The Heroine: Finnula
Crais, a young maiden in the small village of Stephensgate, England
in the year 1291 AD. Known as an eccentric in her town for her habit
of wearing breeches instead of gowns and her considerable talent with
a crossbow, Finnula is forced to step even further beyond the
boundaries of proper behaviour for a young woman when her sister
falls pregnant out of wedlock and asks Finnula to kidnap a soldier
for her in order to collect the ransom to use as a dowry. Loyal and
courageous, Finnula captures the good-looking and charming Sir Hugh –
who, unbeknownst to her, is actually her vassal, Lord Hugo, on his
way back from the Crusades in the Holy Land. Enraptured by Finnula,
Hugo decides to play along with Finnula's scheme and sets them off
on a journey full of humour, unexpected twists and of course, love.
The Highs: Though
set in the Middle Ages, Meg Cabot's signature light and comedic style
is still present in Ransom
My Heart.
Funny and endlessly entertaining, the novel is a light-hearted
romantic comedy that is made more charming by its unlikely setting. I
really appreciated the author's commitment to staying true to the
time period, including such details as the proper historical terms
for clothing to the lifestyle of the illiterate peasants the period
is known for (at least, if you've been watching any Monty Python
lately).
The romance between Finnula and Hugo is at times sweet and tender and
at others, fraught with sexual tension. Stubborn, brave and loyal
Finnula is the perfect match for the headstrong, noble and
kind-hearted Hugo – the pair seems destined to end either in a
wedding or murder (though this novel includes both!). Their fiery
romance leaps off the page and Meg Cabot is no amateur when it comes
to penning steamy sex scenes!
I really loved the plot twists in this novel. Featuring many small
subplots within one story – you've got the classic romance, the
murder mystery and the historical drama – plot twists are abound
and just when you feel you have found the conclusion, another plot
emerges. I especially liked how the story doesn't climax at a
wedding; not all is resolved when the couple ends up together. This
novel features a many-layered plot to appeal to a wide audience.
The Lows: I
felt that a few things in the story came almost out of nowhere, when
I thought that perhaps their importance warranted at least a mention
earlier in the story. For example, Finnula's dog Gros Louis (a little
joke for anyone familiar with Meg Cabot's Princess
Diaries series!) is
quite important to the plot of the book, but is brought in rather
abruptly near the conclusion of the book without a single mention at
the beginning. It could show a lack of planning on the part of the
author when an element of the story seems added as an after-thought.
I
should also warn any readers who may object to scenes of a sexual
nature that Ransom My
Heart
is full of sex scenes that are fairly graphic in nature. Personally,
I'm all for it, so this was a high for me!
Final Thoughts: Ransom
My Heart
is an adorably funny historical romance, perfect for anyone looking
for an uplifting read.
Rating: Ransom
My Heart
earns eight barrels of brew out of ten.
Buy 'Ransom My Heart' on the Book Depository here
Connect with author Meg Cabot here
Photo from here
I've been meaning to read this for a while, but I still haven't gotten around to it. I thought it was really cute how in Forever Princess, Mia was supposed to have authored it. I definitely enjoyed the excerpts that they had in there. :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely check it out, its a really entertaining read. Yeah, it is cute how Mia "wrote" this! I loved the Princess Diary books when I was growing up, so Mia has a special place in my heart :) haha
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