The Maiden Bride

"The Maiden Bride" is one of those good books, where the main character tries to do some good and doesn't have any of those selfish or secret agendas that benefit themselves. Eleanor is an optimistic and hopeful person, by nature. She journeyed to Faulkhurst with her friends, to claim a castle, which belonged to her through a marriage when her husband supposedly died. (Eleanor never met her husband and the marriage they had were really nothing. Because the marriage conditions/duties were never fulfilled and the marriage was just basically a signing of papers) Eleanor and her friends went to Faulkhurst and all she found was an empty town with a crummy castle and a person that resembled a gargoyle. The gargoyle introduced himself as Nicholas. In truth, Nicholas is the husband that Eleanor married, but Nicholas doesn't reveal himself because of some internal pain he's going through. As time passes and little miracles are performed because of Eleanor's faith and trust, they fall in love. But the problem is that Nicholas's true identity is hidden and when it's revealed, would Eleanor forgive him?I liked this book because it was really sweet. It wasn't one of those books where it was mostly about sex. There were a little more to it, like the rebuilding of the castle. The reason I liked this book was because of the character Eleanor. Eleanor showed so much hope and trust and she created small miracles and made the people her family. Eleanor reminds me of this character in "The Abduction of Julia" by Karen Hawkins. "The Abduction of Julia" is also another good book and I recommend it to people who liked "The Maiden Bride" or vice versa.

A woman who believes in everyday miracles and a man who has lost all hope work together to rebuild an estate wasted by the Black Death. Married by proxy, Lady Eleanor is a widow without having been a wife and she only wants to make a home for herself and the rag-tag group of survivors she has collected. Her isolated inheritance is empty and neglected, the shabby castle haunted by a man sickened by too much war, too much death. Nicholas insists on acting as her steward, not revealing that he is her husband, for as soon as he fulfills a pledge, he will enter a monastery for a lifetime of penance. But Eleanor's belief that there is a core of good in every heart overpowers his guilt and shows him that even the most wicked sinner can be redeemed by love. Needham's characters come alive, her dialogue sings, and the emotional impact of her story keeps you turning pages until the satisfying, poignant last scene, when you wish there was more to read.

Linda Needham has once again combined her favorite characters - a woman who collects misfortunates and a man hiding a deep, dark secret - into an irresistable pairing. This book is lighter (and shorter) than her first four, but an inviting, charming story that will keep you turning the pages until the conclusion.

Linda Needham's latest book from Avon, The Maiden Bride, is a wonderful medieval and sure to please all of her fans out there who wait patiently, and not-so-patiently, for each of Linda's newest books. It will also attract more fans over to Linda's camp because of the beautifully crafted prose, the dark and brooding hero and a wonderfully intelligent, independent, and practical heroine - my favorite kind!Lady Eleanor Bayard was married by proxy to William Nicholas Bayard, although she had never met him. When she learns of his death following the great plague, she decides to assert her rightful claim as his widow to Faulkhurst Castle. Granted this property by her craft king, she takes her little ragtag band of misfits across the countryside to the Northwest Coast of England to her deserted, crumbling castle. Eleanor knows the castle is in need of a lot of work and a lot of people to fill it and the surrounding village, so she plants the seeds of gossip along her trek. By leaving hints that the new Lady of Faulkhurst will be tithing to her tenants for five years, instead of the other way around, Eleanor is able to attract more and more misfits to join her. However, the greatest misfit of all is waiting for her deep in the shadows of the castle - "Nicholas," who agrees to be her steward when he can't scare her off, but who is really her tormented husband.Nicholas has pledged himself to complete the rebuilding of the chapel at Faulkhurst before he dons a monks robes and sentences himself to life in a monastery. He is doing a self-imposed penance for the terrible life he led which he believes resulted in the plague that took the life of his young, illegitimate son. He does not want to have anything to do with Eleanor, even more so after he discovers she is his wife, but he cannot leave her to endanger herself or the children and innocents with which she surrounds herself by letting her live in the ramshackle castle. So, he takes on the role of steward and starts to set to rights the very destruction that he himself wrought on the castle and its belongings.Even with such a dark, brooding hero, there is so much humor in the interactions between Eleanor and Nicholas that I found myself laughing out loud. She is a feisty and intelligent woman; Nicholas has had little contact with such females in his life of battle and decadence. He is headstrong and opinionated about the way his castle should be run, but doesn't want to reveal his identity to his wife. She is headstrong herself, but also optimistic and genuinely good-hearted. The various thieves and cutthroats that show up at the doors of the castle, in answer to Eleanor's prayers for tradesmen, make for an entertaining little troupe of secondary characters.The sexual tension in this story is wonderful, especially because the hero and heroine become friends and develop a strong sense of trust and affection before they ever get to a bed. In fact, Eleanor

England, 1351.The castle of Faulkhurst has been "abandoned"-emptied by the plague, and left a barren shell; with crumbling ramparts, locked doors, and fallow fields. `Tis naught but a challenge to Lady Eleanor, the "widowed" bride of Nicholas Bayard (happily consigned to the devil now). Accompanied by her three charges, Lady Eleanor has a plan to revive the lagging fortunes of Faulkhurst; to bring about prosperity and peace to the demesne of her cursed late husband. Haunting the lonely halls of Faulkhurst is a man closely linked to Eleanor's past. He claims the position of Steward-yet holds a much tighter claim to her heart. He is a man tormented and beguiled-by the beauty, vivacity, and stubborn-angel smile of the woman he wed long ago, yet never met: Eleanor, his salvation or hell?THE MAIDEN BRIDE is a passionate, heartbreaking, yet uplifting tale of hope, redemption, and soul-searing love . There's humour aplenty; a taunt, sensuous chemistry between Nicholas and Eleanor; and a lushly descriptive narrative filled with beautiful imagery. Linda Needham has a talent for transporting the reader (although some may find her dialogue and character mannerisms a little too "modern"; I, however, found Eleanor and Nicholas to be a refreshingly honest duo.) Highly recommended!