By Design by Madeline Hunter
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(Mass Market Paperback - Reprint)
- Pub. Date: January 2001
- 400pp
- Sales Rank: 76,598
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Product Details
- Pub. Date: January 2001
- Publisher: Bantam Books
- Format: Mass Market Paperback, 400pp
- Sales Rank: 76,598
- ISBN-13: 9780553582239
- ISBN: 0553582232
- Edition Description: Reprint
Synopsis
Bound by honor...
The moment Rhys saw the stunning young woman selling her exquisitely crafted pottery in the marketplace, he was captivated. But the wealthy freemason would never have guessed that just a few days later, a misunderstanding would land Joan in the town stocks and he would become her unlikely savior. After the grueling ordeal, Rhys tenderly cares for Joan's bruised body—and her bruised pride. Yet he longs to do much more ... to satisfy the fire that sparks between the pair the moment they are alone.
Rhys could not have known that Joan once enjoyed a more privileged life. She'd had no choice but to become an indentured servant, but she is determined to avenge the crimes that ruined her family and destroyed her world. When Rhys meets with her employer to buy pottery—and buys her instead —Joan is furious. She vows to resist falling under the spell of the handsome, imposing Rhys. But she finds that her resolve quickly softens when tempted by Rhys's powerful charms—and she can only hope to find a way to avoid surrendering to her potent desire....
Publishers Weekly
Although readers new to Hunter's 14th-century London trilogy (which includes By Possession) may struggle to gain a foothold on the background details of this final installment, the sexual tension between Joan, a gifted sculptress, and her protector, Rhys, a Freemason, will engage newcomers and loyal fans alike. Rhys and Joan first cross paths at the market, where she is displaying her wares, and then again at the city stocks, when Joan is unfairly punished for peddling her employer's defective tiles. While attempting to free Joan of an indenture to her drunken master, Rhys unexpectedly purchases her himself. Greeting Rhys with anger instead of gratitude, Joan makes it clear that she intends to cook and clean, not share his bed. What Rhys doesn't know is that Joan is actually the high-born daughter of a lord who was murdered when England rose up to welcome Queen Isabella's invasion, and that, upon her father's death, Joan was forced to trade sexual favors to save her younger brother's life. Now she is in hiding until she can earn enough money to hire an assassin and seek revenge. Despite myriad plot lines, the romance between Rhys and Joan remains central, and Hunter skillfully keeps the relationship fresh and her readers wondering whether Joan can overcome her past in order to embrace the present. (Jan. 9) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
More Reviews and RecommendationsBiography
Madeline Hunter is a nationally bestselling author of historical romances who lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. In a parallel existence to the one she enjoys as a novelist, she has a Ph.D. in art history and teaches at an East Coast university.
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Exciting medieval romanceby harstan
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December 15, 2000: In the marketplace near the Cathedral, freemason Rhys observes a beautiful newcomer serenely and quietly trying to sell crockery. For some strange reason, Rhys finds himself enchanted by the ?alien? and even more excited by her work that is geometrically perfect especially since he learns that she lacked the proper equipment. Reluctantly by gleefully for having met the latest hawker, Rhys finally moves on to conduct his own business.
A few days later, Rhys sees his enchantress in quite a different situation. Apparently she did something that led to her master blaming her. Now she is a victim of the stocks. Rhys rescues Joan by buying her indentured contract. Joan wants nothing to do with her savior even if he is kind and handsome, and she is falling in love with him. Even with the enticement of Rhys and his love, Joan?s goal remains vengeance on those who destroyed her and her family though some of her enemies reside in the court of young King Edward.
BY DESIGN is an exciting late medieval romance that uses the political and economic conditions of the times as a backdrop to a warm historical romantic intrigue. The story line works because of the historical depth, especially that of the guilds, that brings much color to the tale and leaves the audience feeling they are inspecting pottery among other wares. The lead couple seems real because of the full flavor of the period. Though Madeline Hunter has written a medieval romance that sub-genre fans will enjoy, readers of historical fiction will gain much pleasure from the novel too.
Harriet Klausner
Another Compelling Taleby Anonymous
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October 21, 2000: With BY DESIGN, Madeline Hunter continues her examination of love across social classes in 14th century England. Rhys is a master mason who enjoys the patronage of the crown. One day, he sees a lovely young woman selling her statues in the market. He is struck by her talent. Shortly thereafter, he discovers her in the stocks, being punished for the shoddy goods sold by her master. Rhys rescues Joan and thus begins their relationship. Joan has secrets of her own, secrets which will make their growing love impossible. As she did in her first two books, Hunter uses the history of the time to good effect as Rhys finds himself involved in the political machinations of the era. But what carries this story is the romance. Rhys is a wonderful hero; he is both amazingly strong and amazingly gentle. Joan is a brave and determined heroine; she has lost everything yet has not been defeated. Their impossible love tugs at the heartstrings. A grand story of the power of love to overcome seemingly impossible barriers. Hunter brings the 14th century to vivid life.
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