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George & the Virgin
Sometimes, slaying the dragon is the easy part.
The medieval village of Markesew was besieged, its virgins demanded in tribute, so when St. George the Dragonslayer arrived from modern times -- in his silver pants and lace-up boots -- his task was clear. Being a professional wrestler didn't qualify him for the job, but a sword and imagination were all he needed... or so he thought, until he came up against the mysterious mistress of Devil's Mount.
Twelve years ago Alizon had been sent to die in the jaws of the serpent. Too tough for dragon teeth then, she'd never surrender to some foreigner in shiny hose now. She feared first for the secret world she'd built atop the dragon's mountain... but as the hero approached, Alizon realized it was not the dragon's armor he had come to pierce, but the scales around her own ferocious heart.
The medieval village of Markesew was besieged, its virgins demanded in tribute, so when St. George the Dragonslayer arrived from modern times -- in his silver pants and lace-up boots -- his task was clear. Being a professional wrestler didn't qualify him for the job, but a sword and imagination were all he needed... or so he thought, until he came up against the mysterious mistress of Devil's Mount.
Twelve years ago Alizon had been sent to die in the jaws of the serpent. Too tough for dragon teeth then, she'd never surrender to some foreigner in shiny hose now. She feared first for the secret world she'd built atop the dragon's mountain... but as the hero approached, Alizon realized it was not the dragon's armor he had come to pierce, but the scales around her own ferocious heart.
349 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
248 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Cach
48 books203 followersLisa Cach grew up in a farm near Portland, Oregon, a place she loves although she'd always trying to leave it. Wanderlust has led her to sail the Sargasso Sea, teach English in Japan, and trek the leech-infested jungles of Borneo. She has degrees in both English and psychology, two subjects that were fun to learn about but that guaranteed her low-paying jobs. Her father, she admits, may have been right about the MBA.
Lisa started to writing romances in her parents' basement during snatched moments from work. Since her writing career began her free time has become less and less as her novels become more and more popular. She's loved romance novels since Junior High School, and at least now she doesn't have to worry about getting caught reading one. Lisa married, and bought with her husband a home in Seattle, Washington. She describes her personal paradise as "...a pile of books, a plate of brownies, and the free time in which to enjoy them".
Lisa started to writing romances in her parents' basement during snatched moments from work. Since her writing career began her free time has become less and less as her novels become more and more popular. She's loved romance novels since Junior High School, and at least now she doesn't have to worry about getting caught reading one. Lisa married, and bought with her husband a home in Seattle, Washington. She describes her personal paradise as "...a pile of books, a plate of brownies, and the free time in which to enjoy them".
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 20, 2011
3.5 stars. You don’t often get a romance novel that reminds you of a Monty Python routine, but parts of this story about a group of curious virgins and the sexy hero who comes to rescue them made me expect someone to say “you must give us all a good spanking!” at any moment. It’s actually quite a sweet book though, and not extremely steamy, despite the virginal lustings.
George, a professional wrestler going through some hard times, agrees to let his sister guide him through a “creative visualization exercise” to help him confront the issues that are troubling him. His mind takes him to a surprising place: a medieval village which has been sacrificing a young virgin girl to a dragon every year. Believing that everything that happens to him is some kind of subconscious metaphor, George agrees to slay the dragon. But the past is very real, and so is Alizon, a virgin who managed to survive, and who has been protecting other newly arrived virgins for the past twelve years. And Alizon is not at all happy to have “Saint George” arrive, flaunting his gorgeous body in skin-tight pants, and ready to kill the dragon and destroy their carefully maintained secret existence.
I’m not fond of either time travel stories or medievals, but having George’s cocky, costumed persona trash-talking a dragon... well, it’s certainly unique in romance, and pretty funny. And George is really a gentle giant, a perfect foil for the bitter, vengeful Alizon, who is trapped in a prison mostly of her own making. The ending is especially touching and meaningful.
George, a professional wrestler going through some hard times, agrees to let his sister guide him through a “creative visualization exercise” to help him confront the issues that are troubling him. His mind takes him to a surprising place: a medieval village which has been sacrificing a young virgin girl to a dragon every year. Believing that everything that happens to him is some kind of subconscious metaphor, George agrees to slay the dragon. But the past is very real, and so is Alizon, a virgin who managed to survive, and who has been protecting other newly arrived virgins for the past twelve years. And Alizon is not at all happy to have “Saint George” arrive, flaunting his gorgeous body in skin-tight pants, and ready to kill the dragon and destroy their carefully maintained secret existence.
I’m not fond of either time travel stories or medievals, but having George’s cocky, costumed persona trash-talking a dragon... well, it’s certainly unique in romance, and pretty funny. And George is really a gentle giant, a perfect foil for the bitter, vengeful Alizon, who is trapped in a prison mostly of her own making. The ending is especially touching and meaningful.
June 2, 2025
The first page was phenomenal and the rest was just "fine".
Just from the first page...
1. "She held his pizzle in her hand"
2. "I am not a cow to be milked"
3. "You certainly feel spongy as a cow's teat"
Just from the first page...
1. "She held his pizzle in her hand"
2. "I am not a cow to be milked"
3. "You certainly feel spongy as a cow's teat"
July 21, 2011
Reviewed for THC Reviews
George & the Virgin is a book that rather deftly crosses many of the sub-genres of romance. I suppose it is primarily a historical time travel with the hero going back in time to a medieval castle, but having a dragon terrorizing the nearby villagers also places the story squarely in the fantasy realm. The humor had me grinning like an idiot until my husband asked what was so funny, and that alone gives it a firm standing as a romantic comedy too. Additionally, it had a light paranormal element in the way in which the time travel took place, and tons of action and adventure as our intrepid hero sets out to slay the dragon. All of this made for a pretty fun read, but I still couldn't help feeling like there was something missing. Since I was enjoying most of the story, it took me a while to figure it out, but when I did, I sadly realized it was the romance itself that was rather lacking.
Alizon was a complicated young woman who was somewhat difficult for me to relate to. She begins the story as a fourteen year-old orphan girl who is trying to loose her virginity so she won't have to go to the annual virgin lottery and possibly be sent as a sacrifice to the dragon. She has reluctantly chosen an unkempt, callow youth who had been pursuing her, but he has no idea what he's doing. It was a pretty funny scene, but at the same time kind of sad because of her reasons for doing it. In the end she bravely goes to the lottery and eventually the dragon. Once we find out how she avoided falling prey to the dragon and had saved many other virgins lives over the years, she seemed even more courageous, but at the same time, she had been pretty selfish. Alizon is also way too stubborn and independent for her own good. In her mind, she laments her lot in life, how she is stuck in the castle with no conceivable means of escape, and seems to want someone to free her, but when George comes along to save her, she allows her fear to take over to the point that she literally tries to sabotage her own potential HEA. It was amusing that during Alizon's twelve years as the dragon's keeper she had become a pretty horny virgin, fantasizing about finally being deflowered the right way, but again, when George begins to show sexual interest in her, she wants to be in control of everything which only leads to further disappointment for her. I also felt that her lack of trust in George suppressed any intimacy between them. I really wanted to like Alizon and can't necessarily say that I disliked her. I did feel bad for all she had been through in her life and understood her actions on some level, but wish she would have lightened up a little sooner. Unfortunately, her quick turn around at the end wasn't entirely believable to me.
George ended up being a pleasant surprise for me. Not being a fan of professional wrestling, I wasn't sure if I would like him and thought he might end up being a cheesy character. I couldn't have been more wrong about him though. In spite of his profession, George was a real softie, much more of a beta hero than the chest-beating alpha I was expecting. He truly cares about people and has used the wealth he has earned to take care of his family. His opening scene where he is playing with his little niece was positively adorable. I liked how after traveling to the past George was able to manage cooking, cleaning, laundry and basically shocked Alizon with his ability and willingness to do “women's work.” George was also a very intelligent man whose hobby was studying medieval history. He had a love of all things from that era, so much so that he had built his own castle in the present day. I thought it very clever of him that he was able to decipher middle English to communicate with the people when he went back in time, and it was refreshing that he wasn't fooled by Alizon's crone disguise and recognized it for what it was right away. I did start to wonder when he was going to figure out that he had really time traveled and was no longer just in a guided vision, but I have to admit that his use of Jungian psychology to self-analyze this crazy “dream” he was having could be pretty hilarious. George was an extremely patient and forgiving man when it came to Alizon's shortcomings, more so than I could have been, brave to go up against the dragon, especially once he realized it was real, and just a fun, all-around great guy.
For a large part of the book, I felt like there was something missing. As I mentioned earlier, I came to realize it was the actual romance, but more so than that it was a lack of sexual tension, relationship development, and emotion in general. I understood on an intellectual level why Alizon was so stubbornly independent and even a little prickly. I do think that her situation warranted sympathy, but in spite of that, I never really felt much for her even when she was telling George the whole sad story of how she came to be mistress of Devil's Mount. What passed for sexual tension felt more like mere lust. Alizon had been feeling the stirring of desire for quite a while, so it wasn't too surprising that she was very attracted to George's masculinity. However, at first she only wanted to use him to finally rid herself of her virginity. George for his part, knew that Alizon was much younger than she pretended to be, but he doesn't even get to see her face until over a third of the way into the book and even then he still thinks she's just part of his dream world. Granted he did several kind and thoughtful things for her and was brave enough to attempt to slay a dragon for her with few weapons to hand, but I just didn't feel a deep emotional connection between them like I would have preferred. Even when they finally consummated their relationship, I was disappointed, as the setting just wasn't very romantic to me. In fact, it seemed downright uncomfortable. Not to mention, there had been so much teasing and build-up to it that I was expecting something explosive, but it was all over in a matter of a couple of pages with minimal details.
I may have been dissatisfied with the romance element, but I do have to give Lisa Cach a few extra points for basing her story on the actual legends surrounding a real place, St. Michael's Mount, a tiny island off the southern coast of England which really is connected to the mainland by a causeway at low tide. The village to which it leads is also the village in the book. Additionally, Ms. Cach took the time to thrown in a bit of Middle English, much like an author would do if they were showing that a character speaks another language. In essence they did speak another language in the middle ages, so I thought that little touch added a bit of authenticity to the novel as well. Overall, George & the Virgin was a cute, playful, lighthearted concoction that was a fairly enjoyable read in spite of its weaknesses. The action, adventure and humor helped to make up for some of the other deficiencies. After reading two books by Lisa Cach, I'm starting to see that she is a little better at creating swashbuckling daring-do than tender romantic relationships, so she'll probably be an author to look to whenever I'm in the mood for a breezy escapade rather than my usual more serious-minded fare.
George & the Virgin is a book that rather deftly crosses many of the sub-genres of romance. I suppose it is primarily a historical time travel with the hero going back in time to a medieval castle, but having a dragon terrorizing the nearby villagers also places the story squarely in the fantasy realm. The humor had me grinning like an idiot until my husband asked what was so funny, and that alone gives it a firm standing as a romantic comedy too. Additionally, it had a light paranormal element in the way in which the time travel took place, and tons of action and adventure as our intrepid hero sets out to slay the dragon. All of this made for a pretty fun read, but I still couldn't help feeling like there was something missing. Since I was enjoying most of the story, it took me a while to figure it out, but when I did, I sadly realized it was the romance itself that was rather lacking.
Alizon was a complicated young woman who was somewhat difficult for me to relate to. She begins the story as a fourteen year-old orphan girl who is trying to loose her virginity so she won't have to go to the annual virgin lottery and possibly be sent as a sacrifice to the dragon. She has reluctantly chosen an unkempt, callow youth who had been pursuing her, but he has no idea what he's doing. It was a pretty funny scene, but at the same time kind of sad because of her reasons for doing it. In the end she bravely goes to the lottery and eventually the dragon. Once we find out how she avoided falling prey to the dragon and had saved many other virgins lives over the years, she seemed even more courageous, but at the same time, she had been pretty selfish. Alizon is also way too stubborn and independent for her own good. In her mind, she laments her lot in life, how she is stuck in the castle with no conceivable means of escape, and seems to want someone to free her, but when George comes along to save her, she allows her fear to take over to the point that she literally tries to sabotage her own potential HEA. It was amusing that during Alizon's twelve years as the dragon's keeper she had become a pretty horny virgin, fantasizing about finally being deflowered the right way, but again, when George begins to show sexual interest in her, she wants to be in control of everything which only leads to further disappointment for her. I also felt that her lack of trust in George suppressed any intimacy between them. I really wanted to like Alizon and can't necessarily say that I disliked her. I did feel bad for all she had been through in her life and understood her actions on some level, but wish she would have lightened up a little sooner. Unfortunately, her quick turn around at the end wasn't entirely believable to me.
George ended up being a pleasant surprise for me. Not being a fan of professional wrestling, I wasn't sure if I would like him and thought he might end up being a cheesy character. I couldn't have been more wrong about him though. In spite of his profession, George was a real softie, much more of a beta hero than the chest-beating alpha I was expecting. He truly cares about people and has used the wealth he has earned to take care of his family. His opening scene where he is playing with his little niece was positively adorable. I liked how after traveling to the past George was able to manage cooking, cleaning, laundry and basically shocked Alizon with his ability and willingness to do “women's work.” George was also a very intelligent man whose hobby was studying medieval history. He had a love of all things from that era, so much so that he had built his own castle in the present day. I thought it very clever of him that he was able to decipher middle English to communicate with the people when he went back in time, and it was refreshing that he wasn't fooled by Alizon's crone disguise and recognized it for what it was right away. I did start to wonder when he was going to figure out that he had really time traveled and was no longer just in a guided vision, but I have to admit that his use of Jungian psychology to self-analyze this crazy “dream” he was having could be pretty hilarious. George was an extremely patient and forgiving man when it came to Alizon's shortcomings, more so than I could have been, brave to go up against the dragon, especially once he realized it was real, and just a fun, all-around great guy.
For a large part of the book, I felt like there was something missing. As I mentioned earlier, I came to realize it was the actual romance, but more so than that it was a lack of sexual tension, relationship development, and emotion in general. I understood on an intellectual level why Alizon was so stubbornly independent and even a little prickly. I do think that her situation warranted sympathy, but in spite of that, I never really felt much for her even when she was telling George the whole sad story of how she came to be mistress of Devil's Mount. What passed for sexual tension felt more like mere lust. Alizon had been feeling the stirring of desire for quite a while, so it wasn't too surprising that she was very attracted to George's masculinity. However, at first she only wanted to use him to finally rid herself of her virginity. George for his part, knew that Alizon was much younger than she pretended to be, but he doesn't even get to see her face until over a third of the way into the book and even then he still thinks she's just part of his dream world. Granted he did several kind and thoughtful things for her and was brave enough to attempt to slay a dragon for her with few weapons to hand, but I just didn't feel a deep emotional connection between them like I would have preferred. Even when they finally consummated their relationship, I was disappointed, as the setting just wasn't very romantic to me. In fact, it seemed downright uncomfortable. Not to mention, there had been so much teasing and build-up to it that I was expecting something explosive, but it was all over in a matter of a couple of pages with minimal details.
I may have been dissatisfied with the romance element, but I do have to give Lisa Cach a few extra points for basing her story on the actual legends surrounding a real place, St. Michael's Mount, a tiny island off the southern coast of England which really is connected to the mainland by a causeway at low tide. The village to which it leads is also the village in the book. Additionally, Ms. Cach took the time to thrown in a bit of Middle English, much like an author would do if they were showing that a character speaks another language. In essence they did speak another language in the middle ages, so I thought that little touch added a bit of authenticity to the novel as well. Overall, George & the Virgin was a cute, playful, lighthearted concoction that was a fairly enjoyable read in spite of its weaknesses. The action, adventure and humor helped to make up for some of the other deficiencies. After reading two books by Lisa Cach, I'm starting to see that she is a little better at creating swashbuckling daring-do than tender romantic relationships, so she'll probably be an author to look to whenever I'm in the mood for a breezy escapade rather than my usual more serious-minded fare.
December 1, 2009
This is a romantic time-travel/fantasy that starts out in the middle ages in a small village filled with superstitious weaklings who sacrifice one of their virgin daughters to the local dragon once a year (because they’re apparently too lame to face him down).
When the story begins Alizon, a 14 yr old virgin, is desperately trying to rid herself of her virginity with a loathsome and clueless boy to avoid being the dragon’s next dinner. The scene is quite funny, Alizon is mouthy and strong willed.
George, the hero of the story, lives in modern times. He’s a professional wrestler for a foundation similar to the WWE (or whatever they’re calling themselves these days) and is sent back to medieval times by his new age sister. He is a very likable character with heart, self-doubt and a conscience.
This book is fabulous and a definite recommend.
When the story begins Alizon, a 14 yr old virgin, is desperately trying to rid herself of her virginity with a loathsome and clueless boy to avoid being the dragon’s next dinner. The scene is quite funny, Alizon is mouthy and strong willed.
George, the hero of the story, lives in modern times. He’s a professional wrestler for a foundation similar to the WWE (or whatever they’re calling themselves these days) and is sent back to medieval times by his new age sister. He is a very likable character with heart, self-doubt and a conscience.
This book is fabulous and a definite recommend.
November 13, 2011
With a cheesy cover and a professional wrestler as the hero, I wasn't sure about this book, but it was a good story with some interesting characters.
What I enjoyed:
* George. His slow realization that he was actually in the past and not in a trance/dream.
* The virgins. They were very mischievous and fun.
*
What could have been better:
* The beginning was a bit off-putting, especially once you realized she was only 14.
*
*
What I enjoyed:
* George. His slow realization that he was actually in the past and not in a trance/dream.
* The virgins. They were very mischievous and fun.
*
What could have been better:
* The beginning was a bit off-putting, especially once you realized she was only 14.
*
*
September 3, 2011
This kindle freebie was really cute, a professional wrestler taking on a stinky dragon named Belch and a castleful of virgins adds a bit of humor, and a virgin who doesn't want to stay that way forever adds a bit of steamy stuff.
George 'The Saint' is really a nice guy, and a gentle giant with a self deprecating sense of humor, so he makes for a satisfying, if at times a bumbling, hero. And his heroine Alizon is just so repressed that it adds to the steamy build up of sensual tension between the pair. All in all a fun magical time travel read.
George 'The Saint' is really a nice guy, and a gentle giant with a self deprecating sense of humor, so he makes for a satisfying, if at times a bumbling, hero. And his heroine Alizon is just so repressed that it adds to the steamy build up of sensual tension between the pair. All in all a fun magical time travel read.
June 15, 2024
This is a book I really wanted to read when I was in my teens and early twenties but it never came my way and I could never quite justify buying it online. The set up sounded fun and I was intrigued by how it would pan out. One proto-feminist, one wrestler and a dragon...
My tastes have changed since then. I also think Lisa Cach has a knack for creating great plot ideas but I have never been truly delighted by the finished novels, even when historical romances were my favourite things to read. I feel the same way about this book.
I liked the way the time travel was handled. Because George thought he was imagining being in the past for much of the book he never went about harking on about how much better the future is and amazing the locals with great ideas and being cringeworthy. He did build a sofa but that came late in the day. I like the way our heroine had to face up to her motives for her behaviour on the island. I love the idea of her spending her Sundays eating junk and not caring. This relationship feels like one that will work.
But I feel sorry for Belch. And the side characters were too undeveloped. And it was just missing that special something to make me love it.
My tastes have changed since then. I also think Lisa Cach has a knack for creating great plot ideas but I have never been truly delighted by the finished novels, even when historical romances were my favourite things to read. I feel the same way about this book.
I liked the way the time travel was handled. Because George thought he was imagining being in the past for much of the book he never went about harking on about how much better the future is and amazing the locals with great ideas and being cringeworthy. He did build a sofa but that came late in the day. I like the way our heroine had to face up to her motives for her behaviour on the island. I love the idea of her spending her Sundays eating junk and not caring. This relationship feels like one that will work.
But I feel sorry for Belch. And the side characters were too undeveloped. And it was just missing that special something to make me love it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2020
From my keeper shelf
I originally bought this book at my favorite small book store that is still open!! It is from my keeper shelf and I am adding it to my digital library. This story is time travel, but is written in such a way that the reader can believe that it could really happen. The heroine faces insurmountable odds in order to survive. The hero comes straight from Monday night tv, the RAW form, hint-hint. The antagonist is evident from the first chapter. And no more spoilers. This story was well thought out and most of the plot lines were concluded, but the author did leave the door open for sequels. There were no obvious spelling or grammar errors and the speech patterns were kept appropriate for the two time periods. This story was a nice smooth read. I have read it repetitively through the years, on rainy days or on the beach. The thing that recommends this book is the good feeling I had when it was done. There is an HEA surround by humor, danger, adventure, and romance. The back read makes it seem like a fluffy story, but it is more than that. 5 stars.
I originally bought this book at my favorite small book store that is still open!! It is from my keeper shelf and I am adding it to my digital library. This story is time travel, but is written in such a way that the reader can believe that it could really happen. The heroine faces insurmountable odds in order to survive. The hero comes straight from Monday night tv, the RAW form, hint-hint. The antagonist is evident from the first chapter. And no more spoilers. This story was well thought out and most of the plot lines were concluded, but the author did leave the door open for sequels. There were no obvious spelling or grammar errors and the speech patterns were kept appropriate for the two time periods. This story was a nice smooth read. I have read it repetitively through the years, on rainy days or on the beach. The thing that recommends this book is the good feeling I had when it was done. There is an HEA surround by humor, danger, adventure, and romance. The back read makes it seem like a fluffy story, but it is more than that. 5 stars.
October 23, 2025
Weirdly a great book
Why was this so good? I was expecting Army of Darkness vibes, but it was actually a really sweet, sexy and serious book.
I love how it’s a time travel book that addresses the fact that the english we speak today isn’t the same as the english from 500 years ago. I really liked how George is considered strange for washing all the time. And i laughed at the fact that he doesn’t trust the leftovers of the time because of the lack of refrigeration - so he takes over cooking by making omelets and sandwiches.
I read this for Smutty Book Club and we were all shocked that it was so good
Note: This book has two names. As an ebook it is The Dragon, the Virgin and George. As a print book it is George and the Virgin.
Why was this so good? I was expecting Army of Darkness vibes, but it was actually a really sweet, sexy and serious book.
I love how it’s a time travel book that addresses the fact that the english we speak today isn’t the same as the english from 500 years ago. I really liked how George is considered strange for washing all the time. And i laughed at the fact that he doesn’t trust the leftovers of the time because of the lack of refrigeration - so he takes over cooking by making omelets and sandwiches.
I read this for Smutty Book Club and we were all shocked that it was so good
Note: This book has two names. As an ebook it is The Dragon, the Virgin and George. As a print book it is George and the Virgin.
August 29, 2023
DNF. Started off strong and intriguing but slowly left me struggling to turn the page. The story stretched out too long and I lost interest.
June 1, 2023
I really enjoyed some aspects of this story, but I almost DNF'd. Our hero, George, is a professional wrestler at something of a low ebb -- he's recently recovered from an injury, but he's dealing with some awful publicity as two boys attempted his signature move and their parents blamed him for their injuries. So even though his notoriety has actually been a draw for the company he works for, he's not feeling great about his career. His New Agey sister (a fun side character I would have liked to see more of, along with her 5-year-old daughter) gets him to do guided hypnosis with her in an attempt to help him sort himself out, and he ends up in what he believes is a sort of simulation created by his subconscious mind. He meets a woman there who explains that she summoned him to slay the dragon that her village has been sacrificing sheep and (of course) virgins to for decades.
Meanwhile, the heroine, Alizon, was one of those sacrificed virgins -- 12 years ago. She managed to save herself, keep the dragon under control, and figure out a way for her and the subsequent human sacrifices (there's another one each year) to earn a living in hiding on the island where they've been sent. She's taught them how to make tapestries, got the shepherd on the island to establish trade with French buyers, and extorted more and more sheep from the villagers "for the dragon" in an attempt to get revenge on them. She's not happy about a strange man showing up to potentially expose them all to the villagers, and as she comes to realize he actually has a real chance against the dragon, she's not happy about that either because if the dragon is killed, she won't be able to justify keeping all the other virgins secluded with her anymore. Twisted as it is, she relies on the dragon to hold her world together.
I'm a very casual/occasional viewer of pro wrestling, but I think it's interesting because it's basically soap operas performed by acrobats. There are "storylines" that go with all kinds of sports (like, the underdog vs the established champion, etc), but the performative/theatrical elements are integral in wrestling in a unique way. So I loved all the bits where George thinks about his wrestling career and uses that experience to make decisions in the medieval world. I also enjoyed his attempts at analyzing his "simulation" and thinking about how he would do things if he "reset" like in a video game.
The romance worked less well for me mostly because, while I appreciated where Alizon was coming from on an intellectual level, I found her POV really frustrating to get through for most of the book. I think that's because she spends a lot of time sort of zealously denying her obvious desires to herself (I would have preferred if, instead of being all "of course I have no sexual interest in this man," she had acknowledged that she was attracted to him but that didn't mean she had to act on it) and justifying her shittier actions in self-pitying ways. From George's perspective I could understand why he was into her, but then when it switched back to Alizon I was just like, ugh, this again. I guess I felt like the admirable traits that he sees in her -- she's a survivor, she's strong and clever and loyal to the girls/women in her care -- show more clearly from the outside than in her internal monologue. That said, I did enjoy the final confrontation between George and Alizon and then when she .
Meanwhile, the heroine, Alizon, was one of those sacrificed virgins -- 12 years ago. She managed to save herself, keep the dragon under control, and figure out a way for her and the subsequent human sacrifices (there's another one each year) to earn a living in hiding on the island where they've been sent. She's taught them how to make tapestries, got the shepherd on the island to establish trade with French buyers, and extorted more and more sheep from the villagers "for the dragon" in an attempt to get revenge on them. She's not happy about a strange man showing up to potentially expose them all to the villagers, and as she comes to realize he actually has a real chance against the dragon, she's not happy about that either because if the dragon is killed, she won't be able to justify keeping all the other virgins secluded with her anymore. Twisted as it is, she relies on the dragon to hold her world together.
I'm a very casual/occasional viewer of pro wrestling, but I think it's interesting because it's basically soap operas performed by acrobats. There are "storylines" that go with all kinds of sports (like, the underdog vs the established champion, etc), but the performative/theatrical elements are integral in wrestling in a unique way. So I loved all the bits where George thinks about his wrestling career and uses that experience to make decisions in the medieval world. I also enjoyed his attempts at analyzing his "simulation" and thinking about how he would do things if he "reset" like in a video game.
The romance worked less well for me mostly because, while I appreciated where Alizon was coming from on an intellectual level, I found her POV really frustrating to get through for most of the book. I think that's because she spends a lot of time sort of zealously denying her obvious desires to herself (I would have preferred if, instead of being all "of course I have no sexual interest in this man," she had acknowledged that she was attracted to him but that didn't mean she had to act on it) and justifying her shittier actions in self-pitying ways. From George's perspective I could understand why he was into her, but then when it switched back to Alizon I was just like, ugh, this again. I guess I felt like the admirable traits that he sees in her -- she's a survivor, she's strong and clever and loyal to the girls/women in her care -- show more clearly from the outside than in her internal monologue. That said, I did enjoy the final confrontation between George and Alizon and then when she .
January 8, 2008
I can't believe I went into a shop and purchased a book called
George & the Virgin
. Also, it is a book about a professional wrestler who travels back in time and ends up in a castle full of virgins. And there's a dragon what was supposed to eat the virgins, except that the heroine managed to escape this fate and has saved all the virgins who came after her. But I kept seeing it on lists of romance novels that don't suck, and I was intrigued enough to check it out.
It doesn't suck! It wasn't as great as the lists would have me believe, but it was absolutely not bad. It's all very silly, but the heroine and the hero are both fun, and the supporting characters are ace (although I could have done without the girls in the castle constantly being referred to as "the virgins").
But I still can't believe I bought this one in person instead of ordering it off the internets.
It doesn't suck! It wasn't as great as the lists would have me believe, but it was absolutely not bad. It's all very silly, but the heroine and the hero are both fun, and the supporting characters are ace (although I could have done without the girls in the castle constantly being referred to as "the virgins").
But I still can't believe I bought this one in person instead of ordering it off the internets.
March 15, 2010
The story was OK, though it bordered on a little of the slapstick side. For some reason, when I started this book, I was under the assumption that the dragon was a figment of the imagination of the townspeople. There really is a dragon and his name is Belch, if you can believe that. :o)
There were some laugh-out-loud moments.
There were some laugh-out-loud moments.
August 9, 2010
Wow! Great fantasy book, if you are into that. One of my favorite movies when I was younger was "The Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" and the synopsis sounded a bit like that, so I was hoping ....
I would recommend it for a fun beach read and a great "getaway" book.
I would recommend it for a fun beach read and a great "getaway" book.
June 24, 2008
Humorous and cute.
September 4, 2011
Love time travel and I loved this book!
September 5, 2011
It started as a joke with friends when I saw it at Goodwill...then I bought it...and then I read it. It was really funny and well written. I was surprised.
January 19, 2012
This was a 3 for me, but I wish I could give an extra half star for the humor and unusual hero.
July 29, 2013
I found this wayyyy more amusing than I thought I would!
November 11, 2013
Absolute fun.
January 15, 2017
Humorous retelling of St. George and the Dragon. Moderately good read.
December 28, 2023
I am on my second time reading this book. I love the humor the author uses throughout. The imagery allows the story to be played out as a movie in my head. A great.
December 31, 2011
I wanted to enjoy this book, but I absolutely could not stand the heroine.
October 7, 2013
OK book, not as funny as some of her other books.
October 28, 2014
An adorable male lead really makes this book a keeper.
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