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Brides of Virtue #2
The Husband Test
She devised her own standards for the perfect man. Now, can she resist him?
Betina Krahn, the New York Times bestselling author of Sweet Talking Man and The Soft Touch , is at her most charming and witty in this enchanting tale of unlikely love.
She vowed never to be married....
Sister Eloise was perhaps the most well intentioned novice at the Convent of the Brides of Virtue — and the one always in the most trouble. Headstrong and earnest, she was determined to surprise her frustrated abbess and succeed in her latest role as the convent’s new husband judge.
But to do so this modest beauty, who had forsaken all carnal pleasure, must judge a warrior whose mere presence exuded a dangerous, unpredictable, and totally male sensuality.
He’d do anything to be a husband....
Peril, earl of Whitmore, needed a virtuous wife in the worst possible way. And he could think of no way worse than taking a stubborn, opinionated young novice back to his blighted estate and proving he was husband material. But in the days and nights to come he finds that the one test he can’t pass is resisting this maddeningly irresistible woman.
And as the dark secret of the Whitmore estate is revealed and their passion ignited by a single forbidden touch, they find that the perfect match is often made in a far more sensuous place than heaven.
Betina Krahn, the New York Times bestselling author of Sweet Talking Man and The Soft Touch , is at her most charming and witty in this enchanting tale of unlikely love.
She vowed never to be married....
Sister Eloise was perhaps the most well intentioned novice at the Convent of the Brides of Virtue — and the one always in the most trouble. Headstrong and earnest, she was determined to surprise her frustrated abbess and succeed in her latest role as the convent’s new husband judge.
But to do so this modest beauty, who had forsaken all carnal pleasure, must judge a warrior whose mere presence exuded a dangerous, unpredictable, and totally male sensuality.
He’d do anything to be a husband....
Peril, earl of Whitmore, needed a virtuous wife in the worst possible way. And he could think of no way worse than taking a stubborn, opinionated young novice back to his blighted estate and proving he was husband material. But in the days and nights to come he finds that the one test he can’t pass is resisting this maddeningly irresistible woman.
And as the dark secret of the Whitmore estate is revealed and their passion ignited by a single forbidden touch, they find that the perfect match is often made in a far more sensuous place than heaven.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 27, 2001
40 people are currently reading
689 people want to read
About the author
Betina Krahn
60 books312 followersKrahn, born Betina Maynard, is the second daughter of Dors Maynard and Regina Triplett. Krahn learned to read at the age of four, and began making up her own stories when she was only six. In fifth grade she won a silver "Noble Order of Bookworms" pin for her achievements in reading, and the following year she began writing down her stories.
Krane was graduated from high school in Newark, Ohio and received a B.S. in Education (Biological Sciences) at Ohio State University. After college, Krahn taught science in Newark, and studied for a graduate degree at Ohio State in the summers. It was during those summers that she met her future husband, physics graduate student Donald Krahn.
The family moved to Oklahoma, where Krahn finished the work for her Masters of Education in Counseling in 1973. In 1974, she gave birth to her first child, Nathan, with the second son Zebulun arriving in 1978. With two young children, Krahn became a stay-at-home mother for a time, also finding time to volunteer on a community board working to get funding for mental health care in part of Western Oklahoma. Once the funding was secured, Krahn worked as an HR director for a mental health center.
Krane was graduated from high school in Newark, Ohio and received a B.S. in Education (Biological Sciences) at Ohio State University. After college, Krahn taught science in Newark, and studied for a graduate degree at Ohio State in the summers. It was during those summers that she met her future husband, physics graduate student Donald Krahn.
The family moved to Oklahoma, where Krahn finished the work for her Masters of Education in Counseling in 1973. In 1974, she gave birth to her first child, Nathan, with the second son Zebulun arriving in 1978. With two young children, Krahn became a stay-at-home mother for a time, also finding time to volunteer on a community board working to get funding for mental health care in part of Western Oklahoma. Once the funding was secured, Krahn worked as an HR director for a mental health center.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
May 28, 2023
The Wife Test (Brides of Virtue #1) 4 stars
The Marriage Test (Brides of Vir #3) 4 stars
The Husband Test (Brides #2) 4 stars.
Middle ages romance in France then England. Had
romance, sex, and humor. And an impossible hero
until he wasn't.
Purists will note that I read these books out of order.
Will I need to sit in the public library until I learn the
error of my ways?
Peril, an earl + Eloise, a novice nun (hadn't professed
final vows yet) had to adjust to each other ie left/right,
up/down, push-pull. Peril had a poorly maintained
estate; crops and animals did not thrive. (Children &
farm animals went missing). He requested a "bride of
virtue" from the Convent Brides of Virtue, b/c his
tenants thought a curse was placed on his castle 20
yrs prior. So was the hero a poor mgr. or was it the
curse? Peril cussed IE Damn it! & showed his inflexible
nature. His expertise was soldiering: let him decide!
Eloise had difficulty w/ obedience @ the cloistered
convent. But she had many skills-estate mgt, animal
husbandry etc. She understood weaving, bee-keeping
& 'reading' people.
The abbess named "Sister" Eloise the "husband judge"
& directed Ellie and her friend/ companion Sister Mary
Clem to accompany the hero + his men to his holding.
Ellie would judge the hero on virtue, honor, treatment
of his tenants, etc. If he passed, the abbess would later
select a convent bride for him.
The hero wanted to catch the baddies trying to destroy
his property+ reputation. This had snappy MC dialogue
+ a clash of the sexes. The H wanted a biddable wife,
yet felt attracted to the spirit and courage of the h.
Revised.
The Marriage Test (Brides of Vir #3) 4 stars
The Husband Test (Brides #2) 4 stars.
Middle ages romance in France then England. Had
romance, sex, and humor. And an impossible hero
until he wasn't.
Purists will note that I read these books out of order.
Will I need to sit in the public library until I learn the
error of my ways?
Peril, an earl + Eloise, a novice nun (hadn't professed
final vows yet) had to adjust to each other ie left/right,
up/down, push-pull. Peril had a poorly maintained
estate; crops and animals did not thrive. (Children &
farm animals went missing). He requested a "bride of
virtue" from the Convent Brides of Virtue, b/c his
tenants thought a curse was placed on his castle 20
yrs prior. So was the hero a poor mgr. or was it the
curse? Peril cussed IE Damn it! & showed his inflexible
nature. His expertise was soldiering: let him decide!
Eloise had difficulty w/ obedience @ the cloistered
convent. But she had many skills-estate mgt, animal
husbandry etc. She understood weaving, bee-keeping
& 'reading' people.
The abbess named "Sister" Eloise the "husband judge"
& directed Ellie and her friend/ companion Sister Mary
Clem to accompany the hero + his men to his holding.
Ellie would judge the hero on virtue, honor, treatment
of his tenants, etc. If he passed, the abbess would later
select a convent bride for him.
The hero wanted to catch the baddies trying to destroy
his property+ reputation. This had snappy MC dialogue
+ a clash of the sexes. The H wanted a biddable wife,
yet felt attracted to the spirit and courage of the h.
Revised.
January 14, 2025
Is it wrong of me to totally enjoy the entire 'nuns behaving badly and falling in love with broody knights'? Because I really do.
November 24, 2012
The Husband Test by Betina Krahn
The Husband Test by Betina Krahn is absolutely adorable. One of my favorite re-reads. Eloise is a nun-in-training, headstrong, independent, and driving her mother superior out of her mind. Peril, Earl of Whitmore, is a master warrior, but floundering as master of his estate, and in dire need of a wife. Mother Superior figures out the perfect way to fix her nagging problem with Eloise. She sends her with Peril to "judge" him and figure out which novice at the Convent of the Brides of Virtue will best suit him in marriage. Eloise and Peril are one of my favorite romance couples....their rocky road to love is wonderful to read. The addition of various other intriguing characters, a fascinating historical setting, a compelling plot, and totally satisfying sexual chemistry between the leads, makes this one a keeper. This is a great summer read (and my copy has the chlorine stains to prove it!). By the way, if you read this one and love it, I would also recommend The Wife Test- another really cute book!
Grade: A
Penelope
The Husband Test by Betina Krahn is absolutely adorable. One of my favorite re-reads. Eloise is a nun-in-training, headstrong, independent, and driving her mother superior out of her mind. Peril, Earl of Whitmore, is a master warrior, but floundering as master of his estate, and in dire need of a wife. Mother Superior figures out the perfect way to fix her nagging problem with Eloise. She sends her with Peril to "judge" him and figure out which novice at the Convent of the Brides of Virtue will best suit him in marriage. Eloise and Peril are one of my favorite romance couples....their rocky road to love is wonderful to read. The addition of various other intriguing characters, a fascinating historical setting, a compelling plot, and totally satisfying sexual chemistry between the leads, makes this one a keeper. This is a great summer read (and my copy has the chlorine stains to prove it!). By the way, if you read this one and love it, I would also recommend The Wife Test- another really cute book!
Grade: A
Penelope
October 24, 2017
3.5 stars
Want to read
February 12, 2017Remember "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" from Sound of Music? In this book the abbess' problem is Eloise, an overeager young woman who can't keep her fingers out of other people's work.
Saying "It's either her or me," the abbess finds a way to redirect Eloise's energy by sending her to England as a Husband Inspector. Her first job is to check out a reluctant nobleman with a curse on his land. He needs a virtuous wife and true love, of course, to break the curse.
This isn't a book you read for realism but fun. There's plenty of humor in the situations and the Hero's dour comments had me chuckling.
Saying "It's either her or me," the abbess finds a way to redirect Eloise's energy by sending her to England as a Husband Inspector. Her first job is to check out a reluctant nobleman with a curse on his land. He needs a virtuous wife and true love, of course, to break the curse.
This isn't a book you read for realism but fun. There's plenty of humor in the situations and the Hero's dour comments had me chuckling.
February 14, 2016
This was a really good book. I loved all the characters and their personalities. This was interesting, has some twists, fun and spunky, tough and tender, and definitely had me turning pages fast. A great read that pulls you in, you feel, have fun, gotta know what happens next..., and has a good HEA. Something I'll probably end up reading again and has me wanting to read more in this series. Good for anytime and anywhere. Enjoy!
July 26, 2015
Ok, maybe I just need to stick with Beta heroes or something, but let's be honest - this guy was a DICK. Even worse, he never redeemed himself at the end. The heroine had to placate him and that was that.
October 8, 2017
4.5 stars. I loved Eloise but I didn’t really feel like Peril deserved her until about the last 1/4 of the book. I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book by this author before, but I definitely plan to continue!
Read
December 5, 2016A fiery headstrong heroine, no thank you.
November 13, 2023
Cute little story. Medieval romance is not something I've read before-usually think of historical romance as regency or in the Scottish highlands but this was a nice change of pace.
July 10, 2022
I loved this book. Eloise is awesome - lovely, competent, spirited, resourceful and a leader. Unfortunately, aside from being lovely, these are not traits that were valued in women back then and she needs to fight to be herself.
Peril, is a leader but he needs help and he doesn't take to it well. He's threatened by Eloise's competence, so much so, that he makes a terrible decision in picking someone for his stewart.
The only thing I found fault with was a seemingly intelligent man's reluctance to fix his problem because he blames a curse for all the "bad luck" on his land instead of realizing this is being done by an enemy.
Peril, is a leader but he needs help and he doesn't take to it well. He's threatened by Eloise's competence, so much so, that he makes a terrible decision in picking someone for his stewart.
The only thing I found fault with was a seemingly intelligent man's reluctance to fix his problem because he blames a curse for all the "bad luck" on his land instead of realizing this is being done by an enemy.
April 3, 2012
I hate when people use ellipses ... all the time ... and not regular sentences ... like they are lazy ... or we are supposed to ponder some great thing ...
AND I HATE WHEN AUTHORS CAN'T EVEN BE BOTHERED TO USE THEM CORRECTLY.
An ellipsis is like a 3-letter word, people. It's something ... something. Three dots. Spaces on either side. It's not complicated.
/rant.
AND I HATE WHEN AUTHORS CAN'T EVEN BE BOTHERED TO USE THEM CORRECTLY.
An ellipsis is like a 3-letter word, people. It's something ... something. Three dots. Spaces on either side. It's not complicated.
/rant.
July 12, 2015
FANTASTIC READ!
This is the first book by Ms. Krahn I have read but it won't be the last. Her characters are wonderful and grip your emotions throughout the whole book. She does not fill the story with tedious descriptions, but rather fills it with emotion that keeps you reading anxiously to the very end. VERY WELL DONE!! 5 stars!
This is the first book by Ms. Krahn I have read but it won't be the last. Her characters are wonderful and grip your emotions throughout the whole book. She does not fill the story with tedious descriptions, but rather fills it with emotion that keeps you reading anxiously to the very end. VERY WELL DONE!! 5 stars!
October 11, 2018
A desperate knight seeks a bride at the Convent of the Brides of Virtue hoping to lift the curse on his land. Before he can get a bride, he must pass the husband test with a stubborn, opinionated young nun(who isn't a nun)as the Judge. A test of wills between a warrior knight and his Judge makes finding a bride and lifting a curse a very entertaining love story. THIS IS A KEEPER!
January 3, 2011
I love this series! I have to pull them out and re-read them when I need a 'happy fix'. This one is my favorite because I love the medieval food details (and the 2 main characters, of course.)
Comfort re-read 12/24/10.
Comfort re-read 12/24/10.
August 4, 2011
Although mostly predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I just couldn't put it down. The author made this book come alive for me and I hope to pick up more books from Betina Krahn in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2013
Sweet. I really enjoyed the heroine, she was of the all-ways-up-to-something school of heroine but sweet and earnest with it. I loved that drove the Earl a bit demented with her interfering, busy-body ways too.
February 23, 2011
BURN IT WITH FIRE.
May 17, 2010
Sweet and funny at times. The things this girl did to try to prove a point!!
February 7, 2011
Very Goooooood book!
May 12, 2012
very funny and romantic
May 16, 2012
I LOVED THIS!! Great historical romance, can't wait to read more by Betina Krahn!
did-not-finish
August 27, 2015DNF on page 12.
DNF because this is inane, and I don't want to put the effort in.
DNF because this is inane, and I don't want to put the effort in.
May 12, 2013
quick fun, somehow more fun for being set in lands of castles. it was nice that it didn't end with the wedding, but waited until they had a marriage of equals to call it a happy ending.
March 19, 2017
2.5 stars
For some reason, I thought this would be a humorous fantasy romance, but in reality, it is a medieval one and not all that funny. So those expectations may have colored my review. Still, once I got 40% or 50% into the book I got over it and just read it to see how Krahn would complete the romance genre formula.
To be honest, the beginning was actually a little dull, yet I appreciate the time taken to develop the relationship between the heroine and hero. There were some amusing euphemisms being thrown about, but it was a little irritating how irritable the hero always seemed to be and then gets his behavior explained away as being that of a warrior. (I call BS!) As far as the romance went, it had its moments, full of drama, trials and tribulations, and some sweetness, yet it never really hooked me nor did I feel particularly invested in the characters either. Very meh experience.
So, I just thought this was an ok romance. I read it on a whim and suppose this is just not my style. The headstrong, willful, fiery-haired heroine is old for me at this point, and loud, shouting heroes remind me how misogynistic the world can be sometimes (also, I have a hard time relating to these character types and always wonder how the lack of manners is attractive). It isn't that bad in this book, nothing that will get me up in arms, but it's frustrating and I think I just want things to be a little more progressive thinking in my life right now.
However, I did come away with a quote I liked. It's not romance related at all, but I just thought it was an eloquently written truth.
"People always prefer the devil they know to the one they don't," Hildegarde said, wagging her head. "They fear what they cannot see more than what they can...even if the greater threat is right before their noses. It's just in the nature of mankind." (p. 318)
For some reason, I thought this would be a humorous fantasy romance, but in reality, it is a medieval one and not all that funny. So those expectations may have colored my review. Still, once I got 40% or 50% into the book I got over it and just read it to see how Krahn would complete the romance genre formula.
To be honest, the beginning was actually a little dull, yet I appreciate the time taken to develop the relationship between the heroine and hero. There were some amusing euphemisms being thrown about, but it was a little irritating how irritable the hero always seemed to be and then gets his behavior explained away as being that of a warrior. (I call BS!) As far as the romance went, it had its moments, full of drama, trials and tribulations, and some sweetness, yet it never really hooked me nor did I feel particularly invested in the characters either. Very meh experience.
So, I just thought this was an ok romance. I read it on a whim and suppose this is just not my style. The headstrong, willful, fiery-haired heroine is old for me at this point, and loud, shouting heroes remind me how misogynistic the world can be sometimes (also, I have a hard time relating to these character types and always wonder how the lack of manners is attractive). It isn't that bad in this book, nothing that will get me up in arms, but it's frustrating and I think I just want things to be a little more progressive thinking in my life right now.
However, I did come away with a quote I liked. It's not romance related at all, but I just thought it was an eloquently written truth.
"People always prefer the devil they know to the one they don't," Hildegarde said, wagging her head. "They fear what they cannot see more than what they can...even if the greater threat is right before their noses. It's just in the nature of mankind." (p. 318)
August 26, 2018
Eloise, a novice in the convent, has big aspirations of one day being abbess. She spends her days learning every aspect of running the convent, from black smithing and horse care to weaving to cooking. What she fails to understand is that her ambition, her disobedience, her lack of attention to godly matters, and even her innovation may keep her from ever becoming a nun. In a plot twist stolen from The Sound of Music, she is sent to determine whether Lord Peril Whittmore is deserving of a convent bride - a Husband Test. When dressed in the garments of a full nun, Peril accepts her help and advice, and together they turn his crumbling estate around. By the time the abbess selects Eloise to be his bride, they have feelings for each other and should be happy, but Peril tries to pigeon hole her into the role of a meek and obedient shadow. She is naturally angry that he’d rather trust the opinion of a lazy and shifty bailiff than his own wife, one who had proven herself hard working, clever, and loyal.
I thought the author was somewhat lazy in fixing a time period for this story, relying on descriptions of kirtles and knights to set the scene. She could have picked a king at least, or given Peril a recent war to return from. On one hand, it was frustrating to see Peril being such a chauvinistic idiot for so much of the novel, but on the other hand, it’s so unlikely that a medieval man would ever adopt enlightened attitudes.
All in all it was pretty good. Bonus points for not being insta-love.
I thought the author was somewhat lazy in fixing a time period for this story, relying on descriptions of kirtles and knights to set the scene. She could have picked a king at least, or given Peril a recent war to return from. On one hand, it was frustrating to see Peril being such a chauvinistic idiot for so much of the novel, but on the other hand, it’s so unlikely that a medieval man would ever adopt enlightened attitudes.
All in all it was pretty good. Bonus points for not being insta-love.
April 28, 2019
This is a pleasant medieval story that is a bit off the beaten path. Eloise is a novice, hoping to take her final vows. She aspires to be an abbess one day. To that end, she has studied widely, so that she can make improvements. However, the abbess does not appreciate her improvements.
Earl of Whitmore spends his last money to travel to the Convent of the Brides of Virtue (where the Abbess and Eloise reside), to get a virtuous bride to break the curse over his lands. Deciding to kill two birds with one stone, the abbess assigns Eloise as the 'husband judge.' Eloise is given an extensive list of qualities she is to measure against the earl. Eloise is told to take her time evaluating the earl. In the meantime, Eloise falls in love with him but sends a complimentary report back to the abbess, telling her to send one of the brides.
I enjoyed the story because it was so different. I don't usually read medieval tales. However, I enjoyed a previous Betina Krahn book and decided to try this one.
Brides of Virtue
** 1. The Husband Test (2001)
2. The Wife Test (2003)
3. The Marriage Test (2004)
Earl of Whitmore spends his last money to travel to the Convent of the Brides of Virtue (where the Abbess and Eloise reside), to get a virtuous bride to break the curse over his lands. Deciding to kill two birds with one stone, the abbess assigns Eloise as the 'husband judge.' Eloise is given an extensive list of qualities she is to measure against the earl. Eloise is told to take her time evaluating the earl. In the meantime, Eloise falls in love with him but sends a complimentary report back to the abbess, telling her to send one of the brides.
I enjoyed the story because it was so different. I don't usually read medieval tales. However, I enjoyed a previous Betina Krahn book and decided to try this one.
Brides of Virtue
** 1. The Husband Test (2001)
2. The Wife Test (2003)
3. The Marriage Test (2004)
February 6, 2017
Excellent genre romance. A book fully realized in terms of characterization, plot, and historical detail. The characters have good lessons to learn about themselves and about each other -- the whole realized through their relationship chemistry of their internal plots and in the larger conflict of the external plot. Some good twists and unexpected developments (you know they'll get together -- it's in the how and when). The book is very long, and the momentum slows a little in Act 4, but that lull provides the incompletion necessary for the Act 5 completion. Krahn is very good with creating strong female characters who feel out of place with their historical settings -- but Krahn's feminism is balanced perfectly with her knowledge of the expectations and limitations of past cultures. Very good detailing of major and minor characters, with carefully chosen descriptive and action words and forward movement in her language throughout. Cute without being cutesy -- a distinction difficult to find in the genre.
March 5, 2025
If I were in a more generous mood, the Husband Test would have been a five star read, but the last act of the book was too plot heavy and took us away from spending time with Eloise and Peril, which is a shame because they were the heart and soul of the novel.
Peril is my type of hero. Grumpy, rough around the edges, but brave and good underneath all his gruffness. Eloise is bossy, feisty, and hilarious. I loved their scenes together for most of the story, but in the last third of the book, Peril became excessively annoying.
The way Sister Clematis was treated in this story was diabolical. Justice for Clemmie! She would make a great Alice Coldbreath heroine. IYKYK.
Peril is my type of hero. Grumpy, rough around the edges, but brave and good underneath all his gruffness. Eloise is bossy, feisty, and hilarious. I loved their scenes together for most of the story, but in the last third of the book, Peril became excessively annoying.
The way Sister Clematis was treated in this story was diabolical. Justice for Clemmie! She would make a great Alice Coldbreath heroine. IYKYK.
May 4, 2025
I went searching for a medieval romance and this book caught my eye. A nun is sent to a earl to see if he can pass the husband test for a bride, and falls in love with him along the way? Ahhh, that’s my kind of story.
And truly this was heart-wrenching and sweet, and sexy and also a bit dastardly but all-together I had a really great time with this book. I feel as if I am Eloise, so the characters really captivated me and I just loved it. Will definitely be looking into more books in this series!
And truly this was heart-wrenching and sweet, and sexy and also a bit dastardly but all-together I had a really great time with this book. I feel as if I am Eloise, so the characters really captivated me and I just loved it. Will definitely be looking into more books in this series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews