This is all I ask

First of all let me say I do not usually care for or read romance novels but this one was well worth it. Lynn Kurland's novel, This Is All I Ask, is one of those rare stories that will stay with me for years to come. It tells the poignant tale of an achingly lonely young woman and an emotionally ravaged warrior in thirteenth century England, two people whose heartbreaking lives are all the more touching because of their courage, vulnerability, and strength. It's been a long time since I've been as moved by two characters as I was by Gillian and Christopher. The setting is wild and majestic, a forbidding castle high above the sea near Scotland. The love scenes are tasteful and never resort to the purple prose that can so often ruin an show more otherwise good story. The touches of sweetly gentle humor further enhance the tale, another sign of Kurland's gifts as a storyteller. This is a book well worth the read, for romance and fantasy lovers alike. show less

This is the first book I've ever read by Lynn Kurland, but I doubt it will be the last. I picked this up hoping for a dramatic love story with a medieval setting. Happily, that's pretty much what I got. Castles, lords, knights ... plenty of that. And the romance between Gillian and Christopher is very sweet with just enough angst to keep things exciting. There was more humor and moments of silly fun than I expected; fortunately, the humor didn't take over or detract from the more serious and dramatic aspects of the story. So, while this was overall a lighthearted tale, it still had substance and depth. It was, over all, a fairly PG-13 book, so if you don't care for a lot of smut, this is a good choice. Of course, even readers like me show more who enjoy a bit of steam can appreciate the chemistry and romance underfoot. Plus, this is part of a series, and there are lots of side characters to stir your interest. show less

All her life the heroine has lived under the extremely abusive rule of her father. But when she comes to realizes he's sold her to the scourge of England she actually pleas with him to reconsider. The rumors regarding her future husband are dark and laced with claims of black magic and evil and she's absolutely petrified of what new hell she'll be walking into. When she arrives at the dark and depression keep and meets the man who's asked for her hand despite her physical ugliness and lack of wifely skills or dowry, she's horrified to realize that the man is just as awful as she imagined him to be. He flies into fits of rage, yelling at her or ignoring her completely. But slowly she comes to realize that though he's gruff and snarls at show more people like an animal, those around him show him great respect and love and in return her seems to love them just as deeply. Still, even beyond there's wedding night which is left unconsummated, the heroine is extremely timid and shy, violently scared of her new husband and waiting for the beatings she's sure she'll receive at his hand. The hero was once a proud and gifted warrior but now he's a blind man, living in exile in the castle-considering himself a shell of his former self. It was a vow to his friend now dead that he care for the man's sister upon his death and though he instantly regrets the decision to marry the chit, he does so with honor. But he's unprepared for a wife or t allow anyone into his heart again so his anger and distrust drive her away. It's when he seeks her out again after she's spends the night in the woods and is racked with fever when he finally sees the error of his ways. In her delusional state she confides in him her desire to please him, to know love and desperately seeking the feeling of safety. He is charmed by his innocent wife, touched by her childlike naivety and overwhelmed by her devotion to a man who's been nothing but unkind to her. From that moment on their relationship changes and the hero begins to show another side to him. He is playful, teasing in that gruff way of his but slowly he urges her into the safety of his arms. Vowing that she'll never know the pain and unhappiness she's experienced ever again. He demands she grow saucy, expecting a sharp tongued response to his teasing. She begins to feel safe for the first time in her life and even more importantly she finds love in the arms of a man who would do anything for her. But old wounds don't heal so well and the hero's lack of sight causes him to fall into a deep depression and when the heroine's abusive father returns for revenge, it's up to the heroine to summon the courage inside of her. I really liked this book but I felt as I was waiting for something. As it is with most historical romances, I longed for a deeper conflict than character insecurities. Don't get me wrong, I adored the hero and heroine's torment with their self consciousness and the story of self worth. I thought it was very melodramatic at most time, so much so that it did inspire an eye roll or two but at the end I was satisfied with the story. The heroine was a tad over the line dramatic and weepy and she took every opportunity to doubt the hero and his feelings for her but she was charming with her desire to better herself for him. Gaining her courage as she grows as a person, she won me over by the end. Lovey book with a dash of paranormal as the 3 witches in the woods do make a good impact on the characters growth. show less

This book is a delight! It is one of Mrs. Kyrland's few books that takes place completely in a medieval setting and has two delightful and complex characters. I truly recommend this book to anyone looking for a swoon worthy romance!

Above-average writing style, situation, and set-up. The heroine is a typical scaredy-cat abused and virginal girl who transforms through love into a woman with confidence, blah blah. The hero is blind -- which was interesting, but not very much explored except that he needed to have the furniture in his household be the same, etc. -- but typical strong man who is not a bad guy inside, blah blah. And, of course, the villain of the piece is the abusive father, who is pure cardboard. Nothing original or unusual occurred, and I was bored out of my mind by the 50% page count.

An extra star for equality between hero and heroine. This one lacks the overt misogynist overtones of many genre romances.

This is one of Lynn Kurland’s books that I’ve gone back and re-read a number of times throughout the years. Christopher of Blackmour has a fearsome reputation, yet only two people in his Keep even realize that he’s blind from an attack years ago. He’d promised his best friend that if anything happened to him that Christopher would take care of his sister Gillian who it turns out had been seriously abused and terrorized by her father.

Two people who have been seriously damaged learn to go beyond their comfort zones and perceived limitations in the love that develops through this union. Getting to that point is a very rocky road for both.

This book works great as a stand-alone and yet one of the things I like about it the best is show more the tie-in with characters that already had their own story, or who eventually get one. Case in point Robin de Piaget comes to visit with his two oldest sons. The youngest, Jason, is Christopher’s squire. Christopher had once been Robin’s squire. There are plenty of books out there from Robin’s line. And Colin of Berkamshire is the only person who lives in the Keep, besides Jason, who knows of Christopher’s blindness and does his best to keep others from realizing it. He too ends up with his own story.

I really like these characters as well as many of the secondary ones. The story is both (eventually) inspirational as well as amusing. show less

Ah, yes, another guilty pleasure. Lots of insecurity and tears and angst. I love these stories! (Even if I can't stand the things they are teaching young girls)