The Shattered Rose

Rating:
Summary: One of Beverley's best
Review: I love Jo Beverley's romance and this is one of her best-to be recommended along with Emily and the Dark Angel and My Lady Notorious. The plot was deeper than most of hers.

Rating:
Summary: Poignant
Review: I love the fact that both Jehanne and Galeran were virgins when they married each other and Galeran never had sex with another. He had taken and honored a vow of chastity when he went on Crusade to be able to ask God that he and Jehanne be blessed with a baby. When he returned home, he was stunned, bewildered, hurt and angry to find that Jehanne had had another man's baby.

The character development is extremely well done. The emotional turmoil experienced by Galeran is almost palpable as he realizes that he still loves his wife but has doubts regarding her love for him or for the man who fathered her baby. It is also quite a feat for the author to have developed Jehanne's character so that she becomes not only tolerable but likeable.

An enjoyable secondary love story develops between Galeran's friend and fellow Crusader Raoul de Jouray, who is tall, broad and strong, and Jehanne's cousin Aline, who is short and plump.

Rating:
Summary: Poignant
Review: I love the fact that both Jehanne and Galeran were virgins when they married each other and Galeran never had sex with another. He had taken and honored a vow of chastity when he went on Crusade to be able to ask God that he and Jehanne be blessed with a baby. When he returned home, he was stunned, bewildered, hurt and angry to find that Jehanne had had another man's baby.

The character development is extremely well done. The emotional turmoil experienced by Galeran is almost palpable as he realizes that he still loves his wife but has doubts regarding her love for him or for the man who fathered her baby. It is also quite a feat for the author to have developed Jehanne's character so that she becomes not only tolerable but likeable.

An enjoyable secondary love story develops between Galeran's friend and fellow Crusader Raoul de Jouray, who is tall, broad and strong, and Jehanne's cousin Aline, who is short and plump.

Rating:
Summary: Good History but very Depressing
Review: I'm going to break with the reviewers so far and disagree. I didn't enjoy this book and instead found it rather depressing.

I do enjoy Jo Beverley's books, but this one was too dark and depressing for me, and I never really connected with the characters. I think it might be b/c the reader doesn't really get to experience the initial love story (it's just a minor flashback in the beginning and had them fighting more than falling in love). The book is written primarily from the hero's point of view which made it hard for me to understand the heroines motives or feelings (until the very end). I suspect this enabled there to be some mystery as to why the heroine would do what she did, but even by the end, I still couldn't understand why (and I'll admit I wasn't very sympathetic). Further, it seemed like the whole book centered around how to punish the heroine for her betrayal (by the end I was relieved that at least that part was resolved). I did appreciate the hero's supreme love, but I wasn't sure from whence it came as this wasn't explored in much detail.

On the positive side, this was certainly a unique romance (not "run of the mill" by any means), Jo Beverley's writing was very good, and I truly enjoyed the history. However, I just could not get into these characters, and I found that the story was just too depressing to enjoy. I also found the secondary plot, while more uplifting, to be more of a distraction.

I usually enjoy medievals, and I was in the mood for a good one, but this one left me feeling flat. If you are interested in a more enjoyable medieval read by Jo Beverley, I would recommend Dark Champion.

Rating:
Summary: Good History but very Depressing
Review: Only Jo Beverley could come up with this story. So amazing, considering the times, of the hero coming home from the crusades to find, not only his son he'd never seen, dead, but his wife for whom he'd been celibate for 2 years, holding a few month old babe, who obviously was not his. Not only does he forgive her, but accepts this child whole heartedly because he would never conceive of hurting his beloved wife.

What Galeran goes through to overcome the betrayal and then the machinations to overcome all the difficulties of keeping the child are nothing short of heroic.

Then, on top of that, you have Aline and Raoul's story (which I truly enjoyed). I'll say like a previous reviewer, what an amazing tidbit the fact that ladies of the manor were supposed to bath high ranking visitors. This was truly an eye opener. What a way to weave historical fact into a delightful romance.

This is an amazing book, but anything by Jo Beverley, I've discovered is terrific.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Story
Review: Only Jo Beverley could come up with this story. So amazing, considering the times, of the hero coming home from the crusades to find, not only his son he'd never seen, dead, but his wife for whom he'd been celibate for 2 years, holding a few month old babe, who obviously was not his. Not only does he forgive her, but accepts this child whole heartedly because he would never conceive of hurting his beloved wife.

What Galeran goes through to overcome the betrayal and then the machinations to overcome all the difficulties of keeping the child are nothing short of heroic.

Then, on top of that, you have Aline and Raoul's story (which I truly enjoyed). I'll say like a previous reviewer, what an amazing tidbit the fact that ladies of the manor were supposed to bath high ranking visitors. This was truly an eye opener. What a way to weave historical fact into a delightful romance.

This is an amazing book, but anything by Jo Beverley, I've discovered is terrific.

Rating:
Summary: Very touching
Review: This is the book that most other historical romances wanted to be but failed. There is actual historical detail rather than the over used "Aubusson" rugs and the "rush" which over lay "medieval" castles. Never did I read before in a romance the fact that ladies of the manor were supposed to bath high ranking visitors. How could any of the myriad of romance authors have missed this intriguing tidbit if they did any research at all on their plot setting? The religious aspects of the story also gave it an additional ring of truth.

The love story between the main set of characters felt very real and poignant. The male character was amazing. Finally, a man who is good, kind, sensitive and simply wonderful. And, a woman who is a woman rather than a girl. The romantic subplot of two other characters was predictable but sweet.

This book is very highly recommended. Go find a copy somewhere. (I suggest the library.)

Rating:
Summary: Very touching
Review: This is the book that most other historical romances wanted to be but failed. There is actual historical detail rather than the over used "Aubusson" rugs and the "rush" which over lay "medieval" castles. Never did I read before in a romance the fact that ladies of the manor were supposed to bath high ranking visitors. How could any of the myriad of romance authors have missed this intriguing tidbit if they did any research at all on their plot setting? The religious aspects of the story also gave it an additional ring of truth.

The love story between the main set of characters felt very real and poignant. The male character was amazing. Finally, a man who is good, kind, sensitive and simply wonderful. And, a woman who is a woman rather than a girl. The romantic subplot of two other characters was predictable but sweet.

This book is very highly recommended. Go find a copy somewhere. (I suggest the library.)

Rating:
Summary: Great story, a bit marred by weak secondary romance
Review: Well, if Elizabeth Chadwick says this is a great book, it is certainly is worth looking at. That was how I came (via a Medieval Romance group) to this book, which is so unusual. Where else will you find an adulterous heroine (unwittingly so), and a hero who accepts his wife's illegitimate child - and then gets pulled up by the Church for doing so? A fantastic read, full of emotion. The heroine Jehanne is not always likeable, but boy, does Beverley pull you in. I think this is her finest book (of those I have read - medieval, Georgian, and Regency).

Just one problem stops it from being perfect. The secondary romance was sweet at first, and then got downright cloying. I wanted to kick both participants. Having said that (and got it off my chest), I recommend that you find a copy of this book and give it a try.

P.S. THE SHATTERED ROSE is one of my keepers, even after downsizing my keeper collection (down to 20, Heyers, Austen and Ellis Peters apart).

Rating:
Summary: Great story, a bit marred by weak secondary romance
Review: Well, if Elizabeth Chadwick says this is a great book, it is certainly is worth looking at. That was how I came (via a Medieval Romance group) to this book, which is so unusual. Where else will you find an adulterous heroine (unwittingly so), and a hero who accepts his wife's illegitimate child - and then gets pulled up by the Church for doing so? A fantastic read, full of emotion. The heroine Jehanne is not always likeable, but boy, does Beverley pull you in. I think this is her finest book (of those I have read - medieval, Georgian, and Regency).

Just one problem stops it from being perfect. The secondary romance was sweet at first, and then got downright cloying. I wanted to kick both participants. Having said that (and got it off my chest), I recommend that you find a copy of this book and give it a try.

P.S. THE SHATTERED ROSE is one of my keepers, even after downsizing my keeper collection (down to 20, Heyers, Austen and Ellis Peters apart).