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The Brat
Rumor has it that Lady Murie, King Edward III’s goddaughter, is stunningly beautiful, with bright blue eyes, golden hair, and a bewitching smile. Rumor also has it that the doting king has spoiled her rotten. When Sir Balan spies her wailing and sobbing in public, he decides that Lady Murie is the last person he would ever wish to have as a bride.
But there is far more to Murie than meets the eye—and soon Balan discovers, to his great delight, that he’d be lucky indeed to deserve such a bride. Unfortunately, he’s not the only one to discern this truth . . . and the other suitor is much less honorable. Now a plot is afoot and Balan must prove himself a chivalrous knight and win the love of Lady Murie . . .
But there is far more to Murie than meets the eye—and soon Balan discovers, to his great delight, that he’d be lucky indeed to deserve such a bride. Unfortunately, he’s not the only one to discern this truth . . . and the other suitor is much less honorable. Now a plot is afoot and Balan must prove himself a chivalrous knight and win the love of Lady Murie . . .
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 2, 2007
169 people are currently reading
3750 people want to read
About the author
Lynsay Sands
124 books12.2k followersLYNSAY SANDS is the nationally bestselling author who is known for her hysterical historicals as well as the popular Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series. With her witty and charming personality, Sands describes books as, “Waking dreams or stories, tales to amuse, entertain and distract us from everyday life.” She’s been writing stories since grade school and considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to make a career out of it. Her hope is that readers can get away from their everyday stress through her stories, and if there are occasional uncontrollable fits of laughter, that’s just a big bonus. Visit her official website at www.lynsaysands.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
August 8, 2022
Read: 2010-2014
Cute but silly! The h innocence got on my nerves! The she was annoyingly superstitious to the point of ridiculous. Most of the book is slow and predictable. I can't believe JS wrote this book!
Sidenote: I'd skip this book if your looking for a good LS book!
Cute but silly! The h innocence got on my nerves! The she was annoyingly superstitious to the point of ridiculous. Most of the book is slow and predictable. I can't believe JS wrote this book!
Sidenote: I'd skip this book if your looking for a good LS book!
May 24, 2019
5 yummy HR stars
Well-written, steamy historical romances (medieval in particular) are my favorite, and this one is among the best I've ever read. I typically enjoy Lynsay Sands' HRs, but I would consider most to be 4-star reads; this one is by far my favorite of the lot!
"The Brat" (Murie) is the spoiled goddaughter of the king who was orphaned at a young age and lived at court since. Balan is a baron from the northern lands of England who has faithfully served his king through his warrior skills, but his lands have suffered as the plague wiped out more than half of his people. He is in need of a bride with a sizeable dowry to restore things to what they once were, and he has come to court to seek such a lady. Unfortunately, the pickings are slim... and then The Brat is thrown into the mix as the queen has deemed it time for her to wed. No WAY does he want to get saddled with a selfish, spoiled woman no matter how beautiful she is. But there is something he (and many others) don't know... Murie isn't really a brat. It was an act she put on to survive life at court amidst jealous women who would otherwise make her life a living hell. Now that she is ready to marry and permitted to pick her own groom, will he give her the chance to prove she isn't really "the brat?"
This book is one I have re-read many times and never seem to get tired of! I love the plot, and the execution is flawless! There is action, mystery, scandal, and lots of steamy goodness! I especially appreciated that when there were misunderstandings that could have thrown a major wrench in the progress of the story, the author had them settled quickly. It is a pet peeve of mine when there are miscommunication issues because if the MCs would only talk to each other, it would all be sorted out. Thankfully, Sands was on my anti-unnecessary angst wagon and kept things flowing. Highly recommended, fun, yummy read!
Plot --- 5/5
Main Characters --- 5/5
Supporting Cast --- 5/5
Steam Level --- 4/5
Violence --- minimal
Language --- don't recall any
POV --- 3rd
Well-written, steamy historical romances (medieval in particular) are my favorite, and this one is among the best I've ever read. I typically enjoy Lynsay Sands' HRs, but I would consider most to be 4-star reads; this one is by far my favorite of the lot!
"The Brat" (Murie) is the spoiled goddaughter of the king who was orphaned at a young age and lived at court since. Balan is a baron from the northern lands of England who has faithfully served his king through his warrior skills, but his lands have suffered as the plague wiped out more than half of his people. He is in need of a bride with a sizeable dowry to restore things to what they once were, and he has come to court to seek such a lady. Unfortunately, the pickings are slim... and then The Brat is thrown into the mix as the queen has deemed it time for her to wed. No WAY does he want to get saddled with a selfish, spoiled woman no matter how beautiful she is. But there is something he (and many others) don't know... Murie isn't really a brat. It was an act she put on to survive life at court amidst jealous women who would otherwise make her life a living hell. Now that she is ready to marry and permitted to pick her own groom, will he give her the chance to prove she isn't really "the brat?"
This book is one I have re-read many times and never seem to get tired of! I love the plot, and the execution is flawless! There is action, mystery, scandal, and lots of steamy goodness! I especially appreciated that when there were misunderstandings that could have thrown a major wrench in the progress of the story, the author had them settled quickly. It is a pet peeve of mine when there are miscommunication issues because if the MCs would only talk to each other, it would all be sorted out. Thankfully, Sands was on my anti-unnecessary angst wagon and kept things flowing. Highly recommended, fun, yummy read!
Plot --- 5/5
Main Characters --- 5/5
Supporting Cast --- 5/5
Steam Level --- 4/5
Violence --- minimal
Language --- don't recall any
POV --- 3rd
February 20, 2021
This book was not what I was expecting. It was light. Kind of silly. But it was about these two enemies to lovers fighting and then getting married and living a very nice life in the castle where she took care of everything and healing him after he's been attacked. Kind of boring tbh and definitely not like love is blind
October 18, 2013
The Brat was a cute and funny historical romance set in the 1300s during King Edward III's reign. Sir Balan comes to court and overhears a plot to trick "The Brat", Lady Maurie, into marriage. Lady Murie is the King's goddaughter and desires to leave court but doesn't want to upset her godfather so she connives to have the Queen insist that she marry.
Well, it was fun and entertaining but don't think you are going to be filled with historical accuracy with this one. The conversations are much like we would talk today. But those readers who just want some fun will probably love the silliness and humor.
Well, it was fun and entertaining but don't think you are going to be filled with historical accuracy with this one. The conversations are much like we would talk today. But those readers who just want some fun will probably love the silliness and humor.
November 9, 2021
This was a nice read with humour, I like both Balan and Murie
December 23, 2016
3 Meh stars
Didn't love or hate this one..Not super exciting but pleasant read.
The heroine was a little TOO superstious at times but instead making her character quickly and different she just came across a bit niave and annoying.
Figured out who the villain was by around 60% after which I started loosing interest due to the lack of suspences :(
Wouldn't really recommend.
Didn't love or hate this one..Not super exciting but pleasant read.
The heroine was a little TOO superstious at times but instead making her character quickly and different she just came across a bit niave and annoying.
Figured out who the villain was by around 60% after which I started loosing interest due to the lack of suspences :(
Wouldn't really recommend.
November 9, 2024
h was annoying but it was funny.
Extra star is for Justine Eyre, the narrator!
Extra star is for Justine Eyre, the narrator!
July 7, 2017
Not worth the time. Underdeveloped plot. Annoying characters with bizarre motivations. Pretty much silly from start to finish, with little humour to alleviate the wading through.
February 20, 2025
Сър Балан и лейди Мари
📣🚨🛑РЕВЮ СЪДЪРЖАЩО СПОЙЛЕРИ🛑🚨📣
Сър Балан е един от доверените васали на крал Едуард 3ти. Прибирайки се от бойното поле, Балан намира Англия възстановяваща се след чумна епидемия. Баща му е мъртъв, огромна част от хората му са мъртви, а малкото останали са напуснали дома му в търсене на място и господар, който може да им плаща. Балан е напълно разорен и единствения начин да възстанови дома си е като се ожени за богата наследница, затова той и братовчед му заминават за кралския двор, докато малкото от мъжете му остават да се грижат за имота.
Балан смята, че шансовете му да се задоми с дама по негов избор са много малки, докато неволно не става свидетел на разговор, който променя изцяло плановете му. Сега в полезрението му има една определена дама, която с всеки изминал ден го привлича все по-силно.
Лейди Мари и осиротялата кръщелница на краля, която след смъртта на родителите си заживява в кралския двор. Краля е силно привързан към малкото момиче и това кара всички други момичета в кралския двор да обиждат и нападат Мари. Посъветвана от приятелка, тя започва да реве силно и шумно всеки път, щом някой се опита да я обиди или да я накара да направи нещо, което не желае. Така с годините тя успява да се предпази от злобата на момичетата, но и печели славата на разглезено дете. Наричат я глезлата и всеки се ужасява да бъде в компанията й. А това може да е доста лош знак, имайки предвид, че Мари е съставила план, как да накара краля и кралицата да й позволят да се омъжи. Дали обаче ще намери мъж, който да види отвъд слуховете за нея?
ОБОЖАВАМ тази книга. В нея има всичко, което обичам в историческите романи. Има сладка и леко шашава героиня. Има намусен главен герой, който е истински алфа. Имаме ранен брак, много смях, лек крими елемент. Обичам когато в една книга дома на главния е пълна каша и главната героиня трябва да въведе ред. Обичам и когато няма огромни недоразумения между главните и ако има нещо в което някой от двамата се съмнява, съмненията бързо се изясняват, така няма тайни и драми. Обожавам колко сладка двойка бяха Балан и Мари. Хареса ми и второстепенната двойка в лицето на Емили и Рейнард, мисля, че би било много интересно да имаме книга и за тях. Обожавам начина по който авторката ни кара да се напъваме да мислим кой е злодея. Тук имах един заподозрян и постоянно си мислех... той е... не е той... той е... не, не е той... абе май е той.... Чара тук е, че почти винаги, злодея има доста странни мотиви за това, което е направил и почти винаги читателя няма как да се досети какви са подбудите му. Обожавам Линзи. От историческите й романи ми останаха да прочета само 2. Не ми се искаше книгата да свършва <3
📣🚨🛑РЕВЮ СЪДЪРЖАЩО СПОЙЛЕРИ🛑🚨📣
Сър Балан е един от доверените васали на крал Едуард 3ти. Прибирайки се от бойното поле, Балан намира Англия възстановяваща се след чумна епидемия. Баща му е мъртъв, огромна част от хората му са мъртви, а малкото останали са напуснали дома му в търсене на място и господар, който може да им плаща. Балан е напълно разорен и единствения начин да възстанови дома си е като се ожени за богата наследница, затова той и братовчед му заминават за кралския двор, докато малкото от мъжете му остават да се грижат за имота.
Балан смята, че шансовете му да се задоми с дама по негов избор са много малки, докато неволно не става свидетел на разговор, който променя изцяло плановете му. Сега в полезрението му има една определена дама, която с всеки изминал ден го привлича все по-силно.
Лейди Мари и осиротялата кръщелница на краля, която след смъртта на родителите си заживява в кралския двор. Краля е силно привързан към малкото момиче и това кара всички други момичета в кралския двор да обиждат и нападат Мари. Посъветвана от приятелка, тя започва да реве силно и шумно всеки път, щом някой се опита да я обиди или да я накара да направи нещо, което не желае. Така с годините тя успява да се предпази от злобата на момичетата, но и печели славата на разглезено дете. Наричат я глезлата и всеки се ужасява да бъде в компанията й. А това може да е доста лош знак, имайки предвид, че Мари е съставила план, как да накара краля и кралицата да й позволят да се омъжи. Дали обаче ще намери мъж, който да види отвъд слуховете за нея?
ОБОЖАВАМ тази книга. В нея има всичко, което обичам в историческите романи. Има сладка и леко шашава героиня. Има намусен главен герой, който е истински алфа. Имаме ранен брак, много смях, лек крими елемент. Обичам когато в една книга дома на главния е пълна каша и главната героиня трябва да въведе ред. Обичам и когато няма огромни недоразумения между главните и ако има нещо в което някой от двамата се съмнява, съмненията бързо се изясняват, така няма тайни и драми. Обожавам колко сладка двойка бяха Балан и Мари. Хареса ми и второстепенната двойка в лицето на Емили и Рейнард, мисля, че би било много интересно да имаме книга и за тях. Обожавам начина по който авторката ни кара да се напъваме да мислим кой е злодея. Тук имах един заподозрян и постоянно си мислех... той е... не е той... той е... не, не е той... абе май е той.... Чара тук е, че почти винаги, злодея има доста странни мотиви за това, което е направил и почти винаги читателя няма как да се досети какви са подбудите му. Обожавам Линзи. От историческите й романи ми останаха да прочета само 2. Не ми се искаше книгата да свършва <3
July 22, 2019
I have both Kindle and Audible editions of The Brat.
I can always count on Lynsay Sands for a great Medieval Romance. All of her books are really good.
King Edward has ordered his Goddaughter Lady Murie Somerdale to wed. Him and the Queen has been know to spoil her endlessly. The court thinks she is a Brat and use to getting her way. Murie is bought to court as the Kings Ward after her parents death as a very Young child. She was taunted and berated by the other ladies in the court. She learned to put defenses up once she met a real friend Lady Emilie. The two become very close friends and Emilie teaches her how to defend herself from the mean girls by Crying and Screaming in tears. LOL
The King and Queen love Murie and are very kind to her.
Lord Balan Gaynor has come to court accompanied by his cousin Osgoode. He needs to marry a very rich lady to bring Gaynor Castle and lands back up to its normally high standards. The Plague know as the Black Death has killed off most of Balan's tenants. Lots of castles and mass holdings throughout the land have gone to ruin and poverty because of the Black Plague.
Balan and Osgoode overhear a plot by Lord Malculinas and his sister Lauda to trick the Kings goddaughter Murie into marrying Malculinas. They set out to stop it.
Balan is the one who falls into the plot and Murie chooses him to marry.
Once married someone is trying to murder Balan. Murie is not having it. She thwarts every attempt made on his life. Murie is a wonderful young lady. She is No Brat at all. She is kind, intelligent and compassionate. Although bought up in a privilege lifestyle she is hardworking and intent on bringing her new home up to high standards.
Balan and Murie have one Hot erotic marriage. The story moves quickly. You sort know early on who the villain is but why is the wonder of it.
Great love story great secondary characters. I loved Osgoode. I hope he has a story. The only thing I wanted was and epilog to find out if Emilie and Reginald had there baby and if Balan and Murie had an heir.
I can always count on Lynsay Sands for a great Medieval Romance. All of her books are really good.
King Edward has ordered his Goddaughter Lady Murie Somerdale to wed. Him and the Queen has been know to spoil her endlessly. The court thinks she is a Brat and use to getting her way. Murie is bought to court as the Kings Ward after her parents death as a very Young child. She was taunted and berated by the other ladies in the court. She learned to put defenses up once she met a real friend Lady Emilie. The two become very close friends and Emilie teaches her how to defend herself from the mean girls by Crying and Screaming in tears. LOL
The King and Queen love Murie and are very kind to her.
Lord Balan Gaynor has come to court accompanied by his cousin Osgoode. He needs to marry a very rich lady to bring Gaynor Castle and lands back up to its normally high standards. The Plague know as the Black Death has killed off most of Balan's tenants. Lots of castles and mass holdings throughout the land have gone to ruin and poverty because of the Black Plague.
Balan and Osgoode overhear a plot by Lord Malculinas and his sister Lauda to trick the Kings goddaughter Murie into marrying Malculinas. They set out to stop it.
Balan is the one who falls into the plot and Murie chooses him to marry.
Once married someone is trying to murder Balan. Murie is not having it. She thwarts every attempt made on his life. Murie is a wonderful young lady. She is No Brat at all. She is kind, intelligent and compassionate. Although bought up in a privilege lifestyle she is hardworking and intent on bringing her new home up to high standards.
Balan and Murie have one Hot erotic marriage. The story moves quickly. You sort know early on who the villain is but why is the wonder of it.
Great love story great secondary characters. I loved Osgoode. I hope he has a story. The only thing I wanted was and epilog to find out if Emilie and Reginald had there baby and if Balan and Murie had an heir.
January 4, 2015
My star rating:
Plot: 3/5
Pacing: 4/5
Characters: 3.5/5
World: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Enjoyment level: 3.5/5 stars
This was an enjoyable light-hearted read. For the most part I enjoyed the characters and the premise. However, I truly felt this was mis-titled. The only "brattiness" to be displayed by the lead heroine, Murie, was at the very beginning. It could have been developed into so much more. But all in all it was a nice way to spend an afternoon.
Plot: 3/5
Pacing: 4/5
Characters: 3.5/5
World: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Enjoyment level: 3.5/5 stars
This was an enjoyable light-hearted read. For the most part I enjoyed the characters and the premise. However, I truly felt this was mis-titled. The only "brattiness" to be displayed by the lead heroine, Murie, was at the very beginning. It could have been developed into so much more. But all in all it was a nice way to spend an afternoon.
July 22, 2023
Interesting premise & great start, but it lost its charm midway through, and the ending was kinda disappointing
The beginning was SO promising and until they got married, I really enjoyed the book, but it just fell flat afterwards.
However, one scene I probably won’t forget is when the FMC thought she hurt the MMC down there (because it was “swollen” 😏) and then tried to make it better by rubbing it 😂
Historical Romance at its finest 🤌🏽
🗂Genre: Historical Romance
📕Type: Standalone
🏷Tropes:
- Medieval Setting
- spoiled FMC x poor Baron
- Travelling
- Murder attempts on both
⚠️Safety: no cheating, no omd/owd, attempted murders on both, discussion of war & its aftermath, Uneducated Virgin FMC
📖Format: 3rd person, dual POV & single narration
The beginning was SO promising and until they got married, I really enjoyed the book, but it just fell flat afterwards.
However, one scene I probably won’t forget is when the FMC thought she hurt the MMC down there (because it was “swollen” 😏) and then tried to make it better by rubbing it 😂
Historical Romance at its finest 🤌🏽
🗂Genre: Historical Romance
📕Type: Standalone
🏷Tropes:
- Medieval Setting
- spoiled FMC x poor Baron
- Travelling
- Murder attempts on both
⚠️Safety: no cheating, no omd/owd, attempted murders on both, discussion of war & its aftermath, Uneducated Virgin FMC
📖Format: 3rd person, dual POV & single narration
May 19, 2023
plz break my impending reading slump
thank you
Omg, the color scheme on my mass market paperback is absolutely gorgeous, and the cover designer should be commended. I found this book in the tiniest romance section (one shelf) of a library I checked out for the first time.
I had read another Lynsay Sands novel recently, and the conflict in this one was very similar. Basically, an unknown person was trying to kill the hero or heroine.
It was funny when Balan and Murie (at first, I thought what a terrible name!) met and had nothing to say to each other. But even when they said they loved each other, I could still not see them talking for hours! They barely knew each other/their relationship consisted mostly of sex.
The villain's reasons for trying to kill Balan almost seemed far-fetched, but it's funny how I was thinking earlier about how
Even though Balan didn't say so much, I thought he was a really cute hero.
thank you
Omg, the color scheme on my mass market paperback is absolutely gorgeous, and the cover designer should be commended. I found this book in the tiniest romance section (one shelf) of a library I checked out for the first time.
I had read another Lynsay Sands novel recently, and the conflict in this one was very similar. Basically, an unknown person was trying to kill the hero or heroine.
It was funny when Balan and Murie (at first, I thought what a terrible name!) met and had nothing to say to each other. But even when they said they loved each other, I could still not see them talking for hours! They barely knew each other/their relationship consisted mostly of sex.
The villain's reasons for trying to kill Balan almost seemed far-fetched, but it's funny how I was thinking earlier about how
Even though Balan didn't say so much, I thought he was a really cute hero.
January 15, 2013
❤❤❤ - for this book as a stand alone. But since these last few Sands books have been the same plot every time with many identical elements and events, I should have given them all 1 star.
Oy vey! Where to begin? I'm coming off of my 6th straight Lynsay Sands novel (7 read total plus one short story, as of 01/15/13) and for starters I would not recommend you reading consecutively, any of the books I mention below. There are too many similarities and whether the book is good or bad will quickly not matter if you're reading the same thing again and again.
I should note that being critical of the books I read is not desirable to me but as I've read the same story, some nearly verbatim a few times, for no less than 4 books and arguably it's been the same general story in all 7 books (the short story being the only exception), I feel criticism is now obligatory. The other books I'm referring to are the Madison Sisters and The Devil of the Highlands series and while some are worth reading, I feel compelled to tell you that you will be reading essentially the same basic plot, and many plot elements over and over. Some are better than others. A few are tiresome. And some are decent. What you do now is up to you.
The basics of The Brat are these. It's a historical (Medieval) romance that takes place in the late Middle Ages. It's 1351, approximately one year after the end of The Black Death, which claimed about half of the nation's inhabitants. King Edward III is King of England and constantly away at war but has taken in his 10 year old goddaughter, Murie, after her parents both die. Murie is tenderhearted and finds herself constantly bullied by those at court. Under advice from a friend she quickly learns to be loud, fuss and cry or avoid others completely. People assume she's been spoiled by the doting King because of her behavior and this earns her the undeserved nickname "The Brat." 10 year pass and Murie feels mostly alone and wishes to marry and leave court life, a life she's always hated. She boldly proclaims in front of the Queen that she'll never marry and she's more that content to forever stay at court. Murie knows the Queen doesn't care for her so she expects the Queen will demand that Edward force Murie to marry. He does and Murie wails in front of everyone and all the eligible bachelors flee for fear of being saddle with her. Edward tells Murie she may pick her groom so when a when an opportunistic brother and sister overhear Murie's conversation with a friend revealing that Murie is really a gentle and kind girl, nothing like the rumors say, they decide to trick her into marriage. They tell her that on St. Agnes Day if she eats rotten food before sleeping she'll dream of the man she's supposed to marry. The siblings plan to present her with the rotten food, doctored with something that will make Murie extra groggy, and the brother will sneak into her bed chamber, kiss her awake and make sure Murie dreams of him. Murie is very superstitious but protestingly agrees to participate. Meanwhile Balan Gaynor, whose land has been devastated by the plague and his father's neglect, is at court seeking a rich wife. Balan and his cousin Osgoode also overhear Murie's conversation and are happy to learn Murie is actually kind and could be a candidate for his bride. Balan wishes to woo her but when the cousins learn of the siblings plan for St. Agnes night they stake out the halls hoping to interfere. Balan, who is reluctant to get involved finds himself in Murie's room, knocking the scheming brother unconscious and kissing Murie himself. Murie wakes the next day, reveals that she dreamed of a man and then is surprised to find him that very day. She is introduced to Balan and there are several chapters of good stuff from there. This part of the book was all new, refreshing, exciting, original and entertaining and it remains so until about page 158 (chapter 9) at which point the same old story gets told, again. I will add that I LOVED page 262 when Balan tells Murie he loves her. Just simple and sweet and full of awesomesauce.
Now, while I enjoyed this book in general it's extremely difficult to not be disappointed and irritable after reading the same plot repeatedly. It's also hard to remain kind and not be acrimonious when for the life of me I'm baffled by how Ms. Sands has managed to write the same book 7 times, some of them insufficiently, and there were published and highly rated here. I'm not focusing on trivial aspects when I make these distinctions either. Some very specific scenes play out in more than one book. For example, in The Brat, Murie has to rescue her husband again and again, which also happens in The Devil of the Highlands series, but more specifically she strips nearly naked and arrives back at the castle rain soaked a see through chemise, much to the soldiers delight. This exact scenario plays out in The Hellion and the Highlander when Averill must rescue her husband who has been injured and rides back to the castle soaked and nearly naked. There is a scene in The Brat when Murie has to get stitches and though not verbatim it was very reminiscent of the same scene again from The Hellion and the Highlander. These are just two examples but read consecutively you notice a great deal more.
My final thoughts are that this book on its own is decent, good even but not great. Compared to the 6 others I've read it ranges from similar to identical in plot and even some scenes. So while I would recommend this book and the The Hellion and the Highlander (as well as the Madison Sisters series) but none highly, I caution you to leave plenty of time in between reading ALL of these books or ended up bitter Betty like me.
Oy vey! Where to begin? I'm coming off of my 6th straight Lynsay Sands novel (7 read total plus one short story, as of 01/15/13) and for starters I would not recommend you reading consecutively, any of the books I mention below. There are too many similarities and whether the book is good or bad will quickly not matter if you're reading the same thing again and again.
I should note that being critical of the books I read is not desirable to me but as I've read the same story, some nearly verbatim a few times, for no less than 4 books and arguably it's been the same general story in all 7 books (the short story being the only exception), I feel criticism is now obligatory. The other books I'm referring to are the Madison Sisters and The Devil of the Highlands series and while some are worth reading, I feel compelled to tell you that you will be reading essentially the same basic plot, and many plot elements over and over. Some are better than others. A few are tiresome. And some are decent. What you do now is up to you.
The basics of The Brat are these. It's a historical (Medieval) romance that takes place in the late Middle Ages. It's 1351, approximately one year after the end of The Black Death, which claimed about half of the nation's inhabitants. King Edward III is King of England and constantly away at war but has taken in his 10 year old goddaughter, Murie, after her parents both die. Murie is tenderhearted and finds herself constantly bullied by those at court. Under advice from a friend she quickly learns to be loud, fuss and cry or avoid others completely. People assume she's been spoiled by the doting King because of her behavior and this earns her the undeserved nickname "The Brat." 10 year pass and Murie feels mostly alone and wishes to marry and leave court life, a life she's always hated. She boldly proclaims in front of the Queen that she'll never marry and she's more that content to forever stay at court. Murie knows the Queen doesn't care for her so she expects the Queen will demand that Edward force Murie to marry. He does and Murie wails in front of everyone and all the eligible bachelors flee for fear of being saddle with her. Edward tells Murie she may pick her groom so when a when an opportunistic brother and sister overhear Murie's conversation with a friend revealing that Murie is really a gentle and kind girl, nothing like the rumors say, they decide to trick her into marriage. They tell her that on St. Agnes Day if she eats rotten food before sleeping she'll dream of the man she's supposed to marry. The siblings plan to present her with the rotten food, doctored with something that will make Murie extra groggy, and the brother will sneak into her bed chamber, kiss her awake and make sure Murie dreams of him. Murie is very superstitious but protestingly agrees to participate. Meanwhile Balan Gaynor, whose land has been devastated by the plague and his father's neglect, is at court seeking a rich wife. Balan and his cousin Osgoode also overhear Murie's conversation and are happy to learn Murie is actually kind and could be a candidate for his bride. Balan wishes to woo her but when the cousins learn of the siblings plan for St. Agnes night they stake out the halls hoping to interfere. Balan, who is reluctant to get involved finds himself in Murie's room, knocking the scheming brother unconscious and kissing Murie himself. Murie wakes the next day, reveals that she dreamed of a man and then is surprised to find him that very day. She is introduced to Balan and there are several chapters of good stuff from there. This part of the book was all new, refreshing, exciting, original and entertaining and it remains so until about page 158 (chapter 9) at which point the same old story gets told, again. I will add that I LOVED page 262 when Balan tells Murie he loves her. Just simple and sweet and full of awesomesauce.
Now, while I enjoyed this book in general it's extremely difficult to not be disappointed and irritable after reading the same plot repeatedly. It's also hard to remain kind and not be acrimonious when for the life of me I'm baffled by how Ms. Sands has managed to write the same book 7 times, some of them insufficiently, and there were published and highly rated here. I'm not focusing on trivial aspects when I make these distinctions either. Some very specific scenes play out in more than one book. For example, in The Brat, Murie has to rescue her husband again and again, which also happens in The Devil of the Highlands series, but more specifically she strips nearly naked and arrives back at the castle rain soaked a see through chemise, much to the soldiers delight. This exact scenario plays out in The Hellion and the Highlander when Averill must rescue her husband who has been injured and rides back to the castle soaked and nearly naked. There is a scene in The Brat when Murie has to get stitches and though not verbatim it was very reminiscent of the same scene again from The Hellion and the Highlander. These are just two examples but read consecutively you notice a great deal more.
My final thoughts are that this book on its own is decent, good even but not great. Compared to the 6 others I've read it ranges from similar to identical in plot and even some scenes. So while I would recommend this book and the The Hellion and the Highlander (as well as the Madison Sisters series) but none highly, I caution you to leave plenty of time in between reading ALL of these books or ended up bitter Betty like me.
July 29, 2019
This was my first foray into a traditional romance novel, and also my first time listening to one in audiobook format. I have to say, there's nothing quite like listening to a British woman narrate a steamy medieval sex scene in graphic detail as you sit in traffic on the highway at 8 in the morning. I had to hastily roll up my windows a few times while I sat at a red light next to another car.
The story was fine, pretty much what I expected from a romance novel. This genre isn't one of particular interest to me so it was more so an exploration of a different kind of theme. But it was a lighthearted book, perfect for casual listening when you're not in the mood for dense material. The female protagonist is so superstitious that she comes off as featherbrained, but she also punches a guy in the face at one point so that kind of makes up for it.
The story was fine, pretty much what I expected from a romance novel. This genre isn't one of particular interest to me so it was more so an exploration of a different kind of theme. But it was a lighthearted book, perfect for casual listening when you're not in the mood for dense material. The female protagonist is so superstitious that she comes off as featherbrained, but she also punches a guy in the face at one point so that kind of makes up for it.
October 15, 2020
Hilarious,, entertaining,, sensational
🤣🤣🤣🤭🤭
Não posso negar que eu ri muito com esse livro... Foram muitas risadas 🤣🤭 quanto mais eu lia, mais eu ria..
Lady Murie, é uma mulher que se esconde, ela na verdade se protege, usando como meio seus caprichosos ataques como forma de garantir sua segurança.. Mas Sir Balan, é um guerreiro que em uma tentativa de salvar Lady, acaba ganhando um casamento...
E justamente esse casamento que faz que uma esposa plenamente supersticiosa, venha a tomar atitudes bem, chocantes, mas que nós trás muita diversão... 🤭🤭
Impossible not to love! 😍😍😍
#BoaLeitura!🎀 #GoodReading!🎀
🤣🤣🤣🤭🤭
Não posso negar que eu ri muito com esse livro... Foram muitas risadas 🤣🤭 quanto mais eu lia, mais eu ria..
Lady Murie, é uma mulher que se esconde, ela na verdade se protege, usando como meio seus caprichosos ataques como forma de garantir sua segurança.. Mas Sir Balan, é um guerreiro que em uma tentativa de salvar Lady, acaba ganhando um casamento...
E justamente esse casamento que faz que uma esposa plenamente supersticiosa, venha a tomar atitudes bem, chocantes, mas que nós trás muita diversão... 🤭🤭
Impossible not to love! 😍😍😍
#BoaLeitura!🎀 #GoodReading!🎀
Want to read
January 13, 2024Note to self: maybe come back and try this again when I’m in the mood for something super light and silly.
There’s nothing wrong with the writing at all. I was super excited to find a lighter medieval romance that’s not all war, blood and traitors… but this was a bit too far on the other side of that… silly.
The heroine is not really a brat (which is nice, because a bratty heroine is my least fav) but she is superstitious about goofy things. The hero was a nice enough chap, but definitely didn’t come across as a rough and tough alpha.
Not horrible… I just need to be in the right mood to read this, I think.
There’s nothing wrong with the writing at all. I was super excited to find a lighter medieval romance that’s not all war, blood and traitors… but this was a bit too far on the other side of that… silly.
The heroine is not really a brat (which is nice, because a bratty heroine is my least fav) but she is superstitious about goofy things. The hero was a nice enough chap, but definitely didn’t come across as a rough and tough alpha.
Not horrible… I just need to be in the right mood to read this, I think.
May 21, 2023
⭐️3.5
The way miscommunication was handled within pages made me incredibly happy! Nothings worse then a whole story revolving around miscommunication.
Osgoode teaching Balan to dance was hilarious! Murie’s superstitions we’re so sweet and funny!
The way miscommunication was handled within pages made me incredibly happy! Nothings worse then a whole story revolving around miscommunication.
Osgoode teaching Balan to dance was hilarious! Murie’s superstitions we’re so sweet and funny!
December 3, 2022
Not bad.
September 19, 2024
what’s the point of calling this book the brat if she isn’t actually going to be a brat????????
July 27, 2020
2.5 stars. I’m surprised that this book is one of the higher rated by this author. For me, it felt too slow paced with a lot of useless descriptions and too many sex scenes for a book that isn’t meant to be erotica.
The heroine, the king’s goddaughter, is being forced into marriage. She’s told she must choose a husband soon, but very few men are interested because she’s known by all to be “the brat”. As it turns out, she’s been using poor behavior as a defense mechanism to save herself from poor treatment by other girls at court. She’s discussing this with a friend when they are overhead by the hero and also another man. Both the hero and OM are instantly interested in marrying her. The OM tries to use deception to force her hand which backfires and ends with the hero being her husband. From there, the book moves slowly as they return to her husband’s home, and he has several attempts made on his life. They eventually figure out the villain and live HEA, but the path there seemed a little too slow and not very interesting to read about.
Overall, not the best book I’ve read by this author, and I was sadly disappointed that there wasn’t an epilogue.
Safe
The heroine, the king’s goddaughter, is being forced into marriage. She’s told she must choose a husband soon, but very few men are interested because she’s known by all to be “the brat”. As it turns out, she’s been using poor behavior as a defense mechanism to save herself from poor treatment by other girls at court. She’s discussing this with a friend when they are overhead by the hero and also another man. Both the hero and OM are instantly interested in marrying her. The OM tries to use deception to force her hand which backfires and ends with the hero being her husband. From there, the book moves slowly as they return to her husband’s home, and he has several attempts made on his life. They eventually figure out the villain and live HEA, but the path there seemed a little too slow and not very interesting to read about.
Overall, not the best book I’ve read by this author, and I was sadly disappointed that there wasn’t an epilogue.
Safe
July 9, 2012
Huh!
This book left me making this sound too many times to count.
I unfortunately did not find the superstitions of the heroine cute.I found them to show her lack of knowledge and they showed how much of a twit she was.
The hero...I cannot even remember him(I made it a priority to forget as much of the book as possible.
This book left me making this sound too many times to count.
I unfortunately did not find the superstitions of the heroine cute.I found them to show her lack of knowledge and they showed how much of a twit she was.
The hero...I cannot even remember him(I made it a priority to forget as much of the book as possible.
November 28, 2016
I probably would have enjoyed this one more had I not already read 3 or 4 of Sands' recently. The ones that take place during this time period (13th century) are all very similar and the way the characters act and talk don't seem to fit in this time period.
January 5, 2020
if youre thinking this would be bad, you're right. this mightve been the dumbest book ive ever read
March 20, 2024
Rating: 4.6 / 5
Firstly, hoorah, this is my 50th book this year! *yippee!*
Ahem, but anyway, apart from that, this is yet another delightful read by Lynsay Sands, which all the same balance of love, love scenes, and of course the murder mystery and comedic elements that ties everything together!
In this latest addition, we have Balan, a rather poor noble who has come to the court of Edward III hoping to get a bride, although he himself is kind of indifferent towards marriage. How on earth could he possibly be pared with Murie of all people, who is known as "The Brat" for being a nuisance at court (spoiled by the king), and who emphatically does NOT want to marry?
Or...does she?
As it turns out, Murie is actually quite sweet and caring, and in fact only pretends to be a brat so that other more cruel courtiers leave her alone. Balan happens to overhear her making confidences about this...but unfortunately, so does another suitor, and thus the game is on to see who will win her!
I enjoyed more or less everything about this book from start to finish, and was quite engaged and happy with it! If I had to mention the one and only thing I thought lacking, I would say that it's the villain's motivation, which in my opinion is not the strongest; but regardless, it's still a good reveal overall, with a fast-paced climax and a satisfying conclusion.
All in all, another lovely book to put up on my shelves, and a definite re-read in the future, for sure!
Firstly, hoorah, this is my 50th book this year! *yippee!*
Ahem, but anyway, apart from that, this is yet another delightful read by Lynsay Sands, which all the same balance of love, love scenes, and of course the murder mystery and comedic elements that ties everything together!
In this latest addition, we have Balan, a rather poor noble who has come to the court of Edward III hoping to get a bride, although he himself is kind of indifferent towards marriage. How on earth could he possibly be pared with Murie of all people, who is known as "The Brat" for being a nuisance at court (spoiled by the king), and who emphatically does NOT want to marry?
Or...does she?
As it turns out, Murie is actually quite sweet and caring, and in fact only pretends to be a brat so that other more cruel courtiers leave her alone. Balan happens to overhear her making confidences about this...but unfortunately, so does another suitor, and thus the game is on to see who will win her!
I enjoyed more or less everything about this book from start to finish, and was quite engaged and happy with it! If I had to mention the one and only thing I thought lacking, I would say that it's the villain's motivation, which in my opinion is not the strongest; but regardless, it's still a good reveal overall, with a fast-paced climax and a satisfying conclusion.
All in all, another lovely book to put up on my shelves, and a definite re-read in the future, for sure!
December 5, 2022
Very sweet couple who treated each other well. The villain was the weak point of the whole story as is usual for this author.
January 20, 2021
I enjoyed this book a lot. Although at times I really felt the heroine was too stupid to live sometimes 😩
February 16, 2021
3.5⭐️
I love it when there aren’t any communication issues in romance stories! This was pretty cute and gave me Highland Brides vibes.
I love it when there aren’t any communication issues in romance stories! This was pretty cute and gave me Highland Brides vibes.
January 29, 2023
Usually with this type of books they marry fast and little by little start to notice how different they are compared with their reputation and they start to fall for each other, that's the best part of this type of plot and the banter of course.
But in this one that goes out the window after the first chapter, the hero knows that she is a noble and fragile soul that only act this way because otherwise the court people would kill her spirit, okay… and the plot becomes how she will choose him as a husband while the other people try to trick her an marrying this awful guy by manipulating her beliefs and its just plain dumb, it's obvious the girl who hate you and mistreat you all your life doesn't have the best interest but she is like OMG she is so smart! and that only makes the main heroine a dumb girl.
So yeah for half of the book she is trying to decide who to marry while the bad guys plot against her and the main guy is trying to “save” her.
Every character was boring and gullible at best and the plot was so boring and dull, specially the insane amount they spend apart with such dull and boring antics instead of building their chemistry and banter.0/10
But in this one that goes out the window after the first chapter, the hero knows that she is a noble and fragile soul that only act this way because otherwise the court people would kill her spirit, okay… and the plot becomes how she will choose him as a husband while the other people try to trick her an marrying this awful guy by manipulating her beliefs and its just plain dumb, it's obvious the girl who hate you and mistreat you all your life doesn't have the best interest but she is like OMG she is so smart! and that only makes the main heroine a dumb girl.
So yeah for half of the book she is trying to decide who to marry while the bad guys plot against her and the main guy is trying to “save” her.
Every character was boring and gullible at best and the plot was so boring and dull, specially the insane amount they spend apart with such dull and boring antics instead of building their chemistry and banter.0/10
February 6, 2012
For the Romance Book Club I run we each read a different Lynsay Sands book and then compared the plot lines. We found more similarities than differences and discovered that we didn't mind that. Knowing what you're going to get can make for an enjoyable read. We all thought the books were good, lighthearted and entertaining. Good for a beach read or vacation book.
The story of The Brat is this. A Lord down on his luck goes to court looking for a rich bride. Through a course of mishaps and mettling he ends up married to The Brat who is the King's Goddaughter. On the journey back to his kingdom there are many more mishaps and adventures as well as a mystery that were very entertaining, the way she saves him after finding him in the river was amusing and unexpected.
She is of course not what she appears to be and they quickly come to love each other.
I would recommend this if you are looking for a fun, easy read.
The story of The Brat is this. A Lord down on his luck goes to court looking for a rich bride. Through a course of mishaps and mettling he ends up married to The Brat who is the King's Goddaughter. On the journey back to his kingdom there are many more mishaps and adventures as well as a mystery that were very entertaining, the way she saves him after finding him in the river was amusing and unexpected.
She is of course not what she appears to be and they quickly come to love each other.
I would recommend this if you are looking for a fun, easy read.
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