The Mad Knight's Bride
Kate HillHistorical romance
Available from New Concepts Publishing
ISBN: 1-58608-803-3
December 2005
| The Mad Knight's Bride tells the story of Elaine of Rockland and the man she called Gabriel. Elaine was standing aboard ship when someone calls her attention. They have spotted something in the water. That something turns out to me a badly wounded man. They rescue him from the water, finding him nearly frozen, and treat his head injury. Elaine has never been one attracted to a handsome face. But she finds herself noticing this man. When he awakens he has lost his memory, not even knowing his name. Elaine calls him Gabriel, because secretly she thinks he has the face of an angel.
As Gabriel heals, the attraction between Elaine and himself grows. Elaine and her village are repairing after a raid by a man named William Blackridge, who is wanted by the king for his greed and slaughter of many villagers. Gabriel has knowledge of herbs and turns out to be a talented healer. He helps the people of Rockwell to recover and rebuild. If only he knew who he was and whether he was free to be with Elaine. But as well as things seem to be going, there will come a time that will test their love and everything they have come to mean to each other. The Mad Knight's Bride follows the characters in The Chieftain's Bride. Although it is not necessary to read The Chieftain's Bride to enjoy this book, I did find that it did enhance the story to recognize some of the characters. This story takes place in the year 1064 off the coast of Northumbria. The setting comes to life in vivid colors and sounds through the descriptive writing of Kate Hill. The characters are fully developed and will have you caring about them as the story plays out to its conclusion. Elaine is a woman unlike many women of her time. She is a warrioress and has earned the respect of her people. She has never thought about love and marriage. She always thought a man would want to tame her and change her to suit him as a wife. Gabriel will have her rethinking all of these reasons for not wanting to marry. Gabriel is a man willing to help others. He is educated, a talented healer, and a skilled warrior. Gabriel is also a man that has never known love. He had a tormented and abusive life. This character shows the most growth in the story and truly wins the readers heart. The dialogue in the story is well written and easily followed. All aspects of the story's plot are thoroughly concluded. The romance is passionate and loving. The sex scenes verge on explicit but are done in a romantic and loving way. I truly enjoyed the reading of this story and hope this is not the last we will hear of tales based on these characters. I feel these characters can be used for generations; I can just imagine the children of these characters now. For all the above reasons I give this historically set adult romance five hearts.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Anita |
