When the fearsome knight called Hugh the Relentless swept into Lingwood Manor like a storm, everyone cowered-except Lady Alice. Sharp-tongued and unrepentant, the flame haired beauty believed Sir Hugh was not someone to dread but the answer to her dreams. She knew he had come for the dazzling green crystal, knew he would be displeased to find that it was no longer in her possession. Yet Alice had a proposition for the dark and forbidding knight: In return for a dowry that would free Alice and her brother from their uncle's grasp, she would lend her powers of detection to his warrior's skills and together they would recover his treasured stone. But even as Hugh accepted her terms, he added a condition of his own: Lady Alice must agree to a temporary betrothal-one that would soon draw her deep into Hugh's great stone fortress, and into a battle that could threaten their lives...and their only chance at love.
Comment: In my keeping up with the Amanda Quick collection I own, this time I've picked up Mystique. I didn't research it before, so I wasn't aware it was set in the medieval times instead of the usual regency, but to be honest this didn't bothered me, because the author kept her trademark strong willed heroine even in a time where young woman certainly wouldn't be like that, but as I don't read the author's novels to look for historical accuracy, I wasn't bothered with that either.
This book tells us the story of Hugh, he's a knight very respected and feared and he is looking for a special jewel, He has the information lady Alice has it and he goes to see her about that. he finds someone witty and she even tries to make a bargain with him. He never encountered a woman like her so he accepts and even proposes a betrothal, just to keep things more official.
While looking for the jewel, they get even more complications and even attraction.
I liked this one. It was quite entertaining, I managed to read it in one day....I thought it was good enough. I know Amanda Quick isn't the most creative and imaginative or even accurate writer out there, but I read it for an entertaining story, for a few hours with compelling characters and a story intriguing enough to keep me interested until the end. Sure, it's not always brilliant, but it's one of those cases that the amount of time I spend having fun reading surpasses way much the possibility of a more structured story, so no regrets reading her books.
I liked the romance. It was very cliché, the strong hero seduces the innocent but smart heroine and they fall in love and win in the end. Still, it was fun like I said, and the story was quite compelling to me. They had to find a jewel and they did, but Alice got endangered and was saved by Hugh...later on she got to his defense as well when he was being mocked...the romance has a certain sense of balance which I liked.
Alice was a wonder woman of her time though. She knew many things she had a smart head and even a notebook about diseases which helped her save Hugh's father figure and someone he cared about. Obviously a bit pushed but I still think it fit the storyline even if not much believable. I liked the end and how Hugh was able to get past some hate he had for another knight under his father figure's care and it was very hopeful. I like HEAs that make me happy with the world too, because they give hope, even when it's all just make believe.
I'll read another one next month and I hope it's as entertaining as this one.
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