Rating: 
Summary: A fantastic read!
Review: If you enjoy historical romance, this is a must read! It's well-written and well-researched and it spins a fantastic variation on the "arranged marriage" plot. I also give Madeline Hunter an A+ for character development and plot. Her hero, the merchant David de Abyndon, is intriguing, textured, and complex. Her heroine, Lady Christiana Fitzwaryn, is intelligent and equally intriguing and complex. They evolve and surprise us over the course of the novel. As one of the other reviewers notes, many authors use a historical setting as "wallpaper" for romance. Not so here! Hunter takes great pains to render the social and historical world of 14th-century London in vibrant detail and it makes for a great read! I look forward to her next book.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic read!
Review: If you enjoy historical romance, this is a must read! It's well-written and well-researched and it spins a fantastic variation on the "arranged marriage" plot. I also give Madeline Hunter an A+ for character development and plot. Her hero, the merchant David de Abyndon, is intriguing, textured, and complex. Her heroine, Lady Christiana Fitzwaryn, is intelligent and equally intriguing and complex. They evolve and surprise us over the course of the novel. As one of the other reviewers notes, many authors use a historical setting as "wallpaper" for romance. Not so here! Hunter takes great pains to render the social and historical world of 14th-century London in vibrant detail and it makes for a great read! I look forward to her next book.
Rating: 
Summary: An amazing debut book by an author destined to go places!
Review: It is a rare find in the romance world to discover an author so gifted that her very first book can be, well, so very good. _By Arrangement_ is a wonderful little morsel of a book just waiting to entrap you. It is a vivid mideval tale that will capture your heart and not let it go. I was amazed at the amount of historical content that was actually in this book. As previous reviewers have mentioned, the historical setting usually takes the backseat to the story and is just there to look pretty. This is not the case in _By Arrangement_. The historical setting is so much a part of the story that it is almost a character. The characters themselves are absolutely astounding. Christiana and David are surprisingly real and it is not hard to imagine that they might have really existed. Ms. Hunter's historical world came alive and it was very refreshing that she broke away from total nobility so common in historical romance and fucosed on the commoners of England. Although David is wealthy, he is not of noble blood and there for is looked down upon. It is amazing the amount of discrimination that commoners went through and Ms. Hunter exposes it in her _By Arrangement_. Ms. Hunter is a strong new voice in women's fiction and it is absolutely amazing that her books are available in such low prices. Grab them while you can for it is obvious that she will soon make the jump from paperback to hardcover. Ms. Hunter is a definite gem added to the romance genre and it is a privelidge to read her amazing work.
Rating:
Summary: Looking forward to 2001
Review: It is medieval England, and Christiana Fitzwaryn learns King Edward has arranged for her a marriage to David de Abyndon. Even with the king's blessing (whose reason, and David's for accepting, is later explained in the book), this is a magnificent faux-pas, as Christiana is the daughter of a baron and David is a merchant, a commoner, and illegitimate to boot. You can pretty much get the plot everywhere, but I'll tell you why this book (even though published in 2000) got me highly cheerful of the new year. Christiana is a wonderful heroine-- she is eighteen, but Hunter does not allow her youth and inexperience to excuse her from stupidity. When in the opening pages, she goes to a clandestine meeting to talk to her never-before-seen betrothed, I groaned to myself and thought, "Oh, no! She will plead for him to back out, tell him haughtily that she has given her heart/body/heart and body to another, and this will be the beginning of one of those I-love-you-I-hate-you-husband-meets-other-lover-who-will-throw-a-wrench-into-the-burgeoning-love stories." Yes, Christiana loves a bit foolishly (as in the case of Stephen Percy, a knight with whom she has shared intimacy), but a certain beautiful je ne sais quoi soon set my previous prejudice aside. The heroine is admirable, with the right amount of common sense and spirit to be believable (don't you hate an immensely reasonable or a too feisty heroine?). And of course-- there's David de Abyndon. He's handsome, of course, with great wealth, hidden mystery, and a soupcon of danger. Sometimes, he seemed a bit villanous, and the last few pages as he contemplated Christiana's brother and revealed the reason for his willing role as a bridegroom quite chilled my blood. That left me a bit unsettled of the newlywed's rosy future (plus my limited knowledge of the political situation of the era, not to mention the life expectancy), but hey... I'm optimistic.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Love Story
Review: Lady Christina Fitzwaryn was not opposed to marriage, but she wanted to marry on her own terms, not as a punishment for an indiscretion and especially not to a mere merchant. But when Christina met the man that the king had decreed to be her huband, she was suprised to find that he was no mere merchant. David de Abyndon was the most handsome, virle man she had ever met. He didn't care a whit about their difference in status, he wanted her and he paid a huge bride price to have her. When she told him that her heart belonged to another, he brushed it off and told her that if her 'lover' did return for her, he would then and only then release her from the betrothal. David understood her feelings, she was young and naive in the ways of men. But he had his own secret pain to hide. Would he ever be able to let her see the 'real' David without tearing himself in two? Once more, would she ever believe him to be the honest man he was, or just a traitor to the crown she has become to believe that he is. Their adventure in love takes them from England to France, with very vivid details about the countries and the inner workings of war and the rewards that they will give. But will the final reward be the losing of themselves and their love, or the conquering of a country that didn't stand a chance to begin with? This is a very good book. The love story is touching and compelling. It sometimes wanders and leaves the reader wondering if they have missed a page or two somewhere along the way, but eventually you'll catch up and realize that the author is taking you onto a journey that will leave you feeling for the characters. Happy reading!
Rating:
Summary: Another great medieval!
Review: Medievals are becoming my favorite genre to read in romance and this book is one of the prime examples. While not a real fast moving story, the characters are like real people walking around in a real world of Old England. I actually read some of the other books in this series before this one, so, it was nice to come back and read about the David and Christiana that I knew from the other books, only before they were together. Their love story was very believable and I liked the secret about David. I also liked seeing the warrior Morvan in this book again. He's my favorite MH hero so far! *S* I am looking forward to Ms. Hunter's next tale!
Rating:
Summary: A Real Historical Romance
Review: Readers who know my reviews from The Romance Reader are aware that I am not fond of the current trend of using history merely as "wallpaper" for the story. Having cut my teeth on Roberta Gellis' well researched and well written romances, I like my historical romances to have real history. Well BY ARRANGEMENT fits my requirements. Set against the early years of the 100 Years War, this novel deals with the intrigues and the machinations of the English and the French, as well as the actions of Edward III. But however much I like the history in BY ARRANGEMENT, it is the love story that makes this book special. Christiana Fitzwaryn, after a romantic indiscretion, is informed that she is to marry the merchant David de Abyndon. She wants her prospective fiance to withdraw from the marriage; she is in love with someone else, or so she thinks. But David refuses. There is more to this marriage than a social climbing merchant's desire to marry a baron's daughter. David sets out to woo Christiana away from her knight. And what a wooing. David is one cool hero. He is handsome, intelligent, sexy, and more than a little bit devious. He has his own agenda. Christiana finds herself attracted against her will. She also grows up as she comes to terms both with her feelings for David and her immature crush on an unworthy suitor. Truth in advertising requires me to admit that Madeline Hunter is a friend of mine and that I have been in love with David for four years, ever since I read BY ARRANGEMENT in manuscript form. But I truly believe that I would have given this story a five star rating, whoever the author is. It's a wonderful HISTORICAL romance.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent romance
Review: She was used to being treated quite kindly by her guardian King Edward and his spouse Queen Philippa, and the rest of the court. However, eighteen-year -ld Christiana Fitzwaryn is stunned to learn that the monarch has arranged for her to marry a common merchant David de Abyndon. Christiana needs to see her so-called betrothed because she does not want to marry an older person as another lady of the court has informed her he is. However, David turns out to be a young, virile man. Since Christiana believes she loves Stephen Percy, she tries to persuade David to withdraw his offer to the king. David rejects Christiana's argument including the claim she is not a virgin. Unbeknownst to Christiana, David has his own agenda with King Edward. In exchange for a special trade license, David agreed to all the King's terms. Edward needs cash to finance his upcoming war against France. To disguise the source, Edward insisted David marry so that everyone accepts the money as a bridal fee. Though both have personal reasons to say no, Christiana and David fall in love, but will their class distinctions destroy any chance for a lasting relationship? BY ARRANGEMENT is an interesting medieval romance that will thrill sub-genre purists with its taste and feel of authenticity that makes the reign of Edward seem vividly real. The story line is exciting and filled with surprises that freshen up the tale. The lead characters are a warm dueling pair while the secondary cast augments the plot with depth. If this debut is an indicator of Madeline Hunter's story telling abilities, historical romance fans are fortunate to have a new star to brighten and freshen up their reading material. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Good beginning for this series!
Review: The Arrangement was a good story - maybe not quite as compelling as some I have read recently but still very good. I enjoyed Christina as a heroine and very much enjoyed David. He had so many many layers to his personality and it was a main part of the story watching them being pealed away - and wondering where his loyalites really lied. I am looking forward to the other books in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Genuine romantic tension, interesting characters
Review: The most distinguishing aspect of this book is that portrays the love story of a noble woman with a commoner (a wealthy and handsome one to be sure). It's a theme we don't see often in romance novels. (I sometimes suspect that there are more nobles in novels than ever existed in real life.) The first two-thirds of the book are devoted to the romance as the two get past some real obstacles to love (class, in love with others and such). This part of the book works very well. The final third concerns their involvment in the 100 Years War and the tests that puts on the relationship. This part is a bit tedious. It also includes some revelations that are a bit too formulaic for an otherwise original book. Still, I liked the characters a good deal. Both of them grow in the course of the novel in ways that are believeable and appealing.
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