Ida Curtis’ first novel tells the love story of Isabel and Getwynd who, after getting married out of convenience on both parts, get caught in a web of scheming, lies and plot at the court of Louis the Pious of Aquitaine. Louis’s son Lothar and queen Judith are at war with one another… and the newlyweds find themselves caught in between. Will Isabel’s love for her knight in shining armour be so strong as to save them both?

When Isabel, daughter of lord Theodoric of Narbonne, was a young maid of twelve a group of soldiers took her for a peasant and tried to assault her. She fought fiercely but they were five grown men and she was only a young maid. They would have taken their maidenhood if it hadn’t been for the angel that came to save her. He eclipsed the sun with his golden hair so she never saw more of him than that, his hair. From that moment she never agreed to marry any of the suitors her father and her grandmother put in her way, she was waiting for her golden champion go come for her. In the meantime, she never hides the scar above her eye.

Eight years after she’s still unmarried and her elders are losing hope. Isabel must marry or join a nunnery, but she hopes that her brother, who is in Aquitaine, calls for her. And certainly Justin does so, and sends a friend to look for her. Lord Getwynd of Aquis is a warrior in one of Louis I the Pious armies, he discovers a young woman swimming in the pond his friend spoke of, he knows she never married but at twenty surely a sensual woman like her must have a lover. All his hopes are now fading. The moment they meet he couldn’t help touching her scar, and she knows it’s him, he’s finally reuniting with her… but he’s so cold and hard.

They are unable to travel together even if they’re never alone, for his company of men and their wives are travelling with them. Therefore they agree to a marriage of convenience. He needs to send the message that his affair with queen Judith is entirely over and she wants to leave Narbonne and reunite with her brother. They agree to annul the marriage once they both get what they want. But, of course, what they want isn’t really what they say they want. He never forgot the fiery maiden who fought five men twice her size, and she never forgot her knight in shining armour. The more they deny themselves the joy of being together the more they long for each other’s touch. The way to Aquitaine is long and perilous, they almost lose each other when Isabel was kidnapped… and then when the queen met them and tried to separate them with her scheming, and when they’re finally at court they meet a new enemy. But way before then they are so in love that they’re willing to fight to protect that love.

I had never read anything from Ida Curtis before (then I found out it’s her first novel); I had fallen in love with the synopsis and the cover when I requested this book. And what a pleasant surprise it was for me to enjoy reading this story so much. This story is so beautifully written that I wasn’t aware of the time passing as I was reading. I loved every line of it, or almost every line. And the characters! I wanted to protect Isabel and Chetwynd just as much as they wanted to protect each other. You can read between the lines that Curtis loved her characters, that was moving, indeed.

These characters are so loveable, I think there wasn’t one character that I really disliked (except for two, but I can’t tell which, spoilerssss). I loved Marianna the maid, Jerome the squire, Ingram the second in command, Gilda the nun, Emma the friend, Ivo the priest… they are all fantastic, all with their unique personalities, all loyal to the heroine and her champion. I loved Chetwynd so much. He really is a knight in shining armour, he’s willing to go to the end of the world for Isabel… only it isn’t really necessary, and he knows that very well. This lady, his Isabel, saves herself. She’s my favourite character… she really does save herself every time. Ok she also gets herself in trouble first, but she’s brave, and resourceful. No, she doesn’t need protection, all she wants from him is his love, and to never leave her alone. Isabel’s love can save them both, with a little help from their friends.

Ida Curtis’ first published novel (something tells me that there are more hidden in a drawer in her office) happens to be a romance, and you can see that for the inexperience writing lovemaking scenes. Don’t get me wrong, Curtis can make the reader know that the couple have a passion for eachother, but she doesn’t really write the scenes, and that’s ok, only it feels a bit rushed and insufficient. There are writers who provided too much detail and there are writers who just avoid the question, like in the movies. I think Curtis wanted to be somewhere in between and failed, it felt a bit awkward at the beginning.

Also I wasn’t totally satisfied with the solution to the mystery of Isabel’s kidnapping. It was just ok, but it felt simple. Not the explanation, that was perfectly understandable, but I guessed why from the moment she was with her captors. They weren’t very good at kidnapping really.

Ok, I read this book in one sitting (or night since I read before I go to bed). I thought this was gonna be a straight historical fiction when in fact it was a standard hero saves heroine but with the twist being that Lady Isabel is more then capable of saving herself and Lord Chetwynd. She manages to escape kidnappers, manages to get out of a queen's snare, and save her husband from a king's hatred.

Don't get me wrong, Lord Chetwynd and Lady Isabel need and love each other even though they start as a marriage of convenience it turns into a love match. The author leaves you hanging so hopefully there is more to their story. If you like romance novels in historical times then you will enjoy this one.

Isabel and Lord Chetwynd’s fates first intertwined when she was twelve: he has saved her from being raped by several soldiers from his group. Eight years later they meet again, and dire circumstances force the two to marry. On their way to the king’s court, they are assaulted by unknown enemies as well as court intrigues, but in the process they also begin to learn about and develop feelings for each other.

Song of Isabel is a story set in the 9th century during Louis the Pious’ reign, spiced up with some action, drama, and a love born out of serendipity and inevitable circumstances. Its plot and history go well together for the most part, and the main protagonists are likable and well-matched. I actually liked Isabel’s character: she is young but not naive; a brave heroine who outsmarts misfortunes at every turn. Her daring is likened to that of Charlemagne’s nephew Roland from the epic poem, Song of Roland (hence the book title, I guess). Having said that, I think the portrayal of the rest of the characters didn’t come out as strong, and some are not given enough motivation to validate why they behave a certain way (i.e. Queen Judith’s assumed jealousy, Lothair’s hatred of Chetwynd, and even Chetwynd’s undiplomatic attitude towards Lothair, despite his being a great tactician and military leader). Even the implied romance between another two budding characters seems uneventful, and unless the author is doing another book on the two, it will just be a needless side story in my opinion. The plot and romance between the main protagonists started well and in a realistic fashion, but ended a little cheesy and over the top as it progressed. Also, as I know nothing of this period, it would have been really useful had the author (Miss Curtis) propped this book up with a Historical Note. I’ve only read the novel is based on a medieval woman’s handbook for her children, but other this she did not share anything else of historical import. I would have wanted to know more about the way of life or women’s liberties during this period. Or even the riding custom of noblewomen at the time, since Miss Curtis mentioned about riding astride as an acceptable riding form for women of lesser station.

On the whole, I did enjoy this book, and would gladly read another story about this historical period.