Rating: 
Summary: good history, bad taste
Review: Enjoyed the history but decried the use of 20th century obscenities. The "lust" scenes were grossly portrayed, certainly not romantic. V.H. should write history books and leave out the "romance" until she knows what love is.
Rating: 
Summary: Thanks for your generous praise.
Review: Everyone seems to love this book. I think the cover helped as well as the setting of Scotland; everyone's favorite this year! All the reviewers have been most kind to me and I appreciate it with all my heart.
Rating: 
Summary: Big overture...little show
Review: How this book managed a hardcover release is beyond me. It's not especially well-written and the love story barely intersects with the Scottish history circa Bruce/Wallace. Also, based on previous reviews I expected a much sexier story. Instead, the so-called erotic interludes frequently had me rolling my eyes. The idea of Lynx wanting Jane as little more than a brood mare gets the romance off to a decidedly unromantic start. Henley is a better writer than this; TEMPTED remains a favorite of mine. But while she did an admirable job with the history, much of the character and plot development suffered. Jane's sister had a part to play in an attempt on the life of Jane and Lynx's unborn child, yet once the scheme is laid bare, the sister is never mentioned again. Same goes with Jane's brothers; after Jane is kidnapped, they get tossed in the dungeon and are never mentioned again. Henley should have used her word count more wisely -- instead of mentioning Lynx's tawny hair and Jane's lush breasts ad nauseum ad infinitum, she should have tied up all the loose ends.
Rating: 
Summary: awful... was disgusted within the first 5 pages!!
Review: I am sorry but I dont think that romance starts with sex in the first few pages. That is soft porn not romance. Also Henley has a thing for animals that I find sickening.
Rating:
Summary: Praise from other authors
Review: I am thrilled that the paperback of A YEAR AND A DAY is everywhere you look and is doing so well. Bertrice Small said, "Virginia Henley writes the kind of book you simply can't stop reading. I was up till dawn devouring A YEAR AND A DAY." Chistina Skye said, "If you liked BRAVEHEART, you'll love A YEAR AND A DAY...No one sets fire to the page like Virginia Henley." Publishers Weekly said: "Steamy sex, memorable characters, bloody battles, nicely paced narrative." A couple of readers reviews said I used modern slang. "Cut to the chase" is an ancient hunting expression. In my previous book on Scotland, I used a lot of dialect and thick Scottish brogues which some readers found hard to read. This time, since both the hero and Robert Bruce were educated in England, I didn't use much dialect. I want to thank the readers for the success of this book. It is most gratifying!
Rating: 
Summary: I could hardly put the book down
Review: I bought the Virginia Henley book as I have all of her other books, and again I am impressed with her writting. I thouroughly enjoy period books and I find that Virginia Henley is a phenominal period writer, I would suggest to anyone who likes historical romances to purchase this book. I enjoyed the banter between the characters and the secondary romance was like an added bonus.
Rating: 
Summary: one year and a day
Review: I bought this book when It came out first as a hardback. I have reread it many times since and it is number one in my favorite books. Ms. Henley recreates the truly unselfish love that one woman has for a man that starts out as a truly unfeeling male, and through their love shows how he is changed to a very caring husband. She uses the history of Scotland through-out the story and for all that loved Braveheart, she leads the reader to believe that another story truly did occur through this period. I have read all of her books but this was the best.
Rating:
Summary: A Rich Tapestry Of History With Romance Woven In!
Review: I can't say enough good things about this book. _A Year And A Day_ is the first book I read by Virginia Henley, and it won't be my last. There were so many good things in it. Let me just say that if you do not want a book that is dripping with history, you may want to stay away from _A Year And A Day_. The book is filled with historical events, and although some of the phrases may not be totally accurate (i. e. helluva woman), it is still a book that is full of research about Edward Plantengenet's reign over England and Robert Bruce's rise to the throne of Scotland. Some people may not like _A Year And A Day_ because a lot of the detail of what was happening in history consumes the story. Anyway, I degress..._A Year And A Day_ is the story of an English warlord who storms Dumfries castle. Lusting for an heir he has yet to produce, Lynx's thoughts are consumed with babies. When the steward of Dumfries Castle, Jock Leslie, suggests a handfasting (a Scottish tradition where a man and a woman live together and act as man and wife for a year and a day. Any child that comes from the union is legitimate even if the two people do not end up married, which most do) to his youngest daughter Jane, it seems an answer to Lynx's prayers. The Leslie family seems to have amazing success with the child bearing buisness. Jane is a very timid girl, and is very wary of all men. She is furius with her father for selling her to this handsom lynx. But, as seeds are sewn, Jane becomes pregnant. And a love blossoms between this unlikely couple. But, trouble is brewing in Scotland. Will this newfound love outlast a year and a day? Lynx was a hero you would feel compelled to take a bullet for. He is tall, handsom, and very concerned for the welfare of his lady. When he is hurt, you hurt too. Not that you are jealous of Jane for having him... I found myself rooting for the pair. Jane was a romanctic heroine I have never encountered before. At the begining of the book, she was very timid and meek. Her fear of men is overwhelming, and I found myself wondering why on earth Virginia Henley had this girl for her heroine. I always thought that the heroines would have the opening scene of their book start off where they were shooting a gun or weilding a knife. That is not the case with Jane. If you are looking for that kind of book, stay away from this one. Jane is very shy, but she overcomes it through the book. Infact, the change is enormous. By the end of the book, Jane has gone through an amazing change. Because of her handfasting to Lynx, she fears no one, and is more herself. While living with her family, she would give in, but as she changes, Jane bends to no one, least of all Lynx. I was very happy with the secondary characters and plots. They were so much a part of this book, that I'd say the book is not just about Jane and Lynx. Jory and Robert's torrid affair kept things lively, and Taffy's love for Jane added sweetness. I really hated Alicia and Fitz-Warren; they were written extremly well. Lincoln Robert, the little baby, was perfect! Children are a great element to add to a romance, and it is one thing I really appreciat, even in the worst of books. So, if you liked Braveheart, read _A Year And A Day_. If you like romances, read _A Year And A Day_. Heck, if you like books, read _A Year And A Day_. You'll see it is one "helluva" book!
Rating:
Summary: bearly okay
Review: I didn't hate it but I certainly would not recommend it. I agree with the others who commented on the dialogue. Also, I was wondering, would she be Lady Jane or Lady Lynx? I thought that it should be Lady Lynx since she was not born into nobility.
Rating:
Summary: This is Historical???
Review: I don't know where Ms. Henley's editors were on this book - probably asleep. The dialogue for this 13th century romance is way out of time. Phrases she has used, such as "cut to the chase" and "a helluva a woman" are straight out of the 20th century. I thought the whole point of historical romance was to immerse yourself in that time period, including how the characters would speak. I frankly didn't care for any of the characters, including the lead characters. The times when Jane Leslie was dreaming about the lynx in the forest suggested a hint of bestiality to me. There was no suspense for me in the plot and I simply could not in any concsience recommend this book for anyone.
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