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PhD student Ardyth Nightshade has renounced men and pursues her twentieth-century career with single-minded focus. When fate whisks her to medieval England, she meets her match in a man whose passions mirror her own. Can she sacrifice ambition for a love she never sought?

Hugh, Lord Seacrest confounds all who know him. He refuses to marry without a meeting of minds and hearts, and no lady has even approached his ideal…until Ardyth. But she's an odd one, with unique skills, shocking habits, and total conviction she needs no man. She also harbors secrets, and in the midst of rumors, plots, and murder, trust is fragile.

A woman outside of her time. A man ahead of his. They must take a leap of faith to forge a bond that will shape history.

228 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2019

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About the author

Judith Sterling

13 books631 followers
Judith Sterling is an award-winning author whose love of history and passion for the paranormal infuse everything she writes. Through gothic cozy mystery (The Gothic Gwyn Mysteries), medieval/time travel romance (The Novels of Ravenwood) and young adult paranormal fantasy (the Guardians of Erin series), she loves to whisk readers away from their troubles and remind them of the hidden magic all around us.

Her nonfiction books, written under Judith Marshall, have been translated into multiple languages. She has an MA in linguistics and a BA in history, with a minor in British Studies. Born in that sauna called Florida, she craved cooler climes, and once the travel bug bit, she lived in England, Scotland, Sweden, Wisconsin, Virginia, and on the island of Nantucket. She currently lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her husband and their identical twin sons.

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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Carvanz.
2,445 reviews912 followers
February 4, 2020
Wow! I didn’t see that coming...at all! This was a deliciously wonderful time travel romance and I’m already hungering to do a reread!


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When Ardyth receives a summer job in England as a research assistant in medieval history, she didn’t realize what an up close a personal look she was going to have. Whisked back to the year 1101, she finds herself with a small assistant and soon she’s enmeshed in the type of life she’s dedicated years to. As she settles in as a scribe, she has to remind herself that she cannot develop feelings for Lord Seacrest, her time here is temporary.


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Ardyth was quite feisty and outspoken, especially when dealing with Hugh. She was more than capable of taking care of herself and even him, when needed. I loved that she didn’t immediately yield to him despite her attraction. Her education helped her to fit in with this new world and added to the believability factor.

Hugh was fun to watch as he struggled to figure Ardyth out. While she looked and talked the part, there were certain things she would do that confused him. He also exhibited a bit of jealousy that teased my jealous/possessive soul. I loved watching him fall for this heroine with all his heart.


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The chemistry between this hero and heroine was perfect for the story, never becoming the driving force behind the story. It’s all about falling in love and learning to trust, with a dash of sizzle thrown in. This has a great pace to it, never bogging down or becoming repetitive. While the drama through most of the story ebbs and flows, this really picks up speed as it nears the end. And then, holy heck! Nothing is going to prepare you for what this author has in store!

This doesn’t necessarily end on a cliff, but I certainly want, no, NEED, to know what secrets are going to be revealed. If you love medieval romance and time travel...I recommend you dive into this one!

Dual POV
Safe
Triggers


Profile Image for N.N. Heaven.
Author 6 books2,183 followers
November 5, 2019
Ardyth Nightshade is through with men. She’s much rather lose herself in research at her family’s medieval estate than give her heart to another man. When the caretaker leads her to a historical set of stairs, she finds herself back in time, more specifically to Medieval England. Good thing she’s fluent in both Saxon and Norman languages, cultures and customs. Before long, she’s whisked away to the estate of Lord Hugh Seacrest. From the moment she meets Hugh, sparks fly. He’s not at all what he seems and the more she’s around him, the more her feelings grow. Even though they’re worlds apart, fate seems to pull them back together. When his life is in peril and a man of the cloth is murdered, she becomes a suspect. Will she confess the truth to Hugh and more importantly, will she admit to him and herself she loves him, or will she go back to her time period with a broken heart?



Night of the Owl is a sweeping, romantic time travel adventure and the best book of the series. In the same vein as Jude Deveraux’s A Knight in Shining Armor, Judith Sterling weaves an intoxicating romance between an independent modern-day heroine and a medieval ahead-of-his-time hero. The intricate historical backdrop is impressive and added to the richness of the story. She brings such detail to this historical time period, I could smell, taste, and feel everything the characters experience. There’s a certain amount of drama and suspense to the plot which I enjoyed. An old enemy rears his ugly head but was satisfied with the outcome. The ending was incredible. My heart beat a staccato and I might have swooned a bit. Okay, a lot.



Why is this a 5-star romance? What makes this so entertaining is Ardyth’s inner dialogue with herself as she’s trying to navigate through her new life. Who knew undergarments and toothbrushes would be revolutionary? I laughed, nodded and agreed with her throughout the book.



If you love time travel romance, like Outlander, you’ll fall in love with Night of the Owl. Don’t worry about it being the fourth book in the series. It’s a standalone and the author fills in the backstory, so you know what’s going on. Highly recommend!



Favorite Character/Quote: Ardyth. I connected with her right away and when she’s in Medieval England, I kept rooting for her to let go of her past and embrace all that love had to offer. She’s the star of this romance and wanted to read more about her and Hugh’s life together.



My Rating: 5+ stars



Reviewed by: Mrs. N



This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
Profile Image for Carole Burant.
1,279 reviews38 followers
February 6, 2020
Can this series get any better?!! I just finished reading this 4th book in the series and O.M.G. my mind is still spinning! lol Brilliant story that encompasses time travel and add to that mystery, danger, adventure and love.

Ardyth is going about her business in the year 1986 when she suddenly finds herself in the 12th century England!! Good thing she has studied medieval times, as well as having learned the Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman languages! I just loved her character and had to giggle at some of her thoughts:) She ends up working as a scribe for Hugh, Lord Seacrest and not only is she fascinated to actually be living in the medieval era, she's really falling hard for Hugh but knows nothing can come of it because she will be returning to her own time soon enough. I also loved Hugh's character:)

The ending really had my jaw dropping, I did not expect some of the revelations....as I said earlier, absolutely brilliant!! I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
413 reviews5 followers
August 8, 2021
Ardyth is a student who cares nothing for men and has a focus in her life for one thing.
She somehow finds herself in medieval england where she meets a man who seems to be similar in his passion.
Will she give up everything she worked towards for a chance at love?
Hugh is a lord who is nothing like those around him.
He refuses to marry unless he is sure there is love and compatibility between himself and the lady.
He has never found a woman who comes close to that until her.
Ardyth has very strange habits, thoughts and behavior for the time and is adamant she doesn't need a male.
Her secrets make it hard to trust in the face of plots and murder.
With both not exactly belonging mentally to their own time.. Can they come together in the past to have a future?

A fascinating and original tale of time travel, betrayal and true love.
I found this to be amazing with the main character able to adapt to the time period she is sent to.
A very clever romance that isn't without issues and even then not everything can be smooth sailing.
I liked how Ardyth is written and the wit from the character is massively amusing.
I never saw the unpredictable ending coming and that made me fall in love more with this book.
Not usually the type of romance I would choose to read but I am grateful I gave this a chance as it really is a terrific creation and completely out of this world or more accurately this time.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews.
5,552 reviews176 followers
February 17, 2020
When vintage meets historical you get Ardyth, a PhD student in Medieval studies living in the 1980s. She gets a job in a castle owned by her family to do research. Luckily, she knows old languages because that talent will be used. Henri, an attractive professor, greets her there. He seems antsy, as if he’s hiding something. Could he be the antagonist?

Going through a mystical time portal, Ardyth finds herself in the twelfth century. Fortunately, a precious child, Freya, is there to help her and brings her to Ardyth’s ancestors. When finding out who she is, they don’t seem overly surprised. Sir Robert resembles Professor Henri Seacrest from Ardyth’s present. Hugh also looks like Henri.

Ardyth is happy to discover that Hugh won’t marry until he finds a woman with whom he could share, “A meeting of minds and hearts.” She is of the same opinion. For work, she works as Hugh’s scribe.

She is unusual but enchanting to Hugh and does some shocking things. However, he likes how strange she is and is impressed with much about her. She is also impressed with him. The story is filled with tender moments as Hugh and Ardyth grow closer. The compassion they show to each other is warmed by heated moments of desire and longing.

The whole romantic adventure is underlined with the theme of feminism. Ardyth often tells Hugh not to underestimate her, and she expects him to treat her as a modern-day man would. Luckily, Hugh is open-minded and willing. Secondary characters add spice to the story, and secrets give bit of mystery. The setting is well-developed, giving one a colorful picture of the era.

There are surprises in the tale that readers won’t see coming, and the end is quite satisfying.
Profile Image for Donna Simonetta.
Author 7 books224 followers
August 16, 2020
The fourth of Judith Sterlings Novels of Ravenswood, Night of the Owl is a fantastic addition to the series. While we get to revisit beloved characters from previous books, Night of the Owl is oldest brother Hugh's story. While magic played a part in all the books so far, this one includes actual time travel, and Hugh meets his match with Ardyth, a woman from the 1980s who has ended up in the year 1102. Sparks fly between them, but their happy-ever-after seems impossible, as Ardyth is fated to return to her own time and Lord Seacrest belongs in his. I have to confess, I don't know much about this time period in history, but Sterling's research and excellent writing drew me into the setting, and I felt as if I'd traveled there with Ardyth myself. Without giving away any spoilers, I'll just say...there was a surprise twist at the end, which left me eagerly anticipating the next installment in this series!
6,653 reviews28 followers
March 9, 2020
This is a superb time travel romance that had me engaged all the way through it.

Ardyth Nightshade has had enough of men in her life she is going to devote the rest of her life to her research in early medieval languages and customs and luckily she has her families castle to do her research in When travelling down a secret staircase whisks her back to those times she gets a crash course in her subject She also gets to meet the man ahead of his times Hugh, Lord Seacrest a man that believes his wife will need to love him no political or marriage of convenience for him. Can people from two such different times but with such common believes actually make a relationship work Or will she be whisked back to her times and break both their hearts.
Profile Image for Susan Hutchinson.
Author 2 books21 followers
February 3, 2020
Great time travel novel

Judith Sterling weaves a tale of time travel with Night of the Owl. Sir Hugh Seacrest of the 12th century meets his match in 20th century Ardyth when she travels back in time, meeting not only her ancestors, but the love of her life. Throw in a murder mystery and you have a great novel. Unlike other time travel stories, Ardyth doesn’t in into much distrust from family members, especially since they seem to expect her. A surprise twist at the end caps this fun tale. I look forward to reading more from Sterling.
1,375 reviews
February 17, 2020
I enjoy time travel stories and this is one of the best I’ve read. Ardyth is a scholar studying the medieval period that she travels to so she knows the language and what life is like during that period. I found that that made a huge difference in the plausibility of her fitting in which is usually one of the biggest problems I have with time travel tales. I liked the characters and I wanted them to find a way to stay together and have their happily ever after. This was a hard book to put down.
Profile Image for Sydney Winward.
Author 37 books330 followers
March 8, 2020
This is definitely my kind of book! I love medieval romance, and this story was one of a kind. The mystery the author weaves throughout the story left me guessing until the very end. The romance was perfectly paced, the banter enjoyable. I really liked the matching bold personalities of both Ardyth and Hugh. They don’t play games. They confront people outright and they say what’s on their mind. That approach to their characters was refreshing.

I really enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an incredible medieval romance!
Profile Image for JoAnne.
1,924 reviews103 followers
February 16, 2020
Mostly set in the medieval times this time travel tale is filled with suspense, twists & turns, magic, intrigue, and romance. Definitely didn't see that twist coming at the end but it such an awesome twist. I couldn't put this one down it was so intriguing -- became totally immersed in the story and characters.
Profile Image for Yolanda.
247 reviews
January 14, 2021
This book was absolutely magical and one of the best time travel stories I have read. I was drawn into the story right from the beginning and couldn’t put it down until I was finished. Ardyth and Hugh are another perfect couple in this wonderful series and the time travel aspect adds to their story. This has become one of my favourite series and definitely one I will be reading over again and again.
Profile Image for Jennifer Halloway ong.
646 reviews9 followers
February 16, 2020
Amazing !

A beautifully written story of time travel , mystery and love . Ardyth traveled back in time and fell in love with Hugh Lord Seacrest . The storyline is incredible and full of surprises !!
2,617 reviews25 followers
February 11, 2020
this was a really good book. she is brought back to the past where she sees a guy she knows from the future. he wants to marry a woman but hes not sure she is the one. she has some strange things she does. read to find out what happens.
Profile Image for Jill Long.
1,364 reviews6 followers
April 30, 2020
This is the fourth book in The Novels of Ravenwood series. I did not realize this was a series when I picked up this book. I was able to get right into the story but I wish I had read the previous books first. I felt that I was playing catch up the entire book. With that being said this was an enjoyable time travel romance story.
Thank you for the ARC. This is my honest review.
2,000 reviews39 followers
February 29, 2020
I loved this light hearted time travel novel. It's well written and well researched and while I occasionally marveled that Ardyth didn't get burned as a witch for her 20th century oddities, that's just one of those "suspension of disbelief" things you learn to accept when you go hopping through the centuries.
If you're a fan of time travel novels you'll love this one with it's romance, intrigue, mystery and engaging characters.
135 reviews
February 10, 2020
Fall in love

Never been one for time travel. But, WOW what and awesome book. Well written, was not expecting the ending. Couldn't put it down.
Profile Image for Erica.
85 reviews
March 17, 2020
This was my first time travel romance and I loved it! This could have something to do with the fact that I love the medieval period in general, but I thought this story was really well written. The characters and relationships were well developed, and the story was a good pace. The premise was exciting, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Despite my best guesses, the ending really shocked me! And I absolutely loved the relationship between Ardyth and Hugh!
Profile Image for Nextbookaroundthecorner.
1,024 reviews14 followers
July 2, 2020
After Flight of the Raven, Soul of the Wolf and Shadow of the Swan, I was very happy to find Night of the Owl on Netgalley. And in this part, Judith even added a new twist: Ardyth is a PhD student, who finds herself suddenly transferred to medieval England, where she meets Hugh, a compassionate man in search of a wife. Realizing she will need to go back to her own era, Ardyth tries to keep her distance from the attractive Hugh. But slowly Ardyth realizes she is falling for the big guy.
Hugh doesn't know what to make of the strange woman. She is independent, headstrong and with a mind of her own. So unlike all the other women. But opposites attract and soon Ardyth realizes she needs to make a choice between her career in her own era and the love of her life in medieval England.
A wonderful tale, with some time twists and turns. And definitely I need to hear Meggie's story! Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.
Profile Image for Dawn.
1,211 reviews53 followers
September 29, 2019
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 4th book in the series "The Novels of Ravenwood"... and this one starts with a surprise.
If you've read my reviews for the rest of the series then I don't need to repeat that I think Judith Sterling is a superb story-teller and author, or how the the character/world building is so good you'll think you're reading actual history!
So, what I should say is this: Just read this series - you won't be disappointed.
I adore this series!
Profile Image for Deborah Roussety.
320 reviews12 followers
October 6, 2019
I was giving an advance copy of this book which is book 4 in this amazing series of The Novels of Ravenwood.
Loved the characters Ardyth and Hugh they have great chemistry between them and Ardyth makes you laugh with her silent thoughts and is a strong female character and the perfect match for Hugh, a trip back to medieval times bringing characters from the other series into the story another great read, Judith is an amazing storyteller,this book and the series is a definite read .
Loved the book cannot wait for more of The Novels of Ravenwood !!
Profile Image for Barbara.
19.5k reviews8 followers
August 9, 2021
The fourth book in the Novels of Ravenwood series a well written Medieval England time travel story. Ardyth Nightshade and Hugh, Lord Seacrest meet when she travels from the 1986 to the 1102. Their story has suspense, drama, twists, turns, danger, time travel, villains, and romance. There is also a surprise ending. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Judith Sterling.
Author 13 books631 followers
November 6, 2019
I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. The hero and heroine’s mutual love of history reflects my husband’s and mine. You might say history brought us together because right around the same time, each of us decided independently to move from different parts of the country to Virginia, specifically to seek work at Colonial Williamsburg. Nowadays, we work (respectively) at The House of the Seven Gables and The Witch House in Salem, MA. There’s a lot of both of us in Night of the Owl. That’s why the release date (Oct. 21, 2019) is perfect; it’s our 19th wedding anniversary. As if that isn't enough, I wore my hair almost exactly like the cover model's on the big day. Neither my publisher nor the cover artist knew about either coincidence. Pretty cool, right?!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews