Hard Day's Knight

by Katie MacAlister

Book Overview

A New York Times Bestselling AuthorPepper Marsh's cousin has promised to find her a knight in shining armor, if Pepper will walk around the Renaissance Faire in wench garb. Pepper promptly steps into... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451213866
• ISBN13: 9780451213860
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.4" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Hard To Put Down!

Katie Mac may leave us waiting for an excruciatingly long time between tales, but she always delivers! Since I was re-reading one of my favorite Katie Mac story's I thought I'd share a review with you. Pepper, an unemployed software programmer, travels to what she thinks is going to be a geeky rennaisance fair with her cousin CJ, who is engaged to a visiting jouster from England. But fair events quickly take an enjoyable turn when the cast of interesting characters she meets includes Walker McPhail. He is also a visiting knight from England & part of the Three Dog Knights troup that CJ's fiance is in. Here to compete for tremendous prizes, Walker is Three Dog Knights leader & the best jouster there is...though at the moment he's feeling a little sorry for himself due to some past mistakes. Pepper, accompanied by her petsitting charge & sidekick Moth - the obese cat- sets out to win the tournament & more importantly the heart of her knight in slightly dented armor. She just has to heal his heart first. With rogues, wenches, horned cats, & naked englishmen how could the story go wrong?

Great Knight Read

I love Katie McAllister's books and this is no exception. Her heroines are like real women - not skinny perfect demure freaks-of-nature - like your typical romance heroine. :o) This particular book takes place in the Jouster's world at a Rennaissance festival. I love the twist she does as a modern and a historical novel at the same time. I highly reccommnd this book.

absolutely brilliant!

Nobody writes quite in the style as Katie Macalister does. Maybe that is a blessing since she is amazing, turning out wonderful book out after book. The market couldn't stand a dozen writers as prolific! Obviously, Katie Mac feels our lives dull and need more than a few zany giggles, and she keeps giving us original tale, with less than perfect heroines that seem to land in bizarre situations. A Hard Days Knight is another of her wacky, charming tales that has put her on the bestsellers list time after time. This time Katie Mac takes on Medieval-Renaissance Faires, called Ren Faires by those mighty warriors of the SCA - Society for Creative Anachronisms. These devout worshippers across the world, keep history alive, and during the summers come together for old style jousting, melees and damsel fair. Macalister is in top form as she both pays homage to these stalwart troopers and has a wee giggle at them, too! In this utterly delightful tale, unemployed software specialists Pepper March is lured into attending the Ontario Renaissance Faire by her friend and cousin CJ. CJ's boyfriend is one of a jousting team called Three Dogs Knights. Her cousin assures Pepper at the tourney she will finally meet real knights in shining armour, who treat women as chivalrously as Knight of Auld. A strange cat shows up and begins to play matchmaker. It catches peppers attention, then dashes in front of the galloping chargers. Pepper rescues the cat, and Walker MacPhail rescues Pepper from being trampled by the horses. Pepper is struck that MacPhail is her true knight in somewhat shining armour, but then he opens his mouth and ruins the shimmering illusion by berating her for being stupid and risking herself for the cat. MacPhail is also a member of the Three Dog Knights jousting team and once was the man to beat. But sort of like John Wayne in the Quiet Man, MacPhail injured his opponent in a previous match, and now keeps to the sidelines, training others in Knightly Ways. Pepper is determined to convince him she is his destiny, but our lad in plate is a wee bit resistant to the notion. It's up to Pepper and the magical kitty to see things are put to rights. Macalister captures the festive fun of the Ren Faires completely, bringing the jarring clash of contemporary settings and ancient codes into a wonderful mix that will delight anyone wanting to read a book that makes them happy! You end with a big smile on your face. Pure magic!

Awesome read!

Well, Katie has done it again. I could not put HDK down and I believe I had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading it cause my husband repeatedly said "Oh this book must be good cause you have been smiling since you started reading it and you can't get your nose out of it". He even asked last night to read a page just to see what was so good LOL! It is my opinion that this is Katie's best contemporary novel to date and just leaves you feeling so good and having enjoyed yourself. The story is not predictable (I found myself occasionally thinking something was going to happen this way and it happened a different way). Loved the characters!. STRONG and intelligent, real female lead (she is one smart cookie) and a great cast of supporting charcters (Moth is Katie through and through). And Walker, the male lead is just yummy! Kudos Katie! This is sure to be a hit. A refreshing contemporary with the medievel angle.

Fine contemporary. romance

At the Ontario Renaissance Faire, Seattle visitor unemployed software specialist Pepper March attends as an English wench because her cousin CJ persuaded her that she would find chivalrous medieval hunks as she always dreamed of a knight in shining armor. When the cat she is watching gets loose, Pepper follows, but almost is run over by a horse. The actions of English knight Walker MacPhail saves her from a stomping. However, her hero is not very chivalrous afterward as he rips her for being an idiot. Later, she learns from her cousin that Walker is a member of the jousting team Three Dog Knight that includes CJ's beau. As Walker and Pepper become acquainted, they begin to fall in love. However, he fears any lasting relationships as much as he struggles to reenter the jousting ring that he once owned. This is a delightful somewhat reverse anachronistic tale that cleverly uses a Renaissance festival to furbish a medieval context in a modern day Canadian setting. The story line works because of the strong cast. The heroine wants a caring knight for her to nurture while her choice has issues to deal with. The secondary players provide the background that will lead the audience to believe they are attending the gala. The final joust between the lead couple is a brilliant ending to a fine contemporary. Harriet Klausner