The Raven and the Rose Book

A 15th Century Romance and a Wonderful Tale!

Rich in history of 15th century England, this is a passionate love story between two stubborn, strong-willed people who reached for all life could give, rising to every challenge, including each other. I really enjoyed it, could not stop reading it and recommend it.

It is the time when King Edward IV ruled England though he faced threats from many enemies. Beautiful Roseanna Castlemaine rides and hunts with the best of her father's men and is an expert at horse breeding. She does what she pleases. At 17, she learns she is the illegitimate daughter of the King, who has been her mother's lover since they were 14.

Roseanna's "first love" is a landless knight, Sir Bryan, who writes her poetry. They pledge their love to each other though she has been betrothed for years to Roger Montford, Baron of Ravenspur. She has never met him and he's never claimed her. The King did that mostly to protect Ravenspur from having to ward off the parents of marriageable young girls as he'd already had two disastrous marriages that ended in the death of both wives.

Needing to be free of a betrothal that is preventing her from marrying the man she wants, Roseanna rides to the hunting lodge where Ravenspur is staying to ask him to drop his claim so she can marry Sir Bryan. But her plans go awry when she is beset by a storm and her horse runs away. She is found in a bedraggled state by Tristan, Ravenspur's younger brother who thinks her a simple village girl and decides she is a prize for his brother.

The rest is a well told tale of a difficult coming together...a worthy read well told by a master of romance.

If you like to read books in date order, here are the other books she wrote about the same time in chronological order (the first three form her Plantagenet trilogy):

* The Falcon and the Flower (1989) - late 12th century/early 13th
* The Dragon and the Jewel (1991) - 13th century
* The Marriage Prize (2000) - 13th century
* The Raven and the Rose (1987) - 15th century
* The Hawk and the Dove (1988) - 16th century
* The Pirate and the Pagan (1990) - 17th century

And, if you want Scotland's side of the story, you can read her Kennedy Clan books both set in the 16th century after The Raven and The Rose:

* Tempted (1992)
* The Border Hostage (2001)

I highly recommend them all!