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A Winter Ballad
Fans of Jo Beverley, Eloisa James, and Stephanie Laurens will love Barbara Samuel's passionate, intelligent romance novels.
A FAIR MAIDEN
Anya of Winterbourne had suffered nothing but humiliation at the hands of men. And yet when she found a fallen knight in a still winter forest, she could not leave him to die.
A NOBLE KNIGHT
Weary of battle and pursued by assassins, Christian de Moreerx would have liked nothing more than to stay at Winterbourne and champion the elusive and beleaguered Lady Anya. But his past contained a secret he had to decipher if he was to live, and his presence could only bring more disaster to the manor.
A GREAT AND DANGEROUS GAME
To thwart their separate enemies, Lady Anya and her broken knight battle virulent forces and face death itself to win the love that would long be sung by troubadours as… A WINTER BALLAD.
A FAIR MAIDEN
Anya of Winterbourne had suffered nothing but humiliation at the hands of men. And yet when she found a fallen knight in a still winter forest, she could not leave him to die.
A NOBLE KNIGHT
Weary of battle and pursued by assassins, Christian de Moreerx would have liked nothing more than to stay at Winterbourne and champion the elusive and beleaguered Lady Anya. But his past contained a secret he had to decipher if he was to live, and his presence could only bring more disaster to the manor.
A GREAT AND DANGEROUS GAME
To thwart their separate enemies, Lady Anya and her broken knight battle virulent forces and face death itself to win the love that would long be sung by troubadours as… A WINTER BALLAD.
339 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
114 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Samuel
74 books394 followersBarbara Samuel is a multiple RITA award-winning author with more than 38 books to her credit in a variety of genres. She has written historical and contemporary romances, a number of fantasy novellas with the likes of Susan Wiggs, Jo Beverley and Mary Jo Putney. She now writes women’s fiction about families, dogs, and food as Barbara O’Neal.
Her work has captured a plethora of awards, including six RITAs; the Colorado Center for the Book Award (twice); Favorite Book of the Year from Romance Writers of America, and the Library Journal’s list of Best Genre Fiction of the year, among many others.You can find a full list of all titles here.
Now living back in her hometown of Colorado Springs, Barbara writes in a study overlooking Pikes Peak, a pin that draws her home from her travels. She shares her home with Christopher Robin, a British endurance athlete, a gorgeous and lovable chow mix named Jack; a very, very old Siamese named Esmerelda; a rescued street cat who has become the fattest silver tabby on the planet, and the wonder twins, two tuxedo kittens from a local shelter, whose names have changed several times. Yes, a lot of animals.
An avid photographer, cook, and traveler, Barbara keeps a log of travels, recipes, and photos at her blog, A Writer Afoot, where she also sometimes posts writing advice. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook, but she doesn’t promise to be particularly interesting there.
Her work has captured a plethora of awards, including six RITAs; the Colorado Center for the Book Award (twice); Favorite Book of the Year from Romance Writers of America, and the Library Journal’s list of Best Genre Fiction of the year, among many others.You can find a full list of all titles here.
Now living back in her hometown of Colorado Springs, Barbara writes in a study overlooking Pikes Peak, a pin that draws her home from her travels. She shares her home with Christopher Robin, a British endurance athlete, a gorgeous and lovable chow mix named Jack; a very, very old Siamese named Esmerelda; a rescued street cat who has become the fattest silver tabby on the planet, and the wonder twins, two tuxedo kittens from a local shelter, whose names have changed several times. Yes, a lot of animals.
An avid photographer, cook, and traveler, Barbara keeps a log of travels, recipes, and photos at her blog, A Writer Afoot, where she also sometimes posts writing advice. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook, but she doesn’t promise to be particularly interesting there.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 27, 2021
Another Barbara Samuel book I archived so I don't think this author is for me.
September 21, 2016
I needed a book with a knight as a character. Had this one on my kindle.
June 26, 2011
The perfect historical romance novel. I don't know if it is historically accurate and I don't give a damn! The story was incredible, sweet & sad. The characters were perfectly imperfect. The sexual tension between Anya & Christian- wow! I'm writing nice short, choppy sentences because I want to get this review in before I put it off and forget to tell people how much I enjoyed this book! I'll write a better review later (ok, it might not be better but at least I'll put more thought into it).
August 5, 2022
4 stars though I'm pretty sure it took me about 7 hours or more to read this book. I thought this book would be 3 stars for enjoyment because the middle was hard for me to get through, but I also think that was because I wasn't really in the mood to read, and rather I was forcing myself to read because I had nothing else to do (and I didn't want to do homework). The last 43 pages were just about 5 stars for me. I even cried a little LOL
Barbara Samuel is such a talented writer. You can tell she researched the time period well and knew what she was talking about. I got a good sense of what the characters did in their daily life, which I don't get from other HR I've read. New historical romances these days just aren't the same. The old HR, in my opinion, was more accurate to the times and of higher literary value. Too many authors of HR now seem to be taking an inaccurate feminist bent to things (nothing wrong with feminism, it's just not accurate to the times or needed in HR)(or at least that's the impression I get from the blurbs and everyone's reviews because I haven't read too many recent, very mainstream HR) and/or just making the historical setting window dressing.
I had read Bed of Spices before this one (picked it up because it had a Jewish hero and forbidden romance) and loved that, so I added this to my tbr a few months ago because I wanted to read more of her works.
Okay now on to this story lmao:
Anya was a great heroine who fought to save her land, Winterbourne, from her brother and the church. I suspected that
I didn't fully understand why Christian's dad wanted him killed. Wouldn't people have known that he had a son and/o that he killed his son if he was in the contest to be the next pope? Or did he just want to shut up Christian that his father married his mother in case Christian remembered that? (I think it was the latter.) I know that Cardinal Rodrigo, the Borgia pope, had 4 children already when he became pope, and they were all acknowledged, though this happened a few centuries later.
Barbara Samuel is such a talented writer. You can tell she researched the time period well and knew what she was talking about. I got a good sense of what the characters did in their daily life, which I don't get from other HR I've read. New historical romances these days just aren't the same. The old HR, in my opinion, was more accurate to the times and of higher literary value. Too many authors of HR now seem to be taking an inaccurate feminist bent to things (nothing wrong with feminism, it's just not accurate to the times or needed in HR)(or at least that's the impression I get from the blurbs and everyone's reviews because I haven't read too many recent, very mainstream HR) and/or just making the historical setting window dressing.
I had read Bed of Spices before this one (picked it up because it had a Jewish hero and forbidden romance) and loved that, so I added this to my tbr a few months ago because I wanted to read more of her works.
Okay now on to this story lmao:
Anya was a great heroine who fought to save her land, Winterbourne, from her brother and the church. I suspected that
I didn't fully understand why Christian's dad wanted him killed. Wouldn't people have known that he had a son and/o that he killed his son if he was in the contest to be the next pope? Or did he just want to shut up Christian that his father married his mother in case Christian remembered that? (I think it was the latter.) I know that Cardinal Rodrigo, the Borgia pope, had 4 children already when he became pope, and they were all acknowledged, though this happened a few centuries later.
November 30, 2011
I love discovering new authors, and this book reminded me of why I love historical romance so much. Such a beautifully written story. The writing reflects the time period. And the author is able to evoke the time period so well. This is a true historical romance. The romance is at the center but there are historical details to flesh out the story. I loved the hero and heroine and their interactions never rang false or wrong to me. Just a lovely lovely book.
April 27, 2022
I love this. So sweet.
June 8, 2022
A Winter Ballad was a surprisingly good read. I had never read anything by Barbara Samuel before but I liked her style in this book. I would definitely recommend it. The way she wrote about the corruption in the Catholic church at that period of time was so true. The church was so political and contained so much power. I liked how the author demonstrated in her writing that it was not God who is corrupt but man. It was scary how the word of one powerful churchman could call a person a heretic & even though there was no proof the accused could be put to death. Also I liked how in the story it was demonstrated how a woman could be shamed through no fault of her own-as when Anya, her parents & brother John were attacked when she was 13, her parents were killed, John was beaten nearly to death & Anya beaten & raped. When she shows up pregnant, the priest & her other brother William lock her in a room until she gives birth & demand that she repent her sins as you can't get pregnant unless you enjoy it. Then because Anya refuses to repent for a sin she feels isn't her own they (the priest & William) take her child away when it's born. Afterwards she's considered a fallen woman. I loved Anya's strength. Christian was an excellent character also with his own demons. Mainly his father (who is a high ranking cardinal who may become Pope) wants him dead, & has tried in the past. Christian knows some of his father's secrets. I loved the intrigue & corruption that came out between Anya's brother William (Brother Simon) and Christian's father. I also enjoyed how the author showed the hard work & what can happen be it an illness or a bad harvest in running a castle or estate back then & having a whole village depend on you. The love story was great with nice & steamy sex scenes. The relationship between them was realistic, it didn't seem overblown. I could really imagine this whole story occurring back then. Unlike a lot of historic romances I read, the stories just seem to good to be true and the sex scenes while good, not realistic. I will definitely be looking for more of Barbara Samuel's books & hope they are just as good.
February 27, 2017
Reviewed for THC Reviews
After barely reading any medieval romances for a very long time, I’ve inexplicably picked up three in the past month and a half, all of which have been excellent reads. The latest one was A Winter Ballad by a favorite author of mine, who I also coincidentally hadn’t read in years. I was reminded of all the reasons why I love Barbara Samuel’s writing. She knows how to create deeply emotional love stories that are equal parts sweet and sensual. In this one, an emotionally wounded heroine who has long had to stand on her own rescues a physically wounded knight who’s at death’s door and nurses him back to health. Throughout their time together, they find themselves more and more attracted to one another and eventually falling in love. When our heroine needs someone to champion her against her brother’s schemes and help her save the peasants under her care, her newfound knight is up to the challenge. I was drawn in by the emotion of the story, but I was kept engaged while wondering how our intrepid heroine was ever going to win against her brother and the power of the church that long ago failed her and why the hero’s father sent assassins after him. Because of that, A Winter Ballad has now become yet another keeper for me from this very talented author.
Years ago, as a young girl, Anya was raped by the same brigands who murdered her parents and left her oldest brother for dead. In the aftermath, she bravely walked a long distance to seek help for him, and that same fortitude has kept her going through all the troubles and challenges in the ensuing years. Three years after the incident, John, the brother who was nearly killed, went to the Holy Land to fight in the Crusades, while William, her other brother became a monk, leaving Anya to care for Winterbourne, the family holding, and all the people of the nearby village alone. Her father always said he only had one child who truly had the heart of a knight and that was Anya. That definitely shows through in her courage and strength in the face of adversity. After a lean harvest, she’s scrimping to make sure everyone has enough to eat throughout the winter and spring until new crops can be planted, but her meager stores are running extremely low. John has been gone for five years without a word, leaving everyone wondering if he’s dead, and William won’t release funds to help the peasants unless Anya declares John dead, gives Winterbourne to the church, and enters a nunnery. Of course, he’s only doing this to get ahead in his own career, which Anya knows, so she keeps fighting to stay afloat on her own. Anya also harbors disdain for the church and with good reason. When she became pregnant as a result of the rape, the church declared her a fallen woman, because in their ignorance, church rules dictated that a woman couldn’t get pregnant unless pleasure was involved. Then her newborn child was ripped from her arms and taken away. Ever since, Anya has been meeting God on her own terms, while turning her back on the church as a whole, so she receives no help or comfort from that quarter either.
At this very difficult point in life, she finds a gravely wounded knight in the woods. Once she nurses him back to health, he willingly becomes her champion, helping her in any way he can and showing her what true love is. I really liked Anya because she’s a very strong heroine who’s been through hell, but still holds her head high. She manages Winterbourne quite ably and cares deeply for all under her care, never putting herself above them but instead suffering right along with them. Although she fights Christian a bit when he offers her marriage, it’s only because she thinks he’s doing it out of a sense of gratitude rather than genuine love or affection, but at the same time, she’s not too proud to accept his help when offered. She also longs to know what it can truly be like between a man and a woman, and she discovers that and more in Christian’s arms.
Christian has had a rather rough life of his own. He’s the only bastard son of a cardinal who had a long-standing affair with Christian’s mother. He left home as a youth and became a vaunted knight, but is beginning to tire of the life of a warrior. Now, for reasons not entirely clear to him, his own father is trying to kill him. This is how Anya came to find him wounded in the forest near her home, where assassins sent by his father had beaten him senseless and left him for dead. As Christian recovers under the lady’s tender care, he begins to fall in love with her and sees how difficult her life is. He longs to help her and does everything he can for her while slowly building his strength again, but he believes that to stay with her will only visit more trouble and danger upon her until he can settle things with his father. Knowing that he will have to leave at some point, he tries not to touch her, but her charms prove too hard to resist. Christian is a very tender and passionate lover, who treats Anya like a precious jewel. Given his experiences with his father, who is a man of God (and I use that term very loosely), he fully understands her feud with the church. He’s also sympathetic when he learns of her past and would like to go after the bastard who hurt her if not for it having been so long ago. So instead he does what he can in the present to support her and make life easier for her. From an emotional standpoint and in the way that he treats Anya like an equal, Christian exhibits some beta characteristics, but he’s also very confident in his own skin and with his own abilities, which is more an alpha trait. In any case, he’s a wonderful champion for his lady, showing her that she doesn’t have to stand alone anymore.
For the most part, the secondary characters don’t particularly stand out aside from a few notable exceptions. Anya’s brother, William aka Brother Simon, is a real piece of work. He cares for no one but himself and his own selfish ambitions, and would even stoop to do harm to others in hopes of driving Anya from the only home she’s ever known. Anya’s page, Geoffrey, is a sweet boy with a great talent for music and a deeper tie to Anya than seen at first glance, but his future is placed in jeopardy by William’s schemes. Then there are the animal characters, who I loved: Christian’s dog, Ysengrin, who is loyal to a fault, Anya’s cat, Esmeralda, who is a comfort to the recovering Christian and who is apparently a horse whisperer as well since it’s her unlikely friendship with the wild beast, Remus, that makes him more manageable. I adore well-written animal characters and this trio was a delight.
Overall, A Winter Ballad was a joy to read. It’s a nice, gentle love story that’s sweet and easy to read with a little adventure and suspense on the side. Christian and Anya most definitely deserved their happy ending after everything they went through to get there. I can’t think of anything I would have changed about it, and I definitely look forward to reading more of Barbara Samuel’s work. Hopefully I won’t let so much time pass by between her books next time.
After barely reading any medieval romances for a very long time, I’ve inexplicably picked up three in the past month and a half, all of which have been excellent reads. The latest one was A Winter Ballad by a favorite author of mine, who I also coincidentally hadn’t read in years. I was reminded of all the reasons why I love Barbara Samuel’s writing. She knows how to create deeply emotional love stories that are equal parts sweet and sensual. In this one, an emotionally wounded heroine who has long had to stand on her own rescues a physically wounded knight who’s at death’s door and nurses him back to health. Throughout their time together, they find themselves more and more attracted to one another and eventually falling in love. When our heroine needs someone to champion her against her brother’s schemes and help her save the peasants under her care, her newfound knight is up to the challenge. I was drawn in by the emotion of the story, but I was kept engaged while wondering how our intrepid heroine was ever going to win against her brother and the power of the church that long ago failed her and why the hero’s father sent assassins after him. Because of that, A Winter Ballad has now become yet another keeper for me from this very talented author.
Years ago, as a young girl, Anya was raped by the same brigands who murdered her parents and left her oldest brother for dead. In the aftermath, she bravely walked a long distance to seek help for him, and that same fortitude has kept her going through all the troubles and challenges in the ensuing years. Three years after the incident, John, the brother who was nearly killed, went to the Holy Land to fight in the Crusades, while William, her other brother became a monk, leaving Anya to care for Winterbourne, the family holding, and all the people of the nearby village alone. Her father always said he only had one child who truly had the heart of a knight and that was Anya. That definitely shows through in her courage and strength in the face of adversity. After a lean harvest, she’s scrimping to make sure everyone has enough to eat throughout the winter and spring until new crops can be planted, but her meager stores are running extremely low. John has been gone for five years without a word, leaving everyone wondering if he’s dead, and William won’t release funds to help the peasants unless Anya declares John dead, gives Winterbourne to the church, and enters a nunnery. Of course, he’s only doing this to get ahead in his own career, which Anya knows, so she keeps fighting to stay afloat on her own. Anya also harbors disdain for the church and with good reason. When she became pregnant as a result of the rape, the church declared her a fallen woman, because in their ignorance, church rules dictated that a woman couldn’t get pregnant unless pleasure was involved. Then her newborn child was ripped from her arms and taken away. Ever since, Anya has been meeting God on her own terms, while turning her back on the church as a whole, so she receives no help or comfort from that quarter either.
At this very difficult point in life, she finds a gravely wounded knight in the woods. Once she nurses him back to health, he willingly becomes her champion, helping her in any way he can and showing her what true love is. I really liked Anya because she’s a very strong heroine who’s been through hell, but still holds her head high. She manages Winterbourne quite ably and cares deeply for all under her care, never putting herself above them but instead suffering right along with them. Although she fights Christian a bit when he offers her marriage, it’s only because she thinks he’s doing it out of a sense of gratitude rather than genuine love or affection, but at the same time, she’s not too proud to accept his help when offered. She also longs to know what it can truly be like between a man and a woman, and she discovers that and more in Christian’s arms.
Christian has had a rather rough life of his own. He’s the only bastard son of a cardinal who had a long-standing affair with Christian’s mother. He left home as a youth and became a vaunted knight, but is beginning to tire of the life of a warrior. Now, for reasons not entirely clear to him, his own father is trying to kill him. This is how Anya came to find him wounded in the forest near her home, where assassins sent by his father had beaten him senseless and left him for dead. As Christian recovers under the lady’s tender care, he begins to fall in love with her and sees how difficult her life is. He longs to help her and does everything he can for her while slowly building his strength again, but he believes that to stay with her will only visit more trouble and danger upon her until he can settle things with his father. Knowing that he will have to leave at some point, he tries not to touch her, but her charms prove too hard to resist. Christian is a very tender and passionate lover, who treats Anya like a precious jewel. Given his experiences with his father, who is a man of God (and I use that term very loosely), he fully understands her feud with the church. He’s also sympathetic when he learns of her past and would like to go after the bastard who hurt her if not for it having been so long ago. So instead he does what he can in the present to support her and make life easier for her. From an emotional standpoint and in the way that he treats Anya like an equal, Christian exhibits some beta characteristics, but he’s also very confident in his own skin and with his own abilities, which is more an alpha trait. In any case, he’s a wonderful champion for his lady, showing her that she doesn’t have to stand alone anymore.
For the most part, the secondary characters don’t particularly stand out aside from a few notable exceptions. Anya’s brother, William aka Brother Simon, is a real piece of work. He cares for no one but himself and his own selfish ambitions, and would even stoop to do harm to others in hopes of driving Anya from the only home she’s ever known. Anya’s page, Geoffrey, is a sweet boy with a great talent for music and a deeper tie to Anya than seen at first glance, but his future is placed in jeopardy by William’s schemes. Then there are the animal characters, who I loved: Christian’s dog, Ysengrin, who is loyal to a fault, Anya’s cat, Esmeralda, who is a comfort to the recovering Christian and who is apparently a horse whisperer as well since it’s her unlikely friendship with the wild beast, Remus, that makes him more manageable. I adore well-written animal characters and this trio was a delight.
Overall, A Winter Ballad was a joy to read. It’s a nice, gentle love story that’s sweet and easy to read with a little adventure and suspense on the side. Christian and Anya most definitely deserved their happy ending after everything they went through to get there. I can’t think of anything I would have changed about it, and I definitely look forward to reading more of Barbara Samuel’s work. Hopefully I won’t let so much time pass by between her books next time.
June 26, 2011
I've never read anything by Barbara Samuels before and was extremely impressed by this book. The tension between Christian and Anya, the way they both fight against how they feel, yet are inevitably drawn together might seem like a predictable book. Maybe in some ways it is, but don't forget that most romances are. Samuels changes it from being an ordinary book only slightly, yet you'd think it was a completely different romance genre. I was surprised by how powerful the church was back then, forcing her to repent from her sin of being raped and getting pregnant since she took no pleasure in it. Definitely would recommend this book to anyone who wants a little bit of romance and action, hunks and evil men, maybe even a little bit of sadness. I wish there were more books like this.
March 31, 2024
A Winter Ballad was a wonderful surprise. I have read Barbara Samuel books before, but this one didn't have that high of a rating so I didn't expect much. It had everything you could want in a great romance book: great hero and heroine, good plot, good supporting characters and HEA. I thought the ending should have answered the question about Lady Anya being accused of heresy, but overall a great read.
Upon rereading, I still liked it, but not quite as much.
Upon rereading, I still liked it, but not quite as much.
July 7, 2022
Ponderous July 2022
The plots, intrigue and suspense was very good but a very difficult book to get through too much irrelevant and repetitive drivel and the interesting bits are rushed so you don't get to know all the relevant characters
The plots, intrigue and suspense was very good but a very difficult book to get through too much irrelevant and repetitive drivel and the interesting bits are rushed so you don't get to know all the relevant characters
December 22, 2023
Sloooooooow, boring, and DNF 15%
July 3, 2011
I liked this better than A Bed of Spices. There were a few weak points but overall, I enjoyed it. There is a mystery involved, too.
December 7, 2019
What was I thinking. $.99 I can’t get back.
May 25, 2020
This was fun for me. I don't usually read historical romance, but if Barbara Samuel wrote it, I'm in. In Winter Ballad, Anna is a smart, hard-working noblewoman determined to save her castle and lands from the machinations of her brother and the church. But luck is against her. Then she comes on an injured knight, and gives him refuge while he recovers. In the end, the two of them wage a battle of wits against their oppressors and find love. Really good.
October 15, 2024
Good story about Anye of Winterbourn she meets her love Christian when she finds him almost dead in the woods. Her brother is out to ruin her his Father wants him dead.
November 30, 2013
I enjoyed this book greatly. I liked both Anya's and Christian's characters; she was strong and determined, he was honorable and sexy. I like how they met and how the journey between them grew and strengthened as they got to know each other more. Anya wanted to properly care for her manor and the villagers outside it, and to get love from a man who'd deserved it. Christian just wanted peace and relaxation after spending the better part of his life not only fighting, but watching his back because of his father. I love how this story ended as well, I am a sucker for a happy ending and this one had a great one too!!!! SO many things that needed to be put to rest were and that tied things up nicely, just the way I like them! I suggest this book to anyone who loves a great happy ending with bits of passion and worry and misunderstanding in the middle!
April 8, 2013
I love Barbara Samuels' books and this one was exceptional. The whole book was entertaining, sensual, and intriguing. The characters were one honorable knight named Christian de Moreerx. He was found and rescued by the beautiful Anya of Winterbourne. She took the knight back to her family's keep to recover from a beating from bandits. Before long they became friends and then lovers. There is her brother who wants the lands for the church to increase his standing as priest. But Anya refuses her brother and he threatens with the telling of her secret if she doesn't comply. Christian holds Anya in her heart and will be her champion, even though he has people trying to kill him. Their journey takes them to France on a mission to a Saint but love will conquer all.
February 11, 2014
GENRE:
SETTING: time of Knights
CENTRAL FEMALE CHARACTER: Anya of Winterbourne; a woman stuck with a responsibility; a take charge woman; businesslike; stubborn.
CENTRAL MALE CHARACTER: Christian; intelligent; gentle; humorous; dangerous when pushed.
SYNOPSIS: A badly injured knight and his dog and his memory is slow at bringing his problems from his past. She has problems in the present and in the midst of a dispute over the estate.
WHAT I LIKED: Cat and Remus the horse. Finding out what made Anya so tough and rigid
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: Oldest brother shows up when?!?!?!
I give this book (FOUR) stars because the action and events kept moving.
SETTING: time of Knights
CENTRAL FEMALE CHARACTER: Anya of Winterbourne; a woman stuck with a responsibility; a take charge woman; businesslike; stubborn.
CENTRAL MALE CHARACTER: Christian; intelligent; gentle; humorous; dangerous when pushed.
SYNOPSIS: A badly injured knight and his dog and his memory is slow at bringing his problems from his past. She has problems in the present and in the midst of a dispute over the estate.
WHAT I LIKED: Cat and Remus the horse. Finding out what made Anya so tough and rigid
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: Oldest brother shows up when?!?!?!
I give this book (FOUR) stars because the action and events kept moving.
December 10, 2011
I fell in love with Barbara Samuel's book when I read Lucien's Fall and now I'm searching for all her books to read. Her books are so romantic, the plots so very well defined, and she presents the historical customs of the period she sets her characters in. In this case, the period is medieval, when the Crusades where happening, and she presents a much accurate view of daily life and world politics than other authors.
June 10, 2012
I enjoyed this book. I felt he author conveyed well things that had happened in the characters' pasts and how it shaped their choices without making the reader feel like they were missing something or being hit over the head with it. I also felt she provided relatively accurate insights into the Church's power and the livelihoods of a range of social classes. The romance between the two main characters felt natural and well developed to me. I would recommend this historical romance.
March 28, 2023
A story of strength and love
I absolutely love Barbara’s historical romances .. the characters of this story were so alive with solid personalities and strength of character that I felt them with personal clarity .. the intertwining of tragedy, betrayal, love, hate, courage and endurance made for a real page turner .. thank you Barbara for the joy that you bring me with your amazing story telling!
I absolutely love Barbara’s historical romances .. the characters of this story were so alive with solid personalities and strength of character that I felt them with personal clarity .. the intertwining of tragedy, betrayal, love, hate, courage and endurance made for a real page turner .. thank you Barbara for the joy that you bring me with your amazing story telling!
May 28, 2011
First book I've read by this author, but I'll look for more. It's on my Kindle. Skirted real history but certainly had a good feel for life in the Middle Ages - very atmospheric. Honorable hero and capable heroine who must deal with frightening challenges from family and nasty religious figures and ignorant beliefs. Lovely love story.
November 7, 2011
Its a great love story Christian finds the woman of his hearts desire and Lady Anya is very strong independent woman.Who finds herself falling in love with this mysterious night.I enjoy reading Barbara Samuels Historical Romances.
November 9, 2012
I enjoyed reading this story. I thought Anya was a great character. She was strong, without being overpowering. She balanced Christian well, and it was nice to see a male character depending so much on the strength of a woman. Overall a good historical read.
Want to read
May 8, 2011$0.99 on amazon
June 9, 2011
Wonderful chemistry between beautiful and heroic principal characters, couched in a remarkably crafted story and very real setting. I will be reading more of Barbara Samuel!
October 13, 2012
First impressions: This was like a scaled-down Pillars of the Earth but with more sex and less blood.
September 11, 2016
A medieval story with a strong heroine, Anya and an even stronger hero Christian.
Want to read
May 31, 2012Free Kindle book May 31, 2012.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews