In the King's Service

Sir Blaidd Morgan, a trusted friend of King Henry II of England, has been sent to investigate Lord Throckton, a noble whom the King suspects may be plotting against him. Blaidd travels to Lord Throckton's castle under the pretense of wanting to court Throckton's beautiful oldest daughter, Lady Laelia. But it is Throckton's younger daughter, Lady Rebecca, whom Blaidd finds himself attracted to. But he knows he must still investigate her father, and bring him to justice if he is a traitor. Becca believes she will never find a husband because she is plain and still limps from a childhood injury. So instead of concerning herself with gowns and suitors like her older sister, she busies herself running the castle and spending time with the servants, soldiers, and townspeople. At first, Becca is not at all impressed by Blaidd, thinking he is just another suitor trying to marry her sister. But she soon finds herself attracted to the handsome knight and dreams of a future with him, even though she doubts any man could ever want her. I have always enjoyed Margaret Moore's Medieval romances and this book was no exception. Becca was an enjoyable heroine to read about: strong, determined, and spirited, rather than just beautiful and helpless. Blaidd was a good hero, an honorable man who struggled to do his duty to his king without hurting the woman he loved. I'd recommend this novel to readers who like Medieval romances and are looking for an enjoyable and romantic read.

I absolutely disagree with the other reviewers. If you are looking for a heartwarming, romantic tale about two honorable people-then read this book. For those who said it's trite and formulaic-well, why are you reading romance then? Just because it may have a similar plot line to other books doesn't negate that it's still an enjoyable read. The only thing formulaic is the happy ending, and isn't that what we read romance for? I applaud the fact that Moore writes a medievel story with sensibilites towards a modern audience. For example-this story is not overburdoned with silly tries at medievel language. This novel deals more with the love story and less with it's historical accuracy-and isn't that what a good romance should do? Don't believe the skeptics. If you are looking for a light hearted and inspiring romance than I think you'll enjoy this book. 4.5 stars!

Sir Blaidd Morgan was on a mission for his young monarch, to determine if Lord Throckton was plotting to overthrow the king of England. As a ruse to explain his presence at Lord Throckton's castle, Blaidd pretends to be only interested in courting the lovely Lady Leila, Lord Throckton's eldest daughter. Although Lady Leila is gorgeous, she doesn't infatuate him like Lady Rebecca, Throckton's youngest daughter. Blaidd can't afford to get too close to her, though, for his mission of espionage may be compromised, but he can't get her off his mind.Lady Rebecca Throckton was unconventional. She could ride a horse better than most men, shoot arrows with the best archers, and was incredibly strong-willed and headstrong. When she first met Blaidd, she was sure that he would be like the others who had tried to court her beautiful older sister, but she soon finds herself infatuated with him. Becca walks with a limp since she had an accident as a child, and she believes that no man will ever want her for a wife. When she learns of Blaidd's true motives for being at her home, will she believe him, or tell her father of Blaidd's plans?I liked this book pretty well. Becca wasn't one of the silly, helpless women that too often appear in historical romances; she was strong, independent, and fierce in her own way. Blaidd was also strong and fierce in his own way, he seemed a lot more masculine than a lot of heroes I have read about, really. He didn't sit around all day talking about his feelings (which I can't stand in romance books), but he was tender and gentle when appropriate. The ending didn't work for me, it was way too cliched and I saw it coming a mile away. I just knew what would happen, and what do you know, everything happened exactly as I suspected. Also, the fact that no man would ever marry Becca simply because she limped a little was a bit far-fetched. Surely someone would have married her, even if for her dowry alone (not romantic, I know, but love matches were rather rare at the time). It wasn't even a genetic thing - she just broke her leg as a child. Much ado over little, in my opinion. Still, the book was a good way to pass the time, and I'll probably read it again someday.