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The Black Knight
He rode into Chirk Castle on his pure black destrier. Clad in black from his gleaming helm to the tips of his toes, he was all battle-honed muscles and rippling tendons. In his stark black armor he looked lethal and sinister, every bit as dangerous as his name implied. He was a man renowned for his courage and strength, for his prowess with women, for his ruthless skill in combat.
But when he saw Raven of Chirk, with her long, chestnut tresses and womanly curves, he could barely contain his embroiled emotions. For it was her betrayal twelve years before that had turned him from chivalrous youth to hardened knight. It was she who made him vow to trust no woman—to take women only for his pleasure. It was she who had made him ruthless and bitter and incapable of love. But only she could unleash the passion in his body, the goodness in his soul, and the love in his heart.
But when he saw Raven of Chirk, with her long, chestnut tresses and womanly curves, he could barely contain his embroiled emotions. For it was her betrayal twelve years before that had turned him from chivalrous youth to hardened knight. It was she who made him vow to trust no woman—to take women only for his pleasure. It was she who had made him ruthless and bitter and incapable of love. But only she could unleash the passion in his body, the goodness in his soul, and the love in his heart.
390 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
68 people are currently reading
904 people want to read
About the author
Connie Mason
140 books534 followersConnie Mason or Cara Miles is the best-selling author of more than fifty historical romances and novellas. Her tales of passion and adventure are set in exotic as well as American locales. Connie was named Story Teller of the Year in 1990 by Romantic Times and was awarded Career Achievement award in the Western category by Romantic Times in 1994. Connie makes her home in Tarpon Springs, Florida with her husband Jerry.
Prior to her first published work in 1984, Connie was a full time homemaker. Always an avid reader, writing was one of Connie's dreams.
In 1995 Connie was featured on a segment of the CBS news show 48 Hours, a television production that devoted an entire program to the romance novel industry. Connie was also featured in an article published by National Inquirer.
In addition to writing and traveling, Connie enjoys telling anyone who will listen about her three children and nine grandchildren, and sharing memories of her years living abroad in Europe and Asia as the wife of a career serviceman. In her spare time Connie enjoys reading, dancing, playing bridge and freshwater fishing with her husband.
Prior to her first published work in 1984, Connie was a full time homemaker. Always an avid reader, writing was one of Connie's dreams.
In 1995 Connie was featured on a segment of the CBS news show 48 Hours, a television production that devoted an entire program to the romance novel industry. Connie was also featured in an article published by National Inquirer.
In addition to writing and traveling, Connie enjoys telling anyone who will listen about her three children and nine grandchildren, and sharing memories of her years living abroad in Europe and Asia as the wife of a career serviceman. In her spare time Connie enjoys reading, dancing, playing bridge and freshwater fishing with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
April 10, 2017
I am NOT proud of my 4 stars rating. That much is true and it will be the overarching theme of my review.
The Black Knight by Connie Mason, is as trashy a book as they come. Wayyyyy too many sex scenes. At one point you just want to throw your hands in the air and ask: really? again?? There is a clinical term for it nowadays: you guys are sex addicts!
The plot is surprisingly well done. I actually think making the heroine a married woman (marriage unconsumated) made the story better. Forbidden kind of love, or "liaison", I somehow refuse to believe that keep going at it automatically translates into love.
The overdone sex thing aside, the lead characters are likeable and somehow they seem to really have a thing between them. I don't know how Connie Mason did it. Gotta give her credit.
The dialogues, oh my God, do they get any cheesier than this? NO! They don't. I really had to roll my eyes in multiple sections and wince. Is Drake an asshole or an honorable knight? Sometimes he says things so out of character that I want to scream: man I don't know who you are! But again, I don't know how Mason did it. She made it work.
This story could have been really great, with the medieval backdrop done very nicely. The knight charging in the battle for the honor/protection of the lady. All very grand notions. Despite Drake's horrendous behaviors, I still like him better than Raven. Raven as a heroine, did not capture my heart, even though she did not do anything that I despised in females such as throwing fits and holding a grudge for things that cannot be helped.
Honestly it is a really bad book but so bad that it's good. Am I making sense?? I actually enjoyed reading it and with shame I am putting it on my keeper shelf. I won't recommend the book but damn, I liked the book!
The Black Knight by Connie Mason, is as trashy a book as they come. Wayyyyy too many sex scenes. At one point you just want to throw your hands in the air and ask: really? again?? There is a clinical term for it nowadays: you guys are sex addicts!
The plot is surprisingly well done. I actually think making the heroine a married woman (marriage unconsumated) made the story better. Forbidden kind of love, or "liaison", I somehow refuse to believe that keep going at it automatically translates into love.
The overdone sex thing aside, the lead characters are likeable and somehow they seem to really have a thing between them. I don't know how Connie Mason did it. Gotta give her credit.
The dialogues, oh my God, do they get any cheesier than this? NO! They don't. I really had to roll my eyes in multiple sections and wince. Is Drake an asshole or an honorable knight? Sometimes he says things so out of character that I want to scream: man I don't know who you are! But again, I don't know how Mason did it. She made it work.
This story could have been really great, with the medieval backdrop done very nicely. The knight charging in the battle for the honor/protection of the lady. All very grand notions. Despite Drake's horrendous behaviors, I still like him better than Raven. Raven as a heroine, did not capture my heart, even though she did not do anything that I despised in females such as throwing fits and holding a grudge for things that cannot be helped.
Honestly it is a really bad book but so bad that it's good. Am I making sense?? I actually enjoyed reading it and with shame I am putting it on my keeper shelf. I won't recommend the book but damn, I liked the book!
October 4, 2025
3.5 stars
This one was fun! Very much a soap opera, dramatic romance. The hero is a knight who has been looked down upon because he's a bastard child. Everyone has fallen in love with the heroine and wants her, including her dead sister's husband. The hero comes back to town and claims her as his because he hates his brother, who was married to her sister. And it goes from there! I think the pacing was a bit slow, but the beginning and end were definitely dramatic and I was entertained!
This one was fun! Very much a soap opera, dramatic romance. The hero is a knight who has been looked down upon because he's a bastard child. Everyone has fallen in love with the heroine and wants her, including her dead sister's husband. The hero comes back to town and claims her as his because he hates his brother, who was married to her sister. And it goes from there! I think the pacing was a bit slow, but the beginning and end were definitely dramatic and I was entertained!
April 17, 2017
My first Connie Mason and I loved it! Wow! I devoured this book. So much angst, a great villain and super hot and steamy love scenes. I loved Drake and Raven. I loved that she was in love with him since forever and that she never stopped loving him. So romantic and Drake's jealousy and possessiveness towards the end was amazing to read. The epilogue melted my heart. Their son was a cutie and the scene with their twins adorable. 5 stars for sure!
July 13, 2024
Read: 7/1/24
I wouldn't rate this story with Dragon Lord. They're not bad books but not stand outs either. I liked the story, but that's it! I need the crazier CM books! This story could've been written by anyone. I think she tried to dial back for modern readers.
I would recommend this book if you're in the mood for a nice middle-ages story, which sometimes I am
I wouldn't rate this story with Dragon Lord. They're not bad books but not stand outs either. I liked the story, but that's it! I need the crazier CM books! This story could've been written by anyone. I think she tried to dial back for modern readers.
I would recommend this book if you're in the mood for a nice middle-ages story, which sometimes I am
April 11, 2017
Cute, sweet and cheesy (yep, over the top lines in this one) read. I think Medieval reads are some of my top favorite reads (knights, sigh and drool).
September 1, 2025
2.5 stars. I’ve read a few other Connie Mason books and they’ve been fun, but this was just so boring and I didn’t care about the characters.
The hero is raised to be a squire to his half brother, loses his first love when he’s young, has issues with his half brother who treated him horribly growing up, he becomes a knight after all and returns, his brother’s betrothed actually wants him. I enjoyed other Connie Mason books I read that were much more plot and adventure and bonkers, this was just a knight’s story. Very much bodice ripper vibes and a couple super lusty all over the place, I started skipping ahead and it would be yet another horny scene with these two. I didn’t care.
The hero is raised to be a squire to his half brother, loses his first love when he’s young, has issues with his half brother who treated him horribly growing up, he becomes a knight after all and returns, his brother’s betrothed actually wants him. I enjoyed other Connie Mason books I read that were much more plot and adventure and bonkers, this was just a knight’s story. Very much bodice ripper vibes and a couple super lusty all over the place, I started skipping ahead and it would be yet another horny scene with these two. I didn’t care.
October 17, 2024
3,5 stelline
Il titolo originario era in realtà più azzeccato (Il cavaliere nero), ma non mi dispiace l’omaggio della versione italiana a colei che è la vera protagonista del libro.
Lady Raven cresce come secondogenita, sempre in ombra, di un lord castellano nel Galles del 1300; in segreto ama il figlio illegittimo di un altro lord, che viene cresciuto nel castello del padre come scudiero, insieme al fratello legittimo aspirante cavaliere.
Una fanciulla, pur ricca, del tempo non può fare molto, anche se è sveglia e poco incline alla sottomissione; quando la sorella maggiore muore giovanissima, a seguito di un matrimonio combinato, Raven si ritrova promessa allo stesso ottuso e violento cognato, ormai vedovo, e non sa come uscirne. Davvero la salvezza potrebbe arrivare dal passato?
La trama è ricca di scambi di coppia, ma è coente con il fatto che la vita era davvero difficile se volevi mantenere il potere, tra agguati, avvelenamenti, brutalità domestiche e morti per parto o peste o freddo o qualsiasi malanno di stomaco.
Non che ai cavalieri maschi andasse meglio tra rivalità, tornei sanguinari e guerre infinite.
Ecco quindi che ci si può permettere solo amori giovani e matrimoni giovani pieni di speranza. Del doman qui nessun ha certezza, neppure la Mason che racconta l'intensità fugace e passionale di Raven e Drake, e poi sfuma romanticamente sugli anni a venire.
Queste trame non sono il massimo per me, ma si fanno leggere senza fatica.
Il titolo originario era in realtà più azzeccato (Il cavaliere nero), ma non mi dispiace l’omaggio della versione italiana a colei che è la vera protagonista del libro.
Lady Raven cresce come secondogenita, sempre in ombra, di un lord castellano nel Galles del 1300; in segreto ama il figlio illegittimo di un altro lord, che viene cresciuto nel castello del padre come scudiero, insieme al fratello legittimo aspirante cavaliere.
Una fanciulla, pur ricca, del tempo non può fare molto, anche se è sveglia e poco incline alla sottomissione; quando la sorella maggiore muore giovanissima, a seguito di un matrimonio combinato, Raven si ritrova promessa allo stesso ottuso e violento cognato, ormai vedovo, e non sa come uscirne. Davvero la salvezza potrebbe arrivare dal passato?
La trama è ricca di scambi di coppia, ma è coente con il fatto che la vita era davvero difficile se volevi mantenere il potere, tra agguati, avvelenamenti, brutalità domestiche e morti per parto o peste o freddo o qualsiasi malanno di stomaco.
Non che ai cavalieri maschi andasse meglio tra rivalità, tornei sanguinari e guerre infinite.
Ecco quindi che ci si può permettere solo amori giovani e matrimoni giovani pieni di speranza. Del doman qui nessun ha certezza, neppure la Mason che racconta l'intensità fugace e passionale di Raven e Drake, e poi sfuma romanticamente sugli anni a venire.
Queste trame non sono il massimo per me, ma si fanno leggere senza fatica.
January 13, 2010
He rode into Chirk Castle on his pure black destrier. Clad in black from his gleaming helm to the tips of his toes, he was all battle-honed muscles and rippling tendons. In his stark black armor he looked lethal and sinister, every bit as dangerous as his name implied. He was a man renowned for his courage and strength, for his prowess with women, for his ruthless skill in combat.
But when he saw Raven of Chirk, with her long, chestnut tresses and womanly curves, he could barely contain his embroiled emotions. For it was her betrayal twelve years before that had turned him from chivalrous youth to hardened knight. It was she who made him vow to trust no woman - to take women only for his pleasure. It was she who had made him ruthless and bitter and incapable of love. But she could unleash he passion in his body, the goodness in his soul, and the love in his heart.
If all of her books are as good as this one was I think I might have a new fav author!! This book was fantastic! it had everything you could want in a historical romance... an arranged marriage, an evil soon to be husband, a knight in shinning armor (well black armor), a kidnapping, a race across the English country side, amazing castles, twisted family trees, murders, twisted love triangles (well squares)... everything you love about mid evil romance!
Even his name is perfect for this book... Drake... perfect hunky hero name!
Drake is the illegitimate first born son of the lord of castle Chirk... or is he his parent's marriage can be neither proved or disproved, he's just assumed to be illegitimate because his father claims it so. At 17 Drake is in love with Daria, Daria is engaged to Drake's legitimate half brother, Waldo, perfect goofy name for him... Waldo wants Daria's younger sister (who is 12 at the time EWWW!!) Raven, and completeing the circle Raven is in love with Drake... Daria is fickle and simply uses Drake to try to make Waldo pay more attention to her since he really wants Raven, Drake makes plans to elope with Daria which are sabotaged by Daria on purpose and Drake is banished from castle Chirk, he blames Raven for there plans being ruined, never knowing the Daria herself was the one to actually do it.... Drake leaves castle Chirk, and years later he has become a knight won a title and an estate that is badly in need of repares, while Drake was off making a success of himself Waldo married Daria and she mysteriously died and Waldo and Daria's brother Duff go off to war the same as Drake with none of the same success, Raven's fiance (who we never meet) is killed in that war (by Waldo but we don't find that out till the end) they return from war and Waldo convinces Duff to allow him to marry Raven, because of religious reason's Waldo must jump through numerous hoops to be allowed to marry Raven.... a few days before this wedding is to take place is when the story starts, Drake having won his land and title now is in need of the money to restore it and has taken to entering knights tournaments to win the money he needs... he unknowingly enters the celebratory tournament of Waldo and Raven's wedding....
When Raven and Drake meet there's a spark that wasn't there before (I'm guessing it's because she's no longer 12!!) Raven asks Drake to help her escape to her aunts in Scotland, he refuses several times... and to my surprise the wedding goes through and she marries Waldo! I totally expected Drake to rescue her but he sits back and actually watches the wedding ceremony! At the wedding feast Waldo being the dope that he is gets drunk enough to pass out... and Drake feeling guilty gets drunk as well only he is more productive in his inebriation and sneaks into the wedding chamber and takes Raven's virginity, he immediately pulls a jerk off guy move and leaves right after with the intentions of leaving Chirk.... what a jerk... later realizing that his half brother will prob. kill Raven he returns to steal her away just to find that Raven took care of Waldo herself and has run away to demand that he deliver her to her aunt..... Drake decides that it is his duty to protect Raven from the danger Waldo presents, seeming as he is the cause of that danger, and he takes Raven to his new estate instead of her aunts.
Waldo is furious of course seeming as his bride knocked him out and ran off with his half brother, he looks for her at her aunts doesn't find her, and realizes that she must be with his half brother and heads there....
I won't spoil the rest of the book for you but I will say that Raven ends up pregnant right before the king tries to marry Drake off to his wealthy charge.... Drake and Raven prevail and end up together (of course this is a romance) and through several very interesting twists Waldo looses everything Drake wins Raven and castle Chirk, he saves his new estate, Drakes would be bride and Raven's brother Duff find happy endings, the story of Drake's legitimacy becomes clear, and it's just such a great book!
The only things i found strange about this book is Raven has brown hair... call me crazy but the name Raven just screams black hair!! and Drake's grandmother is a strange sort of psychic kind of... it's a weird twist... but I really hope you all read this, I promise if you like romance you will love this book!
But when he saw Raven of Chirk, with her long, chestnut tresses and womanly curves, he could barely contain his embroiled emotions. For it was her betrayal twelve years before that had turned him from chivalrous youth to hardened knight. It was she who made him vow to trust no woman - to take women only for his pleasure. It was she who had made him ruthless and bitter and incapable of love. But she could unleash he passion in his body, the goodness in his soul, and the love in his heart.
If all of her books are as good as this one was I think I might have a new fav author!! This book was fantastic! it had everything you could want in a historical romance... an arranged marriage, an evil soon to be husband, a knight in shinning armor (well black armor), a kidnapping, a race across the English country side, amazing castles, twisted family trees, murders, twisted love triangles (well squares)... everything you love about mid evil romance!
Even his name is perfect for this book... Drake... perfect hunky hero name!
Drake is the illegitimate first born son of the lord of castle Chirk... or is he his parent's marriage can be neither proved or disproved, he's just assumed to be illegitimate because his father claims it so. At 17 Drake is in love with Daria, Daria is engaged to Drake's legitimate half brother, Waldo, perfect goofy name for him... Waldo wants Daria's younger sister (who is 12 at the time EWWW!!) Raven, and completeing the circle Raven is in love with Drake... Daria is fickle and simply uses Drake to try to make Waldo pay more attention to her since he really wants Raven, Drake makes plans to elope with Daria which are sabotaged by Daria on purpose and Drake is banished from castle Chirk, he blames Raven for there plans being ruined, never knowing the Daria herself was the one to actually do it.... Drake leaves castle Chirk, and years later he has become a knight won a title and an estate that is badly in need of repares, while Drake was off making a success of himself Waldo married Daria and she mysteriously died and Waldo and Daria's brother Duff go off to war the same as Drake with none of the same success, Raven's fiance (who we never meet) is killed in that war (by Waldo but we don't find that out till the end) they return from war and Waldo convinces Duff to allow him to marry Raven, because of religious reason's Waldo must jump through numerous hoops to be allowed to marry Raven.... a few days before this wedding is to take place is when the story starts, Drake having won his land and title now is in need of the money to restore it and has taken to entering knights tournaments to win the money he needs... he unknowingly enters the celebratory tournament of Waldo and Raven's wedding....
When Raven and Drake meet there's a spark that wasn't there before (I'm guessing it's because she's no longer 12!!) Raven asks Drake to help her escape to her aunts in Scotland, he refuses several times... and to my surprise the wedding goes through and she marries Waldo! I totally expected Drake to rescue her but he sits back and actually watches the wedding ceremony! At the wedding feast Waldo being the dope that he is gets drunk enough to pass out... and Drake feeling guilty gets drunk as well only he is more productive in his inebriation and sneaks into the wedding chamber and takes Raven's virginity, he immediately pulls a jerk off guy move and leaves right after with the intentions of leaving Chirk.... what a jerk... later realizing that his half brother will prob. kill Raven he returns to steal her away just to find that Raven took care of Waldo herself and has run away to demand that he deliver her to her aunt..... Drake decides that it is his duty to protect Raven from the danger Waldo presents, seeming as he is the cause of that danger, and he takes Raven to his new estate instead of her aunts.
Waldo is furious of course seeming as his bride knocked him out and ran off with his half brother, he looks for her at her aunts doesn't find her, and realizes that she must be with his half brother and heads there....
I won't spoil the rest of the book for you but I will say that Raven ends up pregnant right before the king tries to marry Drake off to his wealthy charge.... Drake and Raven prevail and end up together (of course this is a romance) and through several very interesting twists Waldo looses everything Drake wins Raven and castle Chirk, he saves his new estate, Drakes would be bride and Raven's brother Duff find happy endings, the story of Drake's legitimacy becomes clear, and it's just such a great book!
The only things i found strange about this book is Raven has brown hair... call me crazy but the name Raven just screams black hair!! and Drake's grandmother is a strange sort of psychic kind of... it's a weird twist... but I really hope you all read this, I promise if you like romance you will love this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2025
4.5 stars
Click here to see the stepback on my 1999 Leisure Books copy :) This stepback cracks me up because it screams 1999 to me. Who knew that The Rachel haircut was popular even in 1355!
This book opens with a prologue where we are introduced to a teenage love-quadrangle. Our hero Drake is a 17-year-old bastard being fostered at Chirk Castle in Wales with his legitimate brother, Waldo, where he is training to be Waldo's squire. Drake is in love with Daria, the daughter of the Lord of Chirk Castle. However, Daria is engaged to brutish Waldo. Meanwhile Daria's 12-year-old sister Raven is in love with Drake. Drake makes plans to elope with Daria. Raven - knowing her sister's flighty nature - attempts in vain to convince Drake to abandon the plan. Sure enough, the Lord of Chirk Castle discovers their plot and catches Drake red-handed on the night of the escape. He banishes Drake from the castle. Drake is convinced that Raven exposed their plan out of jealousy, and harbors hatred for her.
Fast forward twelve years later to 1355. Daria and Waldo did marry, although Daria died mysteriously a mere few months later. Now Waldo is betrothed to Raven. Raven's brother is hosting a tournament at Chirk Castle in honor of their marriage. Who should show up to compete in the tournament but Drake - now famously known as the Black Knight. In the years since his exile from Chirk, Drake has proved himself on the battlefield defending Edward the Black Prince and has earned the king's favor, as well as a title and property. Raven begs Drake to help her escape her impending marriage to Waldo, but Drake still hates her and refuses. However, Drake's unexpected attraction to Raven and his rivalry with Waldo leads him to become a player in their marriage whether he wants to be or not.
.....
I am honestly surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. There is no denying that the dialogue is cheesy, the plot points are predictable, and the leads are not very compelling - with the hero Drake being a complete Marty Stu, and the heroine Raven quite bland. However, despite all of that I found this story to be genuinely entertaining and enjoyable.
While the heroes themselves were nothing special, I liked their romance. There was an interesting layer of moral conflict - as both characters feel that is it wrong to reveal their feelings for each other when Raven is married to another - that added a great amount of angst. I also liked that Drake wasn't really an Alpha Asshole and was sort of an Alpha Protector/Nurturer, for lack of a better term. The kind of guy who makes executive decisions and takes care of others. Drake was the type of hero who - if his heroine catches a chill - is having a bath drawn for her, tucking her in to bed and feeding her soup himself, in a no-nonsense "I know what's best for you" kind of way. There are definitely times when that type of hero is the most appealing to me.
Foolish me originally picked this as a book that I could read on my lunch break at work. I had to quickly abandon that plan once I realized that the sex scenes in this book are extremely frequent and explicit. I did not find them to be particularly compelling, though. The euphemisms made me cringe more than anything. In fact, I mourn the person I was before I read the phrase , and I apologize for making you read it.
I might end up putting this on my keeper shelf and re-reading it someday! I'm not sure yet. Reading this honestly felt akin to being curled up on a rainy day watching an old swashbuckler film. Sure, I had to laugh at the cheesiness and roll my eyes at the predictability, but I was absolutely living for the drama, adventure, romance, and the satisfaction of good conquering evil.
Click here to see the stepback on my 1999 Leisure Books copy :) This stepback cracks me up because it screams 1999 to me. Who knew that The Rachel haircut was popular even in 1355!
This book opens with a prologue where we are introduced to a teenage love-quadrangle. Our hero Drake is a 17-year-old bastard being fostered at Chirk Castle in Wales with his legitimate brother, Waldo, where he is training to be Waldo's squire. Drake is in love with Daria, the daughter of the Lord of Chirk Castle. However, Daria is engaged to brutish Waldo. Meanwhile Daria's 12-year-old sister Raven is in love with Drake. Drake makes plans to elope with Daria. Raven - knowing her sister's flighty nature - attempts in vain to convince Drake to abandon the plan. Sure enough, the Lord of Chirk Castle discovers their plot and catches Drake red-handed on the night of the escape. He banishes Drake from the castle. Drake is convinced that Raven exposed their plan out of jealousy, and harbors hatred for her.
Fast forward twelve years later to 1355. Daria and Waldo did marry, although Daria died mysteriously a mere few months later. Now Waldo is betrothed to Raven. Raven's brother is hosting a tournament at Chirk Castle in honor of their marriage. Who should show up to compete in the tournament but Drake - now famously known as the Black Knight. In the years since his exile from Chirk, Drake has proved himself on the battlefield defending Edward the Black Prince and has earned the king's favor, as well as a title and property. Raven begs Drake to help her escape her impending marriage to Waldo, but Drake still hates her and refuses. However, Drake's unexpected attraction to Raven and his rivalry with Waldo leads him to become a player in their marriage whether he wants to be or not.
.....
I am honestly surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. There is no denying that the dialogue is cheesy, the plot points are predictable, and the leads are not very compelling - with the hero Drake being a complete Marty Stu, and the heroine Raven quite bland. However, despite all of that I found this story to be genuinely entertaining and enjoyable.
While the heroes themselves were nothing special, I liked their romance. There was an interesting layer of moral conflict - as both characters feel that is it wrong to reveal their feelings for each other when Raven is married to another - that added a great amount of angst. I also liked that Drake wasn't really an Alpha Asshole and was sort of an Alpha Protector/Nurturer, for lack of a better term. The kind of guy who makes executive decisions and takes care of others. Drake was the type of hero who - if his heroine catches a chill - is having a bath drawn for her, tucking her in to bed and feeding her soup himself, in a no-nonsense "I know what's best for you" kind of way. There are definitely times when that type of hero is the most appealing to me.
Foolish me originally picked this as a book that I could read on my lunch break at work. I had to quickly abandon that plan once I realized that the sex scenes in this book are extremely frequent and explicit. I did not find them to be particularly compelling, though. The euphemisms made me cringe more than anything. In fact, I mourn the person I was before I read the phrase , and I apologize for making you read it.
I might end up putting this on my keeper shelf and re-reading it someday! I'm not sure yet. Reading this honestly felt akin to being curled up on a rainy day watching an old swashbuckler film. Sure, I had to laugh at the cheesiness and roll my eyes at the predictability, but I was absolutely living for the drama, adventure, romance, and the satisfaction of good conquering evil.
March 25, 2009
This book took me 1 day to complete! I'm not usually a fan of medieval romances, but the story was fast paced and exciting! I was riveted from the beginning to the end. All time favorite!
May 27, 2022
This was hardly deep or absorbing. It was actually pretty flat and the characters were one dimensional - and that's always boring.
February 18, 2021
Where oh where to begin...
I read a review that said there were too many sex scenes in this book and honestly, I agree. It's not something I shy away from, but I found myself skimming to get to the actual storyline. No big deal, just a little thing, but the sex scenes were very rote and felt tedious to get through.
Drake was rather one dimensional. As was Raven. I wanted to like them, I wanted to get involved but the writing was just too paper thin (to me). There was no real depth.
It was low angst with just a few simple misunderstandings that were resolved neatly.
Despite all that 👆🏽 it was still a cute read, very sweet and entertaining enough to hold my interest. The end had a little twist I didn't see coming (amongst all the ones I did) so that was a pleasant surprise, and the epilog leaves everything wrapped up in a tidy little bow.
If you have triggers this book isn't for you. While I consider this mild and very tame there are definite elements I could see bothering sensitive readers.
I read a review that said there were too many sex scenes in this book and honestly, I agree. It's not something I shy away from, but I found myself skimming to get to the actual storyline. No big deal, just a little thing, but the sex scenes were very rote and felt tedious to get through.
Drake was rather one dimensional. As was Raven. I wanted to like them, I wanted to get involved but the writing was just too paper thin (to me). There was no real depth.
It was low angst with just a few simple misunderstandings that were resolved neatly.
Despite all that 👆🏽 it was still a cute read, very sweet and entertaining enough to hold my interest. The end had a little twist I didn't see coming (amongst all the ones I did) so that was a pleasant surprise, and the epilog leaves everything wrapped up in a tidy little bow.
If you have triggers this book isn't for you. While I consider this mild and very tame there are definite elements I could see bothering sensitive readers.
December 3, 2012
Quite possibly THE perfect bodice ripper.
May 12, 2020
LOVED IT!
THIS WAS ONE OF THE BETTER STORIES BY CONNIE MASON, AND THE BEST PAST IS AFTER READING ALMOST 10 OF HER BOOKS, THIS ONE FEATURES A HEROINE WHO'S ACTUALLY BEEN IN LOVE WITH THE HERO ALL HER LIFE.
THE BLACK KNIGHT started off with a bad impression on me because he was just that dumb and young in love. Ugh teenagers! Add in the salt to wound that he's 'illegitimate' and you'll have an even bigger ass who wants to prove himself to the world. At 17, Drake fancies himself in love with Daria (15), our heroine's older sister. He believes she loves him and will elope with him. Of course, he tells this plan to Raven (12) and she warns him that her sister is fickle but the fool won't listen so she threatens him to tell her father. What he doesn't know is that it's an empty threat. But the moment shit hits the fan, Drake assumes that Raven is the one who opened her trap and hated her ever since, like for the next decade until they meet again.
Drake returns a famous knight aka the Black Knight and everyone from his past meets again in the tournament he's participating for the coin. See, Drake has a status and title now, and he's earned himself a castle by the sea except it's in need of serious repair. I don't understand Drake's logic sometimes, and well, blame it on the alcohol...but it was still stupid. He's also shallow. Shallow as in, when he laid eyes on Raven again, he finds her beautiful and asking himself why he never thought about her in that way.
Okay, the alcohol part refers to his stupid plan to deflower Raven on her wedding night, robbing her vile husband from having her virginity. What better way to cuckold his half-brother than to sleep with his newly wedded wife? Before Raven got hitched, which was days BEFORE the tournament, she approached him with a plea to help her escape from her wedding but he refused out of spite.
So, he takes her virginity on her wedding night, stumbles off and later feels guilty about it. By then, Raven's husband already knows what happened and she's riding off to find Drake again for protection. Being 'responsible' for her, he brings her back to his castle to protect her and prepare for an attack by his half-brother. Even without Raven's interference, Drake and his half-brother have always had friction since growing up because Drake's supposedly a bastard, but when the truth is revealed, you'll be shocked. Drake's pretty much HOOK, LINE AND SINKER the moment his eyes touched Raven. He'll be struggling mildly with the fact that he's fallen in love with Raven, now his leman but in bed, they both give free reins to their passion. I'd say Connie Mason does write one of the most passionate love scenes for a historical romance. And I'm not complaining!
RAVEN is one of C.M's better heroines too. She's not being a shrew or bitchy, and she's also willing to open up her heart and arms to a hero who initially doesn't deserve her. At 12, she already knows that she loves Drake but the stubborn boy refuses to see the truth about his love for her sister. Unbeknownst to Drake, Daria's the one who blabbed to her father about her elopement because she doesn't want to runaway with Drake. When Drake is banished from the only home he knows, Daria is wedded to Drake's half-brother, but along the way, his wife dies of a mysterious stomach ailment...so did Raven's betrothed. So, at 24, she's now to be wedded to her brother-in-law but she doesn't want to because the man makes her skin crawl and she suspects he killed her sister. Imagine her surprise when Drake is the Black Knight and she hopes that for old time's sake he'll help her. NOT! He rejected her.
And she'll just have to find another way but couldn't. So, she's wedded to the loathsome man, and you know what happens on her wedding night. After that she's pretty much gone into Drake's arms and lives with him while they explore their passion, and also fighting with his half brother throughout the story.
OVERALL while the hero can be....meh...but at least when he grew up, he's a bit better if not still pretty much ruled with his cock. Taking a step back, I'd say the story itself just leapt off the book, I think it's because the chemistry between Drake and Raven was just so compelling, and the passion high...I just couldn't put it down.
THIS WAS ONE OF THE BETTER STORIES BY CONNIE MASON, AND THE BEST PAST IS AFTER READING ALMOST 10 OF HER BOOKS, THIS ONE FEATURES A HEROINE WHO'S ACTUALLY BEEN IN LOVE WITH THE HERO ALL HER LIFE.
THE BLACK KNIGHT started off with a bad impression on me because he was just that dumb and young in love. Ugh teenagers! Add in the salt to wound that he's 'illegitimate' and you'll have an even bigger ass who wants to prove himself to the world. At 17, Drake fancies himself in love with Daria (15), our heroine's older sister. He believes she loves him and will elope with him. Of course, he tells this plan to Raven (12) and she warns him that her sister is fickle but the fool won't listen so she threatens him to tell her father. What he doesn't know is that it's an empty threat. But the moment shit hits the fan, Drake assumes that Raven is the one who opened her trap and hated her ever since, like for the next decade until they meet again.
Drake returns a famous knight aka the Black Knight and everyone from his past meets again in the tournament he's participating for the coin. See, Drake has a status and title now, and he's earned himself a castle by the sea except it's in need of serious repair. I don't understand Drake's logic sometimes, and well, blame it on the alcohol...but it was still stupid. He's also shallow. Shallow as in, when he laid eyes on Raven again, he finds her beautiful and asking himself why he never thought about her in that way.
Okay, the alcohol part refers to his stupid plan to deflower Raven on her wedding night, robbing her vile husband from having her virginity. What better way to cuckold his half-brother than to sleep with his newly wedded wife? Before Raven got hitched, which was days BEFORE the tournament, she approached him with a plea to help her escape from her wedding but he refused out of spite.
So, he takes her virginity on her wedding night, stumbles off and later feels guilty about it. By then, Raven's husband already knows what happened and she's riding off to find Drake again for protection. Being 'responsible' for her, he brings her back to his castle to protect her and prepare for an attack by his half-brother. Even without Raven's interference, Drake and his half-brother have always had friction since growing up because Drake's supposedly a bastard, but when the truth is revealed, you'll be shocked. Drake's pretty much HOOK, LINE AND SINKER the moment his eyes touched Raven. He'll be struggling mildly with the fact that he's fallen in love with Raven, now his leman but in bed, they both give free reins to their passion. I'd say Connie Mason does write one of the most passionate love scenes for a historical romance. And I'm not complaining!
RAVEN is one of C.M's better heroines too. She's not being a shrew or bitchy, and she's also willing to open up her heart and arms to a hero who initially doesn't deserve her. At 12, she already knows that she loves Drake but the stubborn boy refuses to see the truth about his love for her sister. Unbeknownst to Drake, Daria's the one who blabbed to her father about her elopement because she doesn't want to runaway with Drake. When Drake is banished from the only home he knows, Daria is wedded to Drake's half-brother, but along the way, his wife dies of a mysterious stomach ailment...so did Raven's betrothed. So, at 24, she's now to be wedded to her brother-in-law but she doesn't want to because the man makes her skin crawl and she suspects he killed her sister. Imagine her surprise when Drake is the Black Knight and she hopes that for old time's sake he'll help her. NOT! He rejected her.
And she'll just have to find another way but couldn't. So, she's wedded to the loathsome man, and you know what happens on her wedding night. After that she's pretty much gone into Drake's arms and lives with him while they explore their passion, and also fighting with his half brother throughout the story.
OVERALL while the hero can be....meh...but at least when he grew up, he's a bit better if not still pretty much ruled with his cock. Taking a step back, I'd say the story itself just leapt off the book, I think it's because the chemistry between Drake and Raven was just so compelling, and the passion high...I just couldn't put it down.
September 16, 2017
Sometimes historical accuracy doesn’t help historical fiction. THE BLACK KNIGHT would be an otherwise forgettable medieval erotica if it weren’t for the Olde Timey Englishe and the fact that the plot revolves a love-triangle that began when the love interest was twelve.
THE BLACK KNIGHT is basically the first half of WUTHERING HEIGHTS if it were sexed up and took place in 1355. Drake is the bastard son of a knight, hated by all his noble peers, and becomes a hardened jerk after his plans to run off with the local noble hottie go awry. He returns to the castle over a decade later Heathcliff-style, only to find his first love dead and her sister, the architect of his juvenile downfall, grown into a fine young woman. Drake forgets his hatred of her as soon as he and Raven are alone for ten minutes, but unfortunately, he arrived just in time to witness her wedding.
Unintentional hilarity, dubious consent, and stilted historical-lite dialogue aside, THE BLACK KNIGHT is a typical easy-to-read erotic romance. The plot and character are generic, sometimes painfully so, but Connie Mason never fails to hold the reader’s interest. Other romances might ignore the ugly scandal that would come with a married medieval woman running off with her husband’s half-brother, but THE BLACK KNIGHT milks the drama for all its worth. The prerequisite HEA may not be in question, but the path to it will keep a reader’s interest for a few hours.
Worth mentioning is Lady Raven, who, while falling squarely into the “feisty on the streets, pliable in the sheets” archetype made popular by similar trashy romances, never comes off as an idiot. Rather than spending the entire time thinking about the titular knight’s cock, she only mostly thinks about his cock! Nonetheless, she also considers consequences of their actions, makes intelligent plans accordingly, and even calls out her stereotypically macho lover when his attitude or protectiveness crosses the line. Not that it stops him, but at least the topic of consent is broached a time or two.
While the story turned out more interesting than expected, the writing quality leaves a lot to be desired. The book chooses to switch frequently between Drake’s and Raven’s thoughts, often resulting in them repeating information already known to the reader, such making similar observations about their predicament, or telling the reader how they feel rather than showing it. Nary two pages go by without Raven reminding the reader How Bad Adultery Is but She Still Wants The D. Furthermore, the book is frontloaded with far too many sex scenes, and the main villain is one mustache twirl away from being the most stereotypical “evil” character in existence.
I bought my paperback of THE BLACK KNIGHT for fifty cents and walked away happy, but the current four-dollar kindle edition is a decent price for the story. There’s nothing new for romancaholics in it, but casual readers may find something to enjoy.
THE BLACK KNIGHT is basically the first half of WUTHERING HEIGHTS if it were sexed up and took place in 1355. Drake is the bastard son of a knight, hated by all his noble peers, and becomes a hardened jerk after his plans to run off with the local noble hottie go awry. He returns to the castle over a decade later Heathcliff-style, only to find his first love dead and her sister, the architect of his juvenile downfall, grown into a fine young woman. Drake forgets his hatred of her as soon as he and Raven are alone for ten minutes, but unfortunately, he arrived just in time to witness her wedding.
Unintentional hilarity, dubious consent, and stilted historical-lite dialogue aside, THE BLACK KNIGHT is a typical easy-to-read erotic romance. The plot and character are generic, sometimes painfully so, but Connie Mason never fails to hold the reader’s interest. Other romances might ignore the ugly scandal that would come with a married medieval woman running off with her husband’s half-brother, but THE BLACK KNIGHT milks the drama for all its worth. The prerequisite HEA may not be in question, but the path to it will keep a reader’s interest for a few hours.
Worth mentioning is Lady Raven, who, while falling squarely into the “feisty on the streets, pliable in the sheets” archetype made popular by similar trashy romances, never comes off as an idiot. Rather than spending the entire time thinking about the titular knight’s cock, she only mostly thinks about his cock! Nonetheless, she also considers consequences of their actions, makes intelligent plans accordingly, and even calls out her stereotypically macho lover when his attitude or protectiveness crosses the line. Not that it stops him, but at least the topic of consent is broached a time or two.
While the story turned out more interesting than expected, the writing quality leaves a lot to be desired. The book chooses to switch frequently between Drake’s and Raven’s thoughts, often resulting in them repeating information already known to the reader, such making similar observations about their predicament, or telling the reader how they feel rather than showing it. Nary two pages go by without Raven reminding the reader How Bad Adultery Is but She Still Wants The D. Furthermore, the book is frontloaded with far too many sex scenes, and the main villain is one mustache twirl away from being the most stereotypical “evil” character in existence.
I bought my paperback of THE BLACK KNIGHT for fifty cents and walked away happy, but the current four-dollar kindle edition is a decent price for the story. There’s nothing new for romancaholics in it, but casual readers may find something to enjoy.
June 27, 2017
3 stars. I would actually rate the story itself 4 stars, but I can't in all honesty rate it higher than 3 because it was so poorly written. Good lord it was bad! It was like reading an awful script and picturing D-list actors. The writing improved towards the end, but that may have just been me acclimating to her style. Lots of people commented on the copious amount of sex scenes (and there were a lot), but they weren't super detailed so that part didn't bother me. When it comes to the plot, not much truly bothered me. I enjoyed the book for the most part. I would have never believed The Black Knight of all books would get me out of my HR funk, but it did! Drake definitely had his issues and was sort of a dick at times, but I liked him. And I liked Raven. And I liked them together. As bad as the writing is, CM made it more than just a lot of sex between them. They had great chemistry and their love story was believable. I would say the majority of books I rate with 3 stars I probably wouldn't read again, but I will definitely keep this one for another time :)
September 8, 2014
A pesar de ser una novela ligera y predecible, entretenida, no me gustó. Fue muy fácil leerla, pero tampoco me hizo sentir nada especial. Lo peor fue que realmente no me creí lo que se narraba entre las páginas de esta novela. Fue una novela más, sosa y sin sustancia. Y por eso, no he vuelto a leer a Connie. Sus novelas no son lo que yo ando buscando, no son capaces de robarme el corazón. Me resultan insípidas, sin sabor, sin emoción.
Escribe bien, obvio, sabe hilar palabras, pero no logró emocionarme. Y esos protagonistas, eran idiotas. No me gustaron. Él era el típico capullo que trata mal a una chica y que nunca pide perdón por ello. Y ella era la típica damisela que solo sabe suspirar y abrir los brazos para su maridito.
No le encontré la gracia a esta novela.
Connie es una escritora con una fama enorme, pero esta novela no me ha dado ni una sola razón, o pista, de por qué.
Escribe bien, obvio, sabe hilar palabras, pero no logró emocionarme. Y esos protagonistas, eran idiotas. No me gustaron. Él era el típico capullo que trata mal a una chica y que nunca pide perdón por ello. Y ella era la típica damisela que solo sabe suspirar y abrir los brazos para su maridito.
No le encontré la gracia a esta novela.
Connie es una escritora con una fama enorme, pero esta novela no me ha dado ni una sola razón, o pista, de por qué.
September 3, 2021
I had to stop reading. I kept hoping Raven would have a backbone, but she just kept disappointing me. I thought she was brave, but it’s as if she likes being used. I can’t stand when the female character lacks exactly that, CHARACTER!! She’s all mushy and giving when she should be furious. She doesn’t stand up for herself!
April 26, 2014
I expected to love this book. I didn't. Too many sex scenes distracted from the story and the story which at first showed promise fizzled out.
January 9, 2013
I got the impression that I had read this book before, but with newly named characters. I really wish the historical, 14th century aspect had been focused on more.
Just wasn't for me.
Just wasn't for me.
June 24, 2020
Boring, boring, boring... And I suppose this is not even the worse romantic novel out there. This is why I don't normally read this genre.
December 19, 2022
ES una historia potente, con mucho sentimiento y giros predecibles, pero llenos de emoción y angustia. Raven y Drake lo tienen todo en contra para estar juntos, pero se aman y a veces el amor es suficiente. Me ha gustado mucho Raven, su lucha constante por ser consecuente con la situación, cómo intenta mantenerse fiel a sus convicciones y cómo ama. Sin embargo, se e ha hecho muy pesado la repetición de lo mismo en varios párrafos, diciéndonos qué ha pasado y qué siente.
En cuanto a Drake, es un personaje masculino muy fuerte, un hombre herido que lleva toda la vida culpándola a ella de algo que no hizo, que se niega a ver más allá de su deseo, que no es capaz de aceptar sus sentimientos en voz alta, aunque actúe como dictan. A mi modo de ver le ha faltado un poco más de redención. Pero me ha gustado.
En cuanto a Drake, es un personaje masculino muy fuerte, un hombre herido que lleva toda la vida culpándola a ella de algo que no hizo, que se niega a ver más allá de su deseo, que no es capaz de aceptar sus sentimientos en voz alta, aunque actúe como dictan. A mi modo de ver le ha faltado un poco más de redención. Pero me ha gustado.
August 9, 2025
Black Knight is a really fun bodice ripper! Drake is the black knight, and Raven loved him since she was 12 years old. Now he is back, and she is promised to his half brother who is a villain. Drake and Raven were each other’s weakness. There was a lot of adventure, deception and spice. I loved the romance between Drake and Raven, and as it’s an old school bodice ripper, I knew certain things were going to happen, but I was pleasantly surprised when there was no real non-con that happened. There was no real lull in the story for me, and I really liked how the story wrapped up. Ultimately, Black Knight was sexy with a good plot!
Read
February 14, 2022Omg the writing of this book was so funny! I was describing it to my sister and she couldn’t stop laughing.
Read
January 12, 2025Dnf
December 24, 2007
This book is set in England, 1343. It was a fast paced book, with good quality characters that developed well throughout the story. Enjoy!
October 27, 2011
This is another of those situations where the hero is an OTT jerk, and the heroine is waaaay too forgiving. But Mason managed to get me past it and get me rooting for the HEA. Good story.
July 31, 2023
Sexy medieval. heavy on the revenge plot. pretty exciting . Lighter then CMs others - maybe better/more fun .
February 20, 2021
Loved the blurb and the cover, had high expectations but was a letdown.
Didn't like the writing style, characters boring, plot boring. Didn't bother to get past halfway point.
Didn't like the writing style, characters boring, plot boring. Didn't bother to get past halfway point.
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