Making a man of your fiancee - well, that's one way to woo
As you can tell, I've been on a bit of a romance novel binge lately (I find them a great way to de-stress) and the latest I am positively obsessed with is the hilarious From This Moment On by Lynn Kurtland. I've literally been laughing on every page.
Set at some unspecified time in the Middle Ages (though if you are looking for historical purity, look elsewhere), the book has everything I like, cross-dressing included :) Alienore hasn't had the greatest life with her new nasty stepmother, but it reaches new lows when the woman agrees to betrothe her to the infamous Butcher of Berhamshire, a man with the reputation so fierce that it scared away a large number of prospective brides. His father is now willing to forego a dowry if any noble family will but send their daughter to wed the Butcher.
Alienore has no desire to become the Butcher's unfortunate wife-victim just to save evil stepmom some money, so she binds her breasts, steals her brothers' armor, spurs, sword, and horse, and escapes. The story proper starts two years later, when Alienore is now known as 'Sir Henri' and has the pretty cushy job of being a knight-in-waiting to a nobleman's daughter. Only her lucky streak is about to end - the nobleman's daughter is being wedded, and Sir Henri is to accompany her to her betrothed whom Sir Henri will now be expected to serve. The name and destination is being kept secret until the party gets there when Alienore discovers, to her horror, that her misteress' betrothed is none other than the infamous Butcher! What's a woman to do with nowhere to escape to?
This is where the book goes from entertaining to pure hilarious awesome. The Butcher (otherwise known as Colin) is neither a sexy antihero cured by the love of a good woman nor a misunderstood angstmuffin with a tragic backstory. No, what he is is a straightforward, uncomplicated, thick-as-a-plank warrior who loves the following things and the following things only: (1) fighting (2) hunting (3) horses (4) talking about 1, 2 and 3. He cannot comprehend why the dimwitted potential brides all beg off - can't they appreciate a real warrior? Not that he isn't better off without a wife - not like he could find one who'd prefer practicing swordfights over gowns and manners.
Finding himself stuck in the keep with nothing to do (having no interest to interact with his bride, who has no interest in interacting with him), the Butcher decides to occupy himself with a little charity - that poor weak knight, Sir Henri - he doesn't even know how to hold a sword properly! So the Butcher decides to take the poor girly young man under his wing and make a man out of him - teach him how to fight, ride, and curse. Little did Alienore think when she escaped becoming the Butcher's bride that she would become his protege man-at-arms instead.
Anyway, this book is hilarious and perfect and awesome. Alienore is tough, Colin is hilarious, and the whole book is a delight from beginning to end.
My favorite bit was after she accepted his proposal of marriage but asked to be wooed first. So he wooed her the only way he knows how - by polishing and sharpening all of her weapons. LOLOLOLOL.
So good.
Set at some unspecified time in the Middle Ages (though if you are looking for historical purity, look elsewhere), the book has everything I like, cross-dressing included :) Alienore hasn't had the greatest life with her new nasty stepmother, but it reaches new lows when the woman agrees to betrothe her to the infamous Butcher of Berhamshire, a man with the reputation so fierce that it scared away a large number of prospective brides. His father is now willing to forego a dowry if any noble family will but send their daughter to wed the Butcher.
Alienore has no desire to become the Butcher's unfortunate wife-victim just to save evil stepmom some money, so she binds her breasts, steals her brothers' armor, spurs, sword, and horse, and escapes. The story proper starts two years later, when Alienore is now known as 'Sir Henri' and has the pretty cushy job of being a knight-in-waiting to a nobleman's daughter. Only her lucky streak is about to end - the nobleman's daughter is being wedded, and Sir Henri is to accompany her to her betrothed whom Sir Henri will now be expected to serve. The name and destination is being kept secret until the party gets there when Alienore discovers, to her horror, that her misteress' betrothed is none other than the infamous Butcher! What's a woman to do with nowhere to escape to?
This is where the book goes from entertaining to pure hilarious awesome. The Butcher (otherwise known as Colin) is neither a sexy antihero cured by the love of a good woman nor a misunderstood angstmuffin with a tragic backstory. No, what he is is a straightforward, uncomplicated, thick-as-a-plank warrior who loves the following things and the following things only: (1) fighting (2) hunting (3) horses (4) talking about 1, 2 and 3. He cannot comprehend why the dimwitted potential brides all beg off - can't they appreciate a real warrior? Not that he isn't better off without a wife - not like he could find one who'd prefer practicing swordfights over gowns and manners.
Finding himself stuck in the keep with nothing to do (having no interest to interact with his bride, who has no interest in interacting with him), the Butcher decides to occupy himself with a little charity - that poor weak knight, Sir Henri - he doesn't even know how to hold a sword properly! So the Butcher decides to take the poor girly young man under his wing and make a man out of him - teach him how to fight, ride, and curse. Little did Alienore think when she escaped becoming the Butcher's bride that she would become his protege man-at-arms instead.
Anyway, this book is hilarious and perfect and awesome. Alienore is tough, Colin is hilarious, and the whole book is a delight from beginning to end.
My favorite bit was after she accepted his proposal of marriage but asked to be wooed first. So he wooed her the only way he knows how - by polishing and sharpening all of her weapons. LOLOLOLOL.
So good.