Still working on my current book so here is another review from my archives.

For My Lady’s Heart – Laura Kinsale

Similar to previous Kinsale books I’ve read I had to pick this one up twice and start it before finally being able to settle down and read it on the third try. I’m in awe of Laura Kinsales storytelling abilities but I find I really must be in the right mood to read her books. Luckily for me on the third try I was craving a meaty, in depth and complex historical romance and I wasn’t disappointed.
After having his wife, money and all his earthly belongings taken away by the church, 17 year old Ruck is spiraling down into hopelessness when he receives a gift of two very valuable jewels from a Princess he had a brief encounter with earlier in the day. Although it hurts his pride to accept charity he takes the two jewels and makes a personal vow to serve the lady (whoever she is) for the rest of his life.

The lady in question is the Princess of Monteverde, Melanthe. She has been recently widowed by a powerful Italian prince and her life is currently in danger as two rival families attempt to gain her land and riches.

13 years after their chance meeting the two run into one another again. Ruck is in service as a knight for the Duke of Lancaster but when he realizes who Melanthe is he challenges all who would fight him for the honour of serving his lady.

Once Ruck has entered Melanthe’s service he joins her party as they travel across England. Ruck has no idea of the danger Melanthe is in and the plan she has put in motion to try and save her own life and to keep Monteverde out of her enemies hands because of this he believes himself a fool for idolizing such a cold and cruel woman for so long and is furious with himself for continuing to lust after her. Ruck and Melanthe have many challenges before them as they get to know one another and fall in love.

The characterization in this book is amazing. Kinsale is a master at showing and not telling. Ruck and Melanthe jump off the page right from the beginning but Kinsale continues to develop these characters throughout the entire story through their actions and their pasts. Ruck is exactly what a Knight should be – brave, honourable, chivalrous and completely self – sacrificing. This may sound like he’s one of those too good to be true characters but he has personal flaws as well they just don’t interfere with his first priority – Melanthe. Melanthe is a bit difficult to warm up to at first but she grew on me very quickly. In my opinion she is a very realistic strong female character living during a time when women were given very little say in anything. Rather than being the feisty heroine everyone is just so enamoured with they don’t care what she does, Melanthe is cold, cunning and deceitful but she must be this way in order to survive. As you watch her shed her cold exterior during her time with Ruck she becomes absolutely delightful. The relationship between these two develops over the course of the story and is at times sweet and at other times heartbreaking. There is plenty of sexual tension between the two and the love scenes are both humorous and tender (a lot like real life if you ask me).

The supporting characters are all equally well done and I can’t write the review without mentioning Allegretto, the quasi villain in this book and the hero of Kinsale’s Shadow Heart. Allegretto at first comes across as a cold assassin but as we read the story it is revealed how he came to be what he is and by the end of the book I couldn’t wait to read his story.
Kinsale’s medieval setting is definitely not a wall paper historical setting. Kinsale doesn’t skimp on the nitty gritty of the time and she makes sure to show the role religion played in the lives of the people living during the time.

One other thing I should mention which may turn people off is that the dialogue between the characters is written in middle english. At first this put me off but as I read the story I stopped noticing it and now that I’ve read the whole thing I can’t imagine it any other way. The language made the scenes between the h/h all the more romantic for me.
All in all this is my favourite Kinsale book so far and not only is it definitely in my top 5 romances of all time but Melanthe is by far my favourite heroine ever and Ruck is in the top 5 heroes. If you like meaty and involved historicals I heartily recommend this book.

Grade 10/10