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The Willing Wife
Claudia Dain Book Review

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Plot Summary of The Willing Wife
"

Leisure, Oct 2002, 5.99, 371 pp.
ISBN: 0843951117

In 1155 England, King Henry II provides a gift of land accompanied by a wife to Rowland the Dark of Aquitaine though the recipient wants neither an estate nor a spouse. The bride, Nicolaa of Cheneteberie accepts her fate as she has been widowed four times before and realizes that she might as well cooperate because she has no rights or even a nay say to these arranged marriages.

Though he preferred to remain single, Rowland knows no one lives to reject a regal present so he wants to make the marriage work. He goes out of his way to earn Nicolaa's trust. He begins his campaign to gain her love when he first concludes that she sees him as a passing nuisance because he plans to stay by her side if he can overcome the nightmares of his past.

Medieval romance fans will enjoy THE WILLING WIFE due to the interesting lead characters whose basic understanding of survival makes it possible for the reader to absorb quite a sense of the era. The story line engages the audience because of the attitudes of Nicolaa and Rowland, but also on the other hand makes for insignificant disputes between them. With this novel and books like THE MARRIAGE BED, readers will deign this author as one of the sub-genre's aristocracy.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Willing Wife
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story - Distant past/middle ages
Seduction/coercion/force Yes
How seduced/forced? - loving persuasion
Marriage/Married Yes
Marriage subplot: - arranged marriage spurring real love
Matchmake, (will/family) Yes
Matchmaker... - forced together for inheritance

Main Male Character
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
Age/status: - 20's-30's
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - politician/elected ruler
How sexual is this person? - very picky
How romantic is this person? - somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related? - 60%
Focus of story - equally on him and her
How much dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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