The Prize

GREATEST BOOK EVER!! Ok for real, this has got to be the best historical I have ever read!! I should warn you now; this is going to be a long review! Ok let's get the description of the story out of the way so I can tell you how much I loved this book! The year is 1066 and the Norman's are taking over the Saxon's. Well Nicholaa (what a cool name!) did not like that at all, since she is a Saxon and she has had to defend her home to Norman's trying to take it over. She defeats a couple of the invaders but the last one she could not. The king has ordered Baron Royce to bring the woman that had defended her home so well against his vassals. She was going to be The Prize for the lucky knight who won the battle for her. The King was allowing his knights to compete for her hand in marriage. But, Nicholaa ruined it for the knights when she saved the Queens niece. So the king changed his mind and allowed Nicholaa to choose from any of the single knights. So, of course since she had already spent a week or so with Royce she choose him because she saw that he was patient and seemed nice enough. They get married and then the fun begins!! Nicholaa is funny. Almost all of Julie Garwood's females are strong and Nicholaa is no exception. During the initial invasion on her home she hit Royce with a rock from her sling. Then during the week they were traveling to London to meet with the king so that she could be married off she gave him hell. Julie Garwood does not go into great length with that week but what you get is very funny. Nicholaa is very protective of her family and when she marries Royce she decides to make the best out of it. She wants a happy home because she knew what it was like to have one because of her parents. She is faced with some hard situations but handles them very well. She is very cunning and smart. She is also a little stubborn but then so is Royce. She really wants to make Royce happy so she decides to be the type of wife he wants and totally changes, this did not upset me at all because you see how much Royce hates it and how he feels guilty about it because he was the cause of the change. So on to Royce...........OH MY GOODNESS!! This character is great! He is a very well respected Baron and is known for his training of great warriors. He has a list of soldiers waiting to be trained by him. He is feared my many, but the man has a gentle and kind heart when it comes to Nicholaa and I absolutely loved that! He always wanted her to be happy and of course he was not a push over. He stood his ground when he thought it was important. He tries to come off arrogant and when it comes to his soldiers he is because his men are the best, but in other things he is reasonable. I did not get mad at him once. He is a bit insecure. He has a scar on his face, he is very tall and wide, normally women were afraid of him. But she doesn't see that, she only sees the silver flecks in his eyes. He can not understand why sh

Julie Garwood is a master romance writer, and "The Prize" is one of her best. The lead characters are classic Garwood - a brave, naive heroine and a strong, patient hero. The genius of Garwood is that her heroines can be kind of flighty and ditzy and still be charming rather than annoying. Here, Garwood does a wonderful job of blending her plot in with the Norman invasion of England and the subsequent relationship between the Normans and the Saxons. The contest of wills between Niccola and Royce is hysterical - you will particularly enjoy Niccola's plot to confess all her wrongdoings.

A classic Garwood. Nicholoa is one heroine that you adore from the beginning she is witty, beautiful and loyal. Royce is suitable as her champion. Next to "The Secret" this is one of my favorite "Garwoods" The story line starts off with a surprise and keeps you enthralled from then on. Again, I cannot reiterate enough that it is best to read her books in the order of which they came out so that you can see her growth as a writer. A lot of authors since have tried to duplicate "Garwood's" style but she still is the original. Think of 2 worthy opponents that are attracted to one another and throw in that one is sneaky and usually trying to get away with something and you have come up with Nicholoa, Royce shows great patience with her all the while. A must read if you want to get the best of Julie Garwood.Happy Reading

I must admit that every one of Ms. Garwood's books are wonderful and this one is no exception. You are swept back into the time of William the Conqueror where you meet the brave and competent Saxon beauty, Nicholaa and the strong and noble Norman knight, Royce. Sparks fly between these two from page one. In fact, Nicholaa knocks Royce off his feet . . . literally! With the aid of her trusty sling and a carefully dispatched stone, she drops her "Goliath" where he stands. His heart follows not long after.When Royce finally gets Nicholaa back to London, he discovers that a twist of fate and the queen, Matilda, makes him the "prize" instead of the Saxon beauty. Although he is stunned with the turn of events, he decides that "marriage is like a map". Little does he suspect that Nicholaa is about to turn his map theory and his life upside down.Julie Garwood creates a superb romance with just the perfect amount of humor. A terrific story that I have read many times over.

This was the second Julie Garwood book that I read after The Secret and I was not disappointed. I loved Royce, who's the perfect husband! He's kind, patient, and loving. Nicolaa was such a funny, sweet character also. I love how the characters are so affectionate with each other, just little gestures like a good morning kiss or her sitting on his lap. And the scene where she tries to get him drunk is so hilarious! I loved this book and I've read it dozens of times, that is, until I had to return it 'cause the cover fell off and the bookstore didn't have another copy.