Untamed

I really enjoyed this and was instantaneously drawn into the story. I think I would have given 4.5 stars, but Dominic was so incredibly untrusting almost to the end that I was pissed off on behalf of Meg. The abrupt ending after the dramatic conclusion didn’t help much either, but I still loved the world building here with the mystical elements (without the threat of witch burning).

This started out well, but by page 100 had descended into silliness, full of spitefully jealous women and hypermasculine, brutish men. I really don't find murderous jealousy and controlling possessiveness very sexy. But I do love the idea of the Glendruid witch/clan/curse. That was really a lot of fun.

I'm giving it 3 stars mostly out of nostalgia, and in homage to my younger self that enjoyed this book at a time when I was just discovering the Romance genre had a subcategory of supernatural/magical romance, and was not very particular about healthy relationships.

Paperback, very tattered, bought at a secondhand shop.

Untamed
3 Stars

For his bravery during the Crusades, Dominic Le Sabre, a Norman Knight, is rewarded with a Saxon bride and the land that comes with her. Lady Margaret Blackthorne is willing to do her duty to keep the peace but fears that she will never have her husband’s love.

While the plot and romance have potential, both suffer from the writing tropes and norms typical of the 1990s. Lowell uses flowery descriptions and euphemisms, which put a damper on Meg and Dominic’s sexual chemistry and the falcon metaphor results in Dominic coming across as imperious and overbearing rather than sensual and seductive.

Dominic and Meg are engaging overall, although Dominic’s obsession with having a son grates on the nerves after a while and show more Meg is much too good and sweet to be a truly interesting heroine. Moreover, the identity of the Blackthorne traitor is obvious from the start.

Nevertheless, the secondary characters are fleshed out nicely and it is actually my interest in Duncan and Simon’s stories that had me re-reading this installment in lieu of continuing with the series. show less

A nice little piece of fluff. I found some story lines a bit weak (the main male lead is supposed to be a master tactician, but to win the love of his wife he decides to gentle her like a hunting falcon with sexual seduction, rather than just get to know her, find out what she really wants/likes/needs, and give it to her) but they were necessary to add the spice to the story. I liked both main characters and enjoyed their story. I will continue with the series, but then I normally do.

Under the name Ann Maxwell, Lowell wrote some of my favorite books (Fire Dancer & Timeshadow Rider). While this book was a fun little read/listen, it is far from that caliber.

All the things I love in a book, medieval setting, strong characters, little bit of magic. Very well written, yet the "taming" of the heroine was an element that I could have done without

Falconry: Relates the seduction of a woman with taming a falcon. He puts bells on her, sequesters her in a darkened room rather than use a hood, but allows her food only from his had and drink only from his mouth.

Glendruid Curse: Only if the Glendruid woman feels 'great pleasure' in bed, will the husband earn himself a child at all -- but it will be a daughter. But it takes 'great love' for a Glendruid to produce a son.

I know I read this book before, but I can't find a record of when. I deleted an entry from LibraryThing which didn't have an end date, because I thought it was a 'to be read' instead of a forgotten date. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it even on the second reading.

A weak story with unlikable characters.