Wonderful

Rating:
Summary: longing, laughter and love!!
Review: I read this book in one afternoon! Completely enjoyable! Merrick had just the right amount of bluster and more than enough loving!! Made me wish the Lord of Lips was real and I was Clio. A funny, heartwarming book I literally laughed out loud !!

Rating:
Summary: Sweet!
Review: I thought this book was very sweet. I found it extremely enjoyable that Clio was always getting into trouble and Merrick is always quick to reprimand her. It is a very tender and heartwarming read and I did enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: An Unexpected treat
Review: I was really surprised that this book turned out to be so delightful. I loved the characters. My favorites were DeBeaucourt and Lady Clio. I really enjoyed the book when Lady Clio began to twist here mother's ring, get really still and chew on her bottom lip. I tried to guess what she was going to do next. Sir Roger was a wonderful character to read about. I was extremely happy to find out that another novel had been written about his character. I haven't read it yet, I just hope that Old Gladdys is in that novel as well. This was my first Jill Barnett novel and it won't be my last!

Rating:
Summary: Cute, perky and thoroughly adorable
Review: In 1269, the mischievous fifteen year old Lady Clio of Camrose is betrothed to Lord Merrick de Beaucourt, a knight she has never seen, who is fighting in the Middle East. While waiting for his return, she becomes a ward of the court and sent to a convent. In 1275, Merrick is elated to be traveling through England to his home. Clio worries about his return because she spent so much time at the convent getting into trouble doing what she thought was right. Still, Merrick has to be better than the boring convent.

At Camrose, Clio continues to work with ales in an effort to recreate the legendary Heather Ale that healed the sick and gave the ancient Picts extraordinary strength. She also runs the castle in her weird way that soon has everyone, including her besotted spouse, doing her bidding. However, Medieval England is almost as dangerous a place as the Crusades and if the loving couple are not more careful, they may find someone trying to put an abrupt end to their deepening relationship.

This novel is a humorous, fun to read Medieval romance due to its varied, eccentric, and exciting characters. The story line dexterously mixes a poignant historical romance with a lovely legend, thereby turning the novel into a WONDERFUL reading experience.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Good, but
Review: It was good as everyone said it was except for the last bit. The remaining pages just completely lost me. I felt that Jill Barnett rushed the last bit. I would like to know how and where the Welshmen came from. Furthermore, I did not like the hero recovering remarkably and within a matter of pages. It seemed a triffle far-fetched for me. It's a good novel but maybe the feeling of being "picked up and dropped" is still fresh on my mind which fell short of giving this novel the complete 5 star rating.

Rating:
Summary: Funny and Fast paced
Review: Jill Barnett describes each character so well you are sad when the book ends. The spirit of Lady Clio and her Knight are such that this could take place at any time but with the setting as it is the humor propells you through before you know it is over. I personally loved the confrintation scenes because of how dead on to marital conflicts they can be. Any scene revolving around the making of Ale normally had me rolling on the floor. I've read this book cover to cover at least three times and enjoyed it more and more each time.

Rating:
Summary: Shades of Julie Garwood...
Review: Julie Garwood is my absolute favourite romance author. Her heroines are always charming, utterly enchanting and I own every one of her books. It's hard not to compare all other romance writers to her. Jill Barnett evokes a bit of Garwood's atmosphere but doesn't quite measure up in Wonderful. The book is quite readable and Lady Clio and Merrick are satisfactory heroes. But Clio was a bit too contrary and haughty for too long (and seemed sooooo young!).Merrick took a long time to realize how much he cared for Clio. The two simple brothers, Thud and Thwack were very endearing characters and the scene where Merrick taught Thwack to ride was quite heartwarming. As I said, Barnett is no Garwood, but she shows promise. I'm willing to try another one of hers. It'll probably be Wild, her newest one because it carries on the story and characters started in Wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: Amusing...
Review: The heroine, Clio, had lived in a convent while waiting for her betrothed, Merrick, to pick her up one day. When the time came for him to fetch her, he did not appear. Boy! Was he late! And very late, in deed! He was 2 years late... Clio did not really forgive for that. She tried to get back at him using many innovative ways. And there was the heather ale brewing which really tested Merrick's patience with his wife.

This book is a WONDERFUL read...

Rating:
Summary: Humor, Passion and Romance- Oh My!
Review: This is a very entertaining story, full of humor and romance. Lady Clio has given up all hope of her betrothed ever arriving to fulfill their marriage arrangement. Determined to be an independent woman, she seeks to brew ale and searches desperately for the recipe of the mysterious Pict's Heather Ale.

When her betrothed finally arrives (two years late), Clio tries to maintain her independence, desperately afraid of losing any identity other than "wife". Merrick, a battle-hardened knight made Earl, is a fair match for her wits. The story is full of humor, and I love the various names Clio has for her betrothed.... "Earl of Grumbles, Earl of Lips, Earl of Warmonger".

The romance is good, sweet and slow, more realistic probably, than the stories where the hero and heroine fall madly in love at first sight. My one complaint is that there is so much obligatory action thrown into the last few chapters that had not been there before. The Welsh suddenly appear while there had really been no hint of a threat before, and it did seem a little formula at that point. But all-in-all, a good book that I would recommend.

Rating:
Summary: one of the best of the year
Review: This is the first book I read by Jill Barnett, and when I finished this one, I could hardly keep from clapping. Lady Clio is a thouroughly engaging heroine, and Merrick is a character that brings a smile to my face. I also like the secondary characters; Thud, Thwack, and all the rest. I actually read this book twice to make sure I enjoyed it as much as I thought that I did. READ THIS ONE EVERYONE!!! :-)