I think this had the potential to be a really good book, instead of just an okay book. Most of the elements were there, but it didn't really come together for me. The book didn't really get interesting until the last 50 or 60 pages, until then, I was just pushing through, waiting for it to get better.

When I read [b:Candle in the Window|992221|Candle in the Window|Christina Dodd|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180047356s/992221.jpg|977716], the first book in this duo, I got an entirely different picture of Raymond. I prefer Alpha-males with a little vulnerability. I think Raymond was supposed to be an Alpha, but he never quite got there. He wasn't a weakling, he just wasn't as aggressive as I expected him to be. ( )

Raymond seeks to kidnap and marry his betrothed after she refused to marry him. After meeting her he decides to win her over, first by pretend to be someone else then by trying to win her trust.
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This was a new author for me. Castles in the Air was also different to me because it was set in a time period I have never read before. It was just after the Crusades. I found it interesting to read something from that time period.

I did enjoy this romance story. Juliana is told by the king that she has to marry Lord Avrache. She does not consent nor does she go to the king when she is summoned for the wedding. She has a past she is hiding as does Lord Raymond Avrache.

The way they met was when Juliana is heading back to her castle when this stranger grabs her and forces her into a hut to get her out of the snow storm. She thinks she is being kidnapped and going to be forced to do sleep with this man. She doesn't know that he is her betrothed and he doesn't reveal his true identity either. She believes he is the King's Master Castle Builder.

When she does learn of his true identity she doesn't know how to feel at first. This man hasn't treated her like the most other men. You can see the love growing between them even though they both deny it. ( )

Overall Rating: 3.85 // Action: 3.0 / Emotion: 3.0 / Romance: 3.0 / Sensuous: 1.0 / Suspense: 3.0 // Historical Flavor: 4.0 / Laughter: 1 / Tears: 1

Castles In The Air: 3.85
Dodd wrote an entertaining and enjoyable story that sweeps the reader back to medieval England. She failed, however, to inspire that deep sense of connection to the characters that is necessary for an outstanding read.

Hero: 3.0:
Geoffroi Jean Louis Raymond, Count of Avraché: Although Raymond had all the requisite factors that make him typical hero material -- tall, handsome, intelligent, confident, and a background filled with angst, the attributes Dodd featured in this story were his compassionate and kind-hearted nature as he tried to inveigle himself into Juliana's family unit. Just a bit disappointed because was more in the mood for a sword-wielding alpha knight.

Heroine: 2.5:
Lady Juliana of Lofts: Just could not warm up to this strong-willed, self-sufficient, compassionate heroine because of her inconsistencies. One minute she's issuing orders like a drill sergeant, the next she's cowering like a whipped puppy -- all the way through the book.

Story Line: 3.0:
The premise for this story was good -- Raymond goes to retrieve Juliana from her home because she refused to heed the king's command to marry him. But rather than force her to marry him, Raymond decides to woo and seduce Juliana into compliance. The biggest problem during the telling of the story, however, was that Dodd spent way too much time trying to inspire a degree of intrigue by referring to Juliana's 'big secret' for way too long.

Action: 3.0:
There were a few exciting action scenes, but most of the story was comprised of everyday events that moved the story along at a slow, but steady pace.

Emotion: 3.0:
It was difficult to connect to Raymond and Juliana on an emotional level for a couple of reasons. The first was Juliana's vacillation between strength and fear because she was unable to overcome her insecurities caused by the event that happened three years ago. The second was Raymond's fears of being unworthy because he 'broke' while being held as a captive of the Saracen's.

Romance: 3.0:
Enjoyed the fact that Dodd slowly built the romance between the two protagonists because Raymond decided to show Juliana that actions spoke louder than words -- that he was a man worthy of trust and love. Raymond aspired to work beside Juliana rather than demand he was lord of the realm.

Sensuous: 1.0:
Raymond was forced to lay next to Juliana night after night and built her to such a level of lust that she was ravenous for him. And while readers were allowed to see the attraction that built between Raymond and Juliana, Dodd did not share any of the sizzle or spice when it came to the actual lovemaking scene. (Remember the book was written in 1993 -- the days of purple-prose sensuality.)

Suspense: 3.0:
The story was pervaded by a lazy aura of suspense about {1} the haunting events that occurred in Raymond and Juliana's past and {2} what was Sir Joseph going to stir up next.

Secondary Characters: 4.0:
Dodd did a great job of including some very interestingly-developed secondary characters who added wonderful depth to the story. {1} Loved Keir, Raymond's friend and confidant. {2} Juliana's daughters, Margery and Ella, were minimally developed but really enhanced the enjoyment of the story. {3} Couldn't help but dislike {a} Sir Joseph, the villain, and {b} Raymond's cold, mercenary parents, Geoffroi and Isabel, the Count and Countess of Locheais. The last two memorable secondary characters that added to the story were: {1} Tosti, a tracker who was working on the building project and {2} Denys, the troubled squire William sent to Raymond to train.

Historical Flavor: 4.0:
Dodd did an outstanding job of taking the reader back in time with her descriptions of the buildings, including the political climate of the country, describing the attire and including the roles of aristocrats and serfs reminiscent of England in 1166.

See Wolf Bear Does Books (http://goo.gl/P0d39) for a more in-depth, detailed review of Castles In The Air. ( )