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The Montgomery/Taggert Family: Chronological order #19
A Knight in Shining Armor
Once upon a time... ...as a fair maiden lay weeping upon a cold tombstone, her heartfelt desire was suddenly made real before tall, broad of shoulder, attired in gleaming silver and gold, her knight in shining armor had come to rescue his damsel in distress.... A Knight in Shining Armor Jude Deveraux's beloved bestseller has captivated readers the world over; now in a special edition featuring new material, this timeless love story greets a new generation. Abandoned by her lover, thoroughly modern Dougless Montgomery finds herself alone and brokenhearted in an old English church. She never dreamed that a love more powerful than time awaited her there...until Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck, a sixteenth-century knight, appeared. Drawn to him by a bond so sudden and compelling that it defied reason, Dougless knew that Nicholas was nothing less than a a man who would not seek to change her, who found her perfect just as she was. But she could not know how strong were the chains that tied them to the past -- or the grand adventure that lay before them.
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
1857 people are currently reading
24830 people want to read
About the author
Jude Deveraux
193books6,910followersJude Gilliam was born September 20, 1947 in Fairdale, Kentucky. She has a large extended family and is the elder sister of four brothers. She attended Murray State University and received a degree in Art. In 1967, Jude married and took her husband's surname of White, but four years later they divorced. For years, she worked as 5th-grade teacher.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,850 reviews
November 15, 2012
This is the very first romance book, which made me smile, laugh and cry. Read it three times and decided that I had to have it for myself. So now, it is sitting very nicely in my book cabinet, beckoning me to read it again for I-don't-know-how-many times.
I must say, this is best book of all by Jude Deveraux. About time-travel romance, finding and recognizing true love even if its separated by decades of time. So, you will get to read about Nicholas realising his true love in Douglass's modern time and when he was returned to his medieval time (with no memory of their love), Douglass was 'transported' and determined to safe him from danger and once again, the strength of their love was proven. The scene nearing the end was heart wrenching when they were separated by time yet again, but their souls found each other, and they were 'reunited'. Like all romance novel, the book ended with a happily-ever-after though not in a typical way.
Best read with the 'dont disturb sign' outside your door.
I must say, this is best book of all by Jude Deveraux. About time-travel romance, finding and recognizing true love even if its separated by decades of time. So, you will get to read about Nicholas realising his true love in Douglass's modern time and when he was returned to his medieval time (with no memory of their love), Douglass was 'transported' and determined to safe him from danger and once again, the strength of their love was proven. The scene nearing the end was heart wrenching when they were separated by time yet again, but their souls found each other, and they were 'reunited'. Like all romance novel, the book ended with a happily-ever-after though not in a typical way.
Best read with the 'dont disturb sign' outside your door.
December 20, 2018
As with most things spawned in the 80s, this book/story did not age well. Secondly, Dougless, our “heroine�, was a waste of space.
June 22, 2010
Why a four-star book and a wall-banger?
Hmm...could it be the ending?
The book was great up until the last part where....
Spoilers............................................
The hero and heroine do not get together! She travels back to her time while he spends the rest of his life alone! She meets the hero's "soul in another body" on the plane home after she is sent to the present. Supposedly, the hero's soul found hers. Baloney! Sorry, you cannot substitute another person for the actual hero! Such a depressing and horrible ending. Ugggghhh! See Kiss of the Highlander by Karen Marie Moning as an example of how to make this scenario turn out with an HEA!
Hmm...could it be the ending?
The book was great up until the last part where....
Spoilers............................................
The hero and heroine do not get together! She travels back to her time while he spends the rest of his life alone! She meets the hero's "soul in another body" on the plane home after she is sent to the present. Supposedly, the hero's soul found hers. Baloney! Sorry, you cannot substitute another person for the actual hero! Such a depressing and horrible ending. Ugggghhh! See Kiss of the Highlander by Karen Marie Moning as an example of how to make this scenario turn out with an HEA!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2013
In 1990 I was a senior in high school, and I was friends with my music teacher. It was one of those odd things I never understood how it happened, though I think it started when the drama teacher cast me for the lead in Fiddler on the Roof but I couldn’t sing. (That’s a long, weird story. Don’t ask.) She was charged with fixing that minor detail, which led to a lot of before and after school private lessons. At this point of my life things were starting to come seriously apart. I’d weathered some very personal and not-at-all nice things that hadn’t resolved. My parents were mere seconds away from their divorce, and we were all living in the basement of an unfinished house. Probably this is why she was friendly to me, and undoubtedly this is why one day she handed me a paperback with a red cover and a metal gauntlet on the cover holding a rose over a bed of silk. “Here,� she said. “You should read this. You should have this.�
I remember being a little dubious, but didn’t want to disappoint her, so I tried to at least start it so I could fake it. I don’t have a specific memory of reading A Knight in Shining Armor for the first time, but I remember the feeling of something important blooming inside me, something huge and powerful and true. I thanked the music teacher, and she promptly fed me a zillion romances, many of which I didn’t actually like, but many of which I did. None were ever what that first one was, though. I ended up reading every single Jude Deveraux book up until sometime in grad school, eventually getting to the point where I purchased the hardcovers as they came out. I bought a lot of romance novels, a lot, but Deveraux was always a must.
What I remember about reading AKISH for the first time was that it was a good, satisfying story with a happy ending, which I needed at that point of my life more than water. The part that really resonated with me, however, were that these people were having sex. Good sex. Yummy, tingly sex that made neurons light up in ways that were a lot more than just a Beavis and Butthead snigger. Part of me had always been very sexual, very aware of sex and its power and confused by the shame that had to go with it. I’d also had some not-so-nice things happen centered around sex. Now here was this book that was fun, easy to read but not simple, light but not worthless, happy but not without struggle—and there was sex. Strawberry ice cream, bitches.
The sex was there and real but so elegant, so alive and yet so classy. I never felt the need to blush. Deveraux made a safe place for me to enjoy sex, to explore. Reading AKISH healed me, reminded me of what I should be looking for in a lover. Deveraux made it okay to like sex. I remember really liking that Dougless had been sexually active and that her first several times were not great. That was so important to me, after having so many firsts ruined and messed up, but feeling like I could still be okay, because Dougless was. I felt in so many ways like Dougless, like no matter what I did, no matter how nice I was or how hard I tried, everything went to crap around me. Not while I read this book.
As the years went by and I grew older, my reading tastes changed, and so did Ms. Deveraux’s writing. I would still buy her books, but they began to resonate less, and so did some of the rereads. For a long time I bought the books anyway, determined to make this relationship work, but eventually I stopped, and every time I saw a new book I would feel sad, like I’d lost something special. Every now and again I would reread old works with varying success, but eventually I deliberately stopped rereading AKISH. I couldn’t bear to ever read those words and find anything but perfection, so if I simply relied on my memory, I’d be fine.
Some of this falling out I can now attribute to my muses trying to get my head on straight with my own writing--I had been writing stories all this time, though with no attempts to be published until 1998. By the time I hit 2005, I could read almost no romances no matter who wrote them. In 2007, I stopped reading them entirely. I went on a strange scavenger hunt through the library for any books that had anything to do with gay heroes, especially ones in a relationship, but those were very, very hard to come by. The barest crumbs were a feast. This was also the period in my life when I shut off the internet for a year and wrote like the devil. What would come out of that time would be my first two published novels, for a genre I didn’t even know existed as I wrote them.
Once I discovered the gay romance explosion, I devoured everything I could grab. I began to read lesbian romance as well. Lately I’ve started reading heterosexual romance again, though as of the beginning of April I had not gone back to reread the romances of my roots. Mostly I feared I wouldn’t like them. I can be a real reading snob, so pouty and impatient about what I want in a book, and I didn’t want to do that to my firsts.
Then came the Romantic Times 2013 convention.
Jude Deveraux would be there, I saw in the program notes, and as the time for the con grew closer, as I made my own frantic author preparations, the battered high school girl who had been saved by romance lifted her head and began to whisper that she’d kind of like to meet her hero. I worried about that. I worried maybe Ms. Deveraux wouldn’t receive me well. I had no reason to except that this is actually something I always fear, especially when something is important to me, and because Jude Deveraux is associated with such a vulnerable time in my life, it seemed a bit of a nasty risk to meet her. So much so that though I’d planned to bring my paperback copy of AKISH—yes, that one from 1990—I ended up forgetting it. My husband offered to express it with some swag that had come late, but I said no. No, it wasn’t a big deal. It was just a book. She’d be mobbed, and when would I have time to get it signed? And again, I worried, what if she turned up her nose at me? I couldn’t stand the thought.
In the middle of the night, my inner high schooler hijacked my phone and texted Dan, “Express the book.� He did. It arrived on Thursday of the conference.
I began to let myself be excited. You can ask almost anyone who saw me at RT how I got all bubbly and stupid giddy whenever I talked about meeting her. I showed the book to anyone who would give me ten seconds, and sometimes I had that horrible sense I was boring them or making them uncomfortable, but I couldn’t stop myself. It was like now that she was unleashed, that high school girl would not be stopped. When I saw that Jude Deveraux was on a panel with Julie Garwood on Friday morning, I ditched the Samhain panel I’d meant to attend (sorry my favorite publisher, I still love you) and arrived early to the Deveraux-Garwood Legends of Romance event. I sat in the front row and vibrated with anticipation.
That's the back of my head at 5 o'clock of the picture.
Everyone in the room for that panel describes it as having been in either a rock concert or church or both at the same time. Sarah Wendell says she had to cross her legs so she didn’t pee her pants while she stood to ask a question. I sat in my seat and wept openly, feeling foolish and awkward yet unable to stop myself. She was there. They were both there, but she was there, and like something sleeping, that girl inside me sat up and basked in the presence of the woman who had set her free in so many ways.
Deveraux was wonderful. A little reserved, but charming and eloquent and articulate, and basically she was everything I’d ever wanted her to be. Garwood was gregarious and friendly, but I kind of liked that my hero was almost godlike, this sacred woman I could simply bask in. I wanted to stay and get my book signed, but there was a crush and we weren’t supposed to be there anyway, so I left. I told myself I would get my book signed the next day at the big signing. If I had to leave my own table for a length of time, I’d do it. At this point my inner high school girl would go nuclear if I didn’t let her drive this bus.
I helped set up for the big signing, and I saw where she would be sitting. I saw her books to sign get set out. I got my battered copy stamped, and the woman who did it was charmed by the age of my copy. I went up to Ms. Deveraux’s and brought Marie with me to take a photo.
I told myself not to cry or break into crazy hysterics. I had rehearsed what I would say to her, what I felt I had to say, and I sort of tunneled-out the rest of the conference so it was just my hero and that table and me, and wifey with my phone for the picture.
I clutched my book with sweaty hands, and I stood before Jude Deveraux and told her my story, how my music teacher had given me her book, this very book in my hands and how it changed my life. How she was my first romance novel and how much it altered everything about me, what I read and eventually what I wrote. I told her the reason I was about to go sit at my table and sign for my own fans was because of the book in my hands, and I thanked her for being an important part of my life.
Or that was what I hope I said. I really don’t remember. I just remember standing there and feeling like this hugely important person was there, not laughing at me, but in fact looking politely charmed, and I tried not to combust. Or pee my pants.
I asked if I could have a picture, and she said yes. Her eyes ended up being closed, but that’s okay. I remember her eyes. I remember the sound of her voice. I remember the way she smiled at me, and I won’t forget that any more than I will forget her book.
And now my copy is signed.
(I know I just put both those pics in my RT recap post, but how could I not include them here?)
When I got home from Kansas City, I kept the book on my desk for awhile, and I thought about rereading it, but I was scared. At this point I was scared to touch the book—it’s old and yellowed and rough, and now it has her signature in the front. I put it away instead. Then, like the universe was angling at me, someone tweeted that AKISH was on sale on kindle, and in a dream-state I clicked “buy now.� For over a week it sat on my kindle, untouched, because I was still afraid. How awful would it be if I reread it now after all this time, after meeting her and having all my catharsis and joy, and I didn’t care for it? I ignored it utterly, and then on Mother’s Day I got my Paperwhite, and suddenly there was that cover every time I turned it on. Not my cover, not the right cover, but it was still the book, and I knew I was going to read it soon. I kept coming up with reasons to put it off, until yesterday the high school girl got very tired of me and I was reading. Then suddenly it was today, and I was done.
It was better this time than any other time I have ever read it.
I’m so glad I put it away for so long, because it was both familiar and fresh. It has a gorgeous patina about it now, dated by its publication date and yet more intense because of its timelessness. When I closed the kindle cover this afternoon, my first thought was that it is so much better than any romance novel I have read in a long, long time, and I believe I will now elevate it to my top four books, a non-ranked quartet of Going Postal, American Gods, Tom Jones, and now A Knight in Shining Armor. Everything was there, as wonderful as it was and yet somehow better. For now as I read I could see where my own roots began, could feel how some of those moments, some of her choices and her voices were always resonating within me every time I write. I found Dougless as powerful and pure as she had ever been. I found Nicolas as charming and handsome and infuriating and flawed and utterly romantic as any hero I have ever read or penned, more so because he is the first, he is the best, he is the center from which they all began.
I learned from my reread as well. I was reminded about stakes, about pacing, about choices, about vulnerabilities and identifications between the reader and the character. I felt the breathlessness of Nicolas’s devotion, his vows of love across time. I felt Dougless’s weakness and strength balanced so expertly, so delicately and yet so easily. I noticed this time as I never have the incredible grace and skill it takes to make a book so strong and sure and yet so fluid it seems as if it is the creamiest chocolate drink in the world, not too sweet, just a bit of spice. As one drinks this story in, one feels good and happy and sated. It is a book of healing, of hope, of happiness.
And then I turned the last page AND THERE WAS BONUS MATERIAL.
Deveraux had written an afterward, talking about writing it fourteen years ago so it’s been some time now since even that addition was put in, but it was new to me, and now when I read it I heard her voice in my head saying the words. I think I’ll read it about a zillion more times just to soak it all in. I highly recommend you find a copy with this afterward in it and read through it at least once, especially if you love the book.
If you’ve never read it, please go do so now. I promise you won’t be sorry.
I feel like I’ve closed a circle in my life, and it feels very good. The high school girl inside me is very happy, very at peace. She’s also really looking forward to buying every last one of the books on kindle and rereading them, and discovering new ones. She’s thinking about the old Garwood novels too, all of which I’d given away when I was the high school teacher. In fact, I have very very few romance novels left, having given them away because of moving or because of space and now because books are a great place for my allergies to fester.
When I imagined writing this review, I thought I would comb through the book and find highlighted bits and talk about it eloquently as a work of art, as an influential piece of fiction, as the ideal romance novel. I find now that I cannot. Not this book. It is all those things, but first and foremost for me this book is magic. This book is medicine. This book is bedrock in my soul and in my own writing. I can no more elegantly speak of it than I could sit down and have a casual dinner with Jude Deveraux. I couldn’t ever. She’s not human to me, not completely, and this book is not just a book.
So this story, this abject adoration is my review. This book I am realizing has always been my compass, and I feel so much better for finding it firmly in my hand again. I have no aspirations to write a book which is this for another reader. I simply wish to pilot my waters with it in my hand, because now more than ever I am convinced it will only lead me to good things.
What more than this could I ever aspire to? A journey without end, heading always toward hope and happily ever after. And sex.
Thank you, Jude Deveraux. For literally everything.
May 14, 2022
"I love you," he whispered. "With all my soul I love you. Across time I will love you."
I can't remember the last time I read a time travel romance... it's definitely not a trope I gravitate towards because they're often depressing but this book wasn't like that at all. I found A Knight in Shining Armor to be light hearted and there were even quite a few moments that made me laugh really hard! For the most part, I think this book aged pretty well (I mean, it could've been A LOT worse)! The main characters weren't particularly lovable but I was so invested in the plot that they kind of grew on me and I ultimately couldn't help but be invested in their HEA.
Overall, A Knight in Shining Armor was a really fun read and the little history lessons weaved in the story made the story so much more interesting! If you like time travel romances and don't mind incredibly flawed characters, check this one out!
Rating: 4/5
(Thanks to Laura for the rec! 🥰 I would never have come across this book if it weren't for you!)
August 22, 2016
I shouldn't have read this. But oh well you live and learn :(
The writing was at times weird but overall good, but the story, the ending... Horrible.
That is NOT a happy end! It's actually really sad and depressing!
The writing was at times weird but overall good, but the story, the ending... Horrible.
That is NOT a happy end! It's actually really sad and depressing!
Read
January 21, 2020i've seen kate & leopold, don't really need it set in the 80s with a cry baby doormat heroine
dnf @ 15%
dnf @ 15%
June 10, 2022
** A Timeless Time-Travel Romance **
This tiny book stays in my shelf almost forever.. like FOREVER! I cannot even remember how long it has been slept there. But, it was picked it up to read in the right date at the right time *sigh*
Many years ago, after I finished reading her "" love it and crave for more. Yep! I found the recommendation of "A Knight in Shining Armor" everywhere among book fans of Jude D. It seems to be the most popular book of her all.
I went to order this book hasty like crazy! Then alas.. I don't know what happen I haven't read this book till this day! lol!
Once upon a time . . .
A fair maiden weeping upon a cold tombstone, her heartfelt desire was suddenly made real before her.
What can I say? our bro Nicholas comes from another era to the Modern England in a Medieval style, knight-dress and dashing armor! Everything in modern day seems crazy! The taxi? That Air-Plane? What the hell is this? Where the freaking horses?!! Even our heroine thinks he's crazy!!!! LOL!
So, our sweetie Dougless Montgomery has to help him find the truth. "How can this weird man came here?"
The first half of the story might a bit so-so on and on for making us slowly getting close to the characters, THEN the story will keep getting intense more and more.
"My soul will find yours"
The last part hooked me in the gut and made me burst into tears. This romance is heart-wrenching and touching, guys. Haven't cry in book-reading like this for so long. Hahaha My happy tears.
MY BOOK CHALLENGE
Book Country : U.S.A.
Plot-Setting : England
This tiny book stays in my shelf almost forever.. like FOREVER! I cannot even remember how long it has been slept there. But, it was picked it up to read in the right date at the right time *sigh*
Many years ago, after I finished reading her "" love it and crave for more. Yep! I found the recommendation of "A Knight in Shining Armor" everywhere among book fans of Jude D. It seems to be the most popular book of her all.
I went to order this book hasty like crazy! Then alas.. I don't know what happen I haven't read this book till this day! lol!
Once upon a time . . .
A fair maiden weeping upon a cold tombstone, her heartfelt desire was suddenly made real before her.
What can I say? our bro Nicholas comes from another era to the Modern England in a Medieval style, knight-dress and dashing armor! Everything in modern day seems crazy! The taxi? That Air-Plane? What the hell is this? Where the freaking horses?!! Even our heroine thinks he's crazy!!!! LOL!
So, our sweetie Dougless Montgomery has to help him find the truth. "How can this weird man came here?"
The first half of the story might a bit so-so on and on for making us slowly getting close to the characters, THEN the story will keep getting intense more and more.
"My soul will find yours"
The last part hooked me in the gut and made me burst into tears. This romance is heart-wrenching and touching, guys. Haven't cry in book-reading like this for so long. Hahaha My happy tears.
MY BOOK CHALLENGE
Book Country : U.S.A.
Plot-Setting : England
March 17, 2017
I'm not totally sure what to say about this one or how to rate it. It is fair to say I enjoyed it despite the fact that it was riddled with flaws. It was a fairly fun time travel romance that was just light enough in tone to be fun.
The story was fun. Dougless Montgomery is abandoned by her wastrel boyfriend in a church in rural England after their holiday went bad and prays for a knight in shining armor to save her. She gets that knight in the form of 15th century earl, Lord Nicholas Stafford. Unfortunately for her Nicholas just wants to get home to save his family! This is a historical romance so the pair decide to help each other and fall in love along the way.
I found Jude Deveraux's writing to be quite engaging. Which was a good thing as some of her views on things were horribly dated! Some of the stuff both Nicholas and Dougless did and said were quite cringe-worthy at times. Still, it was no worse than a lot of stuff that can be typically found in historical romance books wrote in the 80s and early 90s. It is just it stands out more when you read such books nowadays!
The ending was a bit surprising and not particularly satisfying but I guess it was fairly original.
All in all I thought this was an entertaining enough read despite the fact that the characters were not an overly likeable bunch and the book suffered from some dated views.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: This was narrated by Steve West. I've warmed a bit to the guy since his horrific performance of the awful . His general narration is good and his male voices are OK but he really does struggle with female voices. He makes all the female characters sound like whiny 12 year olds in the middle of throwing a tantrum!
The story was fun. Dougless Montgomery is abandoned by her wastrel boyfriend in a church in rural England after their holiday went bad and prays for a knight in shining armor to save her. She gets that knight in the form of 15th century earl, Lord Nicholas Stafford. Unfortunately for her Nicholas just wants to get home to save his family! This is a historical romance so the pair decide to help each other and fall in love along the way.
I found Jude Deveraux's writing to be quite engaging. Which was a good thing as some of her views on things were horribly dated! Some of the stuff both Nicholas and Dougless did and said were quite cringe-worthy at times. Still, it was no worse than a lot of stuff that can be typically found in historical romance books wrote in the 80s and early 90s. It is just it stands out more when you read such books nowadays!
The ending was a bit surprising and not particularly satisfying but I guess it was fairly original.
All in all I thought this was an entertaining enough read despite the fact that the characters were not an overly likeable bunch and the book suffered from some dated views.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: This was narrated by Steve West. I've warmed a bit to the guy since his horrific performance of the awful . His general narration is good and his male voices are OK but he really does struggle with female voices. He makes all the female characters sound like whiny 12 year olds in the middle of throwing a tantrum!
August 26, 2014
This is my all time favorite romance novel, which I've read more than once (the last time being this past weekend).
Nicholas is a real live Knight in Shining Armor sent to comfort a heartbroken Douglass in 1988. Destined to be soul mates through all eternity, the two set out to clear Lord Nicholas' name and right the wrongs done during his Elizabethan life. Just as he gets used to the weird inventions and strangness of the twentieth century, they are whisked back through time to 1560 where Douglass gets to experience medieval life.
This timeless romance has stuck in my memory since the first time I read it, a tale you'll never forget. Jude Deveraux does an amazing job on the historic details, from the food to the clothes to the customs. I highly recommend this book.
Nicholas is a real live Knight in Shining Armor sent to comfort a heartbroken Douglass in 1988. Destined to be soul mates through all eternity, the two set out to clear Lord Nicholas' name and right the wrongs done during his Elizabethan life. Just as he gets used to the weird inventions and strangness of the twentieth century, they are whisked back through time to 1560 where Douglass gets to experience medieval life.
This timeless romance has stuck in my memory since the first time I read it, a tale you'll never forget. Jude Deveraux does an amazing job on the historic details, from the food to the clothes to the customs. I highly recommend this book.
October 7, 2023
I don't know why I had never read a Jude Deveraux book...but alas it was true. I loved the first 40% of the audiobook read by Steve West. What a wonderful voice for our hero Nicolas. Ummm not so much for Douglas the heroine. I kind of hate to say it but Douglas got on my nerves for a good part of the book, and I even fell asleep listening to the middle of the book. The last part where she time travels back to the 1600's was good but nothing recaptured my enjoyment of the first half of the book. So 5* for 40% then 2.5* for the middle and 3* for the last third. I understand that this was written in the 1990's but I have never enjoyed a weepy character, so the book ends up being a 3.5*
August 28, 2023
2,5 🤔😔⭐️s
To begin with, I had a hard time with the heroine’s name. Dougless. Whenever I came across her name the word ‘thoughtless� crossed my mind... 🤷🏻♀�
There were some wonderful moments and I liked the time travel aspects, but were not sufficient in order to love this story.
I wasn’t thrilled with the writing style, which was a little poor.
The last trip of travel-time was unnecessary.
The ending devastated me, Nicholas shouldn’t have gone through that loneliness!!! Not romantic at all! 😤
To begin with, I had a hard time with the heroine’s name. Dougless. Whenever I came across her name the word ‘thoughtless� crossed my mind... 🤷🏻♀�
There were some wonderful moments and I liked the time travel aspects, but were not sufficient in order to love this story.
I wasn’t thrilled with the writing style, which was a little poor.
The last trip of travel-time was unnecessary.
The ending devastated me, Nicholas shouldn’t have gone through that loneliness!!! Not romantic at all! 😤
March 28, 2022
I can’t really wrap my head around how I feel about this. I liked it but I also didn’t like it. It’s sitting at around 3 stars for me, which is a little disappointing because I wanted to love it more. I know it's a classic old school historical romance and so many people adore it!
A Knight in Shining Armor is a time travel romance that takes place in modern day. Nicholas is our knight in shining armor from the medieval times, the 1500s. He shows up, only days before he’s supposed to be hanged, after the heroine Dougless calls for him when she's left stranded in England by her boyfriend and his daughter while on their vacation.
Dougless is kind of made out to be a really� weak heroine. It's obvious to the reader that her boyfriend is trash and she’s so desperate for love and marriage that she wants this guy who takes advantage of her and uses her. She’ll do anything for him and his bratty kid, even desperately want him back after he ditches her with no phone and no money. I get that this is the point of the beginning of the book and her character development, but it was a struggle to enjoy. Of course, she does change later on in the book but it takes FOREVER for her to find her strength.
So Nicholas magically appears and says he’s from the past and Dougless obviously doesn’t believe him. But she has no money so she has to go along with him, help him return back 500 years and save his life/reputation in exchange for money. They fall in love but... I never really felt it. I didn’t see why she loved him and vice versa, because they both sucked in their own ways. Sometimes it felt like Nicholas was only using Dougless and didn’t actually care for her.
We do get to time travel back into the past and I started enjoying the book so much more! The only thing I hated were all the descriptions of the medieval era. Jude Deveraux went on and on about the clothing/chores/decorations that I sometimes had to skim lol. I just wanted to get back into the romance, which I actually started to like a lot more here. The second half and the ending were definitely the most enjoyable parts for me. I can see why the ending is a little controversial in the way that people either love it or hate it, but I really liked how it ended. It got emotional and sweet, with Nicholas saying so many romantic things here that essentially meant loving her across time. I could finally feel the love and romance, so that’s why I’m at least giving this book 3 stars. Side note though, some parts of the book didn't age too well –all the women besides the heroine are sluts, ugly or fat lmao.
A Knight in Shining Armor is a time travel romance that takes place in modern day. Nicholas is our knight in shining armor from the medieval times, the 1500s. He shows up, only days before he’s supposed to be hanged, after the heroine Dougless calls for him when she's left stranded in England by her boyfriend and his daughter while on their vacation.
Dougless is kind of made out to be a really� weak heroine. It's obvious to the reader that her boyfriend is trash and she’s so desperate for love and marriage that she wants this guy who takes advantage of her and uses her. She’ll do anything for him and his bratty kid, even desperately want him back after he ditches her with no phone and no money. I get that this is the point of the beginning of the book and her character development, but it was a struggle to enjoy. Of course, she does change later on in the book but it takes FOREVER for her to find her strength.
So Nicholas magically appears and says he’s from the past and Dougless obviously doesn’t believe him. But she has no money so she has to go along with him, help him return back 500 years and save his life/reputation in exchange for money. They fall in love but... I never really felt it. I didn’t see why she loved him and vice versa, because they both sucked in their own ways. Sometimes it felt like Nicholas was only using Dougless and didn’t actually care for her.
We do get to time travel back into the past and I started enjoying the book so much more! The only thing I hated were all the descriptions of the medieval era. Jude Deveraux went on and on about the clothing/chores/decorations that I sometimes had to skim lol. I just wanted to get back into the romance, which I actually started to like a lot more here. The second half and the ending were definitely the most enjoyable parts for me. I can see why the ending is a little controversial in the way that people either love it or hate it, but I really liked how it ended. It got emotional and sweet, with Nicholas saying so many romantic things here that essentially meant loving her across time. I could finally feel the love and romance, so that’s why I’m at least giving this book 3 stars. Side note though, some parts of the book didn't age too well –all the women besides the heroine are sluts, ugly or fat lmao.
April 22, 2011
I read it first when it came out back in the late 80's and have re read it so many times with each read just as fantastic.
Its one of those books that impact you and stays with you forever. Love or hate the ending- it is a romance must read.
Its one of those books that impact you and stays with you forever. Love or hate the ending- it is a romance must read.
April 5, 2022
What a wild ride. Some old historical romances are so entertaining and this book was no exception. Our heroine gets stranded in England by her awful boyfriend, so she finds herself on a grave wishing for a knight in shining armor. And she looks up to find one. He's traveled hundreds of years and the two quickly learn they need to figure out how to save him in his own time period. This was such a fun premise, but I wish over half of it didn't take place in the present day. I was dying for them to go back in time and work through the drama and conflict where the hero was from. I did enjoy how they fell in love both in the present and in the past and how, once they were in the past, the heroine had to figure out how to save the hero when he had no memories of who she was or what they had discovered while they were in her time. The heroine grows so much throughout this book and doesn't let people walk all over her by the end like she did in the beginning. Certain characters in here definitely felt like cliches for the sake of the plot, but it was an overall fun read!
May 23, 2012
I know what you're thinking...the book's title ALONE should have been my first "red-flag", but you would be wrong. I actually read this because a neighbor had it and physically ran it over to me one day last summer. I thought, "Sure, I'll give it a go." Luckily, she didn't take anything I thought about the book personally! Phew!!
Jude Deveraux is a famously popular writer, and since I am NOT about bashing the writer, I will only give my opinion based on her work. Unfortunately, I have nothing positive to say about this book as it was poorly written. It was also excruciatingly cliche' and BEYOND the corniest of corny!! ("Corniest" - is that a word??) Whatever! The third person narrative mode felt like it was written for a child; who consequently might forget the character's names at any given moment, (as they were in print, over and over again!) If I feel like I'm being READ TO, instead of READING a story on my own, it bugs the holy heck out of me!!
I looked at the reviews and a lot of people liked this book! I was very surprised by this, although, I for one, DID NOT and felt it was only fair to warn you all!!
Run people, RUN!!
Jude Deveraux is a famously popular writer, and since I am NOT about bashing the writer, I will only give my opinion based on her work. Unfortunately, I have nothing positive to say about this book as it was poorly written. It was also excruciatingly cliche' and BEYOND the corniest of corny!! ("Corniest" - is that a word??) Whatever! The third person narrative mode felt like it was written for a child; who consequently might forget the character's names at any given moment, (as they were in print, over and over again!) If I feel like I'm being READ TO, instead of READING a story on my own, it bugs the holy heck out of me!!
I looked at the reviews and a lot of people liked this book! I was very surprised by this, although, I for one, DID NOT and felt it was only fair to warn you all!!
Run people, RUN!!
June 17, 2016
I first read this book in the 80's and it became my most favorite book. It captured my heart with the romantic story of Dougless Montgomery and Nicholas Stafford, the EArl of Thornwyck. He was magnificent. He had humor, curiosity and belief in the almost impossible truth.
This was my first Jude Deveraux book and I became obsessed with reading all of her books in an attempt to capture that feeling again.
This is a time travel book that touched my heart and made me believe too that there was someone out there at some time in the past for me.
The book made me cry, laugh, and love. What more could you ask for? I did not want the book to end and I have now read it about 4 times. Just to get that feeling again.
This was my first Jude Deveraux book and I became obsessed with reading all of her books in an attempt to capture that feeling again.
This is a time travel book that touched my heart and made me believe too that there was someone out there at some time in the past for me.
The book made me cry, laugh, and love. What more could you ask for? I did not want the book to end and I have now read it about 4 times. Just to get that feeling again.
June 19, 2009
I’ve been told by just about every reader who’s read this «romance classic» that it’s a sad story and a very upsetting one at that because of the ending, well I have to strongly disagree. It’s exceptionally moving and my hat’s off to the author for thinking out of the romance box for once. That said, I love a good heart-wrenching cry and a tragic story –and I’m not saying this one is or isn’t because I really think it depends on what you expect out of a romance novel. If you’re on the side that says “romance novels HAVE to have a sticky sweet HEA� then you might not see the book as having one, I thought it did have an HEA but it was just presented differently (I can just feel those readers who don’t agree with me having read this novel shaking their heads with a look of pure disgust on their faces muttering, “is she wacked!?!� lol! ;)
The story is your typical time travel romance: the hero is from the 1500s and finds himself in the 1980s (which is a kind of time travel for the 21st century reader already—lol!). He meets up with the heroine who thinks he’s some crackpot, and the story starts. Well for the first 300 pages I didn’t like the story. I thought it was borderline boring, yada yada, yada, hurry up already and couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. The h/h don’t even have any romantic notions for one another for the first 100+ pages –for a romance that’s annoying. While they go through their escapades and such I kept wondering where this “great love� story was hiding. So all this part of the book I’d rate a 2.5-3 stars. I just never felt the big connection between Nicholas and Dougless (the absolute worst name I’ve ever come across for a heroine because I kept getting confused thinking it was a man!).
Then you get to the last 100 or so pages and that’s where things start to get interesting. The hero becomes three dimensional finally and lots of things start to happen (gruesome and otherwise—the gruesome parts being so vivid that you feel like you’re reading historical fiction and not a historical romance –actually learned a few things too but would’ve rather not known**shudder shudder**). The romance also develops relatively well as does the interaction with the other characters –all very cut-throat and not a pretty romance setting. The heroine is still somewhat annoying going nutso with wanting to help the hero save what he’s set out to save. There are two steamy scenes that are worth mentioning but there’s not enough of that in the book (more of a “clean� romance almost), nor is there enough emotional or physical intimacy overall until you get to the BIG scene near the end and there you just die over and over again. You throat closes up and you’re crying the ol� river –it is so kick-you-in-gut moving and it’s just one line too. And that’s what saves this book making it a 4 star read because if the author can do that after you’ve been slogging through the ho-hum, well they can certainly write.
Maybe the book needed to be edited down or maybe just more development between the relationship aspect between Nick and Doug was needed. It could also be that it’s just not my kind of love story for the most part. If I was rating based on the “twist" the author created and how it just killed me then it’s an easy 5, but I can’t forget forcing myself through those 300 first pages of blah.
So if you can bear with the first three quarters of the book you’ll be well-rewarded if you enjoy those emotional roller coaster OMG-OMG-where’s-the-friggin-kleenex-already (!!) kind of story. This is a real “love story� and not just a romance novel, which is a whole different ball game. I’m still sighing and OMG-ing over it all :)
The story is your typical time travel romance: the hero is from the 1500s and finds himself in the 1980s (which is a kind of time travel for the 21st century reader already—lol!). He meets up with the heroine who thinks he’s some crackpot, and the story starts. Well for the first 300 pages I didn’t like the story. I thought it was borderline boring, yada yada, yada, hurry up already and couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. The h/h don’t even have any romantic notions for one another for the first 100+ pages –for a romance that’s annoying. While they go through their escapades and such I kept wondering where this “great love� story was hiding. So all this part of the book I’d rate a 2.5-3 stars. I just never felt the big connection between Nicholas and Dougless (the absolute worst name I’ve ever come across for a heroine because I kept getting confused thinking it was a man!).
Then you get to the last 100 or so pages and that’s where things start to get interesting. The hero becomes three dimensional finally and lots of things start to happen (gruesome and otherwise—the gruesome parts being so vivid that you feel like you’re reading historical fiction and not a historical romance –actually learned a few things too but would’ve rather not known**shudder shudder**). The romance also develops relatively well as does the interaction with the other characters –all very cut-throat and not a pretty romance setting. The heroine is still somewhat annoying going nutso with wanting to help the hero save what he’s set out to save. There are two steamy scenes that are worth mentioning but there’s not enough of that in the book (more of a “clean� romance almost), nor is there enough emotional or physical intimacy overall until you get to the BIG scene near the end and there you just die over and over again. You throat closes up and you’re crying the ol� river –it is so kick-you-in-gut moving and it’s just one line too. And that’s what saves this book making it a 4 star read because if the author can do that after you’ve been slogging through the ho-hum, well they can certainly write.
Maybe the book needed to be edited down or maybe just more development between the relationship aspect between Nick and Doug was needed. It could also be that it’s just not my kind of love story for the most part. If I was rating based on the “twist" the author created and how it just killed me then it’s an easy 5, but I can’t forget forcing myself through those 300 first pages of blah.
So if you can bear with the first three quarters of the book you’ll be well-rewarded if you enjoy those emotional roller coaster OMG-OMG-where’s-the-friggin-kleenex-already (!!) kind of story. This is a real “love story� and not just a romance novel, which is a whole different ball game. I’m still sighing and OMG-ing over it all :)
December 21, 2014
This is one of my all time favorites, no matter what genre of romance. It has elements of historical, contemporary, time travel. And the love story is romantic and heart breaking. If you've never read it do so, if you read it years ago read it again. A true classic.
July 6, 2014
4.5 STARS
What a remarkably beautiful story! I loved this, even despite the somewhat controversial ending, I really loved this. When poor, down on her luck, Dougless Montgomery gets jilted by her boyfriend and left to fend for herself in rural England, at a church no less, she accidentally summons Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck. The fact that he happens to be a knight sent from sixteenth century England baffles the both of them. She cried for a knight in shining armor, she prayed to be given a man that would love her. And although it seemed crazy at first and wholeheartedly unbelievable, she soon realizes her wish had been granted.
This was a time traveling, epic love story. Righting the wrongs of the past and discovering your soul mate exists across all time was the purpose between Dougless's and Nicholas's journey together. I won't get into the details because like any time travel romance, these books must be read to fully understand them. And since this has been around for decades, many have read it already.
I loved Dougless! She was a sweet and considerate woman who grew up wealthy and loved but always felt like she didn't quite measure up. When she loved, she loved with all her being. She gave and gave but was always left behind by the men she gave to. I think she was a great heroine. Strong and determined to help others, especially Nicholas, who found himself in a time not of his own. I couldn't believe the shit she put up with from her boyfriend, Robert. WHAT AN ASS.
His behavior and blatant use of every good thing Dougless gave him was despicable. And so was his disregard for his daughters mistreatment of Dougless.
Nicholas was delicious, truly. Whether in modern England, or rural sixteenth century England, he loved Dougless the way she deserved to be loved. This was such an epic love story. I couldn't hardly put it down. The deception behind Nicholas's legacy was fantastic. It was suspenseful, thrilling and beautiful to read.
There were many times I teared up for Dougless, and felt her pain. The angst was not over the top but honest and relatable. So many scenes I had to put the book down and wipe my tears. It did remind me of Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series, but with a couple differences. Her ending was what one would expect, but this book flowed better, was more romantic, more sensual, more absorbing. But the ending here was different and a matter of some minor controversy. You'll have to read it to understand but what I can say, was that I got it. It was still beautiful to me because it showed Dougless and Nicholas were truly soul mates, time having no significance to their love. The scene on the plane was moving and had me in tears yet again. I was honestly afraid I wouldn't like it, but I loved it. I don't think it would have been plausible any other way. The only criticism I have was the lack of an epilogue to show how our couple fared in life. It would have been the most perfect ending to a beautiful and evocative love story.
Highly recommended for lovers of historical romance! LOVED IT.
What a remarkably beautiful story! I loved this, even despite the somewhat controversial ending, I really loved this. When poor, down on her luck, Dougless Montgomery gets jilted by her boyfriend and left to fend for herself in rural England, at a church no less, she accidentally summons Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck. The fact that he happens to be a knight sent from sixteenth century England baffles the both of them. She cried for a knight in shining armor, she prayed to be given a man that would love her. And although it seemed crazy at first and wholeheartedly unbelievable, she soon realizes her wish had been granted.
This was a time traveling, epic love story. Righting the wrongs of the past and discovering your soul mate exists across all time was the purpose between Dougless's and Nicholas's journey together. I won't get into the details because like any time travel romance, these books must be read to fully understand them. And since this has been around for decades, many have read it already.
I loved Dougless! She was a sweet and considerate woman who grew up wealthy and loved but always felt like she didn't quite measure up. When she loved, she loved with all her being. She gave and gave but was always left behind by the men she gave to. I think she was a great heroine. Strong and determined to help others, especially Nicholas, who found himself in a time not of his own. I couldn't believe the shit she put up with from her boyfriend, Robert. WHAT AN ASS.
His behavior and blatant use of every good thing Dougless gave him was despicable. And so was his disregard for his daughters mistreatment of Dougless.
Nicholas was delicious, truly. Whether in modern England, or rural sixteenth century England, he loved Dougless the way she deserved to be loved. This was such an epic love story. I couldn't hardly put it down. The deception behind Nicholas's legacy was fantastic. It was suspenseful, thrilling and beautiful to read.
There were many times I teared up for Dougless, and felt her pain. The angst was not over the top but honest and relatable. So many scenes I had to put the book down and wipe my tears. It did remind me of Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series, but with a couple differences. Her ending was what one would expect, but this book flowed better, was more romantic, more sensual, more absorbing. But the ending here was different and a matter of some minor controversy. You'll have to read it to understand but what I can say, was that I got it. It was still beautiful to me because it showed Dougless and Nicholas were truly soul mates, time having no significance to their love. The scene on the plane was moving and had me in tears yet again. I was honestly afraid I wouldn't like it, but I loved it. I don't think it would have been plausible any other way. The only criticism I have was the lack of an epilogue to show how our couple fared in life. It would have been the most perfect ending to a beautiful and evocative love story.
Highly recommended for lovers of historical romance! LOVED IT.
September 21, 2008
I LOVED this book. I would have given it 5 stars, but the ending made me want to pull my hair out. I can't really say more without giving anything away. Years ago when I first read it, I remember discussing it with a friend of mine and crying over how much I hated the ending. She said that when she read it, she wanted to slather the book in gravy and feed it to her dog. I thought that was the PERFECT way to describe how I felt after finishing this book.
HOWEVER, with that being said, I still highly recommend this book, believe it or not. It's a fantastic page turner that had me up all night reading. And who knows, maybe you'll love the ending even though I hated it. :)
HOWEVER, with that being said, I still highly recommend this book, believe it or not. It's a fantastic page turner that had me up all night reading. And who knows, maybe you'll love the ending even though I hated it. :)
September 23, 2013
Having recently finished Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series, and Sara Donati's "Wilderness" books, I was in the mood for more good historical fiction. "Fiction" this is. "Historical"... sort of. "Good"... not by a long shot.
As my degree is in English literature, I appreciate good fiction. This is poorly written, populated by caricatures rather than characters, in a style that can only be described as unsophisticated. The "heroine" is shallow, the "hero" self-absorbed, and the male antagonist laughable. It is astonishing to me that there were actually 16 other books pre-dating this one in this series! Plenty of time to practice!
I guess I expected too much after the well-crafted and beautifully written work of Gabaldon and Donati; this is simply another third-rate romance.
Not to give anything away, but the one thing I didn't dislike was the device the author used at the end - a different take on what others have referred to as "HEA" (happily ever after.)
As my degree is in English literature, I appreciate good fiction. This is poorly written, populated by caricatures rather than characters, in a style that can only be described as unsophisticated. The "heroine" is shallow, the "hero" self-absorbed, and the male antagonist laughable. It is astonishing to me that there were actually 16 other books pre-dating this one in this series! Plenty of time to practice!
I guess I expected too much after the well-crafted and beautifully written work of Gabaldon and Donati; this is simply another third-rate romance.
Not to give anything away, but the one thing I didn't dislike was the device the author used at the end - a different take on what others have referred to as "HEA" (happily ever after.)
November 5, 2016
I'm rating this book 4.5 stars. I really really liked this but not flat out loved. I had 4 minor issues with the book. My first issue was her name. I mean no offence to Douglas's out there but it was hard for me to image a female love interest named that. My second issue was her Ex Robert. In the beginning of the book It was irrating how she let Robert treat her like shit. Douglas also didn't believe Nickolas until have way through the book. (That he was from a different time) Which was way too long. And my last issue was the ending. I was really disappointed with it. Not really happy ending but kind of. The romance in this book was perfect. Perfect pace, passion, and compatibility. I loved these characters together. The time travel Element was done well but a bit underwhelming. I loved Nickolas character. My favourites scenes where when he saw all the things in the 20th century world. Overall I would recommend this book to people who like time travel romance books.
January 12, 2012
This is the ultimate time travel romance that rocked the publishing world back in 1989. It was fresh and unique because Jude brought her hero forward in time to the present day before sending her heroine back in time to search for him. It was the first time I realized just how compelling a "lovable loser" heroine could be. And I still smile when I think about Nicholas being introduced to the modern joys of the vacuum cleaner and can opener and get a catch in my throat when I think about the ending. Jude has always had the ability to write in almost any genre because she's such a consummate storyteller. One of my all-time favorite books! (Alternate: WISHES, the VELVET series).
September 14, 2015
The most frustrating heroine Ive ever had the displeasure of coming across for a while now.Her character was too niave and frustrating for most of the book to actually feel any pity for her.
Two star for the orginality of the story-line.Even Though that too it was a bit of a drag at times. :/
Two star for the orginality of the story-line.Even Though that too it was a bit of a drag at times. :/
heck-no
March 10, 2017Note to self. Reviewers say no HEA. Sad ending, heroine with no backbone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2017
This was recommended by a fellow reader in one of the ŷ groups I am in. While I can clearly see why the book appeals to so many readers, it left me completely numb. The best part of the book (for me) was the author's note. I'm not really sure why Jude Devereaux decided that she needed to "add 50 pages" to this updated version because the plot dragged for me.
April 10, 2009
Best historical romance book ever written! A Knight in Shining Armor is a must read. Imagine traveling back in time to the medieval ages to meet your soulmate!
September 16, 2023
A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR begins with a vacation-gone-wrong, as 26-year-old American schoolteacher Dougless Montgomery is abandoned in the English countryside by her boyfriend, Richard, and his teenage daughter, Gloria. After they cruelly ditch her without leaving her access to money or her passport, Gloria goes into an old church and through her hysterical crying, summons a sixteenth century earl, Nicholas Stafford. Before joining Dougless in 1988, he had been charged with treason and was desperately trying to avoid execution. They team up, begin to fall in love, and race to discover who was behind the false accusations that led to Nicholas's imprisonment.
I'm shocked by this novel's continued popularity because it is such a product of its time. As my mass market paperback boasts, there are more than 2 million copies of A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR in print. In 2017 and 2002, All About Romance gave it A grades and NPR included it on a list that was compiled in 2015. I'm not sure what to make of this enthusiasm, except that nostalgia must be playing an important role in how readers are experiencing this novel.
Considering the history of the romance genre, it's important to note that A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR was published three years before Diana Gabaldon's and looking back, it's easy to chart a sharp rise and fall of the time travel sub-genre or trope. As someone who didn't get into the romance genre until adulthood and missed the heydey of the time travel romance, I'm left wondering, what made this theme resonate so strongly for readers in the 90s? Fortunately, A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR provides an explicit answer to that question. In 1989, when this novel was published, second wave feminism celebrated women who had chosen to pursue professional lives outside the home. However, Dougless positions herself as more traditional and sees her priorities as a clear retro throwback:
Truthfully, marriage was what Dougless wanted most in life. She'd never been burning with ambition the way her older sisters were. Dougless just wanted a nice home and a husband, and a few children. Maybe someday, after the kids were in school, she'd write children's books, something about talking animals, but she had no desire to fight her way up a corporate ladder.
Dougless is mostly content in her committed relationship with Richard, her live-in boyfriend, and desperate for him to propose, but she's bothered by his insistence she pay for everything. Although she'll inherit a multi-million dollar fortune in her mid-thirties, she currently relies solely on her elementary teacher's salary. When she brings the subject up, "he'd talk to her about the new age of liberated women and how most women were fighting to pay half the expenses". Her contact with "women's lib" (as she calls it) is limited to the ways that feminism is used as a cudgel against her.
Eventually, Dougless is jettisoned back to Nicholas's age. Alongside her shock and disgust at the sanitary conditions, she's relieved by the expectations of Elizabethan womanhood:
These women did not have the pressure on them that twentieth-century American women did to be everything to everyone. The sixteenth-century woman was not supposed to be a corporate executive, an adoring mother, a gourmet cook and hostess, as well as a creative lover with the body of an athlete. If the woman was rich, she was to sew, look after her household, and enjoy herself. Of course she didn't expect to live past about forty, but at least during her few years on earth, she wasn't under society's constant pressure to do more and be more.
Dougless expounds on this subject, explaining how little free time she has between her housekeeping and professional responsibilities. She's also tortured by guilt and shame when she inevitably fails to meet these unrealistic expectations. Given that women are still considered responsible for the bulk of housework and childcare while maintaining a full-time job, I can completely understand why a fantasy of feminine leisure in an earlier era would be tempting. Although it would be easy to pick apart this dream by pointing out the ways 16th century laws and customs treated women like absolute garbage, I don't read old school romances simply to beat up on them. A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR is obviously saying something important and valid about women's lives in the late 80s and early 90s.
At the same time, I was uncomfortable with how much of Dougless's early modern fantasy life was built on the backs of others. Deveraux has her heroine catalogue the myriad ways servants wait on her and breathlessly detail the inequality of 16th century life, without having her interrogate her own privileged position as the beloved guest of a large land-owner and peer of the realm. Yes, Dougless isn't expected to do much of anything in 1560, but there is a horde of women beneath her who are expected to cater to her every whim and Deveraux isn't shy about fetishizing their labor. It's an odd mix.
To complicate the fantasy escape from contemporary feminism, A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR paints every secondary female character as an immediate threat to the heroine and takes viscous pleasure in comparing women's appearances. Without a doubt, the first example of this is the strangest. Although she has "slim legs", Dougless is stuck competing for her boyfriend's affections and love with his "pudgy" 13-year-old daughter, Gloria. The incestuous undertones are impossible to avoid: Richard insists that his daughter join them on a trip that Dougless understood to be a romantic "pre-honeymoon" and instead of giving his long-term girlfriend the diamond ring she's clearly expecting, he presents his daughter with a diamond bracelet. Hopefully, modern readers can see Gloria as a victim of abuse because A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR is intent on depicting her as a one-dimensional villain.
I haven't commented on the central romance in A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR yet because I found it to be the least interesting part of this story. Although Nicholas seems to operate just fine when he lands in the 20th century, he's drawn to Dougless because she is generous and empathetic towards him. Hypocritically, when Dougless shows up in the 16th century and Nicholas doesn't recognize her, he treats her with indifference and scorn. Dougless explains her love for Nicholas by praising his artistic endeavors and the honorable way he treats his family. A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR is trying to make the argument that Dougless and Nicholas are fated mates whose epic love endures through the centuries, but they're both such obnoxious characters that it was difficult to root for them together or separately.
Like a lot of romance novels written during this period, the sexual dynamic is dated. A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR slut-shames Dougless when she approaches Nicholas for sex while repeatedly highlighting Nicholas's extensive sexual history.
Even though I found A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR easy to read and immersive, I gave up on it initially because of its violent fat-phobia, fundamental misunderstanding of feminism, lackluster characterization, deep reliance on gender essentialism, and dated sexual norms. I'm glad I read it because I'm interested in time travel romances and the genre's fundamental texts, but I can't recommend it.
October 24, 2024
I am re-editing my review. When I first read this book YEARS ago, I loved it. When anyone would ask, what is your favorite book. I always picked this one. I liked it so much I wanted to get a hardback cover to keep in my library and couldn't find it anywhere. I believe this was before the internet or it was around but not widely used. Anyway, I called around and found a bookstore in Arkansas somewhere that had a copy and had them send it to me. It cost me $35 but I didn't care. I had to have it.
Jump ahead many YEARS later. So the first year I got my Kindle, I knew I had to download this book and read it again. I wish I wouldn't have. I was so disappointed. It was not very well written and the story wasn't as good as I had originally had in my head all those years. The only cool part I remember was the heroine leaving the miniature photos of them where they would be found in the future. I just remember reading quickly on my fire just to get through it.
This is why I don't like to go back and re-read books I've already read. The more I read, the better reader I become. I probably wouldn't like certain books that I thought were great 5 years ago so I just never go back.
Jump ahead many YEARS later. So the first year I got my Kindle, I knew I had to download this book and read it again. I wish I wouldn't have. I was so disappointed. It was not very well written and the story wasn't as good as I had originally had in my head all those years. The only cool part I remember was the heroine leaving the miniature photos of them where they would be found in the future. I just remember reading quickly on my fire just to get through it.
This is why I don't like to go back and re-read books I've already read. The more I read, the better reader I become. I probably wouldn't like certain books that I thought were great 5 years ago so I just never go back.
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