Believe: A Classic Medieval Fantasy Romance Where a Knight in Shining Armor Makes True Love Real

by Victoria Alexander

All she had to do was believe...

Tessa St. James thinks that true love is nothing more than a fairy tale, and she is absolutely certain she will never encounter someone worthy of her attention...until she meets her knight in shining armor.

His eyes are blue, the set of his chin is defiant, and he carries himself with unquestioned confidence. And when he kisses her, he sends a wicked desire through her body. Tessa, the beautiful skeptic, has no choice but to join forces with this man. Together they begin a quest that might restore her faith in the power of love...even if it costs both their lives.

And happily ever after could only be the stuff of fairy tales after all.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Time Travel, Historical, Fantasy, Medieval, Paranormal

373 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1998

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.

Since the publication of her first book in 1995, she has written thirty-one full length novels and six novellas. The Perfect Wife—originally published in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. Sixteen of her books are bestsellers hitting the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. With books translated into more than a dozen different languages she has readers around the world and has twice been nominated for Romance's Writers of America prestigious RITA award. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and was named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003. In 2008 she was the keynote speaker for the Romance Writers of American annual conference in San Francisco. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas of the country: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.

During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.

Victoria claims her love of romance and journalism is to due to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.

Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and her dogs. Victoria had two bearded collies, Sam and Louie (named from characters in one of her books). Sam (on the left), the best dog in the world for 13 ½ years, passed away in September 2010. Louie took on the position of loyal companion and did a fine job even though he doesn't understand that kitchen counter surfing is not allowed!

Now he's been joined by Reggie, also a faithful companion.

They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.

Reviews

[Scott Rhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Victoria Alexander is a best-selling romance novelist with roughly 50 books under her belt. She writes primarily in the historical romance sub-genre, but occasionally she travels out into otherworldly romance sub-genres.

“Believe” (first published in 1998 under a pseudonym) is a historical romance with a supernatural fairy tale twist.

Tessa St. James is a college professor of mythology at a midwestern university. After one of her lectures, she meets an older gentleman who gives her an extremely old book, entitled “My Life and Times: The Story of Merlin, Wizard Extraordinaire and Counselor to Kings”.

With very little preamble, Tessa finds herself magically transported back in time to Camelot, and she soon finds herself on a quest. Well, not just any quest, of course: The Quest. For the Holy Grail. And she’s partnered with Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot’s son.

The problem is, she doesn’t believe it. At first, she thinks she has been hit by a bus and is in a coma somewhere, and this is all some kind of subconscious delusion. Eventually, though, she realizes that she is actually in Camelot, and it’s real.

As to be expected, romance ensues between Tessa and Galahad. But Tessa’s 21st-century independence and irreverence may not mesh well with Galahad’s well-intentioned if somewhat outdated and sexist chivalry.

Merlin’s hope in bringing Tessa back in time is two-fold: He wants to change the world’s view of Camelot from a forgotten legend-turned-fairy-tale into actual history, but he also wants Galahad to finish his quest. (If you know your Arthurian legends, Galahad fails in his search for the grail, and he dies depressed and disappointed.) Meanwhile, Merlin’s girlfriend, the sorceress Vivianne, is hatching up her own scheme. To what end remains a mystery.

“Believe” is a book that I struggled to not like, but its silliness and humor won me over eventually. In my mind, I immediately cast the movie version, with Reese Witherspoon perfectly playing Tessa, James Marsden as Galahad, Bill Nighy as Merlin, and Helen Mirren as Vivianne.

I have come to find that romance novels’ greatest appeal is working on the universal need to find happiness and love in one’s life. Despite its ridiculous plot, “Believe” managed to succeed in even making me, a natural cynic and pessimist, smile at times.

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4
So I got completely faked-out by this cover & stepback! This was 100% a buy for the winter-Christmasy stepback only to then pick this up to read for December & realize it is not a Christmasy romance read. 😆 But then I read the synopsis and discovered this was a time travel romance involving Arthurian legend (which I’m slightly obsessed with) and decided to just go with it.

The heroine Tessa is a professor who doesn’t believe in love or the King Arthur myths & legends she is teaching a class on when the story opens. Later that day, an ancient tome falls into her hands with gorgeous script and paintings of Camelot, Merlin, King Arthur, knights & all the other Arthurian characters. Suddenly Tessa finds herself having a conversation with Merlin himself & falling into the pages of Merlin’s Camelot. She is soon surrounded with magic and medieval shenanigans as she is put on a quest for the holy grail assisting Lancelot’s son, Galahad.

So having zero clue what it was about before going in, this was actually such a good time & kind of the perfect light-headed romcom vibe I was needing. Tessa finds herself stuck in an age she doesn’t like (the Middle Ages), stuck in a legend she doesn’t believe in, by a wizard she knows doesn’t exist. The premise was just so fun, we have a disbelieving heroine who gets pulled through time by Merlin. The banter and playful-snarky attitude the heroine has towards everything was just delightful & I laughed a few times throughout this one. While the romance was light as far as on page action, it was still one of those “we belong together” soul mate type romances and I liked it! The adventuring was a bit drawn out, but I mean it’s a quest so it is what it is. Lol

So while the delightful Christmasy-winter vibes of the cover & stepback had nothing to do with the story, I did still enjoy this one. There is a slight mention of the heroine starting Christmas break from work when she gets pulled into the book/past, but that’s the only wintery mentions.

[Lynn Spencer]

I love medievals in general and King Arthur stories in particular, so I thought I'd give this book a whirl. It's a time travel story featuring an English professor who travels back in time and crosses paths with Sir Galahad. Not a bad idea, but the humor fell pretty flat with me and the book just didn't hold my attention. I'm glad to know the heroine is modern and sarcastic and that Galahad has Such. Big. Muscles, but this just wasn't my thing.

[Catina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this on a whim last week for a "holiday read" - well.... I am having a hard time finishing this one!! It has a hunky knight, wizards, dragons - what more can a girl ask for? For starters - for Tessa to SHUT UP!! She annoyed me so bad - making it hard for me to put myself in her place - or relate to her. For someone supposedly so educated (she is a college professor), Tessa talks like a cab driver from Brooklyn. Obviously, if you travel back in time and spout things like "senior prom" and "duh" no one will understand you - yet Tessa CONTINUALLY spouts off modern day cliches. Merlin has about as much charisma and character as my neutered male cat. This story could have been a really cool concept (Quest for the Holy Grail, Arthur, Knights of the Round Table) - but the characters were underdeveloped and just totally unbelievable for me (sometimes even annoying!)

[Jesica Astarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like it! Awalnya emang gak terlalu menarik tapi pas pertengahannya ini novel mulai berhasil menarik perhatian aku sampe aku selesai baca! Tessa St. James and Galahad, Merlin, and Arthur X3 Pertama kali pengen banget ini buku karena dibilang ada Merlin dan zaman Arthur! I love Merlin and Arthur! Tapi pas akhir novelnya ini lho yang bikin sedih... Kenapa yang nutup novelnya malah si Merlin dan Viviane? Bkannya tokoh utama itu Tessa? I'm very dissapointed. That's why i gave three stars :"(

[Lilly Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so goofy and fun I ate it up

[Oky Septya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, the character was fine, theplot was okay.. but the chemistry was bleh.

Jadi saya tertarik dg unsur time travelnya.. sedikit fantasy karena ada merlin sang penyihir disini yg ikut campur dalam takdir para karakter. Plotnya pun lumayan, petualangannya seru. Bahkan saya suka dengan karakter Tessa yg cerdas, cerewet dan keras kepala. Percakapannya dg Galahad juga lumayan, meski si Galahad ini karakter ksatria tulen yg menjunjung tinggi kehormatan, kejujuran, dan kesetiaan. Well, saya terhibur dg Tessa. Lucu sih..

Sayang chemistrynya payah bgt T.T

Padahal saya berharap banyak lho.

Secara ini petualangan keren.. Tessa (karena diseret Merlin) tiba-tiba muncul di kapel kecil di abad pertengahan. Cek,

Trus bersama ksatria dlm legenda, si Galahad, ia harus mencari Cawan Suci. Mereka berdua pun bertualang. Cek.

Menemui berbagai rintangan... Cek.

Percakapan lucu.. cek.

Bahkan penerjamahannya pun menarik, bisa nangkep kelucuannya..

Romance? Bad.



I'm sorry I have to give only 2 stars.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tessa St. James teaches a class on ancient legends and is stuck teaching the one legend she absolutely hates - King Arthur and the knights of the round table. After getting an ancient book as a gift from her mother, strange things start happening. The pages of the book keep changing and out pops Merlin himself. It's laugh-out-loud funny when Merlin appears and yanks Tessa back in time - right into the legend she despises. Now she's expected to go on a quest with Sir Hunk, er...Sir Galahad. This is a really funny book and Galahad is truly a knight in shining armor once he gets over his "you are woman and belong in the kitchen" stick.

[Angela Moxon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't normal write BAD reviews. I will complain about a couple things here and there but very rarely do I find a book I can't even finish. Unfortunately this is one such book.

First of all Tessa, the "Heroine" is such a crass, ditzy thing! I mean I like a girl who is sometimes a space brain cause heck, I AM A SPACE BRAIN! But for Gods sake this woman just would not shut up! And the main male character, talk about a testosterone laden idiot!

Hey look, I'm all for a good cheesy romance at times but it has to at least be READABLE!

I could not get past the first two chapters, I gave up. It was that horrible for me.

Please tell me I'm not the only one!

[Sasha]

A long time ago, I had a bootleg copy of this novel, and I remember being so charmed by the tale, so amazed by the inventiveness—scholar goes back in time and helps Galahad find the Holy Grail. And I was mad with the delight of rediscovering this and then—Oh god, oh god, oh god. How could my expectations then have been so low? No worries, everyone: I am unrelentingly judging the Sasha of A Long Time Ago.

[Virginia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn't read anymore. First off, hate Medievals. Second, hate the modern woman gets sent back in time trope. Third, the dialog is unbearable. Glad I only waste half an hour instead of a few hours. Blech.

[Melody Violine]

Ini novel historical romance pertama yang saya terjemahkan. Jadi, saya senang ada unsur fantasinya (lintas waktu, legenda Arthur, dan sihir Merlin).

Saya menyelenggarakan giveaway buku ini di http://el-ovio.blogspot.com/2012/11/d...

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading this for book club. Judge away. This book was so ridiculous I don't even know what to say.

[Yovano N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bisa juga dibaca di sini: http://kandangbaca.blogspot.com/2013/...


Tessa St. James adalah dosen sejarah yang tak menyukai segala hal yang berhubungan dengan abad pertengahan. Baginya, abad pertengahan adalah masa yang suram dan menyusahkan. Ia bahkan menolak mempercayai kisah tentang Raja Arthur dan hanya menganggapnya dongeng pengantar tidur. Anehnya, ia malah menyukai segala hal yang berhubungan dengan dewa-dewa Yunani dan sangat berharap bertemu bisa dengan mereka. Saat sedang berada di kampus, Tessa mendapatkan paket dari ibunya, isinya adalah buku-buku. Buku yang menarik perhatiannya adalah buku yang ditulis oleh Merlin. Isi buku itu sendiri tak kalah menarik. Gambar-gambar dalam buku itu terlihat sangat nyata, beberapa di antaranya menampilkan sosok Galahad—putera Lancelot—yang tampan, juga terdapat gambar pertempuran melawan naga yang terlihat sangat hidup. Tessa bahkan dapat merasakan hangatnya embusan api dari sang naga. Keanehan lain yang dapat ditangkap Tessa, adalah judul buku tersebut sepertinya berubah. Bahkan beberapa gambar yang tadinya tak ada, kini muncul.

Kejadian selanjutnya tak pernah dibayangkan oleh Tessa. Saat sedang memperhatikan sosok Galahad yang sedang berlutut di depan altar dengan bertopang pada pedangnya, Tessa merasa gambar itu mulai hidup. Tiba-tiba, Tessa merasa dirinya tersedot ke dalam buku. Sosok Galahad yang tadinya hanya ada di lembaran buku, kini berada persis di depannya. Tak lama kemudian Merlin muncul dan mengatakan kepada Tessa bahwa gadis itu sedang berada di masa lalu, tepatnya di abad pertengahan. Ya, Merlin telah menyeretnya melintasi waktu dan mundur ke masa yang paling dibenci oleh Tessa. Tessa berkali-kali meyakinkan dirinya bahwa yang ia alami hanyalah mimpi. Ia yakin bahwa ia sedang mengalami koma. Mungkin dia mengalami kecelakaan saat berada di kampus, dan kini benaknya sedang mempermainkannya.

Tessa keliru. Ia sama sekali tidak bermimpi. Merlin adalah sosok yang nyata dengan kekutan sihir sungguhan. Penyihir itu memilih Tessa untuk dibawa ke masa lalu karena ketidaksukaannya terhadap abad pertengahan, dan ketidakpercayaannya terhadap kisah Raja Arthur. Merlin berjanji akan mengembalikan Tessa ke masanya yang sehungguhnya, dengan syarat Tessa harus menemani Sir Galahad dalam misinya menemukan Cawan Suci. Tessa pernah mendengar kisah pencarian Cawan Suci yang dilakukan putera Sir Lancelot, namun kisahnya berakhir menyedihkan. Merlin berkata bahwa sejarah tidak dapat diubah. Meski hasil akhirnya sudah jelas, penyihir kharismatik itu meyakinkan Tessa bahwa kehadirannya di samping Galahad tak akan mengubah apa pun, namun ia tetap ingin agar Tessa ikut mengalami petualangan bersama sosok yang selama ini diyakini Tessa hanyalah sebuah dongeng. Tapi, sebenarnya Merlin punya tujuan lain yang tak dikatakannya pada Tessa…

***

Saya sangat menyukai cerita ini! Believe adalah novel historical romance pertama saya. Awalnya saya memilih novel ini karena novel ini tidak berseri. Namun saya tidak menyangka saya akan menyukainya. Pertama, novel ini mengandung unsure fantasi. Ada sihir, naga, dan terlebih lagi, setting novel ini adalah abad pertengahan. Saya menyukai tokoh Tessa yang cerdas namun keras kepala, meski pada bagian-bagian tertentu saya merasa kesal terhadap sikap kepala Tessa. Tokoh Sir Galahad juga menarik perhatian. Banyak kejadian lucu yang terjadi antara Tessa dan Galahad, yang disebabkan oleh perbedaan bahasa dan budaya (Tessa berasal dari Amerika di masa depan, sedangkan Galahad berasal dari Inggris di masa lalu). Penerjemahaan yang baik dalam novel ini membuat saya dapat memahami kelucuan dalam dialog antara Tessa dan Galahad.

Seperti umumnya kisah tentang love-hate relationship dalam novel-novel romance, hubungan antara Tessa dan Galahad juga awalnya tidak terlalu mulus. Mereka sering meributkan hal-hal yang berhubungan dengan gender. Tessa adalah wanita modern yang cukup mandiri, sementara Galahad adalah pria yang menganggap wanita seharusnya tidak boleh ikut berpetualangan bersama laki-laki karena mereka tak dapat diandalkan saat menghadapi marabahaya. Hal-hal seperti inilah yang membuat mereka kerap adu mulut. Namun, setelah lewati beberapa peristiwa peristiwa menegangkan bersama—salah satunya adalah melawan naga—perlahan-lahan mulai tumbuh rasa saling bergantung di antara mereka, dan tentu saja perasaan ini mengarah ke arah yang lebih ‘dalam’. Sayangnya Sir Galahad tampaknya masih mencintai istri yang telah lama meninggal. Sementara Tessa, andaikan ia benar-benar mulai mencintai Galahad, mampukah ia bertahan hidup di abad pertengahan yang jauh dari hal-hal modern? Hmm. Pilihan yang tidak mudah.

Jujur saja, saya tak benar-benar mengetahui kisah Raja Arthur (saya bahkan belum menonton film King Arthur [2004] yang diperankan oleh Clive Owen dan Keira Knightley), sehingga saya sedikit banyak berharap Raja Arthur, Guinevere, dan Lancelot akan lebih banyak ditampilkan dalam novel ini. Sayangnya mereka hanya tampil sedikit. Wajar saja, karena fokus cerita ini adalah Galahad dan Tessa. Setting ceritanya pun jauh sesudah Raja Arthur sukses dalam petualangannya untuk menyatukan Britania Raya. Oh ya, Merlin bisa dibilang adalah sutradara dalam kisah ini, sehingga ia cukup sering muncul. Kehadiran Vivienne, tokoh penyihir jahat dalam kisah asli Raja Arthur juga menambah warna dalam kisah ini. Saya tidak menyangka bahwa Vivienne sebenarnya adalah… oke, no spoiler.

Terlepas dari hal-hal yang tak saya ketahui tentang kisah Raja Arthur dan pencarian Cawan Suci yang dilakukan oleh Sir Galahad, saya tidak mengalami kesulitan dalam menikmati kisah Believe karya Victoria Alexander ini. Saya sangat menikmati unsur humor dalam novel ini. Saya benar-benar tertawa ngakak di beberapa bagian. Sangat jelas bahwa pengalaman pertama saya dalam membaca novel historical romance tidaklah mengecewakan. Saya tak menyangka membaca novel historical romance ternyata sangat fun. Dan tentu saja saya unsur romance dalam novel ini sesuai dengan harapan saya. Terjemahannya pun amat baik. Saya acungi jempol untuk penerjemah mampu membuat pembaca memahami humor dalam novel ini.

Tadinya saya memberi novel ini 5 bintang, tapi kemudian saya menguranginya menjadi 4 bintang karena terdapat (sedikit) hal yang mengganggu, yang sayangnya tak bisa saya tuliskan di sini karena mengandung spoiler. Buku ini saya rekomendasikan bagi penyuka genre romance dan fantasi.

[Lily Amalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Victoria Alexander - Believe

Ini nih, sinopsisnya menarik banget, tentang wanita masa depan yang ditarik penyihir ke masa lalu, dengan misi membantu seorang kesatria demi menemukan cawan suci. Sebuah legenda, mitos dan sejarah menjadi satu. Hanya saja, campur tangan sang penyihir bikin semuanya jadi rancu gitu.
Terus ceritanya gimana? Nyantaaaaaiiiiii banget, alurnya lamaaaa... Buatku yang udah kebayang² bakalan ada adegan perang seru atau apapun lah yang menggambarkan kesatria pada masanya, harus rela dengan banyaknya obrolan yang seringnya terulang² lagi.
Sebuah mission imposible yang harus Tessa dan Galahad lalukan adalah mencari cawan suci. Dengan garis bawah besar 'kalau Galahad gak akan bisa nemuin cawan suci tanpa bantuan Tessa' karena faktanya, dalam sejarah yang tak diungkapkan, Galahad gagal dalam misi tersebut dan membuat King Arthur serta Camelot hancur.
Terus endingnya gimana? Sumpah bikin ngakak, walaupun happyly ever after, rasanya masih ada yang kurang.
Tapi loh, selipan humornya seru. Obrolannya walaupun panjang tetep enak dinikmati.

Note : kalau kalian pernah baca punya Sandra Hill, pasti bakal berasa bedanya.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tessa St. James doesn’t believe in love—or in the legends of King Arthur. But when an enchanted book magically transports her to Camelot, the skeptical schoolteacher finds herself face-to-face with Galahad the Chaste, who, as it turns out, isn’t so chaste after all. With his smoldering good looks and expert charm, Galahad is more than happy to prove the legends wrong.

As Tessa adjusts to a world of knights, wizards, and magical quests, she quickly learns that Camelot is far from the myths she studied. The quick-witted banter between her and Galahad is the highlight of the story, with their sizzling chemistry adding a modern flair to the medieval backdrop. But while Tessa’s journey to believe in love—and in the reality of Camelot—is fun, readers may find themselves more charmed by the characters than the plot itself.

For fans of Arthurian lore, this book offers a playful twist on familiar legends. But if medieval times or magical quests aren’t your thing, this one might not be for you. The romance is engaging, the humor keeps things light, and Galahad’s transformation from myth to irresistible hero is entertaining enough to carry the story.

[LadyAileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un amore in cui credere è un romance time travel autoconclusivo che vede protagonista Tessa St James, una docente di lingua inglese che non ama la leggenda di Re Artù e non crede nell’amore. Un giorno, Merlino la catapulta proprio alla corte di Re Artù ed è lì che conosce il bellissimo e affascinante Galahad, un cavaliere alla ricerca del Sacro Graal.
Avevo già letto qualcosa di quest’autrice in passato e non mi era dispiaciuta. Stavolta la lettura è stata caruccia ma mi aspettavo di più.
Il romanzo è stato pubblicato nel 1998 e si sente. È una storia estremamente leggera, veloce e con un pizzico di umorismo che ha reso meno noiosa la lettura.
I personaggi non erano male ma la chimica fra loro non mi ha convinto molto.

[Amanda]

Oh man, I bought this hoping it would be silly and fun but I can’t take it. First, our heroine is an assistant prof at 27, which I am offended by. Second, she thinks she can tan in Greece in December (Greece is windy and rainy in winter, people). Third, she’s set up with Galahad by Merlin and the whole thing is totally ridiculous. The first 50 pages read like a screwball comedy, not christmassy nor romantic. This would be a much better movie than book I think.

[Lisa Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those stories where I loved the concept more than the execution of the story. Time travel and king arthur sounded right up my alley but somehow this story just did not inspire me. A university lecturer who does not believe in Arthur or Camelot is taken there by Merlin and falls in love with Galahad. After a series of quests which are interrupted by Viviene and then Mordred, Galahad finds the grail and becomes its guardian.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took awhile to get into, and it was okay, but not great. Its a twist on the King Arthur legend, in modern times. I'm not saying it was bad, I just never felt the wow factor that I want when reading any book. Although by the end of the book, I was very attached to both of the main characters and I still didn't like Merlin.

[Patti Irwin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this older title by a favorite author. I know it is silly to talk about believability in regards to a time traveling legend bending romance, but the characters and emotions just weren’t believable.

[Raquel Iacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! It was almost written like a hokey rom-com, but it was cute! It was great to have some history, magic, and romance all in one book. Very well done tying in the Camelot myth and academia in a fun way.

[Diane Morrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a bit slow on the up take but a good read to the end. I enjoyed the characters and the plot was different but again good. If you enjoy fairy tales, this is the book for you. Always enjoy reading a book from this talented storyteller.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable take on the Matter of Britain, as a romance!

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy reading, time travel romance!

[Mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted a three star romance novel. I got a three star romance novel. I did get invested in the relationship by the end, and Mordred got some amusingly hammy scenes. Three out of five stars.

[Josie]

Interesting premise, but I couldn't get into it, due in part to the writing, the characters, and how the plot developed. DNF.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Kathy Brittain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every minute of the book.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's an interesting premise but something about this story just did not work for me. Tessa is not a very likable heroine, nor was she a very believable character. Galahad was more believable.