Heart of a Knight

by Barbara Samuel

RITA winner for Best Historical Romance

NO HEART EVER BEAT SO NOBLE—NOR SO STRONG

Britain, 1351. After an arduous exile to flee the darkness and danger sweeping her lands, Lady Elizabeth D’Auvers returns home to Woodell Castle, yearning only for her looms and her quiet life. To her astonishment, she finds the castle and farmlands thriving, thanks to Lord Thomas of Roxburgh, a knight errant whose size and strength offer protection to Elizabeth’s castle and its people.

Lord Thomas’s warm gaze makes Elizabeth’s flesh burn with unaccustomed fire, and her defenses crumble, leaving her heart as vulnerable as her trembling body. Yet chilling thoughts trouble her mind. For there is something dark and mysterious about this man—a secret that makes him as forbidden to desire as he is impossible to resist.

From Romantic Times

"This realistic portrait of medieval life looks deeply into what makes a man worthy of the title of knight. When Lyssa discovers Thomas' ruse, she nearly loses the man she loves and respects. Not until he proves his mettle do all realize it is within a man's grasp to become a knight no matter his station in life when what he fights for is worthy.

Ms. Samuel weaves a tale worthy of one of Lyssa's tapestries. Not only does she write of love between men and women, but of the powerful friendships between the women and a man's need to be free and respected. This is a powerful, stirring medieval romance.

Reviewed Kathe Robin

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Medieval, Historical, Historical Fiction, Ebooks, Medieval Romance

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 1997

About the author

Barbara Samuel is a multiple RITA award-winning author with more than 38 books to her credit in a variety of genres. She has written historical and contemporary romances, a number of fantasy novellas with the likes of Susan Wiggs, Jo Beverley and Mary Jo Putney. She now writes women’s fiction about families, dogs, and food as Barbara O’Neal.

Her work has captured a plethora of awards, including six RITAs; the Colorado Center for the Book Award (twice); Favorite Book of the Year from Romance Writers of America, and the Library Journal’s list of Best Genre Fiction of the year, among many others.You can find a full list of all titles here.

Now living back in her hometown of Colorado Springs, Barbara writes in a study overlooking Pikes Peak, a pin that draws her home from her travels. She shares her home with Christopher Robin, a British endurance athlete, a gorgeous and lovable chow mix named Jack; a very, very old Siamese named Esmerelda; a rescued street cat who has become the fattest silver tabby on the planet, and the wonder twins, two tuxedo kittens from a local shelter, whose names have changed several times. Yes, a lot of animals.

An avid photographer, cook, and traveler, Barbara keeps a log of travels, recipes, and photos at her blog, A Writer Afoot, where she also sometimes posts writing advice. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook, but she doesn’t promise to be particularly interesting there.

Reviews

[Megan]

Nobody writes sensual (as in, creatively engaging all the senses and making that matter) quite like Barbara Samuel/O'Neal, and Heart of a Knight didn't disappoint in that sense. It did seem repetitive at times (yes, I get it, Dark Thomas is a big, dark, gigantic, threatening hulk of man), and I was pretty bored by the characters themselves for the first part of the book. My main problem was Thomas being all "I have a secret that must not be told, if the truth came out, it'd be a fate worse than angst, blah blah blah." I'm not fond of a dark secret being alluded to and left untold for large parts of the book, and that made the first part of this book such a drag. The story did pick up, however, once Lyssa discovered Thomas's secret, and the two could begin interacting in meaningful ways. I was a little annoyed by the plot catalyst relying so much on a scheming teenage girl, as well. It just felt too banal of a way to manipulate plot, even if I appreciated some of the engaging twists (and the resolution) of said scheming-teenage-girl plot.

Not the same caliber as A Bed of Spices (which, omg, still not over how good that book was), but a quality medieval romance all the same.

[Mummy Cat Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lady Elizabeth is a young widow who left her castle and all her peasants behind to run away from the plague. When she comes back she finds a stranger has taken over her home. Thomas is a nice guy but he just seems lame. Adriana is smart and has a lot of responsibility on someone so young. She knows what she should do but she is still young. Her niece is a dense blonde who needs a slap in the face.
The premise of the book was a good idea but I think it could have been executed in a better way. By the middle of the book I was very bored. I skipped to the ending and it never got better.
Overall, Samuel could have taken this book in a better direction, IMO. Also, I had some trouble with the characters. They were shallow, lame and I didn't like them. Also, Samuel had things happen too conveniently...more so than usual.

Free on Amazon

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am usually not at all crazy about medieval romances, but this one was a charmer. the hero is a knight who turns out to be a peasant, the heroine is a high-born lady who becomes less than a lady in her knight's arms, the wicked step-children take forever but do finally redeem themselves...it has about everything i could ask for in a romance with the requisite HEA!

[Erika B. (SOS BOOKS) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like if this book was a person it would be a fifty year old cat lady alcoholic that looks back on her life one knight (okay that was pun intended) one night and realizes that she at one point in time had so much potential and could have been great if she'd only laid of the booze and cat lovin'. Mainly I liked the concept where as the actual story is very dime store romance novel ick.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. 2 great characters that were both interesting and meant for each other. All characters came across likeable and/or believable, no bogus fill in the blanks people. Fantastic good guy alpha male and strong female in a very believable setting. If in doubt please do read it.

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel brushes on the aftermath of the Black Death that ravaged England and most of Europe in the 14th century, and centers on a young widow named Lady Elizabeth D’Auvers (or Lyssa) who returns home after months of self-exile. Afraid that her people did not survive the plague, Lyssa is thus surprised and heartened to find them safe and healthy—thanks to a mysterious young knight named Lord Thomas of Roxbourgh who sought shelter in their place one stormy night and offered protection while their lady was away. But unknown to all, this agreeable, daring and handsome stranger holds a dark secret that, should it be openly known, will greatly endanger his life and the lives of his loved ones.

The writing style is satisfactory, but the story itself isn’t engaging. The plot gets unrealistic along the way, female characters seem anachronistic with their concept of love and duty, and so many things just happen all at once that I find it hard to keep up. There are also scenes—like the jousting and Thomas’s conversation with the king—that hardly pass for a truthful version of the timeline being portrayed. The main characters end up as annoying, fickle individuals who like to spend so much time (and pages) qualifying the feelings they have for each other and ruminating on trivialities that give their villains just enough free time to plan their next mischief. And while this is more romance than historical, it still gets a bit frustrating when little effort is done to accentuate on historical essentials and when a book merely comes out as a glossy, sexy tale of enamored knights and ladies and a love story that must flourish against all odds.

I’ve had a number of good historical romance books on my shelf; regretfully, Heart of a Knight isn’t one of them. If I had wanted a bland story on love and romance, I would have opted for an E.L. James read instead.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: "Lady Elizabeth D'Auvers returns to her beloved home, Woodell Castle, after a self-imposed exile to save herself and her stepchildren from the plague sweeping Britain. Afraid that she will find death and ruin, she is relieved to discover that her castlefolk and lands have thrived in her absence due to the presence of Lord Thomas of Roxburgh. Lord Thomas's great physical size is equaled only by the size of his heart, and his kindness and care for her people earn him the Lady's gratitude. But Elizabeth soon feels much more for Thomas than gratefulness, for desire and passion draw her to the dark, mysterious knight. Thomas, too, is powerfully attracted to the beautiful Lady, but the secrets he keeps may destroy their chance at happiness and bring about his own death."

My Review: Another beautifully written book by Barbara Samuel. I aboslutely love her descriptions, it paints such an amazing picture you can almost look around you and see the scene playing out. The characters were well thought out and even the sub-characters were well developed. It did seem like there was a little too much pushing and pulling in the middle that caused a little lull but it was nice to see the little things that cause love to grow. The ending is such a rush of nervous excitment that you can't pull your eyes away from the page.

[Jeannie Glanville · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really was not what I thought it was going to be. I must say this has been about the best romance book I have read yet this year! If you think this tale is about winning the heart of a knight, you are sadly mistaken! There is so much more to it than that.

I wasn't going to like Lady Elizabeth, based on the first few chapters of the book, but by the end of the book I did like her. It is hard for us modern women to understand just how ingrained it was in the young women in history, especially in this time period, to perform only their duty and live to do it. Why didn't she revolt? we often ask, but really that would have meant a fate worse than death, if the king decided to let you die.

Dark Thomas was quite a man. During the first half of the book, I was fairly certain that he was the either the bastard of the Bruce, or the half brother of the Bruce that went into hiding. I was totally shocked to find out who he really was.....then a bunch of stuff made sense.

Without giving away too much, I must say that this book has been aptly named. Heart of knight, indeed. Who had the heart of a knight? Thomas? Elizabeth? Isobel? Tall Mary? Alice Bryony? As I muse upon the story and everything that went on, I have come to the conclusion that they all truly did have THE HEART OF A KNIGHT!

Absolutely highly recommended!

[Cassia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why we read historical romances we already know and what we look for in them we know as well.
I look for a good writing, well shaped characters, intriguing stories and a lot of passion.
This is what I found in "Heart of a Knight".

The main characters you immediately love.
The minor characters you like as well, as they do not simply stand as a corollary of the main couple - as frequently happens in romances - but show their feelings, their psycology and influence the story.

I also liked how the fight between passion and Lyssa's sense of duty is developed throughout the book. Duty is a typical mark of Middle Ages and it cannot be forgotten just in the name of passion.
In fact, here it is, as one of the main features and guidelines of the story.

They say Barbara Samuel wrote other Middle Ages' stories. I hope so, because I'm going to check and read them!

[~Leslie~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are things are really liked in this story and things that prevented it from being a 4 star read. I love Barbara Samuel's use of language. She has a lyrical prose that is full of sensuality in its descriptions. But unfortunately that prose does not, in the end, serve this story well. It is an implausible tale of bastard son who fakes being a knight and falls for a lady. She also falls for him and somehow they must find a way to be together. The first thing that bothered me is that a bastard of a lord would not considered a peasant in 1400's England. And this is at the heart of the story. Also, this is a slow, sensual journey, but it is too slow. The side characters are well developed but in the end, nothing much happens. But the journey does have it's enjoyments!

[SeaBae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Barbara Samuel's books. She's an autobuy author for me.

However, I missed her romance novels when they were first published. So I was thrilled to find them offered in e-format.

As always, Samuel can't hit a false emotional note. Characters who, in other books, would be one-note are given unexpected depth. There's not a lot of action - most of the book takes place in the castle keep - but the characters are so human and so well motivated that I couldn't stop reading.

I agree with some of the other reviewers that at times the book felt repetitive - "You must go. No, you must stay. You must go. No, you must stay" - but the beautiful writing, the heartfelt emotion and the wonderfully drawn characters kept me more than engaged.

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok. Writing was excellent, as is typical of this author. The story was not for me, though. I didn't find Thomas to be very heroic. I didn't entirely like the way the two characters came together - Thomas having taken many of the peasants before falling in lust with Lyssa. It gave me the impression that he was dazzled more by her beauty and title than anything else, and I felt it was a rather low thing for him to do. Wasn't really buying the love. Also, it was just kind of boring.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have rated this one higher if the beginning hadn't been so boring. I almost quit reading it. How many times does an author have to tell me the color of the H's eyes and hair. Totally too many times in this book. Descriptions were too wordy for me. I plodded through thinking at least I wouldn't want to stay up late to read it.

Then 1/2-3/4 through the books it did get better. The last 1/4 of the book was pretty good. I'm not sure the rest was worth reading to get to the end though.

[Adeselna]

Pretty fictional, the story fails "historically". The cousin of the king in love with someone below in 13-ish is only a concept in these days. No one would ever dream to unite two opposite worlds so easily in the Middle ages. Writing is not dull, but the story is just a big no, if you think about the historical part.

[Susan Scribner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want you! I want you, too! You're too good for me! I must let you go for your own good! Repeat ad nauseum for 250 pages.

[Misfit]

Not worth reading further, all I'm picking up on is what looks to be an oversexed medieval in some dark broody kind of setting with way too many 'twas, 'tis and the like.

[Lynne Spreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When plague sweeps the land, Lady D’Auvers is compelled to flee her castle and lands to save herself. In some ways this makes sense, but she returns with a heavy load of guilt, dreading the devastation that must await. To her surprise, her lands are thriving, thanks to a handsome knight who happened by and took control. He remains to help her and they grow close, but he has a secret that will ruin everything, and it won't stay a secret for long. In the meantime, the king is ready to send D'Auvers a suitor, who will then, upon their marriage, take over control of her land and wealth. Can she hold off the king until the mystery of the knight is resolved?

This was a good story. Some have called it unlikely, but I'm not a student of medieval history so it read well to me. As always, Barbara Samuel invents interesting characters, some who are root-worthy and some you'd like to slap...but everybody evolves and they're all believable. Plus a happy ever after. A good read.

[Linda C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Elizabeth D'Auvers returns to her castle and lands after a year away trying to avoid the plague, assuming the village will be decimated and the land fallow. But it is not. In a midwinter blizzard a knight arrived seeking shelter and stated to help the surviving villagers to stave off bandits and guard the land. He turns the estate back over to her and she asks him to remain and work with her. He agrees but is hiding a secret that will effect the destiny of both of them. This was a different sort of Medieval romance with more focus on the peasants and the duty and fate that befalls women at this time. Pretty unrealistic in parts but a fun read.

[Diane Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A lovely story with the message that circumstances of birth do not determine the quality of a person's character.

[Christine Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing author

Amazing author. Great use of historical significance also. I highly recommend all of her books. I have lost count of all I have read

[Becci · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - Not interested enough to move past the 55% mark.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gotta say this book was actually a bit disappointing. I’m used to strong, dramatic stuff from Samuel and this one was just so-so. Not horrible but not that awesome either.

I liked that the author strives to give us a firm grounding in history, citing occasionally the Black Death and the social unrest among the classes due to it. She also gives enough details, setting-wise, to firmly establish the story in the late Middles Ages rather than a vague “medieval” setting.

Yet, she veers from past patterns and seems to stay away from anything that could be considered “heavy” or substantial. There’s no in-depth look at how society is affected by the Black Death nor is the class different between our two leads explored like it screamed out to be. In the past, this author has really given me food for thought with her forbidden romances, but this one was just lacking that spark that could have been there.

I liked the leads well enough. I was invested in their developing relationship and in the potential danger hanging over their heads due to Thomas’ hidden status as a noble and the pending marriage for Elizabeth. However, they seemed to fall into stereotypes more often than I liked. Elizabeth was the perfect demure and beautiful medieval lady, seemingly perfect in every way. Thomas was your big and brawny peasant, virile, strong, and just a butch of a man. I sighed more than once at these cookie-cutter characterizations.

Secondary characters fall into the same trap. Isabella is the slutty, teenager step-daughter. Robert is the bratty step-son. Isabella’s betrothed is instantly in love with her. Of course, they are all reformed by our two leads and their circumstances (note the heavy sarcasm…). Another neat little trap Samuel fell into with this one.

So, not a horrible book but not up to the standards I’ve grown to expect from Samuel. Maybe this is an older work; I don’t know. Setting and world-building show some effort. Characters are mostly stereotypes, though the leads are still enjoyable to a point. I was at least in tune with them enough to care about their relationship’s eventual outcome. I wouldn’t read this book again; it’s that forgettable. Sad, for a book by this author to fall into that chasm.

[Rachel Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I was touring Pembroke castle (Wales) on a stormy day, the only tourist in sight, and decided to find some appropriate reading material to keep me company while having lunch in the deserted cafe. I did a search for 'knight' on my kindle app and found I'd snagged Heart of a Knight a few months back while it was free, so jumped in.

My first impression was love/hate. Considering where I was at the time, the 14th century setting really came alive for me and loved being thoroughly transported back in time. I did Not, however, love the archaic dialogue. To me it felt like the marking of an over-the-top bodice ripper. If it hadn't been that I was so captivated by the historic aspect given my present location, I probably would have given up.

I'm glad I didn't. Something sucked me in, and even once home, I never wanted to put it down. Despite the formal language (which bugged me less the more I read) and improbability of several of the plot elements (I'm a stickler for believability), something kept drawing me in. Who knew I had a secret craving for a classic knight-against-the-odds story? The characters were all well developed, the hero was dreamy (love me a big man!), and I appreciated that even the supporting cast had their own story arcs.

Thinking about the individual elements of the book, I'd be more inclined to lean towards a 3, but the fact that Something had me clearly, I give it a 4. For anyone wanting a medieval romance fix, this delivers.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay... so this was my first attempt at your typical "Romance Novel". I liked the story.... did not care for the pretty heavy sex in several of the "scenes". There was no indication that there would be that kind of smut in it. Aside from that, it was your standard, man falls in love with a girl he can't have.... girl falls in love the the man she THINKS he is.... low and behold, she finds out the truth and TRIES to do what's right.... blah blah blah.... so very typical that I didn't care for it. Also... HATED the way it ended as it really left me hanging on the "what happened to this... and what happens now???" Left me wanting more that should've been answered in this book.... and not a possible future book. Eh. I'm attempting one more of these so-called romance novels, and after that.... I'll go back to my murder mysteries. ;)

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart of a Knight takes place in Britain in 1351. Lord Thomas of Roxburgh comes to Woodell Castle in a snowstorm and is asked by the people to help them and protect them. He stays and keeps the men in the nearby forest from attacking them and in the spring helps them plant their crops. Lady Elizabeth D’Auvers returns home to Woodell Castle after leaving to escape the plague and only wants to return to her looms and her quiet life of her home. She is pleased to find Lord Thomas has taken good care of her home and romance begins for Thomas.

The problem is that Thomas is not a knight but peasant born to the mistress of Lord Roxburgh, who is dead along with all of his people and family except for Thomas and the widow Alice. If you like historical fiction this is a wonderful book full of how the people lived, the roles within society and how loyalty was expected and given.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the rushed ending. Yes I know the author does give a rushed explanation of the marriage between Lyssa and Thomas but I think the author should have added a few more pages to give this book the "awwww" factor it deserved. By having King Edward walk onto the field, after Thomas wins the melee, to knight him right then and there in front of everyone would have been a better ending. Also since Isobel finally figured out her feelings for Sir Stephen the author should have had written in a truce between Sir Thomas and Sir Stephen. Otherwise it was a really good book.

[Terree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. Some characters made me very mad, which was a good thing! Some I could have done without... and I could have done with just a little more resoultion at the end... maybe an epilogue a little further in the future? But all in all I liked it. Was it all believable? No, its a work of fiction meant to entertain... I was entertained! I didn't understand some of the reasoning in certain scenes, but hey, it's not my book! I enjoyed it, it was a good weekend read! I look forward to reading more from Ms Samuel, as this was my first experience with her.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and everything about it. The characters were all multidimensional and fun to journey with--even outside of the romantic aspect of this novel. Barbara Samuel does well at weaving a story that sucks her readers in-- Thomas is a hero I rooted for from the moment I began reading, and Elizabeth's pain and suffering practically sprang through the pages. Very rarely have I read a book that I haven't been able to put down, and stay up well past a decent hour reading. This book had very few negatives, a minor spelling error or two, but I find nothing I can fault about it.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was OK, after a while it got a mite depressing. The context is too similar to the other B/Samuel book i recently read; Night of Fire in that the hero & heroine seemingly have insurmountable odds of getting married & a lot of above the board honourable intentions make them sacrifice their own happiness & reject the other & they part ways. & they are shattered. etc etc. After a while all that needless self sacrifice just palls. Strictly to be taken in small doses.

[Kim]

I love A Bed of Spices, another Medieval book by this author, but couldn't make it through this one. A few tropes starting popping up that I find off-putting, including a scheming, slutty teenaged stepdaughter, so I abandoned this for greener pastures. Life is too short and there are too many books.

I will absolutely read more of Barbara Samuel's work.