Kay Adelin > Recent Status Updates

The battle planning parts are interesting at least! And I love all the side characters (especially Symon lol! Him and Betha I could read a whole book of).
There’s still some light head hopping and some times I can’t tell who is saying what, but it’s light.

The MC and stupid romance is still my main complaint.

The inconsistency in this novel is so shocking, I can’t even… was this even proofread?
MMC is hiding his identity. FMC finds out about it. MMC is sparring with a guy he doesn’t trust enough yet to tell his identity to. FMC comes out and blurts out his identity in front of said untrusted guy. Untrusted Guy has absolutely NO reaction. The MMC also had no reaction to his cover being blown like this.
I’m so confused.

Now there’s POV changes in the middle of a scene, and the FMC steals without feeling bad? At least she felt bad about the lying.
Oh, and after meeting the FMC maybe seven times, if that, the MMC asked her to marry him. How realistic! I’m amazed he waited this long tbh.

… this is becoming more and more painful to read.
The FMC is supposedly scared of horses but drives one by herself, feeds it an apple, it chews her tunic and she doesn’t react…
PLEASE BE CONSISTENT I’M BEGGING YOU 😭😭😭😭

… I’m inwardly crying at this point. I hope Betha keeps her word. That’s all I’m going to say.

“Aye, then,” [Betha] said. “Do what ye must, but if that baggage [FMC] causes ye tae be harmed, I’ll kill her meself.”
Please do, Betha. Also I’m gonna start calling her “baggage” as well xD

I love Betha, she’s literally the best part of the book and I wish she were the main lady character. I mean, a story about a guy and his adopted mother?? How unique would that be?
I’d totally read a Betha story.

I’m about to scream at this FMC’s inconsistency. Does she want to remain pure and proper until marriage or does that not matter when it comes to the MMC? She doesn’t even want the other guy’s knee touching hers yet she snuggles with, wraps her arms around, and lets the MMC kiss her. She thinks about how she wants to remain pure and proper and then does that.
Please, for the love of my sanity, BE CONSISTENT!

I think I figured out one of my major issues with this romance. It’s a very selfish, surface love, disguised as loving. MMC helps the orphans and FMC bc he wants her and she’s pretty. Rather than helping them bc it’s right, and then slowly falling for the FMC as he gets to see her character. His “love” is no better than the villain’s—they both like her bc she’s pretty and spunky; neither truly know her.

I wish the FMC had a little more intelligence and logical reasoning. Also, it feels a little convenient to have her be a “natural” at striking with a dagger on her very first try. She feels a bit like a “see how special I am” character.

I really want to enjoy this novel so forgive my complaining… besides the two MCs and the romance it’s cute… but omgosh they’re so getting on my nerves.

… the guy the FMC is betrothed to grabs the FMC’s waist and elbow to escort her and is super close to her and she’s uncomfortable and thinks it should be saved for marriage… but moments before, the MMC literally picked her up around the waist, KISSED HER FOREHEAD, and rubbed circles on her back and she liked it and missed it. (Also, did I fail to mention they’ve literally met TWICE?)
I’m sorry, make it make sense.

This seems a little insta-lovey to me 😅 I enjoy all the side characters and the non-romantic conflict though! And the orphans I know are gonna be fun! (I love little orphan gangs with little boy leaders!)

A few things have made me confused but might just be me… the timeskips are a bit abrupt as well and I wish they were chapter breaks between POV changes. But other than that, enjoying it so far.

And so the family drama begins.
Lessons Learned:
Don’t crown your son king and then give him no power
Especially don’t give his younger brothers power but not him
Don’t steal his inheritance to give to your favorite son
Don’t insult your wife, especially when she’s powerful
Don’t let your angry wife raise your sons
And for goodness sake, don’t CROWN YOUR SON KING WHILE YOU YET LIVE

Now to the dysfunctional family wars XD gotta love those.

Beckett and Henry’s falling out… the banter is ✨GLORIOUS✨
I need to find an entire record of the account so I can really read all the stuff. The vaguely hidden barbs and friendship-destruction is, like, Hollywood worthy haha!

Most of this section was on the establishment of the exchequer and legal system in Henry II’s England, which I can now see is fundamental to understanding his falling out with Beckett. But also it’s a bit overwhelming and I wish it was explained more, especially some of the legal and financial terminology.
But now that I’m to the Beckett/Henry arguments, I’m all here for it 🤩

Oooh Thomas Beckett has been mentioned 😶‍🌫️

Henry II’s early years of settling things as king do remind me somewhat of Henry I in the justice/fairness department, though Henry I had more non-nobles in his retinue it seemed.

Also gotta love Henry II’s way of solving disputes: “oh, so there’s two guys fighting over a castle and title? That’s an easy fix—I’m taking the castle and titles, haha!”

The first chapter summarizes the entirety of The White Ship by Charles Spencer, so it’s a nice refresher having read that first! The end of the chapter however goes more into depth of Henry II’s securing of England, his relationship with his parents, and his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine.
I love the tidbits about Henry II with his parents, esp how he read classical literature with his father during a siege hehe!

Done with book 1! Certainly intriguing thus far, especially with the mc’s reasonings and thoughts being hidden for now.

Got to read a bit before work… so far the introduction is a good overview of stuff which The White Ship by Charles Spencer covered. Which is also a promising sign! The map of the “Angevin Empire” was super helpful too, and really emphasized just how much land Eleanor of Aquitaine brought to the table with her marriage to Henry II (and Henry II’s own lands were massive even without hers thanks to both of his parents).

Pre-Read: Excited to read this after finishing Charles Spencer’s The White Ship. Where Spencer left off with Henry II, I’m hoping to see Barratt pick up. (Never read this author before so hopefully it’s good; Dan Jones’s endorsement is promising!)

Also I’m so ready for more crazy family drama! In The White Ship, we had the Dramatic Norman Bros, now we have the 2.0, and arguably more dramatic version of them!

I see you, Canterbury Tales reference 👀

I really like this, so I hope the magic elements don’t get any more… detailed.

Eheh I like this already 😁

I’m honest to goodness with Lillias at this point. Grace needs to stop reading her novels. She’s acting like a freaking ten year old. A dude is at her door and she thinks he’s a ghost. And continues to think he’s a ghost afterwards for a time.
… and this girl is supposed to be married with (adopted) kids??