Once A Knight; C. Dodd

Written by Christina Dodd and published by Harper Torch in 1996, this is a medieval set in Henry III's England. Click link in title above to read an excerpt from Ms. Dodd's website. It is a little unusual in that the heroine, Lady Alisoun, is a wealthy widow and the hero, Sir David, is a poor minor baron. A rare circumstance in Romanceland.

The set up- Lady Alisoun needs a real knight to defend her people from a threat she refuses to specify or explain. Sir David desperately needs money to support the people on his minor holding because two years of drought have rendered the people (& him) in terrible need. There are problems. Lady Alisoun has an older male steward who resents Sir David. David was defeated in a tourney by a prominent knight & has issues Alisoun isn't initally aware of.

Alisoun spends much of this novel emotionaly unaware and isolated- as well as smug and condescending. David has his fair share of loutish moments I must admit, but what endeared me the most was his overriding concern for his people and his daughter. Mostly, Alisoun and David are well rounded adults whose relationship develops amid stressful happenings.

ETA~ I had some problems warming up to this at first, but in the end I was very involved and glad I'd stuck it out.