The idea of losing my eyesight is one that does not appeal to me at all. Just trying to imagine life without seeing light or colors or faces makes me shudder. Being condemned to darkness, especially after knowing what it is like to see, seems like such a frightening thing. . .
With A Kiss: A Sweet Romance Anthology: Ten authors have gathered to share their talents to support a friend who is dealing with extensive medical expenses for both himself and his wife. I have read books by almost every one of these authors and can agree they are all very talented. Many have had books reviewed on this site.
I will be sharing reviews of the various stories from this collection over the course of this month. First off is Just This Moment by the fabulous medieval author Joyce DiPastena.
With A Kiss: A Sweet Romance Anthology
by Joyce DiPastena
Publication Date May 22, 2018
Genres: Historical Fiction, Clean Romance, Mystery
Setting: France Middle Ages - 400 to 1600
Main Character Ages: 25-34
Written for: Adults
Synopsis:
WITH A KISS: A Sweet Romance Anthology
A collection of 10 brand new sweet romance novellas by USA Today bestselling & award winning authors.
JUST THIS MOMENT by Joyce DiPastena: Alys’s late husband thought her useful only for spinning thread. Now a mysterious monk has come to take her to a nunnery. Can a sightless woman like Alys exert her independence to forge a future of her own choice? And will the monk, who stirs forbidden longings in her, help or hinder her?
I received a complimentary copy of this book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
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Just This Moment brought me to a time when liege lords control the lives and destinies of those under their “care”. A time when it is not unheard for for a girl to be married at age 8. When a widow is consigned to a nunnery because her lord desires her property. When the measles were considered a curse from a demon.
This novella slowly unwinds the story of the widow Alys, a woman who has been blind since she was a young girl. In a world where women are considered practically useless when they can see, she has been relegated to a state beyond useless. Her only value, according to her husband, was her talent in making thread. Yet she displays strength and insight and especially kindness and grace. Unbeknownst to her, mystery surrounds her very existence. Strand by strand secrets are revealed which could affect the rest of her life.
I love the way author Joyce DiPastena transported me to this time. She shared the life of Alys in such a way that if I didn’t know better, I would have assumed that she herself is blind. The details of what Alys experienced and how she needed to compensate were fantastic, but not over-the-top. Alys’ mother helped her learn to live with her new blindness with grace and such a positive outlook.
This is a very sweet and touching story with fun details about life in the medieval world.
Preview of With A Kiss Anthology
About Joyce DiPastena
Joyce DiPastena dreamed of green medieval forests while growing up in the dusty copper mining town of Kearny, Arizona. She filled her medieval hunger by reading the books of Thomas B. Costain (where she fell in love with King Henry II of England), and later by attending the University of Arizona where she graduated with a degree in history, specializing in the Middle Ages. The university was also where she completed her first full-length novel…set, of course, in medieval England. Later, her fascination with Henry II led her to expand her research horizons to the far reaches of his “Angevin Empire” in France, which became the setting of her first published novel, Loyalty’s Web (a 2007 Whitney Award Finalist).
Joyce is a multi-published, multi-award winning author who specializes in clean historical romances heavily spiced with mystery and adventure. She lives with her two cats, Clio and Glinka Rimsky-Korsokov, in Mesa, Arizona.
All readers who sign up for her newletter receive a free copy of Loyalty’s Web. The link is the one for her blog.
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