A Knight to Remember

The Knight Legends #1

by Bridget Essex

A librarian, a warrior woman, and a love story that's out of this world... Holly tells herself that the reason she hasn’t asked her girlfriend to move in (after four years of dating) is that she’s too busy–but it isn’t true. A very book-obsessed librarian, Holly has buried herself in so many romantic and magical stories, that at night, she dreams of a woman who will sweep her off her feet–something her indifferent girlfriend has never done. But one night, during an unusually vicious storm, magic and romance appear in Holly’s backyard in the form of a mysterious, gorgeous woman…wielding a sword. The dashing stranger’s name is Virago. She claims that she’s a warrior on the hunt for a great and terrible beast; that she, and the beast, slipped through a portal from their world into ours. Holly isn’t sure what to believe, but she is now responsible for a (possibly crazy) swordswoman who is bewildered by modern-day conveniences like escalators, but not by the chivalry of sweeping a woman off her feet. Can Holly help Virago find her own world again, or will that falling-in-love thing get in the way? And, of course, there’s the tiny problem of the beast Virago wounded that is now seeking revenge… A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER is a light-hearted, fantastical romance that will take you on a journey you’ll never forget.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Lesbian, Queer, Lesbian Romance, Fiction

274 pages, Paperback

First published July 16, 2014

About the author

My name is Bridget Essex, and I write about werewolves, vampires and lady knights; about two strong, courageous women who fall deeply in love with one another, living love stories that transcend time. I'm married to the love of my life, author Natalie Vivien.

I'm best known for my Knight Legends series, stories about women knights, real world hi-jinks and love stories that are out of this world. My Sullivan Vampire novellas are a popular series lauded as "TWILIGHT for women who love women," and I have several other series and stand-alone novellas, and I'm always putting out something new. Learn more at http://bridgetessex.wordpress.com

Reviews

[Farah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms.Essex, is a gifted author, her ideas for her books are out of the world brilliant and refreshing. Her own personal life is worth reading. She fell in love with her wife / fellow author - Natalie Vivien when she was 15 years old and knew that she was The O.N.E. when she was 19. If she ever decides to write a story about her own love life - the hurdles, the joys, the heartbreaks, the hea she's living now and if the book comes out at the same time as Manchester United play an important final, I'll choose reading her story over Man.U.

What's not to love with A Knight To Remember?
A Librarian h
A Librarian h
A Knight from another world.
One last time....
A Librarian h

Sadly, I've two issues.
Issue #1
As much as I love cake, I learn the hard way that I can't have my cake and eat it too. The same goes to Holly the librarian, who is in a relationship with her gf for F.O.U.R. years.
- if it's 4 days - forget about it
- 4 weeks - A nod when you come across your ex at the supermarket aisle/cashier (if she's the cashier, doesn't hurt to double check the receipt)
- 4 months - A hey, how are you doing? Followed by a hug.
- 4 years - Your partner has been allowed to read your paperbacks/hardcovers without you checking on the book's condition every half an hour.

It hasn't been peachy lately between Holly and Natalie and Holly knows that it's time to end it but still keeps Natalie in the reserves, until the last possible moment. That's kinda shitty no matter how chihuahua Natalie is being to her but of course Natalie is the bad one as she's been f@+/:$# her P.A. for a year


Issue #2
Virago the knight has me melting into a puddle (imagine vampire meets the Sun, minus the screaming) with a single word - M'lady but her lack of amazement/awkwardness towards this world's way of life / gadgets / technologies takes away some enjoyment from reading her scenes. However, she is a knight in every sense of the word.

Is it a total loss? No, an ingenious idea, a sweet romance - featuring a beautiful wooing speech and an entertaining story. I still have the blues for Ms.Essex + will read more by her.

[Choko · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** 3 ***

I really, really wanted to love this book! I am the biggest Fantasy fan and love les-fiction as well, so I wanted it to be fabulous! However, I have to admit to being a bit let down... The story is about a contemporary young woman who loves Medieval Time fairs and books about that time. Wouldn't you know it, a female Knight from another dimension crosses over here, in an attempt to kill an evil monster. So she runs into our MC, and the rest is ... spoiler ☺

I think if it was either a more complex fantasy tale or more of a heavy-duty romance, it would have worked better. This story seemed to want to be everything at the same time, but didn't have the structure to achieve it. The story ends up being kind of mediocre on all fronts, unfortunately. I am still going to give this author a chance, though and hope she grows with time ☺.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, darn. I was really in the mood for a fantasy/paranormal type book, having kinda but not completely liked my previous audiobook. And the idea of a hot medieval girl knight from another world? Yes! I did notice that several reviews by Goodreads contributors I’m learning to like only rated Knight to Remember 3*, but there are lots of 4-5* ratings, and I downloaded a sample to my Kindle app….it sounded cute….so I got it. Well, darn.

For a woman who self-describes as normally being the aggressor in relationships, and who is currently at the four-year mark in her current relationship, everything about Holly sounds like a 14yo high-schooler experiencing her first crush on an unattainable idol. During the brief, errr….culmination of affections scene, a point in a book I usually can’t wait for ;) - I am actually uncomfortable hearing “nipple, fingers and wetness” associated with such an immature girl.

As a teen/YA book, it’s not terrible, though I’m not sure that either character is a great role model for actual love. For a 14yo, though, it might be terrific escapist entertainment. But the book isn’t marketed as that, and I struggle to rate it as more than 2.5*. So…to round up, or to round down. As an audiobook, I did like the narrator, so I’m going to round up to 3*, but if you plan to read the book…this is the most youngish book I’ve read/listened to in awhile.

[Lex Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was OK. It's a light beachy read, not a whole lot to it. I have not read any of Essex works, but since a lot of them are available for Kindle Unlimited right now, I thought what the heck, I'll give them a shot. Not too impressed with this to be honest, not sure if I will read more in this series. I love fantasy books, but I think the fact this took place in our world and had Godzilla in it, I just couldn't connect. One of the main characters Holly, was pretty spineless, so that bothered me. Virago, the knight character, was OK. I just think the author missed the opportunity of having Virago in a modern world. She seemed to assimilate really really quickly, and it just wasn't believable. How would she know how to use a toaster?
I guess I'm off to read some of Essex's wolves and vamps books, hopefully I'll enjoy them more.

[AnnMaree Of Oz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swoon! A captivating romantic tale for those of us who never grew up from fairy tales and happily ever afters.

A chivalrous lady knight, Virago, arrives in bookish daydreaming Holly's backyard. There's a huge menacing creature also on the loose and our brave knight vows to thwart it and to protect MiLady Holly and other innocents of our strange world.

Thus starts our sweet tale.

I was beaming from ear to ear at this delightful story. I so related to Holly and her romantic fantasies, especially in the face of her selfish arrogant girlfriend who treated her horribly.

This book has a lot of background and depth to Holly, her best friend and brother were great additions who only sought to encourage her happiness. Heck even the barista at the drive thru was kinder to Holly than her own girlfriend was!

It seems like such a simple yet fantastical story, but it just hit all the right notes for me, and got me in that gooey fluffy place deep down inside.

Highly recommended if you're into disney-esque romance, and still hold on to your childlike ideals of love.

[Yoly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved everything!

[Cornelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I read A Knight to Remember I couldn't help but wonder whether I should start judging lesbian-centric books on a different scale than other books, because they are all so bad. Like, maybe they deserve two extra stars for containing lesbians?

This book is very lazily written - the author did no research whatsoever about anything. No, a real sword is not so heavy that a normal person can barely lift it. No, armor does not work like that. No, PEOPLE do not work like that.

The main character is utterly boring, and her subject of attention is so flat that I doubt the author has actually met and talked to real women. She is clearly just a figurehead for everything the main character wants, without bothering about details like "plausible personality" - chivalry, courage, beauty, gayness. That's all there needs to be, right?

The only thing saving this book from one star is that the concept was at least somewhat entertaining.

[Tinything · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read. I enjoyed it quite alot tbh. But there were things that didnt sit right to me. like Virago first time came to Earth, she was bleeding, BLEEDING! A LOT! AND EVERYWHERE! And what did Holly do? Yeah she did try to stop the blood and it took her so long to realised that she suppose to call for ambulance. But when Virago said she didnt want to go, she stopped and didnt call. And also falling asleep. I mean, come on, if this is real life and Virago didnt know how to heal herself she would be dead already -__- Beside that i did enjoyed the book.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light, fantastical and easy to read.

Nice two dimensional characters, purple prose (seriously, Holly must have a heart condition as it is always pounding or racing or bursting!), but still entertaining.

[Luce]

I put this aside because I could not get into this one. It wasn't as good as the Author's A Dark and Stormy Knight and I might have OD'd on the series. I may return to it. Or not.

[InaOkami · Rating 1 out of 5]

It took me so long to read this one because it was just... so hard to continue reading it. and it was a huge mistake that I started reading it after Audrey Coulthurst's (Of Fire and Stars). I guess I was expecting too much. I was really hoping this book would impress me, but it didn't. The idea was really promising but sadly, poorly developed. illogical events, flat characters combined with unrealistic reactions and interactions.

60% of this was Holly -the protagonist- describing, panting and drooling over how strong, handsome, graceful . . . etc Virago -the knight- was. I couldn't even take it seriously after so many times. I reached a point where I almost swore to drop the book if i read Holly describing Virago as "grace personified" one more time. I've seen better writing skills at fan fiction sites and teen's work to be honest. it was so unpredictably predictable, because I've never expected that anyone could write something so predictable it's just downright lazy.

[The Queerblr · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a lot of things: it’s a romance, it has fantastical elements, it has relatively believable and likable characters – but it is, to put it nicely, a hot mess.

A Knight to Remember, by Bridget Essex, is a book that is at least up front about how ridiculous it is. Simply read the back of it. I haven’t read too many romance stories myself and it may just be a genre that I don’t like, so I’d like to just put that out there right now. If you’re into romance books and stories, this may be the book for you! Reviewing this story as a work of fiction, however, it has a lot of issues regardless of what genre it is.

Let’s start with what’s good about the story, shall we? Essex writes very believable, genuine, and relatable characters. Each character is unique in how they speak and their mannerisms. It is especially noticeable with how she writes the friendship between Holly, our protagonist, and her best friend Carly. The book starts with an honest conversation between the two that demonstrates that they have a positive, genuine friendship that allows for criticism of each other because it comes from a place of love and understanding.

I also enjoyed that there are plenty of queer characters in this book and that the characters being queer wasn’t a focal point. It’s one facet of the characters but it doesn’t define any them. Sure, Holly has issues with her girlfriend and she spends a substantial amount of time analyzing and trying to deny her feelings towards this mysterious knight who teleported into her backyard, Virago. The narrative doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that Holly is a lesbian or that being a lesbian is a difficult life to lead, however. I liked that it wasn’t a coming out story and that the reader gets to experience the romance without any tension surrounding their sexual orientation.

Where A Knight to Remember begins to fall apart is in its editing, tension, and general pacing. The book could have used another draft or two and definitely another line-edit from an editor. There were formatting issues where paragraphs weren’t indented, line spacing that should have been better condensed, and other formatting errors that made the book feel very amateurish, despite Essex having published several books prior to A Knight to Remember (and her being the Founder and Production Consultant of Rose & Star Press, which published the book). The book felt like reading the unedited thoughts of a love crazed individual or someone’s early attempts at writing fanfiction and not a well-crafted book. There were numerous grammatical errors in the book and Essex seemed to be very fond of italicizing words for emphasis but wasn’t consistent with it. In some sentences she’d italicize and in others she’d use quotation marks, and in other sentences, she’d use both. Occasionally italicizing something is fine but it was definitely over done in this book and it was not used very thoughtfully. In some sentences the italicized word didn’t make any sense or change the tone of the sentence by being emphasized. With the grammar errors and abundance of italicization and formatting issues, I constantly found myself being taken out of the story.

If the editing and grammar issues weren’t enough to prevent me from being submerged in the book, the lack of varied tension definitely did. The book is written from Holly’s perspective. First-person is a great tool for creating emotional tension for the reader to experience alongside the protagonist when utilized correctly. Essex attempted to use Holly’s feelings towards Virago to create tension throughout the story. Sexual tension can be a great source of tension so long as it is sparse, intentional, and well placed. Not every other page or in some places, every other paragraph as Essex did in this book. There were several times while reading this book that caused me to yell “we LITERALLY just went over how gorgeous she is! Can we PLEASE move on!?” All of the attempted tension comes from Holly obsessing over how attractive Virago is, how she needs to make her relationship with Nicole work, but damn is Virago attractive and what would it feel like if – you get the idea. For me, I wanted the tension to come from the invisible mythical beast wandering the city that needed to be stopped. There seemed to be absolutely zero urgency to get that squared away. The actual plot of the book – fantastical person and monster fall through a portal in the sky and said fantastical person needing to stop the monster before it destroys the realm – is shelved for most of the book so that Holly can obsess over this mysterious beautiful woman.

Because the book spends so much time on how Holly’s feelings about Virago and Nicole, the pacing of the book takes a huge hit and is ultimately where the book falls flat. So much of the narrative is spent on Holly’s constant musings about Virago and her failing relationship with Nicole, that the actual plot of the book wasn’t given the proper time to flourish and develop. After Virago and Holly finally get together, the book has twenty pages left. Fifteen pages to find the monster and slay it, and then five pages to wrap up the story. The ending was rushed and the fight with the monster made absolutely no sense and left a lot to be desired from an action scene.

I wanted less Holly and Virago and more of the actual plot from this book. I wanted more of Virago being bewildered by this realm and the modern conveniences. I wanted more fantastical elements. And most importantly, I wanted Holly to have more agency in her story arc and not just be some lamenting love-sick person who has things happen to her. The book definitely had great moments, some funny scenes, and was an easy weekend read. But overall, I think it needed a little more work before hitting the shelves.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Look I really mean 2.5 since I sort of enjoyed reading it, some of the time. It has a lot of flaws. The maion character is whingy and unrelatable. Her best friend is intrusive and annoying. The love interest is OMG sexy (despite the cover- also sexy- I think being innacurate for how she would look)but there are logical flaws all the way through what passes for a plot (not a lot of twists either). There is a lot of angsty- something is about to happen, indecisiveness and sadness. I am not sure what Nicole is even doing in the book apart from being unlikeable and making Holly look more pathetic. When the knight (wow I forgot her name already)says that Holly is very beautiful and good I find it hard to see how she could have formed that impression. Nothing that happens in the book shows Holly's goodness or strength or capability though you feel sure she must have them. The main characters all get distracted from saving the world by sex that isn't happening, love lives that are dysfunctional and takeaway coffee. Why I did still stubbornly like the book is because it portrays Holly as not objectively good looking (she is messy and wears weird pygamas whenever the book describes her appearance) and yet she is seen as attractive by the hot knight. I would like it better if the knight was less objectified too but it is refreshing to have a romantic (female) lead who is not hot as such but only hot to the character. The book could benefit from some proof-reading and seems like the author got drunk and wrote down all her fantasies in one afternoon. Which...well I can see how she would have a fantasy like that but it needs some editting and plot and better character development (and grammar) that is all. So yeah. As a post-Christmas waste time while drinking booze and being unproductive on holidays...sure fun to read. But it could have been so much better!!

[Kirryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every time someone recommends me a new lesbian fantasy/paranormal romance title, I go "yeah!" This genre is my jam, man.

Every time someone tells me it's a Bridget Essex book, I deflate a little and think, "well...maybe it'll be better than the last one I read...maybe..." But there's always someone who's raving about it, so I give it a go. I really need to stop doing that.

I was rolling my eyes as I read the vast majority of this story. It had the air of a teenage wish-fulfillment fanfiction, and the quality of the writing was what you'd expect from a teenager writing fanfiction as a hobby, not an adult writer whose livelihood is writing. Maybe you can get away with that as a style choice when you're writing YA, but this isn't YA, or so I'm told. Essex tends towards melodrama in her writing as a rule, and when her writing is particularly bad, like here, it just comes off as juvenile and silly.

Another thing that annoyed me is the particularly flimsy, two-dimensional characterisation. We're told over and over that X character is Y, but...they're not written that way. It feels like the author's mixed up having characteristics with characterisation.

I don't expect literature from my romance, don't get me wrong -- light and fluffy can be absolutely what the doctor ordered, and frequently! But there's light and fluffy (which I don't think is what the author aims for, anyway), and then there's rushed, badly written, and badly researched. This is the latter, and I'm mildly annoyed I paid what I did for it.

[DefinitelyNotARabbit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly infuriated me. She infuriated me because I was Holly. I am Holly. It was a brutal mirror to behold. Much like Holly I have clung to horrid, vitriolic relationships. I have pursued people awful for me purely based on attraction. I shy away and dismiss the ones that are actually good for me thinking that I'm not good enough or it'll never work without truly trying. For all this I appreciate Holly. This book gave me decades worth of invaluable introspection. Holly and I even seem to have the same type, both in physical prowess and mental acuities. For the facsimile that Holly became for me I love this book and can't wait to dive into the sequel and other works of Bridget Essex

[Loek Krancher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really loved it!

This was an awesome fantasy. It was exciting, there was fear, betrayal and of course love. It was a great adventure where two worlds came together. I loved this lady-knight, this warrior woman with her sword and so chivalrous. I've really enjoyed it and I would love to see more of Virago and Holly. Read it and you'll understand what I mean.

[Shelley Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of silly, but pretty fun. The main character, Holly, is a nerdy librarian who fantasizes about sexy lady knights but has a long-term girlfriend who doesn't seem to share any of her interests. But then one day a portal opens in her backyard and Virago, a sexy lady knight from another dimension, appears! Virago is theoretically there to chase down a beast, but Holly is pretty focused on getting to know Virago and introducing her to the mall and Starbucks. I started out really liking the story, but there ended up being a lot about Holly's breakup with her crappy partner. Like she told herself repeatedly, "I need to actually do it, I'm going to break up with her!" I mean, it's realistic to go back and forth, but what's the point if this is a romance novel about Holly and Virago? And then the romance stuff with Holly and Virago was mostly buildup with just a tiny payout, like the actual sex scene was over in a second and had a lot of euphemisms like "my hot center" that didn't seem that sexy to me.

Also, Holly had a dog named Shelley who was very sweet, and I liked that.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really I give this more of a 3.5 This book spoke very deeply to my younger self. The part of me that still loves to re-read 'characters fall into fantasy world/into our world' fanfiction, where it doesn't always matter what's believable, so much as it matters to embrace fantasy and let it in. Maybe not even necessarily in the genre sense of 'fantasy,' so much as the 'this is what I wish could happen,' sort of way. What is it that you daydream about in the back of your mind, where no one can see, and no one can judge you?

Is this the best written book I've ever read? No. Things were overly fast paced, there were a few things I would have edited in or out given the chance, there were things about the mechanics of the world I wish had been explained more in depth, and I struggled a little to get a solid grip on the narrator's personality.

Did I have a good time reading this book, though?

Absolutely.

This book is somewhat unpolished, but it's also wonderfully unashamed and incredibly charming, which is far more important. Its shining star is the romantic interest, Virago. I'm still not sure which I want more: to be her, or to make out with her. Both? Probably both. Her chivalry, her kindness, her curiosity, and her determination make her A-grade swoon material. I won't lie, it wasn't so much the steamy scene in the book that got me blushing as it was the little moments where Virago would take Holly's arm or kiss the back of her hand. What can I say, I'm easy to win over. There's something about her that is both mysterious and inexplicably trustworthy. She comes across as so intensely genuine and open, that if she showed up in my backyard with a giant sword and claiming to be from another world, I would absolutely do the same thing Holly did--believe her and let her sleep on my couch. She's exactly the kind of woman you want sweeping you off your feet and wooing you and making you feel like you are the most amazing thing she's ever seen. Plus, as we are reminded of many times by Holly, she's smoking hot.

Holly, like I said, I struggled with at times. I feel like there was a lot there, but I just wasn't quite being allowed to read that extra little bit that would have cinched her as a character for me. At times she can read like more of someone you're meant to see yourself in, rather than a fully fleshed character all her own. Which might have been the point, in which case Essex did excellently at creating someone fun and relatable but not so overly done that you couldn't project. I'm just not used to that style, so it threw me off. What I did very much enjoy about Holly was that she was always so much herself. Though she was on a couple occasions self conscious about herself, or self doubting, she is never apologetic. She never tries to hide that she enjoys things like Ren Faires, unicorns, wearing pajamas with cartoon characters. She looks like crap in the mornings, cries when she's emotional, is optimistic, and sometimes naive. These are things that most people are made to feel they should be embarrassed about, or to try and hide. The other characters don't look down on Holly for it at all--they encourage and celebrate her for being who she is. As someone who struggles with being so self accepting, it was a much needed thing to read.

The side characters are few, but also enjoyable. Holly's best friend Carly is fun and bubbly and encouraging, if prone to overstepping her bounds, which much reminded me of my own best friend growing up. Her brother Aiden is just as unashamed as Holly, also in the best ways, and is a lot of what I wish I had in a brother. The not-so-great-girlfriend, Nicole, was honestly such a terrible girlfriend I kept shaking the book and shouting 'just break up with her!' I felt that part of the story dragged on a little too long and too much so that we could have focused even more on the other parts of the story. Like Virago. And the plot.

The plot is definitely more of a background to the romance, which was fine once I got used to it. It did feel kind of anti-climatic at the end. Not because I felt that the plot's conclusion was bad--it was a good choice and I approve of what happened. But the build up to it felt a little lackluster at times, and the actual climax of the plot was rushed. It was over before I'd gotten into it. I felt like there was more that could have been done there to give the story some extra 'oomph,' if you know what I mean. Most of what I was interested in with the plot was Virago's world. We get glimpses of it in her commentary and comparison to our world, which I loved, and you really get a sense for what kind of place it is. But I really wanted more of it, and wanted to shake Holly for not peppering Virago with all the questions I had so I could know! I'm hoping the sequel will give me the answers I'm looking for.

And okay, yeah, the thing that appealed to me the most is just that I, too, really want a hot lady knight to pop up one day and fall madly in love with me and be the best most wonderful girlfriend ever. Since that will never happen, a Knight to Remember is a pretty good substitute. Not the best written book in the world, but that doesn't make it any less good, or detract from what the purpose of the book is. At least for me it didn't. It's fun and light, and something to enjoy just for what it is. I know I'll be picking up the sequel when I have a chance, and hopefully getting some answers to my questions.

[petite tortue]

DNF @ 20%

Not for me ! Reads like a bad fanfiction. Even a lesbian knight in full armor couldn’t save it. :(

[Elysia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Tanager Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, as I sort of expected, was a lite, fun read. It is strictly a lesbian romance novel. It ground down a little in the middle, fetishizing over caffeinated drinks and getting gaga over the love interest's every single detail repeatedly forever. I liked the climax which came quick and rough. Most other minor conflicts ended with very little splash or surprise. This book is great as a comfort read when you need a little bit of romance. Read it on a plane or on the beach or in a box or with a Sneetch.

[Kadance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do you ya'll remember Xena Warrior Princess? More importantly, do you guys remember how damn annoying the "will they won't they" trope they used to titillate viewers/fans drove you?



I do, and it was still a lot less maddening than this book is.

OK so obviously I am a little late to this one and I actually got the title off of a list of recommended "lesbian romances". I was stoked cause I generally only read hetero or male slash (yes I am a sucker for big alpha muscle man tropes), but I decided why limit reading about love to just involving the dudes. Ladies need love with ladies too!

The good things in the book: Virago (aka Miss Warrior Knight Badass) literally screams "I am Xena with a high ponytail" I mean the author made sure we knew about how shockingly BLUE her eyes were and how deeply black her hair. Even the voice descriptions brought to mind the "Warrior Princess". Xena inspo-city ya'll you can't tell me no different (complete with her own little blonde shorty sidekick Gabrielle. . .er. . . I mean true love "Holly"). Virago had me at leather pants, huge sword (wink wonk) and curving armor. Unfortunately that is where the good stuff ends. I had high hopes for this I really did, but the narrative was very disjointed, and there was legit only ONE SOLE true "love" scene and it happens so far to the end of the book, I had more expectation (like if you gonna build me up so high I want sweaty-explode-the-bedroom contact when those characters finally hit them sheets).

The bedroom not only didn't explode, but it was like reading about two first time teen lesbians feeling it out. Furthermore, I am almost certain, that a particular intimate act was described that NO LESBIAN COUPLE EVER REALLY DOES IN TRUE LIFE. You guys know the one I mean, think cutting implements—I'll wait. Yea got it now right? Ugh!

Finally there was the beast. Duuuude? How in the HECK does something the size of a HOUSE looking like Godzilla (authors comparison not mine) hide in a city as populous as Boston and NO ONE notices it to report other than the one public access network? How does a house sized monster manage to need nearly three days to come back and attack? What was it eating all this time? Take-out? Then the reveal of the monster identity, foreshadowed and wrapped up with a very cheap bow.

I just. . .have a lot of questions.

And just like in the last episode of Xena—I got no good answers worth the time spent.

[Nikki Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend lent me this book saying I would enjoy it, since I have a bit an Arthurian geek.

I personally, am not a total fan of the "first person" narrative, but that being said, I did enjoy the book. I found there to be a cleverness in some of plot points, and a nice sense of humor. The main character spent a bit too much time describing her attraction to/ and or the looks of the "knight", and could be a bit "angsty" at times. But certainly not as angsty as Bella in "Twilight". Perhaps it's my love of the Third Person Narrative, but I did wish we would have had a bit more of what was going through Viagro's head. I loved the secondary characters, and their love and support of the main character. I would definitely recommend the book as a nice light escape from reality, especially for those of you that like to feel they are "right in there" with the main character.

[Wub · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading a couple reviews for this book, I became a bit discouraged, but the concept of a fantasy knight and modern librarian falling in love in a cute lesbian romance was perfect for my tastes. So I went ahead and ordered it anyway.

I think because my expectations were set low, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would! The romance was cute and I thought the main character’s brother was very fun and I hope he appears in the sequel, which I plan to read! The fantasy quest aspect is pretty simple though, with a climax that leaves much to be desired.

If you’re like me and you’re just looking for a cute relationship with fun characters, check it out! If you’re less interested in the romance and want a well written fantasy plot, maybe give this one a pass.

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Virago was kind of a cool idea and Carly was alright as the spunky bestie if a lil invasive and preppy...but Holly was a whiney mess and their relationship was... Unbelieveable? Undeveloped? I mean there was like zero depth.

[Ulla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the characters and the plot even, especially I liked the knight, Virago. What I didn't like was dear librarian drooling after the Knight all the time!! It got very boring!

[Zay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skip this paragraph if you actually want my review and not my reasonings for reading the book. I saw a few of my favorite reviewers read this book. They were mixed. One was well a 1* and the highest was a 4*. Neither of them have a review but the 2 who did were a 2 and 3*. Based on that I did have an idea of what I was getting into and almost passed on the book all together. However I have been known to want different tastes from time to time so here's my honest review.

To start off I knew I would be listing to a more YA type novel and that the main would read across as childish in a way. I completely went into this knowing that. To be frank, if you are looking for some epic tale where a knight fights a monster in this epic battle then please move along. However, if you want a decent love story, a bit teen drama ish at times, then you are in the right place.

The story itself was not bad at all. I found myself liking it and laughing along a lot. Where most people said Holly sounded young I felt she in fact sounded like maybe a 23-27 year old lesbian nerd. I felt connected to her in a lot of aspects even down to the ironic bad nerdy pajamas. I actually felt really called out with the cow jumping the moon ones just saying. Also another complaint I saw was that Holly calmed to be the aggressor and then did nothing and that bothered you. All I can say is a true top wrote that because a bottom pretending to be a top is exactly what Holly is and you should check out reddit lesbian pages to confirm. All in all it was a fun ride for me. But then again I went into this knowing that it wasn't some epic tale. I had no expectations for there to be a fight honestly. I wanted sappy romantic and that's what I got.

The biggest negative I had was Nicole the girlfriend. 4 years is way to long to string somebody along. Honestly I felt they were both terrible people in that aspect but since Holly was out main character we justified her reasoning. She got to come out of it looking like the good guy while I still believe they were just both wrong. If you read this review and then read this book please trust me when I say I can't pick a side in that. Yeah as a reader the author is pushing us to one side but my own morals are in a well I need to hear Nicole's side before I'm like she's a witch with a capital W.

Solid 4 from me
- 3.5 for the romantic (s)he said she said
- 4.5 for the relatability
- 4 for the story (I knew what I was in for)
- 4 for the narrator
- 2.5 for the ending (sorry but just didn't like it)
- 3 for the declaration of love (cute but cringe)

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

October review for Book Riot's Read Harder 2017: A Knight To Remember by Bridget Essex, 2014. [LGBTQ+ romance novel category]





We were pretty pumped to find a cheesy lesbian romance novel to read on our road trips, but we were a little disappointed in this one. First of all, the premise is that this woman has been with her partner for FOUR years and they haven't moved in together? What? It was hard to suspend our disbelief for that, but we managed.


OK. General Rundown. A Knight To Remember is about Holly, a lesbian librarian (lesbrarian?) who is in an unhappy relationship with a terrible woman who loves her cell phone and her startup more than her girlfriend. After a disastrous evening at the Renaissance Fest, Holly finds a mysterious and magical lady knight in her backyard during a storm and falls for her immediately--because she sounds pretty awesome. Turns out Virago (the knight) accidentally came here from her world while fighting a beast, which also happens to be here, and so they have to find it and finish it off. Just your typical romance quest. (Keep in mind that Virago is pretty much everything Holly has ever wanted in a woman but was so OK with settling that she never thought to look for. And she's still *technically* dating that other woman.)


So. I really wanted to like this book. I think it could've been so good. It had all the trappings! But I had to wait 236 pages for even a damn kiss, which is not something I look for in a romance novel. Also, I'm unsure anyone proofread this book, or told the author that when she found a phrase she liked, she probably shouldn't use it eight more times in the span of two pages. (I had writer problems with this book.) There is a happy ending and a relatively accurate and female gaze-centered sex scene, although only one. Maybe sometime I'll get drunk and judgey and read the sequel?

[Lelouch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this is going to come off very negative, but I think it's important to set up expectations. For anyone hoping to read about sword fights: this isn't the book for you. The beast appears early on, then disappears until the very end. So do they start the search for the man-eating beast before it eats too many people? Of course!....after a few pit stops to the mall to buy a suit and getting some espresso. But then once they know where the beast is, they fight it right? Well....after a slight detour to go on a date. The story is really about Holly's thoughts and feelings. She's insecure about herself, and we follow her as she thinks about what to do about Virago. The romance is a little lacking. The entire story takes place over just a few days. Holly (who's in a dead-end relationship) becomes infatuated with the mysterious knight, not knowing if Virago likes her back. Then at the end, they get together and somehow become soul-mates.

With expectations set, there are some good parts. There's a cute scene where the couple teaches mc's dog a few tricks. And who doesn't like a girl who gets engaged at the library and loses track of time? Virago's reaction to the magic staircase suggests she might have gone to school at Hogwarts. The narrator did a great job expressing mc's emotions, and added a few effects for speaking over the intercom and whatnot.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a large hurdle to overcome with me. The whole knights thing? Doesn't do anything for me. In fact, it is one of those things that actively pushes me out of the story because I think I know that I won't like it. But, as you might tell from the title, it's a big part of this book. I'll even go so far as to say that, if it weren't for a) a book club I'm part of choosing it for this month, and b) it being on Kindle Unlimited, I never would have picked it up.

But I am glad I did. It did take a long time for my brain to get out of my way and let me enjoy the book, but that is on me. One of the things that helped me do that was Bridget Essex's writing: I liked Holly from the start and some of the other characters provoked emotional responses from me. This wasn't going to be some cartoonish buffoonery; there was a real story here. And so I persevered.

And every time I held my nose and continued into territory where I expected to be disappointed, Bridget Essex rewarded me with this book and with Holly and her heart and her friends and her love. And I definitely feel like my persistence was rewarded!