Sunday Spotlight is a feature we started in 2016 and we’re going to keep the party going in 2017. This year, we’ll be spotlighting our favorite books each week. Old or new, if it’s on our favorites list than it will be featured on the blog. Beware, there will be loads of fangirling going on. 🙂

Back when I first started reading romance novels, Julie Garwood was my favorite author. I glommed her books over and over again, discussed every book to death each month and fought with Holly over every one of her heroes. Duncan Wexton was my jam. I loved him so much. I loved his story even more and that is the reason I’m spotlighting Honor’s Splendour today.

Honor’s Splendour by Julie Garwood
Genres: Historical, Romance
Release Date: April 30, 1991
Publisher: Pocket Books

This classic medieval romance from New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood is a fan favorite—a beautiful lady needs rescue from a knight in shining armor, and gets an alpha warrior instead.

In the feuding English court, gentle Lady Madelyne suffered the cruel whims of her ruthless brother, Baron Louddon. Then, in vengeance for a bitter crime, Baron Duncan of Wexton—the Wolf—unleashed his warriors against Louddon. Exquisite Madelyne was the prize he catured…but when he gazed upon the proud beauty, he pledged to protect her with his life. In his rough-hewn castle, Duncan proved true to his honor. But when at last their noble passion conquered them both, she surrendered with all her soul. Now, for love, Madelyne would stand fast…as bravely as her Lord, the powerful Wolf who fought for…Honor’s Splendour.

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This book cemented its spot on my favorites list the moment Madeleine warmed Duncan’s feet. Their romance wrapped me up in feels and I loved every minute of it. Every character. Every scene. Everything. Julie Garwood writes fantastic romances and this is one of her bests. This is one of the books that I re-read the most, it’s that good.

Here are some quotes from the book that will hopefully showcase why I love this book so much and think everyone should read and love it too. 🙂

“He’d gone to Louddon’s fortress to take Madelyne captive. His plan was revenge; an eye for an eye. And that had been reason enough.

Until she’d warmed his feet.

Everything had changed at that moment. Duncan had known with a certainty he couldn’t deny that they
were henceforth bound together. He could never let her go.”

Duncan and Madelyne sitting in a tree….

“I am not a poor child, Lady Eleanor,” Madelyne announced, letting her anger sound in her voice.

“Duncan won’t marry you. He won’t sign the contracts. He’d have to give up his greatest treasure in order to marry you.”

“And what be that treasure?” Lady Eleanor inquired, her voice mild.

“Why, I’m Duncan’s greatest treasure. He’d be a fool to give me up,” she added. “And even you must know that Duncan is anything but a fool.”

“Made­lyne, I would like to speak to you in pri­vate after din­ner.”

“Speak to me about what?” Made­lyne de­manded with a dis­grun­tled look.

“Men and their horses,” Dun­can told her.”

“I do know, however, that they took more than one man to their beds.”

Adela gasped and Madelyne nodded, thoroughly satisfied by her friend’s reaction. “More than one at a time?” Adela asked. She whispered the question and then blushed with embarrassment.

Madelyne nibbled on her lip while she considered if that was possible.

“I don’t think so,” she finally announced. Her back was to the door, and Adela’s full attention was centered on her friend. Neither noticed Duncan now stood in the open doorway.”

“It’s a shame you know,” he called over his shoulder.

“What’s a shame?” Duncan asked.

“That I didn’t capture her first.”

Duncan smiled. “Nay, Edmond, it was a blessing. God’s truth, I would have taken her from you.”

Each of these scenes were such good ones and I know that if you haven’t read the book, you won’t get some of these references but that I promise, they’re great. You should definitely check this one out for yourself. You will love Duncan and Madelyne. I swear it!

This is what I look like when I read this one:

Read it, you’ll love it!

Giveaway: We’re giving one lucky winner their choice of one of our Sunday Spotlight books. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for one of this month’s features.

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Have you read Honor’s Splendour before? Did you love it as much as we did? If you haven’t read it, why not? You should really fix that pronto!

About the Author

Julie Garwood

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It’s no surprise that Julie Garwood became a writer. Growing up in a large family of Irish heritage, she took to storytelling naturally. “The Irish relish getting all the details of every situation,” she explains. “Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. Early in life I learned that self-expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick.”

Creating stories was always a passion for Julie, but she didn’t focus on making it a career until the youngest of her three children entered school. After the publications of two young adult books, she turned her interests to historical fiction. Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published in 1985, and there has been a steady parade of bestsellers ever since. Today more than 40-million copies of her books are in print, and they are translated in dozens of languages around the world. One of her most popular novels, FOR THE ROSES, was adapted for a HALLMARK HALL OF FAME production on CBS.

Whether the setting be medieval Scotland, Regency England, frontier Montana, or modern-day Louisiana, her themes are consistent: family, loyalty, and honor. Readers claim that it’s the humor as well as poignancy of her novels that keep them coming back for more. Julie described her goals this way: “I want my readers to laugh and cry and fall in love. Basically, I want them to escape into another world for a little while and afterwards to feel as though they’ve been on a great adventure.”

Julie lives in Leawood, Kansas, and is currently working on her next novel.