The Forbidden Rose (Berkley Sensation Historical Romance) [Kindle Edition]

Joanna Bourne (Author)

Book Description

A career is blooming...

A glittering French aristocrat is on the run, disguised as a British governess. England's top spy has a score to settle with her family. But as they're drawn inexorably into the intrigue and madness of Revolutionary Paris, they gamble on a love to which neither of them will admit.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bourne (The Spymaster's Lady) returns to the French Revolution for her latest romance, this time matching up an English spy and a French aristocrat. Marguerite de Fleurignac, a noblewoman who smuggles émigrés to England, encounters William Doyle in the charred remains of her chateau outside of Paris. She needs sanctuary and agrees to let him escort her through the French countryside. Though she pretends to be Scottish and he claims to be French, no one in this book seems able to keep secrets: William knows Marguerite's identity, she and the French secret police both know he is hunting her father, and everyone, including the secret police and the British, knows everything about the smugglers. Nonetheless, the romance is sweet, and once William and Marguerite admit their love, the ensuing adventure story is everything a spy thriller should be. (June)
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From Booklist

The lady was going to lead him to the list. At least that is what William Doyle, British spy, believes when he finds Marguerite de Fleurignac hiding in the ruins of the Chateau de Fleurignac. The lady might call herself “Maggie Duncan,” but William knows she is the daughter of the Marquis de Fleurignac, the same French nobleman whose list names British officers who are being murdered one by one. All William has to do is convince “Maggie” that he is “Guillaume LeBreton,” traveling bookseller, and that he can get her safely to Paris. What William doesn't know is that Marguerite has a few secrets of her own—secrets that could very well get them both killed. RITA Award–winning Bourne delivers another addictively readable installment in her loosely connected Spymaster novels, a flawless romance in which an espionage-steeped plot is deftly balanced with a lusciously sensual love story. --John Charles

Product Details

• File Size: 568 KB
• Print Length: 379 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0425235610
• Publisher: Berkley (June 1, 2010)
• Sold by: Penguin Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003NX7O5U
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,797 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Near Perfection (A Grade) June 1, 2010

By Katie Babs VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

The Forbidden Rose is where Joanna Bourne continues to amaze with her thought out, somewhat complex plots and characters who will take a beating and even after all the danger and life threatening action that comes their way, they refuse to be down for the count and live to fight another day. If there is such a thing as swashbuckling spies, I would say Joanna has placed her claim on it.

Marguerite de Fleurignac has been hiding in the French countryside where her family's chateau has burned to the ground. As a noblewoman, she must be careful because she is being hunted by those who want to kill her. These are important members responsible for the revolution who arrest anyone for any reason and send to the guillotine to die. Marguerite has just cause for concern, because she and her ex-lover, Jean-Paul, who is the son of the botanist of the Royal Gardens, are part of an underground network called la Fleche, where they help smuggle émigrés across the channel and into England. Marguerite's father is a mad genius hiding in Paris and is also being hunted by a select group of individuals because he maybe responsible for a group of assassinations in England.

Guillaume LeBreton, and his twelve-year old servant boy Adrian Hawker, come across Marguerite and basically hold her hostage for her own safe keeping. She lies and tells them she is Maggie Duran, a former governess. Guillaume is actually an English spy by the name of William Doyle who works for the British Service and has been sent on a mission to find Maggie's father. He knows who Maggie is as soon as they meet and will gain her trust and protect her from the men who work for her cousin Victor de Fleurignac, a very high ranking official and a close friend of the bloodthirsty and righteous Robespierre. Maggie is wary of this LeBreton, who is very large, hulking, and has a long wicked scar on his cheek. But in order to arrive safely in Paris, she needs the protection and looks to Guillaume to help her, although she acts as if she doesn't need his aid. He is more than willing to help because this way Maggie will lead him to her father.

As Maggie, Doyle and Hawker travel the dangerous roads to Paris, and then enter the city where one wrong move can get them kill, they are unaware that there are others watching them closely who may or may not want them dead. Maggie can't help but succumb to her passions for Gillaume, who is definitely not what he seems. They try their best to find a small piece of happiness in one another arms, but the horrors of the revolution may keep them apart forever.

Joanna Bourne has such an amazing skill at writing strong characters, descriptive settings, including a mature and passionate love story. She uses a great amount of historical research to have penned an amazing book such as The Forbidden Rose. Readers of Ms. Bourne's past books have met Maggie and Doyle before in The Spymaster's Lady. The Forbidden Rose is a prequel and the story of how Maggie and Doyle first met met. Not only do we see how France was full of unrest during the time of the revolution, but how no one can trust anyone, not even the children. This is especially shown with Doyle's young charge, Adrian Hawkins, who also has made quiet an impression in the two books that were released prior to The Forbidden Rose. As an adult first showcased in The Spymaster's Lady and briefly in My Lord and Spymaster, he made a big impression and does even more so in The Forbidden Rose. He is one such character that you can't help but be in awe of at such a young age, including his adversary, Justine, a young girl close to his age, who lives in a brothel and works in some capacity to lend aid to Maggie's cause.

Ms. Bourne's way with words, dialogue and deep devotion and love Maggie and Doyle have for one another will blow you away. Maggie and Doyle's passion for one another at times is rushed, but that doesn't take away from the bond and attachment they build, where they would die for one another if that ever came to pass.

The Forbidden Rose is a fiery and near all consuming tale filled with suspense and wonderful insights on the human psyche. This is one historical romance that is a must read and proves yet again how masterful of a writer Joanna Bourne has become.

Katiebabs

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this 1st in the Spymaster Series! June 3, 2010

By Regan

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

For those who haven't yet read THE SPYMASTER'S LADY or MY LORD AND SPYMASTER, you should know this book comes first in time--it is a "prequel." Unfortunately it was written later so for those of us already fans to the series, we knew how it ended before it began as this is Doyle's and Maggie's story (and they are in the other books but later in time).

Set in 1794 in France, it's a great tale of English spies and French undercover work transporting royalists out of France during the time of the French Revolution and Robespierre. Marguerite is a wonderful young woman who, though raised as an aristocrat, has adapted to the times and is now doing important work that has her wearing many faces. British agent Doyle is after her father who he believes has provided names of English to be murdered by those in control of France. When he realizes he has taken the man's daughter, he keeps her, hoping she'll lead him to her father. Doyle has never allowed himself to get involved with a woman in the field. Ah, but Marguerite de Fleurignac aka Maggie is no ordinary woman! He gets aroused just looking at her and he admires her intelligence and fierce determination. He wants her for his own.

Bourne gives us another strong heroine and another drool-worthy hero. In an interview I did of her on my blog, she siad that Doyle is her favorite character and that this is her best work. I loved it.

Doyle, who is in the background in the other books, is now center stage. The dialog is very witty and at times very humorous. Bourne has mastered the art of suspense and her language is very colorful and fits well the era. Meticulously researched, as always, Bourne delivers up a detailed well-told tale. I liked this romance as well as MY LORD AND SPYMASTER and EVEN better than THE SPYMASTER'S LADY, but I recommend reading all in the series (THE BLACK HAWK, which won the RITA in 2012, is quite wonderful!). Just read this one first!

Here's the series:

The Forbidden Rose - 2010 (France 1794)
My Lord And Spymaster - 2008 (London 1811)
The Spymaster's Lady - 2010 (France and England 1802)
The Forbidden Rose - 2010 (France 1794)
The Black Hawk - 2011 (Paris, beginning in 1794, flashbacks to 1797 and 1802, and London 1818)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hands down the best book Bourne has ever written December 4, 2011

By cristobal

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

At least for me it is. It should be noted that while it's technically the first book in the series, it was written third.

Twists and turns and daring-do; brilliant characters, outstanding language and writing.

If you're iffy on buying the book and have a Kindle or one of the Kindle For apps, please just download the sample. Love it and know that it gets even better.

AND is actually is an historical novel, not just some book that happens to take place during a certain period in history.

More About the Author

I write historical fiction set in Revolutionary and Napoleonic France and Regency England. It was a time of love and sacrifice, clashing ideals, and really cool clothing.

I live in the Appalachian Mountains with my family and my dog and cat.