The Wife Test

Rating:
Summary: an enjoyable and charming read
Review: "The Wife Test" is a follow up of sorts to "The Husband Test," and is, for some reason, being marketed as a rollicking, laugh a minute kind of novel. While, "The Wife Test" is not a dour book, it is not a romp either (perhaps I don't have the same 'rollicking' sense of humour that the publishers have?). On the other hand, "The Wife Test" proved to be really enjoyable read, boasting of a clever and well written plot, and an engaging and courageous heroine, and one that (esp if you're a historical romance fan) should not be missed.

Having been taken prisoner after the French had lost the Battle of Crecy to the English, the Duke of Avalon (or more accurately his family) is now expected to pay a huge ransom before he will be allowed to go free. Except that the duke has already been stripped of nearly everything by the Edward III, and has little left to offer. A chance remark by his jailer gives the duke an idea. He is the patron of the Convent of the Brides of Virtue -- a convent that takes in and educates young ladies from noble familles in order to prepare them for marriage. The duke's plan is to legally adopt four such young ladies and pretend that they are his illegitimate daughters and to present them to Edward III as potential brides for his nobles.

And so he immediately sends word to the abbess to select four young ladies to pass off as his daughters. The abbess on the other hand is livid. Not only does the duke expect her to be party to his fraud, but he also expects her to provide the dowry for his 'daughters!' Reluctantly, the abbess decides to play along and she selects four young ladies of impeccable background to become brides to these English lords. What the abbess doesn't know is that Chloe, a young foundling who is being trained to become the abbess's right hand, has overheard everything. Chloe longs to be married and to have a family, and she also desperately wants to find out who she really is and who her parents were. And so Chloe concocts a daring plan that will allow her to accompany the young brides to England. A natural leader, Chloe doesn't anticipate too much trouble with maintaining her pretense of being the abbess's liaison between the young brides-to-be and the English. What Chloe didn't reckon on was the infuriating Sir Hugh Sennet, who has been specially hand-picked by his king to see to the ladies' safety. If ever there was a man put on earth to torment her, it was Sir Hugh! And for a young woman who has her own mission to accomplish and may secrets to hide, Sir Hugh with his eagle eyes, suspicious mind and irritating bad humour is exactly the sort of person she should avoid...

I liked "The Wife Test" for its story and for its heroine. True, it is the kind of novel where it takes the hero FOREVER to come to terms with his true feelings for the heroine, but it was (also) the kind of book that helps you while away the hours and relax without making you feel as if you've wasted an afternoon on overindulgences. Chloe was a wonderful heroine, and I thoroughly enjoyed it when she stood her ground and triumphed over the bad tempered but (clearly) tantalised Sir Hugh over and over again. In fact reading about how Chloe coped with everything, from trying to find the right husbands for her friends, to dealing with the maddening Sir Hugh and his various humours, as well as other threats to her well-being is what "The Bride's Test" a truly worthwhile and enjoyable 4 star read.

Rating:
Summary: Betina Krahn RULES!!
Review: England and France during King Edward's reign

Eighteen year-old Chloe of Guibray, a foundling left on the steps of the French Convent of the Brides of Virtue as an infant, is determined to uncover her parentage. When she overhears the abbess talking about her, mentioning that her name is Gilbert and that her "people" are from England, Chloe concocts a plan to travel there. She poses as a nun and sneaks away with the four young orphaned women destined to be exchanged and married to English nobles, as ransom for their adopted father, the French Earl of Avalon. Chloe almost regrets her decision when she continuously butts heads with their escort, Sir Hugh of Sennett. When their party is ambushed and attacked on their way to the ship, Hugh devises a funny, yet intriguing plan to better disguise the enticing women in the hope of keeping them from further harm.

Sir Hugh of Sennett, errand boy to King Edward, wants nothing more than to return to the monastery where he was raised and take his vows. Hugh doesn't count on the exquisite, spirited Chloe, who appears to be on this earth to make a mockery of his determination to preserve his bachelorhood. He swears escorting the five women to England for King Edward will be the last of his errands. Not only must he suffer the long journey from France in the company of these beautiful women, he must also keep his randy men in line. Feeling severely put-upon by the time they reach the king, Hugh is relieved that the trip has ended without fatalities, kidnappings, or the loss of any maiden's virtue. Needless to say, Hugh is furious when the king selects him to help Lady Chloe carry out the wife tests she has devised for the brides and their prospective grooms.

With much in common, although neither will admit it to the other, Hugh and Chloe suffer each other's company while conducting the wife tests. Human drama and emotion, touched with humor and vivid details, make their developing relationship sparkle in many ways. As all of the couples are thrown together in various situations, it becomes quite clear who is attracted to whom, leaving Hugh and Chloe on the sidelines to tease and test each other. Both get much more than they bargain for.

THE WIFE TEST is a story of power, betrayal, and the strength of love and loyalty. Hugh and Chloe shine as the main characters, and secondary characters are just as intriguing and integral to this exceptional tale. The relationships between Chloe and the other maidens is tender, heartwarming, and sometimes heartbreaking. Several twists, turns, surprises, and subplots make for a fast-paced story that is impossible to put down.

I recommend THE WIFE TEST as one of Betina Krahn's most emotional, romantic, and enthralling books to date. This is proof positive why Ms. Krahn is one of the romance fiction genre's most beloved authors in print. Bravo, Ms. Krahn!

Rating:
Summary: Not her best
Review: I grabbed the book when I saw Betina Krahn's name on it, but I was disappointed.
The plot was okay, the characters were interesting, but all the parts together did not make an inspiring book. It was a book that you could put down- didn't leave me dying to read more. Try Krahn's book, The Last Bachelor; now that was a great read. I finished The Wife Test, but I wish I wouldn't have spent the time at all. Save your money on this one.

Rating:
Summary: I was surprised
Review: I picked up this book at the grocery store for a diversion, not expecting it to be good at all. In fact, I was hoping it would be really bad. I have never encountered this author before, but I've read enough romance novels to feel cynical enough to believe that they are all alike.

Not so with this book. It is well written and interesting. The heroine is someone I actually found to be sweet and kind and found her to be very sympathetic. The hero as well was a sympathetic character, and the author did a wonderful job of outlining his background so that his behaviour did not appear to be unwarranted or strange when his "darker side" rose up. I genuinely liked these characters, and that's hard in a romance novel. Usually, the heroine is a pampered princess who must be tamed by the patient hero, or the hero is some sort of monster who bends his will to the heroine. It was so refreshing to see two strong personalities come together and compliment each other without one being forced to lose his/her identity....I can't say enough about this refreshing book and hope to read more by this author soon.

Rating:
Summary: Delightful medieval tale
Review: In France, the emissary of English King Edward informs the Duke of Avalon he still owes ransom if he wants his freedom. Avalon has nothing to offer until he learns Edward would accept as tribute virgin daughters with a dowry to be married off to his men. Avalon informs the Abbess of the Convent of the Brides of Virtue that he requires "his" four illegitimate daughters be sent to England escorted by Sir Hugh of Sennet. The Abbess knows Avalon has no known daughters, but sees an opportunity for four of her "throwaway" charges to attain a good life as an English wife.

Chloe of Guibray wants to go to England upon learning she may have family there, but the Abbess wants her to stay behind. Chloe "kidnaps" the nun who was accompanying the young women and takes her place. On the journey across France, the Channel, and England to the monarch's court, someone tries to stop Hugh from achieving his objective. Worse to Hugh is he is falling in love with Chloe, who reciprocates his deep feelings.

Readers will enjoy New York Times best-selling author Betina Krahn's latest historical romance due to a fine cast. The story line is fun as an exasperated Hugh struggles to keep his desire in check protecting the five women from his horny men and an unknown enemy. Ms. Krahn passes all the tests, as her audience will appreciate this delightful medieval tale.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Delightful medieval tale
Review: In France, the emissary of English King Edward informs the Duke of Avalon he still owes ransom if he wants his freedom. Avalon has nothing to offer until he learns Edward would accept as tribute virgin daughters with a dowry to be married off to his men. Avalon informs the Abbess of the Convent of the Brides of Virtue that he requires "his" four illegitimate daughters be sent to England escorted by Sir Hugh of Sennet. The Abbess knows Avalon has no known daughters, but sees an opportunity for four of her "throwaway" charges to attain a good life as an English wife.

Chloe of Guibray wants to go to England upon learning she may have family there, but the Abbess wants her to stay behind. Chloe "kidnaps" the nun who was accompanying the young women and takes her place. On the journey across France, the Channel, and England to the monarch's court, someone tries to stop Hugh from achieving his objective. Worse to Hugh is he is falling in love with Chloe, who reciprocates his deep feelings.

Readers will enjoy New York Times best-selling author Betina Krahn's latest historical romance due to a fine cast. The story line is fun as an exasperated Hugh struggles to keep his desire in check protecting the five women from his horny men and an unknown enemy. Ms. Krahn passes all the tests, as her audience will appreciate this delightful medieval tale.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A most entertaining sequel
Review: It is not necessary to read "The Husband test" first; the events in the first book are only very briefly mentioned. This one stands alone.

This one's unusual in that the hero is the one who wants nothing to do with women; he wants to be a monk! But Chloe very much wants to be a wife; alas, she doesn't know her parentage and cannot be one of the Brides of Virtue without that knowledge. So she tricks her way into a group of brides-to-be. She not only has to discover her parentage and find herself a husband, but she also has to decide who the other 4 brides will marry. But the king appoints Sir Hugh to help her, and he begins to have very un-monklike thoughts about her. Their battle of wills is full of humor and struggle.

As good if not better than The Husband Test. Delightful.

Rating:
Summary: A most entertaining sequel
Review: It is not necessary to read "The Husband test" first; the events in the first book are only very briefly mentioned. This one stands alone.

This one's unusual in that the hero is the one who wants nothing to do with women; he wants to be a monk! But Chloe very much wants to be a wife; alas, she doesn't know her parentage and cannot be one of the Brides of Virtue without that knowledge. So she tricks her way into a group of brides-to-be. She not only has to discover her parentage and find herself a husband, but she also has to decide who the other 4 brides will marry. But the king appoints Sir Hugh to help her, and he begins to have very un-monklike thoughts about her. Their battle of wills is full of humor and struggle.

As good if not better than The Husband Test. Delightful.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Sequel - Totally Entertaining
Review: Setting - King Edward II England circa 1300's --- Chloe of Guibray, was a babe in a basket left on the doorstep and brought up by the nuns in the convent of the Brides of Virtue. As such she knew most all of the `secrets' kept at the abbey by virtue of her training as the abbess' clerk. - Those secrets she didn't know she was adept at learning, all except the most important one to her, which was her true origins. When she heard how the Duke of Avalon was asking the convent to deliver four marriageable "daughters" as a part of his ransom to the King of England, Chloe decided that this would be her chance out of the convent and to discover just where and to whom her mysterious English roots would lead her to. She maneuvered her way into the ransom bride party as `another' of the Duke's `daughters' and when arriving in England, convinced King Edward that it was her `duty' to administer the `wife test' to the prospective brides and grooms in order to match them up to the person most suited to each.

Escorting the `maidens' party to England was the ill-tempered, intense and very gruff Sir Hugh de Sennett whose ill will toward women was notorious - and most probably why the King, who was known to enjoy a jest or two, thought Hugh would be the perfect escort and later assistant `wife tester' along with Chloe. Raised in a monastery since the age of five by monks, Hugh did not hold the female population in any type of esteem at all - likening the whole lot of them to instruments of the devil whose sole duty was to corrupt all men! AND in his mind, the leader of this pack of females, Chloe, had to be the worst - why else couldn't he erase the image of her azure-blue eyes, and long white legs, from his mind! Chloe, who'd been brought up under the resolute abbess of the convent of the Brides of Virtue had enough spunk to probably be about the only woman that could make Hugh see that the brainwashing he endured in the monastery truly did taint his outlook at womankind. Hugh had to decide whether he truly was a `hypocrite' to his beliefs, or that what he had learned in the seminary was not necessarily the rules that should be applied to men `outside' those hallowed walls.

Krahn's very entertaining sequel to THE HUSBAND TEST - which stands completely on its own - quickly turns into an, exciting adventure and battle of the sexes. The story mixes terrific characters, humor, sensual anticipation, and the mystery of who and why someone wanted to harm the brides, into a delicious blend of creative and skillful writing. Chloe, whose courage, spunk, and a very high threshold of `forgiveness' (so much to forgive!) and understanding for Hugh - who managed to stay a self-righteous prig through out most of the novel - is a heroine to love! The one factor that saves Hugh from being a total jerk was discovering how his childhood and upbringing gave him such a skewed up outlook on life. I was totally entertained from start to finish and absolutely howled over Hugh's `confession' of his immoral thoughts towards Chloe! With terrific secondary characters, subtle wit and humor used in the dialogs, and very creative plots, I find that this author is fast on her way to becoming an `auto buy' for me! (...)

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Sequel - Totally Entertaining
Review: Setting - King Edward II England circa 1300's --- Chloe of Guibray, was a babe in a basket left on the doorstep and brought up by the nuns in the convent of the Brides of Virtue. As such she knew most all of the 'secrets' kept at the abbey by virtue of her training as the abbess' clerk. - Those secrets she didn't know she was adept at learning, all except the most important one to her, which was her true origins. When she heard how the Duke of Avalon was asking the convent to deliver four marriageable "daughters" as a part of his ransom to the King of England, Chloe decided that this would be her chance out of the convent and to discover just where and to whom her mysterious English roots would lead her to. She maneuvered her way into the ransom bride party as 'another' of the Duke's 'daughters' and when arriving in England, convinced King Edward that it was her 'duty' to administer the 'wife test' to the prospective brides and grooms in order to match them up to the person most suited to each.

Escorting the 'maidens' party to England was the ill-tempered, intense and very gruff Sir Hugh de Sennett whose ill will toward women was notorious - and most probably why the King, who was known to enjoy a jest or two, thought Hugh would be the perfect escort and later assistant 'wife tester' along with Chloe. Raised in a monastery since the age of five by monks, Hugh did not hold the female population in any type of esteem at all - likening the whole lot of them to instruments of the devil whose sole duty was to corrupt all men! AND in his mind, the leader of this pack of females, Chloe, had to be the worst - why else couldn't he erase the image of her azure-blue eyes, and long white legs, from his mind! Chloe, who'd been brought up under the resolute abbess of the convent of the Brides of Virtue had enough spunk to probably be about the only woman that could make Hugh see that the brainwashing he endured in the monastery truly did taint his outlook at womankind. Hugh had to decide whether he truly was a 'hypocrite' to his beliefs, or that what he had learned in the seminary was not necessarily the rules that should be applied to men 'outside' those hallowed walls.

Krahn's very entertaining sequel to THE HUSBAND TEST - which stands completely on its own - quickly turns into an, exciting adventure and battle of the sexes. The story mixes terrific characters, humor, sensual anticipation, and the mystery of who and why someone wanted to harm the brides, into a delicious blend of creative and skillful writing. Chloe, whose courage, spunk, and a very high threshold of 'forgiveness' (so much to forgive!) and understanding for Hugh - who managed to stay a self-righteous prig through out most of the novel - is a heroine to love! The one factor that saves Hugh from being a total jerk was discovering how his childhood and upbringing gave him such a skewed up outlook on life. I was totally entertained from start to finish and absolutely howled over Hugh's 'confession' of his immoral thoughts towards Chloe! With terrific secondary characters, subtle wit and humor used in the dialogs, and very creative plots, I find that this author is fast on her way to becoming an 'auto buy' for me! (...)