Chivalrous (Valiant Hearts, #2)
by Dina L. Sleiman
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: Sept. 8, 2015
Genres: Christian, Historical, Romance, YA
Pages: 358
Buy at: Amazon, B&N, CBD
Add on: Goodreads
Find the author at: website, Facebook, Twitter
With Her Future In Jeopardy, This Unforgettable Heroine Won’t Go Down Without a Fight!
Strong and adventurous Gwendolyn Barnes longs to be a knight like her chivalrous brothers, but her parents view her only as a marriage pawn. When her domineering father makes plans to see her wed to a brutish man, Gwendolyn must fight for her future. She’s surprised, however, for that clash to include a handsome, good-hearted newcomer. Allen of Ellsworth arrives in Edendale searching for his place in the world, but he finds in Gwendolyn the most unexpected of women. Tournaments, intrigue, and battles–along with twists and turns aplenty–await these two as they struggle to find love, identity, and their true destinies.
Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5 out of 5 stars)
My Review:
Lady Gwendolyn Barnes has always longed to be treated as an equal, both in family life and beyond. Her father is a brute of a man and believes women should be seen and not heard. Thankfully, whenever her father wasn’t in town (which was a lot) her brothers and friends taught her how to fight, and fight well. But now he’s returned and he’s more determined than ever to see her married off to an even more brutish man named Gawain. Allen of Ellsworth longs for a place to call his own, a calling and purpose to fulfill. Still quite broken up about his love for Lady Merry, he seeks just that in Gwen’s village. They meet and sparks fly. But so many obstacles are in their way. Can they find the strength to follow God even when all seems bleakest?
I really enjoyed Dauntless way back when it released and I read it for review, despite my slight dislike for it’s main character. I had a little bit of the same problem here (Gwen still wasn’t as likable as I hope for in a MC) but can I say, this was a huge step up for this series! I should mention that if you haven’t heard of this series, they can definitely be read as standalones, but it was quite fun to see what became of the characters from Dauntless in this book! Merry, Timothy, Cedric, Red…all of them make appearances. And Allen was always my favorite character in the first book, so reading his story was the best part! *thumbs up*
Oh, Allen. If you haven’t already guessed, I just adored him. 😉 Strong, fearless, faithful, aware of his own faults. He was truly a perfect hero! And Gwen, though impossibly stubborn (you understood why at least…) was a great heroine as well. Her journey was rocky, and I had a lot of sympathy for her character. Even though it was set in medieval times with circumstances not of this age or implicitly relevant to me at all, I still could relate with Gwen and her struggles on a level that surprised me. And that is an amazing display of talent from the author!
If you enjoy fairy tale-esque books, this is for you. Set in medieval times with wonderful adventure, sweet romance, and portraying genuine struggles of the heart–Chivalrous was even better than the first in this series. Plus, look at that cover! The model portrayed is really a perfect Gwen. A great, easy, and clean YA read good for both teens and adults! I read this one along with my little sister and we both loved it. I’m just sorry it took me so long to finish it and share with you.
*I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
{Content: Pretty clean read! Only thing I’d mention is that since it’s set in medieval times (when women were treated as pawns) there’s a part where a woman is kidnapped and there is talk of possibly forcing “marital intimacies.” Nothing explicit, but implied.}
GIF THE FEELING:
|| I’m trying out something new on my book reviews, where I find a GIF to share that explains my overall feelings for the book. Hope you like! ||
Hey there. Aren’t the Chivalrous and Courageous covers simply gorgeous? What are your thoughts on this book? Adding to your TBR? What are you currently reading? Thanks so much for visiting Will Bake for Books! ♥
Awesome review! I have been meaning to read this series and really need to. It seems right up my alley. 🙂
Thanks so much, Tressa!! If you’ve read any of Melanie Dickerson’s books, then this is pretty similar. It’s a really good series! 😀 Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂
AHHHHHH! I absolutely LOVED this book. I swear I was smiling the whole time I was reading it. (Which you already knew since I was literally hitting you while reading this book.) ALLEN AND GWEN!!!! GWALLEN BEKAH, GWALLEN. Okay, I think I’m done freaking out now. (No I’m not.) 😉
Love youuuuu <3
Haha, yes I think I recall the fangirl squeals and smacks. 😉 GWALLEN!! That is the perfect ship name! Anyways, thanks for commenting. I love that you read my blog, sis. 😛
1.) this post = EPICNESS! I love your .gif and graphics. They’re amazing!
2.) much as I want to read your review and discuss my expectations for this book, I’d best restrain from it because of INSPYs.
But… yeah, awesome post, girl. 🙂
Aw, thanks girl!! I appreciate your kind encouragement. 🙂 I was getting a little bored with my reviews so I decided to try something a little different, so I’m glad you like. OO, that’s right it made the longlist. Gotcha! I am sososo excited to see the INSPY shortlist. Good luck with all the reading and such! Anywho, thanks so much for stopping by Rissi! 🙂
I hadn’t heard of these books before but this one sounds great! I’m adding it to my Goodreads TBR. Thanks for the review.
Yay, Jenna!! I hope you enjoy when you check them out. It’s a great series. I’m especially excited for the next one.. the cover is stunning. 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting my blog!
Cool! I like the look of this series! I’m yet to read the first one, though! 🙂
Aren’t they pretty?? It’s a good series. Thanks for stopping by, Sarah!! 🙂