(Originally published under the title MOTHER MAY I? in the print anthology A MOTHER'S WAY)
ByLynsay Sands
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Readers` Reviews
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
morgan scott
I have a theory that this little novella was one that Lynsay Sands wrote long before she got her first book published. The Goodreads description says that it originally appeared in an anthology that was published in 2002, but even judging against the books published during this period, the beginning of her career, Knight of My Dreams is just a very amateurishly written book. This has to be an old piece that she wrote behind closed doors in her late high school or early college years, before she'd gained the confidence to even tell anyone she wanted to be a writer. Something she dusted off and submitted for the anthology once she'd become better established. Because even back in 2002, Lynsay Sands was a much better writer of plot and character development than is on display in this book.
<Spoiler Alert>
The story is that Lord Jonathan has been ordered by the king to find a wife in the next two weeks or he'll appoint one himself. That's all a lie, however. The truth is that Jonathan's mother has orchestrated the whole thing. She has a girl all picked out and has been scheming for the last FIVE YEARS to get Jonathan together with her. This girl is, of course, Alice, the heroine. What exactly has the mother been doing that it's taken her five years to enact this charade? We never get to find out. We only get a vague reference to her having paraded a number of other women in front of Jonathan to keep up the ruse that she was trying desperately to find him a bride, any bride, so that when she pretended to NOT want Jonathan to meet Alice, it would be guaranteed to pique his interest.
That's pretty convoluted, not to mention dangerous. Five years is a long damn time to keep up a charade like that. What if he had actually liked one of those other girls? What if Alice had fallen in love with someone else? What if Jonathan hadn't been stupid enough to fall for his mother's VERY obvious performance? It was all very weak. And beyond that, the mother has also endevoured to make it appear that she's involved in a romance with Alice's foppish uncle, knowing that it'll make Jonathan so outraged that he'll use Alice as an excuse to keep stalking his mother and the uncle on their secret "trysts."
Again, this is really convoluted and the fact that it works exactly like the mother plans just makes Jonathan seem stupid. Way too much of the story is focused on Jonathan and Alice being played by their manipulating relatives and falling for it hook, line and sinker. We didn't get to see their relationship actually growing organically. There wasn't enough time spent with them developing some kind of meaningful connection for me to buy that they actually loved each other after only a few days' acquaintance. Every time they tried to steal off alone together the mother would interrupt them so they couldn't. They were basically secondary characters in their own story, with the mother, the master puppeteer, being the primary.
And when they finally do get some alone time, they move from their first kiss directly to Alice getting her first orgasm in the space of a few minutes. It didn't feel justified. Then their mothers and the uncle turn up, and Jonathan's mother calls Alice a whore for having allowed him such liberties. Jonathan almost slaps his mother for insulting the woman he supposedly loves but then...doesn't. He doesn't really do anything to his mother, he just announces, after Alice has left, his intention to ask her to marry him the following day.
Then he does that and Alice refuses his proposal because his mother is such a nasty cow and she can't bear to spend the rest of her life being made miserable by the bovine. Jonathan accepts that and runs right back to his mother to whine about how she's ruined everything, instead of, say, offering to banish his mother from his life because Alice is more important? Or anything that would make him a strong, take-charge hero rather than the pussy-whipped mama's boy he is.
The mother promises to fix everything, even though she has right up to that very minute been maintaining her feigned attitude of hating Alice, which should have tipped Jonathan off that this was all a setup but doesn't because he's an idiot. Then she spills the whole plan to Alice to assure her that not only does she think Alice is the best choice for her son but she's actually manipulated the whole thing so that they'll get married. Alice is pacified and agrees to marry Jonathan under the condition that the mother not interfere anymore. The mother promises, ON HER HONOR, that she's done interfering and the moment Alice leaves, she starts making plans to interfere again. Which makes Alice stupid for believing her and the mother just plain evil.
She even reveals, while discussing the success of their scheme with Alice's mother, that the two mothers and the uncle had all sat there WATCHING Jonathan fingering Alice into an orgasm before coming in to "find" them because she had planned on using that compromising position to FORCE her son to propose if he wasn't inclined to do so of his own accord. Jesus Christ, woman. That's wrong on so many levels!
I think they call this a Jocasta complex, the opposite of the Oedipal complex, where instead of the son having unhealthy sexual feelings toward the mother, it's the mother toward the son. I mean, seriously, what mother happily watches her son perform a sex act on an innocent girl?? And as the story closes out, the mother is gleefully planning to hurry along the conception of her future grandbabies by slipping Alice and Jonathan herbs that both increase fertility and sexual drive. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think she also plans to be in the room with them during the act to give pointers on the best positions as well!
So yeah, very weak "romance" between our hero and heroine since they were just pathetic cardboard cutouts with no will of their own in the situation. And a major squick-factor with the mother and her far from acceptable level of obsession with her son's sex life. (shudder).
There were also a bunch of things that seemed anachronistic, like Alice never having an escort of any kind and being allowed to just wander off with Jonathan whenever she pleased - or rather, whenever Jonathan's mother pleased since she was the one in charge - but compared to the travesty of the rest of the story, they hardly registered with me.
<End Spoiler>
All in all, I think it would have been better if this one stayed in the vault!
<Spoiler Alert>
The story is that Lord Jonathan has been ordered by the king to find a wife in the next two weeks or he'll appoint one himself. That's all a lie, however. The truth is that Jonathan's mother has orchestrated the whole thing. She has a girl all picked out and has been scheming for the last FIVE YEARS to get Jonathan together with her. This girl is, of course, Alice, the heroine. What exactly has the mother been doing that it's taken her five years to enact this charade? We never get to find out. We only get a vague reference to her having paraded a number of other women in front of Jonathan to keep up the ruse that she was trying desperately to find him a bride, any bride, so that when she pretended to NOT want Jonathan to meet Alice, it would be guaranteed to pique his interest.
That's pretty convoluted, not to mention dangerous. Five years is a long damn time to keep up a charade like that. What if he had actually liked one of those other girls? What if Alice had fallen in love with someone else? What if Jonathan hadn't been stupid enough to fall for his mother's VERY obvious performance? It was all very weak. And beyond that, the mother has also endevoured to make it appear that she's involved in a romance with Alice's foppish uncle, knowing that it'll make Jonathan so outraged that he'll use Alice as an excuse to keep stalking his mother and the uncle on their secret "trysts."
Again, this is really convoluted and the fact that it works exactly like the mother plans just makes Jonathan seem stupid. Way too much of the story is focused on Jonathan and Alice being played by their manipulating relatives and falling for it hook, line and sinker. We didn't get to see their relationship actually growing organically. There wasn't enough time spent with them developing some kind of meaningful connection for me to buy that they actually loved each other after only a few days' acquaintance. Every time they tried to steal off alone together the mother would interrupt them so they couldn't. They were basically secondary characters in their own story, with the mother, the master puppeteer, being the primary.
And when they finally do get some alone time, they move from their first kiss directly to Alice getting her first orgasm in the space of a few minutes. It didn't feel justified. Then their mothers and the uncle turn up, and Jonathan's mother calls Alice a whore for having allowed him such liberties. Jonathan almost slaps his mother for insulting the woman he supposedly loves but then...doesn't. He doesn't really do anything to his mother, he just announces, after Alice has left, his intention to ask her to marry him the following day.
Then he does that and Alice refuses his proposal because his mother is such a nasty cow and she can't bear to spend the rest of her life being made miserable by the bovine. Jonathan accepts that and runs right back to his mother to whine about how she's ruined everything, instead of, say, offering to banish his mother from his life because Alice is more important? Or anything that would make him a strong, take-charge hero rather than the pussy-whipped mama's boy he is.
The mother promises to fix everything, even though she has right up to that very minute been maintaining her feigned attitude of hating Alice, which should have tipped Jonathan off that this was all a setup but doesn't because he's an idiot. Then she spills the whole plan to Alice to assure her that not only does she think Alice is the best choice for her son but she's actually manipulated the whole thing so that they'll get married. Alice is pacified and agrees to marry Jonathan under the condition that the mother not interfere anymore. The mother promises, ON HER HONOR, that she's done interfering and the moment Alice leaves, she starts making plans to interfere again. Which makes Alice stupid for believing her and the mother just plain evil.
She even reveals, while discussing the success of their scheme with Alice's mother, that the two mothers and the uncle had all sat there WATCHING Jonathan fingering Alice into an orgasm before coming in to "find" them because she had planned on using that compromising position to FORCE her son to propose if he wasn't inclined to do so of his own accord. Jesus Christ, woman. That's wrong on so many levels!
I think they call this a Jocasta complex, the opposite of the Oedipal complex, where instead of the son having unhealthy sexual feelings toward the mother, it's the mother toward the son. I mean, seriously, what mother happily watches her son perform a sex act on an innocent girl?? And as the story closes out, the mother is gleefully planning to hurry along the conception of her future grandbabies by slipping Alice and Jonathan herbs that both increase fertility and sexual drive. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think she also plans to be in the room with them during the act to give pointers on the best positions as well!
So yeah, very weak "romance" between our hero and heroine since they were just pathetic cardboard cutouts with no will of their own in the situation. And a major squick-factor with the mother and her far from acceptable level of obsession with her son's sex life. (shudder).
There were also a bunch of things that seemed anachronistic, like Alice never having an escort of any kind and being allowed to just wander off with Jonathan whenever she pleased - or rather, whenever Jonathan's mother pleased since she was the one in charge - but compared to the travesty of the rest of the story, they hardly registered with me.
<End Spoiler>
All in all, I think it would have been better if this one stayed in the vault!
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
jesse markus
I love light historical romances, but this one did not appeal to me. It was well written, as is the norm with Lynsay Sands, and the premise was very appealing. However, the hero spoiled the story for me. He seemed very immature and too easily manipulated.
I have read other romance stories that involved amusing manipulation and trickery against the heroes, but the heroes had more substance. Despite being fooled, they were intelligent, assertive and had sex appeal. The hero in this story struck me as very thick, petulant and wimpy. His actions seemed passive-aggressive, rather than assertive. Whatever his mummy said, he did the opposite, rather than assess each situation intelligently and make decisions based on rational thought. He reminded me of a two year old being dragged to bed by his mother, while kicking and screaming all the way. As a result, I couldn't suspend disbelief enough to view him as a swoon-worthy hero. I realize I am in the minority on this one, but that was my honest reaction to the story.
I have this story in the original paper anthology and did not purchase it through the store. When I bought it, I was eager to read the Lynsay Sands story, but was very disappointed when I did. Since mine is one of the few critical reviews at this time, I still recommend the story because my reaction may be harsh. I'm letting my two stars stand, though, because potential readers should be aware that the hero may not be to all tastes.
I have read other romance stories that involved amusing manipulation and trickery against the heroes, but the heroes had more substance. Despite being fooled, they were intelligent, assertive and had sex appeal. The hero in this story struck me as very thick, petulant and wimpy. His actions seemed passive-aggressive, rather than assertive. Whatever his mummy said, he did the opposite, rather than assess each situation intelligently and make decisions based on rational thought. He reminded me of a two year old being dragged to bed by his mother, while kicking and screaming all the way. As a result, I couldn't suspend disbelief enough to view him as a swoon-worthy hero. I realize I am in the minority on this one, but that was my honest reaction to the story.
I have this story in the original paper anthology and did not purchase it through the store. When I bought it, I was eager to read the Lynsay Sands story, but was very disappointed when I did. Since mine is one of the few critical reviews at this time, I still recommend the story because my reaction may be harsh. I'm letting my two stars stand, though, because potential readers should be aware that the hero may not be to all tastes.
The Switch :: A Quick Bite (Argeneau Vampires, Book 1) :: A Bite to Remember (Argeneau Vampires, Book 5) :: An Argeneau Novel (Argeneau Vampire) - The Reluctant Vampire :: Tall, Dark & Hungry (Argeneau Vampire)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
stephanie rowe
Mother knows best. The poor knight in this tale didn’t stand a chance because he had the most amazingly manipulative mother I’ve ever read about. What I liked were her reasons for doing so. She loved her son and would do anything to get him married. However, the lengths that woman went to should be an Olympic event. I was greatly amused. Jonathan, most assuredly, was not.
I think that’s why I liked this short story so much. There wasn’t any meanness or criminal plots to deal with. Knight of My Dreams was simply fun, romantic and entertaining and charming. I enjoyed watching Alice and Jonathan together and seeing the hero’s fascination with the heroine grow by leaps and bounds. I appreciated the sensual tease and build-up and the internal and external dialogue that occurred. It kept me abreast of just how hard and fast they were both falling for each other.
Something else I liked were the secondary characters that assisted in the rouse. I think Jonathan’s mom was the most fleshed out, with Alice’s mother coming in a close second. The two were obviously well versed in proper behavior and etiquette but the author let me see a glimpse here and there of the young women they once were. What a lively pair!
Things came to a head when the hero’s mom went one scheme too far but as with all terrific romance stories, a happy ever after is in the offing once the truth is revealed. I got a kick out of the fact that the hero was the last to know especially since it was his own mother and he really should have known better. I guess is it’s because the hero was slightly and delightfully distracted by Alice. That works for me.
This novelette moves at a quick clip with interesting schemes happening one after the other. Perhaps some depth of characterization might have suffered from the fast pace but I didn’t dwell too much about that. I was too busy laughing when Alice and Jonathan were continually interrupted and thwarted and because of that could understand their sensual frustration. Call me twisted but I thought it funny.
If a historical romance fan needs a quick fix of romantic delight, look no further than Knight of My Dreams. It’s sweet, comical and has a grin worthy promise of a happy ever after. It’s worth reading.
Originally posted at long and short reviews
I think that’s why I liked this short story so much. There wasn’t any meanness or criminal plots to deal with. Knight of My Dreams was simply fun, romantic and entertaining and charming. I enjoyed watching Alice and Jonathan together and seeing the hero’s fascination with the heroine grow by leaps and bounds. I appreciated the sensual tease and build-up and the internal and external dialogue that occurred. It kept me abreast of just how hard and fast they were both falling for each other.
Something else I liked were the secondary characters that assisted in the rouse. I think Jonathan’s mom was the most fleshed out, with Alice’s mother coming in a close second. The two were obviously well versed in proper behavior and etiquette but the author let me see a glimpse here and there of the young women they once were. What a lively pair!
Things came to a head when the hero’s mom went one scheme too far but as with all terrific romance stories, a happy ever after is in the offing once the truth is revealed. I got a kick out of the fact that the hero was the last to know especially since it was his own mother and he really should have known better. I guess is it’s because the hero was slightly and delightfully distracted by Alice. That works for me.
This novelette moves at a quick clip with interesting schemes happening one after the other. Perhaps some depth of characterization might have suffered from the fast pace but I didn’t dwell too much about that. I was too busy laughing when Alice and Jonathan were continually interrupted and thwarted and because of that could understand their sensual frustration. Call me twisted but I thought it funny.
If a historical romance fan needs a quick fix of romantic delight, look no further than Knight of My Dreams. It’s sweet, comical and has a grin worthy promise of a happy ever after. It’s worth reading.
Originally posted at long and short reviews
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
jeremy whitesides
What worked
Kathleen says: I LOVED the story line, it was VERY entertaining and totally grabbed me from page one. I loved the humor that was added in and also the fact that I was so invested in the characters.
I LOVED the banter that went on between Jonathan and his mother. It made this story even more interesting.This book definitely engaged all of my emotions. Considering the length of the book, I say all those facts are AMAZING!
What didn’t work
Kathleen says: The only thing that I could possibly say that did not work is I WISHED it was longer. I could have just kept reading on and on.
Best scene(s)
Kathleen says: Best scenes? The whole darn thing was a best scene, but I will add just a few.
I loved one of the first scenes of the book where the hero Jonathan calls his mom out on how she described the heroine Alice to him; he did this in front of Alice, so funny.
It was too funny when Jonathon dragged Alice into the bushes to spy on his mother and Alice’s uncle.
All of the Bride feast scenes, they were all hilarious.
The intimate scenes between Jonathan and Alice. I could really feel their attraction.
Near the end, Jonathan’s mother comes up with yet another plot involving Jonathon and Alice.
Favorite Character(s)
Kathleen says: My favorite character was Alice; she was naturally honest and was very smart. I loved how she did not like being sneaky or playing games where others were concerned.
I also LOVED Jonathan’s mother. Her plotting to get Jonathan and Alice together made this whole story a very funny and interesting read.
Overall Thoughts
Kathleen says: My rating on this book is 5 Stars! For a short book, it packed a lot of content and I LOVED every moment! The humor added into this book, made the story for me. All the characters were wonderful, I LOVED them all. I HIGHLY recommend this book to all romance lovers who enjoy a fantastic short, filled with wonderful characters, and a story line so humorous that will be hard for you to put down until the very end. ~ 5 Stars!
Kathleen says: I LOVED the story line, it was VERY entertaining and totally grabbed me from page one. I loved the humor that was added in and also the fact that I was so invested in the characters.
I LOVED the banter that went on between Jonathan and his mother. It made this story even more interesting.This book definitely engaged all of my emotions. Considering the length of the book, I say all those facts are AMAZING!
What didn’t work
Kathleen says: The only thing that I could possibly say that did not work is I WISHED it was longer. I could have just kept reading on and on.
Best scene(s)
Kathleen says: Best scenes? The whole darn thing was a best scene, but I will add just a few.
I loved one of the first scenes of the book where the hero Jonathan calls his mom out on how she described the heroine Alice to him; he did this in front of Alice, so funny.
It was too funny when Jonathon dragged Alice into the bushes to spy on his mother and Alice’s uncle.
All of the Bride feast scenes, they were all hilarious.
The intimate scenes between Jonathan and Alice. I could really feel their attraction.
Near the end, Jonathan’s mother comes up with yet another plot involving Jonathon and Alice.
Favorite Character(s)
Kathleen says: My favorite character was Alice; she was naturally honest and was very smart. I loved how she did not like being sneaky or playing games where others were concerned.
I also LOVED Jonathan’s mother. Her plotting to get Jonathan and Alice together made this whole story a very funny and interesting read.
Overall Thoughts
Kathleen says: My rating on this book is 5 Stars! For a short book, it packed a lot of content and I LOVED every moment! The humor added into this book, made the story for me. All the characters were wonderful, I LOVED them all. I HIGHLY recommend this book to all romance lovers who enjoy a fantastic short, filled with wonderful characters, and a story line so humorous that will be hard for you to put down until the very end. ~ 5 Stars!
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
sherelle
I love Lynsay Sands! I’ve been reading her stories for a long time… The fact that I own Knight Of My Dreams in it’s print edition from the 2002 A Mother’s Way anthology should tell you something. ;) I collect my favs and was tickled pink to curl up with it’s digital release and giggle and sigh again on Alice and Jonathan’s road to romance.
I adored Alice. She’s clever and loves to read… She’s a delight! And Jonathan… *swoon* He’s a knight and a leader of men but his mother has him in a completely tizzy. Ha! His mother, Lady Margaret, is… just brilliant!
This novella is the perfect length to curl up with to lift your spirits. I just beamed as I read it, laughed when Jonathan was frustrated at his mother’s machinations and sighed as Jonathan and Alice fall hard for each other… It also made me want to go on a picnic.
A few of my fav lines…
♥ As he’d suspected, Alice was a clever woman, and her witty turn of phrase and irreverent sense of humor drew Jonathan like a moth to a flame. He only hoped he did not get burned.
♥ Alice paused for a moment to take in his youthful expression, amusement twisting her lips as she gazed upon him. Then, realizing that she was wasting prime reading time…
See? Love her!
If you haven’t read Lynsay Sands before you are in for a treat! If you are already a fan then you know what’s in store. Knight Of My Dreams is a sweet, sexy historical romance that’s filled with well rounded, likeable characters, laugh out loud moments and lotsa heart. Enjoy!
The Queen of Tarts
♦ review copy provided for my honest opinion.
I adored Alice. She’s clever and loves to read… She’s a delight! And Jonathan… *swoon* He’s a knight and a leader of men but his mother has him in a completely tizzy. Ha! His mother, Lady Margaret, is… just brilliant!
This novella is the perfect length to curl up with to lift your spirits. I just beamed as I read it, laughed when Jonathan was frustrated at his mother’s machinations and sighed as Jonathan and Alice fall hard for each other… It also made me want to go on a picnic.
A few of my fav lines…
♥ As he’d suspected, Alice was a clever woman, and her witty turn of phrase and irreverent sense of humor drew Jonathan like a moth to a flame. He only hoped he did not get burned.
♥ Alice paused for a moment to take in his youthful expression, amusement twisting her lips as she gazed upon him. Then, realizing that she was wasting prime reading time…
See? Love her!
If you haven’t read Lynsay Sands before you are in for a treat! If you are already a fan then you know what’s in store. Knight Of My Dreams is a sweet, sexy historical romance that’s filled with well rounded, likeable characters, laugh out loud moments and lotsa heart. Enjoy!
The Queen of Tarts
♦ review copy provided for my honest opinion.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
jitaditya
This was originally release in the anthology A Mother's Way.
I am uncertain how I missed this when I was running through all the Lynsay Sands books once I discovered her, but it might be due to the truly atrocious cover on the original anthology.
This is a very short story perfect for a lunch time reading, just enough length to give you the story but not so long you couldn't finish it during your lunch and/or breaks. Like most of Lynsay Sand's heroines Lady Alice is intelligent and she is willing to speak her mind. Jonathan is our stubborn and contrary hero. He seems like a nice enough guy, but what really makes this story is his mother. She is so hilarious and endearing, I wouldn't likely want her as MY mother in law, but for this short story she is what pushes the story to hilarity rather than merely amusement.
This is a must read!
I am uncertain how I missed this when I was running through all the Lynsay Sands books once I discovered her, but it might be due to the truly atrocious cover on the original anthology.
This is a very short story perfect for a lunch time reading, just enough length to give you the story but not so long you couldn't finish it during your lunch and/or breaks. Like most of Lynsay Sand's heroines Lady Alice is intelligent and she is willing to speak her mind. Jonathan is our stubborn and contrary hero. He seems like a nice enough guy, but what really makes this story is his mother. She is so hilarious and endearing, I wouldn't likely want her as MY mother in law, but for this short story she is what pushes the story to hilarity rather than merely amusement.
This is a must read!
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
angelface13181
As short stories go, this one was very well written and a lot of fun to read in one afternoon.
If you're in a mood to spend a short time in Medieval Era than you should give this story a try. With unconventional heroine and an Alpha hero, the story moves fast and entertains on all levels and through the end.
Melanie for b2b
If you're in a mood to spend a short time in Medieval Era than you should give this story a try. With unconventional heroine and an Alpha hero, the story moves fast and entertains on all levels and through the end.
Melanie for b2b
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
morag smith
Enjoyed the antics of Lady Fairley. Lynsay Sands writes about interesting characters by telling a unique and compelling story.
I read this short story in a few hours. I recommend it to all Lynsay Sands' fans and romance readers.
I read this short story in a few hours. I recommend it to all Lynsay Sands' fans and romance readers.
Please Rate(Originally published under the title MOTHER MAY I? in the print anthology A MOTHER'S WAY)
The meddling by Margaret led to numerous humorous situations, awkward meetings, and two main characters both wondering why the other wasn’t a suitable match. Both the plot and characters were relatively straightforward. There were no major plot twists to jump out at readers. The characters behaved true to character, again with few surprises. They were easy to like, if a bit blind to the manipulation going on around them.
This was a cute story. As far as historical romance goes, it was pretty light on historical details beyond the setting and a few period specific situations. As long as readers can picture a royal court, period dress, and a lack of modernity, there is no real need for background knowledge or even interest in historical events.
As it has been a while since my last historical read, this was a fun change of pace. I found myself grinning at Margaret’s antics and the reactions of both Alice and Jonathan to the maneuvering going on around them. It was an entertaining, quick read, full of humor and fun.
Thanks to Lynsay Sands and HarperCollins for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.