Roberta 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.
This book has an excellent sense of the history of Gascony (Aquitaine) during Henry III reign. The characters and plot fit in well. I only wish it was a bit shorter, cutting out the heroine and hero's constant introspective whining as why they aren't worthy.
I'm so torn by this series. On the one hand, I do like the fact that the characters don't have anachronistic attitudes about class distinctions or women's rights but on the other hand that means that the "heroes" are basically total assholes. I think this one, Aubery of Ilmer was the worse so far, going so far as to tell his wife he should kill her for rescuing him when she had risked her own life to save him because I guess he thought she was unladylike. I would have let the ungrateful jerk rot in prison forever at that point instead of welcoming him back to her like doormat Fenice did. Bah!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.