I love historical romance that is outside of the normal victorian era, so I was excited to read "The Rebel Heiress and the Knight." Fun read, but not too believable. A nice escape.

I have never seen a medieval cover before that accurately depicted a heroine with her hair covered, and that raised my hopes that The Rebel Heiress and the Knight would be an immersive, well-researched experience. I’m sorry to tell you that the cover is the only thing I can praise about this dull, predictable, and amateurish book.

Let’s run through the first forty pages or so (I had a Kindle arc, so my page count is fuzzy):

Hugh de Villiers narrates to us that he’s been at Tallany Castle with a message from King John for the lady of the castle, Eleanor, and she hasn’t let him in for three days.
Eleanor muses that she doesn’t really know why she has kept Hugh outside for three days, and that it has “incensed” him, which “was not something she had intended. But she didn’t want to know the contents of King John’s missive.” What are you, five?
The priest reads the missive in front of the entire hall. She and Hugh are so busy making angry faces at each other that she literally doesn’t listen to the reading.
Both Hugh and Eleanor are SHOCKED that they are to marry each other. Why wouldn’t King John have told his most loyal knight this before sending him off?
Hugh “knew he should feel honoured at having such an heiress bestowed upon him, but he didn’t want a wife. His experience had taught him that women were not worth the inevitable heartache.” Oh, lord, NOT ANOTHER ‘wah some lady in my past had feelings’ man. Plus, a landless knight doesn’t want an estate? Or legitimate heirs? What century is this supposed to be?
Robin Hood (excuse me, Le Renard) is running around Eleanor’s land stealing the King’s taxes. Clearly Hugh needs to stop him. Except – and please note that all prose styling here is original, including the BUM BUM BUM ellipsis:
“Not only did Eleanor help the outlaws, but that she was also one of them! She was, in fact … Le Renard.”

BUM BUM BUM!!!!!!

Basically, after the first four chapters, there is no need to read any other scene in the book. You already know what’s going to happen. Eleanor is going to bemoan her dual loyalties to robbery and Hugh’s dick. Hugh is going to miss an enormous range of clues because this entire concept is, honestly, so ridiculous I don’t blame him for not suspecting it, and then he will worry about his loyalty to King Douchebag, and how it all seems vaguely hypothetical the further he gets under Eleanor’s skirts. There will be unrealistic fight sequences. It’s all going to work out, as anyone with a modicum of English history could have told you when they saw that the book was set in 1215.

Why a D- and not an F? Hard to say. It’s unoriginal and boring and bad, but it isn’t mean or misogynist. And I do like the cover.

I’m not een kidding when I tell you that the last line of the book is “As you wish, my love, as you wish.” “As you wish” is the iconic declaration of love from The Princess Bride. Well, for a book that didn’t have any other original ideas in it, I suppose it’s a fitting end.

In the spring of 1215, an incompetent and mercurial tyrant rules England, and Northumberland is a hotbed of ferment. The rebellious barons are abetted by outlaws led by the enigmatic Le Renard. Sir Hugh de Villiers is sent north to capture the thieves and deliver a royal missive to the widow of Tallany Castle. When he learns the contents of the royal letter, he is as stunned as Lady Tallany, but he adeptly heeds his liege’s command in spite of her reticence to do the same.

After years of abuse, Eleanor Tallany follows a treacherous path to protect her people. Never will she marry another king’s man. Doing so imperils them and herself, yet she has never had any say in her own destiny. The kindnesses Sir Hugh shows rekindle feelings long thought dead. Then a covetous and vengeful suitor threatens to crush all that she holds dear.

Reminiscent of Robin Hood, Oliver’s debut novel is fast-paced. Hair-raising, poignant, humorous, and romantic segments are deftly woven into a tapestry that brings to life the tumultuous past and devious stratagems of medieval England, while her feisty characters vividly capture the imagination from first page to last.

This was a decent read. It was light and quick to read. The characters were likable and the overall plot was good. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book via NetGalley.

This book could have gone either way… The idea of a forced marriage and a rebellious heroine isn’t one that’s never been seen before, even when you through in the secret identity. Happily, though Oliver does justice to what has become a trope of medieval historical romance, she also brings a flair to the story that makes it intensely readable. Particular standouts for me were the characterization – especially Hugh’s – and the way that Oliver developed Eleanor’s alter ego of Le Renard. Hugh, if you squint, might look at bit modern in places, but I found that forgivable. Both the romance and the historical aspects of the story play out well, taking unexpected twists and turns either in characterization, or event. I loved reading to find out how they were going to resolve the question of their growing feelings for each other, when politically, and practically, they had Le Renard sitting between them. A very nice story indeed, and a wonderful debut. I’m looking forward to the author’s next Harlequin Historical adventure!

4.5 stars rounded up.

Lady Eleanor of Tallany has already suffered through a miserable marriage and has no desire to do so again, but when King John orders her to wed his faithful knight, Sir Hugh de Villiers, she has no choice but to comply. She is not happy and determined to keep her new husband at arm’s length and ignorant of her secrets. Since the king is taxing his people into poverty, Eleanor has gone outlaw to provide for them.

Sir Hugh is loyal to King John and at his command he has arrived at Tallany Castle to deliver the king’s message and capture the outlaw as Le Renard. But Eleanor refuses to see him, testing the usually tempered Hugh to his limits. He demands she receive him or he will force the issue. Knowing her time has run out, she agrees to meet with him and he is stunned by the immediate attraction he feels to her and by the hostility radiating from her. They open the king’s missive and are both shocked to learn they are being commanded to marry! How can love grow amid such discord? How can trust thrive when they harbor so many secrets??

I really enjoyed this well written, intriguing story which uses the tried and true enemies to lovers trope with a dash of deception and treason thrown in. Eleanor is a strong character and not always easy to empathize with, but the reader knows her heart is in the right place and Hugh – sigh – he is just a wonderful hero. I did feel like Eleanor’s deception dragged on a little too long and agree with another reviewer who pointed out that the lies do make it hard to believe they were able to fall deeply in love. The book has lies, secrets, treason, warmish love scenes, compromise and finally a heartwarming HEA. I have not read this author before, but I will certainly be on the lookout for her future work! I liked the book and am happy to recommend it!

I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.