Word of Honor (Knights of Valor Book 1)

MEDIEVAL:  Merryn Mantel has loved her betrothed since they were children.  Geoffrey de Montfort is everything she could have wished for and more.  She waited for him when he left for France to fight in the King’s war and now, after five long years, they are married! The wedding night proves to the couple that they are meant to spend the rest of their lives together.

Cruel fate intervenes and Geoffrey goes missing for another seven years.  The King is impatient with his subject and demands that Merryn remarry.  Although her heart belongs to Geoffrey, she must finally acquiesce to his demands; that is, until Geoffrey mysteriously reappears without a word of explanation.

Take this book to the beach - it’s light-hearted fare makes a great read in the sun with a cool drink near at hand. Unfortunately, Ms. Linwood chooses to gloss over the more substantial aspects of Merry and Geoffrey’s story: the trauma of separation, the loss of trust and the journey toward healing.  Instead, Merry and Geoffrey become romantic archetypes, easily able to surmount their difficulties through love instead of hard work and determination. Ms. Linwood’s prose is vivid and well written. Her dialogue is appropriate to the time period and flows effortlessly without bogging the reader down in confusing archaisms.  The reader just can’t help but feel that there was more potential in this story and in this talented author that wasn’t fully realized.

Gwenellen Tarbet