A reverse twist on the Robin Hood story filled with romance, adventure, twists, and turns, a treat for all fans of historical fiction and medieval stories, featuring a strong female character who can kick butt in a cloak. For three years, the Cloaked Bandit has terrorized Wessex, robbing the nobility by knifepoint and a well-placed arrow. But little does anyone know, this bandit is in fact … is in fact Juliana Wessex, the rightful ruler of the land, and a girl her tyrannical uncle–the current Lord Wessex–believes was killed along with father.
Juliana has become skilled at hiding from Lord Wessex in the forest, using her stolen goods to provide food and shelter to the peasants her uncle has taxed into poverty. But when she robs Collin Goodrich, her red hair betrays her true identity. Lord Collin remembers Juliana from their childhood–and challenges her to stay on his estate for a week in hopes she will leave her thieving ways and become a proper lady once more. Juliana is intrigued by Collin and his charms, but only time will tell if he can overcome her distaste of the nobility–as well as win her heart.
Praise for the An Uncertain Choice series:
“An enjoyable read.” –Christian Library Journal
“This sweet story will not disappoint!” –USA Today Happy Ever After blog
A Daring Sacrifice:
- Is a medieval, clean, YA romance novel by Judy Hedlund
- Features a strong female heroine
- Is a reverse twist on the Robin Hood story, featuring a female Robin Hood-type lead
- Is a perfect mix of romance and action and adventure
- Is the second book in the An Uncertain Choice series
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I just love Jody Hedlund’s strong female characters. This one is part of a series, but could be read as a stand alone. It is set in medieval times with a Robin Hood vibe.
It was very predictable and borderline cheesy at times, but I enjoyed it. It is a fun, quick, clean read. Because of what happened to Lady Juliana as a child, she dislikes all nobility. She remains in hiding from her tyrant of an uncle, who thinks she is dead. Enter the knight in shining armor, with the beautiful eyes and kind heart.
A couple things that bugged me were her perfect memories from him in the past when she was only five years old, and him likewise at seven. There were also a bit of insta-love for me that I’m not a huge fan of.
BRILLIANT. Handsome knights, damsels in distress and power hungry land lords are the elements of a riveting tale. I devoured this novel.
Recommend to readers who enjoy medieval young adult fiction.
I won a copy. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
Okay, I have to put it out there and say that this drew me in because of the synopsis. When I read that it was a Robin Hood retelling with a female Robin Hood character I was immediately on board for this. And, if I’m completely honest, the cover also had some sway in drawing me in. I mean, just look at it! It is breathtaking and the colors are gorgeous!
What I liked
The characters are by far my favorite thing about this book. They are engaging, intense, and their chemistry is incredible! And not just the chemistry between Collin and Juliana, the two main characters, but the chemistry between all of the characters is written perfectly and believably. I couldn’t get enough of these characters.
The story itself if fantastic. I love the Robin Hood retelling aspect of this story. The story is very strong and has all of the elements needed to make it a pleasing read.
I loved the main character, Juliana. She is strong and wants to do right by her people no matter the consequence to herself. She was a delight to read about because she is so admirable.
I enjoyed the epilogue. So many books have abrupt endings that leave you wondering what happened to everyone. The epilogue in this book was very satisfying while still leaving room for the next book in this series.
What I didn’t like
I thought that the story slowed a little bit when Juliana was taken to Collin’s home. It seemed like the only thing that was going on was the romance, and there was so much more opportunity to add to the story. I think that adding more mystery or even perhaps a betrayal involving Irene or perhaps a servant could have proven to be a great plot twist.
On the previous note, I think that adding to the story in general would have been a great addition to the story. The story is good, but it could be that much better with more added to it. The story is a little short for my liking.
I didn’t much care for all of the religious things included in the book, but that may be personal preference. The characters seemed to pray an awful lot and talk about their maker. It just seemed to have a religious overtone that I could have done without. It didn’t really take away from the story being told, but it did stand out in my mind while I was reading. In the end I chocked it up to people from that time being a religious bunch and kept on reading.
Would I Recommend It
I would, yes. Overall, this is a wonderful read. There is action, romance, and a solid story with a moral. There is a strong female character that you will fall in love with! If you like Robin Hood or stories in that setting then you will love this!
A Daring Sacrifice is a lovely young adult romance. Full of exciting scenes and sweet moments, it’s a book that a younger me would have loved – and older me is no different! I don’t know what it is about stories featuring knights and balls and archery, but they always draw me in. I breezed through this little gem in no time.
Juliana is a great heroine because she stands up for others at great personal risk. The Robin Hood reversal isn’t actually all that strong in the story, there’s just a touch of it. It isn’t really the main plot device as much as it is the backdrop of Juliana’s story. It was nice way to let readers know what she’s about without repeating that story line. She does know how to handle a bow and arrow, and those scenes were a lot of fun. Though she is a Robin Hood type character, the story really begins when she agrees to stay with Sir Collin. Collin isn’t a broody guy, but rather funny, flirty and precocious – I found him to be a refreshingly sweet male lead.
While the plot itself was a bit predictable, every bit of it was fun. I didn’t see anything here that was inappropriate for younger readers. Even more present than the “stealing from the rich” story line is the idea of sacrifice and the love that propels it – one that transcends romantic love and truly puts another person’s well-being first.
Though I don’t think I’ll ever prefer her young adult novels over her adult novels, Jody brings out the best of her adult novels and tailors them for a younger audience. Readers that enjoyed the first book will definitely be pleased with A Daring Sacrifice. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.