Jill Stengl

Four very good stories that span four generations of romance and love on Mackinac Island. Makes me want to go there and visit. I liked all four and really appreciated how that last story tied in the other three stories in one way or another. Good way to end the Novella collection.

In 'When the Shadow Falls' Ninette will come to the rescue of an injured English soldier from an Indian attack. These two will face many dangerous situations, but in the process their feelings for one another will grow into a tender love, despite the animosity between the French and the English.

In 'The Spinster's Beau' I was very surprised how this story fell into place. I wasn't expecting Jane and "Mad" August Durant to be the two main characters in this story, but loved how the author changed my feelings and my mind about August Durant. Jane is a midwife who was asked to help stitch up a trapper after a knife fight. Jane's care and concern for this rough character will go a long way in changing this man.

In 'Dreamlight" Francine is on Mackinac island to write and draw pictures for stories centered around the gardens and flowers she loves visiting. She will strike up a friendship with Thomas Carlton, a resident of the island which will blossom into a romance. At first I had a hard time liking Thomas, but Francine was able to 'draw' out the fun side of him and by the end I was cheering them both on.

Finally, in 'True Riches' you are introduced to Mackinac Island in the year 2006. You get to explore more of the island in this story, while you watch Alison Kessler and Jacob Randall share a friendship that will lead to romance. And it all started when Alison crashes her bike and Jacob comes along and helps her out. Alison really has a bad self-image of her worth, especially around the wealthier, so Jacob will have his work cut out convincing her that true riches have nothing to do with money.

All four stories were an adventure, with folks solving problems from a Christian perspective in a very enjoyable and entertaining way. Makes me want to pack my bags and explore Mackinac Island myself.… (mehr)

I’m a strange and ambiguous creature sometimes. On the one hand, I tend to snap up any kind of Medieval Christian Fiction- but conversely I tend to set very high standards for it, and sadly, this collection did not always meet them. It must be stated, here at the beginning that in spite of what the subtitle says two of the stories (I could say three, if I was being pedantic) are not actually set in the Middle- Ages.

The first is set in the seventeenth century (1600s), which I suppose if forgivable, but the third, for some inexplicable reason is basically a short Regency- set in the early 1800s. Why it was included in the collection is anyone’s guess, but as another reviewer has stated, the fact that the characters live in a castle for the majority of the story does not really excuse the obviously non-Medieval setting- and the story itself- was just- average.
As regencies go, it’s no patch on Julie Klassen or Sarah Ladd. Kind of corny really, and a bit implausible. Perhaps if it were longer and there was more space for development it would be better, but some elements would need improvement.

The three stories that actually were set in the Medieval period (the thirteenth and fourteenth century respectively), which were the second, fourth and fifth in the collection, were fair at least. I have read the two Tracie Peterson ones ‘A Kingdom Divided’ and its sequel ‘Alas My Love’ in another collection a few years back, and yes, I did like them then- although they were whimsical and cheesy in parts. I think took a bit of a shine to the villain in the first story, and was glad to see his redemption in the sequel, even if there were a few questionable details. Seriously ‘Devon’ was not a first name in the thirteenth century. It was a title, but many seem to confuse the two.

The second story in the collection ‘A Legend of Mercy’ (coming before the Tracie Peterson ones- sorry about the confused order of review), was set in Ireland in the 1300s, and was okay- but not much more than okay. Yes, there was action, intrigue, fight scenes, and romance-albeit rather predictable romance. Perhaps there could have been more emphasis on the political background and the dynamics of the two families and ‘worlds’ that the male protagonist was caught between. Also, I would question, what on earth was ‘Anglo’ meant to mean in the story? I have never seen the word used as an Adjective on its own. Shouldn’t the correct term for the nobles who controlled the area known as the Pale of Settlement have been Anglo-Norman, or even Anglo-Irish? I’ve never heard of them referred to as ‘Anglo’ before anywhere.

The sixth and final story, ‘Child of Promise’ was one I found very frustrating. Yes, there was a solid Christian message, and yes it clearly presented the gospel (even though this was done in a very ‘preachy’ way), yes the characters were relatable and easy for the audience to connect with.

Yet it was hard to ignore the historical inaccuracies and occasional silliness that the whole story seemed to be riddled with. Some might accuse me of being pedantic, but at some points the whole thing just seemed like a roll call of myths about the Middle- Ages and Early Modern period.
Saying that people in the Elizabethan age seldom bathed because they thought it bad for the health was one thing (perhaps there was some basis for that), but making out that the vast majority of them had basically no concept of hygiene whatsoever is something else. It could almost be considered slightly amusing that the male protagonist, Harry, for all his supposedly ‘enlightened’ ideas about hygiene and cleanliness- then proceeded to do things like wiping his mouth on tablecloths - which was considered very bad etiquette.

Elsewhere, implying that most people of the period were superstitious twits who would attribute practically anything they did not understand to magic and sorcery is simply condescending- and a person being called a ‘witch’ for quoting from the Bible? Seriously?

Other details fared no better. Who drinks brandy from a jug- and I’m fairly sure that clerics after the Reformation were allowed to marry. Even the reference to the possibility of ‘Meala, the protagonist being sold as a ‘slave’ to the evil Bishop seemed incredible. I thought that trading Christian slaves had been banned like 400 years before- unless domestic servants of the Elizabethan Age were being counted as ‘slaves’- which they were not. Then there was the idea that seducing one of the Queen’s ladies in waiting was a treasonable offence for which the person in question would be executed if caught.
Really? I’ve never heard of that- and I’m fairly certain the Earl of Oxford did such a thing at one point, and he was not executed for it. Nor was marrying without parent’s consent a capital offense either, like the characters seemed to think at one point.

I even had some issue with the implication that anyone who did not hold to the early Puritan convictions of the characters was not saved. Okay, I get that they were saying that simple allegiance to the state church was not real faith- but some of the early Reformers preached that Salvation was to be obtained through faith in Christ alone. So I really think that not all early Anglicans were corrupt or false Christians.

Overall, this collection was a little disappointing. I think that maybe other stories could have been found that were genuinely Medieval- and anyone expecting new material should be warned that all the stories have previously been published elsewhere. The main reason for the higher rating was that some of the stories were ones I liked before, and others had their merits, in spite of the drawbacks. It was fairly light reading (even if the length seems daunting, none of the individual stories is more than 160 pages in length), and would be good for lovers of Romance. Those seeking something other than romance would be best advised to look elsewhere.

I received a PDF version of this title free from the publisher via Netgalley for the purposes of review. I was not required to write a positive one and all opinions expressed are my own.
… (mehr)

The Knight's Bride is a compilation of six stand alone romance stories set in the Middle Ages. They are full of faith, romance, damsels in distress and heroes riding to their rescue. All in all, a great way to relax into some light, fun reading during the holiday season when things can get pretty hectic.

In keeping with my commitment for full disclosure of my reading experience ... while I enjoyed reading The Knight's Bride, it turns out that I prefer to read their romance collections set in the Pioneer days more than the Middle Ages.
Still, this was a relaxing and enjoyable read so please don't let my personal preferences dissuade your interest in this book.

Thank you to Barbour books and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (mehr)