When Love Awaits (Avon Historical Romance)

It's a great quick read. I give it 4.5 stars. Rolfe and Leonie have a lot of misunderstanding because he lets his ex-mistress stay at his castle, because she lies and tells him she is pregnant. He doesn't think Leonie knows she was his mistress and he believes she thinks Amelia is his ward. Therefore he is not worried about her staying there until the baby is born. He wants time for Leonie to fall in love with him before he tells her about the baby. Unfortunately Amelia is telling Leonie all sorts of things that are not true. Leonie does not say anything to Rolfe as she believes he still wants Amelia, and she doesn't want him to know she cares. Rolfe is faithful to Leonie during the book, unless you want to count the one time he almost gets with her, but doesn't know she is his wife. A mistake he makes before he really knows her. He doesn't know what she looks like because she hid her face during the wedding and their wedding night, because she had been beaten. He left immediately in the morning, and was away trying to seize one of his 7 castles. He hadn't planned on being faithful, since he was only marrying her to gain peace. All that changes once he realizes who she is.I do want to say someone really knocked the violence on this book. I want to say that at the beginning Leonie does not want to marry Rolfe, so her evil stepmother has her man of arms beat up Leonie until she agrees. It is not covered in the book. It goes from you knowing he is going to hurt her, but hasn't yet, to the next morning. So it is not covered at all other than to tell how bad she was beaten. As far as the almost rape thing goes, she is captured and they are getting ready to rape her. They are talking about doing it right then, but have not laid a hand on her yet. Then she is recused before it even starts. I wanted to straighten that out.

Set in England in 1176, this is the story of Lady Leonie, sent away by her father to her dower keep because he didn’t want to be reminded of her mother (or so she was led to believe). When her neighbor, Sir Rolfe d'Ambert, a favored knight of King Henry, discovers she owns the land that is causing all his problems, the mercenary Lord of Kempston asks the king for her hand. Leonie knows Rolfe only by reputation and it is not good, but she cannot defy the king. Little does Rolfe know, he is about to get more than he bargained for.This is a fun romp through time when Henry II ruled England and reflects research into the people’s lives in that era. There’s treachery, rogues and villains aplenty with enough adventure to keep you entertained. Rolfe is a worthy hero who will have his way. And Lionie is an honorable woman who will have hers.Of Lindsey’s many novels, I would say this is one of the lighter ones, but still has enough historical detail and enough angst to satisfy.

Wow! I love this read! This is a very good read. I lived the h/h and his story. The hero was brusqe in the beginning , but was a sweetheart throughout the book. The heroine was female and sweet, but not a door mat. She was strong and assertive when it came to The hero, but was very prideful. I would definitely recommend this read.

This is two books in a row with the same problem that came highly recommended. This one is medieval, during the time of Henry II. Rolfe is feuding with his neighbor and decides to solve his problems by marrying the woman Lady Leonie. So, it starts out fine though not very realistic from a historical standpoint. But it goes downhill quickly. Rolfe keeps his mistress around though he isn't sleeping with her anymore, but Leonie puts up with it in a very passive-aggressive way. There's also a weird subplot with her father and step-mother that ends up with Leonie beaten, so she's unrecognizable on her wedding day. Then it's just fighting and makeup sex with Leonie constantly running away and Rolfe bringing her back. It was just tiresome as it didn't make for much of a story. Rolfe is the big gruff knight and Leonie the airhead woman constantly causing trouble because she can't listen to advice. Ugh, not for me.

This is my favorite author and to get one of her stories for $1.99 is more than a bargain it's an out right bonafided STEAL. I almost feel guilty for not paying more.It was one of Johanna's better efforts and I loved the Black Wolf. Though I thought he was a bit obtuse at times and he really didn't understand women at all and his lady wife in particular. I am glad I don't live in times when wives were supposed to both submissive and blind to their mates mistresses. I really would not have fared well in that time.I found it a great and very entertaining story and because it is Johanna Lindsey it needs no other praise nor reason to buy and read. She is one of the most talented of the romance writers alive today and you can never go wrong with her stories.BUY, READ, AND ENJOY

If ever a book called for an epilogue this is one. I wished the author would have written what happened at the end when they went up to their bedroom and Rolfe's reaction to the baby news. This was a story that was based on frankly numerous misunderstandings between them so it would have been nice to have seen them finally sit down and talk like adults without all the secrets and lies. I felt a little cheated because Leonie told Rolfe she had a lot to tell him but it was never written. Also I would have liked to have known what happened with her father and Judith. Did Everard leave with that slut Amelia? And did Piers and Rolfe's sister-in- law fall in love?

I had read this book a long time ago and recently decided to buy it. I have all of Johanna Lindsay's books except most of the new ones. I have to say that Ms. Linday's older books are all wonderfully romantic and I have loved every one of them. Her last books have been a real disappointment though. It's like someone else is doing the writing ... characters are not "connecting" and the story just rushes through. I just wish Ms. Lindsay went back to write as she did before and until I hear differently I will not purchase any more of her books.

Lady Leonie has been living on her own terms since her father sent her away after he mother's death. She's independent, confident in her abilities and her subjects love her. Maybe too much as they take a public display of dislike by their lady as an order to make life difficult for their new neighbor.Rolfe D'Amberte is a warrior and has been since he had to leave his home in Gascony after his brother turned him out. 10 years on he is given land by the king to finally settle down but vassals from the previous owner rebell against him. The peasants from the neighboring keep don't make it easier by constantly wreaking havoc at his new home. He knows how to wage war but not how to run an estate.In order to restore peace Rolfe decides to marry Lady Leonie even though he has never met her. Through a few misunderstanding and intrigues at home, they have a difficult start but Rolfe is determined to make this union work.I originally bought this book because it sounded a lot like "Wolf and the Dove" by Kathleen E Woodiwiss. While lacking in the character development compared to Ms Woodiwiss, it's still a lovely story. Rolfe is a stern, temperamental men with a soft heart and a very hard head. We don't learn as much about him as we do about Leonie but his strong sense of right and wrong give him a maturity to balance Leonie's youthful impulsiveness. And she softens his hard edges somewhat by providing with a sense of home after so many years on the move.Overall very good.

Yes, I have read it all before many times but it still did not stop me from devouring this book. Maybe I was just in the mood, and it was JL writing and there were only a couple of Americanisms which helped enormously.If you want a 12th century romp with a devastatingly handsome Lord, with the sly ex Mistress and a beautiful little Lady, then go no further. Just relax and ENJOY the light relief.

Ok so from tome to time there are a few slips regarding grammar, so what! This is fiction and escapism. An entertaining story and a bit of fluff to entertain for a few hours.

This item was given to someone else as a gift.

Like most of Lindsey's novels, this is a great story with likeable characters. It is one of those books you can re-read ever so often and still appreciate :).