The Valcourt Heiress

The Valcourt Heiress - by Catherine Coulter

When Garron of Kersey comes back to claim his new castle, Wareham Castle and his vast properties, he is surprised to find almost everyone dead and the people who are left starving and with little hope. Oddly there is one maiden left who he doesn’t know but seems vaguely familiar to him. Her name is Merry and the others left at the castle have taken to her quite well. Garron believes the lies she has told and that she is the bastard daughter of the slain priest that used to live in the castle. Merry knows that Garron knows that she isn’t who she seems. But they are both content to let the lies stand until the castle is put to rights.

I have never read a book by Catherine Coulter, but my show more best friend had been encouraging me to read her, so when I had the chance to read this book I felt that since I love historical romance why not? I am so glad I did. It was so entertaining, so vividly drawn, and the characters felt so real. I don’t usually like anything written earlier than the Regency; sometimes I will indulge in a Viking historical though. But now I am anxious to see if Catherine has any other Medieval books under her name. The plot was one that I have not really encountered in this manner. Yes I’m sure if you are a historical fan you have read the “beautiful frightened maiden hiding out as a lad” plot before. But I’ll bet you haven’t read it done quite like this before.

I loved this book and although I was going to send this to my pal, I think this may be a keeper for me! The comedic oaths to all the saints was nearly enough to make this a keeper. But the story is what really does it. show less

Let me preface this by saying that this review is on the “uncorrected proof ” that I received from Putnam Books.

This is an important qualifier because I pray to whatever deity has time to listen that the final book released bares no resemblance to The Valcourt Heiress I read. Because the book I read is terrible. Awful. Stinky. A waste of paper. A waste of time. A waste of energy. A waste of shelf space. I can honestly say I haven’t read a book this terrible in a very long time. Run, don’t walk, away from this book. Definitely don’t buy it. If you want to torture yourself with reading it, check it out at the library. There are better ways to spend your hard-earned money. There are definitely more worthy books.

I wish I had show more something positive to say about The Valcourt Heiress, but nothing comes to mind except that the cover is very attractive. That’s it . Nothing more. I have nothing positive to tell you.

Honestly, when I started I didn’t know who was responsible for putting this horribly written book in my hands. I couldn’t believe a publisher would let this tripe out for review. (I still can’t believe it!) It reads like a first draft. I knew from the first page it would be tough read since the sentence structure is appallingly simplistic. The story is uninspired. The characters don’t meet the high standards of caricatures; they are simply one-dimensional. Actually, one-dimensional is too interesting a description.

The story starts out with “she”, aka Merry, running away from home since her mother is forcing her to marry. Perhaps not identifying the woman would have worked if the sentences had been better written, but alas, they were not. So I’m merely irritated time and again about “she” this and “she” that. Then we meet our “hero” and another random character who I immediately realized must have his own book. It’s a completely random and awkward introduction that doesn’t advance the story and confused me. Do I have to re-familiarize myself with characters from the Song series, which was written over 20 years ago? I did quick research and found out that Severin’s not from the original series, but from the randomly tacked on books added to the series years later. And yes, Severin’s randomly added for a few pages at the beginning, only to play no significance later. Confusing.

Garron and Merry are the h/h and I have no interest in either of them. They are not interesting characters, not because they don’t have potential, but because Catherine Coulter doesn’t write coherently to establish any chemistry.

Garron rescues Merry from villains at the beginning but is unaware of that fact since he thinks he’s rescued a boy. Merry follows him to his castle which has been attacked leaving its inhabitants in dire straits. When he returns (for the first time after inheriting it) his people are pleased since he’s saving them from starvation. Merry sneaks in and somehow gets all Garron’s people to lie for her. Why? I have no idea. There’s an explanation but it’s weak. Very, very weak and unbelievable. They love their master, but will lie about the identity of some random chick they don’t know. I really don’t see that happening.

I’m not going to bore you with summarizing the plot because I would make it sound interesting. It’s not. The secondary characters are boring and one-dimensional. The villains are stupid and boring. The story is boring. The “twist” at the end was not surprising, probably because I didn’t care.

I am really surprised and appalled at how badly written it is. That’s what surprises me the most. The Catherine Coulter I used to read could write and she told interesting stories. This Catherine Coulter cannot write. Not even a little bit.

I really hope that a significant rewrite was made to this book but I doubt it. A book doesn’t get to proof stage without being close to finished. show less

When the father of Merry the Valcourt Heiress dies unexpectedly, her long-absent mother returns to sell her and her fortune to the unpleasant and malicious Jason of Brennan, a fact which Merry finds repugnant. Running away from both Jason and her mother, Merry, dressed as a stable boy, is kidnapped mid-flight by a vicious man and his band of thieves. After she's rescued by a mysterious nobleman, she again runs away, only this time she decides to hide in the nobleman's retinue and take her chances on a new life. As it turns out, this nobleman is none other than Garron of Kersey, the new earl of Warham Castle. Garron is returning to Warham to take control of the castle and its people after his brother's murder. But when Garron arrives, he show more discovers the castle largely abandoned and the few survivors tell the tale of the invasion and slaughter of Warham and its people by a man known only as the Black Demon. When Merry comes to understand what's happened at Wareham, she begs the remaining residents to keep her identity secret and sets about repairing the damage wrought at Warham, helping Garron restore order in his lands. Merry is a playful and headstrong young girl who is unschooled in the ways of love, and as Garron's interest in her begins to rise, he questions where this girl has some from and what she is doing ruling the kingdom beside him. But Merry and Garron's new found peace and happiness aren't without obstacles. The faceless Black Demon is still unidentified and on the loose, and Merry's mother, rumored to be a powerful witch, is still ruthlessly searching the countryside for her daughter. The Valcourt Heiress is a delectable romp where historical fiction shares the spotlight with fantasy, melding together to form a tale of both high adventure and taut intrigue.

Once again, I made the mistake of judging a book by its cover. It happens all too frequently that I dismiss a book out of hand because the cover doesn't fit my parameters of what I think I should be reading. And looking at this cover, I expected it to be a bodice-ripping romance that would hold little interest for me. After reading the book, I have two points to make. The first is that I need to be a little more open-minded and less judgemental about the types of books I read, and the second (and I feel more important) is that publishers really need to work on more successfully matching the covers of their books to the material inside. This book has nothing even remotely to do with the design on the cover. There is never even a scene in the book like the one depicted on the cover. Publishers, stop doing this to us! You lose readers this way! Okay, I'll stop with the ranting and get on to the reviewing.

I hadn't been expecting it but this book was a lot of fun to read! Coulter has a way of interspersing her action sequences among the more mild and introspective scenes that I really enjoyed. This tactic made the writing feel very smooth and had the effect of making the books feel very pleasingly layered. A lot of the character creation was done in a progressive way as well, so it felt that as I was reading, I was coming to know more and more about the people who populated the book. Instead of having everything thrown at me all at once, I gradually got to feel more and more comfortable with the characters and all their habits and nuances. I especially liked the budding relationship between Merry and Garron and felt that it also evolved in a pleasing and unique way. It's not often I read books that heavily feature romance, but I kind of felt that the romance between these two characters was almost slipped in casually, and instead of being the prime focus of the book, it came off as a satisfying undercurrent.

One of the things I really liked was the continuing intrigue the Black Demon provided. Coulter had a way of reaching back and pulling this storyline off the back burner several times and bringing it into sharp relief throughout the tale, giving the book more than a hint of mystery and suspense. I also enjoyed that the book had some magical and fantastical elements to it as well, and really, although this wasn't a straight fantasy or mystery novel, it incorporated a lot of diverse elements into the story, making it a bit difficult to house under a a specific genre. It was all very finely wrought and in a way it took the best parts of each genre and formed a thrilling and inviting whole. I confess to being very engrossed with the rebuilding of the castle as well, and the logistics of making soap and fashioning furniture were very appealing to me. Maybe this is because I tend to be enamored of the day-to-day practicalities of this time period, but whatever it was, it kept me entertained.

Another thing I liked was that the pacing of the story was so solid and tight. There weren't a lot of needless sections that dawdled on the scenery and weather and things like that. I confess I often find those things boring and sometimes skim over them. When I'm reading, I like meat and grist, and needless pontification about the scenery just ends up bugging me. Some would say those types of things set the mood and tone of the book but I find them to be a little exasperating at times. This book wasn't bogged down with those kids of details and I really liked that. It was straightforward and honest storytelling, and there was more than enough action and specifics to fill the pages without resorting to what the trees outside looked like. It was great to see that Coulter excelled so beautifully with her intended tale, and though I didn't think I would be, I was very impressed with it all.

I suspect this book will be the first in a series, and for that I'm grateful. I found it to be a delightful way to start off the new year, and much to my surprise, I ended up really liking this book a lot. It was an entertaining escapist read and the characters, setting and plot line kept me avidly turning the pages. This is another instance when I would advise you to ignore the cover and just dig in. It's a book that's great fun and I ended up enjoying it a lot! Recommended! show less

This was a pleasant historical romance. Merry is the Valcourt Heiress and, therefore, a matrimonial prize. When her father dies, her mother returns from her convent with a potential groom - Jason of Brennan. Merry's mother is a well-known witch and the groom sets off Merry's creep alert. Merry sneaks away from home, is kidnapped by evil Sir Halric, and is rescued by Garron of Kersey. During the rescue attempt she hides from Garron but then follows him home to Wareham.

As the blurb says, Wareham is almost completely destroyed. The Black Demon has killed most of the people and destroyed most of the property in his search for the hidden silver. Merry convinces the remaining servants to say she had always lived there as the bastard daughter show more of the local priest and begins her work to restore the castle. She and Garron form a relationship. At first, it is based on their shared desires to restore Wareham but personal attraction soon enters the picture.

Merry is a strong character. She can read and write and she wants some say in determining her future. Merry decides that she would prefer Garron as a husband and seduces him. Garron is King Edward's man and knows that he has to make things right with him in order to be allowed to marry an heiress. Edward is very interested in the hidden silver too because he wants his cut. The villains, including Merry's mother, Jason of Brennan, and Sir Halric, are all in pursuit of Merry and the treasure.

Many exciting episodes fill this book. Merry's mother kidnaps her, drugs her and casts spells on her. Garron goes to her rescue but is foiled by Merry's mother's potions. There are a lot of medieval expressions in the story. I found it entertaining to watch for the next saint's body part used for emphasis in a conversation. My personal favorite was "praise St. Cuthbert's padded belly."

This is recommended as a light historical romance for lovers of the genre. show less

A young woman flees her home to avoid the forced marriage arranged by her wicked witch mother. In a nearby woods she is rescued from kidnappers by a brave young knight. After some days working together to restore the young knight's home, which was destroyed by the woman's betrothed, the woman and the knight start to fall in love. Before they can be married, however, the young woman is once again kidnapped--this time by the evil witch who is her mother. This is pretty much where the story fell apart for me.

I enjoyed watching Merry and Garron's banter with each other and with the soldiers and servants, so when they were separated by the kidnapping ruse for almost half the book, the momentum of the romance was lost for me.

It was a lot less show more misogynistic and rapey than Coulter's early 90s historicals, so I'll call that a major plus, and the light tone and fast pace made any of the really? moments I had quickly forgotten. I just wish there had been more time spent on Merry and Garron together before the "I love you. The end." part. show less

A visit by the Black Demon in search of a horde of silver that was supposedly stolen leaves Wareham Castle decimated: the Earl (Arthur) is killed as are most of his subjects with the exception of a handful of decrepit and starving elders. Into this desolate landscape of hunger and thirst arrives Garron Kersey – Arthur’s brother. He is preceded by a young woman who calls herself Merry. The young woman is taken in by those still at Wareham Castle. But Merry is hiding her true identity as she is the runaway daughter, and heiress, of Valcourt Castle. What ensues is a round robin of lies and deceit that the reader is asked to believe. Indeed there are so many twists and turns that even a 13th century seer would be hard-pressed to keep it show more all straight.

I normally like medieval stories and had high hopes for this one. The story line, however, was slow moving and asks the reader to suspend their logic. I must admit that for all the richly drawn characters who seemed to spout nonsense, my favorite was Miggins – the old toothless woman who spoke her mind even in the presence of her lord and master.

The story lagged in so many places that I was hard pressed to keep focused. As this is the first of Ms. Coulter’s works that I have read I can only hope that the others are a bit more fast-paced. Not nearly as much swash-buckling or saving of damsels in distress as I would have liked. show less

It has been a LONG time since I have read a Catherine Coulter book, so I was very excited to find out that she has FINALY written (note: not REWRITTEN) a historical and I was so lucky to snag an Early Reviewers copy (from LibraryThing) of it! The book arrived and I just could not wait to start. The cover photo was great! Now all it needs is for the book to be as well, right?
To start, I must state that I respected the author and I loved her historical romance books (note: PAST tense). I am not a fan of contemporary romance, or thriller so I’ve never read her FBI series. I KNEW her historical books, and this review is based on the “uncorrected proof” that was provided by Putnam Books.
I will NOT go into the summary of the story as show more you can read it for yourself.
Now, I wanted to like this book, I really did. That said I cannot believe this got published. This, to me, reads as a rough draft of a book, and even as such, it needs a LOT more work to make it anywhere near interesting, much less believable. It is very slow paced; it took too long for the conflict to get resolved, and totally predictable.
Oh, and the dialog!!! It was just awful, boring, bland and unrealistic! The characterization is thin, silly and underdeveloped as well as totally ONE dimensional! Not one solid character or developed plot. Not one single enjoyable moment, character, or storyline! I've never read a book where the characters lacked so much personality and chemistry! As for the romance? What romance?! I so wanted to care for Garron and Merry, but I found them so boring, so bland, so one dimensional and plain silly! Try as I might, I really didn't care for their story.
The people, plot- totally unbelievable. Page after page, I just kept reading; shocked that such uninspired trash actually got published! How bad can it get, I kept asking myself? Guess what? It actually gets worse and worse, as you keep reading it. I had to debate whether to continue reading or just give up! I grew more angry, disgruntled as I plowed through. By the last page, I felt cheated!
Am I to believe that Catherine Coulter wrote this book?! Did Ms. Coulter do any research in order to write this? Did she do ANYTHING in order to throw this mess my way? This is a disjointed story that left me confused, rolling my eyes in frustration, wondering how a veteran author could write this, and then allow such shabby work to be published? She might as well have PHONED IT IN! It cannot be just me! Catherine Coulter has forgotten how to write! Seriously!!! I am embarrassed for her!
It is truly one of the worst books I have ever read and a huge insult to my intelligence. Actually, it's quite possibly THE worst one. Totally, absolutely ridiculous!!!!! What a waste of paper, time and money! A huge disappointment! I would not let the PRISONERS read this and I think you should have more fun reading David Lee Roth’s “Crazy From the Heat”!
To the reader who is reading this review, DO NOT read (dare I call it BOOK?)! I do NOT recommend it. PLEASE do not buy it! You will be greatly disappointed. I honestly wish I could give zero stars for this book. If you absolutely MUST, get it from the library. This isn't worth your hard earned money. show less