”. . . this whole story had me on the edge of my seat.” ~Stephanie Porter, Reviewer A Case of Mistaken Identity . . . a Christmas Eve to Remember: The Wise Virgin by Jo Beverley It was quite daring of Edmund de Grave to rescue Lady Nicolette de Montelan before her father found out she was pregnant with an enemy family’s child. Unfortunately, he kidnapped the wrong woman when Nicolette’s cousin, … the wrong woman when Nicolette’s cousin, Joan, took Nicolettes place as the Blessed Virgin in the Christmas re-enactment–a last minute change that seemed fitting given her “condition”.
Now, Lady Joan finds herself trapped in a cave on Christmas Eve with the great Edmund de Grave and neither are very happy about it. He’s fuming because his plan was spoiled and worrying about his brother, now in enemy hands. She’s perturbed that a man she thought a hero is the type to get a lady “with child” outside of marriage.
There’s a battle brewing as the fires of ancient hatreds are stoked and the true spirit of Christmas is about to be tested.
From the Publisher: Fans of Jo Beverley will recognize this story as one of her early works previously published as part of an anthology. Readers with a passion for history will enjoy the author’s penchant for detail and accuracy. Fans of Elizabeth Chadwick, Bernard Cornwell and Philippa Gregory as well as Tamara Leigh and Suzan Tisdale will delight in this medieval romance.
“So sensual in such a short story, it was a pure Beverley delight.” ~Marilyn Rondeau, Reviewer
About The Author: Publishers Weekly declared Jo Beverley “Arguably today’s most skillful writer of intelligent historical romance…” Her work has been described as “Sublime!” by Booklist, and Romantic Times described her as “one of the great names of the genre.”
She is the NYT bestselling author of over thirty historical romance novels, all set in her native England in the medieval, Georgian, and Regency periods. Her novels have won the RITA, romance’s top award, five times, and she is a member of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame.
She also writes some romantic stories with a science fiction and fantasy twist. The Trouble With Heroes… won the Sapphire Award for Best SF Romance, and The Marrying Maid was an honorable mention for Best SF 2011.
She firmly believes that reading should be fun, and that every book should leave the reader with a smile.
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A quick read of a fairly short book that I wished had been longer as I liked it so much! Even so short, the storyline and characters were well developed. Unmarried and pregnant Lady Nicolette talks her cousin Joan into impersonating her as the “Virgin Mary” for the Christmastide pageant. Joan is mistakenly kidnapped by Edmund de Graves, who wants to whisk her away to be with his brother, Gerald, the father. Only the families are sworn enemies with a multiple generations’ feud over a holy artifact. Loved the two main characters and their romance! I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
A short, but highly entertaining medieval romance, I found this novella to be a delight. Having taken her cousin’s place as the Virgin Mary in the Christmas pageant, Lady Joan is abducted in place of her cousin, setting the Woldingham keep into a frenzied uproar as they chase after their Lady. Lord Edmund de Grave is horrified to realize that he has abducted the wrong girl and has no choice but to keep her overnight as the forest is teeming with de Montelan’s men searching for his daughter. Joan is only too aware of her position in the de Montelan household as her cousin’s companion, but in matching her wits to Edmund, she finds she rather enjoys sparring with him. With every intention of arranging an exchange, Lady Joan for Edmund’s brother Gerald who is a prisoner in the Woldingham keep, things go horribly wrong and Joan is forced to defend Edmund with all her strength. With two families caught up in a centuries-old feud, it looks unlikely that there will ever be a successful outcome, but with sharp-witted Lady Joan at his side, Edmund discovers that there are possibilities. I loved both the main characters in this short story and am so pleased that they came to a resolution. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
A witty quick read. Edmund kidnaps the wrong maiden and falls in love with her fiery temperament. When Joan takes her cousin’s place as the virgin in the reenactment, she is not expecting to be kidnapped by the family enemy. It is a lighthearted read with fun and jovial characters. It is a medieval setting that offers a brash happy ending.
This was a short but very enjoyable story. I did like the character of Joan, she was always being told about speaking her mind but this didn’t seem to stop her. Joan was intelligent and brave and looked out for her reckless cousin, Nicolette. Edmund de Graves, was a handsome lord but he was also as intelligent as he was fearless. There was a long lasting feud between the two families. Joan was unlike any woman that Edmund had met and they were attracted to each other. However, there was the matter of the feud and also the problem concerning Nicolette to be solved. I found this to be an entertaining read. I received a copy from eBooks Discovery and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Jo Beverley has another outlandish, but enjoyable plot. Daughter of the castle, who is pregnant with enemy’s child, is snatched, presumably by the local feuding family. However, Joan is taken instead, only making the overall situation worse.
Edward is tired of the bloodshed, but has been unable to make peace with this conflict. Joan is thoroughly disgusted by the history of bloodshed over a piece of cloth. On top of that, how could Edward have been so foolish as to compromise Nicolette in the first place? I was quite alarmed at how quickly things moved between Joan and Edward. One minute Joan is scolding Edward for taking advantage, he is getting really angry, and then they are intimately making out?! After you get past that shocking “lesson”, the rest of the story is a satisfying ride. I gave it 4 stars because I really enjoyed the characters and the story, but it wasn’t knock you out of your seat wonderful. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery and this is my voluntary, honest review.
Great characters.
Kidnapped by mistake Joan meets the Golden Lion Edmund de Montelan their short time together was very eventful. Joan main worry was her cousin yet there also was Edmund’s brother and the people of the de Graves and de Montelan people and she was not too sure what was going to happen to her either. It was a quick book but a whole lot happens some parts that are a bit dangerous and others a bit naughty but overall it is really good story that I highly recommend. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery and voluntarily chose to review it.
A very enjoyable read with a good storyline and well-rounded characters that kept my attention throughout the entire book!
A Holiday heartwarming story with a family feud that had Joan and Edmund, the protagonists, plotting overwhelmed by traditions, duty and the strong attraction they were feeling for each other. Entertaining and witty how the situation was dealt with. Some action, suspense, amusing situations, a failed reenactment, a protagonist who can’t hold her tongue, romance and passion. Voluntarily reviewed this book that I received free from eBook Discovery.