England
14th Century
Castles
Back of the Book:
Liberty and love—even life itself—are fragile commodities for women in medieval England and France. But four courageous maidens won’t faint as danger strikes. If the castle walls could talk, would they warn of peril…or promise romance?
Arianne is finally finding love and kindness in an arranged marriage…until her past overpowers the castle gate and threatens to take her hostage.
Helena must overcome a king’s decree, escape a savage stepbrother and devious stepsister, and try to enter thick walls of safety…for herself and her heart.
Mary, a physician’s daughter, brings life and health to others at the threat of her own safely. Will a shining knight come to her rescue?
Jeanine escapes a cruel bridegroom just in time…only to find her very life at stake. Can the conqueror of her heart also vanquish her enemies?
Will God’s love and power triumph in these brave women’s lives? Find out in these four soul-searing novels of romance and suspense!
My Review:
This was a very charming book. It is set in one of my favorite time periods in England, with the large estates and servants. I love reading stories from this setting.
A Kingdom Divided
I loved this story. The love and acceptance Arianne finds in the arms of her husband were so wonderful to read. I could feel for myself every emotion through the words of the story. I can only pray that I’ll find someone just as perfect as Richard. This story was a perfect example of how a wife should be treated.
It was also a good example of how one person’s salvation or lack there-of is more important than hatred and revenge. I can’t find anything negative to say about this story. Go read it for yourself.
Alas My Love
This was also a great story. I loved it (but I think the first one was a little better). Unfortunately, if I told you why I liked it I’d give away important plot lines from the story which are more fun to read about and be surprised from. I can say, however, that I think one of the main reasons I liked this and the first story was because of the rescuing the men did. I’m a sucker for the ‘heroine in distress’ line and the rescue that results.
If Only
This story turned in a completely different direction from the first two. I enjoyed the change of pace. It dealt with issues of the Black Death which I hadn’t really taken the time to understand previous to this. I can’t even imagine how the people of that age managed to survive. The sickness seemed so rampant. The love story was charming and heartwarming, and I enjoyed it.
Five Geese Flying
This story also had a medical undertone to it, but it dealt more with women practicing medicine in that age than any medical condition. I was shocked to read how the church dealt with people who were merely practicing medicine. I won’t give anything away so that you can read the story for yourself, but I am so glad that I didn’t live under an oppressive rule such as that. (The love story was good, too.)
All four stories had wonderful romances in them that were clean and did a good job of boosting my spirits. However, they all seemed to be based on a purely physical attraction (not in a bad way) and didn’t focus on any compatibility issues at all. At least one of the characters was always instantly “in love” by merely seeing the person. That’s not how life is, at least to me. But if you merely want a good read to make you feel good, this is a great book.