Denise Domning -- A Love For All Seasons

Rated: ♥ ♥ ♥ . ♥   {3.75}
Action: ♠♠♠.♠ / Emotion: ♣♣♣♣.♣ / Romance: ♥♥♥♥ / Sensuous: ♦♦ / Suspense: ♠♠♠♠
Action: 3.5 / Emotion: 4.75 / Romance: 4 / Sensuous: 2 / Suspense: 4 / Medieval Flavor: 5 / Humor: 3 / Tears: 6

When first started reading A Love For All Seasons, the fifth and last book of Denise Domning's The Graistan Chronicles, had a couple of issues with the book.   First, couldn't figure out how it was tied to the other books of the series since the hero was in no way tied to the other brothers of the series and second, did not like the writing style of telling the tale by jumping back and forth between the present and the past.   However, somewhere around chapter 9, the story had become so engrossing, was unable to put the book down.   Also, as the story progressed, it became apparent that alternating between the past and the present increased the suspense and interest in the book.

One other issue arose as read A Love For All Seasons.   How did Domning choose names for the characters?   Her use of repetitious names was a bit confusing.   Take the name Johanna.   Johanna was the name of the nursemaid for the heroine's newborn in book four, Autumn's Flame.   The logical assumption upon seeing the name Johanna again on the back cover of book five was that this was the nursemaid's story.   Then there was Theobald, the name of the heroine's step-son in Autumn's Flame, and also the name of villain's agent in A Love For All Seasons.   Would have preferred a different naming standard for the supporting characters of the books.

Johanna of Stanrudde was a difficult heroine to warm up to.   She was introduced as the miserable, bitter, husband-hating wife of the villain, Katel le Espicer.   Since Johanna's fourteen year old son, Peter, was now an apprentice in another household and her marriage was beyond miserable, she had decided to go live in the nearby convent.   Five months later, Johanna was wondering why Katel was dragging her back to Standrudde.   Johanna was shocked at the crowd of hungry that were gathered around the abbey.   A crowd that Katel intends to use to extract his vengeance against the hero and heroine that he has hated for twenty-odd years.

Katel was an amazingly well-developed villain.   He has spent his entire life as a mummer (actor).   Whenever there is an audience, Katel is all that is kind and generous, but behind closed doors, Katel is vindictively selfish and unkind.   He extracts retribution against any who dare to slight him in the least.   Because Katel is a failure as a businessman, Katel's plan for Johanna is to accuse her of adultery so he can gain control of his son's properties.

As in her other books, Domning displays her amazing talent as a writer who keeps her characters and storylines true to the medieval language and actions.   In the opening pages, she reveals Katel's callousness, Johanna's sympathy for others affected by Katel's malice, and the games that pass between Johanna and Katel in their hate-filled marriage.   As the story progresses, and it is obvious that Johanna has been the spoiled-rotten daughter of Walter the spice merchant, it is logical to wonder how in the world could such a compassionate man tie his only daughter to such a cruel man for life?

Walter did not want to hand his daughter over to Katel, but he had signed a contract with Katel's wealthy father years ago and could not find an honorable way to terminate the agreement.   He tried to help his daughter all he could by writing his will to keep Katel from hitting Johanna and from spending all Johanna's (and any resulting children's) inheritance.   Walter's compassionate nature was readily apparent throughout the book.   Walter took a battered child from his abusive father, recognized his skills and made that child an apprentice -- and came to love that child.   However, in a gut-wrenching, tear-filled scene he denigrated that same child to his daughter in his efforts to kill her love for him.   Such an honorable man spewing such lies made that particular scene beyond difficult to read.

Robert, the Grossier from Lynn, had spent the last sixteen years becoming wealthy.   Other merchants were parading their daughters before him, but he could not marry any of them because his heart and his vows were given to Johanna.   Before Johanna was forced to married Katel, Robert and Johanna had secretly spoken marriage vows.   Unlike Johanna who could easily tell a falsehood, Robert was a man of honor who believed his oath was binding.

Rob was in Stanrudde to confront the man who had stolen some of his seeds.   Rob did not go to the sheriff to report the theft because he loved the wife of the man who had taken his seeds.   Rob did not want to see Johanna hang for Katel's deeds.   Rob was staying with Colin, his old master and friend (now a monk in the abbey).   Colin has spent years living with the guilt of helping Walter, his friend and mentor, marry Johanna off to Katel.   Colin brings up the touchy subject when they hear the announcement to the crowd to make way for Katel le Espicer's wife.   One particular quote from Colin to Katel epitomizes the plot of the entire book:

"Best you beware.   One day, you will tangle yourself in the webs you spin, bringing your own downfall upon you.   I only pray I am there to witness it when you do."

What a web Katel spins.   He incites the hungry crowd to riot by selling some of those stolen seeds using the Grossier from Lynn's name and then failing to produce more seeds as promised.   After the mob burns part of the town, Rob is arrested and brought before Stanrudde's merchant's council.   A member of the council is Jehan, the Wool Merchant, whose mother is Alwyna (also mother to Temric of Summer's Storm).   And the pieces begin to fall into place.   Alwyna thinks she is seeing Henry of Graistan's ghost when she sees Robert.

Richard, Lord Meynell made a short, but noteworthy appearance in A Love For All Seasons.   The male camaraderie between Richard and Rob is reminiscent of the interaction between the other brothers of the series.

Katel had not counted on Rob being the bastard son of a man whose other sons honored any son of Henry of Graistan.   Thanks to Johanna's love for Rob and Alwyna's interference, and after some suspenseful finagling, Rob found his happily-ever-after with Johanna.   Although there was a sense of romance throughout the entire book, the sexual tension was slight because Johanna and Rob spent an inordinate amount of time apart during the path to true love.   In typical Domning style, when Rob and Johanna made love it was with sweet intensity (as befit the story) instead of heat and spice.

Denise Doming wrote another winner with A Love For All Seasons.   And although it took a while to tie the books together, it is a very unique story that adds to the series.   Would recommend this series to any lover of medieval romance.   It has been an entertaining adventure in reading.
--Vonda M. Reid (Thursday; February 3, 2011 : 1:33 p.m.)

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Books In The Series: "The Graistan Chronicles"

#	Date	Book Title	Hero	Heroine
01.	02-1994	Winter's Heat	Rannulf FitzHenry, Lord of Graistan	Rowena "Wren" of Benfield
02.	08-1994	Summer's Storm	Richard "Temric" FitzHenry, Lord Meynell	Philippa of Lindhurst
03.	04-1995	Spring's Fury	Gilliam FitzHenry, Lord Ashby	Nicola "Colette" of Ashby
04.	11-1995	Autumn's Flame	Geoffrey FitzHenry, Lord Coudray	Elyssa of Freyne
05.	12-1996	A Love For All Seasons	Robert of Blacklea, Grossier of Lynn	Johanna of Stranrudde

Books Similar to "A Love For All Seasons"

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A Love For All Seasons Quotations:

131     . . . stared after them in the helpless confusion that affected all men when dealing with Eve's daughters and their emotions. . . .

211     . . . Too long had she been in the habit of concentrating on all that was bad in her life.   Aye, so deep had her belief in the negative been, she'd nearly died.   This morn she saw how much of what had happened yesterday was good. . . .

234     . . . wanted to believe that the Lord God would intercede on behalf of an innocent man, it was very difficult to hold onto that in the face of . . .

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Denise Domning
♠  Website
♣  aka: Denise Hampton

Denise Domning Book List:
♠  Fantastic Fiction
♣  FictionDB

Denise Hampton Book List:
♠  Fantastic Fiction
♣  FictionDB

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A Love For All Seasons Reviews:

Rated	Posted	Site	Notes, Comments, Etc.
4.50 average	{2 reviews}	Amazon	as of: 12-14-2010
3/5	11-28-2008	Aneca's World
3.27 average	{3 reviews}	Goodreads	as of: 12-14-2010
3.00 average	{2 ratings}	Shelfari	as of: 12-14-2010
3.75	02-14-2010	Wolf Bear Does Books

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Notes:
♥  Disclaimer:  I purchased this book.
♥  Willing to share Cheat Sheet
    ♦  in whole or in part

    ♦  WordPerfect or PDF

♣  Will add your A Love For All Seasons review link to table, just ask