By Design (Medievals)

Once you read this book, you will know why so many of us fell in love with it. The love between Rhys and Joan is so strong that many of us will pray that it will also happen to us in our life time. Now I have to get my hands on "The Protector"!

Another wonderful love story by Madeline Hunter - She just keeps you enthralled with this time period. Having read the previous novel - By Possession - you tap into Rhys' story. Rhys was interested in Moira in the previous novel and lost her to Addis. Well, Ms. Hunter gave him his own story and wow, what a story it turns out to be.Rhys, a well to do free mason runs into a lovely vision selling her wares in the market place. He recognizes her talent and is amazed at how good her work is when she doesn't even have the appropriate tools to work with. Her name is Joan, that is all she tells him and as luck would have it (for her) he runs into her again while she is in stocks being punished for someone elses mistakes.Joan has issues, of trust, and it is not easy for Rhys to break down her barriers, when he has secrets himself that seem at odds with her issues. This book is wonderful in that rather than the Lords and Ladies, balls and soirees, you get a glimpse into the lower classes life and see again, the class distinctions, and most of all not only a love story but two souls that come together as kindred spirits.I loved this story as well as the previous ones and will retain this book for my keeper shelf as well.

I have read all 3 of her books, and I think that this is the best out of the 3. Like most romance aficionados, I like the standard formulaic fare. However, Madeline Hunter deviates a little by allowing us to really get to know the characters and see how and why they fall in love. The story between the two characters is really beautiful. Her heroine is trying to overcome her current tragic situation and painful memories. And the hero, Rhys, he is really something special. He is possessive, but not overbearing, understanding, and patient...willing to wait until the heroine comes to him. She also addresses the issue of class differences again, and does a fantastic job of, yet again. And she still manages to make the story very sensual, too. So, yes, it has depth, sex, and romance!!!

After reading some of the less-than-enthusiastic reviews given here, I am compelled to write in defense of Madeline Hunter's newest book By Design. I loved both of her previous books and this one is JUST AS GOOD. As much as I enjoyed Moira and Addis' story in By Possession, I was fascinated by Rhys, the mason who tried to woo Moira, and was thrilled that he would be the hero of the next book. In this story, Joan and Rhys have fabulous chemistry - their initial physical attraction, their mutual artistic talents, then the slow building of caring and friendship which eventually leads to love and beyond. I say "beyond" because they truly achieve the state we all wish for in our romance heroes and heroines ( as well as ourselves): a merging of souls so that two people become one. Joan and Rhys were not "wooden" as one reviewer said: they were slow, deep and unified in their actions and feelings towards each other. By Design is a thoroughly satisfying medieval love story. It's right up there with the high standards set by Patricia Ryan (Secret Thunder, Sun and the Moon), Julie Garwood (The Wedding), Susan Carroll (Bride Finder) and Judith McNaught (Kingdom of Dreams). Bravo, Madeline! I can hardly wait for your next book.

In the marketplace near the Cathedral, freemason Rhys observes a beautiful newcomer serenely and quietly trying to sell crockery. For some strange reason, Rhys finds himself enchanted by the "alien" and even more excited by her work that is geometrically perfect especially since he learns that she lacked the proper equipment. Reluctantly by gleefully for having met the latest hawker, Rhys finally moves on to conduct his own business.A few days later, Rhys sees his enchantress in quite a different situation. Apparently she did something that led to her master blaming her. Now she is a victim of the stocks. Rhys rescues Joan by buying her indentured contract. Joan wants nothing to do with her savior even if he is kind and handsome, and she is falling in love with him. Even with the enticement of Rhys and his love, Joan's goal remains vengeance on those who destroyed her and her family though some of her enemies reside in the court of young King Edward.BY DESIGN is an exciting late medieval romance that uses the political and economic conditions of the times as a backdrop to a warm historical romantic intrigue. The story line works because of the historical depth, especially that of the guilds which brings much color to the tale and leaves the audience feeling they are inspecting pottery among other wares. The lead couple seems real because of the full flavor of the period. Though Madeline Hunter has written a medieval romance that sub-genre fans will enjoy, readers of historical fiction will gain much pleasure from the novel too.Harriet Klausner