Once A Knight (Mass Market Paperback)

Alisoun decides to hire him anyway, since just his mere presence could keep further danger at bay. She soon discovers David's knightly skills are a little on the rusty side. And David makes a discovery of his own. Alisoun knows who her assailant is, and the motive behind the attacks, but she refuses to divulge this information.

They have another problem as well, for David desires the straight-laced Alisoun, and begins pursuing her, and using every opportunity to seduce her into marriage. Alisoun, who is rumored to be the oldest living widowed virgin in the kingdom, tries to resist his advances, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Will David be able to do what so many others before him have tried and failed to accomplish, by melting the icy wall around Alisoun's well-fortified heart?

This is the first installment in a two-book medieval series by Ms. Dodd. A delightfully humorous, and rather unique story of two less than perfect people who succumb to love. David is no longer the highly skilled, invincible knight of the legend. He's older now, his skills are rusty, and even with practice, will never be what they were. I found this very realistic. Isn't this what happens to everyone eventually as we age?

In some ways Alisoun is like other Dodd heroines, sensible, pragmatic, and intelligent. But she's far from the perfect romantic heroine. She's much too prim, proper, and devoid of a sense of humor and fun. This extreme in personality is what sets her apart from the typical Dodd female lead. While I basically liked Alisoun, I was disappointed she didn't seem to thaw out too much as the book progressed. However, I especially liked the hero, David, and the supporting characters all added quite a lot to the story as well. Definitely a worthwhile read. The sequel to this book is A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER.

This book had a very unique storyline and that was refreshing. There was never any major misunderstandings between the main characters and no great adventures but it was a heartwarming read. I did grow to care about the people and really enjoyed the childrens role in the book. The mystery of the book was very easy to guess in the second half but I enjoyed reading the conclusion anyway.

The romance between Alisoun and David was nice but the sex scenes lacked something... and their relationship sure didn't sizzle like those in Judith McNaught's or Johanna Lindsey's books. Maybe this was because the characters were different from the usual stereotypical hero and heroine. Alisoun was cold and seemingly emotionless and David was past his prime and aging. Oh, he was still handsome and full of honor, etc., but I like my heroes strong, able, and too hot for words. David seemed to fall short of the mark and Alisoun just never really seemed to open up and let her love for him show.

All in all, its a relaxing read for a cold winter's day. I wouldn't advise you to go out and spend a lot on it but rather borrow it from the library since its not really one of those books you want to read over and over again.