Reviews: A Knight's Vow & Tabitha's Tangle

A Knight's Vow by Lynn Kurland, Patricia Potter, Deborah Simmons & Glynnis Campbell

As with many anthologies, I liked one alot, one was cute & funny, one was barely ok & one was a DNF. The Kurland story The Traveller was cute & funny. The Potter story The Minstrel touched my heart & I wished it was longer. The Simmons story The Bachelor Knight started with a device that didn't work (long separated childhood companions who never told each other of their feelings & then expected the other to magically be come psychic & realize their affection later in adulthood). The Bachelor Knight just barely redeemed itself at in the last few pages. An ok premise for a novel but not for a story. The Campbell story The Seige was a DNF since the heroine prejudges the hero based on his reputation as a warrior & nothing else. THEN we are expected to believe she's too claustrophobic to use the garderobe at night but is willing to flee said horrible, tyrant husband to be in an unlit, unfinished underground dirt tunnel with a single maid & a harp. Not happening.

I plan to look for novels by said authors since I think few authors can properly master short & long form writing.

Tabitha's Tangle by Emily Hendrickson

A traditional Regency featuring what I now know to be one in a family series detailing the marriages of the children of The Rev. & Mrs. Herbert. This one stars Miss Tabitha Herbert, who has been hired to catalogue the newly purchased library of one Hugh, Baron Latham, aka the 'Black Baron'. As with all short form Regencies this a play on the manners of the time. The baron is all but affianced to the Earl of Montfort's daughter Lady Susan. It quickly becomes apparent that Lady Susan & Baron Latham shan't suit at all & Miss Herbert ought to be the perfect wife.

Miss Herbert's parents are actually loving & attentive. Despite an error of judgement on her part resulting in more plot entanglements, they support her & help her achieve her goals as much as they can. Baron Latham's best friend helps things along with Lady Susan. The cat, Septimus, & a male swan help ensure both comedy & drama too.

An excellent Regency true to the period & the mores therein. The timeline was long enough to be realistic.