Status
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Description
Fiction. Romance. Thriller. Historical Fiction. HTML:A warrior and a Saxon woman find an unexpected love in this riveting historical romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood. In the resplendence of William the Conqueror�??s London court, the lovely Saxon captive, Nicholaa is forced to choose a husband from the assembled Norman nobles. She chooses Royce, a baron warrior whose fierce demeanor can not conceal his chivalrous and tender heart. Resourceful, rebellious and utterly naive, Nicholaa vows to bend Royce to her will, despite the whirlwind of feelings he arouses in her. Ferocious in battle, seasoned in passion, Royce is surprised by the depth of his emotions whenever he caresses his charming bride. In a climate of utmost treachery, Royce and Nicholaa revel in their precious new love�??a fervent bond soon to be disrupted by the call of blood, kin and count… (more)
User reviews
I really enjoyed this book because Nicolaa was such a strong female lead. She is spunky and smart and more handy with a sling shot then I ever thought a person could be. I enjoyed the banter between both her and Royce and the plot moved along quickly. What I don't seem to understand is the use of "head jumping" in romances. That is when the point of view randomly switches within the chapter from one character to another as a way to move the plot along. Yes its nice to hear what others are thinking but I like a bit of structure to POV switches. The Prize is one of those romances that uses "head jumping" as a plot tool but it didn't happen very often and not as distracting as other books that I have read. If you like romances, or are new to the genre, then you might want to consider giving The Prize a change. The world building is solid and you get a feel for medieval life....well the nobility side of it any way. Although not being a history major it could be riddled with hundreds of inaccuracies and I would never know. All in all though this was an enjoyable read with fun characters and witty banter that really absorbed me into the story.
As originally posted on my blog Ticket to Anywhere
Contrary to what it must sound like, there’s not a lot of drama envolving the couple’s relationship. I say this because, very often medieval historical romances like to drive the reader mad making him think there’s no way the couple can get together, either because they’re severely proud, hate each other to an extreme, or simply because there’s one or more evil characters in the way. In this book, neither of these is a big deal. Are they proud? Yes and no, they obviously are, but put their pride aside when together. Do they hate each other? Yes and no, as Nicholaa says “I don’t hate you Royce, but I do dislike you sometimes” . Are there evil characters interfering? Yes and no, because there are a few, but you barely notice.
So, in a way, this lack of drama and conflict was a good thing – a nice change from the usual let’s-fight-over-every-single-stupid-event, pout for a day or two, and then forget it all with wild, steamy, angry sex (I’m not complaining, just saying), however, for me, this also decreased a bit of the fun that comes with it – watching a stubborn couple going over each other’s throats is one of the perks, if not The Perk, of reading historical romances. Other downside to this, was having a sometimes overly submissive and weeping (therefore, annoying) Nicholaa, it’s shocking how she doesn’t throw breakable things at Royce in a few occasions, as I most certainly would, if I was her. Despite this, I loved her unaffected and trusting nature, Royce’s patience and unexpected calmness (even if he’s a control FREAK who needs a beating), their many, many, many lovely dialogues, and mostly, the complicity they share almost from the beginning without noticing.
In the end, this book reminded me a lot of Susan King’s The Swan Maiden, and yes, of Judith’s McNaught’s A Kingdom of Dreams -there, I said it- which is always a good sign, nevertheless, for me, the romance doesn’t have the emotional depth, or memorable lead roles of the first two, neither the crave-for-more wittiness of the second, even if the scene where Nicholaa tries to get Royce drunk, ending up drunk herself instead, is 100% epic.
I love Royce and Nicholaa. The story holds up well and the characters are just as wonderful as always. I love the humor in the story, as well as the depth.
Normandy is invading Saxony
The tables are turned when presented to the new king and his wife, Nicholaa saves the life of the queen’s niece and instead of being offered as a prize, she gets to pick her husband from the single warriors in the room.
Humor abounds throughout the story, although not so much on the fun chaotic level that can be found in some of the other books. The romance is poignant and you’d better have tissues handy. While struggling over the idea that she’s attracted to her home’s invader, she comes to appreciate how her life is changed. And while Royce is patient, he is rigid in his expectations and schedule. Nicholaa is pure spontaneity in comparison, as well as a strong strategist, generating much of the humor.
A great story, interesting characters and situations, told with the author’s trademark flare, this book is worth a reread.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
In the
In a climate of utmost treachery, where Saxons still intrigued against their Norman invaders, Royce and Nicholaa revelled in their precious new love...a fervent bond soon to be disrupted by the call of blood, kin and country!
There is a scene involving Royce and a broken chess piece that gets me every time. I think it might be the most romantic scene in a novel I've ever read. The Prize also has a bang up opening, and it's one of those books you just can't put down until it's done. If you've never read a JG book before, I recommend you start with this one.