Always

Always by Lynsay Sands


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Rosamunde is the bastard daughter of the king of England. Training to become a nun, she has lived at the convent with the sisters for her entire life. That is, until her father shows up with a terrific specimen of the male physique (or what she assumes is a great example since she really has never met such a man or warrior before) and tells her that she is to marry.

Rosamunde is one day away from taking her vows as a nun when Aric shows up, marries her and consummates the marriage. She's bewildered by the man and what it means to be his wife.

King Henry insisted Aric marry his beautiful daughter, the product of the one woman, albeit a mistress, that he had loved. He knew that someone was out to kill him and possibly all those he loved to take the throne from him. What he didn't know was how soon it would happen.

Rosamunde and Aric go to the estate that King Henry gave the pair as a wedding tribute and begin to set things in order when the Bishop of Shrewsbury shows up with news that the king is dead.

Throughout the novel, we get a glimpse into Rosamunde and Aric's characters. Aric was cuckolded by a former woman with whom he was betroved. He fears that Rosamunde will cheat on him too ... in the exact same fashion ... in the stables with a stable boy or master. The problem is that although Rosamunde was never educated in how to care for a household, she is a wunderkind when it comes to animals, husbandry and veterinary care. So when Aric forbids her from attending the animals any longer, Rosamunde is lost.

Always is not one of Lynsay Sands's best. It's actually pretty much one of the ones I would catagorize as her worst. But as always with Lynsay Sands, because everything she writes is pretty awesome, Always is still up there in comparison with other novels.

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