Rating: 
Summary: amusing medieval romance
Review: After dining at a feast that could only have been made in heaven, Sirs Greeve and Axel return home informing their liege Count Griffin de Grandaise of the delicious palate. Griffin, who cannot abide the slop that is served and with a "nasal" condition, sneaks into the Convent of the Brides of Virtue and tastes the best food he ever ate. He offers the Abbess gold to purchase her cook from her, but is rejected until the Bishop and Duke intercede and force a transaction. The cook, Julia of Childress, will spend one year teaching Griffin's staff to cook in exchange for gold. She is to be returned with her virtual intact so she can take her vows.Unhappy as a pawn and the presumption of the Abbess that she wants to take vows, Julia accompanies Griffin back to his estate, but not before she spends his fortune on spices and sundry. Griffin is attracted to his new employee but avoids her except for meals because he does not want to cause an incident with the Duke and besides he is engaged to the daughter of his neighbor. As a third player manipulates the hostility between Griffin and his future in-laws, Julia choose to stay as his countess because she loves him. THE MARRIAGE TEST is an amusing medieval romance that moves the senses especially taste and olfactory. The humorous storyline grips the audience from the moment Griffin sneaks into the convent's kitchens. The tale never slows down until a final confrontation though the tie up in terms of relationships is too tidy. Fans will enjoy Julia's skills to make Griffin salivate for her food and for her. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: amusing medieval romance
Review: After dining at a feast that could only have been made in heaven, Sirs Greeve and Axel return home informing their liege Count Griffin de Grandaise of the delicious palate. Griffin, who cannot abide the slop that is served and with a "nasal" condition, sneaks into the Convent of the Brides of Virtue and tastes the best food he ever ate. He offers the Abbess gold to purchase her cook from her, but is rejected until the Bishop and Duke intercede and force a transaction. The cook, Julia of Childress, will spend one year teaching Griffin's staff to cook in exchange for gold. She is to be returned with her virtual intact so she can take her vows. Unhappy as a pawn and the presumption of the Abbess that she wants to take vows, Julia accompanies Griffin back to his estate, but not before she spends his fortune on spices and sundry. Griffin is attracted to his new employee but avoids her except for meals because he does not want to cause an incident with the Duke and besides he is engaged to the daughter of his neighbor. As a third player manipulates the hostility between Griffin and his future in-laws, Julia choose to stay as his countess because she loves him. THE MARRIAGE TEST is an amusing medieval romance that moves the senses especially taste and olfactory. The humorous storyline grips the audience from the moment Griffin sneaks into the convent's kitchens. The tale never slows down until a final confrontation though the tie up in terms of relationships is too tidy. Fans will enjoy Julia's skills to make Griffin salivate for her food and for her. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as the first two
Review: Despite the well-drawn characters and nasty villains, this book dragged somewhat. The interactions between the main characters were spot-on, and the mechaniations of those in power rang true. For me, the emphasis on food and Griffin's overwrought sense of smell got old and repetitious. The rest of the novel was very good, but too many times those (many) portions dealing with food read more like a food magazine than a novel. I would buy the first two, but not this one.
Rating:
Summary: Average test score.
Review: Gently born but impoverished, Julia of Childress has become one of the greatest cooks in medieval France. Jealously guarded by the abbess of the convent in which she was raised, Julia longs for a husband and family of her own as many of the other girls at the convent have found. Finally, along comes a count with enough clout to make the abbess relinquish Julia's considerable talents for the period of a year. Though she's incensed at being bartered for like a piece of property, Julia is excited at the prospect of adventure outside the convent walls--she hopes that at her new home she might be able to snag a husband. Griffin, the Comte de Grandaise, has an olfactory peculiarity. He was born with a sense of smell so powerful it will put modern day readers under the impression that it is akin to a super-power. Unable to stomach most food because of his condition, Griffin is enamored of Julia's cooking and determinedly wins her services for a year. Not prepared to be presented with a noble born lady instead of a homely, lower class cook, Griffin finds himself drawn to Julia for more than just her culinary skills. At first I was as enchanted with "The Marriage Test" as every character in it seemed to be with Julia's food. I loved the large role the food itself played, it really added to the entertainment value of the story. Later, some of the food description did get a little old, but overall I didn't feel it detracted in any way from the story. Julia is a strong woman, but not headstrong. She realizes she has to play by the rules of her time and does the best she can to arrange her life the way she wants it without the extreme hysterics we so often see from medieval heroines. Later in the story, when Griffin is forced at sword point to marry Julia, her reaction is so real to the situation and afterward her reaction to Griffin's treatment is so genuine I'm moved to tears. Griffin doesn't fare as well as Julia. His character never quite gets the polish it needs. It seems he has a decent backstory, but it's not explored satisfactorily. In the end, he's a little bit of an enigma and a little bit of an idiot. I can understand Julia's attraction to him, but I'm never quite as sure what his real feelings are. The romance isn't bad, in fact it has moments of greatness, but they're not enough to make for a stellar read. Toward the end, the love story is resolved a little too early so the author introduces a silly, totally undeveloped hang-up on Griffin's part that has me gritting my teeth as it's an obvious device to add a final bit of drama to the romance. Not that the hang-up was the only problem because the story had really run out of steam before that. All in all "The Marriage Test" is easy to read and at places truly entertaining and moving, but doesn't quite pull together into a really good book. I give it three stars because two wouldn't do justice to the excellent heroine and the well researched and entertaining plot. I've read a Betina Krahn book before, but I can't remember which one it was, which may not be a good sign. I would read this author again if one of her storylines seemed like something I'd like.
Rating:
Summary: Average test score.
Review: Gently born but impoverished, Julia of Childress has become one of the greatest cooks in medieval France. Jealously guarded by the abbess of the convent in which she was raised, Julia longs for a husband and family of her own as many of the other girls at the convent have found. Finally, along comes a count with enough clout to make the abbess relinquish Julia's considerable talents for the period of a year. Though she's incensed at being bartered for like a piece of property, Julia is excited at the prospect of adventure outside the convent walls--she hopes that at her new home she might be able to snag a husband. Griffin, the Comte de Grandaise, has an olfactory peculiarity. He was born with a sense of smell so powerful it will put modern day readers under the impression that it is akin to a super-power. Unable to stomach most food because of his condition, Griffin is enamored of Julia's cooking and determinedly wins her services for a year. Not prepared to be presented with a noble born lady instead of a homely, lower class cook, Griffin finds himself drawn to Julia for more than just her culinary skills. At first I was as enchanted with "The Marriage Test" as every character in it seemed to be with Julia's food. I loved the large role the food itself played, it really added to the entertainment value of the story. Later, some of the food description did get a little old, but overall I didn't feel it detracted in any way from the story. Julia is a strong woman, but not headstrong. She realizes she has to play by the rules of her time and does the best she can to arrange her life the way she wants it without the extreme hysterics we so often see from medieval heroines. Later in the story, when Griffin is forced at sword point to marry Julia, her reaction is so real to the situation and afterward her reaction to Griffin's treatment is so genuine I'm moved to tears. Griffin doesn't fare as well as Julia. His character never quite gets the polish it needs. It seems he has a decent backstory, but it's not explored satisfactorily. In the end, he's a little bit of an enigma and a little bit of an idiot. I can understand Julia's attraction to him, but I'm never quite as sure what his real feelings are. The romance isn't bad, in fact it has moments of greatness, but they're not enough to make for a stellar read. Toward the end, the love story is resolved a little too early so the author introduces a silly, totally undeveloped hang-up on Griffin's part that has me gritting my teeth as it's an obvious device to add a final bit of drama to the romance. Not that the hang-up was the only problem because the story had really run out of steam before that. All in all "The Marriage Test" is easy to read and at places truly entertaining and moving, but doesn't quite pull together into a really good book. I give it three stars because two wouldn't do justice to the excellent heroine and the well researched and entertaining plot. I've read a Betina Krahn book before, but I can't remember which one it was, which may not be a good sign. I would read this author again if one of her storylines seemed like something I'd like.
Rating: 
Summary: The Marriage Test
Review: I couldn't even finish this book and I'm angry that I spent $6.99 for it. I wouldn't even rate it one star. I really use to enjoy Betina Krahn's books, but her series of the Husband Test, the Wife Test and now this latest bomb are good only to put you to sleep. The characters are wooden and never fleshed out, the male character whines throughout the whole book. They barely kiss but all of a sudden are in love. There is no chemistry in any of these books. Either the author is writing a love story in an historical period or the author is writing a historical account and just throwing 2 people in it. There is no heat, no interest, no nothing. What happens with these authors? They get famous and then start charging a ton of money for books that are good for 12 year olds. Don't waste your money.
Rating:
Summary: A Tasty Read
Review: I'd never heard of Bettina Krahn or her books before picking one up to while-away a long bus ride. I love period pieces and wasn't quite sure what to expect, but once I got past the initial chapter or two, orienting myself with the characters, I was amused and delighted. Being somewhat of a medieval buff and a "foodie", the crafting of the genre dishes and delicacies was well-done, and certainly gave this book a nice flavor, if you'll forgive the pun. An easy read that had humor and romance at the same time. I'd gladly pick up other novels done by this author.
Rating:
Summary: Original plot, but romance drags
Review: If you are looking for passionate inner struggles to overcome class-differences or satisfying love scenes ... this is not the book for you. In fact, it hardly feels like a romance novel at all. The first few descriptions of food in the middle ages were interesting, but got very old after the first 50 pages. The hero wears a steel nose band the entire book and is often described in a manner that reminds me of a sniffing-dog. Not much romance or sparkling and witty dialog here. I would pass this one up in favor of "Like Water for Chocolate."
Rating: 
Summary: A million stars..I love Betina's style!
Review: Picked this up on a whim..I admit I couldn't warm up to it right away..but I adore it now and Betina is one of my fave authors.Julia of Childress is a cook at the famous Brides of Virtue Convent.Griffin of Grandaise hears about how famous she is and hires her to make his kitchens better.She tries everything to win Griffin's heart but he doesn't allow it.In the meantime,Julia is kidnapped by Griffin's enemy,Verdun.Griffin rescues Julia and is forced to marry her at swordspoint in order to bring her home.Them Verdun's daughter Sophie-one of my fave characters-flees to Griffin's seeking sanctuary from Verdun since he is always trying to wed Sophie off.Griffin then forces Sophie to wed her knight,Martin.Martin is another fave character of mine.Food is the main plot of the book tho..if you aren't hungry before reading it..you'll gain ten poinds reading it!!Betina is a breath of fresh air in the romance world..you won't regret picking up her books!!*Glares* wtf is up the negative vote for my review!damn it that's not fair!!
Rating:
Summary: Delicious Medieval Sequel to Brides of Virtue Series
Review: Setting - France - Medieval era --- Once again the author returns to the Brides of Virtue Convent, where the reader is introduced to Julia, of Childress. Julia is a young woman of 18 who through amazing efforts of fortitude and resiliency has achieved the position of head chef of some fame at the abbey with her very delectable dishes. As it happens, two knights from the count of Grandaise stopped on their way home. Knowing the count's peculiar affliction they reported back to him the discovery of a chef with such an amazing talent, that even the count whose sense of smell was so profound, would be able to eat these heavenly inspired dishes. Griffin, the count, was forced to live with a steel band around his nose to prevent the abundant, decaying and surrounding odors from assailing his senses. Having hired and fired so many cooks, Griffin decided to discover himself if this cook was as good as described. Disguised, he snuck into the convent's kitchen and stole samples of the dishes Julia had prepared especially for the Duke of Avalon's visit. (The description of this event was hilarious!) Griffin, thought he'd died and gone to heaven -- he was so astonished -- and he knew at once he had to procure this chef at all costs. The abbess, realizing what a `treasure' she had in Julia, had tried repeatedly to convince her to take vows in an attempt to keep her in the convent kitchens. She wasn't about to let Julia go without a fight. Enamored and bewitched by the heavenly food he'd sampled, Griffin was unwilling to be intimidated by the abbess. Cunningly, he negotiated a princely sum in the presence of the visiting `greedy' bishop and duke so that the abbess was overruled and compelled into allowing Julia to be loaned to Griffin for a term of one year. At the end of that time, Julia was to be returned to the convent - maidenly intact - and ready to take her vows. This was not a problem until Griffin discovered that the `chef' was quite a `dish' herself! Unfortunately, while all these negotiations were going on, Julia was fuming as her ideas of what she wanted in life were decidedly different from what was being discussed. Julia wanted marriage and a family, not the convent, and she was just stubborn enough to get the sensitive nosed count to realize she's just the `dish' he's been waiting for his entire life! I found this new addition to the Convent of the Brides of Virtue series to be a most interesting and `delectable' novel, and only wish that it came with a cookbook attached of the recipes on the fabulously described dishes that had my mouth watering! The old adage of ...the way to a man's heart was through his stomach... was certainly proven here in this delightful tale. As I have come to also notice in her writing, along with the very interesting characters, there are the villains set in the background trying to make trouble and avenge what they perceived to be wrongs done to them. Peppered thoroughly with Ms. Krahn's pearls of wisdom on `husbands', coupled with a lot of common sense, this could be used as a guide on sustaining the growing pains one endures in making a marriage work! Truly, this was a most delicious book in this thoroughly entertaining series. --- Marilyn Rondeau, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com ---
| 
