Dryden's Bride (Historical)

Rating:
Summary: very enjoyable medievel...
Review: this book is a sequel of sorts to the author's Bride of Windermere. But I haven't read that one first and still found Dryden's Bride enjoyable on it's own merit. The book has all the elements of classic Medievel romance-tortured hero, downtrodden but spunky heroine, truly evil villian. The theme of the book is how the two main characters have a flawed sense on how others perceive and value them. Having the love of the other opens their eyes that they are truly worthy and worthy of love and family.

While I understand another's reviewers comment about historical accuracy-I do feel that this IS a work of fiction, a romance, and therefore the author should be given a little leeway about historical accuracy. It's supposed to be entertainment, light reading-don't overanalyze it folks:)

Great escapist weekend reading-4 stars****

Rating:
Summary: Missed the boat
Review: This book is the sequel to "The Bride of Windermere", which I did not read. However, I felt that the book explained enough of Hugh's history as a prisoner in Windermere and his 2 years of torture, that it was not necessry. I did like this book (sort of) but there were two glaring issues that prevented it from being a better story. First, Hugh, as we all know, was tortured and maimed. His eye was poked out, he lost a toe, finger, has facial scars. However, the author seems to have forgotten that the time in which the story is set, 1423, people were pretty ugly in general. Small pox left many, including member of the nobility, severly scared. The brother of Queen Margot of France had small pox and was so scared his nose was split in two. Many others had scars from daily living, from fire, knives, falls, etc. Really - who, especially women who seemed to lose a tooth per child, had many teeth in those days? So Hugh without an eye really would not have made the women of that time bat an eye. That was an unfortuate running plotline that the author built up - that people shunned him for his scars, which were not that awful. Hugh was a knight, for goodness sakes. He would have been used to and accepting of bodily injury. Also, not until practially the last page does Hugh tells Siam that he is not engaged. That was unkind as Sian was so sad becasue he was to marry another. So in the end, I guess I did not really like it!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This book is the sequel to "The Bride of Windermere", which I did not read. However, I felt that the book explained enough of Hugh's history as a prisoner in Windermere and his 2 years of torture, that it was not necessry. I did like this book (sort of) but there were two glaring issues that prevented it from being a better story. First, Hugh, as we all know, was tortured and maimed. His eye was poked out, he lost a toe, finger, has facial scars. However, the author seems to have forgotten that the time in which the story is set, 1423, people were pretty ugly in general. Small pox left many, including member of the nobility, severly scared. The brother of Queen Margot of France had small pox and was so scared his nose was split in two. Many others had scars from daily living, from fire, knives, falls, etc. Really - who, especially women who seemed to lose a tooth per child, had many teeth in those days? So Hugh without an eye really would not have made the women of that time bat an eye. That was an unfortuate running plotline that the author built up - that people shunned him for his scars, which were not that awful. Hugh was a knight, for goodness sakes. He would have been used to and accepting of bodily injury. Also, not until practially the last page does Hugh tells Siam that he is not engaged. That was unkind as Sian was so sad becasue he was to marry another. So in the end, I guess I did not really like it!

Rating:
Summary: Missed the boat
Review: This book is the sequel to "The Bride of Windermere", which I did not read. However, I felt that the book explained enough of Hugh's history as a prisoner in Windermere and his 2 years of torture, that it was not necessry. I did like this book (sort of) but there were two glaring issues that prevented it from being a better story. First, Hugh, as we all know, was tortured and maimed. His eye was poked out, he lost a toe, finger, has facial scars. However, the author seems to have forgotten that the time in which the story is set, 1423, people were pretty ugly in general. Small pox left many, including member of the nobility, severly scared. The brother of Queen Margot of France had small pox and was so scared his nose was split in two. Many others had scars from daily living, from fire, knives, falls, etc. Really - who, especially women who seemed to lose a tooth per child, had many teeth in those days? So Hugh without an eye really would not have made the women of that time bat an eye. That was an unfortuate running plotline that the author built up - that people shunned him for his scars, which were not that awful. Hugh was a knight, for goodness sakes. He would have been used to and accepting of bodily injury. Also, not until practially the last page does Hugh tells Siam that he is not engaged. That was unkind as Sian was so sad becasue he was to marry another. So in the end, I guess I did not really like it!

Rating:
Summary: A really good fast paced story
Review: This story is a sequel to 'The Bride of Windermere.' If you haven't read the first, this story will lose some of its appeal. The heo is Hugh Dryden, a knight who was held prisoner for two years and feels unworthy of being alive because of his inprisonment and disfigurements from repeated torture. He must select a wife however. He come's highly recommended to Lady Marguerite, a wealthy, beautiful and proper woman. Instead he falls in love with Lady Sian, a Tudor of royal though low birth who is full of life and on her way to a nunnery ( where she doesn't want to go). She loves Hugh almost at first site, though it takes Hugh a little longer to realize that he loves her and they deserve each other. Though this is not a novel that will take very long to read and is not very detailed, you should enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: A really good fast paced story
Review: This story is a sequel to 'The Bride of Windermere.' If you haven't read the first, this story will lose some of its appeal. The heo is Hugh Dryden, a knight who was held prisoner for two years and feels unworthy of being alive because of his inprisonment and disfigurements from repeated torture. He must select a wife however. He come's highly recommended to Lady Marguerite, a wealthy, beautiful and proper woman. Instead he falls in love with Lady Sian, a Tudor of royal though low birth who is full of life and on her way to a nunnery ( where she doesn't want to go). She loves Hugh almost at first site, though it takes Hugh a little longer to realize that he loves her and they deserve each other. Though this is not a novel that will take very long to read and is not very detailed, you should enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: This was my first book by Margo Maguire, but certainly not my last! This book is a wonderful read with believable characters of a time gone by. I loved the inner and outer strength of the characters portrayed by Maguire. Dryden (the hero) overcomes the wall he has erected within himself because of the physical scars he received when imprisoned by sensing the need of a beautiful damsel. This is truly a beautiful story.