A Dove at Midnight

Traumatised by her mother's rape and suicide, Joanna is understandably terrified of marriage and men, and enters a convent at the age of 12. However, her father's death means that, as his heir, she has become a lynchpin in a power struggle in the turbulent years of King John's reign. Sir Rylan Kempe, who is opposed to the King, kidnaps Joanna from the convent with a view to marrying her to one of his allies. Although she is drawn to Sir Rylan, Joanna fights him every step of the way and they are eventually waylaid by the King's men, They take Joanna to London where she becomes the King's ward. How Ryland wins Joanna and triumphs over King John then forms the backbone of this story. Interweaved in this is also a rather sweet secondary romance. When writing of medieval England it is very difficult to ignore the politics of the time, and therefore this book is much concerned with internal power struggles and the church. That said, the dynamics between Joanna and Rylan are well-drawn out and I commend Ms. Becnel for keeping mostly within the conventions of the era. Joanna is naïve, young- though at a time when girls were married at 12, not that young at 17 - and at times irritating. Rylan is mature, arrogant and politically very adept. When these two come together it is always explosive. The only negatives I could find is that Joanna seemed to be far too free to come and go in the convent. That said, Ms Becnel clearly knows England, and has a good grasp of medieval customs and politics, as well as being able to write a well-crafted love story. However, be warned, this is not a romance with a gloss of history. Instead the history and the romance intertwine, which for me produces a very satisfying and enjoyable combination.