This is a great medieval romance. However the storyline has a lot more than romance. Add treason, betrayal, secrets, and danger, you get a very worthwhile read. If not for other responsibilities, I could have read this book from start to end without stopping. It is a true page turner leaving the reader guessing what will happen next. The characters, both main and secondary are likeable and the villains not so much, as they should be. This is the first book by C. C. Wiley I have read. It is so nice to find a new author whose work I really enjoy. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

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This is a suspenseful, dramatic story with some mystery thrown in. Ranulf is a man on a mission to find an enemy who gets sidetracked by a pretty, mystery woman. Clarice finds herself suddenly freed from her jailed solitude, but she doesn't know if where she ends up is a safe haven or another jail. Loneliness draws the two towards each other, but distrust keeps them at a distance. Both characters are extremely likable and the storyline is interesting.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my honest opinion of it.

Knights’ Secret by C. C. Wiley is a medieval romance. The book is listed as the first in a series called Knights of the Swan. Not a great deal of information is revealed about the group called Knights of the Swan, but enough to make you curious as the reader.

Lady Clarice’s life seems to be one of secrets. She is not allowed to leave the tower or meet with new people. So what is she to do when the castle is taken over? It is not like people would believe her according to her stepmother. Her father has been accused of treason and she knows it is wrong, so she sets out to find the truth. Only to be caught by Sir Ranulf, Lord of Sedgewick. Who is she supposed to trust and how should she prove her father’s innocence. And who really is Sir Ranulf?

Romances from the medieval times is rare. I thought the mystery was well presented and the characters were interesting. I didn’t always love the writing, but since I have never read C.C. Wiley before I was not sure if the writing was “how she wrote normally” or this was “an exception”. Knights’ Secret by C.C. Wiley was pretty good. I would like to read more of this series to find out more about the Knights of the Swan.

It's a refreshing change to find a Historical romance that ISN'T a Regency. This one is set in 1415, during the early years of the reign of King Henry V of England. It even features a historically verifiable fact, Henry's departure for France in the summer of 1415.

Frankly, that's quite impressive; historical accuracy in romances set in the Middle Ages isn't exactly a given (don't talk to me about potatoes). Knight Secrets, however, is an exception; meticulously researched and beautifully written, the historical knowledge of the author is very much on display here.

There are a few questions left unanswered in the book, but I suspect that's deliberate, with a few loose ends to be tied off in other books in the series. They don't detract at all from the story, which is an excellent, period-accurate romance.

I may be a picky bitch about misogyny in contemporary romance novels, but frankly in a historical of this period I'd think it was inaccurate if the man WASN'T convinced of his own superiority. Everything about the world at that time only confirmed it. Ranulf, however, never gives in to his baser urges despite knowing that nobody would ever call him on it. He lets Clarice have her self-respect, and it makes for a thoroughly charming yet still believable romance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'll be looking out for more of C.C. Wiley's work in future. 5 stars.

'Wild Lavender' by Lynne Connolly is book Seven in the "The Emperors of London" series. This is the story of Helena and Tom. This book is broken down in two different parts in their lives. One being where Helena and Tom meet before they know who the other one is which this first part coincides with the previous book "Veiled In Blue" which has Helena brother Julius as the main character in that book. Tom and Helena try to secretly keep meeting but then Tom ends things without explaining. The next part of the book has Helena settling into being a spinster and wanting her own home but her mother still wanting to marry her off. Tom is there to help her when a suitor takes to make her marry him. This opens up old wounds and Helena wants to know why Tom ended their relationship.
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Medieval Shenanigans! An enjoyable read set in the reign of King Henry V in the early C15th. Treasonous plots, murder and lies versus honour, loyalty and compassion. I probably would have rated this story 5 stars but I never really understood why Clarice was abandoned so by her father. When her family were not in residence she stayed within the manor and its grounds but when they were, she appears to have been locked in the tower for "her own protection". One would have thought that a loving father could have come up with a better method of security for his only daughter. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

It has been some time since I read a medieval romance but I did enjoy the story of Clarice and Ranulf. Clarice is hidden on her family’s estate, which has been taken over by the King’s knights. Ranulf, the leader of the knights looking into her family’s charge of treason, finds Clarice wounded.
The romance between the two was a bit slow and was not helped by the stilted nature of the storyline. Overall, a nice romance between two likeable characters.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Knights and maidens what more could you need. Very impressed can't wait to read more

3.5 stars, I can't quite give this one four stars. Clarice has been hidden from the world on her family's estate. She never goes anywhere and her family (father, stepmother and stepbrother) would actually prefer that she not even go outside. There are many secrets in her family, but the big secret really didn't explain why she was virtually hidden away from everyone.
Her family is also accused of treason against the crown and the estate is over run by the king's knights. Clarice hides and isn't found, but after her family returns to the estate she runs away after some traumatic events.
Ranulf is looking for Clarice's family, he was the leader of the knights who investigated the estate, but he is surprised to find Clarice on his lands. She had been wounded and he took her to the castle to tend to her.
I love medieval romances, but this one fell flat. Maybe it was the style of the prose, I found myself re-reading paragraphs because the words were just unclear. There was also little or no passion between the main characters. I don't like "fade to black" love scenes and I don't like characters who could clear up all of their problems in two minutes of conversation.

I thought I would enjoy this book but I didn't. Sorry about that.