An enjoyable tale set in King John's England (Rating 4 of 5)
» Helen Hancox
Johanna Lindsey is well known for writing Regency romances and that is what I assumed "Joining" would be. However I discovered that this book is instead set in King John's reign in the year 1214 (the same era as Robin Hood). This made for a very different setting and an interesting one too!
Wulfric of Shefford, heir to an Earldom, has been promised in marriage to Milisant Crispin since he was 13 and she 8. However he's put off the marriage because his one meeting with her was a disaster - she was a tomboyish termagant who attacked him. However Wulfric's father insists that the marriage takes place once his son reaches 25 and Milisent is 19 and Wulfric reluctantly goes to Milisent's castle. He consoles himself with the fact that she might have improved in the past 11 years.
He's disappointed. She's an ungovernable and bad-tempered woman who still dresses like a boy and goes out hunting. However he has no choice but to marry her and has a month to help her reconcile herself to the match. Unfortunately it seems that someone is trying to kidnap or injure her and Milisent is also trying every way possible to get out of the marriage. Can they stop fighting long enough to actually communicate and overcome some of their obstacles?
It's interesting reading about life in King John's reign, the powerless position of women, the differences between the landowners and serfs, the hunting parties and the financial disasters of John Plantagenet's reign. Johanna Lindsey works at the dialogue to make it sound old-fashioned and this works fairly well. Her hero is a rather overbearing and alpha male but this is usual in her novels and it actually fitted reasonably well into this period in history - after all, women were just possessions to be married off to cement political relationships.
The love story is characterised by arguments and misunderstandings (as so often in books) but it's not too irritating and I actually liked both hero and heroine. The sub-plot about the danger to Milisent was fairly minor and there were no real surprises - the denouement at the end was obviously going to happen - but it was an enjoyable read for a lazy afternoon and is notably better than some of her older offerings. Worth a read
Joining (Rating 3 of 5)
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I fond this book a bit boring and it took me ages to read because i kept stopping and made myself read it. This is not one of Johanna Lindsey's better books if you want her classic books you should get the Malory novels
A romantic tale of two opposites (Rating 4 of 5)
» K. Newman
Milisant Crispin and Wulfric de Thorpe have been promised to each other since childhood. Their fathers are excellent friends, and are consolidating their friendship through the marriage of their eldest children. However, due to a mutually painful incident when they were children, neither Mili nor Wulf can stand the other. They have avoided each other ever since. It is now some years past the time when they should have been wed, and Wulf's father has insisted that Wulf claim his reluctant bride. Milisant is wild and different, disdainful of her being born female and the constraints it imposes on her. She and Wulf discover they still have nothing in common. She is wary of his size and power, convinced because of the pain she endured in their first (and only) meeting that Wulf will physically dominate and even harm her. It leads her to be stubborn, aggressive and argumentative, stiff and unbending to any request. Which does little to endear herself to Wulf.
Unknown to all, a third, unrelated party also does not want the marriage, and has conspired with non other than King John to ensure that it does not come about. To do that, he must arrange for Milisant's death, something that he does not hesitate to do...
I found the book very well researched, from the description of the clothing to the history of King's Richard and John, and the gossip of the realm. The court intrigue, although occupying only a few pages, was well done and set the plot in motion. I liked that the 'mystery' of the book had nothing to do with the central characters themselves, too. The threat, although known in full to the reader, comes out of the blue to the characters themselves. The story develops well, is peopled with enjoyable characters and sufficient humour. I found especially touching where Milisant finally realises that Wulf would do anything NOT to see her hurt. The development of feelings - positive and negative - between these two is completely believable. I also like the approach taken with Mili, the feminist sub-plot which Lindsey has woven into the tale.
It is not a tale bursting with heat and passion (as Lindsey can do so well), rather more a discovery of feeling, and a fine tale firmly set in its period. Something a little different from my previous reading by this author, but also very enjoyable
Disappointing (Rating 3 of 5)
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JL is one of my favourite writers so when I got this book I couldn't wait to start it. Unfortunately I was dissapointed usually with JL's books I find the chemistry and attraction between the main characters to be sizzling but I couldn't find any between Wulfic and Milisant. it was not a bad book but compared to her others that I have read I found it to be lacking in the essential ingredient chemistry
Very similar to A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught's (Rating 3 of 5)
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I thought this book wasn't as good as Lindsey's earlier books. The characters were under developed. This book reminded me of A Kingdon of Dreams by Judith McNaught, however, McNaught's book was excellent in my opinion. I think Lindsey tried to copy the story line but failed to make her fans fall in love with the characters like McNaught was able to do. If anyone found this book lacking in some aspect, read Judith McNaught book I mentioned above. I garantee that you won't be disppointed. You'll definately see the similarities
(Rating 4 of 5)
(Rating 3 of 5)
