Winter's Desire: An Anthology

Wales, 1119 In this time period, I always have to remind myself of the standards back then. A woman of virtue was a virgin when she got married. A man could have any number of mistresses and that was deemed okay. Women were not allowed to speak up either. So, when I begin a story, I always have to remind myself of these few things. Now with these things in mind, we meet Sabeline - she is in her early twenties. By an agreement between her father and the king of England, she is to marry a Marcher Lord; that would create an alliance to form a barrier against the warring tribes of the north. Lord Benedict is the man for the job. "...his brazen courage and his skills on the field of battle had won him the king's favor. And so the arrangement was made." This was to be a union for political reasons, not romantic reasoning. So, are we to believe that these two will fall in love and live happily ever after or will the course of a winter's desire intervene... This is an awesome love story. A story of hidden desire, a love that knows no boundaries. What things we would do for the love of a lifetime? Sabeline is a strong woman. After the lost of her mother and her brother, that left just her and her father. She knows that the town people kind of look down on her, because what was intended to be passed down to her brother - the son, the man of the house - is now passed down to her, a mere woman. So, the arranged married between her and Benedict is thought to be a good power move. Knowing her duty to marry is not for love, but for country is very noble; but by the Winter's God she is willing to see it through because it is the right thing to do. Knowing that her intended, Benedict has a roaming eye does not sit well with her either. She tries all she can to win his affection. She even learns ways of pleasing a man from her cousin Margaret. Sabeline even goes to Benedict's friend, Lord Ranulf for help. But what do you do when your intended has the eye for everyone else but you? Just because their marriage is for political gain, does that mean that love can not be in the mix... right? There was one part of the story that did kinda bother me a bit. Sabeline confused me a bit; in a passage that is taking place in the present, she is very unsure of the ways of pleasing a man and very bashful to be observing what unfolds in front of her; but we see her three years previous and she is a very bold young lady with a very blunt tongue. I am not sure what turn of events happened in between those three years to put the bashfulness in her manner, but it was noted. Lord Benedict is a man that adds the drama to this story. He is a playboy, never quiet able to satisfy his sexual hunger. He takes his pleasure as often as he pleases and with whom ever he pleases. Knowing that he is going to be married soon does not change his ways. I am not a fan of Benedict's character. There is no love in his heart, except for himself and his appetite of women. His motives are thought t

Review: "Winter Awakening" by Amanda McIntyre Rating: 3 1/2 Stars! Sabeline, nervous about her ability to hold her future husband's interest, requests ample advice from her worldly cousin, Margaret. Recalling her betrothed's wondering eye upon their meeting three years ago, she hopes desperately that he's sated his lustful oats. Perhaps learning a man's pleasure will be helpful in securing Lord Benedict's desire. But when Margaret asks her to picture Lord Benedict while she explores her body, to Sabeline's horror it's Sir Ranulf, the man she stole a kiss from three summers ago, that stars in her fantasies. For three years, Ranulf has held tightly to the memory of Sabeline's kiss. He realizes that it may have been a youthful conquest of hers, but her sweet taste still lingers distinctly in his mind. But he has a job to do. As the King of England's trusted emissary, he'll see to the marriage of his charge, Lord Benedict, to the Welsh Baron's daughter. The alliance of the Welsh tribes with England is vital and his duty is clear and once the vows have been spoken he can finally move on with his life. When her betrothed and his companion arrive, Sabeline is immediately transfixed once more by Sir Ranulf. The intensity of his stare is still as arousing as ever even after three years. Clearing her head of Ranulf and determined to put herself in the path of Lord Benedict, Sabeline tries desperately over the next few days to secure his attention but still his eye wonders. Inquiring Ranulf of what she could possibly do to please her future husband, she's met instead with his determination to not talk of relationships. Knowing that this alliance means everything, Sabeline, finally mustering the necessary strength, ventures to her betrothed's chamber with plans of seduction and after a night of intense passion, Sabeline is relieved to learn that Lord Benedict is a gentle and passionate lover. Unfortunately with the morning light comes a horrible unveiling of the true man who made love to her and a plot of betrayal that has the potential to ruin hundreds of lives. "Winter Awakening" started off with a jaw-dropping erotic bang that had me desperate to read the rest. Unfortunately my excitement turned to boredom and while I put in a valiant effort, I found myself skimming through about 15% of the novella. Sabeline confused me a bit. With her cousin Margaret, she's insecure but with Ranulf three years prior and at present, she's confident and cunning. Perhaps it was Margaret's vast experience with men that made Sabeline unsure of herself but I was still shocked at her change with Ranulf. In addition, McIntyre writes in first person for both Sabeline and Ranulf making transitions between them a bit confusing. Sometimes it would take a couple of sentences before I understood who's thoughts I was reading. But despite the boredom and slight confusion, I liked Sabeline and Ranulf. They both were loyal to their cause but torn asunder by their mutual desire. It