From This Moment On

September 2, 2002
With its gruff, burly hero and warrior-like heroine, Kurland's winsome medieval-era romance fearlessly flies in the face of convention. Colin of Berkhamshire, also known as the Butcher, is so fearsome that all of his prospective brides have created excuses to avoid marrying him—all except one. Aliénore of Sologne simply vanished and, disguised as a knight, secured a position attending Lady Sybil of Maignelay. Posing as Sir Henri, Aliénore accompanies Sybil to meet the man to whom she has been secretly betrothed. Too late, Henri realizes that the bridegroom is the infamous Butcher. Her horror intensifies when Colin, who prides himself on his fighting skills, makes it his mission to teach "Henri" sword skills and manliness of speech and mannerisms. Aliénore's wild imagination and Colin's resemblance to a large mastiff hound (with a tough exterior and soft interior) keep the narrative bursting with fun. The plot takes an even more delightful turn after Colin realizes Henri is his runaway Aliénore and he sets about "wooing" her with suave lines like "You look, um, quite a bit like a girl." A disarming blend of romance, suspense and heartwarming humor, this book is romantic comedy at its best.

September 15, 2002
To avoid being wed to the fiercest man in England, Colin of Berkhamshire, Alienore of Solonge flees her home disguised as Sir Henri, a young knight. After hiding out for nearly two years and serving as an escort for the ever-hungry Lady Sybil, Alienore sees the opportunity for which she has been waiting: once she escorts the recently betrothed Sybil to her new home, she'll run away. But to Alienore's great surprise, Sybil's new fiance turns out to be Colin, the Butcher of Berkhamshire! As Alienore plots to find some way to yet again escape from Colin, the brutal warrior decides he will teach Henri how to be a "real" knight. Kurland's latest romance is a deftly plotted delight, seasoned with a wonderfully wry sense of humor and graced with endearing, unforgettable characters, including a trio of healer-witches, a rough-around-the-edges hero who can't understand why all his fiancees flee or faint at the sight of him, and a heroine who discovers she is stronger than she ever imagined.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)