Rating: 
Summary: Heartpounding Raw Passion and Love...
Review: Not for the faint of heart, Ms. Joyce weaves politics of the time(1069-England) and raw passion so real that you are swept away. Not a 'fluffy' romance during William the Conqueror's time, but a meaty and controversial one sure to cause some murmers of disapproval.
I enjoyed it very much and appreciated what she was trying to get across to the reader. Some readers missed the message of the true world of war and upheaval and the odd accountance of passion and love that rises above the carnage. A very real and serious look into the life of a reknowned knight of William of Normandy's army and how he cannot understand his love for a Saxon woman that can't belong to him.
What would it be like if someone like Rolfe the Relentless were to fall so madly in love with the very woman he was supposed to despise, a Saxon enemy, the conquered...and maybe risk treason to have her...defy a king to be with her...it would not happen to someone so loyal to the crown...or could it?
When Rolfe rides into Castle Aelfgar to claim it and its prize, the Lady Alice as his bride as William has decreed, he finds himself helplessly attracted to Lady Alice's illegitimate half sister Ceidre.
Was Ceidre a spy? So mysterious was she that Rolfe refuses to see that she aides her nobel rebel brothers and flaunts treason to help them. He cannot help but feel protective. Soon he is caught in her forbidden passion, both are caught in a dangerous liason tied to the fate of England.
Can love conquer all? Can the will of a tyrant king bring down the fires of Hell on the two starcrossed lovers?So passionate and fast-paced, I was at once caught up in the turmoil until the very end. The sequel to this unbelievable book is 'Promise of a Rose'. Tracy Talley~@
Rating: 
Summary: No flowery words of romance here.
Review: Not your usual romance tale. There are no flowery words here. Rolfe the Relentless rides into Ceidre's life like the Norman conqueror that he is. I did find some of this rather hard to believe... ...The ending of the book is just as off-key as the rest, although, quite frankly, probably more along the lines of what really could have happened in that time period. A decent read, it is more along the lines of "The Wolf and the Dove", conqueror and vanquished finding love in the face of unbelievable adversity and against all odds.
Rating:
Summary: The story SIZZLES with a capital SSSSSsssss!
Review: Rolfe (Norman Knight sent to capture Castle Aelfgar by marrying the female heir) and Ceidre (the illegitimate daughter of the landowner afflicted by the "evil eye"). Be prepared to be thrown into a time of William the Conqueror where women were not treated as equals, but rather as property for the most part. Remember what era you're reading about -- where the men were barbaric and society viewed things differently than today. The love story that unfolds between these two unlikely lovers is delightful and the love scenes are STEAMY! A definite KEEPER!!
Rating:
Summary: STEAMY & HOT
Review: Rolfe of Warenne is known as Rolfe the Relentless for his bravery in France. In England, though, he is known as the enemy and rides into Castle Aelfgar claiming it and Lady Alice as his prize. Yet it isn't the Lady Alice who arouses his lust but her illegitimate sister, Ceidre. With her exotice beauty and sensuality she effortlessly seduces Rolfe's senses until a fierce lust consumes him. All he can think about is bedding her. But Ceidre is no simple maid. She is a spy for the rebel cause of her noble half brothers. She refuses to cower before this powerful warrior even though he ignites within her a desire to match his own. Be warned, though. The Conqueror is not for gentle readers! Rolfe is very ruthless and determined to have Ceidre. He will allow nothing or no one to stand in his way. Once he loses his iron will, he takes Ceidre. Once that fierce desire is unleashed, there is no way to contain it. He becomes a slave to Ceidre's beauty and sensuality inspite of warnings from his own men and his King. He will risk everything to have her. Absolutely unforgettable!!!
Rating:
Summary: This Is So Touchingly Poignant-A Keeper!
Review: Seldom do I even write reviews, but I must tell you of how captivating and interesting this romance novel was! Ceidre and Rolfe are drawn to each other, yet their love can never be, for Rolfe is married to Ceidre's sister, Alice. Ceidre then becomes Rolfe's mistress, and marry a year and a day after Alice dies. It is a fitting end for an evil character. How poignant and cognizant this novel was-you must read it to understand its true meaning.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!! I Love this book
Review: Seldom do I read a book that gets write to the action. This one starts out with a near rape that draws the reader in and keeps building on the sensual tension. Wish all romances could keep my interest like this. The time period is perfect. The man - strong, sensual and a bit selfish. The woman - what a heroine!
Rating: 
Summary: What a total disgrace
Review: The "hero" in this book is nothing but a sick and brutal rapist. How anyone can find this romantic is beyond me. Brenda Joyce does have some good books, but this certainly isn't one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Mean yet gentle - have to read to understand
Review: The Conqueror was the first book I have read by Brenda Joyce. It is the type of romance often written about fifteen years ago that we do not see much today. This type of romance involves a very strong yet ruthless hero who treats the heroine very badly from time to time yet finds himself obsessed with her. The hero of The Conqueror reminds me of other ruthless, yet endearing heroes in two other books I have read from this same time period that stand among my favorites. Rolfe, the hero of The Conqueror is similar to Garrick from Johanna Lindsey's Fires of Winter or Ranulf from Nicole Jordan's The Warrior. I have written reviews on both of those books should you want a comparison. Please note - this is not a book for the weak at heart. This is strong subject matter that at times is volatile and at other times highly sensual. Ceidre is the bastard daughter of a deceased Saxon lord and half sister to Lady Alice, the legitimate heir of their home, Aelfgar. Now that the dead Saxon lord's sons have double crossed William the Conqueror twice, the new king has awarded their home to one of his most loyal knights, Rolfe de Warenne. William has directed Rolfe to marry Lady Alice, thereby cementing his new ownership of this large holding. Rolfe first encounters Ceidre in the opening pages of the book when his knights are burning a village for hiding Saxon rebels. He mistakes her for a peasant and decides he will have a taste of her. When his men identify her as Rolfe's future bride, Rolfe realizes he must behave but is extremely pleased with his future bride. He had not expected to be drawn so fiercely to someone who would one day be his bride. Ceidre takes advantage of Rolfe's misunderstanding of her identity and travels back to Aelfgar with him - hoping to find an opportunity to escape. Upon reaching Ceidre's home, Aelfgar, Rolfe soon discovers that his future bride is Lady Alice, not Ceidre. Rolfe is enraged, very disappointed, and feels Ceidre has played him for a fool. From this point on, it is a battle of the wills as Rolfe attempts to put Ceidre in her place, fighting attraction every step of the way, and Ceidre defying Rolfe at every turn as she continues in her loyalty to her rebel Saxon brothers. Now although I do appreciate a well-written alpha hero, I do not especially relish a violent hero. However, although this hero, Rolfe de Warenne, was just that - violent at times - there was this underlying enormity of loving feelings he had towards the heroine, Ceidre. Of course, being the typical romance hero written even today, he did not even want to admit much less explore his feelings for Ceidre. But those underlying feelings caused him to stay close, ever protecting her - even from her own foolish actions, and taking care of her when she was sick or injured. He did not want to banish her because it would mean separation from her although they had no official relationship - not even physically. At times, Rolfe really mistreated Ceidre and at other times, he was honorable, and still at other times, loving. It can safely be stated that his feelings for Ceidre certainly confused him. Despite Ceidre's negative treatment, I still loved The Conqueror because it portrayed an ongoing tenderness between the leads that was very engaging. There were many obstacles for these two to overcome and Brenda Joyce is able to make common romance situations highly intriguing without even one boring page. This was an extremely good love story and one that will keep you anxiously reading one page after another. The sensual rating for this is high at a solid 4.5 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). The Conqueror is a strong keeper and I know I will relish reading it again. Now I am eagerly perusing Brenda Joyce's backlist. She is a very talented author who keeps the action mainly on the love affair. Although there are some interesting secondary characters and conflict in the background, the leads definitely carry this story. And that is the way I love the romances I read to be - about the romance!
Rating:
Summary: Mean yet gentle - have to read to understand
Review: The Conqueror was the first book I have read by Brenda Joyce. It is the type of romance often written about fifteen years ago that we do not see much today. This type of romance involves a very strong yet ruthless hero who treats the heroine very badly from time to time yet finds himself obsessed with her. The hero of The Conqueror reminds me of other ruthless, yet endearing heroes in two other books I have read from this same time period that stand among my favorites. Rolfe, the hero of The Conqueror is similar to Garrick from Johanna Lindsey's Fires of Winter or Ranulf from Nicole Jordan's The Warrior. I have written reviews on both of those books should you want a comparison. Please note - this is not a book for the weak at heart. This is strong subject matter that at times is volatile and at other times highly sensual. Ceidre is the bastard daughter of a deceased Saxon lord and half sister to Lady Alice, the legitimate heir of their home, Aelfgar. Now that the dead Saxon lord's sons have double crossed William the Conqueror twice, the new king has awarded their home to one of his most loyal knights, Rolfe de Warenne. William has directed Rolfe to marry Lady Alice, thereby cementing his new ownership of this large holding. Rolfe first encounters Ceidre in the opening pages of the book when his knights are burning a village for hiding Saxon rebels. He mistakes her for a peasant and decides he will have a taste of her. When his men identify her as Rolfe's future bride, Rolfe realizes he must behave but is extremely pleased with his future bride. He had not expected to be drawn so fiercely to someone who would one day be his bride. Ceidre takes advantage of Rolfe's misunderstanding of her identity and travels back to Aelfgar with him - hoping to find an opportunity to escape. Upon reaching Ceidre's home, Aelfgar, Rolfe soon discovers that his future bride is Lady Alice, not Ceidre. Rolfe is enraged, very disappointed, and feels Ceidre has played him for a fool. From this point on, it is a battle of the wills as Rolfe attempts to put Ceidre in her place, fighting attraction every step of the way, and Ceidre defying Rolfe at every turn as she continues in her loyalty to her rebel Saxon brothers. Now although I do appreciate a well-written alpha hero, I do not especially relish a violent hero. However, although this hero, Rolfe de Warenne, was just that - violent at times - there was this underlying enormity of loving feelings he had towards the heroine, Ceidre. Of course, being the typical romance hero written even today, he did not even want to admit much less explore his feelings for Ceidre. But those underlying feelings caused him to stay close, ever protecting her - even from her own foolish actions, and taking care of her when she was sick or injured. He did not want to banish her because it would mean separation from her although they had no official relationship - not even physically. At times, Rolfe really mistreated Ceidre and at other times, he was honorable, and still at other times, loving. It can safely be stated that his feelings for Ceidre certainly confused him. Despite Ceidre's negative treatment, I still loved The Conqueror because it portrayed an ongoing tenderness between the leads that was very engaging. There were many obstacles for these two to overcome and Brenda Joyce is able to make common romance situations highly intriguing without even one boring page. This was an extremely good love story and one that will keep you anxiously reading one page after another. The sensual rating for this is high at a solid 4.5 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). The Conqueror is a strong keeper and I know I will relish reading it again. Now I am eagerly perusing Brenda Joyce's backlist. She is a very talented author who keeps the action mainly on the love affair. Although there are some interesting secondary characters and conflict in the background, the leads definitely carry this story. And that is the way I love the romances I read to be - about the romance!
Rating: 
Summary: Good, solid writing BUT.....
Review: The story is very...icky! The hero is a rutting pig, a rapist. I like this author's writing, but I hope she's written something where the "hero" is not a rapist.
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