The Willing Wife: Amazon.ca: Claudia Dain: Books

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11 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

Average Customer Review

3.1 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Great story!, Mar 5 2004

By

Detra Fitch (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Willing Wife (Mass Market Paperback)

Set in England, the year of 1155. King Henry II was on the throne. Lady Nicolaa of Cheneteberie had already been given four husbands from the king. All four had asked Henry to set the marriage aside and had gotten new brides. Word had it that Nicolaa could not produce children. After being harshly handled by four husbands, she never wanted a fifth. The king sent her one anyhow. Nicolaa did her duty. She married him, Rowland the Dark. She knew he would leave quickly too. The fact did not displease her. Her heart had become well armored. Besides, Rowland's heart would forever belong to his deceased love, Lubias.

Sir Rowland d'Albret of Aquitaine knew she could not give him an heir. He did not want one. Nicolaa was worthy and would make a fine wife. He vowed to protect her and be gentle, unlike her previous husbands. Yet even though he would not ever give Nicolaa his heart, he believed she should, and would, give him hers!

**** Be warned, though a willing wife, the consummation of the marriage is harsh ... almost to be called rape, in my opinion. The entire book focuses on the two main characters. The secondary characters, in no way, detract from their tale. Rowland and Nicolaa seem to be very strong willed people. This makes for many battles between them and great reading for the readers. My only real complaint is that the villain seldom made an appearance. Great love story! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

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1.0 out of 5 stars really...zero, Feb 1 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Willing Wife (Mass Market Paperback)

Wow - I have read lots of bad romances, but this really was bad. Right on to the reviewer to pointed out that Nic's incredible coldness was too played up. There was no logical reason for Rowland to fall in love. Her fall in love with him, yes, possible, but not he with her. She was too emotionally and physically unavailable for any man to find attractive. Also, it is impossible to imagine, in that time, that Rowland would actually not have slept with Nic in the marriage bed. So as far as the law was concerned, they were not legally married and if he had died in the battle when he first left, where would that have left everything? He was ordered to marry and in a way, he disobeyed the King. There was no love, no tenderness in this story. Nic inspires no real sympathy in this reader.

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1.0 out of 5 stars hated it., Jan 16 2003

By

Annie (Pearl River, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Willing Wife (Mass Market Paperback)

... This book was just awful. The plot has already been summed up. Having to wade through over 250 pages for some action was boring. I fail to understand Nicolaa. ... Nicolaa was just plain ridiculous in refusing to believe that men could not love..... Sure, as a reader, you might get some glimpse of why she was so cold, but how could he? He more than tried to please her, yet she was unaffected. Her coldness, her reckless disregard for the women in her "court" and not making marriages for them, made her unlikeable. ...Nicolla's not so very logical views were to distorted to be realistic. Poor Rowland. Daine portrayed Nicolaa to severe in her inability to imagine that love was a possibility. Her very coldness was a turn-off for this reader.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe more like four stars, BUT
I feel the need to give this book five stars in order to offset earlier, harsher reviews. I do not "love" this book, but I LIKE it very much. Read more

Published on Dec 3 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful heroine + sexy hero!
This was my first Claudia Dain book, and definitely won't be my last. Others have summed up the plot here--Nicolaa is ordered to marry her fifth husband, and he's none too... Read more

Published on Nov 25 2002 by Nicole Burnham