Fairest of them All: Teresa Medieros

“FAIREST OF THEM ALL

“She was rumored to be the fairest woman in all of England. But Holly de Chastel considered her beauty a curse. She had already turned away scores of suitors with various ruses, both fair and foul. Now she was to be the prize in a tournament of eager knights gathering from across the land, each more determined than the last to win her hand. Holly had no intention of wedding any of them, and concocted her most outrageous plan yet: to disguise her beauty from their avaricious eyes. But she never planned on Sir Austyn of Gavenmore.

“The darkly handsome Welshman had come looking especially for a plain bride and Holly seemed to fit the bill. Suddenly she found herself in the possession of this mysterious stranger, ensconced in his castle, and forced to keep up her carefully planned illusion. Why did this electrifyingly passionate male, who could have any woman he wanted, desire a homely bride—and what would happen when he learned he’d been tricked? By the time Holly found out, it was too late to avoid searing fires of passion—and the dark curse of Gavenmore….”

Now, you all know that I LOVE Teresa Medeiros, but I will say it once again: I LOVE Teresa Medeiros! I could tell that this was one of her earlier works, but I loved it nonetheless. There was this awesome element of the unbelievable with Austyn’s ancestor (I don’t want to give too much away!) and there were some cool mythological aspects. What made me even happier was—as always—the historical background for the story.

I took so much pleasure in the characters and their plights. The situations were sweet, hilarious, and—of course!—enjoyably awkward! As always, I thoroughly look forward to reading more of Medeiros in the near future! (I apologize! I would write more, but I’m exhausted and have a TERRIBLE headache! I promise to have a better review for the next book!)

Charming the Prince (Fairy Tale Series, Book One): Teresa Medeiros

"Dear Reader,

"My enemies know me as Lord Bannor the Bold, Pride of the English and Terror of the French. Never in my life have I backed down from any challenge or betrayed so much as a hint of fear--until the war ended and I found myself a reluctant papa to a dozen unruly little children.

"Realizing that I couldn't lop their little heads offof throw them in the dungeon, I sent my steward out to find them a mother and me a bride--an unattractive, meek, maternal creature too plain to tempt me to get her with child. You can imagine my horror when he returned with Lady Willow of Bedlington, a spirited beauty who made me think of nothing else!

"With her cloud of dark curls and the sparkle of passion in her eyes, Willow was everything I'd sworn to resist. I never dreamed she would join forces with those mischievous imps of mine to teach this cynical warrior just how sweet surrender can be.

"Bannor the Bold,

"Lord of Elsinore"

I definitely DEVOURED this book in 24 hours! It's not something I do terribly often, but this book was so cleverly written that I just could not put it down. The back cover captivated me with its uniqueness and the book itself did not disappoint. The situations were ironic, humorous, awkward, and embarrassing, which provided for some good reading. Sometimes the reader hates Bannor, but learns the truth of his true aversion to bedding his new wife and instantly pities the poor man. At times, the children make you hate them for their terribly cruel pranks on the poor Willow, but they eventually get what they deserve--if in an unconventional way.

The readers can feel the pain of Bannor as he struggles with his desires as well as what he promised himself; Willow as she fights to overcome a troubled childhood and deal with her feelings for the insufferable Bannor as well as manage his unruly children; and the children, themselves, as they battle for the attention from the father they love and crave attention from.

I highly recommend this book and I will be sure to read Teresa Medeiros in the future!