Jude Deveraux

A knight in shining armor

Sarah Sammis

I didn't grow up reading romances. The few I read were during camping trips when I had run out of my own stash of books and was desperate to read anything. I'm still not much of a romance reader but I picked up A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux because all the other women in my local BookCrossing group had read and loved the book.

The set up is fairly standard 1980s "strong female" type plot: young woman on holiday with her fiancé ends up for the shock of her life and finds herself alone in an unfamiliar place (in this case England). This time, the heroine is Dougless Montgomery. She's put upon but equally as whiney and childish as her would-be fiancé and step daughter. I hated her from the very first page – not a good start for a book.

Once abandoned, the heroine must fend for herself. Thankfully an ornery but dashing man materializes to help her on her way to being a stronger and independent person. In this case, he's transported from the 16th century for reasons unknown. He's the late Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck. Dougless had been weeping at his tomb but he is no ghost!

The novel goes onto to tell the same story twice, once with Nicholas adapting to the 20th century and once for Dougless adapting to the early 16th century. Both times are distressing and challenging but they muddle through it and both characters end up better people for the process.

Although the book didn't hold my attention and I didn't connect with either of the main characters, I did like a few things. First of all, the minutiae of the 16th century is correct as far as I can tell. Deveraux also worked through the possibilities of paradoxes and changes to the timeline so it stands up as a time travel story as long as you accept that they go from era to era just because the plot requires it.

Abandoned by her lover after a quarrel, Dougless Montgomery is stranded in rural England, but with the sudden appearance of Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck--who died centuries ago--a passionate affair begins.

A Knight in Shining Armor

Elizabeth Clement

Really had trouble getting in to this one, and the ending was completely WTF. I found both protagonists completely unlikeable, although it's understandable that Nicholas would be difficult. I was disappointed that Dougless didn't really evolve at all.

Once upon a time, as a fair maiden lay weeping upon a cold tombstone, her heartfelt desire was suddenly made real before her: tall, broad of shoulder, attired in gleaming silver and gold, her knight in shining armor had come to rescue his damsel in distress. Thoroughly modern Dougless Montgomery meets her sixteenth-century hero who carries her heart away.

Jaclyn

I read this so long ago & it still sticks out to me. Enchanting plot with a mesmerizing and timeless romance. Such a beautiful & magical story!

Sarah Escorsa

Judy McClure

Reread. Dated but still fun. An old favourite.

Amanda J 

I have never been so let down by a book. This is supposedly the best romance novel. I liked most everything about this book except for the ending. I want to forget I read it. URGH.

b.andherbooks

I've been exploring the romance genre lately, okay, not just lately but broadening my scope and trying to really explore all the different sub-genres. This one came onto my radar from an NPR article I recently read AND from its place on the NPR list of favorite romance novels. This quote also cinched the deal for me:
All you Outlander fans, take note: The story involves chivalry, bravery, time travel, and a bittersweet ending that romance fans still debate. I found it to be perfect, and remember crying over my copy of A Knight in Shining Armor when I read it.

Well, I wasn't as enchanted with this as I would have hoped. Perhaps it was over praised, but really I think that it felt just a tad too dated for me. The heroine is a pretty sad sally in the beginning, but DOES grow throughout. I ended up cheering for her. However, the hero did NOT do it for me. He came across as a bozo, and while I appreciate he was from the 1500s, I grew tired of his pomposity, his force, and his delight into turning a NO into a yes. This would have been better for me if it kept the comedic tone and had the heroine figuring out he was a bozo. 

There was also this whole bit about their souls being connected and that's why they travel through time, and when they do it they go back to their time, but it wasn't explored to my liking.

Also, I guess the ending of this novel is super controversial, because it isn't a true HEA. I liked that part the best actually.

Matilda

sisyphean

New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux will capture your heart with signature classic novel, a time-travel romance featuring a present-day heroine and a dashing hero from the sixteenth century! Abandoned by a cruel fate, lovely Dougless Montgomery lies weeping upon a cold tombstone in an English church. Suddenly, the most extraordinary man appears. It is Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck…and according to his tombstone he died in 1564. Drawn to his side by a bond so sudden and compelling it overshadows reason, Dougless knows that Nicholas is nothing less than a miracle: a man who does not seek to change her, who finds her perfect, fascinating, just as she is. What Dougless never imagined was how strong the chains are that tie them to the past…or the grand adventure that lay before them. Hailed worldwide as one of the most romantic novels of all time, A Knight in Shining Armor is “a glorious love story that spans centuries, worlds, and souls. It is the epitome of every woman’s fantasy” (Chicago Daily Herald).

A knight in shining armor

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