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Brides of Virtue #3
The Marriage Test
Orphaned at a young age, Julia of Childress has become the angel of the kitchen at the Convent of the Brides of Virtue. She may be renowned for whipping up meals that can make any mouth water, but all Julia wants is a kitchen of her own--and a husband for whom to cook. Unfortunately, the abbess has other plans--such as transforming Julia into a proper nun.
Griffin de Grandaise will do anything to make Julia his personal chef--even keep his vow to return her to the convent in one year..with her virtue intact. But nothing prepares him for Julia's sumptuous meals--or for the maddening way she drives him wild with desire. To make matters worse, it's obvious Julia is determined to get him to propose a more lasting arrangement--and it will take every ounce of Griffin's willpower to resist the feisty beauty...
Griffin de Grandaise will do anything to make Julia his personal chef--even keep his vow to return her to the convent in one year..with her virtue intact. But nothing prepares him for Julia's sumptuous meals--or for the maddening way she drives him wild with desire. To make matters worse, it's obvious Julia is determined to get him to propose a more lasting arrangement--and it will take every ounce of Griffin's willpower to resist the feisty beauty...
343 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 4, 2004
3 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Betina Krahn
60 books312 followersKrahn, born Betina Maynard, is the second daughter of Dors Maynard and Regina Triplett. Krahn learned to read at the age of four, and began making up her own stories when she was only six. In fifth grade she won a silver "Noble Order of Bookworms" pin for her achievements in reading, and the following year she began writing down her stories.
Krane was graduated from high school in Newark, Ohio and received a B.S. in Education (Biological Sciences) at Ohio State University. After college, Krahn taught science in Newark, and studied for a graduate degree at Ohio State in the summers. It was during those summers that she met her future husband, physics graduate student Donald Krahn.
The family moved to Oklahoma, where Krahn finished the work for her Masters of Education in Counseling in 1973. In 1974, she gave birth to her first child, Nathan, with the second son Zebulun arriving in 1978. With two young children, Krahn became a stay-at-home mother for a time, also finding time to volunteer on a community board working to get funding for mental health care in part of Western Oklahoma. Once the funding was secured, Krahn worked as an HR director for a mental health center.
Krane was graduated from high school in Newark, Ohio and received a B.S. in Education (Biological Sciences) at Ohio State University. After college, Krahn taught science in Newark, and studied for a graduate degree at Ohio State in the summers. It was during those summers that she met her future husband, physics graduate student Donald Krahn.
The family moved to Oklahoma, where Krahn finished the work for her Masters of Education in Counseling in 1973. In 1974, she gave birth to her first child, Nathan, with the second son Zebulun arriving in 1978. With two young children, Krahn became a stay-at-home mother for a time, also finding time to volunteer on a community board working to get funding for mental health care in part of Western Oklahoma. Once the funding was secured, Krahn worked as an HR director for a mental health center.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
June 9, 2022
This was a DTB re-read of a middle ages era romance in
France. 4 Stars.
This featured a count/ knight/ vintner Griffen supersensitive
to scents. He became grumpy w/o adequate nutrition, but
had a picky appetite. King Philip made clear that Griff would
wed never-met Lady Sophia to cement alliances. Julia, dtr of
a poor baron, lived w/ the nuns once orphaned. She learned
to be a fabulous, creative cook. Two of Griff's knights re-
ported the fab cook at the covent, and Griff dressed as a poor
man, had to taste her food. My fav scene- Julia met guilty
Griff w/ crumbs and sauce on his face and garments.
Griff paid the convent's abbess with gold to have Julia as his
cook x 1 yr. He pledged that her virtue would remain pure.
Sister Regine would chaperone. A duke pledged to monitor
this arrangement.
At various points, Griff faced the possible rath of the King,
duke, abbess, other landowners, his enemy. He acted short-
tempered towards Julia (mostly his jealousy when she
flirted w/ one of his knights) & refused to praise her food
@ his domicile. Then he did a 180.
The story had wit, some adventure and a couple who grew
in the love they shared. And Sophia, dtr of Griff's enemy,
found love too. Also there was a pet pig Fleur, much larger
than depicted on the book cover.
Loved the author's writing!
France. 4 Stars.
This featured a count/ knight/ vintner Griffen supersensitive
to scents. He became grumpy w/o adequate nutrition, but
had a picky appetite. King Philip made clear that Griff would
wed never-met Lady Sophia to cement alliances. Julia, dtr of
a poor baron, lived w/ the nuns once orphaned. She learned
to be a fabulous, creative cook. Two of Griff's knights re-
ported the fab cook at the covent, and Griff dressed as a poor
man, had to taste her food. My fav scene- Julia met guilty
Griff w/ crumbs and sauce on his face and garments.
Griff paid the convent's abbess with gold to have Julia as his
cook x 1 yr. He pledged that her virtue would remain pure.
Sister Regine would chaperone. A duke pledged to monitor
this arrangement.
At various points, Griff faced the possible rath of the King,
duke, abbess, other landowners, his enemy. He acted short-
tempered towards Julia (mostly his jealousy when she
flirted w/ one of his knights) & refused to praise her food
@ his domicile. Then he did a 180.
The story had wit, some adventure and a couple who grew
in the love they shared. And Sophia, dtr of Griff's enemy,
found love too. Also there was a pet pig Fleur, much larger
than depicted on the book cover.
Loved the author's writing!
April 12, 2015
Someone recommended this somewhere so I thought I'd check it out because of the cooking angle. It's pretty ridiculous though, even for a romance novel.
Basically what we have is Julia of Childress (no, I'm not kidding) who is THE MOST AMAZING COOK IN THE ENTIRE WORLD but she works in a convent and no one knows about her. Oh, and she is a (all together now) FIERY REDHEAD. Also, PEPPERY.
Then there's Griffin, aka THE BEAST OF GRANDAISE (OK, that's kind of awesome) who is a count or something and also apparently a supertaster! Which sucks for him because this is all happening in the middle ages and everything smells disgusting. So he goes around all the time with a metal nose-pincher thing on, and is in a REALLY BAD MOOD. And he LOVES PEPPER.
So what with one thing and another, Griffin basically buys her from the convent for a year and they go on this long trip back to his castle and get in a lot of stupid arguments and have sexy conversations about spices. And he constantly tries to tell her what to do and she constantly refuses to do it. And there's a lot of bathing in the river and knights eating wild rabbit and moaning.
At this point I had to stop reading because my lunch break was over, but I don't think I can take any more of it.
Basically what we have is Julia of Childress (no, I'm not kidding) who is THE MOST AMAZING COOK IN THE ENTIRE WORLD but she works in a convent and no one knows about her. Oh, and she is a (all together now) FIERY REDHEAD. Also, PEPPERY.
Then there's Griffin, aka THE BEAST OF GRANDAISE (OK, that's kind of awesome) who is a count or something and also apparently a supertaster! Which sucks for him because this is all happening in the middle ages and everything smells disgusting. So he goes around all the time with a metal nose-pincher thing on, and is in a REALLY BAD MOOD. And he LOVES PEPPER.
So what with one thing and another, Griffin basically buys her from the convent for a year and they go on this long trip back to his castle and get in a lot of stupid arguments and have sexy conversations about spices. And he constantly tries to tell her what to do and she constantly refuses to do it. And there's a lot of bathing in the river and knights eating wild rabbit and moaning.
At this point I had to stop reading because my lunch break was over, but I don't think I can take any more of it.
March 21, 2017
This is a re-read - Still a 5 Star read. I needed to read something good that I knew I would enjoy so I picked this one. It is different from so many of the books out there, so glad I had a copy!
The heroine was a cook in a convent (a very good cook) but was purchased by the Count (who is very sensitive to all smells), he has to wear a nose piece so no odors can penetrate. Anyway she is such a great inventive cook using all manner of spices (clove, cinnamon, her own special 5 spice etc. etc.) to create mouth watering delectable dishes for the Hero and all the knights. It's a fun unusual read and doesn't have to be read as part of the series . Each of her books can be read as a stand-alone.
The heroine was a cook in a convent (a very good cook) but was purchased by the Count (who is very sensitive to all smells), he has to wear a nose piece so no odors can penetrate. Anyway she is such a great inventive cook using all manner of spices (clove, cinnamon, her own special 5 spice etc. etc.) to create mouth watering delectable dishes for the Hero and all the knights. It's a fun unusual read and doesn't have to be read as part of the series . Each of her books can be read as a stand-alone.
October 24, 2017
3.5 stars
This book was all about food and how the heroine is a mistress of it!
This book was all about food and how the heroine is a mistress of it!
May 13, 2010
I loooovvveed this book! Many non romance readers tend to have an uninformed negative view of the genre, and while there are some trite stinkers out there, this is NOT one of them. This story is well conceived and and cleverly written, with fun characters that are both real and unique. The talented and isolated female chef, the greatest hidden treasure of the convent, desperately sought by a man who has been resignedly miserable by the unfortunate circumstances of a hyper olfactory system-the man can smell everything! Personally, I can relate. I can detect the differing smells of the soap, shampoo, perfume, etc when someone walks past me. If anyone in my large neighborhood starts up the bbq, I know what they are cooking. Want to know where the perfume isle is in a department store, walk around with me and wait for the sneezing to start. So having a hyperactive sense of smell is a good and a bad thing, but when living in a period of history with little to no public hygiene or sanitation, I can imagine very clearly the horror of such a life.
To be so impaired by bad smells, to be overwhelmed by them so much that inhaling is an assault to the system is pure torture. And having ones appetite stunted for years because of the rancid smells and poorly prepared, unseasoned meals masquerading as palatable...anyone who has ever gone a long period of food deprivation will relate to turning into a bit of a monster. With such an interesting situations and unique characters, entertaining events are bound to ensue upon interaction. The romance that develops between our two main characters is both touching and amusing, making this story most worthy of savoring.
But wait, there's more! This is a Historical Romance, so in addition to the fun and touching love story, there is the wonderful history of the period. The book is resplendent with detailed descriptions and information on medieval food and spices, so much so that a reader can easily forget what genre they are in. Most of us remember learning about the spice trade in middleschool history class, but never was that class as fascinating as the in depth, personalized 'lesson' of spices, and the industry in this period of Europe, presented by the author. I was entranced by the author's use of the characters to illustrate the spice market, the value of spices, and their original culinary uses. The food! Oh the food!!! All the food prepared in the book, it made me hungry and curious all at once!
Now, I read the range of historical books (historical mystery, historical novels, historical romance, history books), and I am an avid reader of all areas of the romance genre. So surely it must be of particular note that even I was surprised by how amazing the author did in bringing this history into this love story. Heck, at times I forgot that what I was reading was a romance novel. This book could have been shelved with the rest of the historical fiction section! Upon the completion of this book (after doing the "good-read" happy dance, and giving the book a place of honor on my shelves) I started looking up books on the history of the spice trade in Medieval England and the history of food. That a book makes you want to learn more about it's topics is a very good recommendation. Now, as a lover of food there is a minute possibility that my opinion is biased by the fact that I was hungry while reading this book. But I doubt it :). So if you love history, food, and romance, read this book.
To be so impaired by bad smells, to be overwhelmed by them so much that inhaling is an assault to the system is pure torture. And having ones appetite stunted for years because of the rancid smells and poorly prepared, unseasoned meals masquerading as palatable...anyone who has ever gone a long period of food deprivation will relate to turning into a bit of a monster. With such an interesting situations and unique characters, entertaining events are bound to ensue upon interaction. The romance that develops between our two main characters is both touching and amusing, making this story most worthy of savoring.
But wait, there's more! This is a Historical Romance, so in addition to the fun and touching love story, there is the wonderful history of the period. The book is resplendent with detailed descriptions and information on medieval food and spices, so much so that a reader can easily forget what genre they are in. Most of us remember learning about the spice trade in middleschool history class, but never was that class as fascinating as the in depth, personalized 'lesson' of spices, and the industry in this period of Europe, presented by the author. I was entranced by the author's use of the characters to illustrate the spice market, the value of spices, and their original culinary uses. The food! Oh the food!!! All the food prepared in the book, it made me hungry and curious all at once!
Now, I read the range of historical books (historical mystery, historical novels, historical romance, history books), and I am an avid reader of all areas of the romance genre. So surely it must be of particular note that even I was surprised by how amazing the author did in bringing this history into this love story. Heck, at times I forgot that what I was reading was a romance novel. This book could have been shelved with the rest of the historical fiction section! Upon the completion of this book (after doing the "good-read" happy dance, and giving the book a place of honor on my shelves) I started looking up books on the history of the spice trade in Medieval England and the history of food. That a book makes you want to learn more about it's topics is a very good recommendation. Now, as a lover of food there is a minute possibility that my opinion is biased by the fact that I was hungry while reading this book. But I doubt it :). So if you love history, food, and romance, read this book.
June 30, 2010
I had a 'truffle' in my TBR pile and I am so happy I found it. I have had Betina Krahn's The Marriage Test on my TBR for over two years I think. I had read the first two books in the series and let myself get distracted from the series. I picked it up last night and it turned out to be the best book of the series. Julia de Childress is a phenominal cook working in the Order of the Brides, doing everything she can to keep from taking her vows. She dreams of cooking for her husband and her children. Griffin de Grandaise is looking for a phenomenal cook, because he has a olfactry nightmare of a nose. He can't take strong odors of any kind. 7 years and 9 cooks later, he stumbles on to Julia. So for a year Julia agrees to cook for Griffin and then the Abbess requires her return to take her vows, unwillingly or not. (the Order has a thing for Julia's cooking as well.) Julia has secret plans of her own and they include a man, food, a little kissin' and finding the way to his heart. Griffin's life will never be the same. Awesome! If you like reading about old world recipes, then this book might be for you.
March 10, 2013
This was a re-read, I'd read this book and the rest in the series years ago and stumbled across it again recently. It was just as good as I remembered. Betina Krahn just does an amazing job at writing historicals. She makes you really care about the characters and root for them. I loved how she intertwines multiple loves stories into one book, Sophie probably could have had her own story, but it fit perfectly into Julia and Griffen's. The Marriage Test had a wonderful mix of humor and emotion. I'm happy I took the time to read it again.
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May 5, 2018It was a stormy night when two brothers arrived at the Convent of the Brides of Virtue. They asked for and were fed dinner. Sir Axel and Sir Greeve Grandaise loved the food they were fed. The cook wanted to know if they were pleased but the Reverend Mother didn't tell her how much her food was appreciated. She didn't want her cook thinking about leaving the convent.
Julia of Childress arrived at the convent when she was very young. She was a trouble maker until she was sent to the kitchen as a punishment. She had found where she belonged and soon took over the as head cook. Julia's wish was to leave the convent and have a husband and family of her own to cook for.
It wasn't long before the convent received another visitor. It was a third Grandaise brother, Griffin. He had a problem with his sense of smell where that sense took over everything in his life. He had come to offer for Julia to be his cook so that he could feel some sense of normalcy in his life. He had tried other cooks but none had worked out. His introduction to her was to sneak into the convent and hide behind the kitchen and sneak some food so that he could taste it for himself. He was introduced to Julia when she caught him. He just didn't realize at the time that she was the cook.
The Reverend Mother reluctantly agreed to let her go with him for a year. Griffin promised to return her still a virgin, a year later. He didn't count on the attraction he felt for her. It was a challenge to her to get him to accept her food and to get him to remove the plug that he wore over his nose to stop the smells around him. He took a walk each night of their journey home to get away and remove his nose plugs. Julia's curiosity had her following him one night and they almost kissed. It aggravated Griffin and he did his best to avoid her after that.
She presuaded him to stop at a market outside of Paris to collect some spices she wanted. She also wanted to see the market because she had never been to one before. She met other men there who were trying to get her attention. She didn't realize that they thought her attractive. Griffin came to get her when she didn't return fast enough. She needed more money for the spices and he couldn't refuse her when his neighbor and future father-in-law's people were watching. That was when Julia found out that he was to be married.
The king had ordered he marry his neighbor's daughter to stop the feuding of the two families. They hated each other. Griffin had never seen the daughter he ws to marry. She had been sent away to a convent when she was young and had recently returned home. All anyone knew was that she was young.
They arrived at his home and Julia was surprised at how clean both the keep and it's occupants were. Griffin wasn't happy to find that Julia wouldn't let him into his own kitchen. She told him that she needed to establish order in order for the other cooks to do as she said. Griffin didn't like the other men of the keep stopping by the kitchen to see her either. He knew that his men were coming to see her as much as they were the food. She got upset when he mentioned it and told her that he was just making sure her virtue was intact when she returned to the convent after the year was up. She asked him what he would do if she refused to return.
Griffin didn't realize that his head archer was being paid by his neighbor and future father-in-law to spy on Griffin. Compte de Verdun was sure that Julia was also his mistress. He didn't want his daughter to marry Griffin any more than Griffin wanted to marry his daughter.
Bertrand reported back that Julia could indeed cook but Verdun didn't believe that was all she was doing even though he was told that Julia spent all her time either in the kitchen or with the nun who was with her.
Julia drug Sister Regine around the rooms of the keep in search of a particular room. She found it in one of the towers. She set the room up to feed Griffin his dinner. The room would be free of smells enough for him to remove his nose plug and eat while able to smell his food. Griffin was surprised at the effort she made to please him. Griffin was trying his best to avoid his attraction to her but ended up kissing her while she was serving him dinner. They were interrupted by his brothers telling him that Verdun's men had hunted on their property again. They had left the animals to rot where they fell.
The men went out to investigate what had happened while Julia and the cooks went out to find truffles. Julia was led off by herself by Bertrand, kidnapped and taken to the Compte de Verdun. She was locked in a tower room and Verdun's daughter came to see her. They argued about Griffin and Julia told Sophie that he wasn't the beast she envisioned. Sophie wanted to believe that Julia was telling the truth about being a cook and not Griffin's mistress. Sophie snuck her into the kitchen to prove herself. She met Verdun's cook, Francoise and they both cooked a dish to see which was better. Verdun came into the room and the all hid in different places in the kitchen. A book fell to the floor in front of where Julia was hiding and she picked it up. She hid it in her gown when she saw the Grandoise coat of arms on the front. She took it back to the tower room and discovered that it was a recipe book.
Verdun was trying to figure out what to do with Julia because he found out that Griffin had sent a messenger to the king telling him of Verdun's abduction. It was Sophie's idea to have Julia given to Griffin if he would agree to marry her. This would make Griffin look bad for disobeying the kings order to marry Sophie. This would also leave Sophie free to marry someone else. She had intentions of marrying one of Verdun's men, Martin de Gies.
Griffin and his men came to pick up Julia and he agreed to marry Julia so that Verdun would free her. They went back home where Julia was told that nothing wold change in their relationship. She was still his cook and he planned on freeing her when the year was up and their marriage could be annulled. Julia had other ideas.
She smuggled a note to Sophie asking for truffles. Sophie came herself and told Julia that she was never returning home. Julia used the truffles to cook for Griffin, once again in the tower room. She removed his nose plug and he ate the food and couldn't help his reaction to her and they ended up kissing again. This time they weren't interrupted and Griffin took her to his room where they made love. Julia heard Griffin admit to loving her.
Julia had wanted Griffin with all her heart. She knew that her food was her way to reach him. She didn't want to return the convent. She was also now his bride. She was also now his wife. She mentioned to Griffin that the kitchen in his keep was identical to the one in Verdun's keep. She also told him about the recipe book she found and that Sophie had brought with her. Julia also told Griffin that his archer, Bertrand, was the one who had arranged her kidnapping. Griffin wasn't sure he believed her but did once he realized that Bertrand was missing.
Bertrand had arranged the kidnapping of Julia for Verdun and for his father. Bertrand was later heading back to the Grandoise keep than he should have been and he didn't look like he had tried to defend Julia. He was intercepted by his own father who had his men beat up Bertrand. Bertrand then went to Griffin and told him that he had been hurt trying to prevent Julia from being taken. Bertrand had been called back home by his father and that was where he was while Griffin and his men were looking for him. Bertrand's father was upset that the kidnapping hadn't resulted in a battle between the two families. He had intended to have both Griffin and the Compte de Verdun killed while the were fighting each other. When that didn't happen, he contacted Bertrand to come home. He wanted both families destroyed in order to gain wealth for himself.
Julia showed Griffin the book Sophie had brought to him. She told Griffin that she thought that Verdun's cook was his own's cooks second who had been trained by Griffin's old cook who had died. She suspected that he had taken the older cooks recipes to Verdun. He had arrived at the Verdun keep around the same time that he had disappeared from Griffin's keep. The book mentioned what began the feud and mentioned a treasure. Griffin didn't still didn't know what had started the feud between the families.
It wasn't long after that when he ran into Sophie and was introduced to her. Sophie told him that she had run away to keep from marrying a fat German count as was arranged by her father. They were talking when they were interrupted by a disturbance outside. His men came and told him that they had caught a Verdun spy. Sophie overheard his name and knew who it was. Julia knew that he had come alone and not to spy but to claim Sophie. She suggested the same punishment for Sophie that Sophie had arranged for her. Sophie could leave with him once they were wed.
The arrangements were made and the wedding was taking place when the duke of Avalon arrived with the king's men. The ceremony was explained to the duke and they were allowed to finish. The duke spoke with the various people who witnessed how the marriage of Griffin and Julia came to be and then the wedding of Sophie and Martin was explained. The king had sent the duke to find out what he could about what was going on between the neighbors and to do what he could to stop the feuding.
It was the next afternoon that Verdun arrived with his knights. He was angry when he found out that Sophie had married against his wishes and swore to have the marriage annulled. Then they all noticed smoke billowing from some of the hamlets of the Grandoise keep. Verdun swore to the duke that his knights were either with him or guarding his home. The fire wasn't his doing. Martin told Verdun that he was going to investigate a fire on the Verdun lands when he spotted Sophie running away. Martin was Verdun's first knight and he stepped up and told Verdun that Griffin and his men were in the keep when he arrived and had never left. They couldn't possibly have started the fires on the Verdun lands. The duke took a dozen of his men and ordered both Verdun and Griffin to take a dozen each of their own men to go find out who was burning the hamlets.
They arrived at the fires and began fighting with the cottagers to defend their homes. They were trying to catch one of the men alive but it seemed they had failed until one of the kings men declared that one of the men they had shot with an arrow was still alive. Griffin was surprised to find it was Bertrand. He admitted as he was dying that it was his grandfather who had inflicted the damage.
The men all headed back to the Grandoise keep to develop a strategy for approaching Old Thibault de Roland. They headed out together the next morning to begin their battle. The duke and all the others there heard Thibault declare that he had started the feud. Verdun and Griffin's grandfathers had been on the southern portion of the land and were fighting over the truffles, the oaks and the game in that section of land. When they were spent fighting, Thibault had stepped in and killed them using each others swords. He then admitted to killing Verdun's son and Griffin's brother to continue the feud. After the confession, Thibault's home was attacked. Thibault had set a trap where 40 of his mercenaries were outside and the other 30 locked Martin, Verdun and Griffin inside his home. He wanted to see them all killed before he died. They were all wounded but Griffin removed his nose plug when the other two went down and he killed the last 10 men himself.
They returned home victorious and the duke told them all that he would speak to the king on their behalf to let the marriages stand. He told Verdun that he would be proud to have Martin as a son-in-law. Julia suggested that the duke ask the king to allow Martin to become heir to Verdun's holdings as Sophie's husband. The duke told her that he would consider it. It took Julia putting the nose plug back in place on Griffin to get him to calm down after the battle. It was a few days later that Julia realized that her marriage was in trouble. She thought that Griffin was frightened of the fact that he had become 'the Beast' again through his killing the ten mercenaries hired by Thibault on his own. He was trying to protect Julia from what he thought he had become once again. It was up to Julia to convince him that he was wrong. This was a marriage test that she was determined to win.
She went back to Francois and asked for more truffles which he refused to send this time. He said he didn't have any more so Julia set out to find some. There was a pig in the keep and his keeper told her that he would help find the truffles. They headed to the southern portion of the keep in search of truffles. She was surprised to find Francois there with his dogs. They argued about which was better at finding the truffles, dogs or pigs. It was determined that pigs found the truffles as did the dogs but the dogs dug them up and ate them. The pigs were more careful and allowed them to be dug up without destroying the roots and allowed more to grow. There were no more truffles in the northern part where Verdun's keep was because he had used dogs to dig them up. Julia returned home with the truffles that the pig, Fleur, had found.
Griffin had returned home after going to inspect and plan the rebuilding of the hamlet that had been destroyed. He was surprised to find his bed gone. He located it in the tower room along with Julia. Julia bribed him with food that included truffles to persuade him to talk about what had happened during the battle. He opened up to her about his feelings about what had happened and realized how strong his feelings were for her. They talked and she told him that they needed to be partners in their marriage to get through the rough times and he agreed.
The next morning the nuns from the convent arrived. The Reverend Mother was not happy to find Julia married. She demanded payment for Julia's services in full because she wasn't returning. It was decided that the convent would be given the lands of Thibault to oversee the care of raising truffles. Some of the nuns, including sister Regine, would remain there to watch over the land. Regine would remain close to Julia that way and she and the other sisters would be taught culinary skills.
Julia of Childress arrived at the convent when she was very young. She was a trouble maker until she was sent to the kitchen as a punishment. She had found where she belonged and soon took over the as head cook. Julia's wish was to leave the convent and have a husband and family of her own to cook for.
It wasn't long before the convent received another visitor. It was a third Grandaise brother, Griffin. He had a problem with his sense of smell where that sense took over everything in his life. He had come to offer for Julia to be his cook so that he could feel some sense of normalcy in his life. He had tried other cooks but none had worked out. His introduction to her was to sneak into the convent and hide behind the kitchen and sneak some food so that he could taste it for himself. He was introduced to Julia when she caught him. He just didn't realize at the time that she was the cook.
The Reverend Mother reluctantly agreed to let her go with him for a year. Griffin promised to return her still a virgin, a year later. He didn't count on the attraction he felt for her. It was a challenge to her to get him to accept her food and to get him to remove the plug that he wore over his nose to stop the smells around him. He took a walk each night of their journey home to get away and remove his nose plugs. Julia's curiosity had her following him one night and they almost kissed. It aggravated Griffin and he did his best to avoid her after that.
She presuaded him to stop at a market outside of Paris to collect some spices she wanted. She also wanted to see the market because she had never been to one before. She met other men there who were trying to get her attention. She didn't realize that they thought her attractive. Griffin came to get her when she didn't return fast enough. She needed more money for the spices and he couldn't refuse her when his neighbor and future father-in-law's people were watching. That was when Julia found out that he was to be married.
The king had ordered he marry his neighbor's daughter to stop the feuding of the two families. They hated each other. Griffin had never seen the daughter he ws to marry. She had been sent away to a convent when she was young and had recently returned home. All anyone knew was that she was young.
They arrived at his home and Julia was surprised at how clean both the keep and it's occupants were. Griffin wasn't happy to find that Julia wouldn't let him into his own kitchen. She told him that she needed to establish order in order for the other cooks to do as she said. Griffin didn't like the other men of the keep stopping by the kitchen to see her either. He knew that his men were coming to see her as much as they were the food. She got upset when he mentioned it and told her that he was just making sure her virtue was intact when she returned to the convent after the year was up. She asked him what he would do if she refused to return.
Griffin didn't realize that his head archer was being paid by his neighbor and future father-in-law to spy on Griffin. Compte de Verdun was sure that Julia was also his mistress. He didn't want his daughter to marry Griffin any more than Griffin wanted to marry his daughter.
Bertrand reported back that Julia could indeed cook but Verdun didn't believe that was all she was doing even though he was told that Julia spent all her time either in the kitchen or with the nun who was with her.
Julia drug Sister Regine around the rooms of the keep in search of a particular room. She found it in one of the towers. She set the room up to feed Griffin his dinner. The room would be free of smells enough for him to remove his nose plug and eat while able to smell his food. Griffin was surprised at the effort she made to please him. Griffin was trying his best to avoid his attraction to her but ended up kissing her while she was serving him dinner. They were interrupted by his brothers telling him that Verdun's men had hunted on their property again. They had left the animals to rot where they fell.
The men went out to investigate what had happened while Julia and the cooks went out to find truffles. Julia was led off by herself by Bertrand, kidnapped and taken to the Compte de Verdun. She was locked in a tower room and Verdun's daughter came to see her. They argued about Griffin and Julia told Sophie that he wasn't the beast she envisioned. Sophie wanted to believe that Julia was telling the truth about being a cook and not Griffin's mistress. Sophie snuck her into the kitchen to prove herself. She met Verdun's cook, Francoise and they both cooked a dish to see which was better. Verdun came into the room and the all hid in different places in the kitchen. A book fell to the floor in front of where Julia was hiding and she picked it up. She hid it in her gown when she saw the Grandoise coat of arms on the front. She took it back to the tower room and discovered that it was a recipe book.
Verdun was trying to figure out what to do with Julia because he found out that Griffin had sent a messenger to the king telling him of Verdun's abduction. It was Sophie's idea to have Julia given to Griffin if he would agree to marry her. This would make Griffin look bad for disobeying the kings order to marry Sophie. This would also leave Sophie free to marry someone else. She had intentions of marrying one of Verdun's men, Martin de Gies.
Griffin and his men came to pick up Julia and he agreed to marry Julia so that Verdun would free her. They went back home where Julia was told that nothing wold change in their relationship. She was still his cook and he planned on freeing her when the year was up and their marriage could be annulled. Julia had other ideas.
She smuggled a note to Sophie asking for truffles. Sophie came herself and told Julia that she was never returning home. Julia used the truffles to cook for Griffin, once again in the tower room. She removed his nose plug and he ate the food and couldn't help his reaction to her and they ended up kissing again. This time they weren't interrupted and Griffin took her to his room where they made love. Julia heard Griffin admit to loving her.
Julia had wanted Griffin with all her heart. She knew that her food was her way to reach him. She didn't want to return the convent. She was also now his bride. She was also now his wife. She mentioned to Griffin that the kitchen in his keep was identical to the one in Verdun's keep. She also told him about the recipe book she found and that Sophie had brought with her. Julia also told Griffin that his archer, Bertrand, was the one who had arranged her kidnapping. Griffin wasn't sure he believed her but did once he realized that Bertrand was missing.
Bertrand had arranged the kidnapping of Julia for Verdun and for his father. Bertrand was later heading back to the Grandoise keep than he should have been and he didn't look like he had tried to defend Julia. He was intercepted by his own father who had his men beat up Bertrand. Bertrand then went to Griffin and told him that he had been hurt trying to prevent Julia from being taken. Bertrand had been called back home by his father and that was where he was while Griffin and his men were looking for him. Bertrand's father was upset that the kidnapping hadn't resulted in a battle between the two families. He had intended to have both Griffin and the Compte de Verdun killed while the were fighting each other. When that didn't happen, he contacted Bertrand to come home. He wanted both families destroyed in order to gain wealth for himself.
Julia showed Griffin the book Sophie had brought to him. She told Griffin that she thought that Verdun's cook was his own's cooks second who had been trained by Griffin's old cook who had died. She suspected that he had taken the older cooks recipes to Verdun. He had arrived at the Verdun keep around the same time that he had disappeared from Griffin's keep. The book mentioned what began the feud and mentioned a treasure. Griffin didn't still didn't know what had started the feud between the families.
It wasn't long after that when he ran into Sophie and was introduced to her. Sophie told him that she had run away to keep from marrying a fat German count as was arranged by her father. They were talking when they were interrupted by a disturbance outside. His men came and told him that they had caught a Verdun spy. Sophie overheard his name and knew who it was. Julia knew that he had come alone and not to spy but to claim Sophie. She suggested the same punishment for Sophie that Sophie had arranged for her. Sophie could leave with him once they were wed.
The arrangements were made and the wedding was taking place when the duke of Avalon arrived with the king's men. The ceremony was explained to the duke and they were allowed to finish. The duke spoke with the various people who witnessed how the marriage of Griffin and Julia came to be and then the wedding of Sophie and Martin was explained. The king had sent the duke to find out what he could about what was going on between the neighbors and to do what he could to stop the feuding.
It was the next afternoon that Verdun arrived with his knights. He was angry when he found out that Sophie had married against his wishes and swore to have the marriage annulled. Then they all noticed smoke billowing from some of the hamlets of the Grandoise keep. Verdun swore to the duke that his knights were either with him or guarding his home. The fire wasn't his doing. Martin told Verdun that he was going to investigate a fire on the Verdun lands when he spotted Sophie running away. Martin was Verdun's first knight and he stepped up and told Verdun that Griffin and his men were in the keep when he arrived and had never left. They couldn't possibly have started the fires on the Verdun lands. The duke took a dozen of his men and ordered both Verdun and Griffin to take a dozen each of their own men to go find out who was burning the hamlets.
They arrived at the fires and began fighting with the cottagers to defend their homes. They were trying to catch one of the men alive but it seemed they had failed until one of the kings men declared that one of the men they had shot with an arrow was still alive. Griffin was surprised to find it was Bertrand. He admitted as he was dying that it was his grandfather who had inflicted the damage.
The men all headed back to the Grandoise keep to develop a strategy for approaching Old Thibault de Roland. They headed out together the next morning to begin their battle. The duke and all the others there heard Thibault declare that he had started the feud. Verdun and Griffin's grandfathers had been on the southern portion of the land and were fighting over the truffles, the oaks and the game in that section of land. When they were spent fighting, Thibault had stepped in and killed them using each others swords. He then admitted to killing Verdun's son and Griffin's brother to continue the feud. After the confession, Thibault's home was attacked. Thibault had set a trap where 40 of his mercenaries were outside and the other 30 locked Martin, Verdun and Griffin inside his home. He wanted to see them all killed before he died. They were all wounded but Griffin removed his nose plug when the other two went down and he killed the last 10 men himself.
They returned home victorious and the duke told them all that he would speak to the king on their behalf to let the marriages stand. He told Verdun that he would be proud to have Martin as a son-in-law. Julia suggested that the duke ask the king to allow Martin to become heir to Verdun's holdings as Sophie's husband. The duke told her that he would consider it. It took Julia putting the nose plug back in place on Griffin to get him to calm down after the battle. It was a few days later that Julia realized that her marriage was in trouble. She thought that Griffin was frightened of the fact that he had become 'the Beast' again through his killing the ten mercenaries hired by Thibault on his own. He was trying to protect Julia from what he thought he had become once again. It was up to Julia to convince him that he was wrong. This was a marriage test that she was determined to win.
She went back to Francois and asked for more truffles which he refused to send this time. He said he didn't have any more so Julia set out to find some. There was a pig in the keep and his keeper told her that he would help find the truffles. They headed to the southern portion of the keep in search of truffles. She was surprised to find Francois there with his dogs. They argued about which was better at finding the truffles, dogs or pigs. It was determined that pigs found the truffles as did the dogs but the dogs dug them up and ate them. The pigs were more careful and allowed them to be dug up without destroying the roots and allowed more to grow. There were no more truffles in the northern part where Verdun's keep was because he had used dogs to dig them up. Julia returned home with the truffles that the pig, Fleur, had found.
Griffin had returned home after going to inspect and plan the rebuilding of the hamlet that had been destroyed. He was surprised to find his bed gone. He located it in the tower room along with Julia. Julia bribed him with food that included truffles to persuade him to talk about what had happened during the battle. He opened up to her about his feelings about what had happened and realized how strong his feelings were for her. They talked and she told him that they needed to be partners in their marriage to get through the rough times and he agreed.
The next morning the nuns from the convent arrived. The Reverend Mother was not happy to find Julia married. She demanded payment for Julia's services in full because she wasn't returning. It was decided that the convent would be given the lands of Thibault to oversee the care of raising truffles. Some of the nuns, including sister Regine, would remain there to watch over the land. Regine would remain close to Julia that way and she and the other sisters would be taught culinary skills.
February 8, 2012
I dug this up after writing a Valentine's Day article about foodie romances, and it was delightful.
Julia of Childress (yes, she went there) is the orphaned child of an impoverished lord, and has grown up in the tender mercies of the Convent of the Brides of Virtue, a convent known for producing marriagable ladies for the nobility. She's done every dirty job in the convent and has worked her way up to head of the kitchens. All she dreams of is a husband who would appreciate her cooking, and a home of her own. The Reverend Mother has no intention of letting go of Julia, though-- not when she produces food that could make angels and devils dine together for the privilege of eating at her table. (Not that she would ever say so to Julia, of course-- humility is good for the soul.)
Enter Griffin de Graindaise, a noble with a problem that only a cook like Julia could help him with. Griffin (known as "The Beast of Grandaise" for his temper when he's not fed well) has a painfully sensitive sense of smell. He wears a metal guard over his nose most of the time because ordinary scents overwhelm him, and food that's poorly prepared or even the tiniest bit past its prime (and remember-- this is the Middle Ages!) is repellent to him. Two of his knights happen to spend an evening at table in the Convent, and when Griffin hears of the meal they enjoyed he will not rest until he's managed to steal away their cook.
Griffin will do anything to get her-- even turn over a year's profits in gold and give his oath to return the convent's cook intact to take her vows (vows Julia has no intention AT ALL of taking), just to win her services for the space of a year. But-- can this teasing, tempting slip of a girl POSSIBLY be the chef of his dreams? And can he possibly keep his hands off of her for an entire year, when SHE is determined to be wed before the year is out? And what about his enemy neighbor, the noble whose daughter he is supposed to wed (at the king's command, no less!) to end generations of feuding? (And just WHY are they feuding, anyway...? What treasure could be hidden in the forest between their borders?)
This was a delightful book. Julia is a sassy, spunky character and a *marvelous* chef-- the author manages to make her innovative while still sticking to historical authenticity in ingredients and food philosophy of the Middle Ages. The food descriptions are out of this world (particularly challenging, given that they're all medieval dishes that are for the most part utterly foreign to the modern reader), and I'm REALLY glad I own most of the cookbooks the author mentions in the afterword. The plot was much twistier than I expected it to be-- Griffin's whole rivalry with his neighbor was very well put together and took more than one surprising turn. Griffin's affliction could have been played up for humor (and occasionally is), but it's also treated very thoughtfully and sensitively, and becomes critical to the plot in more ways than one-- there are a few "Beauty and the Beast" echoes in their relationship.
My only minor quibble was with the names-- a few of the names of Griffin's retainers are so similar that I had to keep flipping back to determine who was whom (they're all French, which didn't help matters for me).
A tasty read.
Julia of Childress (yes, she went there) is the orphaned child of an impoverished lord, and has grown up in the tender mercies of the Convent of the Brides of Virtue, a convent known for producing marriagable ladies for the nobility. She's done every dirty job in the convent and has worked her way up to head of the kitchens. All she dreams of is a husband who would appreciate her cooking, and a home of her own. The Reverend Mother has no intention of letting go of Julia, though-- not when she produces food that could make angels and devils dine together for the privilege of eating at her table. (Not that she would ever say so to Julia, of course-- humility is good for the soul.)
Enter Griffin de Graindaise, a noble with a problem that only a cook like Julia could help him with. Griffin (known as "The Beast of Grandaise" for his temper when he's not fed well) has a painfully sensitive sense of smell. He wears a metal guard over his nose most of the time because ordinary scents overwhelm him, and food that's poorly prepared or even the tiniest bit past its prime (and remember-- this is the Middle Ages!) is repellent to him. Two of his knights happen to spend an evening at table in the Convent, and when Griffin hears of the meal they enjoyed he will not rest until he's managed to steal away their cook.
Griffin will do anything to get her-- even turn over a year's profits in gold and give his oath to return the convent's cook intact to take her vows (vows Julia has no intention AT ALL of taking), just to win her services for the space of a year. But-- can this teasing, tempting slip of a girl POSSIBLY be the chef of his dreams? And can he possibly keep his hands off of her for an entire year, when SHE is determined to be wed before the year is out? And what about his enemy neighbor, the noble whose daughter he is supposed to wed (at the king's command, no less!) to end generations of feuding? (And just WHY are they feuding, anyway...? What treasure could be hidden in the forest between their borders?)
This was a delightful book. Julia is a sassy, spunky character and a *marvelous* chef-- the author manages to make her innovative while still sticking to historical authenticity in ingredients and food philosophy of the Middle Ages. The food descriptions are out of this world (particularly challenging, given that they're all medieval dishes that are for the most part utterly foreign to the modern reader), and I'm REALLY glad I own most of the cookbooks the author mentions in the afterword. The plot was much twistier than I expected it to be-- Griffin's whole rivalry with his neighbor was very well put together and took more than one surprising turn. Griffin's affliction could have been played up for humor (and occasionally is), but it's also treated very thoughtfully and sensitively, and becomes critical to the plot in more ways than one-- there are a few "Beauty and the Beast" echoes in their relationship.
My only minor quibble was with the names-- a few of the names of Griffin's retainers are so similar that I had to keep flipping back to determine who was whom (they're all French, which didn't help matters for me).
A tasty read.
November 22, 2018
The Convent of the Brides of Virtue have an outstanding cook, who finds herself in the middle of a negation between the abbess, a Comte with a nose for excellent food and a Duke for the French King. Never boring with an unusual storyline, romance and moments of wit and humor...what more do you need for a great read!
April 27, 2019
This novel takes the reader back to Medieval times and the Convent of the Brides of Virtue. Mother Superior is still at the reins of the convent but she has a problem. She is in arrears in tithing to the bishop. Now, Griffin de Grandaise, lord over extensive lands and winery vines, is desperate for a cook. He has come to the convent, has snuck into the convent and tasted the wonderful food coming from the kitchens. He offers some serious money to borrow the cook for one year.
Mother Superior is having none of it because Julia of Childress is a gifted cook and Mother plans for her to take her vows and stay in the convent. Julia isn't interested in taking vows but she's not really interested in working sight-unseen in Grandaise's kitchens. She wants marriage and children.
The serious discussion comes to a head when the visiting Duke promises to ensure that Julia will only stay one year and be as pure as when she left, so she may take final vows.
There's a mystery and the pages turn quickly with the interesting events that occur. My only complaint was that there was just too much about the meals served. However, it is obvious that the author did her research.
Brides of Virtue
1. The Husband Test (2001)
2. The Wife Test (2003)
** 3. The Marriage Test (2004)
Mother Superior is having none of it because Julia of Childress is a gifted cook and Mother plans for her to take her vows and stay in the convent. Julia isn't interested in taking vows but she's not really interested in working sight-unseen in Grandaise's kitchens. She wants marriage and children.
The serious discussion comes to a head when the visiting Duke promises to ensure that Julia will only stay one year and be as pure as when she left, so she may take final vows.
There's a mystery and the pages turn quickly with the interesting events that occur. My only complaint was that there was just too much about the meals served. However, it is obvious that the author did her research.
Brides of Virtue
1. The Husband Test (2001)
2. The Wife Test (2003)
** 3. The Marriage Test (2004)
August 2, 2025
I was overall an OK read, but there was far too much *~*WhImSeY*~* for my taste.
And speaking of tastes, food obviously features large in this book, perhaps a bit too large. If you are not a fan of foodgasms then flee now, because this book is non-stop people moaning and groaning as they eat food like degenerate perverts, with fat and gravy running down their chins. It's kinda gross. There is a particularly hideous scene where the H and h are kissing... with their mouths full of food (fucking boark) and in preparation for having sex for the first time the heroine rubs honey on her nipples, apple tarts on her fucking elbows and cinnamon all over her knees or whatever. She basically went to the kitchen and rubbed food over all of her body parts, to make herself into a human 'feast'. It's so fucking stupid. The author took the food thing and ran it into the wall so hard she killed it.
The hero wearing nose clips and having a non-stop nasal voice was quite off putting and quite frankly the least sexy thing imaginable.
The heroine was a grade A 'pick me' girl who spent the whole book bending over backwards trying to make the hero pay attention to her. This annoys me to no end. I don't read romance to read about pathetic, embarrassing heroines with no dignity.
I skipped the last 60 pages.
Actually. This was was sub- OK.
And speaking of tastes, food obviously features large in this book, perhaps a bit too large. If you are not a fan of foodgasms then flee now, because this book is non-stop people moaning and groaning as they eat food like degenerate perverts, with fat and gravy running down their chins. It's kinda gross. There is a particularly hideous scene where the H and h are kissing... with their mouths full of food (fucking boark) and in preparation for having sex for the first time the heroine rubs honey on her nipples, apple tarts on her fucking elbows and cinnamon all over her knees or whatever. She basically went to the kitchen and rubbed food over all of her body parts, to make herself into a human 'feast'. It's so fucking stupid. The author took the food thing and ran it into the wall so hard she killed it.
The hero wearing nose clips and having a non-stop nasal voice was quite off putting and quite frankly the least sexy thing imaginable.
The heroine was a grade A 'pick me' girl who spent the whole book bending over backwards trying to make the hero pay attention to her. This annoys me to no end. I don't read romance to read about pathetic, embarrassing heroines with no dignity.
I skipped the last 60 pages.
Actually. This was was sub- OK.
May 5, 2020
A fun and playful romance set in medieval France. The set up borders on ridiculous: A fabulous cook in search of a husband meets a wealthy man with extreme sensitivity to odours and a fabulous kitchen, but he's forbidden to marry her. However, Krahn makes it work. Sexual tension is built, deliciously, through food and conversations about food, and the author's note acknowledges the challenges of making the food conversations authentic to the period and appealing to modern readers. A subplot of rivalry between estates adds depth to the story, and the heroine and a secondary female character are strong, intelligent, and cunning characters.
February 28, 2023
This book was spicy instead of 🌠spicy🌠 (you'll see). It was ridiculous in a cute sort of way, and I learnt nothing but at least I had fun. Also I read this as a standalone and I'm glad to say it stands on by itself so don't be discouraged from reading it if you don't want to go through the previous books.
April 9, 2020
This is the first straight-up Romance book I've read, and I'm impressed with the strong writing and twisty plot. I can't recommend it high enough to anyone interested in medieval stories featuring relationship drama and food.
March 17, 2020
Set during the Medieval Era in France, Krahn's historical romance is a love letter to celebrity chef: Julia Child.
Another novel with a similar theme:
Julia and Julia
Another novel with a similar theme:
Julia and Julia
August 10, 2020
I have no idea what number re-read this was but the story was still as fun and food-obsessed as ever!
November 14, 2020
I was ready for the series to be over and the test was nowhere near the others but at least this one was in the right order
November 14, 2020
Cute and enjoyable
June 12, 2024
Charming. Silly but not in a way that grated. Good descriptions of the culinary world of the High Middle Ages.
October 29, 2024
An original story.
January 22, 2013
A little corny, but kind of cute too. I enjoyed the heroine's journey and her personality. I did not like the hero very much, but I sympathised with his plight. If anyone has ever known a supertaster (my sister is one), you know that eating and smelling can be miserable for them. Where this book fails is in the conflict department. She is practiclly rescued from the convent - so there is a huge chance of her getting her wish of having a home and family. He hires the greatest chef in the France, so he can finally eat and enjoy his meals. Problems solved. Internal conflict? Not much there. So we throw in several contrived fights and misunderstandings to try to build sexual tenstion and romantic growth. It does not work well. That may have worked in 1983, but not today. This story had GREAT potential, but it fell short of being outstanding. Still, I do recommend it to medieval lovers and romance lovers who want to read about something outside of England.
November 30, 2015
I Loved it just like it's previous series! I really got a thing now for old romance books (even if im in this age :P) I've got to really thank my Aunt for giving me her old collection of books. Never would I imagined that I would love this and I would never discover this if I got it from a regular bookstore. I just love Julia and her personality, the conflict between the characters is interesting and unique that I just got kind of obsessed over it. Again a nice book to read especially when you want to read something more old (> w <)/.
March 31, 2011
Cute story, but I prefer more steam and some hot sex. The band across the hero's nose was a huge distraction and an unbelievable situation. Hero seemed kind of cold. Gosh, this could have been a whole lot better...especially when it comes to a food theme and romance ;) .
January 19, 2012
Light and enjoyable medieval romance. Very delightful for the food and kitchen lovers! The name of the heroine should give you a clue to the path the heroine takes to her hero's heart, Miss Julia of Childress. Hmmm? Lovely and unique. A wonderful romance for the Chefs out there :-)
August 25, 2013
I really enjoyed this novel. The only problem with that was I was hungry the whole time I was reading it! I like the craftiness of the abbess...pretty creative. I found the hero somewhat unbelievable though. Generally it is a good read and a nice finish to the series.
April 22, 2014
A dashed good romantic adventure, with a heaping side of swoon-worthy descriptions of food at its best! Sure, the hero's characterization is a little wooden and one-pitch, but eventually he shows his multifaceted parts.
October 10, 2007
Once again, another cheesy romance. However, this story is cute and very entertaining. Check out Krahn's other "test" books....I didn't much like any of her non-test books.
April 2, 2008
A romance novel worth reading if you a.) can stand the fact that it's all about food, not romance and b.) can deal with the fact that the main heroine's name is Julia of Childress.
July 12, 2009
See my review for The Husband Test.
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