Aric of Burkhart swears he will never marry again, he will never love again, after he caught his betrothed in flagrante delicto. He is drowning his sorrows at an inn, and who but King Henry himself drop in. King Henry suspects his sons will rebel against him, and fears harm could come to his beloved illegitimate daughter Rosamunde. The King has always liked Aric, a knight, and he trusts Aric is just the man who will protect his daughter, and so Aric will marry Rosamunde. Or else. Because His Majesty said so.

Rosamunde, after her mother's death, was sent to a convent. She is about to take the veil the following day, but her plans have changed; instead she must marry Aric, a man she has never even heard of—although of pleasant countenance—and being an obedient girl, Rosamunde agrees.

Woven loosely around historical facts, ALWAYS is on many levels somewhat different from the usual fare, maybe because it is a reissue from several years ago. Religion is present to a point, as it was in everyday life in 1189, when the story is set. Aric is a good man: honest, well-meaning but grumpy and a tad jealous. Rosamunde is innocent and ignorant of the ways of the world, and the instructions on how marital relations take place are given to her by a nun, and with what Rosamunde has witnessed in the barnyard. Rosamunde and Aric's wedding night is unlike anything I've ever read before. To put it mildly, it is quite interesting, and absolutely hilarious.

Rosamunde is one of the loveliest characters Lynsay Sands has ever written. She is truly adorable, chatty, cheerful, full of life, unlike Aric who is a man of very few words and of a neutral disposition. He is slightly overwhelmed by Rosamunde's enthusiasm, especially her obsession with the stables and taking care of animals, at which she is particularly gifted. Animals are featured prominently in ALWAYS, and very cleverly, not in a cute sugary-sweet way. Readers should not be deterred by the "obeisance" issue, as Rosamunde is very creative in keeping her vows, all the while not behaving childishly. ALWAYS could have been a tad shorter, in my opinion, but Rosamunde is such an endearing and genuinely lovable character. ALWAYS has political intrigue, a touch of mystery, lovely writing, delicious steamy scenes, and of course, a gorgeous romance!