~~Reviewed by Monique~~

Sergeant Lothar The Frank was sent by Empress Matilda to Herefordshire to seize Castle Hawood from Lady Juliana Danville, thus secure a bridge vital to Matilda in her attempts to become Queen of England. Juliana has held off a siege from Sir Guian de Ravenell for four months; she is exhausted, her men are famished. Juliana knows that if King Stephen’s reinforcements don’t come very soon, she is doomed. Lothar is a fair man, he admires Juliana’s determination to save her home, but he must ask her to surrender. Juliana has no choice but to accept: it’s her last chance to save Hawood, and Lothar’s conditions are more acceptable than Sir Guian’s.

Jenni Fletcher provides a concise but comprehensive overview of the political situation in 1147 in her historical notes at the beginning of the book, so I will not summarise any further. I thought it was a brilliant idea, as it avoids info dumping during the story; I am thankful for that, because it made it easier for me to enjoy the story. Ms. Fletcher does a spectacular job of integrating the political with the romance as well as everyday life in Medieval England, with the help of accurate historical details and descriptions of such clarity that I felt transported back in time, and many images will remain engraved in memory; the very first pages are unforgettable.

Lothar is a mesmerising presence, and Juliana captured my heart from the get-go because of her fierceness. I felt her despair, her bravery, and even though she was mostly improvising, she succeeded. Lothar and Juliana are both fabulous characters, but it’s a battle of wits, and an exercise in patience from both sides. I thought it very clever how the author told of the political events leading to the siege through conversations between Lothar and Juliana, while they get better acquainted, and try to understand each other. BESIEGED AND BETROTHED is not an easy romance: Juliana has never seen any need for a husband, and Lothar thinks he’s incapable of loving anyone. The romance was very tentative because they’re both wary of each other’s allegiances, and uncertain about acknowledging the attraction they fight to deny. Juliana has a secret, and when it is revealed, it is a doozy, and changes everything.

BESIEGED AND BETROTHED is utterly captivating because the author paints such an exceptionally vivid atmosphere, the chemistry between Juliana and Lothar is palpable, and because they are ever so interesting every step of the way; their relationship is explosive and very realistic. BESIEGED AND BETROTHED is a magnificent medieval fresco of a love that was meant to be between two very strong-willed individuals.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

This is Julianna and Lothar’s story. He was loyal to Matilda and she was supposedly loyal to Stephan. He was sent to get her to surrender. She was just trying to protect her father. Her father wanted Lothar to marry Julianna to protect her. She thought he was in love with Matilda. There were many misunderstandings. Will they finally admit their feelings. I liked this story so much I read it in one sitting.

A medieval historical romance set in the time of The Anarchy, a 12th century civil war between the Empress Matilda and Stephen of Blois to determine who had the right to rule England, Besieged and Betrothed really captures the exhaustion of England's people at the time. The heroine, Juliana, is trapped in a castle besieged by forces loyal to Matilda, under siege for four months, starving, and determined not to surrender.

The arrival of Lothar, Matilda's right-hand-man, puts paid to Juliana's plans. She cannot hold the castle against a competent commander, and she knows it; though surrender is a disaster for her, at least Lothar offers an honourable (and survivable) way out.

Jenni Fletcher obviously knows her history and has done her research; she painted an accurate picture of a castle under siege, the starvation and privations stoically endured by its inhabitants. Possibly the only thing I queried was that Stephen would probably have already given Juliana a husband to hold the castle for him, but otherwise I thought this was a really well-done tale of two people finding love under difficult circumstances in a time when the whole of England was weary of war.

Five stars for historical accuracy and a slow-burn romance I thoroughly enjoyed!

I loved the book mostly because the hero. Lothar was a very honorable man and always treated the heroine, Juliana, with respect and at times admiration. Juliana was a complex heroine. She wanted to be strong but was conflicted at her growing attachment to Lothar. The author wanted to have both a strong woman and man in this story at a time in history when this kind of alliance was very difficult to be successful. The romance was sweet and the history in the background was interesting. A good read that will leave you thinking about women’s role in history and today.

I really love historical romances. Getting to see the past through a story rather than a dry recitation of facts is always more appealing, especially if the author has done their research. I've never read anything about Empress Matilda so this book was really interesting. The romance was very sweet as well.