Mm. It's not bad, but not nearly as good as the first three. That may be because, as the author points out in an afterword, the only historical character in the book is Prince John. And possibly Warenne - I seem to recall a William of Warenne around that period. But he's only referred to, he doesn't actually appear. Although John's threat against England is the backdrop for the story, (it's set during Alinor and Simon's marriage - nice to see more of him!) and of course the setting - clothes, food, housing, attitudes - are proper for the period, it still feels more like a standard romance than the earlier Roselynde books. A good romance, but without that spark of something extra. Another possibility is that it's the heroine - Desiree is quite intelligent, but woefully ignorant (and aware of it). She holds her land in her own right, as Alinor and Joanna do, but she's only begun to learn how to carry that - she doesn't have the history and example behind her that the Lady of Roselynde does. Which, in this context, makes her look a bit of a milksop. Alex is convinced of his unworthiness, as usual in these stories, though her husband being still alive (barely) and a decent man is an interesting variation. Good story, not wonderful. ( )