~Earth Song~

by Catherine Coulter

      Heroine: extremely tall, solid

       Fears of being wed to a loathsome, ancient baron prompt Philippa de Beauchamp to flee her comfortable home.  But her impulsive and imprudent act lands her in the clutches of none other than the "Rogue of Cornwall", a man as dangerous as he is gorgeous!

       Dienwald de Fortenberry is cursed with the desire to do better by his young son and serfs, but lacks the funds to accomplish his worthy goals.  So when a filthy young wench appears in his castle's courtyard insisting that she's a lady-- the daughter of his despised but wealthy neighbor no less, Dienwald believes that deliverance from his financial woes is finally at-hand.  All he needs to do is ransom the girl back to her family for an obscene amount of money and all his problems will be solved.

       But it will take time for his perfect plan to come together; time that Dienwald may not have because the longer he waits the more opportunities Philippa has to break his head, his heart, or both!

 What worked for me:

      I've loved medieval stories ever since I discovered King Arthur, Robin Hood, and Ivanhoe, so "Earth Song" gets points from me just for being set in this time period.  

      There were some wryly humorous lines peppered throughout the book that kept me smiling, and of course it was very nice to see a woman escape from a dire predicament for once without a man swooping in to rescue her.

Size-wise Philippa was very tall and solid and frequently teased about her great height. 

       What didn't work for me:

      I realize that the hero and heroine were thrown together, but still they bickered right up til just about the last page of the book.  (And that's a just a wee bit long for my tastes.)  Also, there were a few plot elements that were a bit too transparent, and in a handful of places the writing felt stilted, not at all what I expect from a Catherine Coulter novel.

Overall:

     Fans of Medievals should enjoy this one, but fans of Ms. Coulter may not find it to be her very best work.

   Warning:  While it didn't quite cross the line into full-fledged "bodice ripper" territory, "Earth Song" balanced itself precariously on that line.  If you are uncomfortable with stories which are less-than-PC, then you may want to give a pass on this one, which tries to be true to the harsh realities of life in Medieval times.

If you liked "Earth Song" you might also enjoy "The Conqueror" .