How can you have a real hero who smells bad, burps at the table and wipes his mouth on the tablecloth or his sleeve? Yuck. This book is far too long, spending most of its time on scenes of Colin teaching Alienore to fight. It has a very thin plot, has a hero you can't possibly want to take home, and a heroine that spends her time quaking and squeeking. The attempt at humor, such as when Colin accidently breaks Alienore's nose, and when he faints several times at seeing his newborn daughter are ridiculous...but not funny. This book is a waste of the author's writing time and my reading time.