Rating: 
Summary: Romantic, Suspenseful and Well-Written
Review: A well-written, suspenseful, and romantic remake of Hitchcock's "Rear Window" set in medieval London. SILKEN THREADS is a compulsively readable romance and an intriguing mystery. The main characters are sympathetic and the sexual tension between them palpable. There are several interesting supporting characters as well, and I look forward to seeing more of the heroine's brother in Ms. Ryan's next book.
Rating:
Summary: Bravo!!
Review: Bravo, Pat Ryan! You've done it again! A beautiful love story with sweet, endearing characters set against the colourful world of medieval England. Joanna and Graeham were terrific together: loving, tender, hot and sexy. Only you know how to make medieval times sizzle! And now to know that next year will be Hugh and Phillippa's story- I can hardly wait!! You're the best!!!
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: I had great hopes for this novel, given reader comments. I truly wanted to like it, but this not really a historical. It's a completely modern novel about people with modern sensibilities, dressed up in medieval garb. The anachronisms are so many and so blatant that it was impossible to overlook, and the dialogue is so modern than it's jarring. To have a woman of the post Norman era talking about her place in the "social hierarchy" -- poor dialogue and worse historical research.
Rating: 
Summary: One for the keeper shelf
Review: I live in England and bought this book on recommendation from American friends. I love fiction set in the Middle Ages but it's very rare to find one that satisfies my demand for accuracy as well as giving an absorbing, excellent story with believable characters. Patricia Ryan succeeds on all counts. I really felt as if I was back in Medieval London, but the detail never intrudes. The love scenes are wonderful and realistic too. The reason I have not given this novel five stars is because of numerous little nit-picks rather than any major flaw. Despite the author's care, some of the detail is inaccurate. The period is 1165, but it feels much later - say the 14th century. Certainly the houses are far too elaborate for early medieval London. The language is frequently American. People say 'fall' instead of 'autumn' for example and there are several modern sounding phrases. The attempt at Medieval language does not quite come off. The 'twisy 'twasery got on my nerves at the end. I was also astonished by the way the hero was able to make a rational polite speech to his rescuer immediately after having his ribs cracked and his leg smashed by a hammer. That didn't ring true at all. I could go on, but that would just be being mean, and taken as a whole I did enjoy the novel which is a superior example of its kind. I have already ordered the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Don't let this one pass you by
Review: I very nearly didn't buy this book, since I'd never heard of it or its author before. I was shopping on the net, purchasing a whole bunch of other books, when I saw it and thought, 'oh well, that looks mildly interesting,' and decided to toss it into my shopping cart along with the rest.
AND I AM SO GLAD THAT I DID! This book is just lovely. Well written, well plotted, entertaining, heart warming and realistic...what more could I have wanted? Nothing, really, because this had it all.
Technically, this book is a romance, and a really sweet, endearing one at that. Fans of historical romance books will undoubtedly lap it up like a cat would a tasty bowl of cream. But this book should also appeal to a crossover audience of readers who wouldn't normally touch anything in the romance genre too, because it's also a really good, entertaining historical novel with a decent plotline. The love scenes are tastefully done, there's no uncomfortable melodrama, and the characters are genuinely intelligent and likeable--and I don't just mean the main characters, Graeham and Joanna, who are both pretty cool, but also the minor characters, such as the street urchin Adam, who hides an intriguing secret; Thomas, the former harper now turned leper, who was my favourite character; Joanna's charming brother, Hugh, who really should have his own book written about him (I must check and see if there is a book about him, actually); and even Joanna's pet cats, who have real personalities of their own. Oh, and even though this is a historical book, there's even a surprise appearance by someone very famous from our contemporary society...you won't know about it until you've finished the entire book and read the author's note, but when you do that, it will have you wanting to read the book all over again just to find this person (just in case you didn't already want to read it again anyway, which you probably will!)
One of the best things about this book, though, is the front cover. It's a very classy cover for a romance book--one that won't embarrass you if you want to read it on the bus (no stereotypical steroid-induced man-boobs on this one, thankfully!). Whilst at first it just looks like a pleasant, ordinary cover, after you've finished reading the book, and you've read the author's note, the cover's significance will become very clear, and take on new meaning. It's not often that you'll find a book's cover becoming a clever plot twist in the storyline (in fact I can't remember it ever happening before) but that's exactly what happens here.
Intrigued? Of course you are! Then do yourself a favour and read this book. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Medieval romance
Review: I was so thrilled when I started this book because it is set in 12th century London. I was in London at the time I started it and could look on my map where Milk Street was, I could imagine what it looked like, I had just toured the Tower of London. And to think this book was thrown into my suitcase as an afterthough.Graeham Fox is sent to London to retreive his overlord's daughter from her abusive husband. While in London, before retreiving the daughter, he is attacked and left for dead. He is found and brought to the house of the widow Joanna Chapman. Graeham knows he must still rescue Ada from her abusive husband, and the room that Joanna puts him in is perfect for spying on everything going on around him. Graeham makes arrangements with Joanna to stay in the room for the next two months while he recouperates and he can watch the goings on of all his neighbors. Joanna reluctantly agrees, but doesn't let Graeham know she is a widow because she is fearful for her safety. Little by little the two fall in love, Graeham eventually finds out about Joanna's maritial state and the two become lovers. But what about the daughter of his overlord's hand in marriage if he can rescue her twin from her evil husband? This is a wonderful Medieval romance and I highly recommend it. Along with the twists and turns and many things you won't expect, it has a wonderful romance that you won't soon forget.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Medieval romance
Review: I was so thrilled when I started this book because it is set in 12th century London. I was in London at the time I started it and could look on my map where Milk Street was, I could imagine what it looked like, I had just toured the Tower of London. And to think this book was thrown into my suitcase as an afterthough. Graeham Fox is sent to London to retreive his overlord's daughter from her abusive husband. While in London, before retreiving the daughter, he is attacked and left for dead. He is found and brought to the house of the widow Joanna Chapman. Graeham knows he must still rescue Ada from her abusive husband, and the room that Joanna puts him in is perfect for spying on everything going on around him. Graeham makes arrangements with Joanna to stay in the room for the next two months while he recouperates and he can watch the goings on of all his neighbors. Joanna reluctantly agrees, but doesn't let Graeham know she is a widow because she is fearful for her safety. Little by little the two fall in love, Graeham eventually finds out about Joanna's maritial state and the two become lovers. But what about the daughter of his overlord's hand in marriage if he can rescue her twin from her evil husband? This is a wonderful Medieval romance and I highly recommend it. Along with the twists and turns and many things you won't expect, it has a wonderful romance that you won't soon forget.
Rating:
Summary: Well, I sure loved it - sorry not all agree!
Review: I wonder if some of the other reviewers read another book? I didn't find the language in this book too modern, nor the sensibilities of the characters. Well, let me rephrase that - yes, these women were not accurately portrayed as women of that era. But I'm not particularly intersted in reading about women who have no control over their destiny, who have to submit to the men around them (who would be louts),and would end up dying in childbirth! In other words, I expect fiction to take some liberties. Having said that, I don't think that Joanna is too modern and Graeham is - well, wonderfully written. Joanna's strength, intelligence and passion make this a keeper - and be sure to read "The Sun and the Moon" (Joanna's brother's story) next.
Rating:
Summary: A medieval twist on "Rear Window"
Review: Patricia Ryan writes some of the best medieval historical romance novels in the business. SILKEN THREADS is a clever, well-plotted, sexy tale inspired by the Hitchcock film "Read Window." Graeham Fox is in London to fetch home the daughter of his master who suspects she is being abused by her husband, Rolf le Fever. But before Graeham can spirit her away, he is brutally attacked. Rescued by a stranger, he is taken to the home of the man's sister, Joanna Chapman, a merchant's wife. Close to being destitute, Joanna agrees to let Graeham rent her storeroom while his broken leg heals. The storeroom just happens to have a perfect view of le Fever's home, allowing Graeham to observe all manner of comings and goings, as well as his beautiful landlady whom he can't help but fall in love with. Hitchcock's movie is fun, but Patricia Ryan's SILKEN THREADS is fun and sexy.
Rating:
Summary: A medieval twist on "Rear Window"
Review: Patricia Ryan writes some of the best medieval historical romance novels in the business. SILKEN THREADS is a clever, well-plotted, sexy tale inspired by the Hitchcock film "Read Window." Graeham Fox is in London to fetch home the daughter of his master who suspects she is being abused by her husband, Rolf le Fever. But before Graeham can spirit her away, he is brutally attacked. Rescued by a stranger, he is taken to the home of the man's sister, Joanna Chapman, a merchant's wife. Close to being destitute, Joanna agrees to let Graeham rent her storeroom while his broken leg heals. The storeroom just happens to have a perfect view of le Fever's home, allowing Graeham to observe all manner of comings and goings, as well as his beautiful landlady whom he can't help but fall in love with. Hitchcock's movie is fun, but Patricia Ryan's SILKEN THREADS is fun and sexy.
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