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An Uncertain Choice #1
An Uncertain Choice
Due to her parents' promise at her birth, Lady Rosemarie has been prepared to become a nun on the day she turns eighteen. Then, a month before her birthday, a friend of her father's enters the kingdom and proclaims her parents' will left a second choice. If Rosemarie can marry before the eve of her eighteenth year, she will be exempt from the ancient vow.
Before long, Rosemarie is presented with the three most handsome and brave knights in the land. But when the competition for her heart seemingly results in a knight playing foul, she begins to wonder if the cloister is the best place after all. If only one of the knights the one who appears the most guilty had not already captured her heart.
Before long, Rosemarie is presented with the three most handsome and brave knights in the land. But when the competition for her heart seemingly results in a knight playing foul, she begins to wonder if the cloister is the best place after all. If only one of the knights the one who appears the most guilty had not already captured her heart.
254 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2015
About the author
Jody Hedlund
72 books4,330 followersJody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over fifty books and is the winner of numerous awards. She writes sweet historical romances with plenty of sizzle. Find out more at jodyhedlund.com.
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.
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June 13, 2020
Somewhere that’s kind of like England, supposedly in the year 1390 –
For years, the Lord and Lady of Ashby struggled to conceive a child. Eventually, they obtained a relic, a Tear of the Virgin Mary, which would give them what they wished for. (There are already a number of things wrong with the story, but I’m just trying to get through the summary right now). They had to make the Vow of Hannah (I’ll get to it): if they could conceive, their eldest child would be given to the Church as a religious when said child turned eighteen.
They only had one child, Rosemarie. Her parents neglected to tell her about this Vow. She only found out by accident after both parents succumbed to the Plague. She was fourteen.
Rosemarie is now approaching her eighteenth birthday. She doesn’t really want to be a nun, but has resigned herself to it, seeing no other options. Meanwhile, she struggles for control of her holdings. Abbot Francis Michael is on her side, but treats her like a child. And the sheriff doesn’t take her seriously.
Rosemarie has outlawed cruel and unusual punishment in her lands, but the sheriff casually breaks these laws all the time. Our heroine can’t go a day without happening on him boiling an elderly man alive, or caging a young father with rabid rats, for the pettiest infractions. Every time, she makes a grand proclamation that such a horrible thing will never happen on her watch again—but she never actually disciplines the perpetrators, and the cycle continues.
Until a month before her eighteenth birthday, when Rosemarie’s godfather shows up unexpectedly. He's Noblest Knight, right hand of the High King, who rides through the land righting wrongs with his band of chivalrous young men.
The Noblest Knight has discovered a loophole in Rosemarie’s parents’ Vow: If she finds true love and marries before her eighteenth birthday, she needn’t go to the convent after all. He has picked three of his most valiant, handsome young knights to vie for her hand.
One is Sir Collin, a casually gallant fellow with sparkling green eyes and happy manners.
One is Sir Bennet, a handsome and vain character.
The third is Sir Derrick, who makes it clear that he finds the contest, and Rosemarie, ridiculous. Although he, too, has his moments of broody passion that make Rosemarie’s heart flutter. He’s also the only knight who cares about the poor people in the town or has any concept of hardship.
Meanwhile, the Abbot is implementing his evil plan to ruin the contest, force Rosemarie to take her vows as a nun, and take over the world, or at least Ashby. I’m not spoiler-tagging that, it’s all obvious from the start.
Content Advisory
Violence: This book has an unhealthy obsession with torture. At the beginning, we see a frail elderly man lowered into boiling water. We also hear of a man being eaten alive by rats in a cage. A woman has a device forced into her mouth that will rip out her tongue if she moves. We hear about a man’s heart being carved out of his chest while he slept. Another man is sentenced to be hung, drawn, and quartered, but this is averted. An authority figure threatens to flay someone alive, but this doesn’t happen either.
Sex: Rosemarie perseverates on the good looks of her three suitors, and they all return the favor. Saints alive, it’s all she ever talks about with Collin and Bennet. Derrick’s a bit better but that’s not a high bar to clear. Some kissing occurs.
Language: Nothing.
Substance Abuse: Not an issue.
Nightmare Fuel: See Violence. After a while, the tortures got so overdone that they no longer shocked or frightened me, but your mileage may vary.
Politics and Religion: There’s a strong anti-Catholic undercurrent to this whole story, although I’m not sure if it’s born of actual prejudice or mere ignorance. There’s too much material to cover in this one section, so I’ll discuss it below.
A World of Pure Imagination
Despite the publisher's description, An Uncertain Choice is not historical fiction. Someone in the marketing department thought it would help sales to classify it as such, but Hedlund herself has referred to the saga of the Noble Knights as a fantasy series.
At first, place names like Ashby and surnames like Caldwell made me think the book was set in England, but apparently it's a fantasy land that just happens to have no magic, like Megan Whalen Turner's Byzantine-style kingdoms.
The book also fixates on torture and gruesome executions. Not only do these scenes jar against the sugary tone of the rest of the story, they're woefully inaccurate. Lords from the same nation-state couldn't just charge around the countryside putting their neighbors to the sword. Petty thieves would not be boiled alive. Hanging, drawing and quartering was reserved solely for traitors to the crown – it would not be casually invoked against a young man falsely accused of murder with flimsy evidence. But all that need not apply in an imaginary kingdom. If these characters live in an imaginary land, than Hedlund can give them any belief system and legal system she chooses.
Cat(holic) Chat
I love Christian fiction, but as a Catholic, I can't help but notice that a lot of the genre doesn't like Catholicism. This is most obvious in the “medieval historical romance” subgenre.
Let's examine how this book uses relics. Relics—objects associated with Christ and various holy persons—were a big part of medieval Christian culture. The most famous Catholic relic is probably the Shroud of Turin.
The backstory of An Uncertain Choice, detailed in the prequel novella The Vow, revolves around a relic obtained by Rosemarie’s parents and the Vow they were made to sign to obtain it. It's a phial said to contain a tear from the Virgin Mary, which is not a relic I’ve ever heard of. I think Hedlund might have gotten relics mixed up with the modern phenomena of weeping Mary statues, and it’s also possible that she got the idea from Galadriel’s phial in The Lord of the Rings —interesting, given that Tolkien was Catholic and Galadriel has some Marian attributes.
Setting aside the improbable nature of the relic, the book also has no idea how the faithful treat relics. The relic stayed in its display, or reliquary. The worshipper might simply contemplate the relic, or might touch it with something of theirs, like a rosary, believing that a blessing had been transmitted from the holy object to the ordinary one.
Relics are not magical objects and have never been treated as such, although miracles have been attributed to them. They were not things that people had to sign over their eldest child in order to possess, as if the Church were Rumpelstiltskin.
Then there’s the Vow itself, which Hedlund bases on the Old Testament figure of Hannah, who appears in 1 Samuel 1:2—2:21. Hannah, wife of the priest Elkanah, could not conceive a child. She vowed that if she could have a son, she would send him to the Temple to devote his life to God. The Lord heard her prayer, and her son became the prophet Samuel. So in Hedlund’s universe, apparently couples who wanted a baby could make this same vow.
But there are huge cultural discrepancies to be accounted for here. As a Nazirite and a member of the ancient Jewish priesthood, Samuel had many rules to follow, but he could still marry and own property. He was also not the sole heir to a substantial land holding. His world and the expectations on him could not have been more different than those of the silly heroine of this silly book. The whole reason Rosemarie’s parents wanted a baby was to make sure their estate remained in the family, and here they are signing her away to a convent (which isn’t how one becomes a nun anyway, but never mind).
Let’s also note that this Vow derives from the Old Testament. Childless Catholics from medieval times until the present are a lot more likely to refer to Sts. Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary, who also struggled with infertility and committed their only child to the Temple, than they are to any Old Testament figure. The fascination with obscure Old Testament figures stems largely from post-Great Revival American Protestantism. There’s nothing wrong with it—in fact, I’ve often thought as a Catholic that I ought to be much more familiar with the Old Testament than I am—but let’s not pretend that anyone in 1390 would have prioritized a rather obscure Old Testament figure over two popular saints with the same concern.
Rosemarie also refers to her rosaries as “prayer beads” (cringe) and fingers them idly while she prays, stream-of-consciousness, in her head.
The Rosary is not just an object, but a spoken series of prayers that’s tied to it. You start by touching the Crucifix and saying the Apostle’s Creed. Each bead corresponds to either a Lord’s Prayer or a Hail Mary. You pray a set amount of these while meditating on an episode from the Life of Christ.
Rosemarie thinks she’ll still be head of her estate upon entering the convent. A nun or monk takes a vow of “poverty, chastity and obedience”—they relinquish all worldly property. Everyone in medieval times knew this. You’d also better believe that a girl like Rosemarie would be praying to the Blessed Virgin and a whole host of female saints, but as far as this book is concerned, these figures do not exist.
Knights' Tales
The Age of Chivalry produced legends wherein handsome knights vied for the hands of fair maidens, but there were certain acceptable ways of doing that. (Note I say “legends” not “history”, because these swashbuckling tales were not exactly typical of the real-life medieval experience). Those acceptable ways, if the Arthurian legends, Chaucer’s “Knight’s Tale” and the delusions of Don Quixote are anything to go by, consisted mainly of jousting and quests.
This book features a brief joust. But it’s hardly the focus. And quest? What is a quest? What we get instead is a PG-rated, vaguely medieval Bachelorette - too modern in tone and extremely shallow in content.
That premise might work if it were intentionally funny, if Rosemarie were like a Jane Austen heroine, caught in a ridiculous societal game but well aware of just how ridiculous it is. Alas, she's a dope. She believes that she cares about poor people, but her actions and even her narration show otherwise. Whenever she goes into town to take care of her people, she skims over it in the narration. She never mentions a beggar or poor laborer by name; she doesn't even know the names of officials like the sheriff. Her flirtations with Collin and Bennet show her to be vapid, vain, and prone to childish pouting.
Derrick, the knight who , is the strongest character, the only young man in the trio who's even close to believable. He finds the contest an inane waste of time, and encourages Rosemarie to pursue her philanthropy, instead of paying her empty compliments like the other two do. The only problem I had with him was that, of course, he winds up falling for silly Rosemarie despite having nothing in common with her. That and his backstory is too over-the-top to be genuinely sad.
There's also an unintentionally hilarious moment where Rosemarie asks Derrick how he enjoyed the previous night's feast, where she batted her eyelashes at the other two knights and ignored him. His response is, almost verbatim,
(I know I used that GIF in my updates the first time I read this, but it's too classic to only use once).
Collin has summery blond good looks and is usually pleasant. The book frequently describes him as witty, although it offers no evidence. He showers Rosemarie with expensive gifts, which may prove embarrassing
Bennet is tall, dark, classically handsome, and takes himself way too seriously. The book describes him as cultured and fond of quoting poetry, although we never get to hear the poetry (which would have been a great way to sneak some actual medieval writing into this novel). Rosemarie, Collin and Bennet are all so shallow that I felt sorry for Derrick, the only character with any sense. He's also the only knight of the three I could picture holding his own in combat; the other two are supposedly superb warriors but they act like silly courtiers who have never had to fight.
Abbott Francis Michael is an anti-Catholic caricature intent upon taking over Rosemarie's lands, and forcing her into the convent although that's not her vocation. He has no unique motivation or depth.
The Duke of Rivenshire is presented as wise and virtuous, so noble and foreseeing that I wonder if he's meant to be a Christ figure (although the Duke is married). Unfortunately, he isn't really wise or foreseeing, the book just thinks he is. He almost functions like a fairy godmother, finding the loophole in Rosemarie's curse (the “Ancient Vow”) like the good fairies in “Sleeping Beauty” and giving her a beautiful gown like Cinderella's godmother. We're told over and over again that he's a father to his men, but we never get to see that. Whether meant to represent Christ or only a godly man, he should be a lot more competent than he is shown being.
This was one of my most frustrating reads last year. I picked it up again only because my library has the next two books in the series, and I couldn't resist roasting those, so I had to refresh my memory of this installment. This book is so historically inaccurate, shallow, and goofy, it made Melanie Dickerson's Hagenheim series look like Rosemary Sutcliff's Roman Britain novels by comparison. The male lead was attractive and almost intelligent, and the story gave me a few laughs, but overall...I suspect I'll enjoy snarking on the next book more than I'll enjoy the book itself. ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
For years, the Lord and Lady of Ashby struggled to conceive a child. Eventually, they obtained a relic, a Tear of the Virgin Mary, which would give them what they wished for. (There are already a number of things wrong with the story, but I’m just trying to get through the summary right now). They had to make the Vow of Hannah (I’ll get to it): if they could conceive, their eldest child would be given to the Church as a religious when said child turned eighteen.
They only had one child, Rosemarie. Her parents neglected to tell her about this Vow. She only found out by accident after both parents succumbed to the Plague. She was fourteen.
Rosemarie is now approaching her eighteenth birthday. She doesn’t really want to be a nun, but has resigned herself to it, seeing no other options. Meanwhile, she struggles for control of her holdings. Abbot Francis Michael is on her side, but treats her like a child. And the sheriff doesn’t take her seriously.
Rosemarie has outlawed cruel and unusual punishment in her lands, but the sheriff casually breaks these laws all the time. Our heroine can’t go a day without happening on him boiling an elderly man alive, or caging a young father with rabid rats, for the pettiest infractions. Every time, she makes a grand proclamation that such a horrible thing will never happen on her watch again—but she never actually disciplines the perpetrators, and the cycle continues.
Until a month before her eighteenth birthday, when Rosemarie’s godfather shows up unexpectedly. He's Noblest Knight, right hand of the High King, who rides through the land righting wrongs with his band of chivalrous young men.
The Noblest Knight has discovered a loophole in Rosemarie’s parents’ Vow: If she finds true love and marries before her eighteenth birthday, she needn’t go to the convent after all. He has picked three of his most valiant, handsome young knights to vie for her hand.
One is Sir Collin, a casually gallant fellow with sparkling green eyes and happy manners.
One is Sir Bennet, a handsome and vain character.
The third is Sir Derrick, who makes it clear that he finds the contest, and Rosemarie, ridiculous. Although he, too, has his moments of broody passion that make Rosemarie’s heart flutter. He’s also the only knight who cares about the poor people in the town or has any concept of hardship.
Meanwhile, the Abbot is implementing his evil plan to ruin the contest, force Rosemarie to take her vows as a nun, and take over the world, or at least Ashby. I’m not spoiler-tagging that, it’s all obvious from the start.
Content Advisory
Violence: This book has an unhealthy obsession with torture. At the beginning, we see a frail elderly man lowered into boiling water. We also hear of a man being eaten alive by rats in a cage. A woman has a device forced into her mouth that will rip out her tongue if she moves. We hear about a man’s heart being carved out of his chest while he slept. Another man is sentenced to be hung, drawn, and quartered, but this is averted. An authority figure threatens to flay someone alive, but this doesn’t happen either.
Sex: Rosemarie perseverates on the good looks of her three suitors, and they all return the favor. Saints alive, it’s all she ever talks about with Collin and Bennet. Derrick’s a bit better but that’s not a high bar to clear. Some kissing occurs.
Language: Nothing.
Substance Abuse: Not an issue.
Nightmare Fuel: See Violence. After a while, the tortures got so overdone that they no longer shocked or frightened me, but your mileage may vary.
Politics and Religion: There’s a strong anti-Catholic undercurrent to this whole story, although I’m not sure if it’s born of actual prejudice or mere ignorance. There’s too much material to cover in this one section, so I’ll discuss it below.
A World of Pure Imagination
Despite the publisher's description, An Uncertain Choice is not historical fiction. Someone in the marketing department thought it would help sales to classify it as such, but Hedlund herself has referred to the saga of the Noble Knights as a fantasy series.
At first, place names like Ashby and surnames like Caldwell made me think the book was set in England, but apparently it's a fantasy land that just happens to have no magic, like Megan Whalen Turner's Byzantine-style kingdoms.
The book also fixates on torture and gruesome executions. Not only do these scenes jar against the sugary tone of the rest of the story, they're woefully inaccurate. Lords from the same nation-state couldn't just charge around the countryside putting their neighbors to the sword. Petty thieves would not be boiled alive. Hanging, drawing and quartering was reserved solely for traitors to the crown – it would not be casually invoked against a young man falsely accused of murder with flimsy evidence. But all that need not apply in an imaginary kingdom. If these characters live in an imaginary land, than Hedlund can give them any belief system and legal system she chooses.
Cat(holic) Chat
I love Christian fiction, but as a Catholic, I can't help but notice that a lot of the genre doesn't like Catholicism. This is most obvious in the “medieval historical romance” subgenre.
Let's examine how this book uses relics. Relics—objects associated with Christ and various holy persons—were a big part of medieval Christian culture. The most famous Catholic relic is probably the Shroud of Turin.
The backstory of An Uncertain Choice, detailed in the prequel novella The Vow, revolves around a relic obtained by Rosemarie’s parents and the Vow they were made to sign to obtain it. It's a phial said to contain a tear from the Virgin Mary, which is not a relic I’ve ever heard of. I think Hedlund might have gotten relics mixed up with the modern phenomena of weeping Mary statues, and it’s also possible that she got the idea from Galadriel’s phial in The Lord of the Rings —interesting, given that Tolkien was Catholic and Galadriel has some Marian attributes.
Setting aside the improbable nature of the relic, the book also has no idea how the faithful treat relics. The relic stayed in its display, or reliquary. The worshipper might simply contemplate the relic, or might touch it with something of theirs, like a rosary, believing that a blessing had been transmitted from the holy object to the ordinary one.
Relics are not magical objects and have never been treated as such, although miracles have been attributed to them. They were not things that people had to sign over their eldest child in order to possess, as if the Church were Rumpelstiltskin.
Then there’s the Vow itself, which Hedlund bases on the Old Testament figure of Hannah, who appears in 1 Samuel 1:2—2:21. Hannah, wife of the priest Elkanah, could not conceive a child. She vowed that if she could have a son, she would send him to the Temple to devote his life to God. The Lord heard her prayer, and her son became the prophet Samuel. So in Hedlund’s universe, apparently couples who wanted a baby could make this same vow.
But there are huge cultural discrepancies to be accounted for here. As a Nazirite and a member of the ancient Jewish priesthood, Samuel had many rules to follow, but he could still marry and own property. He was also not the sole heir to a substantial land holding. His world and the expectations on him could not have been more different than those of the silly heroine of this silly book. The whole reason Rosemarie’s parents wanted a baby was to make sure their estate remained in the family, and here they are signing her away to a convent (which isn’t how one becomes a nun anyway, but never mind).
Let’s also note that this Vow derives from the Old Testament. Childless Catholics from medieval times until the present are a lot more likely to refer to Sts. Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary, who also struggled with infertility and committed their only child to the Temple, than they are to any Old Testament figure. The fascination with obscure Old Testament figures stems largely from post-Great Revival American Protestantism. There’s nothing wrong with it—in fact, I’ve often thought as a Catholic that I ought to be much more familiar with the Old Testament than I am—but let’s not pretend that anyone in 1390 would have prioritized a rather obscure Old Testament figure over two popular saints with the same concern.
Rosemarie also refers to her rosaries as “prayer beads” (cringe) and fingers them idly while she prays, stream-of-consciousness, in her head.
The Rosary is not just an object, but a spoken series of prayers that’s tied to it. You start by touching the Crucifix and saying the Apostle’s Creed. Each bead corresponds to either a Lord’s Prayer or a Hail Mary. You pray a set amount of these while meditating on an episode from the Life of Christ.
Rosemarie thinks she’ll still be head of her estate upon entering the convent. A nun or monk takes a vow of “poverty, chastity and obedience”—they relinquish all worldly property. Everyone in medieval times knew this. You’d also better believe that a girl like Rosemarie would be praying to the Blessed Virgin and a whole host of female saints, but as far as this book is concerned, these figures do not exist.
Knights' Tales
The Age of Chivalry produced legends wherein handsome knights vied for the hands of fair maidens, but there were certain acceptable ways of doing that. (Note I say “legends” not “history”, because these swashbuckling tales were not exactly typical of the real-life medieval experience). Those acceptable ways, if the Arthurian legends, Chaucer’s “Knight’s Tale” and the delusions of Don Quixote are anything to go by, consisted mainly of jousting and quests.
This book features a brief joust. But it’s hardly the focus. And quest? What is a quest? What we get instead is a PG-rated, vaguely medieval Bachelorette - too modern in tone and extremely shallow in content.
That premise might work if it were intentionally funny, if Rosemarie were like a Jane Austen heroine, caught in a ridiculous societal game but well aware of just how ridiculous it is. Alas, she's a dope. She believes that she cares about poor people, but her actions and even her narration show otherwise. Whenever she goes into town to take care of her people, she skims over it in the narration. She never mentions a beggar or poor laborer by name; she doesn't even know the names of officials like the sheriff. Her flirtations with Collin and Bennet show her to be vapid, vain, and prone to childish pouting.
Derrick, the knight who , is the strongest character, the only young man in the trio who's even close to believable. He finds the contest an inane waste of time, and encourages Rosemarie to pursue her philanthropy, instead of paying her empty compliments like the other two do. The only problem I had with him was that, of course, he winds up falling for silly Rosemarie despite having nothing in common with her. That and his backstory is too over-the-top to be genuinely sad.
There's also an unintentionally hilarious moment where Rosemarie asks Derrick how he enjoyed the previous night's feast, where she batted her eyelashes at the other two knights and ignored him. His response is, almost verbatim,
(I know I used that GIF in my updates the first time I read this, but it's too classic to only use once).
Collin has summery blond good looks and is usually pleasant. The book frequently describes him as witty, although it offers no evidence. He showers Rosemarie with expensive gifts, which may prove embarrassing
Bennet is tall, dark, classically handsome, and takes himself way too seriously. The book describes him as cultured and fond of quoting poetry, although we never get to hear the poetry (which would have been a great way to sneak some actual medieval writing into this novel). Rosemarie, Collin and Bennet are all so shallow that I felt sorry for Derrick, the only character with any sense. He's also the only knight of the three I could picture holding his own in combat; the other two are supposedly superb warriors but they act like silly courtiers who have never had to fight.
Abbott Francis Michael is an anti-Catholic caricature intent upon taking over Rosemarie's lands, and forcing her into the convent although that's not her vocation. He has no unique motivation or depth.
The Duke of Rivenshire is presented as wise and virtuous, so noble and foreseeing that I wonder if he's meant to be a Christ figure (although the Duke is married). Unfortunately, he isn't really wise or foreseeing, the book just thinks he is. He almost functions like a fairy godmother, finding the loophole in Rosemarie's curse (the “Ancient Vow”) like the good fairies in “Sleeping Beauty” and giving her a beautiful gown like Cinderella's godmother. We're told over and over again that he's a father to his men, but we never get to see that. Whether meant to represent Christ or only a godly man, he should be a lot more competent than he is shown being.
This was one of my most frustrating reads last year. I picked it up again only because my library has the next two books in the series, and I couldn't resist roasting those, so I had to refresh my memory of this installment. This book is so historically inaccurate, shallow, and goofy, it made Melanie Dickerson's Hagenheim series look like Rosemary Sutcliff's Roman Britain novels by comparison. The male lead was attractive and almost intelligent, and the story gave me a few laughs, but overall...I suspect I'll enjoy snarking on the next book more than I'll enjoy the book itself. ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
February 23, 2015
Thank you to net galley and Zonderkidz-Books for providing a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
Everything in this novel is very blunt and surface level. There is no opportunity for discovery, because characters reveal exactly what is on their mind, their motivations, ect.
This is not a world that feels thought out to me, or particularly real. I'm fine with it being not necessarily historically accurate. But I don't really get a sense of the larger world in this. Even when talking about the people who the book claims Rosemarie loves so much. What is life like here? What does it look like? Feel like? The poor villagers function more as bad props, and a way to make Rosemarie look better. Which is kind of insulting.
Additionally, the world just doesn't seem believable, by any rules established or created. This girl has been living basically on her own since her parents died? And she was given any even pretend semblance of power? In the middle ages? She hasn't been fully taken into the convent she was meant to join? Or shipped off to other family? There was absolutely no explanation about any of this given. Rosemarie mentioned her parents were dead, and we were expected to move on from there. I don't buy it. I wanted to read this novel because of the historical setting, and it's just not what I was hoping.
These are not necessarily three dimensional characters. I get no sense of emotional investment from them.
Because I felt no connection to the characters, the romance was lackluster. And the competition aspect of it always felt like a thrown reality show. At times I felt like I was reading about the medieval Bachelorette. Watch as contestant number 1 plans an elaborate dinner and a show. The romance has the potential to be a good, subtle slow burn. But again, everything always feels surface level. The stakes are laid out, but I'm not sure why I should care for them. They often don't feel deeply invested in their own journey.
A lot of my personal objections to the novel come down to stylistically it wasn't engaging for me. The blunt prose didn't work. The shift between POV seems unnecessary. This, of course, like almost everything, is a matter of taste.
Everything in this novel is very blunt and surface level. There is no opportunity for discovery, because characters reveal exactly what is on their mind, their motivations, ect.
This is not a world that feels thought out to me, or particularly real. I'm fine with it being not necessarily historically accurate. But I don't really get a sense of the larger world in this. Even when talking about the people who the book claims Rosemarie loves so much. What is life like here? What does it look like? Feel like? The poor villagers function more as bad props, and a way to make Rosemarie look better. Which is kind of insulting.
Additionally, the world just doesn't seem believable, by any rules established or created. This girl has been living basically on her own since her parents died? And she was given any even pretend semblance of power? In the middle ages? She hasn't been fully taken into the convent she was meant to join? Or shipped off to other family? There was absolutely no explanation about any of this given. Rosemarie mentioned her parents were dead, and we were expected to move on from there. I don't buy it. I wanted to read this novel because of the historical setting, and it's just not what I was hoping.
These are not necessarily three dimensional characters. I get no sense of emotional investment from them.
Because I felt no connection to the characters, the romance was lackluster. And the competition aspect of it always felt like a thrown reality show. At times I felt like I was reading about the medieval Bachelorette. Watch as contestant number 1 plans an elaborate dinner and a show. The romance has the potential to be a good, subtle slow burn. But again, everything always feels surface level. The stakes are laid out, but I'm not sure why I should care for them. They often don't feel deeply invested in their own journey.
A lot of my personal objections to the novel come down to stylistically it wasn't engaging for me. The blunt prose didn't work. The shift between POV seems unnecessary. This, of course, like almost everything, is a matter of taste.
June 29, 2017
I have long been a fan of Jody Hedlund's Christian historical romances and was interested in her YA ventures. An Uncertain Choice reminded me of my mother's Kathleen E Woodiwiss books, but much purer. You know the type, where the mere sight of the heroine's love interest sets her "cheeks aflame and her insides quiver" Something that I giggle at, but also deliciously enjoy.
In this medieval romance, Lady Rosemarie must choose between three handsome knights vying for her affections or commit herself to the convent. But with the sheriff causing problems and her people stricken by a strange illness, will Lady Rosemarie be able to break an ancient oath before her eighteenth birthday?
Okay, it's all a bit sugary sweet but I couldn't help but like the book. The chapters are short and it was nice to just read a nice clean story. The only quibble I had was the p.o.v changed many times even within chapters and sometimes it took me a moment to sort out who was talking.
All in all, a great tale that I would recommend to the young and young at heart.
In this medieval romance, Lady Rosemarie must choose between three handsome knights vying for her affections or commit herself to the convent. But with the sheriff causing problems and her people stricken by a strange illness, will Lady Rosemarie be able to break an ancient oath before her eighteenth birthday?
Okay, it's all a bit sugary sweet but I couldn't help but like the book. The chapters are short and it was nice to just read a nice clean story. The only quibble I had was the p.o.v changed many times even within chapters and sometimes it took me a moment to sort out who was talking.
All in all, a great tale that I would recommend to the young and young at heart.
February 23, 2015
The beautiful prose that is Jody Hedlund’s style has previously only been found in her adult, inspirational fiction. She had readers swoony over a certain Noble Groom (and a kiss to go with it!) and has taken readers back to many a fascinating era in history. In 2015, Jody took on an unfamiliar genre: Young Adult. Though the novel is still set in historical times, this book is certainly a step back from her usual normal and yet it rises, and in many instances surpasses the expectations readers will have had for the book. The story itself is like a Cinderella-esque fairytale with its own vision of the story. There’s a deadline approaching that unless altered will forever change Rosemarie’s future, and though there is no glass slipper or pumpkin carriage, there is plenty of romance and intrigue as well as a “Prince Charming.” Or as is the case here, three potential heroes – and what dashing young men they are! Each of the heroes is special in their own right.
Jody began this saga in her novella The Vow, which I would encourage you to read prior to picking up An Uncertain Choice. It offers some insight and background into Rosemarie’s life and the heartbreak she endures four years later during the events of this novel. Normally I am not any fan of love triangles, which this novel does have a propensity towards, however thanks to its wholesome, innocent heroine, this isn’t the traditional kind of love triangle. Many love triangles introduce us to a wishy-washy heroine who flip-flops between the men vying for her attentions; this novel doesn’t put Rosemarie in that situation. Rosemarie’s emotions are more about realizing what the meaning of love is – what you’re meant to feel, how you know what true love is – versus being undecided about the men she’s faced with. She lived a sheltered life and as a result of the vow, her entire eighteen year life span was in preparation to live a life of solitude. A knowledge she had from the age of fourteen. Don’t misunderstand, Rosemarie isn’t some wilting flower, but she is a young woman coming of age in an era when chivalry and romance was at its best.
I have to confess, medieval stories are a hard sell in my reading habits. But having known Jody Hedlund’s previous books, I had little doubt this novel was going to live up to the hype. The first person (we switch off between two perspectives though mainly stay with Rosemarie) prose is beautifully and simplistically perfect. I loved that the details of the time period didn’t overwhelm the fictional story, yet there is still enough to satisfy avid historians. Rosemarie’s courtship is the primary of this novel along with the danger which threatens her happy ending. Balancing the historical aspects with these characters seems to be an asset to the books likability. Some novels get lost in the history, which is all well and good, but when one is reading a fictional tale, I expect more than a textbook read. The book is both interesting with its details and doesn’t shirk on its promise of being an adventurous medieval adventure.
Aside from the atmosphere and breath-catching sword fights, this is a perfect easy read for anyone wanting a period read. It sets up what I am sure will be a rewarding series and of course ends with a new threat that might throw Rosemarie into more danger or at the very least mean she’ll have to rise to the occasion of becoming an even better ruler. I love Rosemarie as a heroine. She’s kind (she’s vehemently opposed to torture as means of punishment) and yet desires to become the ruler that her parent’s would be proud of. Given what we learn of Rosemarie and her moral upbringing, she’s well on her way to doing just that.
I can honestly say, this is easily one of my favorite YA reads. It officially releases March 3rd, so be sure to add it to your to-be-read.
This review originally appeared on Silver Petticoat Review.
Sincere thanks to the author and publisher (NetGalley) for a complimentary review copy of this novel.
Jody began this saga in her novella The Vow, which I would encourage you to read prior to picking up An Uncertain Choice. It offers some insight and background into Rosemarie’s life and the heartbreak she endures four years later during the events of this novel. Normally I am not any fan of love triangles, which this novel does have a propensity towards, however thanks to its wholesome, innocent heroine, this isn’t the traditional kind of love triangle. Many love triangles introduce us to a wishy-washy heroine who flip-flops between the men vying for her attentions; this novel doesn’t put Rosemarie in that situation. Rosemarie’s emotions are more about realizing what the meaning of love is – what you’re meant to feel, how you know what true love is – versus being undecided about the men she’s faced with. She lived a sheltered life and as a result of the vow, her entire eighteen year life span was in preparation to live a life of solitude. A knowledge she had from the age of fourteen. Don’t misunderstand, Rosemarie isn’t some wilting flower, but she is a young woman coming of age in an era when chivalry and romance was at its best.
I have to confess, medieval stories are a hard sell in my reading habits. But having known Jody Hedlund’s previous books, I had little doubt this novel was going to live up to the hype. The first person (we switch off between two perspectives though mainly stay with Rosemarie) prose is beautifully and simplistically perfect. I loved that the details of the time period didn’t overwhelm the fictional story, yet there is still enough to satisfy avid historians. Rosemarie’s courtship is the primary of this novel along with the danger which threatens her happy ending. Balancing the historical aspects with these characters seems to be an asset to the books likability. Some novels get lost in the history, which is all well and good, but when one is reading a fictional tale, I expect more than a textbook read. The book is both interesting with its details and doesn’t shirk on its promise of being an adventurous medieval adventure.
Aside from the atmosphere and breath-catching sword fights, this is a perfect easy read for anyone wanting a period read. It sets up what I am sure will be a rewarding series and of course ends with a new threat that might throw Rosemarie into more danger or at the very least mean she’ll have to rise to the occasion of becoming an even better ruler. I love Rosemarie as a heroine. She’s kind (she’s vehemently opposed to torture as means of punishment) and yet desires to become the ruler that her parent’s would be proud of. Given what we learn of Rosemarie and her moral upbringing, she’s well on her way to doing just that.
I can honestly say, this is easily one of my favorite YA reads. It officially releases March 3rd, so be sure to add it to your to-be-read.
This review originally appeared on Silver Petticoat Review.
Sincere thanks to the author and publisher (NetGalley) for a complimentary review copy of this novel.
September 6, 2020
1.5 stars, rounded down for annoyance.
It’s billed as a historical fiction and shelved as fantasy at the bookstore. The content reflects this interesting dichotomy and the book continues to shift between the two unpredictably. Date is 1390 and location is England. The fantasy comes in a fictional vow based on a magical relic, Tears of Mary, which supposedly is peddled by the local church and is recognized as a binding promise by all involved (though consequences for breaking it are never spelled out).
This of course is to focus on the forcing the heroine into a false crisis so that she has a motive to have to love and marry in under 30 days. (I would posit that there were plenty of other more believable ways to get her into that situation, but oh well.)
Anyway, the religion thing is really badly done. 1390 England was, of course, pre-Henry VIII, so any “abbot” would be Catholic. However, the religion is a weird mish-mash of Catholic and Protestant and it doesn’t match any known system of religion out there. The “abbot” is over not only the nunnery but also the entire town, and is seen as their religious leader. I checked with my Catholic friend and in no case would the abbot be hearing the confessions and providing religious leadership for the town at large; that would require a priest, called “father” instead of “abbot.” The abbot would not be the lone leader of a nunnery but would be joined in leadership by an abbess. Nuns were required to renounce their property to the church when they went through the acceptance, and she wouldn’t have been put through the ceremony right off without having completed a novitiate. She would not speak too-familiar prayers directly to God as that was seen as effrontery and the business of priests, and she most definitely wouldn’t do it while fingering prayer beads that are elsewhere referred to as her rosary. She has no patron saints and no prayer book. No one in the book ever attends mass, though they do go to confession.
Another huge mess is the whole part about her having “charge” of her estate as a minor female. English nobility would have made sure the estate was under a guardianship because any girl with only a handful of retainers (who apparently aren’t faithful to her anyway) lays the country open to invasion (Hundred Years War is currently raging in Europe and so on). Majority wasn’t at 18 but at 21. If the sheriff was flouting her commands, all she had to do was send a letter to her guardian and the guy would be executed for his actions (torture was banned almost a century before). It wouldn’t go on unchecked for four years, and there definitely wouldn’t be only one young noble who cared to stop it. “The English civil and ecclesiastical authorities were reluctant to employ torture; they saw it as antithetical to their system of justice and an intrusion by continental law—an attempt to undermine English autonomy under papal and French authority.”—from “Arthurian Literature XXXII” by Elizabeth Archibald, referring to even a political application of torture in 1308.
And yet we get treated to several gratuitous descriptions of hard-core torture in public settings, right out for the eye to see, which take place regularly over the course of several years, and yet somehow word never reaches the king or even the noble neighbors? And her estate is so lawless that it tries to assault the good guys too?
The relationship part isn’t even well done. They’re instantly ready to think the worst of each other and they also spend long lengths of time alone together as she courts each guy (though of course you know from page 1 the one she’s going to pick). Hot and cold? I know it’s a teen book, but this love/hate/love thing is a bit strong even for that.
So, yeah...don’t recommend.
Historically inaccurate plus with stomach-turning violence. (Comparable to the tortures described in “The Laughing Man” by Victor Hugo, though in that book it’s clear that the tortures aren’t mainstream and are handed out by a sort of deep-state group.)
Content: violence
It’s billed as a historical fiction and shelved as fantasy at the bookstore. The content reflects this interesting dichotomy and the book continues to shift between the two unpredictably. Date is 1390 and location is England. The fantasy comes in a fictional vow based on a magical relic, Tears of Mary, which supposedly is peddled by the local church and is recognized as a binding promise by all involved (though consequences for breaking it are never spelled out).
This of course is to focus on the forcing the heroine into a false crisis so that she has a motive to have to love and marry in under 30 days. (I would posit that there were plenty of other more believable ways to get her into that situation, but oh well.)
Anyway, the religion thing is really badly done. 1390 England was, of course, pre-Henry VIII, so any “abbot” would be Catholic. However, the religion is a weird mish-mash of Catholic and Protestant and it doesn’t match any known system of religion out there. The “abbot” is over not only the nunnery but also the entire town, and is seen as their religious leader. I checked with my Catholic friend and in no case would the abbot be hearing the confessions and providing religious leadership for the town at large; that would require a priest, called “father” instead of “abbot.” The abbot would not be the lone leader of a nunnery but would be joined in leadership by an abbess. Nuns were required to renounce their property to the church when they went through the acceptance, and she wouldn’t have been put through the ceremony right off without having completed a novitiate. She would not speak too-familiar prayers directly to God as that was seen as effrontery and the business of priests, and she most definitely wouldn’t do it while fingering prayer beads that are elsewhere referred to as her rosary. She has no patron saints and no prayer book. No one in the book ever attends mass, though they do go to confession.
Another huge mess is the whole part about her having “charge” of her estate as a minor female. English nobility would have made sure the estate was under a guardianship because any girl with only a handful of retainers (who apparently aren’t faithful to her anyway) lays the country open to invasion (Hundred Years War is currently raging in Europe and so on). Majority wasn’t at 18 but at 21. If the sheriff was flouting her commands, all she had to do was send a letter to her guardian and the guy would be executed for his actions (torture was banned almost a century before). It wouldn’t go on unchecked for four years, and there definitely wouldn’t be only one young noble who cared to stop it. “The English civil and ecclesiastical authorities were reluctant to employ torture; they saw it as antithetical to their system of justice and an intrusion by continental law—an attempt to undermine English autonomy under papal and French authority.”—from “Arthurian Literature XXXII” by Elizabeth Archibald, referring to even a political application of torture in 1308.
And yet we get treated to several gratuitous descriptions of hard-core torture in public settings, right out for the eye to see, which take place regularly over the course of several years, and yet somehow word never reaches the king or even the noble neighbors? And her estate is so lawless that it tries to assault the good guys too?
The relationship part isn’t even well done. They’re instantly ready to think the worst of each other and they also spend long lengths of time alone together as she courts each guy (though of course you know from page 1 the one she’s going to pick). Hot and cold? I know it’s a teen book, but this love/hate/love thing is a bit strong even for that.
So, yeah...don’t recommend.
Historically inaccurate plus with stomach-turning violence. (Comparable to the tortures described in “The Laughing Man” by Victor Hugo, though in that book it’s clear that the tortures aren’t mainstream and are handed out by a sort of deep-state group.)
Content: violence
April 3, 2015
I was a little leery starting An Uncertain Choice. I’d seen several not so great reviews before I started it, so I went in with rather low expectations. I think that might be one reason I enjoyed it. I almost always find myself surprised when I go in with low expectations whether it be books or movies. While the book may have been predictable in areas and perhaps a little silly and unrealistic at times, I liked it quite a bit. I enjoyed the characters, particularly Derrick and the duke. I just loved their nobility. I even liked Rosemarie, which is quite a surprise knowing my usual dislike for female protagonists. Yes, her naiveté and indecisiveness was a bit frustrating at times, she still grew on me. Aside from a few darker moments involving torture and such, this was a light, very fairytale-ish read, especially in the romance department. And who says fairy tale stories can’t be a little silly and unrealistic? Once in a while, you just need fun stories like that to unwind and relax. There was definitely adventure to it as well. I devoured the last quarter of the book, almost skimming because I was so anxious to see what would happen (even if I could predict the ending). So if you’re looking for a (mostly) light and fun fairytale princess-like story, then I recommend checking it out.
I received a copy of this book free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.
I received a copy of this book free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.
March 8, 2015
Wow! That was fantastic!!
An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund is a Young Adult Medieval fiction. It is Jody's first foray into Young Adult fiction, as she normally writes Adult Historical fiction. (I highly recommend all of Jody's other novels.) An Uncertain Choice was the perfect Historical YA read. It had everything I was hoping for: Knights, Princesses, sword fights, and swoon-worthy romance. Everybody should read this book. It's the perfect book for Historical fiction fans of ALL ages. Suffice to say I am excited beyond words for Jody's next book which releases October 2015!
An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund is a Young Adult Medieval fiction. It is Jody's first foray into Young Adult fiction, as she normally writes Adult Historical fiction. (I highly recommend all of Jody's other novels.) An Uncertain Choice was the perfect Historical YA read. It had everything I was hoping for: Knights, Princesses, sword fights, and swoon-worthy romance. Everybody should read this book. It's the perfect book for Historical fiction fans of ALL ages. Suffice to say I am excited beyond words for Jody's next book which releases October 2015!
May 20, 2021
All I have to say is why has this sat book on my TBR this long without being read??? 😂
September 26, 2019
A unique coming-of-age historical tale in attempt to find true love.
I'm not one for love triangles or love quadruples for that matter. But, I liked how the circumstances forced our heiress into making a tough decision. It was indeed an interesting plot and I loved her sweet nature. Also, I admired her stance against torture!
However, after some thought, I would have loved to know more about each suitor; the wonderful Duke who cared so much for her, back stories, etc...
The book is small and could have given us more. The ending came as a shock. I'm not sure yet if I liked what all happened, or think it was at all believable, but that is besides the point.
Overall I still liked this book very much!
I'm not one for love triangles or love quadruples for that matter. But, I liked how the circumstances forced our heiress into making a tough decision. It was indeed an interesting plot and I loved her sweet nature. Also, I admired her stance against torture!
However, after some thought, I would have loved to know more about each suitor; the wonderful Duke who cared so much for her, back stories, etc...
The book is small and could have given us more. The ending came as a shock. I'm not sure yet if I liked what all happened, or think it was at all believable, but that is besides the point.
Overall I still liked this book very much!
February 13, 2015
Loved this beautiful, gentle romance.
Odd ending... is there a sequel. Just skip the last couple pages for a perfect ending.
Content: Clean
Odd ending... is there a sequel. Just skip the last couple pages for a perfect ending.
Content: Clean
February 21, 2017
Oh, wow, this book is just so amazing. And, no, this isn't the first time I have read this book. I have read this book at least...hmm...three times, maybe more.
Anyway, I love this book. An Uncertain Choice was my first Jody Hedlund book, and it got me hooked. To be honest, I haven't read all of Hedlund's books yet, but I am working on it!
So, the whole 'game' between the three knights at Rosemarie left me hanging on the edge of my seat. It was kind of obvious of who she would fall in love with, but that didn't stop me from reading on to make sure my hypothesis was correct. So, I read on...and on...and on.
I may not be correct on saying this, but I believe that I finished this book in one night. Yeah, I was excited and intrigued! mean, the first scene is a man being boiled to death. NO! Don't runaway from me now!!! It isn't as creepy as it sounds. There are no details. Believe me, if there were details, I would have dropped the book and ran. And, just so you know, the man does live because...a knight in shining armor comes riding in...(I squealed at that part, by the way.)
I totally believe that this book deserves five bright stars--brighter than Sirius, the second brightest star.
Title: Uncertain Choice
Author: Jody Hedlund
Author's Website: http://jodyhedlund.com/
This review is written in my own opinions and words.
Anyway, I love this book. An Uncertain Choice was my first Jody Hedlund book, and it got me hooked. To be honest, I haven't read all of Hedlund's books yet, but I am working on it!
So, the whole 'game' between the three knights at Rosemarie left me hanging on the edge of my seat. It was kind of obvious of who she would fall in love with, but that didn't stop me from reading on to make sure my hypothesis was correct. So, I read on...and on...and on.
I may not be correct on saying this, but I believe that I finished this book in one night. Yeah, I was excited and intrigued! mean, the first scene is a man being boiled to death. NO! Don't runaway from me now!!! It isn't as creepy as it sounds. There are no details. Believe me, if there were details, I would have dropped the book and ran. And, just so you know, the man does live because...a knight in shining armor comes riding in...(I squealed at that part, by the way.)
I totally believe that this book deserves five bright stars--brighter than Sirius, the second brightest star.
Title: Uncertain Choice
Author: Jody Hedlund
Author's Website: http://jodyhedlund.com/
This review is written in my own opinions and words.
March 2, 2015
I received a free advance reader's copy of this book at the ALA Midwinter conference.
Having never read anything by Jody Hedlund before, I wasn't particularly familiar with her writing style or subject matter. Unfortunately, I still found this book seriously disappointing and almost boring enough to give up on half way through.
Our protagonist, Lady Rosemarie, is bound by a vow made by her parents to join a convent by her 18th birthday. BUT - there is an escape clause, provided she finds True Love and gets married first. We are, of course, supposed to ignore how utterly unimportant love was in marriages in the middle ages. She gets to spend a month being wooed by three highly eligible knights, because of course she does.
There was nothing about this book that was unexpected - clearly she is going to fall for the brave but stoic knight who pays her the least attention (she is, of course, beautiful and kind and totally amazing, and the other two have plenty of things to compliment her on). The villain is the least poorly disguised villain outside of superhero movies, which is frustrating since we're supposed to be like Rosemarie and not know who it is until the last moment. Really, how does she not pick up on this?
Anything unexpected that actually did happen felt like an out of place manufactured plot point. The main character trait of Rosemarie, that she is VERY CONCERNED about the well being of her subjects, especially the poor ones, was overplayed so much that it made her almost unlikable. The entire premise, dialog, and actions seemed so out of place from the time period in which it was set that it's hard to properly envision anything.
The saving grace was that it was a quick, light read, making it easy to finish.
Having never read anything by Jody Hedlund before, I wasn't particularly familiar with her writing style or subject matter. Unfortunately, I still found this book seriously disappointing and almost boring enough to give up on half way through.
Our protagonist, Lady Rosemarie, is bound by a vow made by her parents to join a convent by her 18th birthday. BUT - there is an escape clause, provided she finds True Love and gets married first. We are, of course, supposed to ignore how utterly unimportant love was in marriages in the middle ages. She gets to spend a month being wooed by three highly eligible knights, because of course she does.
There was nothing about this book that was unexpected - clearly she is going to fall for the brave but stoic knight who pays her the least attention (she is, of course, beautiful and kind and totally amazing, and the other two have plenty of things to compliment her on). The villain is the least poorly disguised villain outside of superhero movies, which is frustrating since we're supposed to be like Rosemarie and not know who it is until the last moment. Really, how does she not pick up on this?
Anything unexpected that actually did happen felt like an out of place manufactured plot point. The main character trait of Rosemarie, that she is VERY CONCERNED about the well being of her subjects, especially the poor ones, was overplayed so much that it made her almost unlikable. The entire premise, dialog, and actions seemed so out of place from the time period in which it was set that it's hard to properly envision anything.
The saving grace was that it was a quick, light read, making it easy to finish.
November 22, 2022
3.5 stars
I liked the 3rd book in the series best, this was just...I dunno fell a little flat for me. But it was still an interesting story, overall, I just enjoyed book 3 more that's all. And this is a really short review because I don't know what else to put...
I liked the 3rd book in the series best, this was just...I dunno fell a little flat for me. But it was still an interesting story, overall, I just enjoyed book 3 more that's all. And this is a really short review because I don't know what else to put...
July 9, 2015
DNF on pg. 119
Trying to go through old netgalley novels and this one sounded cute and fun. Unfortunately, Rosemarie is Queen of the Mary Sues and is descended from a long line of Mary Sues: her parents died during the Plague because they insisted on being out in the kingdom to help the sick. Rosemarie has been on her own since then (?! the big, strong manly men were okay with a teenage girl running the realm??) and now she has a month to go until her 18th birthday when she'll enter into a convent. HOWEVER, a loophole was discovered which states that she's able to avoid life as a nun if she finds her true love and marries.
What follows is essentially a medieval version of a reality dating show. The neighboring duke brings three knights to woo Rosemarie and my eyes were rolling with each sentence. It reached the point where I couldn't stand hearing again about Rosemarie's beauty, how kind and caring she is, how the townsfolk love her. At one point Rosemarie pouts because two knights showered her with elaborate gifts (jewels, gowns, etc) and the third didn't. Boo hoo.
Multiple times Rosemarie muses on selling off possessions in the castle in order to give more to the poor villagers. Her subjects basically were a way to show just how selfless she was and it came across as cheesy. Numerous times Rosemarie delivers leftovers to people, bans all use of torture/punishment. There are better, more believable ways to show a compassionate character and An Uncertain Choice failed miserable in that sense.
As for the title, there's nothing uncertain about it - there are two narrators, Rosemarie and the knight she ultimately chooses, so there's no surprise whatsoever. I ended up skimming the final few chapters and things ended exactly as I had assumed (baby and all.) I really wanted to enjoy this one, but it was a disappointment.
Trying to go through old netgalley novels and this one sounded cute and fun. Unfortunately, Rosemarie is Queen of the Mary Sues and is descended from a long line of Mary Sues: her parents died during the Plague because they insisted on being out in the kingdom to help the sick. Rosemarie has been on her own since then (?! the big, strong manly men were okay with a teenage girl running the realm??) and now she has a month to go until her 18th birthday when she'll enter into a convent. HOWEVER, a loophole was discovered which states that she's able to avoid life as a nun if she finds her true love and marries.
What follows is essentially a medieval version of a reality dating show. The neighboring duke brings three knights to woo Rosemarie and my eyes were rolling with each sentence. It reached the point where I couldn't stand hearing again about Rosemarie's beauty, how kind and caring she is, how the townsfolk love her. At one point Rosemarie pouts because two knights showered her with elaborate gifts (jewels, gowns, etc) and the third didn't. Boo hoo.
Multiple times Rosemarie muses on selling off possessions in the castle in order to give more to the poor villagers. Her subjects basically were a way to show just how selfless she was and it came across as cheesy. Numerous times Rosemarie delivers leftovers to people, bans all use of torture/punishment. There are better, more believable ways to show a compassionate character and An Uncertain Choice failed miserable in that sense.
As for the title, there's nothing uncertain about it - there are two narrators, Rosemarie and the knight she ultimately chooses, so there's no surprise whatsoever. I ended up skimming the final few chapters and things ended exactly as I had assumed (baby and all.) I really wanted to enjoy this one, but it was a disappointment.
March 3, 2023
In exchange for the rare, blessed Saint Mary's Tears, a vow must be made. A Vow of Hannah, that the firstborn child must be consecrated to God.
That is the vow that has formed Lady Rosemarie's life and shaped her future--or so she believes. But the appearance of an old friend may offer an alternative ending.
What I Liked
I appreciated where Hedlund mentions (paraphrasing) that God created man and woman to serve Him together, and that marriage is not a "natural response to the salaciousness and physical immorality of this world", but a blessing from God. In today's culture, marriage is often spit upon, and furthermore, we see disturbing propaganda promoting same-sex attraction and marriage, which is the opposite of God's creation. So I appreciated this. It was refreshing and I respect Hedlund for including it.
Even though some of the faith elements are odd and even creepy (I'll get to that later), I did like how the characters prayed, going to God in both supplication and gratitude.
The cover. What more can I say? It's gorgeously breathtaking.
What I Wasn't Fond Of
Everything felt shallow. The relationships, the romance, the characters for the most part (Derrick was the best of the bunch). Even the plot. I hate to say it especially since this book does contain faith, but everything was surface. Rosemarie had positive qualities, to be certain (her kind and compassionate heart), but she was also so naive and just lacked depth. Maybe it's because I'm no longer YA and desire more depth to the relationships and characters, but it wasn't working for me.
I think the concept of this plot is intriguing, but it felt slow (personal preference, others will disagree). Admittedly, I skipped parts just to get along.
What I Did Not Like
Like I said earlier, the relationships--and romance in particular--were devastatingly shallow. I'll expound upon that in this section.
Understandably, Rosemarie is overwhelmed at first. Her three suitors are all physically attractive men, each with their own personalities and quirks. I get that. I'd be overwhelmed too. One day you're preparing to be a nun, and the next you're trying to fall in love in less than a month. I'd be paralyzed, actually.
But this is where the shallowness and lack of depth come in. It's 90% about appearances. Their hard muscles (biceps) beneath her hand. Her gorgeous looks (I am so tired of the woman always being a knockout. Can we get some normal-looking girls, please?). Her stunning appearance. Their ridiculously impressive physiques. We receive glimpses of a certain man's courage, which is good, and there are a few comments about Rosemarie's generosity and kindness, but the romance in this book is primarily based on physical attraction. So little depth to what could be a delightful story.
To top that off, there is a fair bit of lust, although lesser in quantity compared to what I've found in Hedlund's other books. I quote: "But the eagerness in her eyes sent another wave of need through my blood, stirring it faster". The men are obviously enamored with Rosemarie's outward appearance, and there are many near-kisses even when they've just met. Her heart is always a' flutter when they're near or she's placing her hand in the crook of their elbows (oh, those muscles! Barf.), and two of the men are painted as extremely looks-focused and the only reason they want her is because she's stunning.
It just doesn't work. There was such an opportunity for clean, rich, in-depth Godly romance. And that's not what we get.
Also, what really bugs me is the whole "find true love in thirty days". You do not realistically fall in love with something you've just met in thirty days. That's pushing it for a normal person, much less a young woman, seventeen-years-old, who's not been around any male near her age for her entire life.
It just rubbed me the wrong way. Again, I see the point. The execution just doesn't agree with me.
I will discuss other elements I found disturbing in the below sections.
VIOLENCE
As other reviews mention, there is extreme, gruesome violence in this book. Now, you can't just say, "he got a paper cut and cried", because that doesn't work. But detailing a man slowly being boiled alive, a man about to be torn apart, and other wretchedly atrocious acts of gore and death are detailed, making this inappropriate for most teens.
RELIGION
I've said what I liked about the faith. What bothered me was there is some bit of mysticism or magic involved. I generally don't have an issue with magic, but this didn't work at all. We're in England, 1390, and all of a sudden, "Rosemarie will die if she doesn't uphold the vow". There's no explanation, no reason why this magic/mystical element is suddenly inserted.
There are several holy relics that are believed to have power. Folks, unless God allows the staff to part the water or a rock to spew clean water, there ain't no power in "holy relics". This is part of the Catholicism thread, which is mixed with something else. In that time, it would only be Catholicism. (I'm not saying Catholicism is okay or that I agree with it. Some things are eerie and bizarre. I am merely pointing out the historical inaccuracies in this book, which should not have been there given the huge publisher behind this book.)
***
CONCLUSION
I'm not going to say everyone should forego this book. Determine that based on your convictions and these reviews. I am saying I do not think this book is appropriate for teens and younger due to the extreme violence and the unnecessary lust.
As always, research books before reading them. Covers can often hide content you don't want to read about.
That is the vow that has formed Lady Rosemarie's life and shaped her future--or so she believes. But the appearance of an old friend may offer an alternative ending.
What I Liked
I appreciated where Hedlund mentions (paraphrasing) that God created man and woman to serve Him together, and that marriage is not a "natural response to the salaciousness and physical immorality of this world", but a blessing from God. In today's culture, marriage is often spit upon, and furthermore, we see disturbing propaganda promoting same-sex attraction and marriage, which is the opposite of God's creation. So I appreciated this. It was refreshing and I respect Hedlund for including it.
Even though some of the faith elements are odd and even creepy (I'll get to that later), I did like how the characters prayed, going to God in both supplication and gratitude.
The cover. What more can I say? It's gorgeously breathtaking.
What I Wasn't Fond Of
Everything felt shallow. The relationships, the romance, the characters for the most part (Derrick was the best of the bunch). Even the plot. I hate to say it especially since this book does contain faith, but everything was surface. Rosemarie had positive qualities, to be certain (her kind and compassionate heart), but she was also so naive and just lacked depth. Maybe it's because I'm no longer YA and desire more depth to the relationships and characters, but it wasn't working for me.
I think the concept of this plot is intriguing, but it felt slow (personal preference, others will disagree). Admittedly, I skipped parts just to get along.
What I Did Not Like
Like I said earlier, the relationships--and romance in particular--were devastatingly shallow. I'll expound upon that in this section.
Understandably, Rosemarie is overwhelmed at first. Her three suitors are all physically attractive men, each with their own personalities and quirks. I get that. I'd be overwhelmed too. One day you're preparing to be a nun, and the next you're trying to fall in love in less than a month. I'd be paralyzed, actually.
But this is where the shallowness and lack of depth come in. It's 90% about appearances. Their hard muscles (biceps) beneath her hand. Her gorgeous looks (I am so tired of the woman always being a knockout. Can we get some normal-looking girls, please?). Her stunning appearance. Their ridiculously impressive physiques. We receive glimpses of a certain man's courage, which is good, and there are a few comments about Rosemarie's generosity and kindness, but the romance in this book is primarily based on physical attraction. So little depth to what could be a delightful story.
To top that off, there is a fair bit of lust, although lesser in quantity compared to what I've found in Hedlund's other books. I quote: "But the eagerness in her eyes sent another wave of need through my blood, stirring it faster". The men are obviously enamored with Rosemarie's outward appearance, and there are many near-kisses even when they've just met. Her heart is always a' flutter when they're near or she's placing her hand in the crook of their elbows (oh, those muscles! Barf.), and two of the men are painted as extremely looks-focused and the only reason they want her is because she's stunning.
It just doesn't work. There was such an opportunity for clean, rich, in-depth Godly romance. And that's not what we get.
Also, what really bugs me is the whole "find true love in thirty days". You do not realistically fall in love with something you've just met in thirty days. That's pushing it for a normal person, much less a young woman, seventeen-years-old, who's not been around any male near her age for her entire life.
It just rubbed me the wrong way. Again, I see the point. The execution just doesn't agree with me.
I will discuss other elements I found disturbing in the below sections.
VIOLENCE
As other reviews mention, there is extreme, gruesome violence in this book. Now, you can't just say, "he got a paper cut and cried", because that doesn't work. But detailing a man slowly being boiled alive, a man about to be torn apart, and other wretchedly atrocious acts of gore and death are detailed, making this inappropriate for most teens.
RELIGION
I've said what I liked about the faith. What bothered me was there is some bit of mysticism or magic involved. I generally don't have an issue with magic, but this didn't work at all. We're in England, 1390, and all of a sudden, "Rosemarie will die if she doesn't uphold the vow". There's no explanation, no reason why this magic/mystical element is suddenly inserted.
There are several holy relics that are believed to have power. Folks, unless God allows the staff to part the water or a rock to spew clean water, there ain't no power in "holy relics". This is part of the Catholicism thread, which is mixed with something else. In that time, it would only be Catholicism. (I'm not saying Catholicism is okay or that I agree with it. Some things are eerie and bizarre. I am merely pointing out the historical inaccuracies in this book, which should not have been there given the huge publisher behind this book.)
***
CONCLUSION
I'm not going to say everyone should forego this book. Determine that based on your convictions and these reviews. I am saying I do not think this book is appropriate for teens and younger due to the extreme violence and the unnecessary lust.
As always, research books before reading them. Covers can often hide content you don't want to read about.
April 5, 2016
{Welcome to Teen Week! Every quarter we're going to try and do a Teen Week! A week where every weekday has a new review of a Christian book written just for teens! You’re reading the fourth one of this quarter's! :) }
About this book:
“Due to her parents' promise at her birth, Lady Rosemarie has been prepared to become a nun on the day she turns eighteen. Then, a month before her birthday, a friend of her father's enters the kingdom and proclaims her parents' will left a second choice. If Rosemarie can marry before the eve of her eighteenth year, she will be exempt from the ancient vow.
Before long, Rosemarie is presented with the three most handsome and brave knights in the land. But when the competition for her heart seemingly results in a knight playing foul, she begins to wonder if the cloister is the best place after all. If only one of the knights the one who appears the most guilty had not already captured her heart.”
Series: Book #1 in the “An Uncertain Choice” series. {There is am e-book prologue, “The Vow”, but I have not read it.}
Spiritual Content- Mentions of those in the Bible; Talks about God & God’s will (though the ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God); The Catholic faith and a monk/abbot; Prayers & going to the chapel to pray; The Lord’s Prayer is mentioned and a couple lines are written out; Lady Rosemarie is almost a nun.
*Note: a Mention of a Greek god; Mentions of the devil.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘wretches’; Mentions of torturing, beheading, cutting out organs, and boiling criminals alive (semi-detailed); Blood & Fighting (semi-detailed); Nightmares (semi-detailed); Mentions of murder & poison.
Sexual Content- a not-detailed kiss and Three semi-detailed kisses; Two almost kisses; Hand kisses; Thinking about kissing & kisses; The knights stare at Lady Rosemarie’s lips; Staring & Noticing; Touches & Warmth (barely-above-not-detailed to semi-detailed); It’s said that Lady Rosemarie is destined for celibacy; a mention of “the pleasure of a woman���; The abbot is worried that the knights will tempt the “pure and undefiled” Lady Rosemarie; a mention that God “designed the basic attraction between men and women.”; The jerk-of-a-sheriff says “You wouldn’t dare disobey Lady Rosemarie, would you? Not when you hope to win her into your bed.”; Love, falling in love & the emotions.
-Lady Rosemarie
-Sir Derrick
1st person P.O.V. switches between Lady Rosemarie and Derrick
Set in 1390 {Medieval}
254 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars (and a half)
{Sensitive girls will want to stay away of this book because of all the torture.}
This definitely wasn’t the best Medieval book I’ve read, it was a lot harsher than any of Melanie Dickerson or Lisa T. Bergren ones. “An Uncertain Choice” was very blunt and kind of, well, fluffy in the actually storyline but harsh in the torture. Lady Rosemarie was just a little too perfect; I’m not sure how to explain it. I was already hesitant to read another Jody Hedlund book after her book released last year. Whether or not I’ll read another by her, I’m not sure.
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Zondervan) for this review.
About this book:
“Due to her parents' promise at her birth, Lady Rosemarie has been prepared to become a nun on the day she turns eighteen. Then, a month before her birthday, a friend of her father's enters the kingdom and proclaims her parents' will left a second choice. If Rosemarie can marry before the eve of her eighteenth year, she will be exempt from the ancient vow.
Before long, Rosemarie is presented with the three most handsome and brave knights in the land. But when the competition for her heart seemingly results in a knight playing foul, she begins to wonder if the cloister is the best place after all. If only one of the knights the one who appears the most guilty had not already captured her heart.”
Series: Book #1 in the “An Uncertain Choice” series. {There is am e-book prologue, “The Vow”, but I have not read it.}
Spiritual Content- Mentions of those in the Bible; Talks about God & God’s will (though the ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God); The Catholic faith and a monk/abbot; Prayers & going to the chapel to pray; The Lord’s Prayer is mentioned and a couple lines are written out; Lady Rosemarie is almost a nun.
*Note: a Mention of a Greek god; Mentions of the devil.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘wretches’; Mentions of torturing, beheading, cutting out organs, and boiling criminals alive (semi-detailed); Blood & Fighting (semi-detailed); Nightmares (semi-detailed); Mentions of murder & poison.
Sexual Content- a not-detailed kiss and Three semi-detailed kisses; Two almost kisses; Hand kisses; Thinking about kissing & kisses; The knights stare at Lady Rosemarie’s lips; Staring & Noticing; Touches & Warmth (barely-above-not-detailed to semi-detailed); It’s said that Lady Rosemarie is destined for celibacy; a mention of “the pleasure of a woman���; The abbot is worried that the knights will tempt the “pure and undefiled” Lady Rosemarie; a mention that God “designed the basic attraction between men and women.”; The jerk-of-a-sheriff says “You wouldn’t dare disobey Lady Rosemarie, would you? Not when you hope to win her into your bed.”; Love, falling in love & the emotions.
-Lady Rosemarie
-Sir Derrick
1st person P.O.V. switches between Lady Rosemarie and Derrick
Set in 1390 {Medieval}
254 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars (and a half)
{Sensitive girls will want to stay away of this book because of all the torture.}
This definitely wasn’t the best Medieval book I’ve read, it was a lot harsher than any of Melanie Dickerson or Lisa T. Bergren ones. “An Uncertain Choice” was very blunt and kind of, well, fluffy in the actually storyline but harsh in the torture. Lady Rosemarie was just a little too perfect; I’m not sure how to explain it. I was already hesitant to read another Jody Hedlund book after her book released last year. Whether or not I’ll read another by her, I’m not sure.
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Zondervan) for this review.
March 2, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★
Cleanness: ★★★.5
This was sweet, cute, and a bit cheesy. The writing was fun and fast paced. This was the perfect book to read after the last one I did (which was disappointing and I really needed this happy book with chivalrous knights, XD). The story felt…a bit lacking in places to be honest. It actually feels a LOT like The Captive Maiden which made me want to read that one…which I started last night after I finished this one)!
This was sweet and lighthearted (though the amount of torture was a bit too much) and was perfect to read in a power outage (which I’m currently still in but thankfully the internet is back on…for a little bit anyways).
Here are my favorite quotes all from my favorite character (Derrick):
This gives a pretty good feel on what the book is like. Well I think it’s time for me to do some more reading!
Bye for now! <3
Cleanness: ★★★.5
This was sweet, cute, and a bit cheesy. The writing was fun and fast paced. This was the perfect book to read after the last one I did (which was disappointing and I really needed this happy book with chivalrous knights, XD). The story felt…a bit lacking in places to be honest. It actually feels a LOT like The Captive Maiden which made me want to read that one…which I started last night after I finished this one)!
This was sweet and lighthearted (though the amount of torture was a bit too much) and was perfect to read in a power outage (which I’m currently still in but thankfully the internet is back on…for a little bit anyways).
Here are my favorite quotes all from my favorite character (Derrick):
“I would lay down my very life for you.”
“The truth was, I loved her, deeply and truly.”
“I’d fight to the death to find her”
This gives a pretty good feel on what the book is like. Well I think it’s time for me to do some more reading!
Bye for now! <3
June 11, 2017
For me this book was just ok. I felt that there wasn't enough depth to the characters, and the romance between Lady Rosemarie and her love interest felt rushed and didn't seem very genuine. However I loved how in the end, Rosemarie discovers that she's a lot braver than she gives herself credit for, and I'm glad that things work out for her.
One thing that bothers me however, is the fact that this novel was written in such a juvenile manner. I mean, I've ready one other book by Jody Hedlund that was adult fiction, and it was written perfectly fine. Just because the book is ya, why does that mean the writing quality has to be so unsatisfying? Teenagers are perfectly capable of understanding complex language and ideas, so I don't know why many authors feel the need to dumb ideas and their writing down so much.
One thing that bothers me however, is the fact that this novel was written in such a juvenile manner. I mean, I've ready one other book by Jody Hedlund that was adult fiction, and it was written perfectly fine. Just because the book is ya, why does that mean the writing quality has to be so unsatisfying? Teenagers are perfectly capable of understanding complex language and ideas, so I don't know why many authors feel the need to dumb ideas and their writing down so much.
March 17, 2023
This isn't bad, but it wasn't the best either.
I may have enjoyed it a bit more if the character wasn't too righteously good and the plot so painfully obvious.
Even though there was a supposed love triangle, you figure out quickly who she is going to pick. You figure out the bad guy after literally meeting the person. She is way to "good." Not a flaw in her. So, it got boring quick.
Maybe I have been corrupted by the books I have been reading lately but this was a clean romance that talks about torture a lot. Not for me.
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I may have enjoyed it a bit more if the character wasn't too righteously good and the plot so painfully obvious.
Even though there was a supposed love triangle, you figure out quickly who she is going to pick. You figure out the bad guy after literally meeting the person. She is way to "good." Not a flaw in her. So, it got boring quick.
Maybe I have been corrupted by the books I have been reading lately but this was a clean romance that talks about torture a lot. Not for me.
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December 9, 2015I am not going to even give this book the dignity of one star, so no stars it is which, I know I don't have on my rating system but no stars basically means it's not worth the paper it's printed on.
Four things sum this dull, un-interesting, boring story up:
1. Lame plot
2. Lame characters
3. Lame writing
4. Super lame ending
There you have it folks. Basically this book is a complete waste of the precious little time we have on this earth and I wish I hadn't wasted mine reading it. I'm still not sure why I finished it; I guess because I still have a little of my 'hating to not finish a book' syndrome. I need to work on that.
Four things sum this dull, un-interesting, boring story up:
1. Lame plot
2. Lame characters
3. Lame writing
4. Super lame ending
There you have it folks. Basically this book is a complete waste of the precious little time we have on this earth and I wish I hadn't wasted mine reading it. I'm still not sure why I finished it; I guess because I still have a little of my 'hating to not finish a book' syndrome. I need to work on that.
February 23, 2015
Age Appropriate For: 12 and up for romance and violence
Best for Ages: 12 and 18
This review is full of spoilers. If you want to read this book without knowing the ending, don’t read this.
So, I was going to wait until I was in a better mood to do this review, and then I decided that while I was feeling sarcastic and a bit grumpy and a bit silly (I don’t understand how those two go together either, but sometimes they go together with me) I would go ahead and write the review. Perhaps it will come off sounding funny instead of irritated.
Before I get started, let me first say that both the main characters show two qualities that I admire. The first is that they both have faith in God. Second, the both not only strive to, but do treat each other in honor and purity even though they are very attracted to each other. I also would like to say that the author did keep me turning pages even when I didn’t particularly care for the book, which is why it got three stars.
Now, let me begin on what I thought of MOST of the book. The beginning was the worst part. Could it have been anymore cheesy? One girl is about to be forced by her parents’ vow to enter a life of celibacy (which, obviously is the worst fate that could befall any girl, right?). But then *gasp of surprise* someone discovers that there is a way out: if she finds true love and marries before midnight of heir eighteenth birthday (seriously, I am not joking.)
So, three men compete for her hand. You will be shocked at who they are. A rich guy that flatters and gives rich gifts, a poet that brings flowers, and a tough guy who just plays hero sometimes, remains silent most of the time (what? You aren’t surprised?).
The middle part of the book was rather interesting, when mysterious accidents happened, but that part didn’t last long. Guess which guy she went for? (How did you know it was the hero guy? Whoever sees that coming?)
My biggest complaint really was who the bad guy turned out to be. Yes, she did succeed in horrifying me. Seriously, what is with Christian authors and making the priest into the evil guy? I wanted to throw the book away at that point.
Although this book wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t great either. It was far too predictable and cheesy.
I received this book from Zondervan in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own
Best for Ages: 12 and 18
This review is full of spoilers. If you want to read this book without knowing the ending, don’t read this.
So, I was going to wait until I was in a better mood to do this review, and then I decided that while I was feeling sarcastic and a bit grumpy and a bit silly (I don’t understand how those two go together either, but sometimes they go together with me) I would go ahead and write the review. Perhaps it will come off sounding funny instead of irritated.
Before I get started, let me first say that both the main characters show two qualities that I admire. The first is that they both have faith in God. Second, the both not only strive to, but do treat each other in honor and purity even though they are very attracted to each other. I also would like to say that the author did keep me turning pages even when I didn’t particularly care for the book, which is why it got three stars.
Now, let me begin on what I thought of MOST of the book. The beginning was the worst part. Could it have been anymore cheesy? One girl is about to be forced by her parents’ vow to enter a life of celibacy (which, obviously is the worst fate that could befall any girl, right?). But then *gasp of surprise* someone discovers that there is a way out: if she finds true love and marries before midnight of heir eighteenth birthday (seriously, I am not joking.)
So, three men compete for her hand. You will be shocked at who they are. A rich guy that flatters and gives rich gifts, a poet that brings flowers, and a tough guy who just plays hero sometimes, remains silent most of the time (what? You aren’t surprised?).
The middle part of the book was rather interesting, when mysterious accidents happened, but that part didn’t last long. Guess which guy she went for? (How did you know it was the hero guy? Whoever sees that coming?)
My biggest complaint really was who the bad guy turned out to be. Yes, she did succeed in horrifying me. Seriously, what is with Christian authors and making the priest into the evil guy? I wanted to throw the book away at that point.
Although this book wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t great either. It was far too predictable and cheesy.
I received this book from Zondervan in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2017
A fairytale-ish, medieval, YA romance by Jody Hedlund! ^_^ It was quite fun and sweet - a regular princess and knights tale!
Lady Rosemarie is an orphan destined to rule as queen over her people. The one thing is that she'll be ruling from a convent, through the family priest, because a vow was made that she forgo marriage and become a nun. Rosemarie has almost resigned herself to this fate, when a duke, a family friend, a three handsome knights ride into her life.
... If she marries before her eighteenth birthday, she will be exempted from the vow. But will she fall in love before then? And who is trying to thwart that at all costs?
I just really enjoyed this story. It was fun, it was cute. Yes, some parts could feel a tad cheesy or unrealistic ... but who cares! It has a definite fairytale feel, so I'm okay with some unrealistic scenarios.
And despite An Uncertain Choice being a princess sort of YA book, the romance had some depth to it. It actually came about rather beautifully. Anyway, I was surprised how much I liked the romance.
And I liked the duke too!
There were a few parts that took away from the light fairytale feel. Some really gruesome torture methods were spoken of ... *shudder* There was one in particular that was horrific. EEK! So caution, caution because of that! Otherwise there's not really much for violence.
I don't know. I simply loved An Uncertain Choice all in all. I love fairytales; and this was such, just without the magic. And plus it had some poignant and sweet themes. I quite enjoyed it. Very excited for book two in this series! :)
Lady Rosemarie is an orphan destined to rule as queen over her people. The one thing is that she'll be ruling from a convent, through the family priest, because a vow was made that she forgo marriage and become a nun. Rosemarie has almost resigned herself to this fate, when a duke, a family friend, a three handsome knights ride into her life.
... If she marries before her eighteenth birthday, she will be exempted from the vow. But will she fall in love before then? And who is trying to thwart that at all costs?
I just really enjoyed this story. It was fun, it was cute. Yes, some parts could feel a tad cheesy or unrealistic ... but who cares! It has a definite fairytale feel, so I'm okay with some unrealistic scenarios.
And despite An Uncertain Choice being a princess sort of YA book, the romance had some depth to it. It actually came about rather beautifully. Anyway, I was surprised how much I liked the romance.
And I liked the duke too!
There were a few parts that took away from the light fairytale feel. Some really gruesome torture methods were spoken of ... *shudder* There was one in particular that was horrific. EEK! So caution, caution because of that! Otherwise there's not really much for violence.
I don't know. I simply loved An Uncertain Choice all in all. I love fairytales; and this was such, just without the magic. And plus it had some poignant and sweet themes. I quite enjoyed it. Very excited for book two in this series! :)
May 27, 2019
Wow!!!!!! I am so glued with the story - that was everything. I felt the story! And I absolutely loved the characters.
Expect I felt the ending was rushed. I wanted more of these two.
I don't mind if the authors another story of them!
Expect I felt the ending was rushed. I wanted more of these two.
I don't mind if the authors another story of them!
September 6, 2020
SUMMARY: Due to her parents' promise at her birth, Lady Rosemarie has been prepared to become a nun on the day she turns eighteen. Then, a month before her birthday, a friend of her father's enters the kingdom and proclaims her parents' will left a second choice--if Rosemarie can marry before the eve of her eighteenth year, she will be exempt from the ancient vow.
Before long, Rosemarie is presented with the three most handsome and brave knights in the land. But when the competition for her heart seemingly results in a knight playing foul, she begins to wonder if the convent is the best place after all. If only one of the knights--the one who appears the most guilty--had not already captured her heart.
REVIEW: I would definitely recommend reading the prequel, The Vow, before reading this book as it gives insight into the situation that Lady Rosemarie finds herself in. This is a quick, easy to read historical romance with almost the feel of a fairy tale although it does contain some matter that is a little bit blacker than most fairy tales. Lady Rosemarie is a staunch anti-torture leader of her kingdom who has to fight those in her kingdom who would use torture to keep her people under control. Rosemarie vacillates between showing strength and being the typical teen she is. The three knights were interesting in that they had such distinct personalities. There was the typical bad guy in the sheriff with the knights to the rescue. I loved Sir Derrick's personality. He wasn't going to change who he was just to win the Lady but rather show her how they complimented each other.
I would have to say that the descriptions of the tortures might be a turn off to some readers.
This would be a good read for young adults.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "For it is often the hardest tasks, that build the most character."
"Sometimes we have to take risks, even put our lives in jeopardy to do what's right."
Before long, Rosemarie is presented with the three most handsome and brave knights in the land. But when the competition for her heart seemingly results in a knight playing foul, she begins to wonder if the convent is the best place after all. If only one of the knights--the one who appears the most guilty--had not already captured her heart.
REVIEW: I would definitely recommend reading the prequel, The Vow, before reading this book as it gives insight into the situation that Lady Rosemarie finds herself in. This is a quick, easy to read historical romance with almost the feel of a fairy tale although it does contain some matter that is a little bit blacker than most fairy tales. Lady Rosemarie is a staunch anti-torture leader of her kingdom who has to fight those in her kingdom who would use torture to keep her people under control. Rosemarie vacillates between showing strength and being the typical teen she is. The three knights were interesting in that they had such distinct personalities. There was the typical bad guy in the sheriff with the knights to the rescue. I loved Sir Derrick's personality. He wasn't going to change who he was just to win the Lady but rather show her how they complimented each other.
I would have to say that the descriptions of the tortures might be a turn off to some readers.
This would be a good read for young adults.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "For it is often the hardest tasks, that build the most character."
"Sometimes we have to take risks, even put our lives in jeopardy to do what's right."
December 9, 2015
An Uncertain Choice is a delightful romance, but with enough action and mystery to keep it from being sappy or boring. Rosemarie is a wonderful heroine. She is weak and vulnerable, but she has a strong core that keeps her from being helpless. While she needs to be rescued, she also rescues herself at times. Her strength comes from her faith in God, and she has a compassionate heart. A good example of how a young Christian lady should be.
The three knights are also well-rounded characters. The book could easily have turned awkward, but it is handled well. The other knights beside the one meant for Rosemarie could have turned into flat characters, but I liked each of them. While I had a favorite for Rosemarie, I loved all three of them and can't wait to read about their happy endings in the rest of the series.
Once again, a great book by Jody Hedlund and one I'll be sure to read over and over again!
The three knights are also well-rounded characters. The book could easily have turned awkward, but it is handled well. The other knights beside the one meant for Rosemarie could have turned into flat characters, but I liked each of them. While I had a favorite for Rosemarie, I loved all three of them and can't wait to read about their happy endings in the rest of the series.
Once again, a great book by Jody Hedlund and one I'll be sure to read over and over again!
March 26, 2016
This book had romance, mystery, and some action. I liked it a lot. Rosemarie has to fall in love with one of 3 knights within a month... luckily for me, she fell for the guy I was routing for.. I absolutely did not want to see a love triangle develop, so I was relieved she liked one over the others pretty early on. But then someone starts trying to off the suitors and you're trying to figure out who along with the main characters. The one thing that made it drop from 5 stars for me was the indecisiveness and flip flopping of Rosemarie. She changed her opinions and mind soooooo much. All someone had to do was suggest a different outcome or answer and her whole outlook would change. There is a book 2, but this book didn't end on a cliffhanger.
November 22, 2022
3.5 Stars
February 21, 2015
Jody Hedlund's historicals usually center around an interesting time in history, so when I heard that she was writing a YA, I was thrilled.
When I heard that YA was medieval (my favorite time period), I knew I had to read this story.
Lady Rosemarie is determined to honor an ancient vow to be a nun, the particulars of which are a bit tricky. At first this scenario seemed a bit contrived to me, but I soon didn't care about the vow as much as I cared about the test it leads Rosemarie to.
Merely a month before her eighteenth birthday, Rosemarie is told there is one--and only one--way out of the vow that will send her to a convent.
Fall in love.
And she has a month! From that page on, I was swept away, unsure how it would end but sure I did not want to miss the adventure.
It is indeed an adventure, although it didn't take me longer than a few pages to recognize who the hero was. Chivalrous and kind but also hesitant about pursuing Rosemarie because her other two suitors are his friends, the hero in this story seems to be the one winning the test...
However, there is someone who does not want Rosemarie to fall in love and escape the vow. Who that person turns out to be I won't spoil (although it didn't take me long to figure out his identity, either).
While I would have appreciated a bit more depth and mystery to this one, I applaud Jody's first YA medieval. I will be reading the next!
When I heard that YA was medieval (my favorite time period), I knew I had to read this story.
Lady Rosemarie is determined to honor an ancient vow to be a nun, the particulars of which are a bit tricky. At first this scenario seemed a bit contrived to me, but I soon didn't care about the vow as much as I cared about the test it leads Rosemarie to.
Merely a month before her eighteenth birthday, Rosemarie is told there is one--and only one--way out of the vow that will send her to a convent.
Fall in love.
And she has a month! From that page on, I was swept away, unsure how it would end but sure I did not want to miss the adventure.
It is indeed an adventure, although it didn't take me longer than a few pages to recognize who the hero was. Chivalrous and kind but also hesitant about pursuing Rosemarie because her other two suitors are his friends, the hero in this story seems to be the one winning the test...
However, there is someone who does not want Rosemarie to fall in love and escape the vow. Who that person turns out to be I won't spoil (although it didn't take me long to figure out his identity, either).
While I would have appreciated a bit more depth and mystery to this one, I applaud Jody's first YA medieval. I will be reading the next!
November 19, 2015
Characters: I thought the main character Rosemarie was naive and gullible. Instead of acting like a strong ruler she constantly let everyone step all over her and make the decisions for her. She made so many stupid decisions ad constantly had to be saved. I cant believe she dd not see anything coming. As for the knights i liked the friendship between them as well as the dynamics between them. I thought none of them were swoon worthy and we never properly got to know them all the characters just felt 2 dimensional.
Plot: The plot had a nice pace and it was very entertaining. But the plot was EXTREMELY predictable i saw everything coming from a mile away therefore there was no suspense and i did not care i was just rolling my eyes at the "twists" i either saw them coming or i just did not care.
Writing Style: The writing was my favorite part it was very whimsical and fluid and flowed nicely. But there was nothing amazing or breathtaking about it either
Setting: the Medieval Europe setting blended nicely with the characters and i really enjoyed the bright cheery setting as well as the traditional customs of that time period. I really ike that setting in books its definitely one of my favorites if done right.
All in all it was entertaining enough but i was underwhelmed and disappointed because it had a great start.
Plot: The plot had a nice pace and it was very entertaining. But the plot was EXTREMELY predictable i saw everything coming from a mile away therefore there was no suspense and i did not care i was just rolling my eyes at the "twists" i either saw them coming or i just did not care.
Writing Style: The writing was my favorite part it was very whimsical and fluid and flowed nicely. But there was nothing amazing or breathtaking about it either
Setting: the Medieval Europe setting blended nicely with the characters and i really enjoyed the bright cheery setting as well as the traditional customs of that time period. I really ike that setting in books its definitely one of my favorites if done right.
All in all it was entertaining enough but i was underwhelmed and disappointed because it had a great start.
February 12, 2015
What a beautiful Young Adult story. Rosemarie is a beautiful young girl just about to turn 18. When her parents died of the plague 4 years prior she found out about the Vow that states when she turns 18 she must become a nun. But 1 month before her 18th birthday she receives the news that if she finds love and marries by midnight on her 18th birthday she can get out of becoming a nun. She was surprised with 3 honorable and brave Knights. First we have Sir Collin a rich suitor with a crooked and endearing smile and quick wit. Then we have Sir Bennet with raven black hair and features of chiseled perfection. Then we have Sir Derrick who has a heart of gold who loves to help the poor but he is very standoffish when it comes to courting Rosemarie. The knights have 1 month to win her favor. Will Rosemarie find her true love in this short time or will she become a nun? Jody Hedlund puts many twists and turns, with fight scenes, mystery, and of course romance. I didn't want the story to end. I recommend to adults and young adults alike.
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