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Midsummer Maid
He was a woodsman, a forester, a good man but cursed with the mark of the devil on his face and shunned by many.
She was a dairy-maid, caring and brave, who feared no one.
Drawn to each other on a long and fateful Midsummer Day, can Haakon and Clare overcome the superstitions of their village and the brutal, lecherous knights to break out of their bonds of class and custom and to strive for a better life – together?
She was a dairy-maid, caring and brave, who feared no one.
Drawn to each other on a long and fateful Midsummer Day, can Haakon and Clare overcome the superstitions of their village and the brutal, lecherous knights to break out of their bonds of class and custom and to strive for a better life – together?
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First published June 26, 2012
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About the author
Lindsay Townsend
81 books61 followersLindsay Townsend is an English novelist with a passion for writing historical romance. Her books are published by Kensington Books, Bookstrand, Prairie Rose Publications, Audible, Ulverscroft Large Print and MuseItUp. Her earlier historical romances and romantic suspense novels are reissued through Kindle Direct.
Lindsay lives in Yorkshire, in the north of England, with her husband, Alan, and also has family in Devon. She loves singing, music, walking, reading and cooking - especially trying out old recipes.
She has been writing stories since the age of six, and has been a professional novelist for many years. Her previous books are romantic thrillers.
Lindsay lives in Yorkshire, in the north of England, with her husband, Alan, and also has family in Devon. She loves singing, music, walking, reading and cooking - especially trying out old recipes.
She has been writing stories since the age of six, and has been a professional novelist for many years. Her previous books are romantic thrillers.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 31, 2013
Ladybug Lin here, still wading around in the sultry heat I never thought existed longer than a few days in a row, otherwise known as a Heat Wave. Down here a Heat Wave goes on and on until Old Man Winter manages to give us two seductively cool days of 46 degree weather somewhere in late January...maybe. So I'm a steamy Ladybug who is thanking her lucky tail wings for her Kindle, when I get out of the 24/7 pool and a lot of determination not to give in to the slow fry of the southern sun.
MIDSUMMER MAID by Lindsay Townsend probably seems like a bad choice of a read when the air is so scaldingly hot you can scorch your nose hairs just by taking a deep breath, but sitting straight in front of your central air conditioner vents can over-ride some of the sultriest of humidity.
Lindsay Townsend is a romantic whose love of history and fairy tales has collided in many of her brilliant story tellings of late. MIDSUMMER MAID could be her take on BEAUTY AND THE BEAST...they certainly seem to both be present in the lovely, but lowly milk maiden, Clare, and the "beastly" woodsman, Haaken, born with a strawberry birth mark...sure sign of his connection with the nefarious forked-tailed one from down under...w-a-a-y-y-y down under...as in can you smell sulphur when he walks by?
Ms. Townsend takes us back to a time when the knights owned the land and the people living on it, and were free to do as they wished with both. Clare may be of a lowly station, her beauty was not going unnoticed, and although Haaken might be given a wide berth, due to his connection to the devil by most of the women, Clare sees beyond the skin to the man living inside.
MIDSUMMER MAID by Lindsay Townsend probably seems like a bad choice of a read when the air is so scaldingly hot you can scorch your nose hairs just by taking a deep breath, but sitting straight in front of your central air conditioner vents can over-ride some of the sultriest of humidity.
Lindsay Townsend is a romantic whose love of history and fairy tales has collided in many of her brilliant story tellings of late. MIDSUMMER MAID could be her take on BEAUTY AND THE BEAST...they certainly seem to both be present in the lovely, but lowly milk maiden, Clare, and the "beastly" woodsman, Haaken, born with a strawberry birth mark...sure sign of his connection with the nefarious forked-tailed one from down under...w-a-a-y-y-y down under...as in can you smell sulphur when he walks by?
Ms. Townsend takes us back to a time when the knights owned the land and the people living on it, and were free to do as they wished with both. Clare may be of a lowly station, her beauty was not going unnoticed, and although Haaken might be given a wide berth, due to his connection to the devil by most of the women, Clare sees beyond the skin to the man living inside.
July 7, 2014
Wonderful Story of Right and True Love Triumphing over Might
MIDSUMMER MAID is another of Lindsay Townsend’s exciting stories brimming with love and full of historic detail, this time a sweet, medieval Beauty and the Beast tale.
In an historical romance world awash with rich, heroic nobility, Ms. Townsend weaves magic from the lives of ordinary people. Ordinary in birth her heroes and heroines might be, but they are anything but ordinary in their actions.
Her heroes are always men you would want for your own. I love woodsman Haakon, honorable and brave, standing tall despite the facial birthmark that makes him an outcast among superstitious villagers. Dairy maid Clare is my kind of woman, intelligent (she can see the man behind the mark when no one else can), and who stands up for herself in a world where women had few choices. When the nobles, who are anything but noble, try to hurt Clare, Haakon and Clare join forces. In true romantic tradition, the two of them together are stronger than each alone.
Once again, Ms. Townsend gives us everything a romance should be. A great story.
MIDSUMMER MAID is another of Lindsay Townsend’s exciting stories brimming with love and full of historic detail, this time a sweet, medieval Beauty and the Beast tale.
In an historical romance world awash with rich, heroic nobility, Ms. Townsend weaves magic from the lives of ordinary people. Ordinary in birth her heroes and heroines might be, but they are anything but ordinary in their actions.
Her heroes are always men you would want for your own. I love woodsman Haakon, honorable and brave, standing tall despite the facial birthmark that makes him an outcast among superstitious villagers. Dairy maid Clare is my kind of woman, intelligent (she can see the man behind the mark when no one else can), and who stands up for herself in a world where women had few choices. When the nobles, who are anything but noble, try to hurt Clare, Haakon and Clare join forces. In true romantic tradition, the two of them together are stronger than each alone.
Once again, Ms. Townsend gives us everything a romance should be. A great story.
January 4, 2014
In Midsummer Maid Lindsay Townsend puts her fascination with and knowledge of medieval history to good use.
Lindsay Townsend is to be congratulated on her short historical story in which there are intriguing glimpses of beliefs in times past – a midsummer maid appointed on the eve of the festival of St John, the priest sprinkling holy water and the midsummer maid casting flowers on the boundary of the lord of the manor’s demesne to ensure a good harvest, and the use of St John’s wort, the plant of protection.
Haakon, a woodsman with the soul of ‘gentil, parfait’ knight and Clare a beautiful, kind dairymaid aka the midsummer maid are a memorable hero and heroine.
Midsummer Maid is well-written in the tradition of adult fairy tales in which the principal characters must triumph over obstacles.
Lindsay Townsend is also to be congratulated on some memorable phrases such as: ‘she was a maid created for summer, for long summer days and bright twilights.’
Lindsay Townsend is to be congratulated on her short historical story in which there are intriguing glimpses of beliefs in times past – a midsummer maid appointed on the eve of the festival of St John, the priest sprinkling holy water and the midsummer maid casting flowers on the boundary of the lord of the manor’s demesne to ensure a good harvest, and the use of St John’s wort, the plant of protection.
Haakon, a woodsman with the soul of ‘gentil, parfait’ knight and Clare a beautiful, kind dairymaid aka the midsummer maid are a memorable hero and heroine.
Midsummer Maid is well-written in the tradition of adult fairy tales in which the principal characters must triumph over obstacles.
Lindsay Townsend is also to be congratulated on some memorable phrases such as: ‘she was a maid created for summer, for long summer days and bright twilights.’
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews