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One Perfect Rose

One Perfect Rose

List Price: $5.99
Your Price: $5.39
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A sweet, heartwarming read
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. The writer did an excellent job of weaving a great deal of truths/wisdom about life in this story. Stephen and Rosalind were wonderfully mature characters. I wouldn't call this book a romance, though. It reminded me more of a family novel. The romance ended halfway through the book and there was little conflict between Stephen and Rosalind. They were far too cordial and loving from the time they met to make for an exciting, heated romance. This book will touch your heart but it won't make it pound.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good Book
Review: I enjoyed this book. I was expecting something a little more depressing considering Stephen's illness, the male main character. I was very happy that it wasn't depressing at all (I hate depressing books). All the characters are very lovable, except for Stephen's sister. I didn't like her at all. Also, when the truth was finally revealed about Stephen's identity, Rosalind wasn't angry about it for half of the book (they ALWAYS get angry). That was very refreshing. This book was very refreshing in many ways. The only issue I had with the book was very minor. I just didn't believe that Rosalind would really remember that much of her past on her own. She was only 3 or 4 when she was found by her adoptive parents. It just didn't seem all that realistic to me. I'm pretty picky when it comes to realism in books though. That probably wouldn't bother most people.

All in all this was a very good book. It isn't very often that I read a historical romance where the main character believes he has a terminal illness. Also, the way the characters handle certain situations in the book is very refreshing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I didn't want to put it down...
Review: I had never read this author's work before picking up this book. I am delighted to find another author to add to my collection of top-rated works! I know I will be reading more of her books.

The theme and plot for this story are not completely new, because we've all read or seen movies about two lovers who face the death of one of them. What made this unique for me was the time, and the setting: there is a particular helplessness and poignancy in facing a terminal diagnosis when technology isn't there to promise any hope (false or otherwise). The author uses this as an opportunity to explore psychological and spiritual aspects of dealing with one's own - or one's beloved's - mortality. There was a depth of characterization for Stephen and Rosalin that I won't forget, and their dialog and scenes together were so wonderfully natural that I felt like I was looking into someone's window at a real life. Their relationship develops gradually after a fair amount of soul searching, which allows their sexual involvement to flow naturally and with believability - no quick bed hopping here. But it made the story even more enjoyable, and I had some bad moments wondering what would happen to them and how it would end. My only disappointment was that when the end came, it was so swiftly completed; I felt the story "hurried" a little at this point. However, that was not enough to deter me from giving it 5 stars. I plan on both keeping it to re-read in the future, and recommending it to my friends.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My favorite Putney novel
Review: I have greatly enjoyed nearly all of Mary Jo Puntey's books, but this one is my favorite (so far). The characters are strongly drawn,and very believable, and the plot is less fanciful, but no less enjoyable than those of most historical romances. I rarely cry at the end of books, but this one had me in tears (of happiness).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of Putney's best effort.
Review: I have read some of MJP's books, and this one stands out as all time favorite. What would you do when you know that you are dying and only have less than 3 months to live? Well, the hero (no less than a duke) realized that for once all his wealths and power couldn't help him, his days were numbered, so with nothing more to lose, he left the life that he knew, trying to find peace with himself. He went incognito, relinquishing all his attributes and lived as a man not a duke. MJP guided us through his struggles to cope with ultimate acceptance to dying, warm friendship from strangers and finally unconditional love from a woman. A woman so out of his league that in other circumstances their love would be doomed. But when you are dying, you tend to look at things from different perspectives. The story is so moving and poignant that I started asking myself, what would I do if I were either one of them.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A rich and powerful story!
Review: I just reread this book after reading all the fallen angle stories involving Michael Kenyon. I had forgotten how much this book impressed me. I love MJP's treatment of deep issues like death and spirituality. I found that this went well beyond the typical love story to much deeper emotions and I loved it. Keep up the excellent work Mary Jo. Your readers appreciate you!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: GREAT read
Review: I loved One Perfect Rose. I'm a huge theatre junkie (I honestly couldn't tell you what I love most: theatre or reading/writing), and I was pleasantly surprised to find that MJP chose to weave theatre into the story.

Rosalind is a perfect mix of spunkiness and docility. She's not overly headstrong or independent, and she's not a simple-minded doll that the time period seemed to love. She was a warm, loving, tangible character that I completely adored from the first page on.

Stephen first is introduced to us in Shattered Rainbows, who comes across as an unyielding, controlled, thoughtful character. In One Perfect Rose, he's a dying man who is doing his best to face his oncoming death. When he impulsively decides to go see a play in one of the villages that he stops in, he sees and becomes attracted to Rosalind. When he sees the "Mrs." next to her name, he shrugs it off and walks out. When he saves Rosalind's adoptive younger brother, he is welcomed into the Fitzgerald Theatre Troupe with open arms.

Rosalind provides the exact amount of balm to his soul to create a real, warm, deeply affectionate relationship. Their marriage was indeed impulsive, but probably one of the best decisions that the two of them have ever made.

These characters jumped off of the pages to me. I loved Rosalind and Stephen; they were wonderfully developed, and the development of their relationship was perfectly paced. I enjoyed the secondary characters (Thomas and Maria, Jessica and her "Romeo", Simon) very much, and it was nice to see Michael and Catherine reappear, as well as a reappearance of Ian Kinlock.

When I first read the book, I remember my heart catching at the part where it was revealed that Blackmer was poisoning Stephen. I had to re-read a bit, and then it all came together. It was a very well-written plot, and everything flowed together very smoothly.

I loved this book, and I will most certainly recommend it to other readers.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Average
Review: I never really got into his character at all, and the love scenes were kind of flat. The bit at theend where he is so ill seems to go on forever and the book generally seemed too long for a very light-weight story with characters who lacked depth. His sister was dire. His brother detracted from the book. A good way to pass the time, but not a great book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A PERFECT BOOK ALL THE WAY
Review: I read all types of books except horror and this book does not fit within the Romance Novel type alone! It was very well written and had content rather than just the mushy stuff!

A great book and I wish more authors would write like this!!!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A painful but lovely read
Review: I should preface my review by saying that my darling Charlie was facing cancer surgery when we married and died following it-- one month after our wedding day. Asyou can imagine, I had great sympathy for the characters here and was greatly relieved that their romance had a happier outcome.Even though my own story didn't end so well, I never had a moments regret that we decided to spend the time we had together.Ms. Putney did a wonderful job telling a sad story which I'm sure to re-read more than once.


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