This is the complete series of The Barons of the Cinque PortsThis set includes:The Baron’s Quest – Book 1Muriel Draper, a spinster, (woman who spins wool) is left with her late father’s debt to the baron. She is excommunicated from the Clothmaker’s Guild, and has no choice but to become Baron Nicholas Vaughn’s personal clothier in order to pay back the debt and provide for her younger brother.… her younger brother.
Nicholas Vaughn is Lord of New Romney and a Baron of the Cinque Ports. He directs a fleet of ships that service the king, in exchange for special privileges. When he takes Muriel back to his castle to pay off her father’s debt, he finds himself falling for the merchant’s daughter.
The Baron’s Bounty
Book 2
Lord Conlin de Braose of Sandwich has made an alliance with Laird MacEwen. In order to give his daughter a mother, Conlin agrees to marry the Scottish lassie.
Isobel MacEwen’s only weakness is her love of shoes. Because of it, she does her cousin’s bidding and ends up being sent as a proxy to marry the English baron. But on her trip, the ship goes down in a storm, and her savior is none other than her cousin’s betrothed. Isobel has a secret. She’s seen the murder of her Scottish king. But she’s only able to identify the killer by his shoes!
The Baron’s Destiny
Book 3
While in France, Baron John Montague finds himself dangling from the edge of a cliff, and the only one who can save him happens to be his ex-wife. Married at a young age, the marriage has been annulled when suspicion arose that his new wife was a witch.
Lady Celestine de Bar has watched her mother burn at the stake, and will do anything to protect her son. She and her son have stayed hidden all these years at her father’s insistence, but she wants a better life for Claude. When his father shows up and is in a compromising position, she decides to use it to her advantage to get him to take them back to England with him.
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Overall this series box set is an excellent intriguing, historical read with the authors own twist/spin. I like how the author tells what part of history is in the story and why / how it relates to her story. I also liked the comical and comradely interactions between the 3 lords in all the stories.
Bk1 5*
Nicholas Lord Romney-Has a manor house vs a castle 🙂
Muriel- A spinster (the kind who spins wool)- the guild kicked them out of the after her father was killed
Their story has a wonderful HEA.
also listen to it on audio
Narrated by Stan Chandler who did a good job in telling the story.
Bk2 4*
Conlin Lord Sandwich- agreed to the betrothal to a scottish lass for an alliance with Scotland.
Isobel- orphan living with her uncle and cousin. her cousin is betrothed to the H
I enjoyed reading this captivating story that is well written and a unique storyline. Although I’m not sure how realistic the whole proxy consummating thing is but enjoyed the premise of the story.
Their story has a wonderful loving story.
Bk3 5*
John Lord Hastings- has bad nightmares and is afraid of storms since his annulled marriage 14 years ago.
Celestine de Bar- been locked away and kept prisoner by her father for 14 yr till she found a way out.
Their story has a loving HEA probably the best because they figured out what was important. Would love an epilogue to this story!!
also on listened audio
Narrated by John J Gill who did a wonderful job telling the story
3/1/21(read)
The Baron’s Quest 5* – Nicholas Vaughn, Lord of New Romney and Baron of the Cinque Ports is convinced that he and the King are being cheated out of taxes but he cannot work out who the perpetrators are. The last thing he needs is to develop a fascination for a merchant’s daughter who is behind on paying rent on the marshland he owns and whom appears to be in a bind with the Clothmaker’s Guild.
Eighteen year old Muriel Draper is becoming desperate, her father was attacked and killed, leaving her and her young brother to pay his outstanding debts. The Clothmaker’s Guild refuses to allow Muriel membership to the Guild and are making it impossible for her to make a living as a merchant.
Lord Nicholas employs her as his Personal Clothier in order that she can pay the debt owed to him. He is intrigued by her beauty, determination and fierceness but how can he have a future with such a woman when it is his duty to his name to marry a noblewoman?
It was interesting to read a love story involving a commoner/freewoman rather than just nobles and I learnt a bit about spinning and weaving and the guild system in the 13th century.
The Baron’s Bounty 5* – Conlin is aware that his unruly daughter needs a new mother, now that his wife has been dead more than three years and he is prepared to accept his King’s choice of an alliance with a Scot’s clan. Lady Catherine is difficult however and her illness (whether feigned or not) means that her cousin Isobel is sent to England as her proxy, with Catherine to follow on later. What however happens when Conlin and Isobel begin to have feelings for each other? Loved the heroine’s shoe fetish, amusing how she had no resistance whatsoever when shoes were in the equation, though it did mean that her cousin was able to bribe her to do anything that she herself didn’t want to do.
The Baron’s Destiny 4* – Medieval Witchcraft Story. Celestine de Bar reads tarot cards, has visions and is a gifted healer. In the medieval period this was akin to devil worship and likely to get you killed. The entire story develops from the discovery of tarot cards in Celestine’s possession when she is 14. The story for me goes downhill with the introduction of relatives who can shape shift and transport themselves but if you don’t mind a touch of paranormal in your stories then you will probably enjoy it.
I have read the above books individually and copied my reviews to this boxed set.