The Warrior and the Wildflower (Forgotten Flowers of Flanders #1)

Everley
Gregg
Genre: 
Historical

A letter from the Duke arrives for Eva’s mother. She knows that the Duke is her real father, but since she is illegitimate, she never thought she would be acknowledged, especially because of her disability. She was born with a leg injury, which causes a limp. It turns out that the Duke’s wife is helping all of the Duke’s illegitimate children. Eva has her heart set on a chivalrous knight, who will be strong and sweep her off her feet. So when she has strong feelings for the Duke’s ostler, Mathieu, she can’t help but feel disappointed. Mathieu could have been a knight but he knows how knights can actually be, and prefers the company of animals. He loves Eva for everything she is, but how could she ever choose a lowly ostler over a knight?

Life has plans, but the heart has plans all on its own! How does one choose, especially for a medieval woman with limited choices? It is wonderful to see the main character with a disability and how the love interest doesn’t try to heal her or change her. Mathieu shows that one does not need to be a knight in order to be chivalrous. Eva has some wonderful development throughout the novel. She starts out as naive and grows into a marvelous young woman. While the plot keeps readers on their toes, some of the transitions are a little rough. However, that doesn’t lessen the enjoyment of the tale! It isn’t only the main characters that are delightful; the supporting characters are wonderful as well. Can we have Keegan’s story now? Get ready for another wonderful historical series!

Amanda Hupe