In this everchanging life we lead today, I see a lot of people working to make “things” better. Unfortunately, those “things” come at a price.
"If I just work the extra 6 hours a day, I can retire when I’m 55," said the man who died at 50 from a heart attack.
"I’ll just miss my daughter’s ballet recital this year…there’ll be more in the future," said the mum of the daughter who gave up, because, what’s the point, when it seems like nobody cares.
"It’s only one anniversary we won’t be together," said the couple, who soon realised that every day counts.
Life is too short. When careers, money and avoiding experiences (in case you might get hurt) are at the cost of your happiness, it’s time to reassess your life. In The British Knight both Violet and Alexander are avoiding their life. Violet, because she doesn’t want to become involved, trust or love someone who may disappoint her. Alexander, because he’s on a path in his career. He thought the path was of his own making, but it takes heartbreak to realise he’s following someone else’s path.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure I liked The British Knight through most of this story. Violet came across as shallow and a bit of a loser…maybe loser is a bit harsh…maybe a scaredy cat is a better term. Now, Alex, well he’s a workaholic, but he’s also a bit of a rude jerk. It took me a while to warm up to these two. Sure, I liked seeing their lust ignite. I also enjoyed watching them come out of their comfort zones. The biggest problem, I couldn’t see them changing their ways. Even their attempts seem to go nowhere and I was convinced that any changes would be shortlived. I wasn’t convinced that they could or would be able to have an HEA I would believe in.
Something changed, though. Truths came out, feelings were shared and the emotional anguish was something I felt when they were apart. The biggest turning point was something that Alex admitted. It was along the lines of, he put off his happiness until he was the best. I’ve never followed this way of thinking. I’m a firm believer that if you’re not happy with your path to the finish line, winning won’t give you satisfaction. In Alex’s case, he realised a little too late that his job meant nothing without Violet by his side.
So, in the end, I really enjoyed The British Knight. While I struggled with the decisions Alex and Violet initially made, it was obvious that with change, their path would definitely leave them satisfied. I loved that Violet found her very own Knightley in shining armour.
Another fantastic story by Louise Bay and I’m devastated that I have no more Poms or New Yorkers to fall in love with. But, if I’m very patient, I hope that Darcy will eventually get her HEA.