Lord of the Manor

I really enjoyed this book; it had most of the elements necessary to pull off a successful medieval. The dialog is fairly accurate, giving the reader the impression that the characters ARE medieval people, not modern people playing dress-up. I felt that the characters' behavior was also in keeping with the time period. The relationship between Richard and Lucinda develops realistically; when Richard does realize he loves Lucinda and wants to marry her, it is realistic as well that he could do so, in that she is of the nobility. It is no far-fetched scenario of the lord of the manor marrying a scullery maid. Richard is a sympathetic hero; although a bastard, he shows himself through his actions to be a good, kind and honorable man. My only criticisms of this book are: 1) I found it hard to believe everyone's continued hostility toward Lucinda simply because she was the widow of the infamously evil Basil. Everyone would be aware that as a medieval woman, she was merely property of her husband, with no power to control his actions. It didn't make sense that Lucinda continued to be blamed for the things that Basil had done. 2) The use of the term "Man-root", the book's only dip into purple prose. It was just so silly, I had to laugh. Despite these two quibbles, this book is worth reading, I recommend it.

Lady Lucinda was the widow of Richard's most villainous enemy, the man who had nearly taken his life. Yet Richard found himself in the awkward position of being the protector of Lucinda's son, Philip. With Lucinda and Philip in tow, Richard returned to his holdings, the holdings that had once suffered from the cruelty of Lucinda's husband. Despite Lucinda being his enemy's widow, however, Richard is insanely attracted to the brave woman. Can he ever forget whose wife she was, and make her his wife now? Lady Lucinda had known the meaning of suffering. She had been married to a cruel man who beat her regularly, her family cared nothing for her, and she had gone into hiding after her husband's death to protect her son from his greedy relatives. When she petitions the court for a protector for her son, she has no idea that it will be Richard, one of the men her husband nearly killed! Richard had been kind to her while traveling, before he knew who she was, but she saw the glint of hardness in his eyes upon learning who she had married. Can she convince this man that her son is not like his father, and convince the people that she is not responsible for her husband's crimes? I enjoyed this book immensely. Shari Anton has a gift of creating realistic, likeable characters woven into thrilling stories. Reading this book was almost like being transported back in time and watching love blossom between two real individuals. Both of these characters had faults - Richard was a bit too hard-headed, and Lucinda was a bit too aloof - but that only made them more believable and more interesting. Characters from some of her other stories, most notably Gerard and Ardith from "By King's Decree," appeared in the story, as well, but the reader was left with a desire to read their stories, as well. I really can't praise this book enough - it is one of my favorite historical romances of all time now! For those interested, other books in this series include: By King's Decree (Gerard and Ardith), By Queen's Grace (Corwin and Judith), and Knave of Hearts (Stephen and Marian). I plan on reading them all! :)