Available in paperback and ebook

This book is touring with Italy Book Tours from Nov 10 to 21. Follow the tour here.
 
About the Book:

Sir Balduin de Soler gave up long ago on love. He never had the means to support a wife until an unexpected advancement in his fifties allows him to reassess his future just as the lovely Lucianna enters his life.

Lucianna Fabio harbors a secret, painful memory from her past that has kept her unwed, as well. Now in her forties, she thought herself too old to marry until she meets Sir Balduin. Now suddenly their lonely autumn lives feel very much like spring again . . . until Lucianna’s brother appears without warning and threatens to revive the secret that will destroy Lucianna’s second chance at love.


Praise for Joyce DiPastena's Books:

“Illuminations of the Heart was truly superb. I was hooked by the first line, and in love with the hero by the third page.”
  — Donna Hatch, Author of The Stranger She Married 

"Loyalty's Web took me on a journey into the twelfth century that I will not soon forget. A tale of intrigue, manipulation, lust and conflict, this book was exquisitely written and showed how love can defy any evil that comes against it."   
  --You Gotta Read Reviews 

“Every story I read, written by Joyce DiPastena, makes me fall in love with this time period more and more. Medieval France is brought to life again, in this story about the fair maiden, Mathilde, and her handsome knight, Etienne.”
  — Sheila Staley, LDS Women’s Book Reviews

Buy the book:




Meet the author: 

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 sweet medieval romances heavily spiced with mystery and adventure. She lives with her two cats, Clio and Glinka Rimsky-Korsokov, in Mesa, Arizona.

Connect with Joyce:  Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter

The story centers around Mathilde, a dreamy young woman whose family has been reduced to poverty because of an allegation that her father stole from the king. She is convinced she can help her family by marrying a rich man with connections who can help prove her father's innocence. She meets the Lord Therri, a golden-haired gorgeous man who sets her head spinning, but it's the dark knight Etienne, poor and from a disgraced family who pays her attention and makes her heart beat faster.

I was caught up with the story right from the very beginning. Mathilde ends up giving the embroidered ribbon in her hair as a favor to Etienne who ties it around his arm as a symbol that he jousts in the tournament for her. That small piece of cloth sets in motion a chain of events that puts Mathilde's life in danger. Although there is plenty of medieval intrigue and danger, DiPastena knows how to infuse humour into her well-conceived plot. The medieval jargon and Etienne's witty remarks made me smile. The friendship between Therri and Etienne was great with their male bantering and teasing. Mathilde started as an innocent dreamy girl and quickly learned to take action to help her family that took strength of character and courage.

This is the second book I read from DiPastena, and I liked it even more than the first. Her characters were flawed and real, with the romance flourishing but not at the expense of a fantastic plot. DiPastena created a wonderful and colorful cast of characters that stood out. I could easily picture the story as a movie in my head. This was a clean romance with lots of action and plenty of intrigue to keep the pages turning until the satisfying end. I can't wait to see what other tale DiPastena will spin for us next!