The Wolf and the Dove

Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece!
Review: The land and people of Darkenwald fall to the hands of knights who take everything in their path in the name of William, the Conqueror King.

First on the scene is the brutal Ragnor who victimizes the people and claims the Lady Aislinn for his own. Wulfgar "the Iron Wolf of Normandy" arrives and lays claim to Darkenwald and strips Ragnor of his "prize".

As the beautiful Aislinn adjusts to her life as a slave, she finds herself falling in love with her enslaver. He's sworn to love no woman, but also finds himself entranced by Aislinn who is both beautiful and strong. He fights this, even trying to bed other women to no avail.

Known as a bastard, Wulfgar's right to Darkenwald is challenged in the hearts and minds of Ragnor and his followers. When King William sets up a tournament of sorts, where the victor may lay claim to Darkenwald and Aislinn, the fight becomes bloody as the two men wage battle to win the ultimate prize.

As Wulfgar claims his prize, his sister Gwyneth and her father arrive, and ask for shelter. Aislinn's very clothes are stripped from her as Gwyneth falls jealous to Aislinn's role at the Castle. As another twist, Ragnor and Gwyneth develop a relationship that will lead to darkness and despair.

To further complicate matters, Aislinn finds she is to have a child. The question is, who is the father...?

THE WOLF AND THE DOVE is a journey to England, where you can hear the horses galloping as knights ride to battle, where a woman was lucky to not die when conquered, and when the love of a woman breaks into the cold realm of a man hardened by battle. The passion between Aislinn and Wulfgar is brilliantly written, and the 508 page story will not seem long enough!

Rating:
Summary: Good Read AA++
Review: My mum gave me this book about 5 years ago, it was well read at that stage and like an earlier reviewer my copy has finally fallen apart. I so enjoyed this story. I think that Aislinn's character was portrayed as very courageous and very wise; believing that in the year 1066 women had no voice or choice - unless allowed by their men - I feel that she managed her self with humbled pride and dignity. Unlike previous reviewers who saw her character give into the Normans without enough consideration of her parents plight, I feel that she wore her grief but did not give into it; she thought not only of herself or her mother but also for her estate people. Shes a good girl.
As for the hero of the story, he was prideful, powerful and in his own way peaceful. He wanted the same things as Aislinn, he just had to work at winning her favour to achieve it - considering all the hurtful things that his men inflicted on her family and life - hard task.
Definitely read this story again at some stage when I get my hands on another copy.
Hope my review is helpful.

Rating:
Summary: It stood the test of time!
Review: This was the first romance I read in my teen years. I went back to read it again and thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the story. Yes, there were times treatment to Aislinn was hard to take- the brutality to her mother, etc. But I kept right on reading. Wulfgar has had a hard life without love and stands firm on the fact that no woman has been able to break the shell around his heart. He has thrown his life into fighting and standing strong for the cause taking England to put a Norman on the throne. Aislinn's life has been turned upside down with the loss of her father, the abuse and loss of sanity of her mother, her home lands being claimed by a Norman warrior whom she is bow down and submit to. She has to be strong to be a testimony to the others that have been taken into slavery. But seeing them come together is a great story in it's self! Yes, it was worth going back to read again, 30 years later.

Rating:
Summary: Emotionally read two times
Review: I really loved Aislynn character, she's strong and sweet at the same time, and she reflects the charateristics of what she must represent: a princess. She's arrogant to her enemy, even if captured and submitted to him phisically she's very independent spiritually.
The book is very well written and the descriptions of places and dresses are very interesting.

Rating:
Summary: ei. every book has its fans
Review: Generally this book is a pretty good book. i won't say that it is one of the best. But it is indeed one of my favourites. Kathleen has written some other books which i like.....like A rose in winter. And i find her books a very satisfying read whatever fault people may say. Compared with many other new books in the current romance market, at least her book has the touch of a professional and will satisfy you till the last. I reread it twice. It was good.

As concerned with Wulfger, i will have to say that his character is one which draws you in, sarcastic, experating, yet totally enchanting. He will draw you as one who has strength and character.

The heroine: her strength and faith in love and her determination is one which provides a very deep contrast in the story as compared with the male lead. This gives a very provoking interacting between the two.

Try it.

Rating:
Summary: Not for the faint of heart.
Review: This is one of my favorite medieval romance books, the one by which I tend to measure all the rest. Yes, it is graphic. Yes, it is sometimes cruel. But it is a reflection of the times. It is a reflection of the whole of society during an era of the conqueror and the vanquished. It is a love-hate relationship that blossoms into true love and portrays how a woman, Aislinn, must survive during the Norman conquest.

Modern day women can not begin to fathom what it must have truly been like in this era. As you can tell by the varying reviews, it is not a book for everyone. Personally, I loved the sweeping epic, portraying the Norman conquest, the survival of the defeated Saxons and the crowning of William the Conqueror, with the story of Wulfgar and Ainslinn in the midst. There is enough acurate historical information to lay the background without distracting from the romance. But if you are a fan of love at first sight, chivalry and pretty words of love, this is not the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Brutal,Unbelievable and Completely Unromantic
Review: The Wolf And The Dove is written in the popular scenario for medeival romance: The Norman Conquest. While I really like reading about this time period, it was all I could do to finish this book.

One reviewer said that the heroine seems to brush the horror she went through off like it was some trivial incident and I completely agree. I was gaping with disbelief that the hero, Wulfgar, and his men storm the castle, kill her father, beat her mother into oblivion and make her into a slave and it is treated with very little importance. And this is just the beginning of the story. I then have to read about the heroine being raped and chained to the floor at night like an animal by the so-called hero, and her mother chained with the dogs as punishment.

Romance? If there was any I completely missed it. Wulfgar treats Aislinn like conquered booty until the last part of the book when he marries her. If this is considered one of this author's best books then I think i'll pass on her other works. There are so many medeival stories out there that are much better like Hannah Howell's Unconquered, Juliana Garnett's The Vow and Elizabeth Chadwick's The Conquest.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Love Story - On of KEW's Best
Review: Shanna was the first of KEW's books I had ever read and that led me to read all of her others. The Wolf and the Dove is definitely on my list of fave romances (along with "Shanna", "Ashes in the Wind", "Flame & Flower").

Of all of KEW's male characters, Wulfgar is unique. He is initially domineering, almost cruel and unsympathetic, but that facade, resulting from a hard life, hides a very sweet vulnerable man that has had very little experience with love or any other tender feeling. He along with Ruark from "Shanna" and Cole from "Ashes" are my fave KEW men.

From the very beginning Wulfgar's relationship with Aislinn is different from any other he's ever had with a woman. He's a man who claims to hate women, to only use them, to never spend money on them or care for them. Yet from the first, he treats her differently. He doesn't demand that she immediately share his bed, he protects her from his men, he buys her material to make a new gown, and eventually even fights for her (against the dastardly Ragnor). She slowly worms her way into his reluctant heart.

Aislinn is also a bit unique for a KEW heroine. She's not the haughty, spoiled type like a Shanna nor an almost doormat like Heather in "Flame". She is very strong, with a sense of responsibility to her people who have been conquered by Wulfgar's forces. Much of what she fights for is not for herself, but for her people. She is also perceptive enough to see that Wulfgar is not your typical conquerer. He's fair minded and wants to bring peace back to Darkenwald. She falls for him over time after observing that he isn't what he professes to be.

I love this book. I first read it years ago, have read it many times since, and re-read it again just recently. I still was delighted by it. See if you don't agree.

Rating:
Summary: The Romance of Romances!
Review: This was one of the very first romances I ever read years ago, and I've read it again recently. It is a wonderfully intriguing story with characters full of life--you can't help but be pulled into the chemistry of Aislinn and Wulfgar. There is a mystery here too, which only adds to this gem of a book. Most of Woodiwiss' books are excellent, but this one was her top notch effort. I recommend it highly to lovers of romance!!

Rating:
Summary: Not my type of book, couldnt put it down !!
Review: This is not really my type of books, i am really into fantasy (Lord of the rings, and harry potter) but my mother put this book in my house about 3 months ago, and i finally started to read it. this is the first book i MADE time to sit down and read. It tells a wonderfull story about Wulfgar, the iron wolf of normandy, and Aislinn, and young, talanted woman of Drakenwald. The felling i got from this book was that of pure satisfaction. it is hard to explain how a romance book even got opened in my house but if you have not read this book and are looking for some way to escape you world, if only for a moment at a time. get this book.