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Gentle Warrior
IN FEUDAL ENGLAND, THE NOBLE ELIZABETH WAS TRAPPED IN HER OWN CASTLE-SUBJECT TO A PASSIONATE LORD!
1086, England. Lady Elizabeth Catherine Montwright barely escaped the bloody massacre that destroyed her family and exiled her from their ancestral castle. Bent on revenge, disguised as a peasant, she rode again through the fortress gates-to seek aid from Lord Geoffrey William, the powerful baron Berkley who had routed the murderers.
He heard her pleas, resisted her demands, and vowed to seduce his beautiful subject. Yet even as she fought the warrior's caresses, love flamed for this handsome man who would champion her cause, restore her fortunes and rule her spirited heart forever!
1086, England. Lady Elizabeth Catherine Montwright barely escaped the bloody massacre that destroyed her family and exiled her from their ancestral castle. Bent on revenge, disguised as a peasant, she rode again through the fortress gates-to seek aid from Lord Geoffrey William, the powerful baron Berkley who had routed the murderers.
He heard her pleas, resisted her demands, and vowed to seduce his beautiful subject. Yet even as she fought the warrior's caresses, love flamed for this handsome man who would champion her cause, restore her fortunes and rule her spirited heart forever!
309 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1985
658 people are currently reading
5349 people want to read
About the author
Julie Garwood
151 books12.5k followersWith more than 35 million books in print and 26 NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers, Julie Garwood has earned a position among America's favorite fiction writers.
Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Ms. Garwood attributes much of her success to growing up in a large family of Irish heritage. "The Irish are great storytellers who relish getting all of the details and nuances of every situation. Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. Early in life, I learned that self expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick," says Ms. Garwood.
She began her writing career when the youngest of her three children entered school. After the publications of two young-adult books, she turned her talents to historical fiction. Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published by Pocket Books in 1985. Since then, she has branched into other genres including contemporary romantic suspense. Today, her name appears regularly on the bestseller lists of every major publication in the country, and her books are translated into dozens of languages around the world. Her bestselling novel FOR THE ROSES was adapted for the HALLMARK HALL OF FAME television movie ROSE HILL.
Ms. Garwood lives in Leawood, KS and is currently working on her next novel.
Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Ms. Garwood attributes much of her success to growing up in a large family of Irish heritage. "The Irish are great storytellers who relish getting all of the details and nuances of every situation. Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. Early in life, I learned that self expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick," says Ms. Garwood.
She began her writing career when the youngest of her three children entered school. After the publications of two young-adult books, she turned her talents to historical fiction. Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published by Pocket Books in 1985. Since then, she has branched into other genres including contemporary romantic suspense. Today, her name appears regularly on the bestseller lists of every major publication in the country, and her books are translated into dozens of languages around the world. Her bestselling novel FOR THE ROSES was adapted for the HALLMARK HALL OF FAME television movie ROSE HILL.
Ms. Garwood lives in Leawood, KS and is currently working on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 548 reviews
December 6, 2023
Loved it! I think this one was first published in the 80s, so I was surprised at the amount of well-written steam.
Classic Garwood
Medieval romance
Stubborn & headstrong H/h
Characters that communicate
Beautiful intimacy
HEA
Classic Garwood
Medieval romance
Stubborn & headstrong H/h
Characters that communicate
Beautiful intimacy
HEA
December 16, 2015
This is my second Garwood romance read in less than a week. This is unheard of for me... I very, very rarely read romance, but as I'm participating in a blog activity with a friend, I'm going for it and reading 5 of them this month.
I read this one in place of a different one that my friend had sent me, because that one was about rippling abs in kilts and the Garwood I just read featured the same theme... sort of. So I went for something a little different and went for Feudal England over Scotland.
Other than those differences though, there was a LOT that was similar in this book. Having read the newer of the two, The Bride, first (although I didn't know it at the time), this book felt a bit shallow. Neither one was really plumbing the depths of humanity, although they certainly went for SOME sort of depth-plumbing, ha ha ha. The characters here didn't really have the same spark that they had in The Bride, and after finishing the book and thinking back on them both, I can really see the difference and improvement in the writing and characterizations in just the four years that separated these.
Elizabeth is very, very much like Jamie from The Bride. Both are spirited, skilled in ways that women usually weren't way back then, such as hunting and use of weaponry and defense. They both have problems with authority, both have knowledge of healing, both caretakers of their family, both beloved youngest daughters, etc. I could go on. But in truth, Jamie just had something MORE. I didn't really understand a lot of Elizabeth's reasoning and logic or her actions. She just seemed contradictory to me. But they were very similar in exterior facets... probably their most striking similarity is the fact that they are both innate sex-goddesses. Their first time brings out the cougar in them both, which is just unrealistic. Maybe Garwood is a few years past her first time at the rodeo, or maybe she's just really enthusiastically romantic, but let me clarify: It hurts. Virginal women don't go from "OMG WHAT THE HELL DID YOU STICK IN THERE?! A BASEBALL BAT? GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!" to "I know! Let's see if we can get a table leg in too, dear. That'll be fun!" in the span of 5 minutes. Yet both of these girls did. Like I said, unrealistic.
More similarities abound in the male side of the relationship. Big, hulking menfolk, who are just gentle giants and don't realize that they love their little wifey until they almost lose her 567,118 times because she's such a little uncontrollable firecracker. These men have no subtlety when it comes to the horizontal mambo. True, they aren't just "Wham, Bam, Thank You, Ma'am" guys, they each make sure that she gets hers too, but the actual deed consists of much whamming and much bamming. Which is fine, but again... virgins and the recently deflowered don't like this tactic in real life.
One thing that the guys do have going for them in the sexy-time realm is their willingness and enthusiasm to please. This book had quite a few trips downtown, and while that sounds fun, it was actually quite a bit like a paint by number... 1-brown: play with boobies, 2-beige: tongue action on boobies, 3-off white: kisses down the belly, 4-green: circle navel with tongue, 5-blue: VICTORY!
(That picture makes a puppy frolicking in the grass under a blue sky.)
These complaints don't mean that I didn't enjoy the story... I did for the most part, and there was one part that really tugged at my heart, so despite the predictability of the story and the characters and the sex, I still liked it. I can't say that I would really recommend it, because I'm sure that there is better out there in this type, but it's not terrible.
Well, except for when Garwood refers to Elizabeth's mare as "him". I cringed a bit at that, I admit.
I read this one in place of a different one that my friend had sent me, because that one was about rippling abs in kilts and the Garwood I just read featured the same theme... sort of. So I went for something a little different and went for Feudal England over Scotland.
Other than those differences though, there was a LOT that was similar in this book. Having read the newer of the two, The Bride, first (although I didn't know it at the time), this book felt a bit shallow. Neither one was really plumbing the depths of humanity, although they certainly went for SOME sort of depth-plumbing, ha ha ha. The characters here didn't really have the same spark that they had in The Bride, and after finishing the book and thinking back on them both, I can really see the difference and improvement in the writing and characterizations in just the four years that separated these.
Elizabeth is very, very much like Jamie from The Bride. Both are spirited, skilled in ways that women usually weren't way back then, such as hunting and use of weaponry and defense. They both have problems with authority, both have knowledge of healing, both caretakers of their family, both beloved youngest daughters, etc. I could go on. But in truth, Jamie just had something MORE. I didn't really understand a lot of Elizabeth's reasoning and logic or her actions. She just seemed contradictory to me. But they were very similar in exterior facets... probably their most striking similarity is the fact that they are both innate sex-goddesses. Their first time brings out the cougar in them both, which is just unrealistic. Maybe Garwood is a few years past her first time at the rodeo, or maybe she's just really enthusiastically romantic, but let me clarify: It hurts. Virginal women don't go from "OMG WHAT THE HELL DID YOU STICK IN THERE?! A BASEBALL BAT? GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!" to "I know! Let's see if we can get a table leg in too, dear. That'll be fun!" in the span of 5 minutes. Yet both of these girls did. Like I said, unrealistic.
More similarities abound in the male side of the relationship. Big, hulking menfolk, who are just gentle giants and don't realize that they love their little wifey until they almost lose her 567,118 times because she's such a little uncontrollable firecracker. These men have no subtlety when it comes to the horizontal mambo. True, they aren't just "Wham, Bam, Thank You, Ma'am" guys, they each make sure that she gets hers too, but the actual deed consists of much whamming and much bamming. Which is fine, but again... virgins and the recently deflowered don't like this tactic in real life.
One thing that the guys do have going for them in the sexy-time realm is their willingness and enthusiasm to please. This book had quite a few trips downtown, and while that sounds fun, it was actually quite a bit like a paint by number... 1-brown: play with boobies, 2-beige: tongue action on boobies, 3-off white: kisses down the belly, 4-green: circle navel with tongue, 5-blue: VICTORY!
(That picture makes a puppy frolicking in the grass under a blue sky.)
These complaints don't mean that I didn't enjoy the story... I did for the most part, and there was one part that really tugged at my heart, so despite the predictability of the story and the characters and the sex, I still liked it. I can't say that I would really recommend it, because I'm sure that there is better out there in this type, but it's not terrible.
Well, except for when Garwood refers to Elizabeth's mare as "him". I cringed a bit at that, I admit.
November 13, 2023
Read: 2010
Reread:2020
Reread: 11/13/23
Still an enjoyable read!
Orginal review *****************
Another great JG book! I love an Alpha-male and a strong-willed h romance. Though not as great as her other books, it's still entertaining!
Reread:2020
Reread: 11/13/23
Still an enjoyable read!
Orginal review *****************
Another great JG book! I love an Alpha-male and a strong-willed h romance. Though not as great as her other books, it's still entertaining!
April 15, 2019
Reread.
I loved it just as much the second time around.
Just wish there was an epilogue.
And the ending was a little abrupt and somewhat vague as well.
But alway enjoy JG hero's and heroines and this is no exception.
I loved it just as much the second time around.
Just wish there was an epilogue.
And the ending was a little abrupt and somewhat vague as well.
But alway enjoy JG hero's and heroines and this is no exception.
May 11, 2022
Garwood? again? If you don't already know I'm re-reading all of my Garwood books this year and all of you are probably sick of me talking about this woman. This book in particular revealed to me why I love Garwood: I have abandonment issues.
What makes Garwood's books satisfy my issues? Well because all the heroes knew they won't leave the heroine. So I'm basically always relaxed lol.
Plot: Elizabeth is the daughter of a vassal and her whole family was murdered one night in front of her eyes. The only survivors are her and her seven-year-old brother. The lord of her father, Geoffrey, saved her home and got injured. She has knowledge of healing and decided to save him. One look at her and Geoffrey knew he wanted her. The disciplined and logical Geoffrey and the spirited rule-breaking Elizabeth then married while also trying to figure out the mystery of her family's murder. Elizabeth learns to trust her husband and Geoffrey learns to show affection. A sneak peak of what their marriage looks like, with Geoffrey instructing Elizabeth 90%:
and this is Elizabeth:
This is Garwood's first book and I can definitely feel it. It's not at all bad and I could definitely say she's improved so much since then. The characters are a blueprint of Garwood's usual characters. The pacing needs a little improvement and the ending is a little bit anti-climactic, but it's good overall.
If you're new to Garwood, I suggest don't start with this one. There are better Garwood's medievals you should try out first (Lairds Fiancees series, Highland Lairds series, the Prize, Saving Grace, and Honor's Splendor) and Regency (Crown Spies Series) All of them are lovely and have besotted heroes which is a trope I LOVE and look for in every book.
What makes Garwood's books satisfy my issues? Well because all the heroes knew they won't leave the heroine. So I'm basically always relaxed lol.
Plot: Elizabeth is the daughter of a vassal and her whole family was murdered one night in front of her eyes. The only survivors are her and her seven-year-old brother. The lord of her father, Geoffrey, saved her home and got injured. She has knowledge of healing and decided to save him. One look at her and Geoffrey knew he wanted her. The disciplined and logical Geoffrey and the spirited rule-breaking Elizabeth then married while also trying to figure out the mystery of her family's murder. Elizabeth learns to trust her husband and Geoffrey learns to show affection. A sneak peak of what their marriage looks like, with Geoffrey instructing Elizabeth 90%:
and this is Elizabeth:
This is Garwood's first book and I can definitely feel it. It's not at all bad and I could definitely say she's improved so much since then. The characters are a blueprint of Garwood's usual characters. The pacing needs a little improvement and the ending is a little bit anti-climactic, but it's good overall.
If you're new to Garwood, I suggest don't start with this one. There are better Garwood's medievals you should try out first (Lairds Fiancees series, Highland Lairds series, the Prize, Saving Grace, and Honor's Splendor) and Regency (Crown Spies Series) All of them are lovely and have besotted heroes which is a trope I LOVE and look for in every book.
February 4, 2016
The is a romance novel set in England in the year of 1086. It is a story of a strong, fierce warrior who rules over his knights and family with an iron hand, but he is a very gentle and tender lover twards his Wife. His Wife is a very strong willed lady who carries a dagerin her hand and one concealed beneathher skirts.
It has some very tender moments between the lovers and some very harsh scenes in war.
I recommend this book to all.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Diamond
It has some very tender moments between the lovers and some very harsh scenes in war.
I recommend this book to all.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Diamond
February 11, 2017
Another great Garwood romance with a fantastic cast of characters, though hero was a little too much at times
Setting: 1086, England
Gentle Warrior is another great Julie Garwood medieval romance. I had to give it four stars instead of 4.5 or 5 because at times the hero, Geoffrey, was a little too caveman-like for me. Actually, it wasn't even really caveman-like - he was just too forceful, angry, badly tempered. Overall, he was generally a good hero though, and the other cast of characters was absolutely terrific. The subplot (was kind of a mystery, but not really) was interesting and as it was central to the plot and how the story develops, it didn't feel like an add-on and detractor from the romance. The resolving it was completely anti-climactic - twice you feel like you'll get some big to-do ... and then don't. Still a good read, though, that any Garwood and/or medieval historical romance fan should at least check-out from the library.
THE HERO, Geoffrey (27)
What bothered me about Geoffrey were his actions and thoughts that seemed to be relics of the 80s historical romance heroes, though to be clear there are *traces* of this - not the full-fledged real thing: there are no rape scenes that are supposed to pass as love scenes and Geoffrey never hits Elizabeth nor is he ever physically threatening/cruel, so don't worry about that; if any of those things had happened, regardless of what else was in the book it would have earned an automatic one star from me (or 0 if that was possible). The book was originally published in 1990, though, and I think that's why this hero is so much more borderline than Garwood's other heroes that were written later.
Basically, Geoffrey was a little too ... warrior-like. I know he's this big, bad knight, but normally Garwood's trademark heroes are big, bad warriors - who fall under the spell of some gentle courageous woman and become big teddy bears who can still be warriors in battle. Geoffrey took a little too long (IMHO) to show his teddy-bear side and in the beginning, I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to warm up to him at all - he is so dictatorial, so authoritative, and practically a tyrant ... yeah, basically nothing very romantic, dreamy, or sigh-inspiring.
There are many humorous moments, however, when Geoffrey and Elizabeth clash and as readers we are able to enjoy them all the more since we're privy to both of their thoughts. It's sweet - and at times quite funny - to watch their relationship develop: the confusion they feel over their feelings for one another, the teasing that quickly develops between them, and the battle of wills that takes place between these two strong and stubborn people.
THE HEROINE, Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a standard Garwood heroine - she's strong, courageous/brave, intelligent, gentle, compassionate, affectionate, friendly. One minute she'll be saving her husband's vassal with her bow and arrow and then by jumping into a lake even though she can't swim, and the next she'll be hiding her tears from her husband because he's being gruff or shouting at her or acts somewhat meanly in an attempt to avoid the fact that he's in love with her. Basically: standard Garwood.
Elizabeth isn't too weepy though, and considering that when we first meet her she has recently witnessed the massacre of her entire family (save her baby brother), one can't help but feel admiration for how she acts and the inner strength she displays. Instead of being completely despondent, as would be wholly understandable, she's intent on avenging her family and taking revenge on the man responsible for their deaths, while also doing her best to protect her younger brother, who is in danger since he's the heir to their father's holding and was one of the intended targets of the massacre.
OTHER CHARACTERS
Garwood rounds out her cast of characters with her usual wonderful additions - the hero's soldiers, whom we like almost immediately and treasure for their kindness to the heroine. There is also Geoffrey's vassal, Roger, who adds humor and gentleness to many scenes. Elizabeth's grandfather, Elslow, was absolutely wonderful and I'd be surprised to meet a reader who wouldn't want a grandfather like him - he's funny, witty, so sweet and gruffly affectionate with Elizabeth and her younger brother, and just all around fantastic.
BOTTOM LINE
Overall, Gentle Warrior was a very enjoyable - and often laugh-out-loud humorous - read that I would definitely recommend. Despite my annoyances with Geoffrey, the hero, it will be added to my reread shelf and should not be missed by medieval historical romance fans.
OTHER JULIE GARWOOD BOOKS
Other great medieval historical romances of hers include Honor's Splendour (one of my favorite historical romances of all-time) and The Prize. Garwood also has a wonderful Regency series, "Crown's Spies": (1) The Lion's Lady; (2) Guardian Angel; (3) The Gift (another one of my all-time favorites); and (4) Castles.
(Blogspot, "Historical Romance Heaven")
Setting: 1086, England
Gentle Warrior is another great Julie Garwood medieval romance. I had to give it four stars instead of 4.5 or 5 because at times the hero, Geoffrey, was a little too caveman-like for me. Actually, it wasn't even really caveman-like - he was just too forceful, angry, badly tempered. Overall, he was generally a good hero though, and the other cast of characters was absolutely terrific. The subplot (was kind of a mystery, but not really) was interesting and as it was central to the plot and how the story develops, it didn't feel like an add-on and detractor from the romance. The resolving it was completely anti-climactic - twice you feel like you'll get some big to-do ... and then don't. Still a good read, though, that any Garwood and/or medieval historical romance fan should at least check-out from the library.
THE HERO, Geoffrey (27)
What bothered me about Geoffrey were his actions and thoughts that seemed to be relics of the 80s historical romance heroes, though to be clear there are *traces* of this - not the full-fledged real thing: there are no rape scenes that are supposed to pass as love scenes and Geoffrey never hits Elizabeth nor is he ever physically threatening/cruel, so don't worry about that; if any of those things had happened, regardless of what else was in the book it would have earned an automatic one star from me (or 0 if that was possible). The book was originally published in 1990, though, and I think that's why this hero is so much more borderline than Garwood's other heroes that were written later.
Basically, Geoffrey was a little too ... warrior-like. I know he's this big, bad knight, but normally Garwood's trademark heroes are big, bad warriors - who fall under the spell of some gentle courageous woman and become big teddy bears who can still be warriors in battle. Geoffrey took a little too long (IMHO) to show his teddy-bear side and in the beginning, I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to warm up to him at all - he is so dictatorial, so authoritative, and practically a tyrant ... yeah, basically nothing very romantic, dreamy, or sigh-inspiring.
There are many humorous moments, however, when Geoffrey and Elizabeth clash and as readers we are able to enjoy them all the more since we're privy to both of their thoughts. It's sweet - and at times quite funny - to watch their relationship develop: the confusion they feel over their feelings for one another, the teasing that quickly develops between them, and the battle of wills that takes place between these two strong and stubborn people.
THE HEROINE, Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a standard Garwood heroine - she's strong, courageous/brave, intelligent, gentle, compassionate, affectionate, friendly. One minute she'll be saving her husband's vassal with her bow and arrow and then by jumping into a lake even though she can't swim, and the next she'll be hiding her tears from her husband because he's being gruff or shouting at her or acts somewhat meanly in an attempt to avoid the fact that he's in love with her. Basically: standard Garwood.
Elizabeth isn't too weepy though, and considering that when we first meet her she has recently witnessed the massacre of her entire family (save her baby brother), one can't help but feel admiration for how she acts and the inner strength she displays. Instead of being completely despondent, as would be wholly understandable, she's intent on avenging her family and taking revenge on the man responsible for their deaths, while also doing her best to protect her younger brother, who is in danger since he's the heir to their father's holding and was one of the intended targets of the massacre.
OTHER CHARACTERS
Garwood rounds out her cast of characters with her usual wonderful additions - the hero's soldiers, whom we like almost immediately and treasure for their kindness to the heroine. There is also Geoffrey's vassal, Roger, who adds humor and gentleness to many scenes. Elizabeth's grandfather, Elslow, was absolutely wonderful and I'd be surprised to meet a reader who wouldn't want a grandfather like him - he's funny, witty, so sweet and gruffly affectionate with Elizabeth and her younger brother, and just all around fantastic.
BOTTOM LINE
Overall, Gentle Warrior was a very enjoyable - and often laugh-out-loud humorous - read that I would definitely recommend. Despite my annoyances with Geoffrey, the hero, it will be added to my reread shelf and should not be missed by medieval historical romance fans.
OTHER JULIE GARWOOD BOOKS
Other great medieval historical romances of hers include Honor's Splendour (one of my favorite historical romances of all-time) and The Prize. Garwood also has a wonderful Regency series, "Crown's Spies": (1) The Lion's Lady; (2) Guardian Angel; (3) The Gift (another one of my all-time favorites); and (4) Castles.
(Blogspot, "Historical Romance Heaven")
March 24, 2022
3.5 STARS
I enjoyed this one. It was not as well developed as her later books. I did like the bantering between the H/h, but the instant attraction was just a little bit over-played. Interesting storyline, enjoyed the ending. It's nice to see how some of our favorite authors got started. I read somewhere that this was Garwood's first romance.(?) Don't know if that is true, but her later books are definitely better, IMO.
I enjoyed this one. It was not as well developed as her later books. I did like the bantering between the H/h, but the instant attraction was just a little bit over-played. Interesting storyline, enjoyed the ending. It's nice to see how some of our favorite authors got started. I read somewhere that this was Garwood's first romance.(?) Don't know if that is true, but her later books are definitely better, IMO.
October 12, 2021
Overall: 2.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+ (7)
Hero Jerk Scale: 4 (Many of you will have this at a 5. What can I say? Deveraux’s hero Gavin has the ultimate 5 jerk faces and has tempered my jerk scale)
Humor: Yes, a bit, though not as much as her later work.
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and the Tartans facebook group.)
A note about the sex – okay I was SHOCKED how much sex this had. 7 scenes? Holy moly. And for Garwood?? Who I haven’t really read and always heard was low. Still, overall they are a bit short and most aren’t super explicit. You have to kind of reread to be SURE what is happening here. But yeah, I was surprised. (Sex specifics are at the end of review under spoiler warning.)
Basic plot:
Elizabeth loses her family members and home during a horrible raid. She begs the help of the baron, Geoffrey, that oversees their land. Elizabeth wants revenge on those that hurt her and Geoffrey wants order and obedience from all his subjects.
Give this a try if you are in the mood for:
- 1086 England time period
- Mid steam – it has a decent amount of sex but it’s not super explicit, some scenes are shorter (it was written in the 80s, so if you’re familiar with older sex scenes, you kind of know what you’re getting
- Heroine nurses hero back to health trope
- You are okay with a jerk hero. He’s a misogynist and he can be angry and cruel. There’s one kiss that is rough, so I would say you need to be okay with dubcon to enjoy this, though the sex scenes are consensual.
- You like a fairly balanced mix of action and dialogue/character driven plot
My thoughts:
I don’t really have an opinion of Garwood, as I didn’t read her growing up and I have only read one by her. From what people generally say about her, I think many would find this not up to par with her usual work. I believe it’s her first novel.
There were things I liked about it. I did find parts quite funny, especially when the heroine was attempting to coerce the hero into being intimate and kissing during daylight hours as he thought that was only for after the sun went down. I liked the heroine for the most part. I found it an easy read. I liked that the hero did the chasing and wanted to marry the heroine soon into the book (I am quite over heroes that just can’t marry for whatever reason right now). I was pleasantly surprised by the sex.
But, there was quite a bit I didn’t love about it. I did have some issues with the plot. Things were brought up and then just kind of left without further involvement and it didn’t feel right. The way the heroine was presented at the beginning with her wolves and her hawk as some type of goddess was a bit strange. Especially as it fizzled out towards the end and she turned into a heroine that was happy with any scrap of love the hero would give her. Also the ending just didn’t feel complete. The whole villain….well what happened to him??? I’m still waiting for him to turn up and murder them in their beds.
The hero was quite unlikable. And I LIKE unlikable. But...not so much for him. He’s not the worst I’ve read. With a good grovel I perhaps would have enjoyed him. He makes some seriously mistakes and says some downright cruel things. He does realize he’s wrong. But does he really care enough to show her he’s wrong? No. He’s still going to ‘show her a lesson’ kind of attitude. And that got old really fast.
Here's a scene that shows Geoffrey's jerkiness - and it's towards the END where you would maybe expect him to care? Just a little bit by that point?
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+ (7)
Hero Jerk Scale: 4 (Many of you will have this at a 5. What can I say? Deveraux’s hero Gavin has the ultimate 5 jerk faces and has tempered my jerk scale)
Humor: Yes, a bit, though not as much as her later work.
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and the Tartans facebook group.)
A note about the sex – okay I was SHOCKED how much sex this had. 7 scenes? Holy moly. And for Garwood?? Who I haven’t really read and always heard was low. Still, overall they are a bit short and most aren’t super explicit. You have to kind of reread to be SURE what is happening here. But yeah, I was surprised. (Sex specifics are at the end of review under spoiler warning.)
Basic plot:
Elizabeth loses her family members and home during a horrible raid. She begs the help of the baron, Geoffrey, that oversees their land. Elizabeth wants revenge on those that hurt her and Geoffrey wants order and obedience from all his subjects.
Give this a try if you are in the mood for:
- 1086 England time period
- Mid steam – it has a decent amount of sex but it’s not super explicit, some scenes are shorter (it was written in the 80s, so if you’re familiar with older sex scenes, you kind of know what you’re getting
- Heroine nurses hero back to health trope
- You are okay with a jerk hero. He’s a misogynist and he can be angry and cruel. There’s one kiss that is rough, so I would say you need to be okay with dubcon to enjoy this, though the sex scenes are consensual.
- You like a fairly balanced mix of action and dialogue/character driven plot
My thoughts:
I don’t really have an opinion of Garwood, as I didn’t read her growing up and I have only read one by her. From what people generally say about her, I think many would find this not up to par with her usual work. I believe it’s her first novel.
There were things I liked about it. I did find parts quite funny, especially when the heroine was attempting to coerce the hero into being intimate and kissing during daylight hours as he thought that was only for after the sun went down. I liked the heroine for the most part. I found it an easy read. I liked that the hero did the chasing and wanted to marry the heroine soon into the book (I am quite over heroes that just can’t marry for whatever reason right now). I was pleasantly surprised by the sex.
But, there was quite a bit I didn’t love about it. I did have some issues with the plot. Things were brought up and then just kind of left without further involvement and it didn’t feel right. The way the heroine was presented at the beginning with her wolves and her hawk as some type of goddess was a bit strange. Especially as it fizzled out towards the end and she turned into a heroine that was happy with any scrap of love the hero would give her. Also the ending just didn’t feel complete. The whole villain….well what happened to him??? I’m still waiting for him to turn up and murder them in their beds.
The hero was quite unlikable. And I LIKE unlikable. But...not so much for him. He’s not the worst I’ve read. With a good grovel I perhaps would have enjoyed him. He makes some seriously mistakes and says some downright cruel things. He does realize he’s wrong. But does he really care enough to show her he’s wrong? No. He’s still going to ‘show her a lesson’ kind of attitude. And that got old really fast.
Here's a scene that shows Geoffrey's jerkiness - and it's towards the END where you would maybe expect him to care? Just a little bit by that point?
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes
July 12, 2016
Really more like a 2.5, but I'll round up. I think part of the dissatisfaction comes from my not being thrilled with the narrator.
This was Garwood's first book from 1985. You can tell she hasn't quite hit her stride. She dabbles a bit in the style of the time. The hero shakes the heroine and pulls her hair a few times. There's no forced seduction or rape, but if I hadn't gone in knowing this was a Garwood book and what to expect, I may have expected it to happen. I personally enjoy some of the old bodice rippers, but not every writer's style is compatible.
You can see the beginnings of her trademark humorous battle of the sexes, but as I stated before, you can tell she hasn't quite hit her stride.
The content/resolution with the villains isn't quite satisfying. Garwood glosses over those moments more than usual.
Enjoyable for a rainy day, but not on the level with her later historicals such as her Highlander novels.
This was Garwood's first book from 1985. You can tell she hasn't quite hit her stride. She dabbles a bit in the style of the time. The hero shakes the heroine and pulls her hair a few times. There's no forced seduction or rape, but if I hadn't gone in knowing this was a Garwood book and what to expect, I may have expected it to happen. I personally enjoy some of the old bodice rippers, but not every writer's style is compatible.
You can see the beginnings of her trademark humorous battle of the sexes, but as I stated before, you can tell she hasn't quite hit her stride.
The content/resolution with the villains isn't quite satisfying. Garwood glosses over those moments more than usual.
Enjoyable for a rainy day, but not on the level with her later historicals such as her Highlander novels.
September 9, 2025
REVIEW
Rating: 5/5
POV: 3rd person; dual
Tropes: Marriage of Convenience; Found Family; Grumpy/Sunshine; HR - Medieval; Virgin FMC
Heat Level: 5+/5
Kinks: N/A
Likes:
* Another JG FMC to add to my love list. She seriously just writes some of the best FMCs.
* I liked this tie in with the MMC being called "The Hawk" and that the FMC had a pet hawk. Very cute
* The clashing of the MC's personalities led to a lot of laughs. I love that JG's books are historical romances but could be considered romcoms with how funny they are.
Dislikes:
* The villain did not get what he deserved at all. I've read in some JG books where she does a good job of the villain getting what he deserved but in this book it was like some weird fade to black moment
Conclusion:
A lovely reread of one of JG's medieval stories.
She writes FMC's who have strong personalities, are very sunshiny, and usually move to the beat of their own drum. This always leads to the MMC's going insane and always having to save the FMC from some sort of peril... that she is of course oblivious to, lol. It may be typical but I eat it up and usually crack up at the FMC's antics.
I think my favorite one in this one is when she admits she can't swim after doing a certain action. I was cracking up.
This story had a lovely found family trope specifically for the MMC. He grew up practically an orphan and then raised as a young boy by the King. So he didn't grow up with really any sort of family affection. He soon discovers what family is and how much they can impact your life. It was lovely.
5/5
Rating: 5/5
POV: 3rd person; dual
Tropes: Marriage of Convenience; Found Family; Grumpy/Sunshine; HR - Medieval; Virgin FMC
Heat Level: 5+/5
Kinks: N/A
Likes:
* Another JG FMC to add to my love list. She seriously just writes some of the best FMCs.
* I liked this tie in with the MMC being called "The Hawk" and that the FMC had a pet hawk. Very cute
* The clashing of the MC's personalities led to a lot of laughs. I love that JG's books are historical romances but could be considered romcoms with how funny they are.
Dislikes:
* The villain did not get what he deserved at all. I've read in some JG books where she does a good job of the villain getting what he deserved but in this book it was like some weird fade to black moment
Conclusion:
A lovely reread of one of JG's medieval stories.
She writes FMC's who have strong personalities, are very sunshiny, and usually move to the beat of their own drum. This always leads to the MMC's going insane and always having to save the FMC from some sort of peril... that she is of course oblivious to, lol. It may be typical but I eat it up and usually crack up at the FMC's antics.
I think my favorite one in this one is when she admits she can't swim after doing a certain action. I was cracking up.
This story had a lovely found family trope specifically for the MMC. He grew up practically an orphan and then raised as a young boy by the King. So he didn't grow up with really any sort of family affection. He soon discovers what family is and how much they can impact your life. It was lovely.
5/5
May 9, 2013
1.5 stars
So I decided to go on a Julie Garwood glom, starting with books I haven't read or have only read once. This falls into the read once and never re-read category and I now remember why.
It's her debut novel, and you can kind of tell that Garwood hasn't yet hit her stride as a writer in that she doesn't have her characteristic fluffy tone in this one. It does have an overuse of the description "contradiction" that she still tends to bestow on her heroes and heroines. It also makes use of the spunky ingenue of a heroine and more experienced hero-with-issues standard.
Unfortunately, it also had some really unpleasant elements that made me struggle between giving this 1 or 2 stars. The first big problem I had were the jokes about domestic violence. Given that those jokes, whether made by the heroine's grandfather, husband, or herself, are interspersed with the heroine's fear that they're actually threats, makes them really not funny. They also made the romance kind of squicky.
There's also the homophobia. Even taking into account the medieval setting and the time the book was written (c1985, hello Reagan years), it doesn't add anything to the book. I mean, the villain conspired to kill the heroine's parents. Making him gay, fat, and slovenly and treating those all as moral failings equivalent to murder is uncool, unnecessary and, frankly, lazy character building/plotting. There's another villain who actually is way more villainous in my opinion, but it seems like, since he's straight, he gets less screen time.
Eh, I don't know. I still have really fond memories of some of her later historicals so I'll keep with this glom. I just hope my lack of memory about some of those yuckier elements means she dropped them from her list of standard tropes.
So I decided to go on a Julie Garwood glom, starting with books I haven't read or have only read once. This falls into the read once and never re-read category and I now remember why.
It's her debut novel, and you can kind of tell that Garwood hasn't yet hit her stride as a writer in that she doesn't have her characteristic fluffy tone in this one. It does have an overuse of the description "contradiction" that she still tends to bestow on her heroes and heroines. It also makes use of the spunky ingenue of a heroine and more experienced hero-with-issues standard.
Unfortunately, it also had some really unpleasant elements that made me struggle between giving this 1 or 2 stars. The first big problem I had were the jokes about domestic violence. Given that those jokes, whether made by the heroine's grandfather, husband, or herself, are interspersed with the heroine's fear that they're actually threats, makes them really not funny. They also made the romance kind of squicky.
There's also the homophobia. Even taking into account the medieval setting and the time the book was written (c1985, hello Reagan years), it doesn't add anything to the book. I mean, the villain conspired to kill the heroine's parents. Making him gay, fat, and slovenly and treating those all as moral failings equivalent to murder is uncool, unnecessary and, frankly, lazy character building/plotting. There's another villain who actually is way more villainous in my opinion, but it seems like, since he's straight, he gets less screen time.
Eh, I don't know. I still have really fond memories of some of her later historicals so I'll keep with this glom. I just hope my lack of memory about some of those yuckier elements means she dropped them from her list of standard tropes.
December 31, 2021
I've re-read this one many times. Just plain good story with interesting characters and happily ever after
December 19, 2009
Yet another winner by Julie Garwood!
Summary
As with all of her historical romances, we have strong, arrogant, hunky heroes who know all there is to know about... well, about everything. Or so Baron Geoffrey Berkley thinks.
Enter Elizabeth Montwright, a woman as equally sure of herself and set in her ways. Having survived the massacre of her family and being exiled from her family's castle, Elizabeth makes it her mission to gain revenge on the man who destroyed her family and regain possession of her ancestral home.
When Geoffrey sees Elizabeth, he vows to make her his. It doesn't take long and the two are wed, and now the real battle begins.
My thoughts on the characters
While I really enjoyed this books, Geoffrey is one of the more frustrating characters I have found in Julie Garwood's novels. He is loud - constantly yelling at Elizabeth, and insensitive - repeatedly saying demeaning things to her, intentionally to hurt her and to force her to see things his way. That got very old by the time he saw the light, a mere 40 pages before the book ended.
Elizabeth was a patient soul. I think I would have packed up and left somewhere around page 82. But then there wouldn't have been a story!
I liked her gumption and her devotion to her family.
The writing
Something interesting about this book that I had never really noticed before, and something that made it a little more difficult to read than most of Garwood's novels, was the way she wrote the characters' silent thoughts.
Most authors will make it clear that a character is thinking something, perhaps putting their thoughts in italics, so you know what is going on in their head. In this book, however, Garwood didn't do that and it made for some confusing reading. Many, many times I had to go back and re-read to see what was thought and what was actual dialogue. While it shouldn't be a big deal, it came across as "unpolished writing" to me.
Bottom line:
I really love all of Garwood's historicals and while this is not a favorite read, it was still good!
January 7, 2024
Love this book
August 24, 2010
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Gentle Warrior was Julie Garwood's first published romance from way back in 1985, and although I mostly enjoyed it, I would have to say that it showed some of her greenness as a writer. There are many of the trademark Garwood elements here such as a temperamental alpha hero who has a gentler side; a feisty, independent heroine; lots of spirited, humorous banter between the pair; and love scenes that were pretty steamy for the time period in which they were penned. However, the book is written in a style in which the points-of-view (POV) sometimes slip back and forth between various characters every few paragraphs within the same scene rather than there being longer passages in one person's POV and then having a scene break before switching to another character. I'm not sure if this is just an older style of writing that was more common in the 1980's or one of the signs of the author's inexperience, but for me, it was a little confusing and made it more difficult to get inside each character's head. In my opinion, it also gave the narrative a more passive tone that had a telling rather than showing feel to it. Additionally, there wasn't quite enough details in any area of the book to fully satisfy me.
As I mentioned, Geoffrey and Elizabeth are the typical Julie Garwood character stereotypes. Geoffrey is an intense, stubborn alpha warrior with a hot temper, but in the bedroom is usually quite gentle. Elizabeth is a brave and fiercely independent young woman who was taught more masculine pursuits such as hunting and riding by a father who longed for a son and didn't get one until later in life. Even though she isn't very good at more feminine things such as sewing and household maintenance, Elizabeth still had a tender side which made her more relatable to me. She witnessed her entire family, with the exception of her little brother, be massacred by greedy men who wanted her father's land, and is now hell-bent on seeking vengeance against them. Needless to say, Geoffrey and Elizabeth have a clash of both personalities and wills as they try to create a lasting, affectionate marriage. The moments where they are butting heads while trying to “teach” each other how to be a proper spouse, when each of them has a completely different idea of what that means, were quite funny. In fact, I would have to say that the largest part of this book was about them learning to compromise and come to terms with the other's inherent personality traits. Geoffrey could be rather arrogant at times which occasionally grated, but sometimes could lead to something endearing. I loved the scene in which he tells Elizabeth, “You are mine,” and she says it right back to him. I didn't feel that the hero and heroine had as much depth as they could have, but overall, they were both pretty likable.
The one thing about the book that wasn't quite my cup of tea is that it is written more in the bodice-ripper style of the 1970's and 80's. While Geoffrey isn't exactly abusive like some heroes of that era in romance, he can get very intense and a couple of times he shook Elizabeth or pulled her hair in a way that was more than just a playful tug when he was angry. I'll allow though that on one of those occasions she had just confessed to doing something disobedient (although she had thought better of the idea and didn't fully go through with it), and then had followed that up with an act that scared the living daylights out of him even though it had a good outcome. The story simply had a healthy dose of a woman's subservient position to her husband which would seriously raise feminist hackles, but at the same time, it wasn't nearly as bad as some other bodice-ripper romances or the reality for women in the Middle Ages. So, overall, I guess I would say that it had a pretty good balance even if that part bugged me just a little bit.
Gentle Warrior had a few significant secondary characters that helped liven things up, mainly Geoffrey's gruff vassal and second in command, Roger, and Elizabeth's precocious little brother, Thomas, and grandfather, Elslow. I really enjoyed the easy relationship that Elizabeth had with Elslow and how he is the voice of reason for both her and her husband when they are being too stubborn. The romance in the book was good, but not quite as strong as I've read in other novels. I think I simply have a preference for the relationship to solidify between the hero and heroine before they marry, or if for some reason a quick marriage is necessary, that they perhaps wait to consummate it. This way there is a slower build of sexual tension. In this story, everything happens right up front, leaving only their journey to figuring out that they have fallen in love somewhere along the way. All in all, Gentle Warrior was a pretty simple, uncomplicated romance (even the bad guys were dispatched with little fanfare which was somewhat disappointing), but in spite of its weaknesses managed to elicit enjoyment from me. I think it just simply falls into the category of a sweet, feel-good story that makes a nice comfort read.
Gentle Warrior was Julie Garwood's first published romance from way back in 1985, and although I mostly enjoyed it, I would have to say that it showed some of her greenness as a writer. There are many of the trademark Garwood elements here such as a temperamental alpha hero who has a gentler side; a feisty, independent heroine; lots of spirited, humorous banter between the pair; and love scenes that were pretty steamy for the time period in which they were penned. However, the book is written in a style in which the points-of-view (POV) sometimes slip back and forth between various characters every few paragraphs within the same scene rather than there being longer passages in one person's POV and then having a scene break before switching to another character. I'm not sure if this is just an older style of writing that was more common in the 1980's or one of the signs of the author's inexperience, but for me, it was a little confusing and made it more difficult to get inside each character's head. In my opinion, it also gave the narrative a more passive tone that had a telling rather than showing feel to it. Additionally, there wasn't quite enough details in any area of the book to fully satisfy me.
As I mentioned, Geoffrey and Elizabeth are the typical Julie Garwood character stereotypes. Geoffrey is an intense, stubborn alpha warrior with a hot temper, but in the bedroom is usually quite gentle. Elizabeth is a brave and fiercely independent young woman who was taught more masculine pursuits such as hunting and riding by a father who longed for a son and didn't get one until later in life. Even though she isn't very good at more feminine things such as sewing and household maintenance, Elizabeth still had a tender side which made her more relatable to me. She witnessed her entire family, with the exception of her little brother, be massacred by greedy men who wanted her father's land, and is now hell-bent on seeking vengeance against them. Needless to say, Geoffrey and Elizabeth have a clash of both personalities and wills as they try to create a lasting, affectionate marriage. The moments where they are butting heads while trying to “teach” each other how to be a proper spouse, when each of them has a completely different idea of what that means, were quite funny. In fact, I would have to say that the largest part of this book was about them learning to compromise and come to terms with the other's inherent personality traits. Geoffrey could be rather arrogant at times which occasionally grated, but sometimes could lead to something endearing. I loved the scene in which he tells Elizabeth, “You are mine,” and she says it right back to him. I didn't feel that the hero and heroine had as much depth as they could have, but overall, they were both pretty likable.
The one thing about the book that wasn't quite my cup of tea is that it is written more in the bodice-ripper style of the 1970's and 80's. While Geoffrey isn't exactly abusive like some heroes of that era in romance, he can get very intense and a couple of times he shook Elizabeth or pulled her hair in a way that was more than just a playful tug when he was angry. I'll allow though that on one of those occasions she had just confessed to doing something disobedient (although she had thought better of the idea and didn't fully go through with it), and then had followed that up with an act that scared the living daylights out of him even though it had a good outcome. The story simply had a healthy dose of a woman's subservient position to her husband which would seriously raise feminist hackles, but at the same time, it wasn't nearly as bad as some other bodice-ripper romances or the reality for women in the Middle Ages. So, overall, I guess I would say that it had a pretty good balance even if that part bugged me just a little bit.
Gentle Warrior had a few significant secondary characters that helped liven things up, mainly Geoffrey's gruff vassal and second in command, Roger, and Elizabeth's precocious little brother, Thomas, and grandfather, Elslow. I really enjoyed the easy relationship that Elizabeth had with Elslow and how he is the voice of reason for both her and her husband when they are being too stubborn. The romance in the book was good, but not quite as strong as I've read in other novels. I think I simply have a preference for the relationship to solidify between the hero and heroine before they marry, or if for some reason a quick marriage is necessary, that they perhaps wait to consummate it. This way there is a slower build of sexual tension. In this story, everything happens right up front, leaving only their journey to figuring out that they have fallen in love somewhere along the way. All in all, Gentle Warrior was a pretty simple, uncomplicated romance (even the bad guys were dispatched with little fanfare which was somewhat disappointing), but in spite of its weaknesses managed to elicit enjoyment from me. I think it just simply falls into the category of a sweet, feel-good story that makes a nice comfort read.
February 23, 2024
If you are new to Julie Garwood, don't let Gentle Warrior act as your introduction. I'm uncertain if this was her first book, but it reads as though it were. Garwood has written some AMAZING medieval romances, but this one just didn't deliver. It wasn't polished enough, and I had equal dislike for both the hero and the heroine. Actually, I take that back. I hated the heroine more. Anyway, those two jerks spent the entire novel fuckin' and fightin' and while I'm not against either of those actions, I don't want either to dominate a book.
Anyway, I think this book is a big hit for some, and I totally respect that but it just didn't do it for me, which is unfortunate because I paid money (and not a measley dollar or two either) for it off Amazon since I couldn't find it at my library or Hoopla. Though, I don't think the cost impacted my review. I simply didn't like it.
Anyway, I think this book is a big hit for some, and I totally respect that but it just didn't do it for me, which is unfortunate because I paid money (and not a measley dollar or two either) for it off Amazon since I couldn't find it at my library or Hoopla. Though, I don't think the cost impacted my review. I simply didn't like it.
December 29, 2018
I love the strength of the heroines in Garwood's romances and I loved the heroes cluelessness of her strength!
October 17, 2014
The audiobook was fun! I was laughing for most of the book ,narrator's voice for Geoffrey was the funniest thing!
February 14, 2017
I found it! I can't believe I found it. I've thought about this book now and then, wondering what it was. I was pretty sure it was Garwood, but I couldn't pin down the title till just now, with a pretty simple search on Google Books. (I do love Google Books.)
You see, a good while back (pre-Goodreads) I went to work and forgot to take a book with me. It was horrible. My break loomed, and I was anticipating a long, boring half hour staring at the vending machines, when a very kind, well-meaning lady from the other side of the room caught wind of my dilemma (honestly, I don't think I was audibly whimpering) (not yet) and offered me a romance novel she had with her. This one. I thought "well, hey, it's a medieval-y sort of a setting. It's 'an exquisite tender tale of love, adventure and passion'. How bad can it be?"
Oh, my silly, unsuspecting younger self. I found out how bad. If it had been my book it probably would have ended up embedded in that vending machine, but I couldn't hurl a book that didn't belong to me, even if that stellar first chapter did feature a woman allowing a "massive" hawk to land on her bare arm. I saw it coming, based on the buildup, but I thought "surely not". I mean - well, look:
A bird is going to grip whatever it lands on. With its talons. It kind of has to, so as not to, you know, fall off. I don't care if this idiot does have some kind of psychic link to her hawk (I think she did), it's a bird. Transitioning from motion to stillness. It will grab on. With its razor-sharp talons. Let's put it this way: after my break I faked a smile as I returned the book to its owner, and that night wrote a letter of protest to the author. I read about thirty pages, and it was a two-page letter.
That must be why this book has lingered in the outskirts of my memory after many mediocre (i.e., less horrendous) books have been completely forgotten. I was reminded of it by revisiting another romance novel review (note to self: really, don't try any more historical romances unless they've been thoroughly vetted first), and on a whim tried that Google search: "hawk landed on her bare arm", was what I typed. Lo and behold.
"...raised her right arm until it was stretched taut [stretched taut??] just slightly above her slender waist. ... The hawk had landed on her bare arm, but she did not flinch from either his weight or his touch. [How about those talons, though?] His jagged claws [They're talons, not claws, and "jagged" is not synonymous with "sharp"] [Merriam Webster: "having a sharp, uneven edge or surface"] were blade sharp, yet she wore no glove..."
Even without the sheer idiocy of this and whatever else I wrote about in that letter (and it wasn't just this; I recall I had a lot of issues with those first chapters) ... Just looking at what's available on Google Books ... Good lord is the writing shocking. I begin to wonder if the book originated in another language and was incompetently translated; that would explain it. I'm surprised I made it the whole half hour of my lunch break. And that the letter was only two pages.
You see, a good while back (pre-Goodreads) I went to work and forgot to take a book with me. It was horrible. My break loomed, and I was anticipating a long, boring half hour staring at the vending machines, when a very kind, well-meaning lady from the other side of the room caught wind of my dilemma (honestly, I don't think I was audibly whimpering) (not yet) and offered me a romance novel she had with her. This one. I thought "well, hey, it's a medieval-y sort of a setting. It's 'an exquisite tender tale of love, adventure and passion'. How bad can it be?"
Oh, my silly, unsuspecting younger self. I found out how bad. If it had been my book it probably would have ended up embedded in that vending machine, but I couldn't hurl a book that didn't belong to me, even if that stellar first chapter did feature a woman allowing a "massive" hawk to land on her bare arm. I saw it coming, based on the buildup, but I thought "surely not". I mean - well, look:
A bird is going to grip whatever it lands on. With its talons. It kind of has to, so as not to, you know, fall off. I don't care if this idiot does have some kind of psychic link to her hawk (I think she did), it's a bird. Transitioning from motion to stillness. It will grab on. With its razor-sharp talons. Let's put it this way: after my break I faked a smile as I returned the book to its owner, and that night wrote a letter of protest to the author. I read about thirty pages, and it was a two-page letter.
That must be why this book has lingered in the outskirts of my memory after many mediocre (i.e., less horrendous) books have been completely forgotten. I was reminded of it by revisiting another romance novel review (note to self: really, don't try any more historical romances unless they've been thoroughly vetted first), and on a whim tried that Google search: "hawk landed on her bare arm", was what I typed. Lo and behold.
"...raised her right arm until it was stretched taut [stretched taut??] just slightly above her slender waist. ... The hawk had landed on her bare arm, but she did not flinch from either his weight or his touch. [How about those talons, though?] His jagged claws [They're talons, not claws, and "jagged" is not synonymous with "sharp"] [Merriam Webster: "having a sharp, uneven edge or surface"] were blade sharp, yet she wore no glove..."
Even without the sheer idiocy of this and whatever else I wrote about in that letter (and it wasn't just this; I recall I had a lot of issues with those first chapters) ... Just looking at what's available on Google Books ... Good lord is the writing shocking. I begin to wonder if the book originated in another language and was incompetently translated; that would explain it. I'm surprised I made it the whole half hour of my lunch break. And that the letter was only two pages.
December 28, 2017
The H/h are attracted to each other and get married pretty early in the book, as do most Julie Garwood couples. The Norman hero is quite traditional and a stickler for following the rules/laws. His favorite line: "It's the way things are." Of course, the half Norman-half Saxon heroine disagrees with his traditional ways. They fight and argue during the day, but leave their differences at the bedroom door each night in order to make love. He feels he doesn't have to explain anything to his wife, which would eventually make his wife put herself (unknowingly) in danger. After this incident, the heroine becomes more obedient (just like the heroine in JG's other book The Prize). I honestly did not think this revenge thing would last the entire book. I thought she would get her vengeance within the first few chapters and that would be it and the rest of the book would be about some other conflict, but nope, Julie Garwood managed to prolong it for the entire book.
October 3, 2016
After reading all of JGs historicals, and being in love with every single one of them.. this left me a bit disappointed.
Maybe if I hadn't read her other books, I'd have found Geoffrey's yelling and shaking acceptable.
Maybe if I hadn't read the strong heroines she wrote, I'd have found Elizabeth's crying and surrendering sweet.
But I have, and so my expectations were a little high, and easily crushed.
*Personal rant*
He was my least fav of all Garwood heroes. He was highly non understanding, always threatening to beat her and nothing like the tender warriors I'm used to. The heroine lacked the spunk.
Anyways, it was an overall average read. I am only disappointed because the same author gave me Alec and Broderick! And they are top 3 on my book husbands!
Safe read
3/5
Maybe if I hadn't read her other books, I'd have found Geoffrey's yelling and shaking acceptable.
Maybe if I hadn't read the strong heroines she wrote, I'd have found Elizabeth's crying and surrendering sweet.
But I have, and so my expectations were a little high, and easily crushed.
*Personal rant*
He was my least fav of all Garwood heroes. He was highly non understanding, always threatening to beat her and nothing like the tender warriors I'm used to. The heroine lacked the spunk.
Anyways, it was an overall average read. I am only disappointed because the same author gave me Alec and Broderick! And they are top 3 on my book husbands!
Safe read
3/5
October 13, 2017
3.5 stars
October 13, 2022
1st read 5 stars
2nd read still 5 stars
2nd read still 5 stars
October 23, 2024
Elizabeth was chill but her hubby needed to grow a personality
August 7, 2017
2.5 stars (:
Well, this was a massive disappointment..
I enjoyed my previous reads for Julie Garwood so much, that I had huge expectations for this one..
I didnt really like this book, I dont even know why..
It wasnt interesting at all ):
Sorry..
Well, this was a massive disappointment..
I enjoyed my previous reads for Julie Garwood so much, that I had huge expectations for this one..
I didnt really like this book, I dont even know why..
It wasnt interesting at all ):
Sorry..
September 17, 2015
Gentle Warrior was Julie Garwood's first published book and set in Medieval England. Elizabeth Montwright witnesses the massacre of her family. Only she and her brother survives. Baron Geoffrey Berkley has come to find the murderers and bring them to justice.
One of those books I've read numerous times and I haven't gotten tired of it yet. It's not my most favorite Garwood book but I still love it.
One of those books I've read numerous times and I haven't gotten tired of it yet. It's not my most favorite Garwood book but I still love it.
February 4, 2017
I have been wanting to read this for a long time, but I was a bit underwhelmed.
February 14, 2024
2nd reread 4 stars
1st read 5 stars
1st read 5 stars
August 18, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✨Medieval England
✨Vengeance
✨Saxon FMC “Little Viking”
✨Father’s Daughter | Strong Female FMC
✨Alpha Male MMC
✨SPICY 🔥
✨Bathing naked in the waterfall stream 🥵
✨Lusty Marriage
✨Instant Marriage
✨YOU’RE MINE
✨Marriage Battling
✨Equality or Obedience
👀 Sadistic Uncle Masturbating Under Table
✨Murder Mystery
This is a historical book on war - not war between countries however - but war between husband and wife. In true Garwood fashion, this is a book about marriage.
I loved this book, I mean of course I did, Garwood is talented in the medieval romance department — but — the MMC was annoying. I wanted to slap him. My modern 🧠 showing because - I know it’s the time period. MMC is somewhat harsh - in an ALPHA MALE kind of way - and true to the time period of what a man was then. Not in a Catherine Coulter kind of way. But Garwood writes glimmers of the time period masculinity, and being a woman in the harshness of the times. I respect this but doesn’t mean it’s not a hard pill to swallow. So often we (the readers) romanticize the time period and these historical writers have a way of humbling us and reminding us of the harshness and the reality of certain periods in time. This would be one. I’m not a feminist, but found myself rooting for FMC trying to outwit her stubborn+strict husband.
But this is why I cling to vintage historical romance. There was no censorship on writing. They write boldly and touch on authentic life of medieval society without watering it down because “cultural” reasons. They don’t write books the same anymore!
I love how wild Elizabeth is in this book. Maybe one of my favorite FMC’s I’ve read! 👌🏼 She reminded me of Merida from the Disney movie Brave a little. She said her soon to be husband didn’t really understand what he was getting when marrying her because she is more skilled in hunting and skinning a rabbit than needlework and woman’s work. Her father blamed her Saxon heritage for her wild ways. Her mother’s father (Saxon) gifted her wild things, saying his granddaughter was a throwback to their Viking ancestors. He would point to her blond hair and blue eyes to prove his statement. As her grandfather was to blame for her independence, so was her father — for he treated her more like a son than a daughter. Therefore, Elizabeth grew up with lots of freedom and was feral as her wolfhounds. 🐺
This is a classic medieval romance plot of two strangers marrying, the woman defiant and the husband requiring obedience. I never get tired of this time period and the explanation of what a woman’s duty is and the new young bride finding her marriage duties challenging.
Another medieval romance where the knight was peeping behind the safety of bushes at the maiden washing her naked body in the stream below the waterfall. 🔥 This seems to be a theme in all my vintage romances and it’s like the theme of 2025. Probably one of my favorite 🌶️ scenes to happen in a historical romance.
I wish I could say I loved the MMC but truth is I found his alpha male ways somewhat annoying throughout the entire book. He’s just “okay.” But didn’t hold it against the book. It’s a great story. He just was very unreasonable and demanding.
There is a murder mystery to the book but it’s 💯 back burner story plot - the solving of the mystery happening mainly off page - and their bumpy marriage is definitely the main story plot here.
I will say - the Saxon grandfather was one of my favorite characters. 💯
Overall, Garwood is the best. 💫
✨Medieval England
✨Vengeance
✨Saxon FMC “Little Viking”
✨Father’s Daughter | Strong Female FMC
✨Alpha Male MMC
✨SPICY 🔥
✨Bathing naked in the waterfall stream 🥵
✨Lusty Marriage
✨Instant Marriage
✨YOU’RE MINE
✨Marriage Battling
✨Equality or Obedience
👀 Sadistic Uncle Masturbating Under Table
✨Murder Mystery
This is a historical book on war - not war between countries however - but war between husband and wife. In true Garwood fashion, this is a book about marriage.
I loved this book, I mean of course I did, Garwood is talented in the medieval romance department — but — the MMC was annoying. I wanted to slap him. My modern 🧠 showing because - I know it’s the time period. MMC is somewhat harsh - in an ALPHA MALE kind of way - and true to the time period of what a man was then. Not in a Catherine Coulter kind of way. But Garwood writes glimmers of the time period masculinity, and being a woman in the harshness of the times. I respect this but doesn’t mean it’s not a hard pill to swallow. So often we (the readers) romanticize the time period and these historical writers have a way of humbling us and reminding us of the harshness and the reality of certain periods in time. This would be one. I’m not a feminist, but found myself rooting for FMC trying to outwit her stubborn+strict husband.
But this is why I cling to vintage historical romance. There was no censorship on writing. They write boldly and touch on authentic life of medieval society without watering it down because “cultural” reasons. They don’t write books the same anymore!
I love how wild Elizabeth is in this book. Maybe one of my favorite FMC’s I’ve read! 👌🏼 She reminded me of Merida from the Disney movie Brave a little. She said her soon to be husband didn’t really understand what he was getting when marrying her because she is more skilled in hunting and skinning a rabbit than needlework and woman’s work. Her father blamed her Saxon heritage for her wild ways. Her mother’s father (Saxon) gifted her wild things, saying his granddaughter was a throwback to their Viking ancestors. He would point to her blond hair and blue eyes to prove his statement. As her grandfather was to blame for her independence, so was her father — for he treated her more like a son than a daughter. Therefore, Elizabeth grew up with lots of freedom and was feral as her wolfhounds. 🐺
This is a classic medieval romance plot of two strangers marrying, the woman defiant and the husband requiring obedience. I never get tired of this time period and the explanation of what a woman’s duty is and the new young bride finding her marriage duties challenging.
Another medieval romance where the knight was peeping behind the safety of bushes at the maiden washing her naked body in the stream below the waterfall. 🔥 This seems to be a theme in all my vintage romances and it’s like the theme of 2025. Probably one of my favorite 🌶️ scenes to happen in a historical romance.
I wish I could say I loved the MMC but truth is I found his alpha male ways somewhat annoying throughout the entire book. He’s just “okay.” But didn’t hold it against the book. It’s a great story. He just was very unreasonable and demanding.
There is a murder mystery to the book but it’s 💯 back burner story plot - the solving of the mystery happening mainly off page - and their bumpy marriage is definitely the main story plot here.
I will say - the Saxon grandfather was one of my favorite characters. 💯
Overall, Garwood is the best. 💫
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