From the beginning, DiPastena paints a vivid picture of life in medieval times. She quickly draws you into the lives and passions of her characters in a way that leaves you anxious to find out what happens next. Her research is clear, and adds to the authenticity of the story, without ever taking away from the flow of the story itself. (It made me actually want to go and find out more about what really did happen during that time period.) If you have any interest in the time period, or just in a great read, this book will not disappoint you.

From the beginning I was pleasantly surprised with this book. Ms. DiPastena paints an accurate and intriguing picture of midevil times. The story itself was simply enchanting. The earl of Gunther, sent by the king to marry a beautiful girl as an allliance, is thrown for a loop when he falls for the younger, much more plain sister, Helene. Through a series of murder attempts Gunther and Helene must unite to find the truth and protect those who are closest to Helene. Though they fight their attraction to one another, the romance in this book is rare in it's beauty. I was most pleasantly surprised by the intrigue and twists in this story and would find it just as enthralling a second time!

You will really enjoy this book.

Loyalty's Web kept me up late several nights as these realistic characters marched across the chapters. My husband asked me if I was coming to bed one night at 2:00 a.m. Yikes, I had lost track of the time and needed to get up for work the next day!

Her characters are all believable. You are cheering for the heroine as she faces her family and external wrongs. I felt the pain of the hero as he struggled to maintain his duty, honor and his love.

This is a real page turner! I recommend this book to you!

Wonderful! Engaging characters, believable conflict, heartfelt emotion, and lovely romance without graphic sex. This book has earned a spot on my keeper shelf. It was truly a joy to read and hard to put down. Do not pick this one up late at night. You will not be able to stop once you start. :o)

Note: I actually read the Leatherwood edition. At the time of my review, it was not yet available from Amazon. I have been told, however, that these editions do not differ greatly.

I very much enjoyed reading Loyalty's Web and recommend it to anyone who is ready for a great adventure. Ms DiPastina masterfully transports her readers into that mystic era of lords and castles, dungeons and knights. This historical fiction weaves its tale amidst the time of King Henry and his dominions in France. It lacks nothing, and is filled with suspense, romance, battles, dreaded arranged marriages, herbal concoctions, murder, and mystery.

Joyce writes with a freshness and authority for a first time writer. I hope this is not her last effort.

This book is a MUST READ! "Loyalty's Web" is the perfect combination of action, adventure, betrayl, and best of all love. Once I picked this book up, it sucked me in and I couldn't put it down. I'm an avid reader, and the best measure of a book for me is how late I'll stay up reading it, knowing all the while I'll still have to be up early the next morning. With this book I was up until the wee hours of the next morning. And then after I'd finished it, I was up until the wee hours the next night just reading my favortie parts over and over. This book will be one you want to read again and again. Well worth the time and money!

I hope this book can get more publicity, because it can hold it's own against most of what's out there!

From the very first page, Loyalty's Web captivated my attention and suspense! As the characters were increasingly developed and as the plot thickened, it was difficult for me to put the book down! I enjoyed being immersed in the medieval time period with all the book elements I love: mystery, suspense, and clean romance ... along with primary characters that are strong, independent, and true to their convictions. I felt that Loyalty's Web is named perfectly, for one's loyalty often weaves and intertwines in multiple, and sometimes conflicting, directions. I highly recommend this book!

I really enjoyed Joyce's book. The more I read the story the faster I read. It seemed very well researched with accurate historical settings and lifestyles into the Medieval times. Great story and great writing.

I enjoyed Loyalty's Web a great deal. The characters became real to me from the first, and I was torn between the conflicting desires and loyalties of the heroine and the hero. Could they find a way for both of them to be true to their loyalties, to themselves, and to each other? It was great fun to unravel the web and find the real spiders in the cast of characters. Intrigue and hidden motives rounded out the plot to provide more than enough suspense to keep the pages turning. Ms. DiPastena knows how to fashion an emotional roller coaster for her readers. I want more.

Do you enjoy medieval stories? Romance? Intrigue? Sinister plots? Than "Loyalty's Web" by Joyce DiPastena is a story you will want to read.


King Henry II of England has just finished crushing a rebellion his sons have started. Peace treaties have been signed and barons whose loyalty were to the Princes have been pardoned-for now.
To make sure princes and barons are following the terms of the treaty, the King has sent the Earl of Gunthar to stay with the Laurants. Not many are happy to see the kings representative and several assassination attempts are tried.

As Gunthar tries to ensure the peace treaty is kept, he also must solve the mystery of who is trying to kill him, find a spy or two, fall in love and get out of being betrothed. Throw in several plot twists and you have quite a story that must be read to the very last page.

From the start of the book the reader is immersed in the a story set in medieval times. Ms. DiPastena wove history and storytelling well.

The characters were lovable and despicable and I found myself wanting the bad guys to be taken care of RIGHT NOW! I felt along with the characters as they faced their conflicting desires of love and loyalty. The webs of both are hard to unravel once they are intertwined.
Every character had a goal and tried to reach that goal in whatever way they could. And each character had great personality, depth and faults. It was interesting to watch where their paths led them.

An enjoyable read!