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Keeper of the Dream
Blessed with the Welsh gift of "sight," Lady Arianna saw the vision in a golden bowl. A knight with eyes gray as the English sea that had captured her, his sword about to pierce her heart. And she trembled, not with fear, but with a desire that engulfed her very soul.
On the treacherous border of Wales, Raine, the Black Dragon, rides his charger toward Castle Rhuddlan and the lady within. Illegitimate son of a Norman nobleman, his past was scarred by denial and mistrust, and now his future lies in the conquest of a kingdom--and a woman's love.
As the battle trumpet sounded, Arianna, her Celtic pride unyielding, saw her dream take flesh: Raine, the enemy who inflamed her blood with desire; Raine, the lover she must gentle and tame, and then, as ancient hatreds threatened their lives, either cherish...or betray.
On the treacherous border of Wales, Raine, the Black Dragon, rides his charger toward Castle Rhuddlan and the lady within. Illegitimate son of a Norman nobleman, his past was scarred by denial and mistrust, and now his future lies in the conquest of a kingdom--and a woman's love.
As the battle trumpet sounded, Arianna, her Celtic pride unyielding, saw her dream take flesh: Raine, the enemy who inflamed her blood with desire; Raine, the lover she must gentle and tame, and then, as ancient hatreds threatened their lives, either cherish...or betray.
501 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
About the author
Penelope Williamson
22 books230 followersPenelope Williamson is an internationally renowned author of historical romance and suspense. Penelope Williamson was born in Fairbanks, Alaska, and spent the first eleven years of her life as an US Air Force brat. She has a B.A. in history, an M.A. in broadcast journalism, and was in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years, where she reached the rank of Captain. She has more than 1.8 million books in print, including The Outsider, Heart of the West A Wild Yearning, Once in a Blue Moon, and Keeper of the Dream. Penny is a past winner of the Romantic Times' Best Historical Romance of the Year award and the Romance Writers of America's RITA awards. Penelope Williamson lives with her husband in Mill Valley, California.
pseudonyms: Elizabeth Lambert, Penn Williamson
pseudonyms: Elizabeth Lambert, Penn Williamson
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
February 5, 2022
Talking about the importance of making a good first impression... girls, take notes on how to make an unforgettable one on your future hubby from lady Arianna (h): 👄
— the first time you see your intended, try to stab him in the back with a dagger;
— if it doesn't work, attempt something more daring... taking off his head with his own sword would be a nice touch;
— if he proves tenacious of life, just claw and spat at him whilst damning him to hell and back;
— manage to apologize and insult a man all in the same breath. Never separately.
There. You are ready to get married to the Norman knight from the 12th century!
That's, of course, if he doesn't order his squire to "bury her in a hole somewhere. Or, better yet, put her in a rotting vessel and send her out to sea. Whatever you do with her, just make cursed certain there isn’t a thief’s chance in hell our paths ever cross again in this lifetime.” first.
I hope this information has been helpful.💋
Also, since a noble title is the best foundation for successful marriage, in case you don't have one,
“I swear by the cross, if you lose her on me, Taliesin, I will string you up by your thumbs.”
“A moment ago, sire, you wanted me to put her in a leaky boat and send her out to sea.”
“A moment ago she was a useless whore. Now she’s the highborn wench who’s going to make me rich. If you lose her on me, boy, I will tie you up with your own guts and toss you in the river to drown.”
run.
“Christ, where is all this blood coming from?”
She laughed. “I hope you’re bleeding to death.”
From the very start, I had the feeling that their relationship would be a special treat and I was so spot on. I could see the sparks flying between Arianna (h) and Raine (H).
It was endearing to watch them coming up with the sweetest endearments for each other:
— Norman son of a poxed whore; 😊
— puffed-up toad 😉
— Norman piece of filth 😚
— worm-witted, bog-headed, moldy-tongued Norman 😌
— sir bastard knight 😋
from our Welsh lady Arianna;
— wretched, pathetic whore; 😍
— useless whore...🤩
and a bit later
— little wife; 😑
— sweet wife; 😏
— beloved; 🤒
— my lifemate 😬
from our sir bastard Raine respectively.
Yeah, well, he wasn't that imaginative when it came to making up the endearments, but we should cut him some slack, isn't that so? After all, he spent most of his time slaughtering enemies at battlefields. It's the effort to sound caring and affectionate that counts.
I truly loved this couple and the number of memorable, romantic scenes they could recount to their grandchildren? Astounding.
He went over the room, searching for weapons. They made a growing pile on the floor: three swords, a half dozen daggers and knives, a battle-ax, even a mace—a particularly gruesome-looking, heavy wooden truncheon covered with iron spikes. He was both amused and astonished at the size of the arsenal his wife had hidden in their bedchamber.
When a girl's wedding night passes without her trying to slash a new husband to death with a ten-inch quillon dagger... that's what I call missing out on all the fun.
The hero, Raine, is marriage material, and no one on this planet can convince me otherwise, okay?
The man:
— killed the heroine's brothers (as in...plural)
— loved his own brother's wife, but didn't give the poor, besotted woman the time of day after having laid his eyes on the heroine
— confronted with the Prince of Gwynedd, the heroine's father, and fought his way through Wales to drag his little wife, Ariana, back to his castle
— managed to kill a wild boar and make passionate love to the heroine near its corpse 🥵oh my🥵
— swung a battle-ax at the locked bedchamber's door while being a guest in his brother's castle because "the wench (Arianna) needed to learn that he would never tolerate her locking him out"
— stoically delivered twins in the middle of nowhere 🥺
— escaped London's prison
— made the most swoon-worthy threats imaginable 🤤:
1) “Taliesin, if you don’t shut your mouth and find me a bloody horse before my next breath, I will hang you up by your thumbs until you rot!”
2)“And don’t think I’ve
forgotten who’s responsible for this entire mess. I still intend to punish you for it too. Once I decide on a method painful enough. At the moment I’m torn between putting you blindfolded into a pit with a wild boar, or dropping you from the top of the keep into a cauldron of boiling oil.”
3)“Shut your mouth boy, else I’ll have the tailor sew it shut for you.”
Talking about Taliesin (ladies' man, naughty young lad, centuries' old wise wizard rolled into one), who enjoyed
— poking fun at his master
— interrupting king's Henry speech because why not
—shipping restlessly the main couple
—causing mischief left and right
...
¡the comedy value of this bard deserves a separate story!
“Taliesin!” Raine bellowed and Arianna jumped. A head ringed with long, coppery curls poked around the door jamb, and Raine went on in his flat, controlled voice. “You might as well come in and do your listening in the open.”
Taliesin sauntered in the room. He winked at Arianna, then assumed an affronted look.
“My lord, you malign me. I just happened to be passing by on my way to somewhere important.”
And even though you won't believe me, there were a lot of really sweet, iconic scenes between the main characters.
“I’m not crying,” she said, though tears blurred her eyes. “And I don’t care if you come back or not, Norman.”
His smile was very male and pleased with himself, for he knew she lied. “You chased me all the way out here to tell me that?”
The kind of idiot energy surrounding them really did mingle with mine, (similarly dumb), and I watched their interactions either with a goofy smile on my face or the stars in my eyes. Or both.
They stood facing one another, both breathing heavily, he with the ax in his hand, she with the sword pointed at his middle, and he realized he had no idea what he was going to do next.
Lack of political correctness in the medieval period hooked the dose of unadulterated joy straight to my veins, just like I thought it would. 👁👅👁
This book was pretty wild, and I loved every minute of the decent, dynamic plot that was laced with unleashed sexual tension, humourous situations, angsty events, bits of magic, folklore, lots of questionable content. Arianna and Raine, my tender doves, served me the angst and burning chemistry on a silver platter.
P.S. Many hugs to my dear friend, Deniz, ❤️ who brought this little gem to my attention.
— the first time you see your intended, try to stab him in the back with a dagger;
— if it doesn't work, attempt something more daring... taking off his head with his own sword would be a nice touch;
— if he proves tenacious of life, just claw and spat at him whilst damning him to hell and back;
— manage to apologize and insult a man all in the same breath. Never separately.
There. You are ready to get married to the Norman knight from the 12th century!
That's, of course, if he doesn't order his squire to "bury her in a hole somewhere. Or, better yet, put her in a rotting vessel and send her out to sea. Whatever you do with her, just make cursed certain there isn’t a thief’s chance in hell our paths ever cross again in this lifetime.” first.
I hope this information has been helpful.💋
Also, since a noble title is the best foundation for successful marriage, in case you don't have one,
“I swear by the cross, if you lose her on me, Taliesin, I will string you up by your thumbs.”
“A moment ago, sire, you wanted me to put her in a leaky boat and send her out to sea.”
“A moment ago she was a useless whore. Now she’s the highborn wench who’s going to make me rich. If you lose her on me, boy, I will tie you up with your own guts and toss you in the river to drown.”
run.
“Christ, where is all this blood coming from?”
She laughed. “I hope you’re bleeding to death.”
From the very start, I had the feeling that their relationship would be a special treat and I was so spot on. I could see the sparks flying between Arianna (h) and Raine (H).
It was endearing to watch them coming up with the sweetest endearments for each other:
— Norman son of a poxed whore; 😊
— puffed-up toad 😉
— Norman piece of filth 😚
— worm-witted, bog-headed, moldy-tongued Norman 😌
— sir bastard knight 😋
from our Welsh lady Arianna;
— wretched, pathetic whore; 😍
— useless whore...🤩
and a bit later
— little wife; 😑
— sweet wife; 😏
— beloved; 🤒
— my lifemate 😬
from our sir bastard Raine respectively.
Yeah, well, he wasn't that imaginative when it came to making up the endearments, but we should cut him some slack, isn't that so? After all, he spent most of his time slaughtering enemies at battlefields. It's the effort to sound caring and affectionate that counts.
I truly loved this couple and the number of memorable, romantic scenes they could recount to their grandchildren? Astounding.
He went over the room, searching for weapons. They made a growing pile on the floor: three swords, a half dozen daggers and knives, a battle-ax, even a mace—a particularly gruesome-looking, heavy wooden truncheon covered with iron spikes. He was both amused and astonished at the size of the arsenal his wife had hidden in their bedchamber.
When a girl's wedding night passes without her trying to slash a new husband to death with a ten-inch quillon dagger... that's what I call missing out on all the fun.
The hero, Raine, is marriage material, and no one on this planet can convince me otherwise, okay?
The man:
— killed the heroine's brothers (as in...plural)
— loved his own brother's wife, but didn't give the poor, besotted woman the time of day after having laid his eyes on the heroine
— confronted with the Prince of Gwynedd, the heroine's father, and fought his way through Wales to drag his little wife, Ariana, back to his castle
— managed to kill a wild boar and make passionate love to the heroine near its corpse 🥵oh my🥵
— swung a battle-ax at the locked bedchamber's door while being a guest in his brother's castle because "the wench (Arianna) needed to learn that he would never tolerate her locking him out"
— stoically delivered twins in the middle of nowhere 🥺
— escaped London's prison
— made the most swoon-worthy threats imaginable 🤤:
1) “Taliesin, if you don’t shut your mouth and find me a bloody horse before my next breath, I will hang you up by your thumbs until you rot!”
2)“And don’t think I’ve
forgotten who’s responsible for this entire mess. I still intend to punish you for it too. Once I decide on a method painful enough. At the moment I’m torn between putting you blindfolded into a pit with a wild boar, or dropping you from the top of the keep into a cauldron of boiling oil.”
3)“Shut your mouth boy, else I’ll have the tailor sew it shut for you.”
Talking about Taliesin (ladies' man, naughty young lad, centuries' old wise wizard rolled into one), who enjoyed
— poking fun at his master
— interrupting king's Henry speech because why not
—shipping restlessly the main couple
—causing mischief left and right
...
¡the comedy value of this bard deserves a separate story!
“Taliesin!” Raine bellowed and Arianna jumped. A head ringed with long, coppery curls poked around the door jamb, and Raine went on in his flat, controlled voice. “You might as well come in and do your listening in the open.”
Taliesin sauntered in the room. He winked at Arianna, then assumed an affronted look.
“My lord, you malign me. I just happened to be passing by on my way to somewhere important.”
And even though you won't believe me, there were a lot of really sweet, iconic scenes between the main characters.
“I’m not crying,” she said, though tears blurred her eyes. “And I don’t care if you come back or not, Norman.”
His smile was very male and pleased with himself, for he knew she lied. “You chased me all the way out here to tell me that?”
The kind of idiot energy surrounding them really did mingle with mine, (similarly dumb), and I watched their interactions either with a goofy smile on my face or the stars in my eyes. Or both.
They stood facing one another, both breathing heavily, he with the ax in his hand, she with the sword pointed at his middle, and he realized he had no idea what he was going to do next.
Lack of political correctness in the medieval period hooked the dose of unadulterated joy straight to my veins, just like I thought it would. 👁👅👁
This book was pretty wild, and I loved every minute of the decent, dynamic plot that was laced with unleashed sexual tension, humourous situations, angsty events, bits of magic, folklore, lots of questionable content. Arianna and Raine, my tender doves, served me the angst and burning chemistry on a silver platter.
P.S. Many hugs to my dear friend, Deniz, ❤️ who brought this little gem to my attention.
June 18, 2021
It would be 4.5 stars but I'm deducting a 0.001 for all of the poor nails I've feasted on while reading this book.
The recipe:
And when I say two I mean...
So once you've added the sugar, spice and everything nice you only have the most frustrating yet entertaining book you'll ever read.
🛑SPOILERS FROM NOW ON🛑
The semi-negatives:
☒ It was super long which I'd usually have a problem with but I kinda didn't want this book to end, which is a shock even for me.
☒ The miscommunications were frustrating the fuck out of me ain't gonna lie. She put blame on herself for betrayals committed by her family so she could protect them......and I just-
Sorry sis but let them die, I respect the sacrifice but your family is kind of annoying. Had that one cousin died sooner, half of the conflicts in this book could've been avoided.
Which reminds me....
☒ I found a grey hair on my head.
You think I'm lying??? I'm not but you'll never know that.
My point is I think all those conflicts gave me grey hair at the tender age of 19.
And the worst part is I enjoyed all the misery. Firstly because we got to read scenes like these:
or
If only I could get a husband to hack down our bedroom door to then run into my sword🥰
And hear intelligent names like these:
It was entertaining as hell and kept me glued to the screen
Unfortunately what bothered me was the fact that half of the conflicts were caused by one of the main character's dumb actions, mostly the hero's and Arianna was always the one who had to fix it....
☒ Raine: basically throws a fit and orders the birthday present she has made for him burnt because he thought she was "making a joke out of him"
Arianna: has to apologise.
☒ Raine: finds out about her magical seer powers and completely turns her away
Arianna: is left somehow at fault because she unwillingly hurt his pride.
☒ Raine: says a bunch of extremely hurtful shit after their daughter dies
Arianna: has to go and comfort him.
☒ Raine: kisses that annoying bitch Sybil (She's his brother's wife. Raine was in love with her and even wanted to marry her at some point.)
Arianna: has to fight for him.
But don't worry though, he didn't kiss her because he still loved her, but just "to see"🙂🙃 hahahaha to see🤪
I came this close to cutting this man's head off. Thankfully he saw that Sybil ain't it but Arianna already made all the wrong conclusions.
Anyways, those are still not all the situations this man has completely fucked up in but never apologised for. In fact, he apologised only once ONCE in this entire book.
The good thing is all those issues were resolved rather quickly because there was no time to prolong the torture. There were countless betrayals, misunderstandings and tragic events still waiting in line for their shining moment.
And now that I really think about it.....Arianna barely ever apologised either, she just solved shit without saying sorry💀 Can I have that superpower?
But Raine had his sweet moments that made up for all the bullshit he has put me through.
Examples:
☑ He sucked the "magic" water off her finger that supposedly should make him love her. Meaning he wanted to love her even after he went about telling us how he could never love and yada yada.
☑ He wanted her to love him🥺
☑ My baby didn't actually burn the present.
☑ He didn't get a boner for the stupid bitch Sybil.
I'm sorry but I really hated her. She was like a cockroach that wouldn't go away. All of her violet eyed, blonde haired, sweet voiced bullshit was squeezing every nerve ending in my body.
☑ He stripped naked, bent on his knees and confessed his undying love to Arianna right before delivering their twins (which was hilarious btw)
This dumbass patted her cheek while she was going into labour in a fucking field with no medical help or proper equipment🤣🤣🤣 This is why I'm a heterosexual, it's for these comedic moments of total idiocy from men.
☑ He spared the bitchass cousin for her. This says a lot because he literally stormed their castle, killed her brother, then later another cousin, took Rodhri hostage (her other brother. She got a big family okay?), forced her into a marriage, forced himself on her for their first time......The man essentially fucked her whole life up.
Raine basically did the bare minimum, he was kind of the worst. It was so cute<3
And as you can see this book had every single pet peeve of mine but I still managed to love the heck out of it.
Overall: Irunía love, thank you for writing that amazing review of yours and putting me through this ordeal, I really needed it💖
Ps; Taliesin aka the matchmaking wizard could get it.
The recipe:
1) Start with an "adolescent" matchmaking wizard that decides to pair up a conquering Norman knight with a Welsh princess.
2) Sprinkle in a lil invasion, killing, instant enemies, forced marriage and a shit ton of angst.
3) Add a cupful of Slowburn that managed to satisfy even my thirsty ass.
4) With a dash of the most magnificent insults I'll make sure to use on all and any of my future husbands.“Now that you know who I am, you Norman son of a poxed whore, you will accord me the proper respect.”
5) Some very questionable political choices that I shall choose to stay blind to because fuck politics am I right?
6) Finally, two shots of undiluted chaos.
And when I say two I mean...
So once you've added the sugar, spice and everything nice you only have the most frustrating yet entertaining book you'll ever read.
🛑SPOILERS FROM NOW ON🛑
The semi-negatives:
☒ It was super long which I'd usually have a problem with but I kinda didn't want this book to end, which is a shock even for me.
☒ The miscommunications were frustrating the fuck out of me ain't gonna lie. She put blame on herself for betrayals committed by her family so she could protect them......and I just-
Sorry sis but let them die, I respect the sacrifice but your family is kind of annoying. Had that one cousin died sooner, half of the conflicts in this book could've been avoided.
Which reminds me....
☒ I found a grey hair on my head.
You think I'm lying??? I'm not but you'll never know that.
My point is I think all those conflicts gave me grey hair at the tender age of 19.
And the worst part is I enjoyed all the misery. Firstly because we got to read scenes like these:
“The first time I saw the wench, she tried to stab me in the back with a dagger. The second time she near took off my head with my own sword. She has spat at me and clawed me and damned me to hell and back. She even had the audacity to muddy my boots.”
or
They stood facing one another, both breathing heavily, he with the ax in his hand, she with the sword pointed at his middle
If only I could get a husband to hack down our bedroom door to then run into my sword🥰
And hear intelligent names like these:
“I would never do such a thing, you worm-witted, bog-headed, moldy-tongued Norman! I want a child.”
It was entertaining as hell and kept me glued to the screen
Unfortunately what bothered me was the fact that half of the conflicts were caused by one of the main character's dumb actions, mostly the hero's and Arianna was always the one who had to fix it....
☒ Raine: basically throws a fit and orders the birthday present she has made for him burnt because he thought she was "making a joke out of him"
Arianna: has to apologise.
☒ Raine: finds out about her magical seer powers and completely turns her away
Arianna: is left somehow at fault because she unwillingly hurt his pride.
☒ Raine: says a bunch of extremely hurtful shit after their daughter dies
Arianna: has to go and comfort him.
☒ Raine: kisses that annoying bitch Sybil (She's his brother's wife. Raine was in love with her and even wanted to marry her at some point.)
Arianna: has to fight for him.
But don't worry though, he didn't kiss her because he still loved her, but just "to see"🙂🙃 hahahaha to see🤪
I came this close to cutting this man's head off. Thankfully he saw that Sybil ain't it but Arianna already made all the wrong conclusions.
Anyways, those are still not all the situations this man has completely fucked up in but never apologised for. In fact, he apologised only once ONCE in this entire book.
The good thing is all those issues were resolved rather quickly because there was no time to prolong the torture. There were countless betrayals, misunderstandings and tragic events still waiting in line for their shining moment.
And now that I really think about it.....Arianna barely ever apologised either, she just solved shit without saying sorry💀 Can I have that superpower?
But Raine had his sweet moments that made up for all the bullshit he has put me through.
Examples:
☑ He sucked the "magic" water off her finger that supposedly should make him love her. Meaning he wanted to love her even after he went about telling us how he could never love and yada yada.
☑ He wanted her to love him🥺
☑ My baby didn't actually burn the present.
☑ He didn't get a boner for the stupid bitch Sybil.
I'm sorry but I really hated her. She was like a cockroach that wouldn't go away. All of her violet eyed, blonde haired, sweet voiced bullshit was squeezing every nerve ending in my body.
☑ He stripped naked, bent on his knees and confessed his undying love to Arianna right before delivering their twins (which was hilarious btw)
“Oooh, God …” He started to get up, sat back down again, started to get up, then sat down again. “All right. Don’t panic. There’s no reason to panic,” he said, sounding like a man on the edge of hysteria. He patted her cheek, then stood up for good and all
This dumbass patted her cheek while she was going into labour in a fucking field with no medical help or proper equipment🤣🤣🤣 This is why I'm a heterosexual, it's for these comedic moments of total idiocy from men.
☑ He spared the bitchass cousin for her. This says a lot because he literally stormed their castle, killed her brother, then later another cousin, took Rodhri hostage (her other brother. She got a big family okay?), forced her into a marriage, forced himself on her for their first time......The man essentially fucked her whole life up.
Raine basically did the bare minimum, he was kind of the worst. It was so cute<3
And as you can see this book had every single pet peeve of mine but I still managed to love the heck out of it.
Overall: Irunía love, thank you for writing that amazing review of yours and putting me through this ordeal, I really needed it💖
Ps; Taliesin aka the matchmaking wizard could get it.
August 22, 2023
Reread: 8/22/23
It's still one of my favorite medieval books! I highly recommend it!
ReRead:8/22/20
Read:2019
Great! Loved this story. It has it all. Made me laugh and cry.
This is definitely a medieval that all history lovers should try. It tends to be on reviewers top 5 lists.
Warning: he does use force on wedding night after h family tells her about "French perversions". She ends up loving them!
It's still one of my favorite medieval books! I highly recommend it!
ReRead:8/22/20
Read:2019
Great! Loved this story. It has it all. Made me laugh and cry.
This is definitely a medieval that all history lovers should try. It tends to be on reviewers top 5 lists.
Warning: he does use force on wedding night after h family tells her about "French perversions". She ends up loving them!
September 19, 2015
You guys! Another older favorite of mine is only .99 right now! This is on my keeper shelf, it's a medieval, and only .99! Admittedly, I haven't read it in a few years now so I can't promise it holds up but it is a medieval and it is only .99!
Amazon Link
Amazon Link
February 23, 2015
3.5
This would have easily been 5 stars from me, however, I had some troubles... Most of my troubles were literally in reading/understanding. English is not my native language, but I understand it and speak it just fine. First 50% of the book I was tapping my dictionary app like crazy, marking almost every other word. I understand this is a pretty "old" book (HR from 1992.), and I understand words are "old/archaic" here, but seriously, it frustrated me so much I thought I would go crazy. It killed all the joy of reading for me. It's not the books fault, it's mine. I am not fluent in old welsh/norman/english vocabulary. The second half I simply gave up and thought "what the heck, I'll just make logical conclusions what could that word mean".
What I loved was that it wasn't perfect at all.... Nothing in the beginning or later was perfect... Even their sex in the beginning was somehow "forced" and not gentle or fixated on her bliss at all...
Honestly, I loved how he treated her, even when he wasn't being nice... I even wanted him to be meaner, to punish her more, because...
well....
let's face it...
I wanted to slap that stupid woman from first page to last.... And I even cried for her, which makes me even more angry because I did not love her at all.
She understands how she has to act toward him, yet she magically fu@ks up every time! I mean.... If you realize what is expected from you and what is your duty and would never dishonor your family, why do you act like some spoiled brat then?! Why are you surprised when he loses his trust in you over and over again if you constantly go against him!!!!
GRRRRRRRRRR......
But I also must admitt, as a woman, I felt her pain in some situations... Wanted to shake him and make him see how stubborn he is and how he is hurting her...
...ahhhh... the HR bliss of stubborn people....
I would say I loved the writing style, but I didn't know what half of the words meant and while I waited for explanation to pop out I had to reread the sentence all over again.
So, if this ever gets published on my language I will most definitely reread it and try to enjoy the story how it should be....
This would have easily been 5 stars from me, however, I had some troubles... Most of my troubles were literally in reading/understanding. English is not my native language, but I understand it and speak it just fine. First 50% of the book I was tapping my dictionary app like crazy, marking almost every other word. I understand this is a pretty "old" book (HR from 1992.), and I understand words are "old/archaic" here, but seriously, it frustrated me so much I thought I would go crazy. It killed all the joy of reading for me. It's not the books fault, it's mine. I am not fluent in old welsh/norman/english vocabulary. The second half I simply gave up and thought "what the heck, I'll just make logical conclusions what could that word mean".
What I loved was that it wasn't perfect at all.... Nothing in the beginning or later was perfect... Even their sex in the beginning was somehow "forced" and not gentle or fixated on her bliss at all...
Honestly, I loved how he treated her, even when he wasn't being nice... I even wanted him to be meaner, to punish her more, because...
well....
let's face it...
I wanted to slap that stupid woman from first page to last.... And I even cried for her, which makes me even more angry because I did not love her at all.
She understands how she has to act toward him, yet she magically fu@ks up every time! I mean.... If you realize what is expected from you and what is your duty and would never dishonor your family, why do you act like some spoiled brat then?! Why are you surprised when he loses his trust in you over and over again if you constantly go against him!!!!
GRRRRRRRRRR......
But I also must admitt, as a woman, I felt her pain in some situations... Wanted to shake him and make him see how stubborn he is and how he is hurting her...
...ahhhh... the HR bliss of stubborn people....
I would say I loved the writing style, but I didn't know what half of the words meant and while I waited for explanation to pop out I had to reread the sentence all over again.
So, if this ever gets published on my language I will most definitely reread it and try to enjoy the story how it should be....
November 21, 2012
What can I say? This book is one of my favorite historical romance, I reread it many times in French, this was my first read in English.
Penelope Williamson weaved her romance with the England/Wales history as well as the Celtic mythology and she really makes you believe that those two were meant to be together.
Raine is the strongest, fiercest knight on the battle field and though he clearly has jerk-ish tendencies deep inside he is the true knight in shinning armor and he found his match in Ariana who is loyal and as fierce as he is.
I absolutely loved how they fell in love and Taliesin and his antics are just hilarious.
Penelope Williamson weaved her romance with the England/Wales history as well as the Celtic mythology and she really makes you believe that those two were meant to be together.
Raine is the strongest, fiercest knight on the battle field and though he clearly has jerk-ish tendencies deep inside he is the true knight in shinning armor and he found his match in Ariana who is loyal and as fierce as he is.
I absolutely loved how they fell in love and Taliesin and his antics are just hilarious.
May 19, 2010
Penelope Williamson BLOWS ME AWAY! What a gifted and unique talent she has. This was my 2nd novel of hers that I've read, the first being Once In Blue Moon, and I can say with certainty that this author is the "real deal".
In Keeper of the Dream, we are transported into the medieval period. Lords and Ladies, Knights, bards, mystical "Merlins", and unforgettable battles. This is my favorite period, and this book is reminescent of Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught and all medieval books by Julie Garwood...my favorite.
This is a forced marriage book....another favorite subject of mine. Raine is the illegitimate son of an Earl and is a feared knight, the Black Dragon. Arianna is a Welsh princess. They are forced to wed by edict of the king and Arianna's father. It is not a union that either is excited about..at first.
The chemistry between these two is intense to say the least. Arianna spends the greater part of their first meeting, and for some time following, trying to kill him whenever she gets the chance. He spends the greater amount of his time trying to bend her will and get her to submit to him...not an easy undertaking.
Williamson's books are not short. They are not quick, easy reads...but they possess a smartness and depth that is quite simply missing from historical novels written today. She takes her time weaving this story together. We see the progression from hate to lust to love in very slow, clear, and detailed ways that make sense. These are two intense individuals who become multi-dimensional...another rarity in romance novels.
This is a beautiful and memorable love story. This is a book worthy of your time. This is a keeper.
In Keeper of the Dream, we are transported into the medieval period. Lords and Ladies, Knights, bards, mystical "Merlins", and unforgettable battles. This is my favorite period, and this book is reminescent of Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught and all medieval books by Julie Garwood...my favorite.
This is a forced marriage book....another favorite subject of mine. Raine is the illegitimate son of an Earl and is a feared knight, the Black Dragon. Arianna is a Welsh princess. They are forced to wed by edict of the king and Arianna's father. It is not a union that either is excited about..at first.
The chemistry between these two is intense to say the least. Arianna spends the greater part of their first meeting, and for some time following, trying to kill him whenever she gets the chance. He spends the greater amount of his time trying to bend her will and get her to submit to him...not an easy undertaking.
Williamson's books are not short. They are not quick, easy reads...but they possess a smartness and depth that is quite simply missing from historical novels written today. She takes her time weaving this story together. We see the progression from hate to lust to love in very slow, clear, and detailed ways that make sense. These are two intense individuals who become multi-dimensional...another rarity in romance novels.
This is a beautiful and memorable love story. This is a book worthy of your time. This is a keeper.
Read
June 19, 2021DNF.
It's probably me not the book lol. 🤡
Shouldn't have picked this when I'm in the worst reading slump ever and every other thing annoys me.
The unneccessary OW drama, the pig-headed H, the miscommunication staphh 😭
I skimmed ahead cuz I'm smart like that and the OW drama stretches far too long for my patience.
And that is not good for my soul and peace of mind rn so I'm dipping 😌
Hopefully, will continue it later. 🥶
It's probably me not the book lol. 🤡
Shouldn't have picked this when I'm in the worst reading slump ever and every other thing annoys me.
The unneccessary OW drama, the pig-headed H, the miscommunication staphh 😭
I skimmed ahead cuz I'm smart like that and the OW drama stretches far too long for my patience.
And that is not good for my soul and peace of mind rn so I'm dipping 😌
Hopefully, will continue it later. 🥶
June 21, 2024
An absolute classic. Essential HR reading. Loved every minute of this magical story.
January 10, 2011
The good: Above-average writing. A good sense of historical setting. I could feel the dirt and smell the grime. The last third of the book settles into something resembles a true loving relationship. --Well, if it were badly written, I would not have felt the urge to at least skim this to the end, and would have been spared much finger-trembling rage. GARH!
The bad: the forcing together of a harsh, autocratic man and a "feisty" woman, in which they have nothing in common aside from all kinds of quivering at his touch and frequent f*cking, in which he grinds her down and she loves him for it -- oo little wife, how you defy me, but look, I will conquer you completely both in reality AND in bed, "cupping your sex" while I berate you to make my point that you still get wet. Aside from their frequent sex trysts, what reason has she to feel compassion for him and his crappy childhood? Has he shown her any particular kindness or worth, or is restraint from violence sufficient to woo her oh-so-soft-yet-feisty heart? But nooo, this was Destined and Meant To Be, and their Connection was evident when first they set eyes on each other, and she will eventually Crack his Hard Shell and teach him the Joy of Love. Again and again and again. I kept thinking, ok, another argument, another bout of sex, feels like an ending, wha--ANOTHER argument, another bout of sex, whoa--ANOTHER... ad infinitum.
All this, plus the poor bastardization of Taliesin, Welsh mystic wizard-bard that he was, into some kind of a comic sidekick boy-matchmaker.
The loathsome: several sex scenes in the first 2/3 of this novel borders on rape, all described as though they were delicious. YMMV, but I find such couplings repellent and hateful.
I SHOULD give this 2 stars for the ending... but no. I DISLIKE 2/3 of this book. Dislike. So there!
The bad: the forcing together of a harsh, autocratic man and a "feisty" woman, in which they have nothing in common aside from all kinds of quivering at his touch and frequent f*cking, in which he grinds her down and she loves him for it -- oo little wife, how you defy me, but look, I will conquer you completely both in reality AND in bed, "cupping your sex" while I berate you to make my point that you still get wet. Aside from their frequent sex trysts, what reason has she to feel compassion for him and his crappy childhood? Has he shown her any particular kindness or worth, or is restraint from violence sufficient to woo her oh-so-soft-yet-feisty heart? But nooo, this was Destined and Meant To Be, and their Connection was evident when first they set eyes on each other, and she will eventually Crack his Hard Shell and teach him the Joy of Love. Again and again and again. I kept thinking, ok, another argument, another bout of sex, feels like an ending, wha--ANOTHER argument, another bout of sex, whoa--ANOTHER... ad infinitum.
All this, plus the poor bastardization of Taliesin, Welsh mystic wizard-bard that he was, into some kind of a comic sidekick boy-matchmaker.
The loathsome: several sex scenes in the first 2/3 of this novel borders on rape, all described as though they were delicious. YMMV, but I find such couplings repellent and hateful.
I SHOULD give this 2 stars for the ending... but no. I DISLIKE 2/3 of this book. Dislike. So there!
April 14, 2024
I love reading about the medieval time frame. The Wolf and the Dove is still one of my all time favorites. A few things kept this from being a 5 star read for me. I felt that there were just too many plot pushers. I think that was because this book was stretched too long. I didn’t like the way Raine blamed Arianna for the death of their daughter because she was a seer and didn’t know it was going to happen. I also didn’t like when Raine kissed his childhood first love Sybil( his brothers wife) after she confessed she had always been in love with him. Arianna saw it and he didn’t grovel enough. However The writing was good and made you feel as if you were there though. This is the story of a Bastard knight named Raine who helps conquer the Welsh. He and the welsh princess Arianna have a moc. There are wizards and seers, knights and Kings. Tragedy and love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
July 5, 2024Wow! Okay.
Definitely will be a Reformed Rakes episode on this in the near future.
Definitely will be a Reformed Rakes episode on this in the near future.
February 24, 2012
Enthralling Welsh Medieval Romance!
This is one of the best medieval romances I’ve read but then I’m a fan of Penelope Williamson’s historical romances.
Set in the mid 12th century when England was at war with what would become Wales, and the "marcher lands" were the battleground, it tells of Raine, bastard son of the Earl of Chester, and Ariana, a Welsh woman who becomes part of the conqueror’s spoils.
Raine’s father was a Norman nobleman who treated Raine cruelly (beating him when he asked for a pony on his birthday, confining him to work in the stables, turning him over to their enemies, etc.). Raine overcomes his rude beginning and all he has suffered to become The Black Dragon, a favored knight of King Henry. Raine returns to Rhuddlan, a castle in Wales where he was once held captive, now held by Owain, lord of Gwynedd. When Raine takes the castle, only a young son of Gwynedd and his only daughter, Arianna, remain. Arianna witnesses Raine kill her brother and hates him for it. (She is a seer and had a vision of the Black Dragon and realizes Raine is the one is she dreaded coming.)
As the story develops, Henry allows Raine to keep Rhuddlan and gives him Arianna to wed. She hates the Norman who has killed her brother and the start of the marriage is a disaster.
I cannot begin to tell you how well woven this complex tale is, but suffice it to say it is very well done and you will not regret reading it. The characters are well developed (and there are some wonderful ones, not the least of which is Taliesin, the wizard who is weaving his own story). The history of the period so well presented that you feel you are there, which is one of the author's great talents. She takes time for details that make it real. You become a part of the world she has created and it's wonderful. Needless to say, the love story will tear at your heart.
Notwithstanding all the good I can say, I have to record here what bothered me about the story: Raine is supposed to be honorable, yet he took Sybil when he knew she was betrothed to his brother Hugh and also knew he would be leaving for years to try and become a knight, thus dishonoring both Sybil who loved him and his brother. He also set Sybil up for the heartache she endured her whole life. (By Raine’s own rules, Hugh could have reasonably sought Raine's death for that.) Raine effectively raped Arianna on their wedding night and she cries herself to sleep without his comfort. Yet the next day she is happy not to be beaten for using a knife on him. Seemed a bit odd. When Arianna is asked to describe Raine to her father, she lists a lot of flattering adjectives ("hard but fair," "brave, generous, gentle") but she forgot "mean and bitter" for he was clearly that. There were many examples of his cruelty to Arianna. She gave her one treasure to buy cloth to make him a banner for his birthday to try and make up for the birthday beating he got from his father as a boy and Raine spurns both her and her gift, ordering it to be burned. When he realizes she's had visions of him that allowed her to share his pain, instead of loving her for it, he gets angry and mean and then ignores her. (I just wanted to say to him, "So you had a bad childhood; get over it!") He was always willing to believe a lie about her and never trusted her though Arianna was perhaps the only honorable one in the story. Finally, the wizard Taliesin (a wonderful character) at times seems to have great power (to cause a storm, to heal, to transport himself instantly) yet he needed Hugh to help rescue Raine, which didn't make sense. Anyway, all these nits aside, it's a wonderful read and you will enjoy it, I’m certain.
Here's the list of her romance novels.
• Beloved Rogue (May 1988)
• Hearts Beguiled (June 1989)
• Wings of Desire (under the name Elizabeth Lambert, August 1989)
• A Wild Yearning (1991) - Winner of RITA Award
• Keeper of the Dream (April 1992) - Winner of RITA Award
• Once in a Blue Moon (May 1993)
• Hearts of the West (April 1995)
• The Outsider (July 1996)
• The Passions of Emma (September 1997) - Nominated for RITA Award
This is one of the best medieval romances I’ve read but then I’m a fan of Penelope Williamson’s historical romances.
Set in the mid 12th century when England was at war with what would become Wales, and the "marcher lands" were the battleground, it tells of Raine, bastard son of the Earl of Chester, and Ariana, a Welsh woman who becomes part of the conqueror’s spoils.
Raine’s father was a Norman nobleman who treated Raine cruelly (beating him when he asked for a pony on his birthday, confining him to work in the stables, turning him over to their enemies, etc.). Raine overcomes his rude beginning and all he has suffered to become The Black Dragon, a favored knight of King Henry. Raine returns to Rhuddlan, a castle in Wales where he was once held captive, now held by Owain, lord of Gwynedd. When Raine takes the castle, only a young son of Gwynedd and his only daughter, Arianna, remain. Arianna witnesses Raine kill her brother and hates him for it. (She is a seer and had a vision of the Black Dragon and realizes Raine is the one is she dreaded coming.)
As the story develops, Henry allows Raine to keep Rhuddlan and gives him Arianna to wed. She hates the Norman who has killed her brother and the start of the marriage is a disaster.
I cannot begin to tell you how well woven this complex tale is, but suffice it to say it is very well done and you will not regret reading it. The characters are well developed (and there are some wonderful ones, not the least of which is Taliesin, the wizard who is weaving his own story). The history of the period so well presented that you feel you are there, which is one of the author's great talents. She takes time for details that make it real. You become a part of the world she has created and it's wonderful. Needless to say, the love story will tear at your heart.
Notwithstanding all the good I can say, I have to record here what bothered me about the story: Raine is supposed to be honorable, yet he took Sybil when he knew she was betrothed to his brother Hugh and also knew he would be leaving for years to try and become a knight, thus dishonoring both Sybil who loved him and his brother. He also set Sybil up for the heartache she endured her whole life. (By Raine’s own rules, Hugh could have reasonably sought Raine's death for that.) Raine effectively raped Arianna on their wedding night and she cries herself to sleep without his comfort. Yet the next day she is happy not to be beaten for using a knife on him. Seemed a bit odd. When Arianna is asked to describe Raine to her father, she lists a lot of flattering adjectives ("hard but fair," "brave, generous, gentle") but she forgot "mean and bitter" for he was clearly that. There were many examples of his cruelty to Arianna. She gave her one treasure to buy cloth to make him a banner for his birthday to try and make up for the birthday beating he got from his father as a boy and Raine spurns both her and her gift, ordering it to be burned. When he realizes she's had visions of him that allowed her to share his pain, instead of loving her for it, he gets angry and mean and then ignores her. (I just wanted to say to him, "So you had a bad childhood; get over it!") He was always willing to believe a lie about her and never trusted her though Arianna was perhaps the only honorable one in the story. Finally, the wizard Taliesin (a wonderful character) at times seems to have great power (to cause a storm, to heal, to transport himself instantly) yet he needed Hugh to help rescue Raine, which didn't make sense. Anyway, all these nits aside, it's a wonderful read and you will enjoy it, I’m certain.
Here's the list of her romance novels.
• Beloved Rogue (May 1988)
• Hearts Beguiled (June 1989)
• Wings of Desire (under the name Elizabeth Lambert, August 1989)
• A Wild Yearning (1991) - Winner of RITA Award
• Keeper of the Dream (April 1992) - Winner of RITA Award
• Once in a Blue Moon (May 1993)
• Hearts of the West (April 1995)
• The Outsider (July 1996)
• The Passions of Emma (September 1997) - Nominated for RITA Award
November 11, 2015
Medieval Wales. Castle Rhuddlan is attacked by the English and Lady Arianna is captured along with the castle. Raine, the Black Dragon, is the bastard offspring of the Earl of Chester and a favored knight of King Henry's.
Apparently a well loved book of many romance readers. I liked it. It was fairly typical of the historical romances of the 80's and 90's. This is not a bad thing for me personally. I love many of the romances written during those times. Somehow I missed this one though. But I can now claim it. Lady Arianna bugged me to some degree but I kept reminding myself of when the book was written. Raine was your typical uber-alpha jerk but he had his reasons. Don't they all? Overall it was a good read and I would recommend it to those readers who love the historical romances of the past.
Apparently a well loved book of many romance readers. I liked it. It was fairly typical of the historical romances of the 80's and 90's. This is not a bad thing for me personally. I love many of the romances written during those times. Somehow I missed this one though. But I can now claim it. Lady Arianna bugged me to some degree but I kept reminding myself of when the book was written. Raine was your typical uber-alpha jerk but he had his reasons. Don't they all? Overall it was a good read and I would recommend it to those readers who love the historical romances of the past.
January 12, 2023
Wonderful even if slightly longer read. I wish this book would have maybe 1/4 of its pages cut out then it would a 5 stars book.
Otherwise it was fantastic. These two hard headed, hot blooded and hateful MCs turned into greatest love story I’ve ever read. But in the beginning they needed a lot of help which came in form of Taliesin, a squire, a bard, a magi.
The MCs are not shabby either, full of fire, and ice, love and hate and everything in between. But I like how the author took her time to smooth out all the rough edges in their relationship so at the end I could comfortably believe in their total and peaceful ever after.
This was also exactly how I like my medieval romance with good dose of roughness, sweetness, castles, jokes and magic elements.
I already ordered few more books by this author.
Otherwise it was fantastic. These two hard headed, hot blooded and hateful MCs turned into greatest love story I’ve ever read. But in the beginning they needed a lot of help which came in form of Taliesin, a squire, a bard, a magi.
The MCs are not shabby either, full of fire, and ice, love and hate and everything in between. But I like how the author took her time to smooth out all the rough edges in their relationship so at the end I could comfortably believe in their total and peaceful ever after.
This was also exactly how I like my medieval romance with good dose of roughness, sweetness, castles, jokes and magic elements.
I already ordered few more books by this author.
February 5, 2022
Irunía review says it all
Irunía review
reading this review makes me want to do a reread already
Irunía review
reading this review makes me want to do a reread already
August 20, 2008
Arianna is the daughter of the Prince of Gwyenedd, who has some power of sight, and who for political reasons is wed to the forbidding knight Raine, the Black Dragon, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Chester. Of course our heroine is stubborn to a fault and of course she hates the Normans who have invaded and plundered Wales, and of course she most especially hates the man she's to marry. While this story contains many of your standard HR plot twists, i.e. stubborn beautiful noblewoman forced into marriage for the sake of peace with a man she hates, although strongly attracted to at the same time, hero with the black hearted evil brother, etc., what brings this story out of the three star category is the wonderful addition of the "magical" and mysterious squire, Taliesin. His antics kept me thoroughly entertained throughout, and I especially loved the epilogue with Taliesin.
All in all a highly enjoyable romance for a rainy Sunday afternoon. Not the best in this genre, but certainly far above many others I've come across. My only quibble is a couple of the sex scenes between Arianna and Raine were a little bit too, well, ahem, detailed for my tastes and I would definitely not recommend this book for a younger reader because of that. But, if you're in the mood for a medieval romance light on the history and heavy on the bodice ripping this would probably be right up your alley. Four stars.
All in all a highly enjoyable romance for a rainy Sunday afternoon. Not the best in this genre, but certainly far above many others I've come across. My only quibble is a couple of the sex scenes between Arianna and Raine were a little bit too, well, ahem, detailed for my tastes and I would definitely not recommend this book for a younger reader because of that. But, if you're in the mood for a medieval romance light on the history and heavy on the bodice ripping this would probably be right up your alley. Four stars.
May 5, 2020
While looking for books to reread, I came across this one which I had formerly given 5 stars. That was when I was able to read anything and not be affected emotionally.
I have lowered to 1 star after checking out other reviews and viewing shelves others have filed this under.
Needless to say ---This has been scratched off my list. I have kept my original review for those who don't mind my above tags.
Original review 2015:
I am not very good at writing reviews unless it's a bad one. LOL. All I can say is that this is a well written, well edited historical romance that has a bit of magic, folklore and is certainly an emotional roller coaster. The characters are very believable and well developed. There is a lot of passion and lust, but also strong love that was written in the stars.
I liked that the love was not your typical love at first sight deal as in so many romance novels. The love shared in this one was hard earned. I also love the mixture of Welsh folklore.
Lastly I recommend reading the authors afterword which explains some historical inaccuracies and the basis for which her ideas for the plot are formed.
This book is 500 pages and contains a lot of adult situations.
I have lowered to 1 star after checking out other reviews and viewing shelves others have filed this under.
Needless to say ---This has been scratched off my list. I have kept my original review for those who don't mind my above tags.
Original review 2015:
I am not very good at writing reviews unless it's a bad one. LOL. All I can say is that this is a well written, well edited historical romance that has a bit of magic, folklore and is certainly an emotional roller coaster. The characters are very believable and well developed. There is a lot of passion and lust, but also strong love that was written in the stars.
I liked that the love was not your typical love at first sight deal as in so many romance novels. The love shared in this one was hard earned. I also love the mixture of Welsh folklore.
Lastly I recommend reading the authors afterword which explains some historical inaccuracies and the basis for which her ideas for the plot are formed.
This book is 500 pages and contains a lot of adult situations.
October 9, 2017
Too much of a bodice-ripper for me. Marital rape was followed all too soon by love struck heroine's adoration of the hero. I gave the novel up completely after hero's gory account of his slaying of h's kinsman, which seemed like an aphrodisiac for both to jump and hump one another. I just realised why I prefer Regency to Medieval HR. I think the latter period is too brutal for my delicate self.
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June 17, 2021
This was looking like a possible new favourite, until I got to the second half. I adored the first 50%, the chemistry and tension between the mcs was amazing. The second half though... was not my fav. It felt like it was just repeating the same conflics and misunderstantings over and over. It gpt really boring and frustrating really fast, plus the pacing was all over the place
June 24, 2024
2.75 ⭐️
Loved: the medieval hist rom with touches of magic! the total burns the FMC served up! Kept thinking to myself:Boom, roasted! 🔥 but moses help me these two were total idiots. MMC was a big dumb animal and FMC was dickmatized and had a serious TSTL streak. Also so much OW drama, OM drama, cheating and infant death is not in my faves, I somehow missed that before I started. I started skimming towards the end.
Loved: the medieval hist rom with touches of magic! the total burns the FMC served up! Kept thinking to myself:Boom, roasted! 🔥 but moses help me these two were total idiots. MMC was a big dumb animal and FMC was dickmatized and had a serious TSTL streak. Also so much OW drama, OM drama, cheating and infant death is not in my faves, I somehow missed that before I started. I started skimming towards the end.
August 25, 2023
Reread 2023
—————
Reread 2021. 4 stars.
Original rating 5 stars.
Spoilerish
- He(25) wasn’t attracted to the h when they first met, this is a slow burn romance.
She’s (20?): Flat chested, slim hip h. A pretty girl with green eyes, brown hair. Feisty but tstl at times, I wanted to smack her half the time, because she basically spends most of the book betraying the H, her husband, for her country/family, and he lets her get away with it, which made him seem like a weak man and annoying. 🙄
- rape by H on their wedding night.
- Love triangle, the h gets his sloppy 2nd love. He’s still in love with his first love ow when they meet.
His first love is a gorgeous blonde with violet eyes, prettier than the h. Ow is married to his legitimate brother.
- emotional cheating. He still has feelings for his first love in the beginning.
He kisses the ow and the heroine sees them. She actually catches them twice.
The book saves itself because of the ending. The h almost dies, good tear jerker scene. Without this scene I would’ve given it 3 stars.
—————
Reread 2021. 4 stars.
Original rating 5 stars.
Spoilerish
- He(25) wasn’t attracted to the h when they first met, this is a slow burn romance.
She’s (20?): Flat chested, slim hip h. A pretty girl with green eyes, brown hair. Feisty but tstl at times, I wanted to smack her half the time, because she basically spends most of the book betraying the H, her husband, for her country/family, and he lets her get away with it, which made him seem like a weak man and annoying. 🙄
- rape by H on their wedding night.
- Love triangle, the h gets his sloppy 2nd love. He’s still in love with his first love ow when they meet.
His first love is a gorgeous blonde with violet eyes, prettier than the h. Ow is married to his legitimate brother.
- emotional cheating. He still has feelings for his first love in the beginning.
He kisses the ow and the heroine sees them. She actually catches them twice.
The book saves itself because of the ending. The h almost dies, good tear jerker scene. Without this scene I would’ve given it 3 stars.
November 5, 2021
Raine let loose with a string of curses that shocked even Arianna’s experienced ears. “I love you, you thickheaded wench! I love you!”
“You say that now.”
“Aye, I say it now,” he said, somewhat calmer, only battering her eardrums a little. “I say it now … I love you, little wife.”
“Now doesn’t count.”
“What do you mean, now doesn’t count?” He was bellowing again. Nice dragon like roars. “Why doesn’t it count?”
“Because I’ve put the words into your mouth. They didn’t spring from your heart.”
December 28, 2023
4.5 stars
Really well written medieval romance. Perfect pairing of a feisty h and a prideful H. I will be reading more of Penelope Williamson’s books.
I don’t like westerns, which she seems to have written quite a few of. I wish she would have written more medieval romances because this was beautiful. I really liked the mix of history and a twist of magic with the Celtic folklore. Wish more of her books were like this.
If anyone has read any of her other books please let me know in the comments which ones are good. I’m willing to try her westerns if they are as good as this book was.
Really well written medieval romance. Perfect pairing of a feisty h and a prideful H. I will be reading more of Penelope Williamson’s books.
I don’t like westerns, which she seems to have written quite a few of. I wish she would have written more medieval romances because this was beautiful. I really liked the mix of history and a twist of magic with the Celtic folklore. Wish more of her books were like this.
If anyone has read any of her other books please let me know in the comments which ones are good. I’m willing to try her westerns if they are as good as this book was.
June 18, 2021
This book is all kinds of insanes
Sometimes I felt like tugging my head with annoyance at Raine and Arianna insistence that they're not in love but( rather little excuses they give) , sometimes I felt like laughing at the power play between them props to my girl Arianna for these scenes
1) on her wedding day to Raine my girl pronounced gowns as inappropriate and instead wore sack clothes and ashes while giving a beautiful speech
"people of tegeinl I mourn with you the loss of your cattle _"
2) on their wedding bed while Raine was kissing.
"he lowered his head and thrust his tongue inside ,a blade flashed by the corner of his eyes and pain exploded from his arm ,"christ!! "he hissed on an intake of breath ,she tried to stab him again!" You heard that right my girl Arianna stabbed Raine again on their wedding bed and if that's not enough she had hundreds of weapons hidden in the weirdest place in their bedroom
"He jerked the pillow off the bed where she'd hidden the first knife and found two more,he went over the room searching for weapons and finding them .they made a growing pile :three swords, dozens daggers and knife, a battle axe and even a mace."🤣🤣.
3) another favorite scene from my girl Arianna was when she was trying to seducing raine since Raine was abstaining from sex because of what the midwife told him (he might hurt Arianna and the baby) my girl gets pissed with Raine continuous refusal and tells him she's going to get sex from some other male after Raine calls her bluff my girl gave him one of the best low blows ever for a man 🤣
" after I have had him, my Lord would you like me to let him know, how he compares himself to you? ,Mayhaps he might know a few perversions (sexual tricks) you have not mastered " felt like giving my girl a high-five for this low blow✌️.
I'm currently in the wild boar sex scene (my thoughts 😵😵😵🤕)
Sometimes I felt like tugging my head with annoyance at Raine and Arianna insistence that they're not in love but( rather little excuses they give) , sometimes I felt like laughing at the power play between them props to my girl Arianna for these scenes
1) on her wedding day to Raine my girl pronounced gowns as inappropriate and instead wore sack clothes and ashes while giving a beautiful speech
"people of tegeinl I mourn with you the loss of your cattle _"
2) on their wedding bed while Raine was kissing.
"he lowered his head and thrust his tongue inside ,a blade flashed by the corner of his eyes and pain exploded from his arm ,"christ!! "he hissed on an intake of breath ,she tried to stab him again!" You heard that right my girl Arianna stabbed Raine again on their wedding bed and if that's not enough she had hundreds of weapons hidden in the weirdest place in their bedroom
"He jerked the pillow off the bed where she'd hidden the first knife and found two more,he went over the room searching for weapons and finding them .they made a growing pile :three swords, dozens daggers and knife, a battle axe and even a mace."🤣🤣.
3) another favorite scene from my girl Arianna was when she was trying to seducing raine since Raine was abstaining from sex because of what the midwife told him (he might hurt Arianna and the baby) my girl gets pissed with Raine continuous refusal and tells him she's going to get sex from some other male after Raine calls her bluff my girl gave him one of the best low blows ever for a man 🤣
" after I have had him, my Lord would you like me to let him know, how he compares himself to you? ,Mayhaps he might know a few perversions (sexual tricks) you have not mastered " felt like giving my girl a high-five for this low blow✌️.
I'm currently in the wild boar sex scene (my thoughts 😵😵😵🤕)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2011
3.5 stars
This one is a little hard for me to rate. It had moments of greatness and some moments not so great.
The hero is passionate and gentle with the heroine then there is a misunderstanding where the hero thinks the heroine betrayed him in some way; he then becomes hard and cold towards her telling her the only purpose she has is spreading her legs for him and bearing him sons. The hero eventually realizes the truth and becomes soft towards her again though not actually apologizing for it... (But to give him credit, I think he does apologize one time for a hurtful thing he said)
...Repeats this about 5 times and right there is over half the book for you.
I really liked the heroine at the beginning of the book. She was always trying to (literally) kill the hero any chance she got and her antics were humorous. But later, at times, she seemed TSTL.
The story did have some good moments that I know will stay with me. I loved both the birthing scenes and scene with the hero on his knees declaring his love for the heroine. I'd recommend this book for medieval romance lovers but if misunderstandings are a pet-peeve you might want to skip this one.
This one is a little hard for me to rate. It had moments of greatness and some moments not so great.
The hero is passionate and gentle with the heroine then there is a misunderstanding where the hero thinks the heroine betrayed him in some way; he then becomes hard and cold towards her telling her the only purpose she has is spreading her legs for him and bearing him sons. The hero eventually realizes the truth and becomes soft towards her again though not actually apologizing for it... (But to give him credit, I think he does apologize one time for a hurtful thing he said)
...Repeats this about 5 times and right there is over half the book for you.
I really liked the heroine at the beginning of the book. She was always trying to (literally) kill the hero any chance she got and her antics were humorous. But later, at times, she seemed TSTL.
The story did have some good moments that I know will stay with me. I loved both the birthing scenes and scene with the hero on his knees declaring his love for the heroine. I'd recommend this book for medieval romance lovers but if misunderstandings are a pet-peeve you might want to skip this one.
April 6, 2020
Raine and Arianna are far from perfect people and they personify enemies to lovers to perfection. Arianna could make the worst decisions, knowing she was in the wrong, making me want to yell in vexation over her ridiculousness. Raine was just as hard-headed as Arianna; demanding her submission and taking forever to realize it wasn’t what he wanted at all! Their battle of wills kept the momentum going and when you add in their physical relationship, it’s a battle, but it made their surrender all the sweeter! Now pair these two with a cutting political landscape, betrayals, redemption, deception, and comic relief from Raine’s squire, Taliesin and his terrible attempts at matchmaking....basically, this book had a little bit of everything!
February 13, 2013
A campy mammoth of a medieval romance.
A book you enjoy despite wanting to slap both leads several times.
A fun read from start to finish in all its over-the-top glory.
December 31, 2015
Oooh! I read this book for the first time when I was 15 years old. And Jesus, did I love it!!! I transported me, made me long for the love they shared and made me want to buy a ferret. I re-read it a couple of times since and still like it very much. I don't, know it just seems deeper than many other historical romances I've ever read.
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