The Crystal Heart [Paperback]

THis was a fabulous read. I really felt for the characters, their pains, their emotions and the sacrifices they each made in finding each other.

The historical details especially is what I miss so much in the current historical romances. This is so rich. When I want to read a historical - I want HISTORY to actually be there.

So thrilling.

This relatively short paperback (317 pages) took me a long time to read, because it was so packed with historical details, which I savored. This was the first work I read of this author, and since I really enjoyed her humor and descriptive ability, I definitely plan to read more by Deauxville. She certainly researched this period, and wove in the details quite well. However, I found it difficult to relate to the main characters, Emmeline and fitzJulien. I disliked both of them, which is the reason for 4 stars instead of 5. I wanted to tell them both to grow up and get over themselves. They seemed distant to one another, until the end. If we could give 1/2 stars I would give this book 4 1/2.

Married to an old, affluent man who's head of the Guild, Emmeline needs an heir to secure her position. Because her husband is too old to give her a child, she sends a servant to pay a man to discreetly spend one night with her. Her servant finds Niall fitzJulian, a poor knight and they spend a passionate night together.

Years later, Emmeline is a wealthy widow with a son and a new lord of Castle Morlaix (in the town she lives in) is on his way. She hopes he has forgotten her as she gives him homage for the first time but things, unfortunately, don't go that way and she now has to deal with a cold, angry knight determined to make her pay.

I have read two books by this Deauxville and I absolutely love her work. Her attention to detail, ability to weave a compelling story, and knowledge of this time period make her one of the best authors I have come across in a long time. Unfortunately, this was not quite enough to save this story from two very unlikeable characters. Between Emmeline and Niall, i'd have to say that Niall wins as the more unlikeable character. On seeing Emmeline for the first time in years and laying eyes on their son, he first tries to strangle her. When he calms down, he next orders his men to empty her house in front of the whole village, having all of her gold and anything else of value moved to his castle saying it will be her dowry. Then he forces her to marry him by saying she will never see her son again if she refuses. After this we get about thirty pages of him humiliating and insulting her.

This story is set in medeival times and the hero's behavior may not be out of place but his animosity towards Emmeline seemed ridiculous. What did he have to be angry about? Not many women would have gone to the lengths to get a child that Emmeline did and i'm sure she would have been comdemmed for it, but from the way Niall was acting you would have thought he had been raped and that was not at all the case. He was approached in a completely forthright way and had every opportunity to decline.

That being said, The Crystal Heart is still a decent read. She provides a great snapshot into medeival life and she achieves this without making you feel like you are reading a history book. Her writing is top-notch and i would love to see more of her.