"A memorable romance"
In 1322 Lady Johanna FitzHenry knows that she must
escape from her abusive husband Sir Fulk de Enderby who
lives up to his nickname The Mallet as he constantly hits
her and scorns her for failing to produce his heir.
Johanna knows that if she fails to flee soon she will join
his two previous wives interred under the earth. Her
opportunity arises when she receives a message from her
mother Lady Constance that her father is dying. Johanna
tricks Fulk into allowing her to see him. Gervase de Laval pretends to be a scholar though he
recently fought and fled from a losing battle with the
English. Father Gilbert arranges for Gervase, using the
name Geraint, to take his wounded comrade to a local healer
Christiana. There Geraint meets Constance who decides to
blackmail the obviously not scholar into helping free her
daughter from that beastly Mallet. Knowing whom his
injured friend is, Constance persuades Geraint to testify
at an ecclesiastic court that he is Johanna's husband
married before she wedded Fulk. As Geraint and Johanna
play out their dangerous ruse, they fall in love, but she
struggles with taking a chance on any male after the
behavior of Fulk. THE KNIGHT AND THE ROSE is an entertaining medieval
romance filled with characters readers will either love or
detest as the cast is fully developed. Though everyone
seems to recognize the wounded colleague, the story line
remains enjoyable for fans of thirteenth century romances.
Readers will root for Johanna and Gervase while hoping that
the odious Fulk receives all he deserves. Isolde Martyn
provides sub-genre fans with a historical treat. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted January 14, 2002
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