Book Review-A Year And A Day

A Year And A Day 
de Warren Trilogy
Virginia Henley
Dell, 483 Pages
Published Nov 1998
Medieval/Scottish Highlands
ISBN:0-440-22207-9

Synopsis
Set in Scotland during the time of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, A Year and Day features Englishman Lynx de Warenne and Celtic heroine Jane Leslie. Lynx is a powerful yet cynical knight who is delighted to lay claim to Scotland's Dumfries Castle as commanded by the king. In Dumfries, Lynx enjoys his steward, Jock Leslie, and Leslie's enormous family of 10 children and 31 grandchildren. Lynx, at age 30, is desperate for an heir and proposes that he marry the youngest Leslie daughter, despite that she is a commoner and has no interest in marriage. Lynx believes that the Leslies are so fertile that he is willing to marry beneath himself just for the sake of a child. Jane Leslie, a proud Celtic healer, is a sensitive creature who communes with wild animals and paints lodestones. Although Jane has strong wishes to the contrary, the two engage in a handfast: they will be together as husband and wife for a year and day; after that time, they will be able to choose whether to stay together. The love affair that ensues is tempestuous and passionate and pure Virginia Henley!

MY REVIEW
 
Summary:
Lynx DeWarren after losing his wife of five years, wonders if he will ever be able to have any children. Not having children from his mistress either, he wonders if its all on him. But he is determined to have a child, as his heir. Then he comes to the Dundries Castle, where he meets the steward, who is father to ten children. And when he finds out about handfasting, where you can handfast with a woman for a year and a day, and if you have a child, that child is legitimate, and at the end of the allotted time you can decide whether to wed or not. So he decides to handfast with Jane Dunfrie, the youngest daughter who has yet to wed. Jane Dunfrie, is afraid of men ever since she was attacked in the woods. Jane has inherited special celtic gifts from her grandmother, as well as her younger brother. Jane is a healer and that is what she wants to do for the rest of her life, however her father has different ideas. So with not much choice, she handfasts with Lynx, but never expected to find...and a tender love in her lynx's arms.
The Hero 
Lynx DeWarren is Edward Plantagenet's most prized warrior, and loyal to those he serves. But even though he is a great and talented warrior for England, he knows that there is something missing in his life. He knows he must marry again, and have a heir, but he wonders if he is lacking in being able to produce a child. But when he handfast's with Jane, he knows that he has a very good chance of bearing children. What he never expected in this handfasting with Jane, was to fall in love, which he never believed in until he met her. 

The Heroine 
Jane Leslie, has unique gifts from her celtic heritage. Inheriting these gifts from her grandmother, she can connect with any animal she is near. She is also a great healer, and knows that is what she would do rather than get married. Although she loves all of her nieces and nephews, but ever since she was attacked by a man in the woods, she has stayed far from men apart from her own family. But then she meets Lynx, with stunning eyes, she knows that she will never be the same, and that he is a sign, of what she doesn't know yet. But then she ends up handfasting with him, and knows if she isn't careful she will fall in love with him.

My Thoughts
 This is the first from Virginia Henley that I have read and I read this pretty quickly and I am eager to read more of her books if they are anything like A Year and a Day. I truly enjoyed this story, and I am so glad that I decided to start reading from this author. A Year and a Day is a true classic romance story, It takes place around the time with Robert Bruce, and one of the most romantic times of history, especially since I love anything that involved Scotland, which this story definitely does. I very much loved the plot of this story, and all the characters that were involved, definitely more of a emotionally involved romance. It was definitely fast paced with passion, mystery, adventure and a sparkling love story that will bring tug at your heartstrings. So fasten your seatbelts for one hell of a ride.

My Grade On This Book 
4 Blossoms

Other Books In The Series 
Infamous
Notorious