Chronicles.' First published in 1980, 'Gilliane' is now available in ebook format. It remains one of my favorite historical romance novels.
Most of Gellis's medieval stories, particularly 'The Roselynde Chronicles,' could more accurately be called historical fiction. Gellis immerses the reader in the thirteenth century. The details of daily life: what people ate, how they dressed, spoke and thought are woven into her complex stories as integral elements. In particular, the contentious politics of the time (leading to Magna Carta) form the chief external conflict for this series.
In 'Gilliane,' Gellis pulls back slightly, focusing on the relationship between Gilliane, a young French noblewoman married against her will to a brutal English rebel lord, and Sir Adam, who has captured her keep for the royalists and falls in love with her. This is a delightful romance of young love blossoming as the protagonists mature.
Gilliane is one of Gellis's most charming characters. Gellis's other heroines: Alinor, Joanna, (and Rhiannon and Sybelle in following chapters) are bold, confident women. They are easy to admire and enjoy, but at least for this reader, they are sometimes difficult to identify with.
Gilliane, on the other hand, is young, frightened and out of her element at the beginning of the story. She has been ignored or brutalized most of her life as a political pawn, but now she finds herself thrust into prominence as the chatelaine of a great keep. She falls in love with Adam, scion of the great house of Roselynde, and resolves to live up to his expectations of what women can be. In the process, Gilliane blossoms into an intelligent, proud and confident woman.
Best of all, Gilliane has a sense of humor and can laugh at herself and her missteps. Seemingly alone among the Roselynde women, Gilliane lacks the prickly pride that would make those other heroines difficult to be around in real 21st century life. Gilliane's delight in her new abilities, her growing confidence in her own worth, endear her to the reader.
Adam is an excellent foil for Gilliane. Although he has had a loving upbringing and has been trained for the heavy duties he is now assuming, he too is very young and must grow into his role and expectations, with all the doubts and stress that entails. The lovers encourage and aid each other, and as they work together, their love deepens.
For devotees of the series, favorite characters from previous 'Roselynde Chronicle' books are active here. Lady Alinor, Lord Ian, Geoffrey and Joanna all play their parts in Gilliane's growth from frightened victim to confident woman.
If you want to lose yourself in a delightful romance set in a vivid, long ago time, I highly recommend 'Gilliane.'
Most of Gellis's medieval stories, particularly 'The Roselynde Chronicles,' could more accurately be called historical fiction. Gellis immerses the reader in the thirteenth century. The details of daily life: what people ate, how they dressed, spoke and thought are woven into her complex stories as integral elements. In particular, the contentious politics of the time (leading to Magna Carta) form the chief external conflict for this series.
In 'Gilliane,' Gellis pulls back slightly, focusing on the relationship between Gilliane, a young French noblewoman married against her will to a brutal English rebel lord, and Sir Adam, who has captured her keep for the royalists and falls in love with her. This is a delightful romance of young love blossoming as the protagonists mature.
Gilliane is one of Gellis's most charming characters. Gellis's other heroines: Alinor, Joanna, (and Rhiannon and Sybelle in following chapters) are bold, confident women. They are easy to admire and enjoy, but at least for this reader, they are sometimes difficult to identify with.
Gilliane, on the other hand, is young, frightened and out of her element at the beginning of the story. She has been ignored or brutalized most of her life as a political pawn, but now she finds herself thrust into prominence as the chatelaine of a great keep. She falls in love with Adam, scion of the great house of Roselynde, and resolves to live up to his expectations of what women can be. In the process, Gilliane blossoms into an intelligent, proud and confident woman.
Best of all, Gilliane has a sense of humor and can laugh at herself and her missteps. Seemingly alone among the Roselynde women, Gilliane lacks the prickly pride that would make those other heroines difficult to be around in real 21st century life. Gilliane's delight in her new abilities, her growing confidence in her own worth, endear her to the reader.
Adam is an excellent foil for Gilliane. Although he has had a loving upbringing and has been trained for the heavy duties he is now assuming, he too is very young and must grow into his role and expectations, with all the doubts and stress that entails. The lovers encourage and aid each other, and as they work together, their love deepens.
For devotees of the series, favorite characters from previous 'Roselynde Chronicle' books are active here. Lady Alinor, Lord Ian, Geoffrey and Joanna all play their parts in Gilliane's growth from frightened victim to confident woman.
If you want to lose yourself in a delightful romance set in a vivid, long ago time, I highly recommend 'Gilliane.'
January 5, 2015
[image error]
★★★★½ Good Gravy Beans! I remember being spellbound by The Roselynde Chronicles when they first came out in the late seventies. With a couple of Doctoral & Masters Degrees under her belt – in something or other historical – Ms. Gellis writes what she knows. This, the forth book in this captivating series, was one of my favorites. When it popped up cheap on www.allromance.com a few months ago, I pounced on it.
I must admit to being relieved that this one still holds up. I love Gilliane and Adam’s love story. And they do fall for one another fast – almost at first site. (Or would that be sound, in Gilliane’s case? LOL!) But, alas, they are young. **sigh** After all, there was a war going on.
Ms. Gellis has a way of writing about what is going on each character’s mind, reviewing their reasons for their misconceptions. Conversely, she then spins it a bit in that not all of these misjudgments lead to The Big Misunderstanding. Sometimes she has the person be pleased with their erroneous conclusions. It is humorous at times, because with a readers’ insight, I can laugh, shake my head, and smile at the outcome.
P.S. Thanks for the castle pic, Pamela (All Honey)!
★★★★½ Good Gravy Beans! I remember being spellbound by The Roselynde Chronicles when they first came out in the late seventies. With a couple of Doctoral & Masters Degrees under her belt – in something or other historical – Ms. Gellis writes what she knows. This, the forth book in this captivating series, was one of my favorites. When it popped up cheap on www.allromance.com a few months ago, I pounced on it.
I must admit to being relieved that this one still holds up. I love Gilliane and Adam’s love story. And they do fall for one another fast – almost at first site. (Or would that be sound, in Gilliane’s case? LOL!) But, alas, they are young. **sigh** After all, there was a war going on.
Ms. Gellis has a way of writing about what is going on each character’s mind, reviewing their reasons for their misconceptions. Conversely, she then spins it a bit in that not all of these misjudgments lead to The Big Misunderstanding. Sometimes she has the person be pleased with their erroneous conclusions. It is humorous at times, because with a readers’ insight, I can laugh, shake my head, and smile at the outcome.
P.S. Thanks for the castle pic, Pamela (All Honey)!
June 16, 2013
From a life of cruel servitude, Gilliane is transported to England to marry her warden's prisoner. Her cruel existence continues until Adam Lemagne rides to her castle to claim it. Seeing no way to escape her life, she surrenders the keep without a fight and she discovers the man she has always dreamed of.
Ms Gellis has based her Roselynde series upon the misunderstandings of strong, but insecure characters and until this fourth book, the plot works quite well. However, Gilliane is portrayed as a neurotic. Having been mistreated by men most of her life, she suddenly becomes a nymphomaniac when she meets Adam, and the story twists and turns with the "does he doesn't he" scenarios until it becomes difficult to follow what the author is actually stating and what is meant to be the character's mental meanderings.
I feel Ms Gellis has lost the thread of the strong woman in the ultimate man's world. Gilliane flutters and dithers, Adam appears unable to find the truth of her and both characters become quite annoying half way through.
This is the first of the four stories that I have wanted to put down frequently, whereas I have had to put the others down to get a life! I will keep on reading, but I am sad to say I am not enjoying this book anywhere near as much as the previous.
Ms Gellis has based her Roselynde series upon the misunderstandings of strong, but insecure characters and until this fourth book, the plot works quite well. However, Gilliane is portrayed as a neurotic. Having been mistreated by men most of her life, she suddenly becomes a nymphomaniac when she meets Adam, and the story twists and turns with the "does he doesn't he" scenarios until it becomes difficult to follow what the author is actually stating and what is meant to be the character's mental meanderings.
I feel Ms Gellis has lost the thread of the strong woman in the ultimate man's world. Gilliane flutters and dithers, Adam appears unable to find the truth of her and both characters become quite annoying half way through.
This is the first of the four stories that I have wanted to put down frequently, whereas I have had to put the others down to get a life! I will keep on reading, but I am sad to say I am not enjoying this book anywhere near as much as the previous.
January 20, 2015
Gilliane is Book Four in The Roselynde Chronicles, published in 1979. I read my original paperback, with yellowing pages and cracking spine. But it held up for all 494 pages, and I fell in love with Alinor and her family all over again. Gellis goes into great detail with English politics and war in 1200 era. I have no doubt her history is accurate, and some of the political intrigue affects the romance, but I still skim through the descriptions of war and fighting.
November 16, 2011
I just found this book at the flea market and recalled how much I loved it! I never read any of the others in the series. I pulled it out of a bargain romance bin when I was in high school and got sucked in. I'm exited to now read the others in the series.
April 15, 2016
Was running out of interest n this series but felt committed. But I really, really enjoyed this one. I think it is as good as the first one. The characters were really interesting and I the slightly different perspective brought something new to the story.
June 14, 2009
historical
August 10, 2013
Not as good as the others in the series, but worth reading for more info about Adam.
March 22, 2014
Pulled this out of a box of old romance novels my mother was recycling. I couldn't get into the book, not even to laugh at the typical romance tropes.
Want to read
August 26, 2009have
July 6, 2015
One of my favorite of the series!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews