Finally allowed myself to read this as a treat when I couldn't get through Beard. It started very promising and I just love the hero again - not only does she have the mose likable guys, they are even (body) types I can't stand and yet it doesn't matter. I think this was written before the great Knight one though, because at the end there are just too many characters, and having to work with the real historical figures of Richard, Henry and Elizabeth is never my favourite thing. In that and mentions of torturing marauders and the Welsh emphasis, Dodd seemed to have used Chadwick's Wild Hunt (which I regretfully gave a moocher).There are the usual father and friend figures, but this time their alegience and morals are even harder to make out which is a big plus. Even when I found it all dragged at the end, there were genuine surprises. Dodd never went for the simple and black-n-white, and the conflict between the couple is a real one and understandable from both points of view. There is rather little sex again, IMO, but as with the drag that might be me, and misremembering other books.There is masturbation! That deserves a paragraph of its own. Not shown, but mentioned. And the hero often refering to his "meagre talents" (sexually) is just so endearing. Once more a woman's honour is fought for to be as much worth as a man's. I forgot what was not so good this time, perhaps just the question of Dolan (too many characters), leaving me want to know more.
This wasn’t too bad, for a historical romance. It’s set at the beginning of the reign of Henry VII, the father of the notorious Henry VIII, though none of it actually takes place at court. However, Henry VII does play a large role. Political intrigue is the driving force behind most of the plot. The romance between Marian and Griffith could have been a little more developed — they went from lust to love very quickly — but there were things I enjoyed. The dialogue, though not completely historically accurate, is more fitting than the speech patterns of today that are often used in historical romances. Also, I like the twisting intrigue of court. I’m liking Christina Dodd, and I’ll definitely be reading more of her books.
