The Raven and the Rose [Mass Market Paperback]

Virginia Henley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1987

Her hair was black and silk against her ivory skin; her gray eyes burned with opal fire.  The love child of King Edward IV, Roseanna was pledged to her father's most prized warrior.  He was dark, strong, and commanding, and in the bedchamber, where he forced her to honor her marriage vows, she learned not to crave his intoxicating touch.  And still she swore not to love him even as she surrendered to the dark rapture of...the Raven.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Her hair was black and silk against her ivory skin; her gray eyes burned with opal fire. The love child of King Edward IV, Roseanna was pledged to her father's most prized warrior. He was dark, strong, and commanding, and in the bedchamber, where he forced her to honor her marriage vows, she learned not to crave his intoxicating touch. And still she swore not to love him even as she surrendered to the dark rapture of...the Raven.

From the Inside Flap

Her hair was black and silk against her ivory skin; her gray eyes burned with opal fire.  The love child of King Edward IV, Roseanna was pledged to her father's most prized warrior.  He was dark, strong, and commanding, and in the bedchamber, where he forced her to honor her marriage vows, she learned not to crave his intoxicating touch.  And still she swore not to love him even as she surrendered to the dark rapture of...the Raven.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Island Books; 16th print edition (June 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044017161X
• ISBN-13: 978-0440171614
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #504,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( H ) > Henley, Virginia

More About the Author

New York Times best-seller Virginia Henley is the author of 26 lush and lusty historical romances and 5 short stories. Her books are published in 16 languages around the world. She is the recipient of a dozen awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times, A Maggie Award for Excellence from the Georgia Romance Writers, and a Waldenbook Award for top-selling long historical for 1994.

The St. Petersburg Times calls Henley "The Queen of Steamy Romance."

Kathe Robin, RT Book Reviews says: "Henley's gift for bringing remarkable women to life in colorful, turbulent times is what turns her romances into keepers. Henley heats up the pages with her love scenes, and her skill at portraying actual historical personages with humanity while maintaining historical accuracy wins our minds. Henley knows what historical romance is all about and always gives the readers what they want."

Henley says: "My hero is always dark, dominant and dangerous. Then I create a woman who is a match for him...or more than a match!
Men come up to me at conferences and thank me for writing my books. One man said, "I don't read them, but I always know when my wife is reading a Henley!"

My next book The Dark Earl goes on sale September 6 and is the third in the series following The Decadent Duke, and The Irish Duke.

I have just turned two of my backlist books into Kindle ebooks. Wild Hearts and Bold Conquest are historical romances. My novella Hot As Fire, also available on Kindle, is my only contemporary. I have a short story up on Kindle called Letter of Love that is FREE.

Next month I will be offering a new ebook that is a Southern family saga.
MASTER OF PARADISE tells the story of Nicholas Peacock who is disinherited of his title and wealth in England. He sails to Charleston, South Carolina, and starts a cotton plantation just before the Civil War disrupts everyone's life.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Rose Had Thorns, November 25, 2002

By 

M. Rondeau (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Raven and the Rose (Mass Market Paperback)

At the heart of this story is the `rose', otherwise known as Roseanna Castlemaine, stunningly beautiful daughter of Joanna and Neville Castlemaine but in reality, the illegitimate daughter of King Edward IV. Were it known, it would cause her life to be in danger. She has been betrothed since the age of 11 to Baron Ravenspur, who should have claimed her at the age of 15 but now, all of 17 and having never met the man, she scoffs at the idea that they will ever wed and has fallen in love with the handsome Byron FitzHugh, friend of her brother Jeffrey.

Her mother Joanna has high hopes for her daughter making a good marriage, and a landless Knight, does not fit in with her plans. Roseanna hearing that her betrothed is staying at a nearby hunting lodge determines that she will go there and beg the Baron to break the betrothal. Mishaps along the way, cause her to lose her horse, get drenched in a pouring rain so that when Ravenspur's brother, Tristan, finds her he mistakes her for a peasant and decides to make a gift of her to his brother Roger, who along with his men-at-arms are all having an orgy at the hunting lodge. Ravenspur is stunned to realize that this is no peasant but his betrothed and having sworn never to marry again, initially agrees to break the betrothal but the more she provokes him he decides to go through with the marriage anyhow.

Roseanne, not one to take being lied to lightly, tries all sorts of escapades to escape the impending marriage and subsequent bedding, but would her feelings of, could it be lust, whenever Ravenspur is near betray her. She can't quite understand how she could `love' Sir Bryan, yet her body react with Ravenspur.

This story was the first I've read by this author. I found it extremely rich in the historical background of King Edward IV - with references to the intrigues and betrayals of the treasonous plots during that period. The dog and cat fight romance between Ravenspur and Roseanna was delightful, although through the first half of the book, you'd like to have this vain, spoiled brat, thrown over someone's knee and spanked. It is not until she realizes the difference between infatuation and love does she come to appreciate the strong, handsome, virile husband she is wed over the pale facsimile she thinks she loves. I thoroughly enjoyed the dialog and the fast pace movement of the story making it a very difficult book to put down. Good read and one I can definitely recommend.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!, August 25, 1999

By 

Diana catlin - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raven and the Rose (Mass Market Paperback)

This was the first Virginia Henley book I read. It touched my heart. It was so amazing. I adored Roger and how much he loved Roseanna. Ms. Henley also put in the history in there that made me want to learn more about the time period. I laughed at some of the comments Roger made and I cried at that one part (whoever read it will know what I mean). All in all I recommend this book to any one who loves romance novels. This is my favorite book!!!!!!!!!!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than the typical historical romance..., January 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Raven and the Rose (Mass Market Paperback)

I love historical romance novels and I picked up this book expecting a good read. I got that and more. The plot felt a little rushed at times, but nonetheless, made for a very interesting book.

The characters were likeable although Roseanna is extremely vain and headstrong. Ravenspur on the other hand is strong and determined to win her love, but willing to do so patiently.

They deal with the typical issues you find in an historical romance novel, such as first fighting any feelings for each other and then one having to wait patiently for the other to realize they're in love. But they also deal with issues that I'd never expected to see written about in an historical novel. These additional issues added spice, danger, and tension and made the book even more interesting.

And just when you think all is well and you're going to read about a happy ending, something else happens.

I very much enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to any who like this genre.