Lady Gallant

I have all of Suzanne Robinson's books and by far to date Lady Gallant is her best book ever. The story of Kit and Nora is told with so much emotion that you feel like you are right there with them. The way they both struggle with their emotions is a definite page turner. I would recommend this book to any and all readers of great romances.

If this book were a stove, it'd be on at about 550 degrees. The characters are very well-drawn. There is constant interaction between them, and fireworks right from the start. The only fault, and one hardly worth noting for me, it that there isn't a terribly satisfying sexual union until relatively near the end. But that's okay. There is sexual tension by the truckload. This book is very well researched historically, which makes sense, since the author is a historian. The period details are very interesting, and the language is great. Suzanne Robinson must be a Shakespeare appreciator. The romance is very intense, and it made me cry several times when the hero acted like an imbecile. But never fear! Wouldn't you know, it all comes right in the end. The conceited hero gets better acquainted with his own sense of humility, and the outwardly timid heroine learns to present a braver face to the world, so they come to meet in the middle. Blade's character experiences growth, as well. I like it when the author takes the characters' spiritual growth into account, as well as their just "finding love" and being just really happy. The Elizabethan language adds an intellectual twist, and it is almost impossible to put down. This book is among my favorites, along with Fires of Winter by Johanna Lindsey,Upon a Moon-Dark Moor by Rebecca Brandewyne, Fire and Steel by Anita Mills, and Loving Julia by Karen Robards. These books all make you feel the burn, baby! Damn!

Normally I do not read Tudor era romanes; I tend to stay away from the medieval and stick to Regencies and such. But this is a special case, and there are not enough adjectives enough in the world to describe Lady Gallant. I hold this book for an example to show what all romances should be. To start off, Kit and Nora are simply marvelous. The back blurb will have you believe that she is mousy and shy, and even the first few pages will lead you to that assumption. But she isn't--- Nora is a wonderful, brave character with depths; she's a heroine who is believable for her time period, a heroine whom you can admire and love. And Kit... he's delicious. Rather than being an brooding, cynical, and/or tortured alpha male, Kit is a sybarite, a 16-century James Dean. The language and the usage of everyday songs and snippets of poetry add to Ms. Stuart's wonderfully structured prose without being superfluous, and the historical background is so well researched that Lady Gallant will forever remain among my favorites.

I really enjoyed this book, it was beautfully written. You can really get a feel for the time because of the rich language used. This book actually makes you feel something in your heart and it's a good investment too because if you buy it you'll be readig it over and over again!

I have ready this book four or five times and it keeps getting better and better. I cry everytime that Christian rejects Nora. The language is wonderful and the use of poems and songs adds to the atmosphere. The story is set in Elizabethan England and the author describes this era delightfully, from bear baiting, to Queen Elizabeth's ladies in waiting. This book is wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone with and interest in Elizabethan England.