Noiva da Traição

by Blythe Gifford

Her vulnerability made her dangerous...

Lady Solay's eyes met those of a hard-edged man. His implacable gaze sliched through her and, for an instant, she forgot everything else. A mistake. She had no time for emotion when so much depended on her finding favor at court.

Lord Justin Lamont couldn't look away from the late king's scandalous--illegitimate--daughter. Head held high, she walked as if the court adored her. No matter the pain in her eyes, Justin resolutely snuffed out a spark of sympathy. He must guard against her bewitching charms...

Genres: Medieval, Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Medieval Romance, Historical Fiction, Harlequin Historical

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

After many years in public relations, advertising, and marketing, Blythe Gifford started writing seriously after a corporate layoff. Ten years and one layoff later, she became an overnight success when she sold her Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist manuscript to Harlequin.
She has since written medieval romances featuring characters born on the wrong side of the royal blanket. Now, she’s launching a new series set on the turbulent Scottish Borders.
The Chicago Tribune has called her work “the perfect balance between history and romance.”
Photo by Jennifer Girard.

Reviews

[boogenhagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a medieval about the maybe illegitimate daughter of Edward III being made to go to Richard II court to flatter or seduce him into granting her mother an income to support them. Her mum was E3's mistress and amassed a huge fortune and estates but when E3 died, greedy husbands relations used the court system to strip them from her and they are nearly destitute. The underage king R2 has lost controll of his treasury and so he wants the h to spy on the opposition by marrying the H who is the lawyer for the controlling lords. The H hates the h and all she stands for. He basically thinks she is a using, lying, cheating whore and he won't marry her unless she can prove she loves him.

She tries, but as they get to know each other, he punishes her with his version of how the truth should be- straightforward and honest- as opposed to her reality -which is women in medieval times have no overt power and so have to rely on coercion and manipulation for safety and security. The H is very black and white and a prig to boot, the h is more fluid and I really felt bad for her. Needless to say they marry cause she is desperate to keep her family from starving and homelessness and the H agrees to represent her mum in court to keep their home.

He loses due to legal manipulation, gets accused of treason by the king and his life is only spared by the h's machinations cause she loves him by this time. The H is an utter pig about it of course, even while HE is manipulating the law to get certain unsavory influences on R2 either beheaded or exiled. Thus proving he is as much if not more manipulative than she is. Finally he sees the error of his ways after she risks death to state her truths to R2 and his enemies. HEA follows and all is well. I liked this book not so much for the romance but to see the process of disillusionment in a moral absolutist as he realizes how skewed his vision of the world is and learns to appreciate the sacrifices people will make for love. The romance was okay and I really felt for the h and her very hard decisions even though I did not like some of them.

[Sarah Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

The prose was fine, & the heroine was fine...but the hero made me want to beat him over the head with a fire extinguisher. He labeled himself stoic & proud, but in reality he was a passive-aggressive douche.

Him: Prove that you love me, whore.
Her: *does things he wants done & says things he wants said*
Him: How dare you do things I want done & say things I want said!
Her: ...But I DO love you, bonehead. That’s why I’m trying to please you.
Him: Your efforts to please are sickening because you’re just trying to please! Whore.
Her: Fine, I’ll do what I want & also sacrifice a lot to save your life because I LOVE YOU, goddammit.
Him: You whore! If you really loved me, you’d have shown me by proving it.
Her: Da fuck?
Him: You know nothing of the horrible man-pain that is being a man, you whore who tries to please people!
Her: Good grief. Tell me about your man-pain, ok? And then let’s talk about how women can do nothing except beg from men to survive & yet you treat us like whores for doing only what you let us! Fuck off. I’m still in love with you, but god knows why.
Him: ...My arguments have been illogical & incredibly double-standard. I suddenly feel ashamed.
Her: No shit, Sherlock.

Case in point: At one time he believes she’s pregnant because she’s pushing for their marriage that the King is also pushing for. Why else would a woman push for marriage than to hide a pregnancy?? Except that HE was the one who told HER to approach the King for permission to marry. SHE wasn’t interested in marrying anyone until HE twisted her arm into it, which means SHE is trying to foist an unplanned baby onto HIM...an unplanned baby that doesn’t even exist. Yeah. 🤔 Just try & wrap your mind around Justin’s logic. Unfortunately, the entire book is littered with this type of thing, which always boils down to his man-pain & transferring his dead fiancee’s prior bad acts onto a woman who he assumes to be just as awful as her mother even though she’s given him no reason to think that way. It’s really annoying & (IMO) impossible to overlook for a HEA.

I liked that the author tried to write about lesser-known historical figures—Solay, Justin, Hibernia, Agnes, & the King are all real people (or at least based on them), but overall this book struggled to remember it was a romance. Solay & Justin continually took a backseat to the (confusing) court politics, & what page time they did have featured the same frustrating play-by-play on endless repeat. Despite the decent prose & interesting hook, I grew to dread picking it up—so I can only give 2 stars.

[Misfit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Joan (AKA as Solay) is the daughter of the infamous Alice Perrers, the former mistress of Edward III. Richard II is now King and very much at odds with Parliament over his frivolous spending habits. Solay comes to court to plea for funds for her now impoverished mother, and while there she uses her skills in astrology and tells Richard's fortune. Through one twist of fate or another she ends up hooking up with lawyer Justin Lamont, who works for the Council of Lords Appellant investigating Richard. The King orders Justin to marry Solay with the idea to have her spy for him, but Justin insists he'll only marry for love and Solay must prove it.

Or something like that, I confess to feeling a bit lost at times. In the end it was an OK love story with a much too heavy dose of Big Misunderstandings. I really didn't care for either Solay or Justin (a bad thing in a romance) and didn't find much chemistry between the two either, and some of the prose was rather silly at times:

"Her breath quickened as a plume of desire slithered up from her centre. She squeezed her thighs against the weakness, waiting for his touch...Men were all helpless that way, led by their staffs to drink at a woman's well, else how would a woman live?"

"Her breath and her body were one. There was inside and no outside, no difference between his skin and hers. No up or down. No earth or sky. Just this swirling oneness, dizzying as the fall of snowflakes."

*rolls eyes*

If you're looking for a light easy read heavier on the romance than the history this might suit to kill a few hours, but don't go out of your way hunting it down either.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm frustrated by this book, and finally decided to give it only a 3-star rating after some deliberation. I thought the story was captivating, and I had a difficult time putting it down.
However, I couldn't stand Justin! He is a horrible hero! He's cruel, judgmental, insulting, and not supportive of Solay as either a fiance or as a husband. He constantly calls her a "daughter of a whore", insists that SHE prove that she loves him before he weds her, and he constantly spurns and rejects her whenever she makes any kind of sexual advances towards him. I kept thinking how low her self-worth must be if she has to prove her love to a heartless monster. And after the third time he rejects her--on their wedding night, no less--I thought it was his turn to finally try to do the wooing and attempt to win her back. But no, she's the one who still must prove that she loves him even after all the rejections.

[Wendy Hines · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on historical events, this book is a quick and interesting read filled with intrigue, politics and romance. It does not disappoint for action.

Joan, or Solay as she is called, is the daughter of the ex-King and his mistress, or so she thinks. After the King is deposed and another takes her place, she moves with her mother and younger sister to the countryside, basically in exile from the populace. Running low on funds, her mother sends her to court to beg favor from the King that he might give them money annually. The King, meanwhile, answers to Parliament, and is not exactly in charge of the treasury. Solay goes to court, among snickers and rumors of her heritage, and cajoles and lies her way into the King's favor.

When things are looking in her favor, Justin, the lawyer steps in.

Justin is sick and tired of people and their games and lies. Of course, he has his own, but that is different. Working with Parliament to stop a corrupt King is wearing him out. When he notices Solay attempting to get money from the King, he steps in to figure out what is going on, and let her know she will not get a cent without Parliament's approval. Solay does everything within her power to gain his favor, but he sees right through her tricks.

In the background of the story is a power-hungry party King and his cronies, married men having affairs, and a Pope annulling his marriage for some reason never given. There is a little sister who wants to be a man, a power-hungry and loveless mother, and a dead wife.

There is also a power hungry Parliament and clerks, terrified judges, and at the very center of the storm, two people whom say they love each other, but don't even know themselves.

Each character in this book hoard secrets and lies like a candy stash. Though the characters are believable, none are likable. I spent the entire book trying to figure out who were the good guys and who were the bad ones. I wanted to root for someone to win, but in the end, I'm not sure which side won because both were good and bad.

Also, we don't find out enough about the characters and their personalities to either like or dislike them. Though the story ran smoothly, I felt let down. It was extremely impersonal.

[Elysium · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mainly read this because it has connection to Edward III (heroines mother ALice Perrers) and I knew it was big on romance side. I thought it was a nice surprise because I did enjoy it.

But still it was okay but couldn't see much chemistry between the characters. I thought the author tried to keep them apart too hard for no apparent reason.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comecei com as expectativas muito baixas. O começo do livro não parecia nada promissor, parecia com aqueles livros que os protagonistas mal se conhecem e já formam um casal, mas fiquei feliz que não foi o caso.

A mocinha do livro (Solay) tem a personalidade muito leviana nas primeiras páginas, mas adoro como ela vai se desenvolvendo e formando uma personalidade autêntica. Por um lado, o par romântico dela a ajudou muito nesse aspecto, sempre batendo na tecla que ela deveria adquirir uma personalidade própria ao invés de apenas tentar agradar os outros para conseguir favores.

"– Não sei quem é você, nem o que quer, e nem mesmo você sabe. Melhor descobrir sua identidade antes de dizer que ama alguém. Justin fechou a porta e a deixou, tremendo sob a neve."

Também acompanhamos a saga do mocinho (Justin) em se deixar - ou não - apaixonar por alguém. E eu adoro essa parte.

"Entretanto, não foi a escolha de Solay que o surpreendeu, mas, sim, sua reação. Enquanto aguardava a resposta dela, o desejo de se livrar do compromisso se digladiava com o medo de perdê-la. Foi então que percebeu que, mais uma vez, ele arriscava gostar de alguém que não sentia o mesmo por ele."

No fim, o livro não girou somente ao redor do romance, mas sim das políticas do reinado e na vivência da corte. Isso foi ótimo, não ficou maçante, não se tornou apenas um livro de romance qualquer.

"– O rei não liga muito para o que acontece com a maioria dos camponeses. – Ele sorriu. – E estes retribuem o favor. A maioria não liga para quem seja o rei e muito menos se importa com suas despesas, a não ser que novos impostos sejam fixados. E também não ligam para a guerra, a menos que precisem servir."

Os personagens são inspirados em pessoas reais: Alice Perrers (amante do rei Edward III), as duas filhas Joan e Jane, o advogado Robert Skerne (apresentado como Justin Lamont), o rei Richard II e o Duque da Irlanda (apresentado como Duque de Hiberna).

Quote Favorito:

"Solay não pensou duas vezes antes de dar um tapa no rosto dele, deixando a marca de seus dedos em vermelho na pele morena. – Você não merece o amor que desperdicei com você. – Ela respirou fundo. – Vendi minha alma por sua vida. Você me deve a cortesia de, pelo menos por hoje, salvá-la."

[Karine Darnessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je poursuis mon aventure dans la romance historique avec une auteure que je connais un peu.
Nous suivons Solay, fille de l'ancienne favori du défunt roi qui vient demander un peu d'aide de la part du roi actuel. Justin est un homme de loi à cheval sur les règles et ne supporte pas les profiteurs et les cadeaux que fait le roi à ses favoris à longueur de temps. Aussi voit-il Solay comme l'une d'entre eux. Ce qu'il n'avait pas prévu, c'est la vengeance du roi qui prends la forme d'une mauvaise décision.

Dans l'ensemble, j'ai bien aimé ma lecture. Nous avons des personnages haut en couleur qui campent sur leur positions lorsqu'il est question de leur famille ou de la justice. La relation entre Solay et Justin est assez houleuse car l'une à le passé de sa mère chevillé au corps et l'autre cherche la vérité à tout prix que ce soit dans les sentiments des autres que dans la loi.

L'histoire en elle-même montre qu'au bout d'un moment, un monarque ou la justice ont leurs limites et qu'il faut affronter les conséquences de leurs actes. Quitte à créer une guerre ou un conflit grave.

Pour conclure, même si ma lecture m'a plu. Il manque un petit je ne sais quoi pour rendre le tout un peu plus passionnant. Nos deux protagonistes auront quand même réussi à me plaire sous cette tempête d'émotions.

[Simobooktok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ho apprezzato la loro storia d’amore anche se in chiave storica. Mi è piaciuto come sono riusciti a cambiarsi a vicenda e come nonostante tutto si siano scelti anche quando tutto sembrava perduto. Forse il capitolo 29 e il finale mi hanno lasciata un po insoddisfatta, volevo saperne di più del dopo , dopo il matrimonio ci sono pochi capitoli rispetto alla loro conoscenza e disputa iniziale. Avrei voluto qualcosa in più della loro separazione e discussione finale, di come abbiano ripreso ad amarsi anche nella rabbia. E poi il finale così…nooo volevo saperne di più , non mi bastano due facciate di finale

[Aneca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betrothed to a man she must betray.
She is the illegitimate daughter of a dead king, trying to regain a place at court.
He is the powerful lord determined to stop her.
And around every corner lurks treason that could threaten them both.

A medieval and another new to me author, I heard good things about it and decided to give it a try. The author mentions how the idea for this story came from King Edward III and Alice Perrer's daughters of which little is known.

Joan, better known as Lady Solay, comes to court in search of a position or a rich husband. She is the illegitimate daughter of the last king and after he died her mother took her and her sister away from court and lost everything she possessed except the house they have been living in.

There she meets Lord Lamont, a man of law and close to the parliament that is trying to limit the king's power. Solay attracts the attention of the king with her hobby of reading the stars and he ends up devising a marriage between her and Justin Lamont. She would marry a rich man and in turn she would spy on him for the king.

There are several important issues at stake in the story. Whether the king's divine power should or not be above the law of men. What to do when the law and your personal interests are different things. Solay is wary of everyone around her, she knows she is not much liked and is in secret called the harlot's daughter. Although she doesn't want to spy on anyone she knows she has to follow the king's wishes in order to gain her reward and save her mother and sister from poverty. Lamont is ruled only by the law, he is very attracted to Solay but his mission is the more important thing and he distrusts her. Eventually they'll have to trust each other, confide in each and learn about what's truly important.

I did enjoy the story, it seemed more real and plausible than most medievals. It dealt with real characters with understandable motivations and with divided interests or loyalties. I thought that was a refreshing change from the usual plots and I'm already looking for more books by this author.

Grade: B

[Elgyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

a byl k Joan otočený zády (...) Do obličeje mu pořádně neviděla, ale všimla si, že pevně svírá čelist a tváře má jakoby propadlé. Když k ní byl otočený zády?

Hrdinka má sice poslání, ale jejím životním cílem je v podstatě dostat hrdinu do pelíšku. Justin je docela dobrý hrdina, nicméně hrdinčina matka je kuplířka a dcera je lepší prostitutka, tedy lépe řečeno - byla by, kdyby někoho do pelechu dotáhla. Neleze každému do pelechu kvůli chtíči, ve skutečnosti je nesobecká a záleží jí pouze na blahu rodiny. Aspoň tak to autorka prezentuje, ale moc jí nevěřím. Takže v zájmu rodiny pronásleduje hrdinu po souši, ve vodě i ve vzduchu.

s. 232 „Ohlášky jsou závazné. Neexistuje možnost, jak z toho vycouvat.“
Ano? Hrdinové měli ohlášky na s. 77, ale přesto na s. 173, 174 mají možnost z manželství vycouvat. Podle zákona je to jasné, ale kvůli tomu, že si hrdina vymínil podmínku, tak je jeho rozhodnutí nad zákon?

Je nelogická i na brakovku, ale konec byl hezký.

Obrázek na obálce je zavádějící. Že by hrdina nosil drátěný nátělník na holém hrudníčku?

[Sarah Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank Goodness.

I met Blythe at a conference, and she was amazingly kind and friendly to me. And, being a wuss, that made me absolutely terrified to read her books because I was afraid I wouldn't like them.

And I loved this.

Solid characters - Justin and Solay - with real flaws who grow and change in realistic, believable ways. This is just a pleasant read easily couched in real events. At a few points, I got a little fed up with medieval English law, but it never really got overbearing.

I'm waiting for Jane's story!

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having just read a story about Alice Perrers, mistress of Edward III - I was interested to read this light, romantic story about Joan, her daughter.
Little is known about the illegitimate children from Alice's relationship with the King - and I'm not sure that Joan was ever received back at court following her mother's fall from grace - but the story is an easy reading, slightly risque romp....

[Cristina Contilli]

Il re alzò le spalle. "E va bene, lady Solay, vi concedo da oggi fino alla fine della Quaresima per convincerlo del vostro amore." Il suo sguardo divenne minaccioso. "E a voi, Lamont, concedo lo stesso lasso di tempo per lasciarvi convincere."
La trama del romanzo è in fondo racchiusa in questa citazione e, trattandosi di un rosa, non c'è da dubitare del fatto che lady Solay riesca nel suo intento.

[Frances · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gotta love these titles.