This book had been sitting on my shelf for a long time- so I thought it was high time to read it. I had seen mixed reviews, and my own were also rather mixed. In many ways, it was a sweet Romance which explored the deeper issues within relationships, such as learning to give and take and a good Christian Story which was not afraid to lay out the gospel and the necessity of repentance and surrender to God. Perhaps since 1995, when this was first written, there have been a lot of other stories in this vein, and so it seems similar to a lot of other stories in this genre. Clean, edifying and certainly commendable- but, and here's my major complaint- I think there's a problem with books written in a particular setting by people who are not familiar with it. The basic details seemed correct (except the tea drinking!), and the sometimes rather inconsistent mixture of modern and archaic language, and what seemed to be something of a misunderstanding and misrepresentation of Medieval Religion. Now I know Inspirational Fiction should be evangelistic, and that most Protestants accept that there are fundamental theological errors in Catholicism- but seriously- Catholics believe in the Crucifixion and Resurrection, and they did in the 16th century. So for characters so say that their unsaved followers believed only in God but not in Jesus just seemed a little silly, and some of the attitudes contrived.The other major historical issue was to be found in the last chapter. Elsewhere there were few details of the major political events of the Tudor Age, but in the Epilogue Henry VIII's marriages were mentioned- yet in a way that seemed woefully inaccurate. It was said of Katherine Howard 'Henry had found her guilty of misconduct' and executed.Seriously-So the King could just have people convicted on his word alone- on a whim? I don't think so--- and Katherine Howard was convicted of Adultery- tantamount to treason for a queen- not simple misconduct. Talk about historical misunderstanding....Finally- there were the names- some of which seemed more appropriate for a fantasy story. Bracken has to be the most implausible name ever for a sixteenth century English noblemen- but others were little better- a neighbouring Earl with an ancient Viking name- and a soldier called ‘Stafford’. Stafford is the name of the a city in the English Midlands-it’s a place name- using it as a personal name is like calling a person Manchester, London or Oxford. Overall, I am glad finally read The Knight and the Dove but I’m don’t think if I liked it enough to read it more than once. I tend to prefer my Medieval fiction more accurate, the characters more well drawn , and maybe the story less cliched or whimsical. One for giving away or leaving on the train, I think…
Rating: 6.9/10Bracken is a strong, proud man with a bit of a temper. Megan is clever and beautiful yet stubborn. Their relationship starts off very rocky and slowly over the book they start to realise how much they care for one another. The book moves very quickly and doesn't get too deep into information. I enjoyed the story but I did think constantly, what is the point of the story? When is the story meant to end? So Bracken and Megan are in love now, what else is there? The climatic point involves Megan's sister so keep an eye out for her the whole book because it is what Marigold says and does that gives the book shape.Sadly there weren't a lot of super sweet moments. I felt the romance was very light with little glimpses here and there. It is like we don't really get into the nitty gritty of their relationship, it is very surface based. It seems like the deepest conversations are when the characters talk about God and their faith in him, which I really enjoyed reading, but a girl likes some sigh worthy romance.The Questions:Entertaining?: I enjoyed the story but I definitely wanted moreAddictive?: The beginning is the best part, after that it is easy to read, easy to put downImpacting?: NoThought provoking?: Yes – the character's faithClean?: YesRead it again?: I own it, so maybeWould I Recommend it: Not to my friends (they would find it boring) but I would highly recommend to those who want a super clean, Christian read
What do You think about The Knight And The Dove (2004)?
Kensington Chronicles #4 The Knight and the Dove by Lori Wick is by far and away one of my very most favorite books! I have read this book at least 6 times and still laugh and cry every time I read it. If I was ever forced to give up 99% of my books, this book would be in the 1% that I kept.Technically, this is book #4 of the Kensington Chronicles, but chronologically, it actually takes place first. It is set in the mid-1500s, almost 300 years prior to the first book in the Kensington Chronicles, The Hawk and the Jewel and takes us back to the beginnings of the dukedom in the Hawkesbury line. As a result, it is the book I always read first, when I reread the series and is also the only book in the series that I will read without rereading the rest.I'm not sure I can actually pinpoint exactly what it is about this book that makes it so precious to me, but I would recommend that anyone read this book, because in my opinion, yes, it's that good!
—Kathy
One of my favorite love stories--will be on my "keeper" shelf to read again. Bracken is heroic, courageous, and compassionate. Megan is sweet, naive, and brave. They are both vulnerable and unsure--and stubborn. Their interaction is entertaining. The varied characters of extended family and friends add to the story. The author is able to interweave an explanation for salvation thru Jesus Christ without overpowering the storyline and enables the reader to identify the imperfections of our hero and heroine as they themselves discover them. A sweet, Christian romance--I thought it was a wonderful, enjoyable, and exciting read!
—Barbara
The storyline and characters were amazing and well-crafted and so believable! I lvoed this book and could not put it down!The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because of one of her writing styles that irritates me to no end. At the end of a chapter she gives some sort of suspenseful preview of sorts, like "As she said this, she did not know that had she not said it, he would have reacted bla bla bla". Or "He never did sense what was going to come next" and such. I don't know about anyone else but I think this is highly unnecessary. However every writer has their signature writing style so to each his own.
—Sheero
