From This Moment on

Colin of Berkhamshire has a problem. Cursed with a dangerous reputation as the Butcher of Berkhamshire, one of the most feared knights in England, he has had a score of intended betrotheds plead off of marrying him for one ridiculous reason or another. The worst offender, to his mind, was Alienore of Solonge. She didn't even bother with an excuse. She simply ran away and, while Colin would never admit to it, it hurt his tender feelings. In a fit of rage, Colin vowed that if he ever found Alienore, he would kill her. Despite her family's attempts to locate her, Alienore has remained hidden for two years, dressed as a knight and serving as a guard to a young spoiled brat named Sybil. Sybil's family has made a match for her but they've refused to reveal the identity of her betrothed, only that he resided in England. So Sybil and her entourage made their way to England and discovered too late that Colin is Sybil's betrothed. Alienore made several unsuccessful attempts to escape Blackmour but eventually gave up and decided to do her best to keep her identity hidden. However, her job was not going to be easy. After watching another knight bully and abuse Alienore, Colin has decided to take it upon himself to train her in the skills of war. Some of the scenes are simply hilarious. Sybil hides herself in her chambers and will not come out. She faints every time she sees Colin. Alienore quakes with fear and stammers whenever Colin talks to her, and the local healers constantly hound Colin to douse him with herbs to make him more "husbandly". This was, by far, one of the funniest love stories I've read. The characters are simply adorable, stubborn, flawed to a fault and gifted with a dry sense of humor, and the dialogue is very engaging. This is not the first Lynn Kurland book I've read but it is one of my favorites. I guarantee you'll find this a very fun read.

I love anything Lynn Kurland writes. Her books, without fail, bring a smile every time. Her characters are wonderfully unique and endearing. Colin of Berkhamshire is one of them! He is not your usual tall, dark, and handsome hero. One has to scrape the grim and grimy surface of this knight to find the delightful treasure that hides just within. This is a rollicking adventure with a heroine just as unusual as her hero. Both are worth becoming better aquainted with. You won't be bored.

First of all, this book amazed me in two ways:One: It totally went against traditional historical romance.Two: It was historically accurate.Some readers may be annoyed with the hero, who has less-than-perfect manners, doesn't bathe and is "not attractive." However, this is most likely the was it really was. Few people now know that the Roman Catholic Church believed it was sinful to expose your nakedness, even to yourself, and so bathing was a rare thing. Most regular people (not high nobility or royalty) only bathed twice a year. Manners and the British "proper" way of doing things didn't really start until the 18th century. Colin's behavior in the book was most likely not too far off the mark.Alienore is finally a romance character I can get into. She's frightened of a man's whose horrible reputation precedes him, but that doesn't make her lose her reason. When cornered, she thinks her way out of trouble (though more often than not she doesn't have to actually implement her plans) and uses her brain, not freak chance to continue.Yet despite his behavioral and physical flaws, Kurland mananges to make Colin a likeable character. He is a decent, honest man who, despite his gruff and ill-mannered exterior, really wants a family. But only on his terms. He has no patience for wilting flowers and giggling idiots. He want a woman who had courage, like a man, is willing to get dirty, like a man, and who won't faint everytime he comes in the room. You begin to feel sorry for him if you think on how many times his reputation has chased away his potential brides. Kurland does a brilliant job of giving the reader more insight into Colin while Alienore (the herione) gains more knowledge of him. When the two first meet, the reader feels sympathy for Ali, who must face this devil of a man, but as time goes on, both reader and herione develop trust and appreciation for the finer sides of Colin. As far as traditional romances go, having a rude hero and a masculine-ized herione really shouldn't sit well. Yet in this instance, it seems to work. True, the book has its slow moments and sometimes you have to wonder at the characters' actions, but all in all, it's a worthwhile read.

"From This Moment On," by Lynn Kurland is a delighful book. I enjoy stories created around this time period. Bestselling author Lynn Kurland transports the reader back to the thirteenth century with all the spark and passion of medieval England. An engaging story with colorful characters, fun dialogue, and a plot second to none!John SavoySavoy InternationalMotion Pictures Inc.

Two years ago warrior Colin of Berkhamshire and Lady Alienore of Solgne were to marry. However, the bride decides not to wed the infamous "Butcher of Berkhamshire instead fleeing into the night. No one has seen Alienore since she vanished. Except for his father's machinations of finding potential wives for Colin to marry and sire an heir, the Butcher is very happy to remain single. Meanwhile Ali hides in plain sight by donning knight armor and going about as Sir Henri though she worries that her malfeasance stepmother will uncover her identity and foster her on Colin.Ali currently escorts Colin's latest intended, but when she ends up in his garrison, he takes a liking to the disguised woman. As he starts training her in the art of warfare, she begins falling in love with her host as she finds him to be kind hearted and not the harsh Butcher she expected. Colin wonders why Ali is in every dream and thought he has since he always loved the women.FROM THIS MOMENT ON could have been a poorly crafted homophobic tale, but Lynn Kurland insures that this medieval romance never falls into any stereotyping traps. Instead readers obtain a wonderful, often amusing historical romance starring two characters whose personalities are so complete that the Butcher shows his "feminist" side and the gentle rose shows her warrior thorns. Fans will relish Lynn Kurland's latest entry that is all a reader can ask of an author.Harriet Klausner