Honor & Roses

Swordcross Knights #1

by Elizabeth Cole

Forbidden flames burn brightest...

"An extraordinary, fresh new series by a must-read author..."

The knight Alric of Hawksmere has endured years of war and survived dozens of battles in the service of the king. A new challenge awaits him when he returns home to renew his bond with a childhood friend. Alric instead discovers she is now a spirited woman of rare beauty whose kiss makes his blood burn. But the lady Cecily de Vere has been offered in marriage to another man, and Alric's duty is to escort her to the wedding.

Cecily wants to behave as a proper lady. But she yearns for her childhood flame and knows he shares the same desire. When a sudden twist of fortune puts Cecily in mortal danger, Alric takes an unimaginable risk to rescue her. Left alone in the wild, Alric and Cecily must make a choice that will change their lives forever.

The debut book in the Swordcross Knights : A series of full-length historical romance novels set in the vivid and beguiling world of medieval Britannia during an age known as "The Anarchy".

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Medieval, Historical Fiction, Ebooks, Fiction

380 pages, Paperback

Published March 14, 2016

About the author

Elizabeth Cole is a romance author with a penchant for history, which is why she lives in an old house in an old city. She can be found hanging around libraries and archives, or curled in a corner reading, cat on lap. She believes in love at first sight. Then again, she also believes that mac 'n' cheese is a healthy breakfast, so don't trust her judgment on everything.

Get in touch with her at http://twitter.com/coleheartedgirl

Reviews

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Alric of Hawksmere and Lady Cecily de Vere have known each other since childhood. To Cecily, Alric has always been the knight of her dreams. Alric has had a tender for Cecily since forever.

Sir Alric returns from the wars with King Stephen against Empress Maud. Alric doesn't recognize Cecily upon his arrival to the manor. She has grown into her role as Lady of the Manor. Lady Cecily recognizes Alric. He's still her knight. When she is betrothed, Alric is the knight entrusted to bring her to her new home. Will Cecily and Alric admit their love before Cecily's wedding? Can a Knight and a Lady share a HEA together?

This novel I found intriguing. The history is accurate for this time era. The primary characters are well-rounded. Even the secondary characters are fleshed-out​. They all are the kind of people the reader would want to spend time with. The plot and subplots are well written. Each kept the reader turning pages to learn what happen next. The description and setting are fully realized in this novel. The story contains steamy love scenes.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. This kept me entertained enough but there really wasn’t all that much to it. It was an easy read that helped pass the time, but it certainly wasn’t ground breaking. Nonetheless, the story and our characters were fun enough to follow. Things did get a bit ridiculous later on, but in a way that caused mild amusement rather than anger.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was given an advanced copy for an honest review. It is important to state up front that there are aspects in this story that I generally try to avoid, for example young, unsophisticated heroines. However, since the author is Elizabeth Cole and I loved her Zodiac series, I was expecting to be enchanted. Perhaps my expectations were too high and I could not avoid comparing but for me Honor and Roses comes up short. Warning: spoilers ahead.

First, the positive. I loved the minor characters. Elizabeth Cole is able to make even the incidental characters lively, unique, and full of charm. Bertram in Meaholt, Edmund the squire, Robin the outlaw. Each was so much more than a cardboard cutout. I would love them to have their own stories. It cannot be easy to draw such interesting characters with a few brief sketches but in this, the author excels. The most complex and compelling character for me was Pierce of Malvern, the quasi-villain. He was nuanced and surprising. I longed to know the back story on him and hoped for his redemption. It is always wonderful to have characters that are not just black and white embodiments of good or evil. Pierce had a sense of humor and self-awareness that was attractive even as he was single mindedly expedient. What a marvelous character for a book of his own in which he is brought to see the error of his selfish ways. Another very attractive character was Rafe, a brother Knight, who is obviously going to have his own story. There was just enough darkness in his personality to be intriguing and I know I will read his tale when it comes out just to discover who he really is and what will happen to him. Octavian was another genius characterization. He was unusual in that he did not fit the predictable mode of knight and yet could have been consistent with the time period. He was a very creative and inspired choice.

The plot twists were genuinely surprising and that is a plus as I am usually very clever in anticipating the next move.

Now, what I found less satisfactory. The main characters did not have the same depth as some of the minor ones. Alric was consistently noble and Cecily was consistently young. It is not that they were not appealing; it is that there was very little drama in their relationship and very little growth in their personalities. It was clear from the beginning that Alric’s lower status would not hamper their eventual union and the tension was just not enough to provide excitement or suspense. I enjoy feisty, intelligent and capable heroines but Cecily had unrealized potential. Just as the plot was reaching a climax, Alric marvels at the strength of Cecily’s backbone in meeting their serious challenges:

“Alric smiled to himself. Cecily had no idea of the physical hardships he endured as a soldier. But as he glanced back at the woman, riding a borrowed steed, he saw how straight her spine was, and how steady her gaze. As gentle as Cecily seemed, she had an inner strength that adversity brought into the open.” p. 291

and yet a few pages on she goes into a swoon, overcome with emotion:

“Don’t move yet,” he cautioned her. “You must rest. This woman here is Sara, and she’ll take care of you. I’ll tell your father what he needs to know.” Cecily nodded weakly. “Yes, Alric. As you think best.” Then she closed her eyes, tired from even that small effort.” p. 306

Just contradictory and not believable.

The whole element regarding her father, Rainald, was also more than I could believe. He emerges as a very weak and unsympathetic character and even though his story line was a surprise, it was almost too coincidental to be satisfactory. And overcoming the evil Theobald was too easy and again, not credible.

The dialogue also was very simplistic. It seemed as if the author was attempting to create a sense of the time but for me it was unsuccessful. I would have preferred straight up modern anachronistic dialogue to the kind of awkward, forced style that she employs in this book. I did not get a sense of being immersed in the historical period in the same way as in the Zodiac series.

This review has not been easy or fun to write. I admire this author very much and want her to write many more wonderful books. I was thrilled to have this opportunity to review the new one. But it was expected that I would write an honest review and honestly, I would probably not have finished this book if I had not committed to the review.

[Coco.V]

💝FREE on Amazon today (10/20/18)!💝

[Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Twists and turns that were totally unexpected. So many other historical romances are so predictable. Not this one!

[BigComfyChairBookReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it didn't love it. This was a sweet story that I enjoyed reading but I prefer the next book in this series "choose the sky." I just didn't find Cecily a very interesting heroine she was kind of boring. Alric had a little more going for him but wasn't much more than the typical knightly hero. Neither of the main characters felt very deep to me. The story moved at a good pace and kept me interested. Worth the read if only to get to the next in the Swordcross Knights series.

[Jejenum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing special, but nothing horrendous thankfully.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is more than enough to sustain my interest till I reached the end but I do not seem to find any empathy for the characters. I also have issues about the uncle's character. It was so nebulous and he was always in the background that he became almost superfluous thus the issue of credibility in him being the actual villain of the piece. There is such a thing as giving the reader a hint of the character's propensities so that the reveal would not be so derailed as to enable the reader to make the connections. Though there is an interesting plot twist and that was quite a good one, I just think the author must be encouraged to do better in her character arcs since her outlines are not the problem. She is a storyteller, no doubt about that, just that she must develop her characters to make them more real and relatable and weave her plotlines clearly since she can already catch a reader's attention, she must be able to sustain such attention, generate empathy and reader immersion into her story. In other words create a world where the reader can escape to for a few hours.

[Lisbette Tomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Medieval romance is another category I have dabbled in on and off. I know there are some Johanna Lindsey books on my shelves somewhere, although it's been years since I've read them. There's a Julie Garwood audiobook or two in my Audible library as well. It's been a while though, since I've read anything in that time period outside of a Scottish setting. This series, by Elizabeth Cole, is set in medieval Britannia, during an age she describes as "The Anarchy" and which I would guess to be sometime in the 1100-1300 time period.

Alric of Hawksmere fostered with two of his friends and fellow knights with the de Vere family, starting just a few months before the fateful fire that killed Cecily's father and left her in the care of her uncle. When she was 14, they rode off to war, leaving her behind. Years later, Alric returns to Cleobury with Rafe, one of his friends, only to find that Cecily has grown up and the situation at home may be more perilous than the battles he was fighting on the field.

Cecily, for her part, has harbored feelings for Alric since before he left her to go to war, despite the fact that he never returned her letters. When he returns home safely, she is overjoyed — but her opportunity for joy is shortlived, as her uncle announces that she is to be wed to a powerful lord who guards one of the border passes with Wales. Alric is charged with escorting her to the wedding, even as he struggles with his own feelings for Cecily and the unsettling knowledge that one of his friends may be trying to kill him.

I liked Cecily as a character. She was believable as a strong (if sheltered) young woman who was willing to put her life on the line for what she believed was right, while still being true to the customs and rules of the time period. Alric seemed to appreciate the qualities in Cecily that I liked too, and I'll give him credit for that. His characterization felt a little weaker than hers, but it might be because he meets much more of the typical "knight in shining armor" set of qualities.

The plot was solid, if unexceptionable. Without going into spoilers, the resolution felt a little rushed but I suppose that was unavoidable given the magnitude of the dilemma the characters found themselves in. There were really only one or two ways to resolve it, at least if she wanted to be historically accurate, and so she worked with the tools at her disposal. There were a few loose ends clearly aimed at continuing the story of Alric's other two friends, and I enjoyed the book well enough that I'll consider picking up the next two at some point.

As an unrelated side note, I really loved the art on this cover.

[Regan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and ½ stars - Worthy 12th Century Medieval Romance

Set in England, beginning in 1136, during the reign of King Stephen, this is the story of Cecily de Vere, heiress of Cleobury and Sir Alric of Hawksmere. They were friends as children and now they are more as their affection and respect for each other grows. Cecily is a caring woman who ministers to the poor and sick with her herbs and potions. Alric is a brave knight and a leader of men. Though he cares for Cecily, he knows such a fine lady can never be the wife of a mere knight.

Alric understands Cecily will be wed to a high-ranking lord, but he is dismayed when he learns he is the one who must escort her to her betrothed. But when she escapes the fate her guardian has in mind, Alric is there to help her.

The story is well written and kept me turning pages. It was also quite believable in terms of plot and the intriguing references to the attempts to dethrone King Stephen. Pierce of Malvern, the one to whom Cecily is betrothed and quite a villain when it comes to being a suitor, was intriguing. There are some exciting scenes toward the end. What I liked most about this story was the genuine feel of it (despite a few anomalies for a knight’s behavior and a few modern words). And, of course, the history. I recommend it.

Honor & Roses is the first in the Swordcross Knights series. The set up for the three knights and their stories is in the beginning with Sir Rafe, Sir Luc and Sir Alric all swearing to be “brothers” to each other. Book 2 is Choose the Sky, Luc’s story.

[Debbie West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical romance, only a couple of explicit sex scenes

This was a great story, though I'm not sure where it took place..somewhere in England? And approximately the 12th or 13th century...whenever King Stephen reigned & was fighting the Welsh. I would have liked more historical details..also more description of Alrich, Luc, Rafe, & other characters. I CAN say the author wrote mostly plot, and not an abundance of description to fill the pages as some authors do. But because of that lack, I didn't feel like one of the characters or empathize with any, as I do in some stories.
There were only 2 sex scenes, and were fairly mild compared to most historical romances. I was able to skip them without missing anything in the story. There were a couple of good surprises in this book, which helped keep me interested. I DID have to look up a couple of words..one of which couldn't be found in same context as the author used it. She used word as a piece of clothing. My dictionary said it was a person. But I learned some new words!! ☺
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a lighthearted romance.

[Kat Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend suggested that I might enjoy reading the book, “Honor and Roses”. I’m very glad they thought enough of me to suggest it. Quite honestly, while the cover is nice, and we should never judge a book by its cover, it just would not have been one to catch my eye at first glance. To say the book itself was surprisingly better than I expected it to be. The characters were all well developed with plenty of the necessary depth to their personalities to make them stand out and be noticed. The plot was engaging with its many unexpected twists and turns. Once I began reading it, I really didn’t want to put it down, but had to on occasion to attend to my everyday life. I believe this was the first book I’ve read by Elizabeth Cole, but it won’t be the last. I’ve already bought the next two installments in this series and will highly recommend it to my Historical Romance reading friends. Don’t be fooled by the sedate cover, even though it’s lovely, it doesn’t begin to hint at the excitement and action held within the book. Don’t miss out on this series!

[Lee Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly liked this story..the characters were likable..there were twists & turns, a "WOW" moment toward the end that was WOW! But also like "REALLY?" I won't go into detail & be a spoiler, but I can say I NEVER saw a new character at the end coming...Cecily was sometimes a bit...UM,NO! Some of her lines were out of character for that time frame..just my opinion. But I did like her. Alric was a typical Night..great magic & realism in their story of togetherness.

I do think we could have cut out at least 30-50 pages..some of the story line was "drawn out" more than needed. But all in all..I genuinely liked this book. Just the additional words caused me to give it 4 *'s vs. 5's. I wish I could give it 4 1/2 *'s.

Not going to pursue the series right now, maybe sometime down the road.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great romance with just enough intrigue

Ok WOW. To be honest, this isn’t an era I gravitate towards when I choose a historical romance. Books from this time period tend to be all about war and power and political scheming. I understand the appeal, just not my thing. That being said, there was definitely a lot of that in this book - more than I expected having read Cole’s Zodiac series. BUT, it was JUST enough. This is no game of thrones. As for the romance. Ooooh the romance. I think I ACTUALLY swooned at one point. Maybe two points. Great stand alone book, but also great first book that sets up a series! I’m super excited to get the next one!! Such memorable characters I’m hoping I’ll see more of!

[Voirrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a skimmer - Alric and Cecily behaved pretty much as I would expect from the period when it came to accepting their place in the Order of Things, but we knew from the outset they were destined to be together despite their differences in rank - and that it wasn't the sort of book where they would end up anything but married and socially accepted, to be honest.

So really the only interesting thing was how this outcome would be achieved - and bits of that, to do with her father, were a bit unbelievable.

I want to know more of Octavian but see the next two books in the series are about Rafe and Luc - pity.

[T.M. Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great apart from one thing

This book should have been worthy of 5 stars. The first couple of chapters were fairly slow to get into but once I got past that I read the whole book pretty much in one sitting. I won't reveal any spoilers but I was truly transported to medieval England. Right up until the epilogue where the season was described as 'fall' instead of autumn and I was suddenly transported to a blustery New York. I loved the story but if you want to write an olde English story please stick to the olde English wording that had been so expertly used throughout the rest of the book.

[Tanja Glavnik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regardless that people are probably going to complain about how "Oh, it was all too fast! There was no build up! There wasn't enough dramaaa!" I liked this precisely BECAUSE it was fairly drama-less in terms of the main couple. Were there hurdles? Yes. Obstacles for them to overcome? Absolutely.

But they did it together and didn't waste time on the loves me-loves me not debacle some books become.

Plus the heroine actually used the brains she was given, making this an instant like on my end.

[Sandra Stott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a boring Novel

I chose this particular book on random. I love Medieval books, I found it on a search and it sounded good. I have never read a book by this author. Her descriptions of people and places was well done, making it a pleasure to read.
I really enjoyed it, the twist and turns in story were not expected. The romance scenes didn't go on and on for a full chapter, like other romance novels do. I will now but the next book in the series.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book for the way it rides the fence between medieval history and the fairy-tale quality of the plot. It was actually a lot better than I first expected and I found myself wondering what would happen next. I like how the plot played out. The problems the protagonists had to overcome were believable, as were the actions of the villains. If you love medieval fairy-tale romance, then why not give this one a try?

[Jeanne Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cecily was fairly childish and often weak (for all the talk of her strength), Alric was similarly two-dimensional, her father was an odd weakling, her uncle and fiancé uninspired villains, and Rafe was exceedingly complex, to the point I'm still not sure what his problem was or why they seemed to forgive him in the end. Top it off with stilted dialogue that I suppose was meant to convey the period, and I didn't love it.

[Natalie LaBarbera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this medieval era novel. The characters were well-developed, the plot was suspenseful, and I found the author's writing style to be incredibly refreshing. The book was written tastefully without graphic nude scenes and violence. Granted there were combat scenarios and love scenes, but I did not cringe everytime a man may have decided to have his way with a woman, or sliced off someone's head.

[Sam Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt more like fiction than romance. The story is mostly focused on the main characters plight against a villainous Uncle. But either way it was an entertaining read. I wish Cecily's character became more fierce through all the struggle, but her character grew very little and stayed a meek Lady. Either way I think this is worth a read, but if you are expecting a book focused on a love story... this is not it.

[Judy Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honor and Roses

All you need is a knight and a young Lady of the manor who have been friends since childhood separated by five years of war. Throw in a Uncle who is her guardian due to the death of his brother and the intrigue begins. A warm loving story with just the right amount of suspense and twist to provide a great read.

[Christine Byleveld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good enough for suspense, plot twists and romance.
In such books the reader always know the main characters are going to end up together, with all the fluff and smoke in-between.
I enjoy this genre. a Well written (inter-weaved with historical facts) story with a worthy hero and strong heroin, are always a treat.

[JackEllena · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming medieval romance.

Love can began at any time and grow beyond belief. As seen here by youngsters separated by war, and politics. When reacquainted the love begins to grow and mature. Of course wicked plans by evil doers only help the love to become known. A rich wonderful book that I recommend to all romantic readers. Thank you, Jack.

[Cordelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Romance

I love historical romance from medieval time. The right among of history adds to the story. The only downside to me in this story was not enough sex. I adore sexy erotic historical romance above all. This is the first book of the series and hope the others get better and better, especially with loads of love making.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well met!

The story and characters are believable and interesting. The plot twists are not contrived, and even minor characters have believable distinct personalities. I look forward to reading the stories of the other knights introduced in this book.

[Janet Wild · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable light read

Enjoyed the book. A little unbelievable at times as in the timeframe setting not sure some of the events would have worked out or happened but it's fiction so enjoy the tale of romance and the happy ending

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh...

This was a good story that could've been about 6 chapters shorter. Way too slow. I'm glad I read it, even though I did skip entire chapters and had no problems knowing what was going on.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mid-evil romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. It kept me interested from start to finish. The characters are easy to get to know and are in it for the whole story. There's enough plot twists that you don't want to put the book down for fear they'll go on with the story without you.