The Harlot's Daughter

Blythe Gifford's THE HARLOT's DAUGHTER is a riveting historical romance set in the Middle Ages. The romance is suspenseful, tinged with hints of treason as well as passion. The author's attention to historical detail coupled with an exquisite fictional imagination makes love in the late 14th century come alive for reader. King Edward III called Lady Solay daughter. Today, the whispering and mocking court of King Richard calls her the harlot's daughter. Once banished from court, Lady Solay now returns to court in an attempt to curry favor and money. Her mother Alys, the former mistress of the late King, coaxes her daughter in the ways of seduction and how to win favors from kings. The disgraced Alys knows her daughter's success at court remains the only hope for her family's economic survival. Despite the murmurs, Solay holds her head high. She must focus on the king, the supreme power and law of the land. Her family depends on her. Lord Justin Lamont, a lawyer, works with the Council and the Duke of Gloucester in an attempt to reign in the power of the king and prevent the misuse of Treasury money for extravagant favors. For him, Solay represents all the extravagance, corruption and debauchery rampant in the court and yet her beauty and spirit attract him. Can she protect King Richard by spying on Lord Justin's plans while showering him with her attentions? Has she learned her mother's lessons well enough to please both Lord Justin and King Richard? In an effort to control the treasury from the King's decadence, Lord Justin must keep a careful eye on all those seeking the King's favor. Threatened by each other's political roles, they are forced together by the King, promised oaths and bargains. Justin and Solay find much more is at risk as they are drawn together in a risky dance of secrets, politics and law --- their hearts. When King and Council war with one another for ultimate power, can Justin and Solay's growing love for one another protect them from all the conflicts or will they be forced to turn against each other in a bid for personal safety and ideals? In THE HARLOT'S DAUGHTER, Blythe Gifford's imagination opens a window into the details of medieval history, blending details from historical and literary records with fictional characters whose romance makes history come alive for the modern reader. Based on Joan the daughter of Alice Perrers the infamous mistress of King Edward III, Lady Solay's encounters and conversations with Lord Justin reveal riveting philosophical questions underlying the Parliament's action to place the King under the control of the Council of Lords Appellant. What is truth? Is truth based on power or law? Can absolute power ever achieve justice? How does justice apply to those motivated by need as compared to an ideal? Does compassion supercede the law? Can an individual medieval woman receive justice or compassion from king, the law or love? Pitted against each other by their opposing ideals and needs, yet d

In 1376 with the death of the king, his mistress and her two young daughters from her royal paramour are exiled. Now a decade later, the older illegitimate offspring Lady Joan Weston known as Lady Solay has come to plead with King Richard II for leniency for her impoverished mother and sister and a place at court for her. As everyone watches the Doxy's Daughter step forward. The Parliament Oversight Council lawyer Lord Justin Lamont thinks the mother of Joan the Elder almost destroyed the realm, but he cannot pull his eyes from her. King Richard assigns Joan to read the stars on his birthday. Meanwhile Lord Justin and the Council struggle with Richard's giving presents to his friends while demanding higher taxes to pay for his gifts. Having been fooled by beautiful eyes before and knowing the damage her mother did, Justin distrusts Lady Joan although he attracted to her especially her violet eyes. To their mutual chagrin, King Richard orders them to wed because his assignment for Joan is to spy on Justin and the Council. Joan knows firsthand how cruel the Council can be and how much her mother and sister need her to pull them out of poverty, so she accepts the royal decree; knowing that she will be betraying the man she loves. In spite a zillion takes set during the reign of King Richard II, few historical romances contain the late fourteenth century atmosphere of the royal court as THE HARLOT'S DAUGHTER possesses. The story line provides a powerful look at pre Magna Carta intrigue between the youthful monarch and Parliament. Especially insightful is the avaricious hanger-ons that will remind the audience of heavyweight champions' retinues. The romance between the lead couple is deftly designed to provide a beautiful love story of apparent star-crossed lovers caught in a web of domestic spying and vile gossip are the norm. Harriet Klausner

Lady Solay, alleged daughter of Sir William of Weston was more infamously known as "the Harlot's Daughter"; for everyone knew the daughter of Lady Alys Westion, the deceased king's mistress, was sired by King Edward III. Recently come to London, Solay was presented to his son King Richard II purposely to regain a place in court in order to provide for her mother and sister, whom Parliament had stripped of most everything after King Edward had died. Lord Jason Lamont, was a lawyer serving the Duke of Gloucester and members of Parliament. One of Lord Jason's duties was to see that the King wasted no more money on flatterers - of which he immediately put Lady Solay in that category. Believing the rumors, and thinking her a seductress like her mother, his immediate distrust of her was apparent as he tried to keep his physical attraction under control. Tricked and backed into a corner by the king, Jason found himself declaring for Solay IF she could prove she loved him. Attracted to the Jason, Solay became a pawn in a political game of duplicity and treason, forced to make a choice of betraying the man she'd come to love, or lying to the king. *** Since her impressive debut novel, THE KNAVE & THE MAIDEN, I've waited to see what author Blythe Gifford would come up with next and THE HARLOT'S DAUGHTER most definitely lived up to my expectations of her talent. Taking her inspiration from true historical events and real people, the author took literary license in embellishing history by fictionalizing what little history was recorded of the two daughters borne by the notorious Alice Perrers, mistress of King Edward III. Creative and imaginative, Ms. Gifford engrossed this reviewer much as the real Lady Alice enthralled the King. In true romance fashion, the two protagonists Lord Jason and Lady Solay were brought together by fate, but distrust was shown to overshadow their physical attraction to one another. Jason had been bewitched and betrayed once before vowing to never trust again. Like all the rest of the court he believed the gossip depicting Lady Solay to be as avaricious and greedy as her mother who reputedly stripped the rings off the dead king's hands. In Lord Jason's mind, the courts would see justice served and laws were to be followed to the letter - right from wrong with no place in between. The author depicted Solay as caught between a `rock and a hard place'. Her reason for coming to court was simple, trying to regain for her mother and sister a stipend allowing them shelter and food, after Parliament had stripped her mother of all their property and gifts from the former king. Solay had to charm and ingratiate herself to the new king (her half brother) for support. Jason represented the members of Parliament, and firmly believed that the Laws worked in providing justice. Afraid to be hurt again, Jason insisted he would only marry Solay if she could prove she loved him; a hard task when he assumed every thing she sai

Wow--what a good book! Based on factual events during the reign of Richard II, this novel held me spellbound not only because of the smouldering relationship between the hero (the "law") and the heroine (the "harlot's daughter") but because of the developing background struggle between England's monarch and parliament. I liked that this conflict was echoed by the hero-heroine struggle for "equity" in an era when noble women had few rights that weren't dependent on men. It's been a while since I've read a medieval historical romance that wasn't cliched or overdone or (gasp) where the outcome is apparent from the first page and there were no surprises. THE HARLOT'S DAUGHTER is truly memorable!

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer on 08/30/2007 Lady Joan of Weston, also known as Solay, is the considered the lowest of the low, punished for her mother's sin of courting the late king. Now Solay must see the ruling king in hopes of aid. The courts and Parliament have stripped her mother of nearly everything. If something doesn't change, Solay, her mother, and her younger sister will starve. Lord Justin Lamont believes in the letter of the law. A lawyer and member of the Council that is to oversee young King Richard's monetary decisions, Justin has the unfortunate task of interacting with the impetuous monarch. When Solay arrives at Windsor to seek money, Justin vows to stand in her way. Her mother wronged the kingdom and deserves whatever hardship the family must face. From what he can tell, Solay has been sent to seduce her way into a comfortable purse, just like her mother. He won't let that happen. When Solay and Justin are betrothed to each other to serve someone's nefarious purposes, both must reexamine their lives and expectations, for everything is about to change. Medieval romance is a genre that requires a great deal of research by authors who take on the challenge. Setting, way of life, customs, even what people wore and ate during the era help place readers in the story. Even then, to pull readers the rest of the way in, the author must create a compelling tale. Gifford succeeds at both in THE HARLOT'S DAUGHTER. Solay and Justin are very human; each character is strong, yet deliciously flawed. To a modern woman, Solay's focus on finding a man to help support her family may seem archaic, but for the time period, it is quite appropriate. Lest the "modern" woman despair, however, this attitude is something that is exposed and addressed quite nicely throughout. This book is easy to read, and the story is compelling. Political intrigue, a tumultuous betrothal, desperation, and hope weave this tale of love and acceptance into a historical romance that will catch readers' hearts. Blythe Gifford knows how to touch that essential something in us all. 4.5-Books See also: The Knave And The Maiden (Harlequin Historical Series) by Blythe Gifford