Lynn Spencer - All About Romance

 I had mixed feelings about this book.  On the one hand, I thought the author did a great job of giving it a real setting.  There is no mistaking that this book is not only a medieval, but that it is set in England shortly after the Conquest. The romance sits nicely front and center, but the backstory of the Normans establishing their rule over the Saxons after having won at Hastings runs continuously through the story such that the romance and the rest of the story are inseparable.

And then there was Giles.  I thought Giles was a lovely hero. He has good sense and is enlightened for his time without seeming ridiculously modern. As bastard son of a nobleman, he had little to expect by way of advancement in France but following William to England gave him the chance of a lifetime - a title and an estate.  I loved watching how he managed to treat those around him with kindness and consideration while also showing himself strong enough to rule over his new lands.

I'll admit that the romance caused me some trepidation at first.  After all, not only does the Lady Fayth so clearly NOT want to marry Giles, but the power imbalance between them was huge.  As the conquering lord, Fayth is pretty much completely at Giles mercy. However, Giles repeatedly has opportunities to abuse his position and chooses not to. Affection was a bit slow to blossom between these two, but what really frustrated me was Fayth's continuing refusal to trust Giles despite all evidence that she should. Even so, I did enjoy the book overall.