I did not finish this book.
The writing style didn’t match the time period that the book was set in. It was a bit confusing too

In a Nutshell: Started off well, but soon went down the slippery slope. Whoosh all the way to the bottom!


Story Synopsis:
Village of East Kennett, Wiltshire. Around 1200 AD.
Guy Ferrier is a respected blacksmith and ferrier who is also known for his singing talent. At thirty, he decides it is high time to get married. Unfortunately for him, he falls in love with his Lord’s daughter, Adele. He knows the dalliance isn’t possible as he is just a commoner and she, a member of the nobility. Moreover, she has been engaged to an aristocrat since many years. However, there’s a change in circumstances, and Guy’s reputation comes under question. What will happen to this blooming relationship?
The story comes to us in a limited third person narration.


Where the book worked for me:
🌷 The book begins very enthusiastically. Unlike most stories set in the 13th century, this one was quite cheerful and serene, with the focus only on love and friendship.

🌷 I loved the character of Parnell, who seemed like a strong and mature young girl with a smart head on her shoulders.

🌷 There are some fun scenes, and some interesting banter.

🌷 The plot covers, albeit at a minor level, several themes such as women's rights, freedom of will in the nobility as well as gentry, the undue importance given to priests/religious heads.

🌷 The pace is also quite decent, despite some meanderings off the main track.


Where the book could have worked better for me:
🌵 Except for the mention of the year at the start and in the final sections, and a constant reference to the old professions such as stewards and bailiffs and Lords and blacksmiths, there is nothing to suggest that the story belonged to the 13th century. The dialogues seemed modern, with even some contemporary phrases popping in randomly. (I am still not sure if this was done on purpose as some kind of satire, or is just a writing boo-boo. But it didn’t feel historical in its atmosphere.)

Sorry about the spoilers ahead, but I really need to vent my frustration about a few things!

************ SPOILERS BEGIN************

🌵 The blurb reveals too much. There is a time jump of a whopping 900 years, as revealed right here on Goodreads. The time jump comes at the 83% mark. What’s the point of revealing something coming so late in the story? The blurb even reveals the name of a character who dies. Leave something for us to discover, blurb writers!!

🌵 Get a load of this. Guy falls in love with Adele. Adele declares her love for Guy. Guy declares he can’t marry her. Parnell declares she won’t ever marry. Emma declares his love for Guy. Guy refuses to acknowledge her. Guy declares that he will marry Parnell. Parnell agrees after being kissed by Guy. Guy declares that he will marry Emma. Emma isn’t available anymore. Guy declares his love for Adele. Adele marries someone else. Guy marries Parnell. Time jump of many centuries. Guy meets Adele. Guy declares his love for Adele. Guy marries Adele.

Anyone understood what was happening above? I sure didn’t! Guy and Parnell were perfect for each other. The scenes were written in a way that it was logical to bring them together. Why the constant to and fro?

🌵 On the same note, the time jump is what dashed the book firmly into the two star territory. It wasn’t warranted at all. But worse than that, it simply didn’t make sense. So all our main characters are reincarnated at the same time in the future. They have the same names as well. And when Guy and Adele meet, it takes just about half a day for them to remember everything that happened 900 years ago and declare their love to each other and even propose getting married. Within half a day!!! I mean, Jeez! Even C-grade Bollywood movies have better reincarnation scenes than this one! And that’s saying quite a lot!

************ SPOILERS END************


Usually I get bugged when books don't cater to the period they are set in. But this was so easy-going at the start that it felt almost like a spoof historical and I just went with the flow. But it became sillier as the chapters went ahead, and the ending was just Oh-my-God-just-kill-me-already level of stupid!

I honestly can’t recommend this, especially to avid historical fiction readers who will find the lack of authenticity either laughable or infuriating, possibly both. With a decent start and a nonsense end, it’s below average as a whole.

1.5 stars.

My thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Harmonious Blacksmith”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this turned out to be such a disaster.

Sorry to say I did not finish this book. I enjoyed it at the beginning, but the dialogue didn't seem to fit with the time period the story is set in. It changed perspective when I wasn't expecting it, and I got a bit lost after that, so gave up on it.
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

honestly i wanted to like this book, but it did not work for me. i wish it would have because i was so excited to read this one and to get to read it way early?! thank you so much netgalley!!!!!

Cute and enjoyable, I picked this because I liked the cover but I was not sure about the title. It was a very nice read, it flowed right along and I enjoyed it.

Beautifull story but it wasnt catching.
Un amor imposible, prohibido por el estatus social de las dos personas, prohibido por el tiempo en el que se encuentran. Hasta que literalmente se ven despues de 800 años se ven por primera vez y recuerdan toodo lo que vivieron sus vidas pasadas y deciden casarse bc why not? si son los mismos lpm.
Me hubiese encantado que todo eso se desarrollara un poco más BUT no fue asi e hizo que la lectura terminara siendo medio pedorra.
Guy, por mas bueno que seas, pobre Nell lpm

I liked the book.
It's been a long time since I had liked a book with romance.
The story is diverse but it takes a while to really pick up pace, however, once the action begins, the book develops with an intensity impossible to let go of.
The characters are well written and I could clearly picture them in my mind.
The whole structure of the story happening in the 13th century was something very different for me, I found it very interesting.
Regarding the time shift, I thought it was a little unnecessary, it wasn't bad but I would have preferred to know more about what kept happening to the characters in the 13th century.
I understood the impossible lovers situation, but the way the story ended with Guy marrying Nell and the characters living their normal lives would also have been very interesting to read.
I like stories with imperfect endings where the lovers are separated, where the good guys don't always end up winning, because that's the reality of the world. Most real stories aren't perfect.

The story is diverse but it takes a while to really pick up pace, however, once the action begins, the book develops with an intensity impossible to let go of.
The characters were well written and I could clearly picture them in my mind.
The whole structure of the story happening in the 13th century was something very different for me, I found it very interesting.
I like stories with imperfect endings where the lovers are separated, where the good guys don't always end up winning, because that's the reality of the world. Most real stories aren't perfect.

Early thirteenth century & East Kennet blacksmith Guy Ferrier, well known through the county for his singing & ability to make up lyrics on the spot, is approaching 30 & has decided it’s time to think about settling down & finding a wife. He visits the church in nearby Marlborough & falls in love with the sight of Adela Lillebon. However, as she is the daughter of the lord of the manor, their romance is unable to progress further than a few snatched moments to discuss the repair of the ironwork on the church door.
When Guiscard Courtenay, Adela’s fiancé, is killed in a tragic accident Guy is blamed of sorcery after being overheard singing about a hare. Then his neighbour is pronounced dead only to wake the following morning after Guy is again heard singing to the moon.

I really enjoyed this although I’m not sure how I felt about the jump to modern day to tie up the characters love lives! I didn’t feel the connection between Guy & Adela & preferred his relationship with Nell!

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but the premise and the cover drew me in. Ultimately, I enjoyed this book. The plot was interesting, with lots of twists and turns to keep me hooked. It was written very simply, which for me didn't quite match the medieval setting of this book, especially when it came to the characters' dialogue. However, the simple writing style could draw in more readers who are often intimidated by medieval styles and settings. I also expected the modern parallel setting to appear far earlier in the book than it did. I love an ancestral memory plotline, but I thought that this one was brought in and concluded rather quickly and clumsily. Overall, a pleasant read, but I would have loved a little more time and detail in a couple of places.

Brilliant read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read a digital arc in exchange for my feedback.

An enjoyable tale, but I found the pacing a bit too leisurely for my liking, its definitely character-driven although there is still plenty that happens. I love the setting and the author obviously did a lot of research. The characters were likeable and very easy to connect with and the romance here just lovely. Overall, an enjoyable and interesting read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I really enjoyed this book...until the end. I was completely immersed in the 13th century world of Guy, Nell and Adela and wanted their story to continue. Instead, the ending throws us contemporary characters that have been reincarnated and found each other again. I didn't enjoy that aspect and wished the author had simply continued with a good thing.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of The Harmonious Blacksmith! This book was SO sweet. A lot of books set in the Medieval Period are kind of brutal, but this rendering of the time period is really heartfelt.

Guy Ferrier, the blacksmith of East Kennett, finds himself in trouble after falling in love with the village lord's daughter, Adela, at first sight. They try to see each other in secret, but they are unable to ever be together, especially since Adela is betrothed to Guiscard Courtenay. Guy has also promised his friend and mentor Bailiff Truman that he will take care of his daughter, Parnell, when the bailiff passes away. Guy and Nell are friends, but her father desperately wants them to be more. Guy finds himself pulled in many directions, caught between his love for Adela, his desire to watch after Nell, and rumors that he is using the magic blacksmiths are apparently known to possess for less than wholesome purposes.

This is definitely a character-driven story, which is very reminiscent of a lot of medieval literature. Guy is charming, especially with his singing and ability to make up songs on the spot. He is very clever and uses people's beliefs about the magical nature of blacksmiths to help his community when he can. I loved his relationship with Nell and their banter back and forth. I also really liked Nell. She is caring towards Guy and her father, but also has a sharp tongue towards those who she cares for less. Adela falls a little flat in comparison to Nell, but still comes off as very sweet. As Guy was falling for Adela, I really wished he was thinking about Nell instead.

The pace of this story is leisurely, put there is still plenty that happens, especially towards the end. I love the detail in the setting and the attention to historical detail. This story felt like a nice stroll back in time. I do feel like the dialogue was occasionally a little stilted, but then again, English has gone through a lot of change since the 13th century. The romance(s) were just so sweet and I wanted to see Guy be happy because he is a good man and deserves it. The time switch towards the end was unexpected and reminded me a lot of a gentler version of a similar concept Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgewick. I really liked the jump in time as it really solidified what was meant to be.

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, which was a really pleasant surprise. The cover is gorgeous and so is the story. Any fan of magical realism and/or medievalism should give it a read!

I've very delighted that this ARC via NetGalley has not only introduced me to a completely new-to-me author, but one who has an extensive back catalogue of books. Mediaeval Murder Mysteries? Yes, please!
The Harmonious Blacksmith is not a Murder Mystery, however. It's the third book in a series of Mediaeval Romances. And it was really sweet - just so wholesome and pure.

It had a pedestrian pace - not in a bad way. It was like a really enjoyable walk in beautiful woodlands where you're, for the most part, just encountering one thing after another; but then there's a clearing and you appreciate how all of the elements fit together in a cohesive whole. I had the strong impression of an author who absolutely knew where all the pieces on the chessboard were located, what they meant in relation to each other and what they were about to do.

Guy, the village Blacksmith and Farrier, is a really solid, well-rounded character. He's not easily flustered and takes things in his (long) stride. He falls hopelessly in love with Adela, the daughter of the local Lord and even though the love is reciprocated it is absolutely hopeless. Guy is quite pragmatic about it and there's none of the usual belly-aching that you get in more passionate Romance narratives.

At 65% in, the point-of-view shifts from Guy to another character. This is absolutely necessary for the action to continue flowing but I found it jarring when it happened so late in the book and just out-of-the-blue. I think it would have benefitted the overall story if we had been getting insights from this character's perspective all along.

I was captivated by the cover for this book which enticed me into a whole new world and oeuvre. I may be some time!

The Harmonious Blacksmith by Susanna M. Newstead.

Authors have bought us Darcy , Rhett Butler , James Bond and now we have Guy Ferrier . A man for his time.
I really enjoyed this book. Not fast paced , not excitement on every page , but a really good tale of life , love and loss In 1200 England.
Loved the characters and the plot , especially the one set In the earlier time but bringing it back to modern time helped to bring the story to a great conclusion . A very good , entertaining read .