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Loyalty's Web: Poitevin Hearts, #1
Loyalty's Web: Poitevin Hearts, #1
Loyalty's Web: Poitevin Hearts, #1
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Loyalty's Web: Poitevin Hearts, #1

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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She's the daughter of a rebel. He destroyed her father's castle. Can these bitter enemies find their way to love?

 

Heléne de Laurant can never forget her days of terror when the Earl of Gunthar's army shattered the walls of her home in the name of the king. It does not surprise her that someone wants revenge for the havoc he has wrought in Poitou. When someone tries to murder Gunthar, she refuses to believe her family and friends are involved. The mysterious stranger she meets by the river can hint otherwise all he wants. She will never abandon her faith in her loved ones' innocence, not even for the flint-eyed earl whose unexpected attentions fluster her and make her heart beat a little too fast.

 

Heléne's fiery spirit stirs Gunthar in a way no woman ever has before. But he is not free to court her. By command of the king, he has returned to Poitou to enter a marriage alliance with the daughter of a rebel baron—Heléne's sister. Gunthar's devotion to the king demands his obedience. Nor can he risk offending the baron by insulting his new betrothed. Besides, when one assassination attempt turns into more, trusting the wrong person could truly be deadly. And however much Heléne fascinates and enchants him, she is undeniably keeping secrets from him.

 

Heléne and Gunthar's attraction to one another becomes impossible for either of them to ignore as, despite their mutual suspicions and distrust, they work together to uncover the plot that threatens Gunthar's life.

 

When the would-be murderer is finally revealed, will loyalty rule their choices or love?


Poitevin Hearts, Book 1: Men and women living and loving amidst the political intrigues of medieval Poitou (a region of France once ruled by the Kings of England.) 

Loyalty's Web is a PG-13 rated historical romance.

The Poitevin Hearts romance series is linked together by recurring characters, but each title is written as a stand-alone novel. They can be read and enjoyed in any order.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 29, 2015
ISBN9780989241939
Loyalty's Web: Poitevin Hearts, #1
Author

Joyce DiPastena

Joyce DiPastena dreamed of green medieval forests while growing up in the dusty copper mining town of Kearny, Arizona. She filled her medieval hunger by reading the books of Thomas B. Costain (where she fell in love with King Henry II of England), and later by attending the University of Arizona where she graduated with a degree in history, specializing in the Middle Ages. The university was also where she completed her first full-length novel...set, of course, in medieval England. Later, her fascination with Henry II led her to expand her research horizons to the far reaches of his “Angevin Empire” in France, which became the setting of her first published novel, "Loyalty’s Web" (a 2007 Whitney Award Finalist). When she’s not writing, Joyce loves to read, play the piano, and spend time with her sister and friends. A highlight of her year is attending the annual Arizona Renaissance Festival . Joyce is a multi-published, multi-award winning author who specializes in sweet medieval romances heavily spiced with mystery and adventure. She lives with her two cats, Clio and Glinka Rimsky-Korsokov, in Mesa, Arizona.

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Rating: 4.374999916666667 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I received a free copy from the author and am reviewing of my own choice. All opinions expressed are my own.When a stranger approaches her with claims of proof her father intends treachery, Helene de Laurant insists it isn't true. She has too much to worry with the Earl of Gunthar arriving to wed her sister. When someone attempts to murder the earl, though, she comes to realize that there is a web of treachery stretching in all directions.Every now and then, I like to pick up a historical novel set further back than I usually enjoy. I've enjoyed several of this author's other works, so I was excited to read this one. And I have to say, she does not disappoint.The plot is complicated, but not too much to leave a reader confused. We go from Helene's viewpoint, the younger not as pretty daughter, to Gunthar, a battle-hardened warrior who is determined to see peace in the area. Sparks fly between them and it takes them time to admit the attraction between them.For readers looking for a clean historical romance, I would highly recommend this one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    SYNOPSIS:"In twelfth-century France, King Henry II of England has just finished crushing a rebellion by his power-hungry sons and now seeks to tame the lawless barons who supported them in this corner of his “Angevin empire.” To this end, the king has sent the Earl of Gunthar as his royal representative to ensure that Prince Richard and his former cohorts faithfully adhere to the terms of the peace treaty.Far from being welcomed with open arms, Gunthar no sooner steps foot in the county of Poitou than he is greeted by a series of assassination attempts."This was such a lovely book! I thoroughly enjoyed it! I first fell in love with the cover, and then the description. I won a copy of the book in a giveaway, and Joyce DiPastena was kind enough to send me an autographed copy, so I was already excited about the book before I even opened it. As I read, I became even more excited because this book has everything you could want in a historical fiction novel: Romance, intrigue, alliances, betrayals, and sword fights! The writing was very well done, with fully fleshed out characters, some you love from the start and some you grow to despise, but that is only because they are described so well you feel like you know them! You definitely become emotionally attached, and when a character is trying to decide where their loyalties lie, you feel the same way because all sides of the conflict are written. Because of the assassination attempts, there is also a mystery involved, and sometimes it's hard to figure out who is good and who is bad as Ms. DiPastena definitely keeps you guessing until the end! I loved the ending as it neatly tied up all of the loose ends and left me smiling.I highly recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction, and I will definitely be reading more of Ms. DiPastena's books in the future :D
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    [close] I received this book as a part of the Goodreads First Reads contest. I thought it was an okay novel. As a fan of historical fiction, I enjoyed the author's foray into the middle ages. But not being a fan of the romance genre, I didn't really love that aspect of the book. Don't get me wrong, I am a devoted chick-lit reader (mostly due to the humor in the books), but this is far from chick-lit. I also don't mind when romance serves as a backdrop in novels, but my enjoyment wanes when it is the focal point of the plot. The novel wasn't falsely advertised though. It is classified under romance, so I wasn't overly suprised that that was what it mainly was. I didn't have much of a desire to pick this book up once I set it down. To me, it didn't get riveting until the about the last hundred pages or so. I did like that Lady Helene was sort of a rebel and a non-conformist. She also had this fiery spark to her that I kind of admired, but then when she falls in love with the Earl of Gunther, that spark diminishes quite a bit (and this seems to be my main gripe with romance novels; how a heroine can seem strong at the beginning of the book and then automatically get weak in the knees and lose some of yourself when a handsome guy comes along. Yes, Twilight, I'm glaring at you). So, it was okay. I don't regret reading it (particularly because it was free), but it didn't blow me away or anything. So, I give it two stars.

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Loyalty's Web - Joyce DiPastena

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