Rating:  Summary: Believable, passionate and a good read!! Review: I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I have read my share of historical fiction and it is terrible how many really bad authors are out there. Jo Beverley is not one of them. This book is well researched, honest and very believable. I agree that with the previous reviewer that marrying your father's murderer would be wrong but, frankly, if you read the book you would see that this is exactly the dilemma faced by our heroine. In the bloody days of the medieval era the rules of society were not quite the same as ours. And when one understands the role of the King's Champion it changes matters even further. What can I say? Read the book. The hero is wonderful. . .understanding, gentle as well as the big bad plundering wolf that the heroine thinks he is. In a genre that used to be full of controlling and almost abusive heroes, this one is a charmer I'd like to meet today!!
Rating:  Summary: Jo Beverly is one of the top 10 romance writers Review: In 1101 England, Lord Renald de Lisle, acting as the King's Champion, duels and kills the peace loving Lord Clarence of Summerbourne, a traitor who refuses to pledge fealty to the throne. King Henry grants the Summerbourne estates to Renald with the caveat that he marry one of the three maidens residing there. When Renald arrives, he receives a cold reception from the residing four women, but marries Clarence's daughter, Claire. He soon falls in love with his bride, but worries that when she learns the truth about her father's death, she will hate him forever. She reciprocates his feelings of love until she learns the truth on their wedding night. Can their love be strong enough to overcome the fact that he killed her father? LORD OF MIDNIGHT is an extremely enjoyable Medieval romance that fans of the sub-genre (and for that matter historical romance readers in general) will relish. The story line is an intriguing period piece and the battling lead protagonists make a fun to read couple. Jo Beverly is clearly one of the leading writers lighting up the Dark Ages. Harriet Klausner
Rating:  Summary: Slow start, but worth it Review: It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I did, I was hooked. The sexual tension between these two by the end of the book is incredible, but even better is how they grow to have a genuine regard for each other against all odds. Thanks, Jo Beverley for a good read.
Rating:  Summary: Will love win over Review: Jo Beverly builds a medieval romance in Lord of Midnight set on the premise that a loving daughter must marry her father's killer. Will love win over these over whelming odds? Renald de Lisle is King Henry I champion. Renald is chosen to fight against Claire's father who has supported a losing cause against Henry I and in favor of his older brother Robert. Claire's father believes that Henry is responsible for the death of King William II, who died in a hunting accident. Despite his friendship with Henry I and his belief that William II was a poor leader, Claire's father is a man who believed strongly in doing what was right. He was a man gifted in dreams and story-telling. He supported Claire in her youthful dreams and artistic skills, something highly unusual for the times. Claire is deeply saddened by his death and in the throes of grief hacks her hair off. This is the basic weakness of the story and makes it difficult for the reader to feel the pangs of true love. Does one forget a loved relative so quickly and can love be lasting that happens so rapidly? I found it hard to suspend my doubt to buy into the sincerity of love.
Rating:  Summary: Will love win over Review: Jo Beverly builds a medieval romance in Lord of Midnight set on the premise that a loving daughter must marry her father's killer. Will love win over these over whelming odds? Renald de Lisle is King Henry I champion. Renald is chosen to fight against Claire's father who has supported a losing cause against Henry I and in favor of his older brother Robert. Claire's father believes that Henry is responsible for the death of King William II, who died in a hunting accident. Despite his friendship with Henry I and his belief that William II was a poor leader, Claire's father is a man who believed strongly in doing what was right. He was a man gifted in dreams and story-telling. He supported Claire in her youthful dreams and artistic skills, something highly unusual for the times. Claire is deeply saddened by his death and in the throes of grief hacks her hair off. This is the basic weakness of the story and makes it difficult for the reader to feel the pangs of true love. Does one forget a loved relative so quickly and can love be lasting that happens so rapidly? I found it hard to suspend my doubt to buy into the sincerity of love.
Rating:  Summary: Enjoyable, but not one of Jo Beverly's best. Review: Lord of Midnight was not the usual Jo Beverly style. Most of her books are fun and make you laugh out loud at the antics of her hero and heroine. I continued reading hoping that some of the delightful characters she had created would do something madcap. But they didn't. If you haven't read "Something Wicked" by Ms. Beverly, please do so. Caution-- you will laugh alot.
Rating:  Summary: Rave reviews for Lord Of Midnight Review: Publishers Weekly starred review! "Arguably today's most skillful writer of intelligent historical romance, bestselling author Beverley weaves a stunning medieval romance of loss and redemption.... Beverley never condescends to her reader, and this effort is no different. It is an exploration of the medieval mind that succeeds on many levels." Library Journal. "Noted for her fast-paced, wonderfully inventive stories, excellent use of humor and language, and vividly rendered characters and situations, Beverley has created another gem..."
Rating:  Summary: Not the heavy punches of her earlier medievals Review: Renald de Claire is a shadow of the character first introduced in the prequel to LORD OF MIDNIGHT, entitled DARK CHAMPION. LORD OF MIDNIGHT tells the tale of Renald arriving at Summerbourne with the body of Clarence Summerbourne, traitor to the throne. He has been sent there by the King's order to marry one of the three maidens at Summerbourne and to deliver the body of the man he killed. Claire Summerbourne and her two aunts are the marital choices, however the two aunts flee to the convent leaving Claire to take on the responsibility. The entire premise to the story is dismal and the fact this man has killed the family's patriarch is disturbing, not to mention that one of them must marry him. Claire Summerbourne, being the obvious choice to become the intended bride does not talk much with Renald, her intended, until midway through the story. Though we are lead to believe she is falling in love, there is very little chemistry between them. Renald, who was a light and impulsive character when we first meet him in DARK CHAMPION, is a ghost of that man in this story. Not portrayed when we first meet him as a serious warrior, he is every bit that in this story. Understandably he has just killed a man and now must marry his daughter. This could potentially explain his change in attitude though the change is not fully embraced nor the story believable. Bastard FitzRoger, who he played 2nd to in that story, clearly out shadows him and it is hard to understand the change to the enchanting Renald in DARK CHAMPION. Sparks begin to fly eventually and Jo Beverley is a consistently good storyteller making the read worthwhile but not with the heavy punches of her two earlier medievals.
Rating:  Summary: Great Medieval Review: Renald de Lisle arrived at the gates of of Summberborne Castle in a storm. In his wake, in putting down a rebellion, Clarence of Summerborne is dead - his castle and daughter now forfeit to the King's Champion. Riveting!!
Rating:  Summary: A tale of tangled honor in the early twelfth century Review: Renald de Lisle wanted earthly rewards, and he received them. The honor of killing a gentle traitor. A precious sword with which to do it. The dead man's estates. The dead man's loving daughter. A love he had never expected to feel for any woman. With rewards such as these, it's not surprising that he has midnight on his soul. Keep an eye on my web page for upcoming excerpts from Lord Of Midnight.
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