Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Sweet Romance

  • The LADY and the MINSTREL by Joyce DiPastena, a medieval romance

    The LADY and the MINSTREL by Joyce DiPastena, a medieval romance

    In this delightful medieval romance, a spirited lady and a vagabond minstrel with a penchant for trouble engage in a battle of wills with a powerful earl in King John’s court.

    Ranulf de Villon, baron of Ashbury Castle and a hard, cruel man, has engineered the betrothal of his daughter, Marguerite of Winbourne, to the ruthless, licentious Earl of Saxton, favored counselor to King John.

    The proposed marriage is one of political expediency for all concerned: Ranulf gains prestige by arranging an alliance with the most powerful earl of the land, and Saxton will use income from the estate that comes to him with Marguerite’s dowry to curry favor with King John.

    Though Marguerite loathes Saxton and has the right—as stated in her grandfather’s will—to refuse Saxton’s hand in marriage, Ranulf has made certain that no one can get news of Marguerite’s plight to the proper authorities before she is wed.

    Ranulf’s wife Leah, Marguerite’s mother, is too afraid of her husband’s violent tendencies to side with her daughter against him. Marguerite’s cousin Richard, who cares deeply for her, is horrified by the prospect of the match and willing to cross Ranulf, but Ranulf’s men are watching his every move. Trapped and powerless, Marguerite turns to the only man who may be able to help her, Robert Marcel, a traveling minstrel.

    DiPastena has once again crafted another epic tale of romance and intrigue in thirteenth century England during the reign of King John. France and England have been at war for years, and the king requires a stream of unlimited funds for his campaigns to take back the duchy of Normandy.

    Women such as Marguerite are viewed as property, as chattels used to produce heirs and to provide assets through their dowries. Members of the peerage survive and hold onto their ancestral lands only by paying court to an ambitious and merciless king.

    The Lady and the Minstrel is the story of two star-crossed lovers, Marguerite and Robert, and their struggle to survive in the face of the ruthless ambitions and political conspiracies that are the order of the day.

    DiPastena has crafted a rich story world that immerses the reader in the culture, the politics, and the language of thirteenth century England. Meticulously researched and deftly told, this historical novel will captivate readers of this genre.

     

  • An Editorial Review of “I, James” by Mike Hartner

    An Editorial Review of “I, James” by Mike Hartner

    James Crofter is born in Spain in the early hours of September 21, 1613. Rosalind Caufield is born the same day and same time in London. Their lives, families, and fortunes will forever be intertwined.

    I, James, is the second book in Mike Hartner’s historical young adult saga, a series designed to flow from the 16th century to the present time. It is a story of adventure, hardships, survival, heroics, and sweet romance.

    When Rosalind is just 10 years old, she and her mother are cast out of the family home. Her grandparents have died and her father is away at sea. Rosalind can’t understand how family can turn against family. She and her mother are shipped to Sarat, India, presumably to be met by her father.  Her mother dies and her father cannot be found. Rosalind, now alone in a strange city, is grabbed and trained, readied to be sold as a slave. Instead, her trainer decides to befriend her; she is put on a trade ship where she has some protection; she dresses as a boy and calls herself Sal. She becomes a sailor, a cook, a fighter, growing from child to young woman.

    James is a child of privilege, a prince, the second son of Walter, King of Northern Spain. On his eleventh birthday, James is snatched from his family, transported to Africa, and sold into slavery. James never gives up on the thought of taking revenge the man who took him from his home and made him a slave.

    Hartner takes us on the journey of James and Rosalind who are from these very different walks of life at the time of who rules the sea rules the world. Their lives and stories become entwined as they struggle with pirates, slaves and slavers, cruel masters, and just down-right evil bad guys as they each find their way with the help of compassionate friends, determination, hard work, and quick thinking. It is a book that will transport you back to the time of your childhood daydreams of faraway places and distant times.

    I, James is a captivating tale of survival, of helping others, of not letting others discourage you, and of never giving up hope. Fascinating historical details are woven throughout this classic coming-of-age story adding to its intrigue. Readers will find themselves rooting for Hartner’s feisty and resourceful protagonists. However, I, James, is told in a matter-of-fact tone throughout; the harshness and cruelty of the time period comes through in all its bleakness. During James’ time working on the tobacco plantation, he is whipped many times. James is reminded of his father’s stories but with fuller understanding of the hardships his father actually endured. As a small boy, James enjoyed his father’s stories of adventure, never expecting to experience such things for himself.

     I, James may be categorized as a middle school – young adult novel, but if you enjoy classic adventure stories, it will draw you in, no matter your age. You’ll also want to read the first volume in the series, I, Walter, and watch for upcoming books with new characters and new adventures in Mike Hartner’s Eternity series. Highly recommended.

  • An Editorial Review of “Double or Nothing” by Meg Mims

    An Editorial Review of “Double or Nothing” by Meg Mims

    Murder, mystery, intrigue, and romance make “Double or Nothing” by Meg Mims a historical Western page turner. The plot twists, engaging characters, and keen writing will keep you in suspense to the very end.

    The mystery is set during the rough and tumble California mining days of 1869. The author, Meg Mims, vividly brings these times to life with her accurate historical research and her clear and striking imagery of bustling towns, dangerous quicksilver mines, and rugged landscapes.

    Lily, our protagonist, is a spirited and headstrong young woman who is recovering from her two-thousand mile cross-country journey by train (that was not anywhere as safe and luxurious as she had previously read about in newspapers).

    She is still in mourning for her beloved father who died a few days before her twentieth birthday. Lily believes he was murdered in cold blood by one of his trusted business associates whom he was a partner with in a California quicksilver mine. Lily is determined to find the murderer and bring him to justice. She heads out immediately after the burial to Sacramento to her guardian uncle, her father’s brother, who also was a partner in the same mine with her father.

    Upon her arrival, Lily’s Uncle Harrison immediately throws her (Lily will inherit her father’s fortune on her 21st birthday) into socializing, attending soirees and hosting his dinner parties.  She quickly finds out he has a hidden agenda; he is intent on marrying her to a business associate in order to further his political ambitions before she comes of age and becomes independent of his guardianship. Harrison has forbidden her from seeing the one she truly desires, “Ace” Jesse Diamond. He is the ruggedly handsome gunslinger who saved her life more than once on her dangerous journey to Sacramento from her Evanston, Illinois home.

    Lily is  introduced to the man her uncle has planned for her to marry—Santiago—at a formal dinner soiree. Sparks and witty repartee fly when Ace enters the room and is seated next to them. He looks just as dashing in his cutaway coat and fancy white shirt as he did on horseback wearing his trail clothes.  His good looks, southern drawl, and disarming smile reaffirm Lily’s feelings for him.

    Ace, as it turns out, is Santiago’s business partner. Uncle Harrison then announces to the room of two hundred guests that Santiago and Lily are engaged to be  married. Ace leaves the dinner party in a huff after spitting out a toast to “the couple.” And the story has just begun.

    Headstrong Lily plans to use a visit to her friends in San Francisco as a way to escape the clutches of her uncle before he forces her into marrying Santiago. The rebellious Lily decides never to return to her uncle. She is also determined to find Ace so she can explain that she had no idea about the engagement and that she would never marry Santiago.

    Lily’s disappearance sets off a chain of events.  In way over her head, Lily’s strength is tested when she realizes just how deep the devious mine owners’ scams go and how connected they are to the politicians. She discovers just how low they will go to obtain and to keep their wealth and power when they frame Ace for a deadly explosion. And Lily is the only one who can prove his innocence.

    “Double or Nothing” by Meg Mims was awarded the Laramie Awards for Western Fiction First Place for Mystery.  An entertaining Western mystery read with just the right amount of romance. It is the second novel in the Lily Granville Western Mysteries series and we look forward to reading more about more of Lily’s adventures. Thank goodness that Meg Mims leaves her readers with the knowledge there is more to come!