Cover Image: Song of Isabel

Song of Isabel

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Member Reviews

I am a huge fan of historical fiction and this novel did not disappoint. I thought it was well researched and well written. It was fast paced and quite atmospheric putting me regularly right in the centre of the action. I enjoyed the humour and I thought the two main characters, Isabel and Chetwynd, bounced very well off one another forming a very entertaining duo. They were well written and considerable thought went into their characterisation I felt. I particularly liked Lady Isabel's character. I was distraught initially when I suspected that the guards intended to assault her and was relieved when Lord Chetwynd came to her rescue. This was the beginning of a great friendship, and more, that I enjoyed reading about until the very end. While the historical facts aspect wasn't too overly complicated I found it interesting and thought it lent itself well to this tale. It was fun and entertaining. I gave it 4 starts.

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*thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review*

I’m a huge historical fiction fan (House Tudor is my favorite) but, surprisingly, I’ve never read much historical romance. This was a decent intro to the genre.

I love when stories come full circle and this one does just that. Isabel is nearly assaulted by ruffians and Chetwynd happens to be along and saves her; years later the two meet again and (eventually) begin a relationship, despite the odds against them.

This was a good book to introduce one to HR. I had a hard time reading on past the beginning with the mention of r*pe but I persevered and was rewarded with a decent story.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.

This was a fun, light and easy read. I loved that this was a romantic read, which is my favorite type of book to read. It was an easy read and the characters were very well liked. This plot was fun, and the romance had the right amount of tension and build up to make me want to read more.

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Lady Isabel is just twelve years old when Lord Chetwynd rescues her from being raped by warriors in his company. When they meet eight years later, each has a good reason for entering an arranged marriage. Together, they embark on a perilous journey to the court of King Louis. On the way, danger from enemies on the journey brings them closer together; when they arrive at court, rivalry and intrigue nearly parts them. Ultimately, however, they survive these trials through their own native wit and charm—and gain new respect and love for one another.
This was a pretty good book in a time period I don’t read many books on, giving it a little bit of a different background. I liked both main characters. The book moved at a decent pace. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

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3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.

This was a fun, light and easy read. I picked this up thinking it was historical fiction and discovered it was more romance than anything else. It was an easy read though and the characters were all likable, in some cases almost too likable. Even the villains of this book had moments of kindness that made you question their status as a villain in the book. I wouldn't say this was deep literature or thought provoking, but it was easy reading, the plot was fun, and the romance had the right amount of tension and slow-burn to make me want to read more.

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I wasn't sure what to expect when digging into this book. I was pleasantly surprised, however. when I began reading and found myself quite unable to put it down. The time-period is not one that is widely written about, which was a nice change as an historical fiction lover. Each character had their own unique voice and were deeply developed, progressing with the story and bouncing off of each other nicely. The whole plot was fast-paced and impossibly to walk away from. I loved every page!

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I found this book to be slow and very predictable.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley.
All opinions are my own.

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I received this book from Netgalley as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel a little guilty rating this book so low. It almost got a three from me, but unfortunately, there was one reason for this. It was boring.
I was hyped up based on the description. It sounded harrowing, and who doesn't love a good historical romance? Unfortunately, the author seemed to use it as a device to info dump and the love story felt flimsy at best. It took me an uncomfortably long time to finish this book- in the end, I had to plow through it just to get it over and done with.
This book probably would have been better served with harsher edits/beta reading in all honesty. It had potential, but it just lacked dimension. I think I would have been happier if it was more erotic- but no, it was fluffy and skirted the idea of sex head on, using outdated and awkward terms to describe the involvement of the heroine/hero. Also- I love history, I love learning. But the information was just dumped there. There was a lot of telling and not showing, leaving me up at 4am feeling very disappointed.

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Set in 9th Century Germany during the reign of Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, Song of Isabel is a solid, enjoyable historical romance from a little-covered time period. I gave it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Lady Isabel first meets handsome warrior Chetwynd at the age of twelve when he rescues her from an attempted assault by Frankish warriors. After delivering her safely home, he disappears, and Isabel is left with vague but romantic memories of a golden haired, angelic knight. When they meet again 8 years later, Isabel finds him alarmingly handsome, but not the gentle champion of her daydreams. Yet she finds herself swiftly wed to the cold, stern knight in a temporary marriage of convenience and on a long journey with him to be reunited with her brother in Aachen. Far from an easy journey, Isabel and Chetwynd face kidnappings, political intrigue, powerful enemies, and the growing suspicion that they might not want a temporary marriage after all.

Well written, with believable and likable characters, including strong, self-determined female characters, I can easily recommend Song of Isabel! I also think it's hardcore that the author is in her 80s and a polio survivor. I tip my hat to you, Ida Curtis!

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Set in the Frankish Empire during the reign of Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, Song of Isabel stands out simply for being set in an unusual time period and location for historical romance. The ninth century is viewed as being the Dark Ages by many people, but in France and Germany at the time was a thriving and sophisticated medieval society.

The author’s bio states “Based on a handbook written by a ninth-century widow of a wealthy landowner to educate her sons, Song of Isabel captures what life was like for a young noblewoman of that period.”

Frankly, that’s where things go a bit wrong, because that sounds like a really intriguing piece of women’s fiction, whereas the actual book is pretty much your standard medieval romance. Lots of crises where the heroine needs rescuing, a Superior Warrior hero, a feisty heroine who is Not Like Other Girls - Isabel’s only saving grace is that she does have female friends who are portrayed well, though not as her equals.

The factual aspects of the book are well researched and include real historical events, such as the (temporary) banishing of Queen Judith from Louis’ court and the determination of Louis’ older sons (Lothar in particular) to cut Judith’s son Charles out of the line of succession. The romance itself is quite well written too, with a believable progression of emotions between Chetwynd and Isabel, and Isabel was a pretty good self-rescuing princess most of the time.

The issue I have with the book is that it’s ‘not what it says on the tin’. The only real part where ‘daily life’ is detailed is a short episode at Chetwynd’s manor where grapes are harvested and crushed for winemaking. I was honestly looking forward to learning more about the minutiae of life in the ninth century and less of the fabricated crises and drama which made this read pretty much like every other medieval romance on the market. I enjoyed the read, but finished it feeling a little disappointed; I’d probably give it 3 ½ stars, rounded up to 4 for those sites which don’t allow half stars.

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A feisty beautiful young noblewoman Isabel combined with a handsome lord who falls under her spell makes for a heart warming romantic story with sexual tension and intrigue, siècle 817 Narbonne France. This read is set just after the time of Charlemagne, Charles 1 the Great where Aachen today is part of Germany, at this time it is the centre of greatness and control. The author gives the reader a small amount of historical narrative giving insights into the pious but weak King Louis, his sons Lothar Pepin and Louis and from his 2nd wife Charles (still an infant) but the main narrative is set around Isabel.
During this time there were so few options for women, particularly those of noble birth, owned by their fathers they were either married off young, as soon as they could produce children or if a match could not be made they entered the cloisters of the church. The question of love as in movies probably rare. Noble marriage would also be political positioning. This is where Isabel finds herself, having fended off a marriage arrangement to an old man, she is on the verge of having to enter the nunnery. Fortunately with a plan by her grandmother with her own best interests at heart she schemes and succeeds in arranging a marriage, in name only for Isabel to Lord Chetwynd in order that she avoid the nunnery and giving Isabel the ability to travel to where her brother lives. On arrival at the Court of King Louis an annulment is planned.
During this long and perilous journey several stops are made and with Isabel’s interest in Roman ruins the author takes the reader with Isabel on a discovery tour, not unlike tourists of today who still seek out such ruins. During one of these events Isabel is captured by villains but is able to escape through her own ingenuity. The sexual tension continues to mount between Isabel and Lord Chetwynd, both believing that there is a secret lover of each other until finally all truths are declared.

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You know, sometimes, I wish someone else could write my thought for me because I honestly barely took notes while reading this book, not because I’m lazy (but most likely) BUT SERIOUSLY THOUGH. I thought I don't want to disturb myself while in the middle of reading it because I was so invested in the story and wanted to know how things would play out.

Song of Isabel, by Ida Curtis is a sweet and cute story of historical fiction and romance. Mistaken as a peasant, Lady Isabel was trapped by several guards, and tried to harass her for their own pleasures. Just in time, Lord Chetwynd rescued her from that perilous situation and ever since then, Lady Isabel could not remove the thought of her “champion”. Eight years later, they meet again but this time, in a marriage of convenience both with a different objective in mind. As the couple embarks on a journey, the attraction they feel for each other is taunted. Will the marriage end with an annulment or stay intact? Song of Isabel is a charming and adorable historical coming-of-age story that will make for a cozy read.

I was really, really excited to read this book when I got it from Netgalley. The synopsis was interesting and it’s a historical fiction plus romance and I couldn’t help myself but read the book!

Only recently, I’ve come to enjoy historical fiction and this book made me realize the things about why I’ve come to enjoy this genre. Here’s why:

-There’s less drama
-The characters most likely have a mature attitude
-They are true to their word (!!!) Like how they say “I promise” and keeps it all the waaaay
-The romance runs deeper than a clown’s pocket
-They are up front about almost anything other than top secrets that they think should be really kept (you know what I mean?)
-Straight to the point (characters don’t go round and round, making excuses here, making excuses there, etc.)

I enjoyed Lady Isabel’s character most of all, in this book. She was stubborn, independent, adventurous, and stands for herself. Additionally, she is witty and creative in dire situations. I love that about her! Her character is both strong and fragile and Lord Chetwynd is such a perfect match for her!

I couldn’t help but fall in love with Isabel and Chetwynd’s story because of how sweet they are for each other, but in a not-so-obvious-but-obvious kind of way.

Overall, Song of Isabel is the type of book that will make you feel comfy in your chair when it’s raining outside.

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At first I wasn't sure about this book because is listed as a romance, but this one I truly enjoyed. I have never before read anything about the 9th century, therefore I did my research and even if the book is not label as historical fiction, —and is not—, the author did a great job. She introduces us to the key players of that historical period and give us a taste of what happened with Charlemagne descendants, in this particular case, King Louis the Pious and his heirs struggle for power, and the imminent division of the Empire.

The romance is great, starts by chance or a leap of faith, later develops for the convenience of both parties and finally they found love and friendship in each other, it was a nice romance. Isabel and Chetwynd share a lot of chemistry, their relationship feels more like a modern romance, I feel the characters in general were too modern for that period of time, but it did not damage the general atmosphere of the book.

The book has enough material for a sequel, I would like to read more about Gilda and Justin, and of course Lothar.

I give this book 3.5 stars.

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Lord Chetwynd first meets Lady Isabel when she is 12 years old. He rescues her and is forever ingrained in her mind as her angel. When she is 20 they meet again. Convenience to travel, she chooses to marry Lord Chetwynd. They plan on living as brother and sister, nothing else. They're future dictates that they are to be together as husband and wife. Their love for each other is strong and steadfast. On their trip to.see King Louis, they are in danger. Through all the adventures and misadventures, they're love is steadfast. This book has a lot of historical facts embroidered into the story. Well written.
5 Stars

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Overall this was a decent book however I found some of it to be lacking depth.

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It'd been a long time since I'd read any HR, and this was definitely a good introduction back to it. I liked Ida's writing and Isabel and Chetwynd were really well written characters, and the story was fast paced and well constructed as well. But for me that's all this book was- nice. I would've liked for it to be a little more consistent with the mannerisms of the era it was based on. But nonetheless, like I said it was a good book.

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This was an ok book. It started off fairly slow even if it moved at a good pace but it struggled to catch my complete attention. I felt myself struggling to finish it.
It takes place in the 800 in France. Charlemagne has died and his son King Louis rules. There is tension in the royal family that involves Chetwynd.

Isabel and Chetwynd 'met' as children when Isabel was twelve years old and Chetwynd saved her from being attacked by soldiers. They meet for real eight years later as adults and in order for Isabel to leave the manor in which she lives, (unhappily), they come up with a ruse to marry. The marriage will benefit them both. It will allow Isabel to travel with Chetwynd and his army to her brother and it allows Chetwynd to stop a lot of rumors going on about him. I will not go deeper into that since it will mess up the story for you. 😉 The plan was to annul the marriage after they both got what they wanted but what happens when their attraction for each other grows? With multiple obstacles that occur in their journey to push them closer together, they slowly fall in love or lust?

I give it a solid four stars because it was an interesting read. I loved the story once I finally really got into it. I would recommend Historical Romance fans out there.

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Song of Isabel
A Novel

by Ida Curtis

She Writes Press

Historical Fiction , Romance

Pub Date 17 Apr 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Song of Ida through She Writes Press and Netgalley:
In this book we will travel back to ninth century Narbonne.


When Lady Isabel is only twelve years old, she is saved from being raped by Lord Chetwybd, the warriors in his company were the ones trying to rape her. Eight years later they meet again, they both have good reason to enter an arranged marriage.


The two embark on a perilous journey to the court of King Louis. On the way they face danger from enemies, which brings them even closer together. But when they arrive at the court they are nearly broken apart by rivalry and intrigue nearly parts them.
They both survive the trials using their own native wit and charm, and in doing so they gain a new respect and deeper love for one another.


I give Song of Isabel five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

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Recently on NetGalley.com a reviewer of Ida Curtis’s SONG OF ISABEL called attention to the author’s use of “an authentic 9th-century tale to produce a highly readable historical romance” but found that “a cursory internet search” turned up “no evidence to either confirm or deny that such a manuscript ever existed.” It does exist, as did its author, Dhuoda of Uzés, an isolated area on the edge of the Holy Roman Empire and near the Spanish March. When the manual was written, her husband Bernard of Septimania, an important figure in the court of Louis the Pious, lived at court with their sons, one a teenager and the other an infant, leaving Dhuoda at home to manage his remote estate and sustain the income that supported his career and enabled his influence with the king. At the time of Dhuoda’s writing, King Louis had died, and his sons were vying for power, leaving Bernard’s place in that world and the futures of her two sons in doubt. Thus, the manual addressed to the two boys: “Read all,” she tells them at the start, “and at the end you will know more fully.” Knowledgeable not only about “grain and wine,” the business of the estate, but also about the ins and outs of court intrigue and the fragility of life in general, Dhuoda stands out as a strong woman in a man’s world—like Isabel of the novel.
(The original manuscript was transcribed by Myra E. Bowers for her 1977 doctoral dissertation, “The Liber Manualis of Dhuoda: Advice of a Ninth-Century Mother for her Sons”; The Catholic University of America.)

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It appears that Ida Curtis has pulled off a literacy coup by using an authentic 9th century tale to produce a highly readable historical romance. Song of Isabel purports to be based on a handbook written by a 9th century widow of a wealthy land owner to educate her sons. During a cursory internet search this reviewer could find no evidence to either confirm or deny that such a manuscript ever existed. That being said Song of Isabel captures some of what life may have been like for a young noble woman during that period.

Personally I would have liked more details about daily living, like descriptions of the clothing and food and the role of the Church in politics and less about the lust and carnal knowledge between Isabel and her knight in shining armour. Yet, it is pleasing to consider that strong minded women have been with us always, despite the oppression of both society and the Church.

Curtis weaves a readable tale of adventure and romance around Isabel.

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