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Tallie's Knight

by Anne Gracie (Goodreads Author)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 298 ratings · 12 reviews

Magnus has decided to select a bride!

Miss Thalia Robinson, a destitute orphan, was fortunate that she had been allowed to look after her cousin Laetitia's three adorable children. Tallie usually spent her quiet life lost in daydreams, but the arrival of a house party to aid Magnus, Earl of d'Arenville, to find a wife, turned her world upside down.

Magnus's cold facade had b...more

Paperback, 248 pages

Published March 3rd 2001 by Harlequin (first published April 1st 2000)

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Oct 15, 2009 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of marriage of convenience stories

Recommended to Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress by: AAR Special Title

Shelves: favorites, heroine-i-adore, hero-to-die-for, historical-romance, knight-in-shining-armor, marriage-of-convenience, pregnancy, traditional-regency, plain-jane, favorite-or-autobuy-author, owned-copy

I read this book during a romance novel reading renaissance several years ago, when I discovered a bounty of unread treasures and new authors. This was one of the best I read in that period. This book had been highly recommended on a romance readers group, so I wrote it down on my to be bought list and picked it up. Needless to say, I adored this book from page one to the very last sentence. I love the books with the wallflower who gets the prince, prince being a good man who loves her deeply an...more I read this book during a romance novel reading renaissance several years ago, when I discovered a bounty of unread treasures and new authors. This was one of the best I read in that period. This book had been highly recommended on a romance readers group, so I wrote it down on my to be bought list and picked it up. Needless to say, I adored this book from page one to the very last sentence. I love the books with the wallflower who gets the prince, prince being a good man who loves her deeply and would do anything for her. Well that's what Tallie gets in Magnus. Initially he asked her to marry him because he felt sorry for her situation as a poorly-treated poor relation in the family of gentry he was visiting in his search for a wife. She needed a way out of that situation, and he needed a wife. This suited extremely practical Magnus very well. Soon Magnus develops quite impractical feelings for his wife that end up enriching his life in unexpected ways. I was surprised at how steamy this book was. Perfectly tasteful, but pretty sensual for a traditional regency. This is a marriage book, one in which you get to see the relationship develop and blossom between two characters who didn't really expect to find more than a comfortable marriage that suited their needs. Magnus is the duty-oriented, proper, not very spontaneous type, but with a very kind heart, who is taken by surprise by the powerful passion he feels towards his bride. Tallie's a closet romantic who has had to settle for what life has brought her. Magnus is the knight she has always dreamed about.
This book has some downright hilarious moments, such as the fact that Tallie receives some mean-spirited advice not to respond during sex because her husband wouldn't like it. Magnus is trying everything he can to get his bride to enjoy their lovemaking, and she's trying her hardest to remain unmoved. She finally tells him to "Get it over with." Imagine being a guy and hearing that from your wife. Not so good for a man's ego. It's pretty funny how that plays out, and things get worked out for them in bed. There's also a little bit of adventure as they tour through Europe, including being harassed by bandits. But this book really didn't need the intrigue, as the relationship between Tallie and Magnus make this book the wonderful read that it was. I personally think that if a person is feeling a bit jaded about the lack of romance in romance novels nowadays, this book will rekindle her love for a good romance story.(less)

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Apr 22, 2011 Lisa Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lisa Kay by: Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress

Shelves: all-time-favorites, theme-pregnancy, genre-romance-historical, theme-beauty-in-the-eye, theme-marriage-of-convenience, married-couple-all-or-most-of-book, vocation-governess-nanny, hard-to-find, authors-g, authors-a, zzcover-pink

I was hooked from the first chapter; the toddler was described charmingly. It was realistic to see the heroine accept the proposal of marriage instead of stomping off down the road, which I doubt would rarely happen in the Regency era. I mean, she was destitute and knew nobody. It’s nice to read a story were the couple is married. I loved the travel and the storyline twisted and turned, keeping me interested. And, low and behold, in this story the h&h had issues - one after the other - that...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: tough-rude-and-incredibly-sweet-he, 1800s-period-of-history, regency-romance, naive-heroine

Magnus, the Earl of d'Arenville, had but one goal: to have children. He is determined to find a wife that will suit his needs. Raised by some hellish parents of nobility, he has never loved anyone. Nicknamed 'The Icicle', he is one tough nut to crack.

Thalia 'Tallie' Robinson was an orphan that lived in her cousin's household so she could take care of her relative's children. She loved them as her own. Appreciated by the household staff but treated shabbily by her cousin, she made do.

She was appr...more

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Sep 23, 2012 _inbetween_ added it

After I got stuck in two of the more unpalatable E. James books, and not soothed by some Manga or Pratchett, I skimmed the first few pages of Gracie's first novel. Her two first names alone had put me off her books, but I liked the balance in her writing and have finished half of it now.

While the obviousness and clichè of the "underdog" heroine who is really the only beautiful, intelligent, good and sexy woman, did annoy me, it did less so because the hero behaved only according to those clichés...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Amanda Caswell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency, convenient-marriage, mystery

Another Anne Gracie read in one sitting. Miss Thalia Robinson is the poor relation reduced to looking after her cousin Laetitia's three children. Laetitia, though, is too much of the society woman to worry about her children, so Tallie gets to pretend they are her own and futilely daydream of the knight who will one day sweep her off her feet, loving and cherishing her. The reality is that her cousin throws a house party for the Icicle, Earl of d'Arenville, who decides that among all the simperi...more

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Oct 06, 2010 Risa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, romance

It's been a very long time since I have read a romance novel that isn't Georgette Heyer's. Especially a Regency romance! And Tallie's Knight serves as a much needed reminder as to why I have been keeping off them. I admit to picking up this book (and another that came with it) because of the combined title they came under - Regency Rakes. When one has read every Georgette Heyer romance that there is one does hunger after more...and so I picked this deluxe book up.

At the outset, the story sounds...more It's been a very long time since I have read a romance novel that isn't Georgette Heyer's. Especially a Regency romance! And Tallie's Knight serves as a much needed reminder as to why I have been keeping off them. I admit to picking up this book (and another that came with it) because of the combined title they came under - Regency Rakes. When one has read every Georgette Heyer romance that there is one does hunger after more...and so I picked this deluxe book up.

At the outset, the story sounds rather promising. Lord d'Arenville has resolved never to marry, even though he is the last in a long string of Earls. But, a young toddler changes his mind when she snuggles up to him and falls asleep on his lap. Now he is determined to marry, not for the sake of an heir, but because he realises that he loves children and would like to have some of his own. All he needs is a wife to give birth to them and take care of them. His cousin lines up for him a whole batch of eligible, high society women. But it is Tallie Robinson, a poor relation of his cousin's, who catches his eye. They get married and their honeymoon turns out to be a long adventure shrouded in a bit of mystery from Tallie's past.

I really did like the way the story began. It sounded like something I wasn't going to regret picking up. But a few chapters in I began to wonder if I had made a mistake after all. I went on ahead making excuses for the author, and finally I continued reading because I didn't want to leave it unfinished.

I have come to the strong conclusion that there isn't a single author that can hold a match stick (leave alone a candle!) to Heyer's Regency Romances. I found it most annoying that every single high society damsel was a selfish, incorrigible twit; that Tallie was oh so innocent naive about certain social rules of etiquette (mind you, this young lady grew up in a school for girls of genteel birth); and I found her lack of knowledge on sex rather strange. I was under the impression that it was only women from the Victorian era who were always left in the dark about the process of child-birth. I also quite hated the way the author tries to make such a pathetic issue of Tallie's (and later, the Earl's) past. I find that this is an absolute favourite method used to gain the reader's sympathy by many of the historical romance authors. Most often than not both, or at least one of the main characters, come from a melancholy, familial background.

The explicit sex scenes (I found them so at least) were rather off-putting. But then again I've always been one for sweet romances where things are implied and not vividly described. The first leaves a lot more to the imagination and gives me a warm feeling of good will; the second merely annoys me.

The novel was not a complete disaster, though. I liked the writer's sense of humour which was intersperesed rather frequently throughout the novel. And the story wasn't bad...although I would have loved to have read something that was believable during that era. On the whole, this novel sounded like someone's wishful dream.(less)

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Jan 29, 2013 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Historical Romance w/a Cinderella Theme

Shelves: desert-island-keepers, historical-romance, read-2013

Reviewed for THC Reviews
Tallie's Knight kicked off my 2013 romance reading with a bang. I read a lot of great books last year, but it's been a while since I've read one as deeply romantic and utterly perfect at this one. It is a sweet Cinderella story that had a little bit of everything. Magnus and Tallie begin with a marriage of convenience which quickly develops into a loving relationship. Once married, they embark on what becomes an adventurous bridal trip, first to Paris, and then on through...more Reviewed for THC Reviews
Tallie's Knight kicked off my 2013 romance reading with a bang. I read a lot of great books last year, but it's been a while since I've read one as deeply romantic and utterly perfect at this one. It is a sweet Cinderella story that had a little bit of everything. Magnus and Tallie begin with a marriage of convenience which quickly develops into a loving relationship. Once married, they embark on what becomes an adventurous bridal trip, first to Paris, and then on through the treacherous mountains into Italy. They encounter a number of missteps and misunderstandings along the way, a trope which can often become annoying and tiresome, but here, I felt like I always understood their motivations. Some even led to hilarious moments that left me chuckling and grinning from ear to ear. There were many touching moments, particularly as we learn more about both character's backgrounds. And last, but certainly not least, there were many heart-stopping and swoon-worthy romantic moments that left me finishing the book with a sigh of pure contentment.

This may be a Cinderella story, but Magnus is not the perfect Prince Charming, at least not at first. He had definitely earned his nickname of "The Icicle." He behaves in a rather cold and aloof manner toward practically everyone, but then a tiny tot, and a girl at that (his best friend's daughter), unwittingly finds the chink in his armor and begins the process of melting his cold, cold heart. I thought this scene was utterly charming, and a very appropriate way to begin the book. It was quite interesting that his first “human” connection was with a child, when his own childhood had been such an unhappy one. Perhaps it had something to do with subconsciously wanting to right the wrongs of the past with a family of his own. In any case, once he decides he wants children, he knows he needs a wife too, but the way he goes about trying to choose one is so ridiculously logical, it had me in stitches. Romance heroes like Magnus almost always hide a deeply passionate heart underneath the icy facade, and watching Tallie unleash it was so much fun. There are some very good reasons for Magnus's moodiness though, which made me want to wrap him up in my arms and give him lots of love just like Tallie did. He grew up with no real love or affection from his parents, which led to him believing himself to be an unlovable child, and therefore, an unlovable man as well. Unfortunately, due to his cousin, Laetitia's interference and some misunderstandings, this belief is only exacerbated when Tallie finally does accept his offer of marriage. It doesn't take long though for Magnus to develop all the earmarks of a man who protests too much. It becomes quite obvious that he's falling head-over-heels for Tallie, but he's just too logical and obstinate to realize it for a while. Magnus's jealously coupled with a stubborn refusal to acknowledge his feelings for Tallie leads to some pretty funny moments, while his reasons for it are very touching and understandable. Magnus may not be able to bring himself to say the words until the end, but he shows his love for Tallie through his every action.

Tallie is a very sweet heroine and a hopeless romantic. I loved all her little daydreams and fantasies of a handsome "prince" or “pirate” or “gentleman” carrying her off into the sunset to live happily ever after. She has quite an imagination, and it doesn't take long before the handsome prince of her dreams begins to morph into Magnus. She starts the story showing how amazing she is with kids and what a great mother she'll make, which is the main reason Magnus chose her in the first place. Tallie is definitely a woman who likes to be wooed, so she was understandably upset about the manner in which Magnus offered marriage. Although she initially has misgivings about marrying “The Icicle,” she comes around pretty quickly as she begins to see Magnus for the man he is inside. Tallie is an innocent in the extreme, which may bother some readers, but I found it utterly endearing. Not only does she have no idea what happens in the marriage bed, she has no idea how pregnancy occurs either. Some of the ideas she came up with due to lack of information or misinformation and the way she behaved the first few times Magnus made love to her had me cracking up. Once he finally sets her straight on some things, she turns into a very receptive lover who deeply desires her husband's attentions. What I loved most about Tallie is how patient she is with Magnus. If she does take something the wrong way, it doesn't last for long, before she finally realizes the truth. Tallie is just an extremely open-minded, giving and loving person, and even when Magnus missteps, she's very quick to forgive too.

I went into reading Tallie's Knight with the impression that it was written in the Traditional Regency style, and therefore, probably had little in the way of sensuality, but in some ways, I couldn't have been more mistaken. The very first love scene is the only one that had any details, and even it was relatively mild. All the rest ended in cut scenes. I was just a tad disappointed that the author didn't offer another slightly more detailed love scene after Tallie figured out that it was OK to enjoy it, but it wasn't a huge deal. Ms. Gracie more than made up for it by maintaining a high level of sexual tension and a beautiful air of romance throughout, both of which lent themselves perfectly to creating what I would call the most exquisitely sensual, “mostly clean” romance novel I've ever read. Tallie's Knight was one of those hidden gems of romance that I don't often hear much about, but which was so flawless, I wouldn't change a thing about it. I loved the hero, I loved the heroine, and I loved everything about the story. It's exactly the kind of book I would have written myself if I'd thought of it first.:-)(less)

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Dec 27, 2010 Rhapsody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, fiction, romance-historical

A fairly cute story. Tallie's parents died when she was young and she avoided destitution by becoming the governess of a wealthy relation's children. That wealthy relation has a cousin named Magnus, an extremely rich Earl who is lonely but doesn't know it. Magnus decides he wants children and asks his cousin to select ten young women for a house party in the country; he'll pick one of them to be his wife. He's moved by Tallie's devotion to the children and ends up choosing her.

The story was a bi...more

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Oct 30, 2008 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historicalromance, anglophilia

Thalia Robinson is a poor relation who is working for her nasty cousin as the caretaker to her 3 children. During a house party for Magnus the Earl of d'Arenville to find a wife, he instead finds Thalia. Married quickly in order for Thalia to produce a child for Magnus (his reason for wanting to marry) they embark on a honeymoon tour to France and Italy, were Thalia blooms under the friendship of various supporting characters, all wonderfully eccentric in typical Anne Gracie style. Throw in a lo...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Katrina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-like-it, favorite-hero, favorite-heroine

5+ stars!
Love the story, the character development are well done.The h/h each have their own personality which I really like. They all have their inner struggles which made them vulnerable and likable. I love the h/h constant bickering at each other, it was fun seeing them arguing then come to an understanding later on. And Lord Magnus d'Arenville just seem perfect!

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Dec 21, 2012 Jage rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf

Going to give it a reread at some point. Maybe. Just putting this here so I know I have read it and didn't like what I read.

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Jun 24, 2009 Jaime rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, regency, romance

A little silly but very sweet.

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Dec 08, 2012 Ewa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: funny-witty-dialogues, hero-jerk, heroine-tstl, marriage-of-convenience, regency, read-again, road-trip, would-be-better-without-the-kid

This was the lightest, fluffiest romance I've read so far.

I loved it.

First half made me feel like a frustrated adolescent boy. Will they/won't they have sex?
I worried it would be a whole book of mishaps stopping them from consummating marriage. But it did happen (yay!).

The conflicts were silly, big misunderstandings based on miscommunication on both sides. H/h were both a bit of cardboard characters. Nevertheless Gracie's writing is so good, it made me enjoy this story immensely.

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May 13, 2013 Suchita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-europe

May 11, 2013 Madalina rated it 5 of 5 stars

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May 04, 2013 M-Moo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-re-read, historical-romance

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About Anne Gracie

I've always loved stories. Family legend has it that I used to spend hours playing in the sand pit, with a dog on either side of me and Rocka the horse leaning over me, his head just touching my shoulder, while I told them stories. I have to say, dogs and horses are great audiences, apart from their tendency to drool occasionally. But people are even nicer.

In case you imagine we were a filthy rich...more

More about Anne Gracie...

Books by Anne Gracie

The Perfect Rake (The Merridew Sisters, #1)

The Perfect Waltz (The Merridew Sisters, #2)

The Perfect Stranger (The Merridew Sisters, #3)

The Perfect Kiss (The Merridew Sisters, #4)

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