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When I first began reading Bride for a Knight by Sue-Ellen Welfonder, I thought I was going to have a hard time writing this review. The book started out slowly (it took up until around page 80 for the action to pick up). And if I learned anything in those grad school writing classes, it’s that you have to grab the reader right away or they’ll put the book down and find a better one. However, I’m glad I stuck it out, because Bride for a Knight turned out to be a pretty good romance novel—one that I will most likely read again.
It’s Scotland in the year 1347, and young Aveline Matheson is set to marry Jamie MacPherson, the 10th son of Munro MacPherson. It’s an arranged marriage, and both are carrying a good amount of baggage into the bridal chamber. Aveline is hiding the secret that her father deceived Jamie into marrying her, and Jamie has the 14th century equivalent of “Daddy Issues.” His mother died giving birth to him, and Munro has never forgiven his son for “causing” his beloved wife’s death. In fact, Munro goes so far as banishing his son to a far-off castle, never to return. Unfortunately, Jamie must return to his family home after his nine older brothers all die in one accidental bridge collapse. As the book goes on, it becomes apparent that the collapse might not have been so “accidental” after all—and Jamie and Aveline must discover the murderer before they are the next victims.
This was a very decent, serviceable, romance novel. The dialogue is relatively accurate, with flashes of humor throughout. The book’s humor is a huge plus, because thinking about nine brothers all dying on the same day certainly got me a little depressed. Despite a somewhat convoluted plot (which incorporates a bit of the supernatural), I think Welfonder handled the challenge well—although there were a few times when I caught myself rolling my eyes a little bit. For instance, it comes to light that Jamie has, in the past, visited a prostitute. He tells Aveline he only went because he needed a woman who could “handle” how much “man” he is. I couldn’t help thinking, “Oh, puh-lease!” Despite the Ron Jeremy factor (which I found to be a little corny and over-the-top), though, I must say that the love scenes were outrageously erotic and some of the best I’ve read in quite some time. I was also quite pleased with the ending, which includes a twist that I never saw coming—and I usually can figure out the “who done it” part well before the end. So if you don’t mind a little eye-rolling, and if you enjoy some suspense with your romance, I would definitely recommend Bride for a Knight.
