The Warrior and the Wildflower
by Everley Gregg

Eva is the illegitimate child of Duke Phillip (who she has never met ). She is 16 years old and is called to court for the May Day festival . Mathieu of Lierge the Dukes ostler and falconer escorts her to the castle . Eva has a lot to overcome as in addition to being illegitimate she has a club foot so we follow her journey as she grows in confidence and a romance slowly grows between her and Mathieu as he comes to understand her troubles and sees her overcome them .

An enjoyable slightly different from the normal regency romance.

This book was a breath of fresh air to me; I've been mainly reading regency romance so reading a story that takes place in a completely different era was a nice break.
The part I liked the most was the FMC, she was written so well, it showed how much the author understands her characters.
The FMC was 16 years old, and while it was an acceptable age to marry back then, she still had the childish nature in her.
For example, at the beginning, she started getting attracted to the MMC who made her feel safe and cherished, however, she was still holding on to the idea of marrying a knight, and in a way, to have a better life than her current one.
I think her dilemmas and internal battles clearly depicted how, although in a different era, a 16 year old is still a teen with notions and thoughts that are all over the place.
The MMC was kind of bland to me, he had some admirable qualities, the main one being how he understood his calling and limits as a human being, however, all in all, he wasn't the kind of character that sticks in your mind.
Some parts were rushed, such as the relationship between Philip and Stefano, it really came out of the blue. Also, the captain of the royal guards, as a character, lacked any depth. He was just there to fulfill the role of a villain, there was no layers to his character.
Overall, the book was delightful, the writing superb and easy to read. The perfect book for escaping the real world for a few hours.
I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Eva of Utrecht grew up as an insignificant daughter of a simple tailor. She fears that she will never become anything more. After all she is an illegitimate daughter of Duke Phillip III. To make her position even worse, she was born with a club foot and knows that makes her life worse. But suddenly a missive arrives, and she is invited to attend the May Day Festival, at Coudenburg Castle and hope springs anew. There she meets Mathieu of Liege and is surprised at how fast her heart is swept away by him. But problems arise as Mathieu is only an ostler that carries a scar on his face and horrible memories of it. How ever could he be able to provide and keep Eva as she should be cared for? An interesting tale of how these two develop and adjust to their problems.

Eva grew up taken care of but without much extra, so it was very surprising that she had "airs" and felt like she was better than others; simply because she was the illegitimate daughter of Duke Phillip III. Yes she grew up and away from this but it almost made me put the book down. If it wasn't for the hero being so amazing I would have stopped early on. Mathieu of Liege grew up wanting to be a knight but when he realized that knights we not true knights at heart but men who did what they wanted with no consequences, he stayed taking care of the horses, and hawks. I loved him from the beginning and he truly made the story. He is patient with Eva and watching them fall in love made for a great night of reading. Excited to see how the series progresses, as I really enjoyed reading about the illegitimate daughter's who are taken in by Lady Isabella. She takes care of her husband's daughters as he will only provide for the males.

The Maiden and the Ostler with a Heart of Gold

Mathieu does not choose to be a knight, but he is a warrior at heart. When Eva goes to her father’s castle for a festival, she meets a man who steals her heart. However, she wants a knight. Eva has much growing up to do, and it will be an adventure. Will Eva realize that knighthood does not make a good man? I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to those who like a romantic medieval adventure. It took the book a bit to become exciting for me. Somewhere around the middle of the book, events began to unfold, and it was an exciting ride after that. I think the book could have been shorter for my taste, but if you like to read longer books with details before events begin in earnest, you might like the story as it is.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Author's Notes and the historical background about Duke Philip III and his many illegitimate children. Thus the premise for this series - Lady Isabella, wife of Duke Phillip III finds some of his illegitimate daughters and we learn their stories.
This is the story of Eva of Utrecht, who was born with a club foot, and has difficulty walking and dancing. Eva has been summoned to the May Day Festival at Coudenburg Castle. The ostler, Mathieu of Liege, has been sent to escort her from her home to Coudenburg Castle. Eva blossoms under Lady Isabella's wing, but she is initially blinded by pride.
There is chemistry between Eva and Mathieu, but Eva's pride gets in the way until she comes to realize what is truly important. You need to listen to your heart, not your pride.
I also enjoyed the secondary story about Alys of Burgundy.
Everley Gregg had done a great deal of historical research which made the story that much more enjoyable. I encourage you to read this story!

3.5 stars.
Very well written and historically researched, with likeable characters, “The Warrior and the Wildflower”, by Everley Gregg (Dragonblade Publishing), is an entertaining novel set in the Medieval Ages.
I liked how pragmatic and determined the wounded leads are and how they keep optimistic despite all the hardships they face. Mathieu is a man of honor, a loner, his love for the animals he trains and cares for so heartwarming. I loved his character, the maturity and strength of his personality.
I really liked how the romance blossomed and unfolded, the honesty between Mathieu and Eva and their devotion for each other.
I also appreciated that the story takes place in the Medieval Ages, depicting common people. The vivid descriptions of the setting and social life made me picture it (for example, the hunt) and I was impressed with the author’s research of the historical aspects of this period.
There are some very interesting side characters who will perhaps feature in future stories as leads.
I found the first part of the story much more engaging than the second, where some events and dimensions were drawn out longer than necessary for my tasting. Once the couple was consolidated romantically my interest in the story diminished.

Eva of Utrecht illegitimate daughter of the Duke Philip III fears her father will never recognize her, but he’s now summoned her to court where she finds he knows nothing about her coming, but that his wife Lady Isabell has sent for her. Mathieu de Flandre is the head ostler and falconer is tasked with bring Eva to Duke Phillips’s court.
She dreams of falling love with a gallant knight and soon finds herself fascinated by the idea of knights, not knowing the reality of some knights are not so pure in actions and deeds. A lesson Mathieu has learned and now wants nothing to do with being a knight. An enchanting story of Eva as she learns what the real world is like, she’s been shelter all her life and is unprepared for what life brings her. She has found a new friend in Mathieu even though she looks down on him for his station in life. Their friendships slowly grows into a powerful love story. I have voluntarily read and reviewed the excellent book.

You are about to turn 16 and your biological father you never have met has requested your Royal presence to his May Day festival. He is a Royal and you are an illegitimate daughter and have a crippled foot so Eva has always figured that she would either never be married or have to marry whoever her mother and stepfather chose.
Mathiieu is the Ostler for the Duke and he also takes care of the hunting birds as well. Lady Isabella who is the Dukes wife is a wonderful woman who not only cares about her son, but also has made kit her mission to track down all the Dukes illegitimate children and tries to find either jobs or husbands for the girls.
Eva under the tutelage of Lady Isabella comes into her own, but several obstacles come into play.

The author achieves a growth of character development for all the characters. I definitely like the fact that you know there is a continuation of the plot and you think you know what will happen. Even though we know the predicability, but there is enough twists and intrigue to keep you turning the pages to find out what is going to happen.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Mathieu and Eva’s story is the first of this new series and it is engaging. I was caught in it’s web from the first page. The addition of the back story was helpful so we can understand their lives of these ladies and the trials they will face. In a time when women didn’t have choices, Lady Isabella gives these women the gift of hope.

"Invisible. This had defined Eva's existence since the day she was born. It was how she'd remained to her father, the Duke, since she was nothing more than a bastard child- and one with a disfigurement." Now her father had summoned her to the grand May Day celebration at his palace and was to have a beautiful dress.

Mathieu de Flandre, was head ostler and falconer for Duke Phillip III, who had just given him a command to retrieve Eva, one of Phillip's illegitimate daughters, and bring her back to the castle for the May Day celebration.

Then the journey begins! I really enjoyed the history in this story and the attention to detail This author is new to me but he writing was very fluid and I look forward to the next book in this new series!

The Warrior and the Wildflower by Everley Gregg is the premiere entry in the new Forgotten Flowers of Flanders series, relatively unique in that it does not take place in England or Scotland. It does take place in 1408, nearing the end of the middle ages and features Eva of Utrecht, the daughter of Marisse who had been the mistress of Duke Philip III of Burgundy. Eva was his daughter, one of many. She has been summoned by the duke and is preparing for her journey. He has sent a hostler and a chaperone for her. They don't hit it off. As it turns out, he didn't send for her at all; it was his wife, trying to right wrongs. Her father, as it turns out, has had dozens of liaisons, and multiple children out of wedlock. Boys seem to be taken care of but girls, not so much.

This book saw a different type of story line than we normally read: Did not take place in England; focused on a bastard child; did not marry into nobility; and the reader was witness to much violence, but it was of a different sort. It was an intriguing story, one that makes the read aware of the other side of knighthood and knights. It also uses a person with a disability, which is rare, although not unheard of. It did talk of the physical accommodations made for that disability. That was refreshing. It was a refreshing story, away from the norm. For that alone, it was worth the read. The main characters were excellent as were many of the lesser characters that were interesting and sympathetic. It was an excellent attempt and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Warrior and the Wildflower by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thewarriorandthewildflower

It has been so long since I have read a medieval romance, and I don't know how I completely forgot how wonderful it can be reading about this time period! These days historical romance is focused mainly on the Regency era, which I greatly enjoy. However, I feel there is not enough attention on the other time periods that are deserving of great love and enjoyment. Everley Gregg is a new author, with The Warrior and the Wildflower being her debut novel, and I have to say - I expect great things from her! Just the author's note in the beginning made me jump for joy, as she explained to the reader more about the time period and why she chose it for her series. I adore history, especially learning about time periods that aren't taught often in schools, and I found it fascinating that Duke Philip III of Burgundy had so many illegitimate children. Although we'll never truly know if his wife, Isabelle, was as kindly as she seemed in this book, I thought it a wonderful concept by the author to give the illegitimate girls an opportunity at living a better life. Isabelle wasn't able to get the love match of her own, but in this series, she will do her best to make sure her "stepdaughters" get their own happily ever after.

Eva of Utrecht has grown up the daughter of a former mistress of Duke Philip and the unwanted stepdaughter of her mother's husband. Born with a club foot, she has always been different, and coupled with the fact that she is a bastard, she doesn't expect much in life. When her father summons her to his castle for the May Day Festival, she is both apprehensive and excited. Escorted by a handsome servant of her father's court, Mathieu de Flandre, she arrives at court unsure of what to expect. Soon she finds herself surrounded by newfound half sisters and a "stepmother" in the duke's wife, Isabella, who decides to take her under her wing and give her the confidence to create a new future for herself. Only sixteen and still unsure of her path, Eva at first feels she must marry a chivalrous knight to be truly happy, but as she grows closer to Mathieu, who has no interest in being a knight, she begins to question all that she knew. For chivalry isn't just for knights, and while Mathieu may not be a knight in truth, he has certainly become a protector in her heart.

Eva and Mathieu were certainly a frustrating pair at first, but I loved them anyway! Eva was so young, and I kept having to remind myself that she had grown up so sheltered that she didn't know the way of the world and men. Both she and Mathieu had to overcome prejudices of each other, because Eva looked down on Mathieu for being "just" an ostler and falconer, while Mathie looked down on Eva for being illegitimate and crippled. From my perspective, neither were mean in their prejudice, just ignorant, and Mathieu recovered faster from his than Eva. Perhaps because he was older and therefore more mature in his reasoning, and most of his prejudice was expressed internally during times of anger. Eva was so unused to being accepted and desired, so once she began to get attention, I'm not sure she knew how to handle it. She clearly had feelings for Mathieu from the start, but her preconceived notions of what love is kept her from acknowledging her feelings until much later. I was so glad as they grew closer, to see their friendship blossom into more. Both had warm and generous hearts, it just took time for them to come together as a team.

I'm already anticipating the next book in the series, and I'm curious how the author will handle the tangle the next sister has in store for her. It's sure to be an enjoyable ride through the medieval period.

**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**

Mathieu de Flandre is the head Ostler and Falconer. He is sent to bring Eva of Utrecht back to the castle. She has been invited to spend some time with her father, Duke Phillip III of Burgundy, during the May Day Celebration. She had an affliction, a Club Foot. She knew no one wanted her and she might never marry. Mathieu was a squire for Simon La Laing, Admiral of Flanders. Mathieu had become disenchanted with being a knight and wanted no part of it. He would still follow the rules of chivalry but he did not want the title.
I thought this was a wonderful story, so much happens, the excitement and high spirits is fun to watch, the many girls the Duke has fostered on his mistresses. The poor Duchess has to sit thru it all. He had never helped the girls before, but he had always helped the boys. The duchess felt it was time to be fair.
It was a fairly fast-paced tale but easily read. The characters were wonderful and adventurous. They loved helping each other out. Mathieu had two special friends and they helped him a lot. They were knights. It wasn't all happy there were some sad places. A well-balanced book.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily review this novel.

Apart from being a dramatic romance, this novel captivates the reader with beautiful descriptions of the lifestyle and customs of medieval times. The author has obviously done her research and I found myself entranced from the outset. The only thing worse than being illegitimate is having been born with a club foot. When a surprise summons arrives from her father, Duke Philip III, to attend the May Day Festival at Coudenburg Castle, Eva's hopes are raised that she will eventually leave the tailor's workshop behind her. Mathieu is sent to escort Eva to the Castle and despite having little inclination for the task, he nevertheless finds himself coming to admire the young lady. The romance between Eva and Mathieu develops slowly as she slowly unbends and allows him to see the intelligent and adventurous young lady behind the facade. She is even willing to learn to dance, although she realises that she is more than likely going to make a fool of herself, but with Mathieu's gentle support, she grows in confidence. Unfortunately, Mathieu has an enemy who would see him crushed and Eva becomes a pawn in his game. Just when it would seem that their dearest wish is about to come true, Mathieu finds himself being challenged. This romance is well-written, entertaining, and enlightening and I thoroughly enjoyed it. As the first book in this series, I am looking forward to seeing what comes next. I received a copy of this novel through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Eva of Utrecht is the illegitimate daughter of Duke Phillip. Born with a club foot and raised by her mother and her husband, Eva had no hope of a better life. That was until her true father's Duchess sent for her.

Mathieu of Liège has warrior blood in his veins but refuses to become a Knight. He is happier looking after and training the animals in the Duke's stables.

This historical romance is very different to most. Not only is our heroine living with a permanent disability but our hero is a lowly ostler with no ambition to be anything else.

The sisters are all fascinating characters and hopefully will each get their own story. There is plenty of adventure, danger and one very helpful little owl.

I loved it.

So enjoyed this story. Our characters are refreshing in that they are not perfect, but quite honorable young people. Mathieu is a young man who found the behavior of many knights dishonorable so he chose to become a falconer and horse trainer, his true gift. Eva, at 16, is summoned by the Duke who is her natural father. Their love blossoms slowly, both thinking they are not good enough, or too good for the other. Throw in an evil Captain od the Guard and various other interesting characters and you have a story that leaves you wanting the next in the series!