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Ladies of St. Jude's Abbey #1
A Knight Like No Other
For one lady of St. Jude's Abbey, honor is seductive.
In twelfth-century England, St. Jude's Abbey is no ordinary sanctuary of prayer and ritual. Established by Eleanor of Aquitaine, it trains young women in the knightly arts, as well as martial arts from the East. In times of trouble, these formidable women are called upon to protect the royal family and England. Avisa de Vere is one such woman...
Even behind the abbey walls, Avisa has heard of the conflict between the king and the Archbishop of Canterbury. And the queen has commanded her to keep her majesty's cherished godson, Christian Lovell, from entering the fray.
When Christian "rescues" a damsel in distress on his way to Canterbury, he has no idea the fair-haired beauty was sent to protect him. He has never before known a woman who carries her own broadsword. And when Avisa asks him to help rescue her sister, he has no choice but to follow her.
Avisa soon learns Christian is a knight of great honor and courage — and finds herself weak at his touch. Desire is a battle she was not taught to fight — and the wisest course may be surrender...
290 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 2005
About the author
Jocelyn Kelley
11 books5 followersIn spite of being raised to play well with others, Jocelyn Kelley has always believed every woman needs to kick some butt sometimes. She learned this in third grade when the boys played soldiers and tried to relegate her to a non-combatant role. Soon she was taking the hill (or at least the playground tree) with them. Her assumption that women could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with men continued when she was offered a Direct Commission to the US Army and served as the first and only woman in her unit.
Jocelyn's been writing “stories” all her life, and, when she decided to write for publication, she wanted to write what she read – historical romance. Why historicals? She explains it as, “I want my heroine to be able to pick up a weapon and use it without having to fill out reams of paperwork as she would in contemporary times. She might not use that weapon, but I want to give her the option to do so.” In other words, a kick-butt heroine.
She found the kick-butt heroines she wanted to write with The Ladies of St. Jude's Abbey series that came to life in her mind while she was walking through Times Square in NYC, Since then, she's written four books in the series. In July 2007, she begins a new series – The Nethercott Tales – the stories of the three Nethercott sisters, who in Regency England are trying to prove that their father's lifelong search for ghosts wasn't in vain. But they never expect that the ghosts will help them stop a murderer or end a thousand year old curse.
In her non-writing life, Jocelyn loves to travel and enjoys music. She was a soloist with a local group of Up With People, but limits her singing now to when nobody else is around.
She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 11, 2023
England in medieval times. The Archbishop of
Canterbury squared off against King Henry. Knights
and others took sides. Because of this Canterbury
the city was volatile. This story had sex scenes.
I did not 'buy' the premise. Gave this 2 stars.
Christian, a knight and son of a baron, pledged to
King Henry & his younger brother Guy & page
Baldwin, came across a beauty, Lady Avisa, who
outlaws attacked. Unknown to them Queen Eleanor
ordered Avisa, a lady knight, to protect Christian
& keep him out of Canterbury where politics
could result in a war. Avisa's sire was also a baron.
The Queen had funded St. Jude's Abbey to train
lady knights to be proficient w/ a modified sword
& bow and arrows. Avisa was a cloistered nun.
The Queen could elect to assign a lady knight to
do her bidding.
Christain was a brave, well-trained knight (the
Queen's godson) why did he need Avisa to protect
him? Avisa made up a story where she required
the hero's assistance after the aforementioned
outlaw incident. Avisa as a nun would've been
reserved & avoided physical contact with any man?
Instead she felt lusty and later besotted. Christian
was a knight expected to protect a single woman,
as opposed to try to kiss and seduce her.
I disliked how Avisa humiliated the hero in
front of knights and adversaries. Avisa acted
arrogant about her knightly and martial arts
skills. I liked Baldwin, a brave future knight.
Canterbury squared off against King Henry. Knights
and others took sides. Because of this Canterbury
the city was volatile. This story had sex scenes.
I did not 'buy' the premise. Gave this 2 stars.
Christian, a knight and son of a baron, pledged to
King Henry & his younger brother Guy & page
Baldwin, came across a beauty, Lady Avisa, who
outlaws attacked. Unknown to them Queen Eleanor
ordered Avisa, a lady knight, to protect Christian
& keep him out of Canterbury where politics
could result in a war. Avisa's sire was also a baron.
The Queen had funded St. Jude's Abbey to train
lady knights to be proficient w/ a modified sword
& bow and arrows. Avisa was a cloistered nun.
The Queen could elect to assign a lady knight to
do her bidding.
Christain was a brave, well-trained knight (the
Queen's godson) why did he need Avisa to protect
him? Avisa made up a story where she required
the hero's assistance after the aforementioned
outlaw incident. Avisa as a nun would've been
reserved & avoided physical contact with any man?
Instead she felt lusty and later besotted. Christian
was a knight expected to protect a single woman,
as opposed to try to kiss and seduce her.
I disliked how Avisa humiliated the hero in
front of knights and adversaries. Avisa acted
arrogant about her knightly and martial arts
skills. I liked Baldwin, a brave future knight.
May 7, 2015
The first half of A Knight Like No Other was pretty bad. The banter between the hero and heroine was not written well. There is a lot of back and forth lusting after one another and then backing off, and I was tempted not to finish the book. I did plod through it, though, and the latter part of the book improved. Not anything I won't forget by tomorrow; hopefully this is one of the author's earlier books?. 3/5 stars
December 29, 2010
I bought this book when I found it on my discount table at my local department store. If I'd realized that this book is actually written by Jo Ann Ferguson (the name Jocelyn Kelley is a pseudonym) I would have skipped right past it. I've already tried two books by her, and found them both to be unfinishable.
Unfortunately, this one was, too. It got off to a great start (how many books are there about female knights?) with a good historical backdrop that didn't feel too "textbooky" and action that made the reader feel like they're really there. The action was fast paced, and the prose flowing. The character development felt a bit lacking, but then, it was still early in the book. Maybe it picked up later. I don't know since I didn't get very far.
The problem was with the author's clumsy attempts at putting sexual tension into the story. It just felt so contrived. The hero and heroine have known each other for barely an hour, and when she starts to annoy him, he throws her to the ground and kisses her like a sex fiend to "shut her up". And she, of course, melts in his arms. Oh, please! How many times has this stupid, lame scenerio been used before? (Even once was too many!) Are there men who actually do this? If a man had ever tried to do that to me (even if my HUSBAND tried to do that to me while we're arguing), I'd smack him a good one. And probably knee him in the crotch if the man is a stranger.
It's cliched, contrived scenes like this that give romance novels a bad name. I'm very dissapointed that I wasted money on A KNIGHT LIKE NO OTHER, especially when the premise held such promise. If you're still determined to read this, borrow it from the library. Or better yet, skip it altogether.
Unfortunately, this one was, too. It got off to a great start (how many books are there about female knights?) with a good historical backdrop that didn't feel too "textbooky" and action that made the reader feel like they're really there. The action was fast paced, and the prose flowing. The character development felt a bit lacking, but then, it was still early in the book. Maybe it picked up later. I don't know since I didn't get very far.
The problem was with the author's clumsy attempts at putting sexual tension into the story. It just felt so contrived. The hero and heroine have known each other for barely an hour, and when she starts to annoy him, he throws her to the ground and kisses her like a sex fiend to "shut her up". And she, of course, melts in his arms. Oh, please! How many times has this stupid, lame scenerio been used before? (Even once was too many!) Are there men who actually do this? If a man had ever tried to do that to me (even if my HUSBAND tried to do that to me while we're arguing), I'd smack him a good one. And probably knee him in the crotch if the man is a stranger.
It's cliched, contrived scenes like this that give romance novels a bad name. I'm very dissapointed that I wasted money on A KNIGHT LIKE NO OTHER, especially when the premise held such promise. If you're still determined to read this, borrow it from the library. Or better yet, skip it altogether.
May 13, 2011
Set in twelfth-century England, this series has Queen Eleanor, of Aquitaine, establishing a special women’s training seminary, bringing a whole new level of meaning for the term “her ladies-in-waiting”. The Ladies of St. Jude’s Abbey series by Jocelyn Kelley are all excellent, IMHO.
April 20, 2024
It's a bit funny when you borrow a book as a joke and end up rating it higher than books you had an actual interest in.
Why did I read this in the first place : fun story, I was checking the little libraries at the entrance of my office and, amidst the industrial books and business magazines, I noticed a whole selection of these spicy historical romances. I thought it was funny to find such books at work and so I decided to pick the one with the spiciest cover. Ultimately, I chose this one because the guy wears a chainmail with cleavage. I mean, hello! lol
So yeah, very low expectations when I start reading and indeed the first chapter is pretty dismal in terms of cliches. Once Avisa meets Christian, it doesn't get much better since the romance is very in your face and it's weird to see the heroin so okay with the pushy advances of the knight (in pretty much any other book, a love interest would get smacked for acting like Christian yet here Avisa is totally cool with him.) And yet, eventually, and maybe because my expectations were so low to begin with, I realised that I was actually quite enjoying myself, reading this romance, despite all its flaws.
And so here we are, I quite enjoyed myself. I can't say I LOVED the book or that I would read more, but it was pleasant enough and easy to read, which ultimately is all it's aiming for. Flawed, for sure, but not at all as bad as I worried it might be.
Why did I read this in the first place : fun story, I was checking the little libraries at the entrance of my office and, amidst the industrial books and business magazines, I noticed a whole selection of these spicy historical romances. I thought it was funny to find such books at work and so I decided to pick the one with the spiciest cover. Ultimately, I chose this one because the guy wears a chainmail with cleavage. I mean, hello! lol
So yeah, very low expectations when I start reading and indeed the first chapter is pretty dismal in terms of cliches. Once Avisa meets Christian, it doesn't get much better since the romance is very in your face and it's weird to see the heroin so okay with the pushy advances of the knight (in pretty much any other book, a love interest would get smacked for acting like Christian yet here Avisa is totally cool with him.) And yet, eventually, and maybe because my expectations were so low to begin with, I realised that I was actually quite enjoying myself, reading this romance, despite all its flaws.
And so here we are, I quite enjoyed myself. I can't say I LOVED the book or that I would read more, but it was pleasant enough and easy to read, which ultimately is all it's aiming for. Flawed, for sure, but not at all as bad as I worried it might be.
August 14, 2021
Ho letto questo libro in un paio di sere e anche se la trama non mi attraeva più di tanto ho deciso di fare uno sforzo. Il romanzo fa parte della saga chiamata Lady of St. Jude's Abbey. Dalla copertina si evince che il romanzo è ambientato in Inghilterra nel Medioevo.
La trama è abbastanza inusuale: Lady Avisa è una donna che sa usare la spada e conosce le arti marziali mentre Christian vuole riscattare il suo onore perché è stato definito un codardo a causa di una presunta colpa del padre. Di solito quando la dama è in pericolo è il cavaliere a correre in suo aiuto in questo libro è lei che salva e questo a Christian non va giù. Non ho nulla contro le donne coraggiose ma questa inversione di ruoli non mi piace. E' sicuramente un libro avventuroso oltre che rosa, non mancano: banditi, zuffe, rapimenti e personaggi misteriosi.
Il livello di sensualità è abbastanza hot ma lo si nota solo nelle ultime pagine del romanzo. Quasi per tutta la prima parte Avisa si sente immediatamente attratta da quell'affascinante cavaliere ma dentro di lei infuria una battaglia interiore tra il dovere che ha verso l'Abazia e i suoi sentimenti sempre più forti.
Per fortuna si risolve tutto nel migliore dei modi per i due ma una questione è rimasta in sospeso: l'anello che Christian ha restituito di chi era?
La trama è abbastanza inusuale: Lady Avisa è una donna che sa usare la spada e conosce le arti marziali mentre Christian vuole riscattare il suo onore perché è stato definito un codardo a causa di una presunta colpa del padre. Di solito quando la dama è in pericolo è il cavaliere a correre in suo aiuto in questo libro è lei che salva e questo a Christian non va giù. Non ho nulla contro le donne coraggiose ma questa inversione di ruoli non mi piace. E' sicuramente un libro avventuroso oltre che rosa, non mancano: banditi, zuffe, rapimenti e personaggi misteriosi.
Il livello di sensualità è abbastanza hot ma lo si nota solo nelle ultime pagine del romanzo. Quasi per tutta la prima parte Avisa si sente immediatamente attratta da quell'affascinante cavaliere ma dentro di lei infuria una battaglia interiore tra il dovere che ha verso l'Abazia e i suoi sentimenti sempre più forti.
Per fortuna si risolve tutto nel migliore dei modi per i due ma una questione è rimasta in sospeso: l'anello che Christian ha restituito di chi era?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2017
Wow, this book was awesome! I know he was a man of his times, but wow, his attitude annoyed me! But she showed him, and they both grew, so yeah, that was great! Really enjoyable and I can't wait to read more!
November 22, 2017
I found A Knight Like No Other while browsing in a used bookstore and I picked it up because I liked how the premise of the book turned the plots of most historical fiction on its head. I wanted to like it a lot more than I actually did, but the concept could have been done better.
July 14, 2008
The basis of the story: During the reign of Henry II, his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, founded the Abbey of St. Jude, where young women can, in addition to living a life of prayer and contemplation, learn the knightly skills of weaponry.
From this Abbey, expert swordswoman Avisa de Vere has been sent by the Queen to protect her godson, Christian Lovell, from the intrigue between the King and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett.
I thought the concept of women trained in the martial arts during the Middle Ages was interesting. Sadly, it was poorly executed in this book. The book plodded at times, and there was a fifty-page tangent which served little narratorial purpose other than to show that Avisa is a skilled fighter and a good leader.
I'm intrigued by the concept of the book, and am sticking with the series - for a while - in the hopes that the writing will improve. However, for this volume itself: don't bother. It's too poorly written to stand on its own.
From this Abbey, expert swordswoman Avisa de Vere has been sent by the Queen to protect her godson, Christian Lovell, from the intrigue between the King and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett.
I thought the concept of women trained in the martial arts during the Middle Ages was interesting. Sadly, it was poorly executed in this book. The book plodded at times, and there was a fifty-page tangent which served little narratorial purpose other than to show that Avisa is a skilled fighter and a good leader.
I'm intrigued by the concept of the book, and am sticking with the series - for a while - in the hopes that the writing will improve. However, for this volume itself: don't bother. It's too poorly written to stand on its own.
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March 5, 2013Monache e guerriere in un medioevo tra realtà storica e invenzione...
Quello che mi è piaciuto di questa saga sono le protagoniste insolite per un romance ambientato nel medioevo, invece, di essere donne costrette in qualche matrimonio combinato oppure fanciulle fatte prigioniere durante la guerra, sono delle monache guerriere, educate tutte nello stesso monastero ed ognuna esperta nell'uso di un'arma tanto che più essere salvate sono spesso loro a salvare i protagonisti maschili nei momenti peggiori... quello che però non mi ha convinto è che delle monache potessero innamorarsi e lasciare il convento con tanta facilità in un'epoca in cui la religiosità era molto sentita, però, non sono un'esperta di storia medievale perciò credo che l'autrice si sarà comunque presa questa libertà dopo essersi documentata...
Quello che mi è piaciuto di questa saga sono le protagoniste insolite per un romance ambientato nel medioevo, invece, di essere donne costrette in qualche matrimonio combinato oppure fanciulle fatte prigioniere durante la guerra, sono delle monache guerriere, educate tutte nello stesso monastero ed ognuna esperta nell'uso di un'arma tanto che più essere salvate sono spesso loro a salvare i protagonisti maschili nei momenti peggiori... quello che però non mi ha convinto è che delle monache potessero innamorarsi e lasciare il convento con tanta facilità in un'epoca in cui la religiosità era molto sentita, però, non sono un'esperta di storia medievale perciò credo che l'autrice si sarà comunque presa questa libertà dopo essersi documentata...
August 10, 2009
Set around a school training young women in the knightly arts established by Eleanor of Aquitaine. Avisa de Vere is one of these women and she's sent on a mission to keep the queen's cherished godson, Christian Lovell from the conflict building between the king and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Avisa ambushes Christian and gets him to help her "rescue" her sister. They find themselves attracted.
It's a fun read, nothing too deep but entertaining. I'd like to find more stories in this sequence.
It's a fun read, nothing too deep but entertaining. I'd like to find more stories in this sequence.
January 31, 2010
I just couldn't finish this book. I tried, I really did, but the characters were so awful I just couldn't make myself care enough to keep reading.
The main problem was with the hero. I couldn't stand him or his smart-ass cousin he traveled with. I found him to be egotistical and self-absorbed and a rake besides. This is one book where the "dark & dangerous" hero just isn't worthy of my reading time.
The main problem was with the hero. I couldn't stand him or his smart-ass cousin he traveled with. I found him to be egotistical and self-absorbed and a rake besides. This is one book where the "dark & dangerous" hero just isn't worthy of my reading time.
March 4, 2016
in some books, it's irritating when the male warrior doesn't let the woman fight or be a warrior as well, but in this book they did. he even complimented her and asked her for advice which i thought was great.
October 17, 2009
Too much groping around on horseback, looking into exceptional eyes and swooning while fighting kung-fu-style in medieval England.
July 19, 2015
Interesting concept, but I couldn't quite believe it. OK book to read at the beach.
January 30, 2016
Blah. I should have known this wasn't quite my cup of tea. I get excited about medieval themes and tough leading ladies, but this book just fell short for me.
November 13, 2015
It was really good.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews