Fairest Of Them All by Teresa Medeiros

She was rumored to be the fairest woman in all of England. But Holly de Chastel considered her beauty a curse. She had turned away scores of suitors with various ruses, both fair and foul. Now she was to be the prize in a tournament of eager knights. Holly had no intention of wedding any of them and concocted a plan to disguise her beauty. Yet she didn't reckon on Sir Austyn of Gavenmore. The darkly handsome Welshman was looking for a plain bride and Holly seemed to fit the bill. When he learned that he'd been tricked, it was too late. Sir Austyn was already in love — and under the dark curse of Gavenmore...

Holly is tired of men courting her only because she is so beautiful. She was raised and brought up to be a lady. Which she regrets because she never got to enjoy doing fun things. Like playing in the sun (Might ruin her skin) etc.

So when her father hosts a tournament to win her, she disguises herself as an ugly hag. However, Austyn, wants a an ugly hag for wife. His family was cursed by a beatutiful fairy (or so legend has it) that beauty would be the ruin of the Gavenmore me. So he hopes to break the curse.

He wins Holly and off they go. Except the night before the tournement, he spotted Holly in the garden. When he wins her, doesn't know that under disguise is the woman he spotted.

Holly starts to feel bad cause she only made herself look ugly to repel the men. So slowly she gathers courage to confront him. But Austyn catches her by the brook without her disguise. Mad at her, he throws her in a tower.

At first she's hurt and just sits in the tower. But then she gets over it and demands stuff to be brought to the tower so she's more comfortable. Then she sings. All day. Which haunts Austyn.

This book was pretty ok. Not one of my favorite books by Teresa Merdeiros, but good all the same.

Grade: B-