With her hand in marriage and the security of her beloved Haverleigh at stake, Lady Gwyneth is desperate. So when she comes upon a young man who might be the solution to her predicament, she does not hesitate to act, though it means entering into a dangerous deceit and inviting a thief into her castle.
All Gavin has known is a life of lawless poverty. Left for dead and taken in by a very young, very determined lady, he has little choice but to entertain her request. Posing as a squire, he begins to train the farmers and craftsmen of Haverleigh in the art of combat. In doing so, Gavin begins to know a far different life—and to crave all it has to offer.
As Haverleigh is secured through their labor and collusion, sparks fly between Gwyneth and her thief. In a moment of rash indiscretion, a kiss nearly undoes them both. Love between a lady and a thief is unthinkable...unless the truth can remain hidden.
Award-winning author Margaret Moore actually began her career at the age of eight, when she and a friend concocted stories featuring a lovely, spirited damsel and a handsome, misunderstood thief nicknamed "The Red Sheik." Unknowingly pursuing her destiny, Margaret graduated with distinction from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. During that time, she also became a Leading Wren with the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, where she learned to use a variety of weapons and had the weepy experience of being tear-gassed. In addition to being a wife and mother of two, she's also been an award-winning public speaker, synchronized swimmer, an archer, and studied fencing and ballroom dancing.
Margaret sold her first historical romance and the premiere book of her Warrior series, A WARRIOR'S HEART, to Harlequin Historicals® in 1991. Since that time, she's written over 25 historical romance novels and novellas. She has also written for Avon Books, as well as a young adult historical romance for HarperCollins Childrens Books. She now writes for Harlequin's new single title imprint, HQN.
Her books have been published in France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, Korea, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Russia, Poland and India.
While walking the grounds of Haverleigh, Lady Gwyneth sees DIRTY THIEVES in the woods and ends up adopting Gavin, the most handsome and well-spoken of the FILTHY VERMIN. Through blackmail and condescension, she convinces Gavin to pretend to be a CLASSY SQUIRE and teach the people of Haverleigh how to fight fight fight. Except while practicing these deceits, they FALL INTO KISSING AND/OR LOVE.
1. WOW, I did not like this? I really, really struggled to get through this. Part of this is just the fact that I've never been a huge fan of Medieval romances: I have yet to read a single one that doesn't have an overly simplistic scoping of relationships between men and women (i.e., it's always loathing that fades into respect that grows into LURVE), with characterizations and plotting to match.
The second part of it is just how ridiculous the plot is.
2. THE PLOT THOUGH. So Haverleigh's in danger because their next door neighbor, the Baron of DeVilliers, is LUSTING TERRIBLY over both the Haverleigh's estate as well as for Gwyneth. He wants it BAD to the point where he's paying off Haverleigh's soldiers to abandon ship as well as paying off the reeve for insider knowledge of the estate. This all culminates in DeVilliers marching on Haverleigh with a bunch of mercenaries to demand answers about the suspicious """squire""" on premises.
So all that isn't terrible: it's the goddamned resolution. Because it all climaxes with the sick Earl suddenly being well enough to visit the estate, the knight Gavin claimed to be squiring for arriving with lost of soldiers, DeVilliers being arrested and stripped of his lands, Gwyneth and Gavin declaring their intentions to wed, Gavin getting to be a real squire, etc. etc.
(DID I MENTION THAT GWYNETH IS 15?????)
It's A LOT. And it all happens in the last 2-3 chapters, too, making it even more RIDICULOUS.
3. The relationship was honestly kind of gross. Partially because Gwyneth is 15 and Gavin is some number of years older than that, but MOSTLY because of that progression of feelings I listed above. Gavin has a LOT of frustration and anger wrapped up in how he perceives himself and how he thinks Gwyneth perceives him: he's a DIRTY THIEF, remember, not a CLASSY SQUIRE and that's hurtful. So they snap at each other CONSTANTLY and say really mean, low shit and we're supposed to believe that this ground is ready to bear FEELINGS??
Gwyneth is just fifteen years old, but with her mother and brother dead, and her father ill, the responsibility of running her family's estate, Haverleigh, has fallen to her. Baron DeVilliers, who owns the neighboring estate, has made no secret of his wish to marry Gwyneth so that Haverleigh can be his. Gwyneth would do almost anything to avoid marrying such a despicable man. When she finds an unconscious thief in the woods, she decides that he is the answer to her problems. Gavin is not much older than her, but has lived his whole life in poverty. Gwyneth blackmails him into posing as a squire and training the men of Haverleigh to fight. Gavin reluctantly gives in to her plan. But neither Gwyneth nor Gavin expects the feelings of love that begin to grow between them. I highly recommend this Medieval romance to teenagers who enjoy historical romance, as well as older readers who enjoy sweet romances.
Best YA Medieval I have ever read -- a really brave heroine and the cutest thief ever!
Margaret Moore has written dozens of Harlequin Historicals, but it's amazing how much sexual tension she put into this YA Medieval. There's an intriguing reversal in that Gavin the tough young thief is actually "imprisoned" under lock and key in the pretty young damsel's castle! It's a subtle, but almost dream-like tension between them, like when he rattles the locked door trying to get out, and Gwyneth can hear his hoarse and heavy breathing, and after a while he gives up and falls back into bed. And he's dreaming about her before he knows it!
This one was pretty fun! It had several endearing characters and it’s pretty good if you want a simple historical teen romance. Some of the challenged racism is dated but definitely not offensive. It’s not long at all either so I recommend this if you want something enjoyable!
TW/CW: use of “exotic” to describe a Black girl, mention of former slavery, racism (from villainous characters and internalized once from the directed character), violence, off page executions (hanging), side character that’s ill.
I wasn’t really expecting a lot from this book, but it was super cute! It also avoided playing into the sexist misconceptions about the Middle Ages (women never have say in who they marry, noblewomen just sit around all day) and gave us a really dynamic heroine.
Okay, yes, I know it's geared toward a younger audience.
I know the story's cliche, and the writing's average and there's nothing overly special about it, but I love it. I loved it as much as I loved it 15 years ago.
And yeah okay sure, a lot of it's nostalgia because this was the very first book I picked up that I just flew through and adored and it's the story that made me love reading. So yes, it will always hold a dear dear place in my heart.
I know all that, but I also know that I love the determined gentlerogue that was Gavin. I love that Gwyneth was this strong, do what I have to women-lord at 15 without being a total bitch, which seems to be the only way strong women are portrayed today.
I loved the people of Haverleigh, so sweet and loyal and accepting.
It's just a really light hearted, fun story, filled to the brim with love and fluff.
I don’t know. Just not exactly the book I enjoy so much. Gwyneth and the Thief had an interesting enough story, and I wasn’t bored through it; but there were just some things in it that didn’t settle so well with me. I guess when I’m seeing more and more what truly makes a beautiful love story and marriage, these cheap romances don’t appeal so much to me. Like, he was so physically attractive, especially with his shirt off! And, we can go as far as we want physically, because we’re in love(!), that justifies everything! Then there’s, your parents did it, so whatever, go ahead. I don’t know. There wasn't really any inappropriate scenes as much as inappropriate implications. But it just falls empty for me, makes me a little sick inside. A love story written by God is EVER SO MUCH more beautiful!!
Looking for a sweet, fun, romance with everything wrapped up nicely? Read this book. It was cute. A Strong female character - a guy trying to do right by the world and by her - I can get behind that. I even laughed out loud (lol) a couple of times. That's actually not so easy a feat when I'm reading. . I would have loved it as a teen. As an adult.. I could tell you things that were wrong. But who cares? Enjoy the story. Go along with the cheese. If this isn't your cup of tea don't read it. As for me I like cheese, but it was more a book that sat on my shelf for years that i finally read and was happily entertained. . Also, I should mention, a clean romance.
I don't typically write reviews, but I feel like this one deserves it. I don't know about the rest of the people that read this book, but for me, I love this little romance!! I've always been a hopeless romantic and so despite this book being cheesy and occasionally not make sense in some instances, I loved every single part of it even with some of the flaws other reviewers have pointed out! You have no clue how many times I've reread this book. Since it's so short and so sweet, there have been some times when I've just taken a day to read the entire thing in a few hours (or I've stayed up reading it instead of sleeping... We all know the struggle). I think another reason why I love this book--and this series in general of Avon Romances--is because of my passed on Grandmother. She was a huge bookworm and had so many books that I was able to inherit. Reading books that she loved and had in her collection makes me feel like she's still here and is loving that I'm still reading the books she owned.
Gwyneth and the Thief lacks depth and interest for an older reader but would be a cute introductory romance for a young person aged, I don't know, 12-14. I know Gwyneth herself is 15 but, believe me, this is very tame compared to most more recently published young adult literature. I was pretty sheltered but I think even I would have been underwhelmed by the romance at 15.
There are a few brief mentions that make this book less suitable for a middle grade reader - two very fleeting mentions of suicide and some implied sex. I should probably also mention the fairly graphic hunting scene, although if you eat meat, you have no right to be shocked by that IMHO. Those fleeting moments aside, Gwyneth and the Thief is a gentle, sweet read, with unambiguous villains, easily eliminated roadblocks and loyalty by the bucket load.
A great read set in 1202 England in which a young woman has to step up to keep their home and herself from being a nasty neighbor who has aspirations of marrying her to get her property and her. Check out this story. I really liked it. Although Iwill say the language/tone seemed more American than British.
[2.5] This was recommended for fans of “Nicola and the Viscount” so I added it to my TBR…in 2018.
Perhaps if I’d read it that year it would’ve done a lot more for me. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the main pairing and for such a short book it seemed surprisingly repetitive.
Still, it was a quick, lighthearted read and the ending was quiet.
Set in 1202, 15-year-old Gwyneth has been secretly running her father's estate, Haverleigh, while he is recovering from an illness. A neighboring baron has become suspicious that Gwyneth's father is near death, and thinks that he can easily add Haverleigh's lands to his own by marrying Gwyneth. One day while walking through her woods, Gwyneth comes across a band of thieves scuffling. Gwyneth is impressed by the combat skills of a teenaged thief, Gavin, so although he loses the fight, she drags him back to her castle and nurses him back to health. In exchange for her help, Gavin and Gwyneth concoct a plan for Gavin to disguise himself as a traveling squire and teach Haverleigh's commoners how to fight - so that they will be able to defend themselves from the inevitable attack from their neighbor.
...
I think that I was expecting this book to be more impressive than it actually was. This is the fourth book I've read in the Avon True Romance line, and I think that this was the weakest so far.
One thing that I like about Medieval HRs is that the stakes always feel so high in this time period, and there is just something inherently gritty about the Middle Ages. I felt like this story was just lacking that medieval atmosphere. I wanted there to be more of a Forbidden Love between Gavin and Gwyneth, and more drama surrounding their class differences. A yearning, dramatic teen romance would lend itself so well to a medieval forbidden love story between a peasant and a lady, and I definitely felt like this story could have leaned into that more.
There were a lot of side characters in this, and almost all of them were teenagers. Huge "Teen Ensemble" vibes. I didn't find these characters to be very fleshed out, but I think that if I had read this as a teen/tween I would have found them to be a lot more entertaining. I did enjoy how much the author focused on Gavin's ability to mimic a noble's accent, and the fact that accent and language played a huge role in someone's social status in the Middle Ages.
Overall I was a little disappointed by this book, but I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if I was in the target age range. I expected more from this author because she has such a huge catalogue of adult Medieval HRs. I'm excited to read more of Margaret Moore's adult HRs, but I'm surprised at how uninspired her YA work was considering how impressed I've been with other authors writing for the Avon True Romance line.
Gwyneth is now in the forest and has encounter the thieves. The other thieves have deserted Gavin and Gwyneth said that since she is christian she is entitled to help him even if he is a thief. She then decides that to protect her kingdom from the devilliers who want to take over land by marriage she has made a deal with the thief that if he teaches her common men how to fight and until then he has to stay in the castle and act as if he is a squire from sir Henry and he was robbed at the forest. Gavin from Inverlea is his new identity. Slowly Gwenyth falls for Gavin. The king advisor doesn't like taking orders from Gwyneth who is only 17 so he often goes to the DeVilliers and informs them of whatever Gwyneth is doing so basically he is a traitor. Gavin later has his thief friends spying on him and they go to the DeViliers to inform that Gavin is not a squire for money in return. The Gavin sacrifices his freedom for Gwyneth's need when her kingdom run dangerously low on food they both completely head over heels in love and finally her kingdom is challenged by the men of the DeVillers and Gwyneth doesn't want to except but all the men with great love for Gwyneth and don't want her to marry the DeVillier's son so they with honor accept the challenge they end up winning and in the end Gavin earns his honor back and goes to become a knight or a squire to be worthy enough of Gwyneths hand in marriage.
This book is about a young girl, named Gwyneth, who must take control of her father's household while he is taken ill. She is faced with choosing the man who would take over her father's estate either by marriage or force or trust in a thief to help her protect her land.
I like this book because it is clean romance. The story is well developed in its characters and is fast paced. I enjoyed the fast pace and the style of the writing. For me, this was a good fantasy/medieval romance.
I liked all the main characters in this book--their actions and feelings were believable, although the ending was a little too tidy. I'm not complaining, though, because it was the ending I hoped for so the characters could have their hearts desire. After all, what kind of romance would it be if the characters didn't have a happy ending?
Typical so so writing. You don't really care much about the characters because the historical value isn't evoked very well. Gavin is incredibly annoying too, so for a romance, you don't really want them to fall in love.
These avon books are addicting, and not really written well..but strangely I read almost all of them in high school
A thief comes into gwtneth's room and she hire him to help her keep people from stealing her family's things as a favor for her saving him. In the process they both fall in love for each other but will it be enough in order for them to be together?
My friend recommended I read this for fun and it was a fun light read. Mostly cheesy, but kind of cute. It was very predictable, I had guessed the whole story after reading the title. I'd say it was an okay book that's definitely fit for it's advertised age group.
Read this way back, got it at Wal-Mart on a lark. I loved it, it was an easy read, as well as having a good storyline and a really likeable heroine. ^_^
I'm actually on my second copy of it, since I loaned my first copy to my sister and her puppy ate it. Oh well, at least she got me a new one.