Review & Giveaway - - Her Knight at the Museum

Her Knight at the Museum

by Bryn Donovan

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: November 12, 2024

Reviewed by Hellie

 

Forgotten by time and abandoned by hope, Sir Griffin de Beauford’s existence stretches out before him. Cursed by a ruthless enchanter to see, hear, and think, but never to move or speak, Griffin suffers the long, lonely centuries trapped in stone…until an unexpected kiss from a fair maiden breathes new life into his soul—and his body.

Emily Porter, a recently divorced conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago, is charged with the restoration of a statue of a medieval English knight. Breaking curses was not part of the job description. And yet, here he is, the man of her dreams come to life, resplendent in shining armor as he joyously barrels into priceless antiquities...and goes on to dismantle her defenses, wreak havoc on her senses, and tempt her to believe once more in happy-ever-afters.

But the modern age tries Griffin’s patience and pride, and Emily is a prime suspect in the investigation of the missing sculpture. In a complicated world, can they find their way to a fairy-tale ending?

Hellie’s Heeds

A true romantasy rom-com, Her Knight at the Museum will tick your boxes if you’re in the mood for a swoonworthy hero (who talks in complete sentences), comical hijinks, and sexy love scenes that you may want to dogear for later. The last time a knight statue came to life and stole my heart, it was A Knight in Shining Armor, which also featured a swoonworthy hero and comical hijicks–but I do have to say, I do prefer this ending to the more realistic ending that Deveraux gave us. After all, if I found a guy like Sir Griffin, I would want to keep him. 

For me, while the story was very lovely, I did have a habit of putting it down and being distracted by other things. While I have longed for a pure rom-com for ages–and I’m so grateful for Ms. Donovan’s book–at the same time, it can be a little difficult to just lose myself in the fantasy when I’m also thinking, “Aren’t they rushing into bed together? In this era? I mean, you don’t even know if he’s lactose intolerant.” Obviously these were my issues. Never mind that the premise that he is a cursed medieval man who wakes up from stone, like some sort of Snow White, and doesn’t immediately die from the flu due to his naked immune system struck me as far-fetched. Yep, his immune system was the far-fetched part for me. These occasional thoughts would distract me from the book and I would just watch episodes of murder mysteries for the satisfaction of a solved case in 42 minutes. I don’t think this is the fault of the writer or the story–I just think sometimes stories resonate with us more during different seasons of our lives. There have been books I’ve read decades ago I didn’t care for, but read again later and was blown away–and vice versa. 

The first hasty love scene aside, the later scenes were very hot and steamy…and distracting. So if you like your sex scenes more steamy–I would say this is moderately spicy. Rom-com spicy. I also loved when they toured the art museum together and she showed him some Andy Warhol paintings (which is the inspiration of her dog’s name) and I had to laugh when Sir Griffin immediately announced the pieces were hideous. Right there with you, big guy. I do not appreciate modern contemporary art. The chemistry between Emily and Griffin felt real and sweet–I was rooting for them the whole time. Even while I was wishing she would hold back a little until she made sure he wasn’t allergic to cheese. Or vegan. (I mean those are the things that can break a relationship. I mean, too late for me–my knight in shining armor hates peanut butter, though it does benefit me in that I get all the peanut butter cups to myself. Hmm, maybe it’s not so bad.) 

I love the job that Griffin ends up getting in the 21st century–and the scene for his job interview was particularly diverting. I’m also curious about Emily’s boss, Jason, and wondering if he is featured in other books or if there will be more connected books–which I think would be very fascinating. All in all, I recommend this book for a frothy, fun rom-com with a dashing hero, a relatable heroine, and secondary characters (shout out to you, Rose!) that steal every scene they are in. Romance authors are the true heroes out there–I’m grateful for all of them. Sign me up for the next Donovan rom-com–I hope it’s just as magical.

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Have you read Bryn Donovan yet?

How do you feel about statues coming to life in your romances? Yay? Nay?

If you could conjure a real-life hero from a trip to the museum, from which era would he hail?

One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM, November 20 will receive a print copy of Her Knight at the Museum.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18