Customer Reviews

The Shattered Rose

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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).

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.

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.

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.

Ok, you have to give Jo Beverly for actually writing something a little different from the norm of romance novels. Usually its the guy who cheats (like Catherine Coulter likes to write about) and they end up forgiving one another and so forth.

So, you can't really say she's a whore or anything (double standards and all). BUT, the problem lies in that Jo Beverly doesn't really make it clear, or her reasoning isn't strong enough. Throughout the whole book, I could not but help feel sorry for the hero! He deserves better than a petty wife. If he was abusive or just cruel, I could understand her actions/reasonings. Again, I expect my heroine to have a higher sense of morals than that.

I'm frustrated and hurt for the hero and just happy I don't have the book to remind me.

I have a feeling this is a more accurate tale of the times than many that are written - even the betrayel, the adultery and certainly the actions between Crown and Church. Such a very complicated sad story. Galeron who seems like such a good and decent man - spending 2 years in service fighting in Crusades to come home after a vow of celibacy while gone to a wife that has recently given birth and to his infant son who has died. And this becomes not just what Galeron wants, and how he is able to forgive and deal - it becomes a matter of the King, Bishops and of course the babies father. What Galeron has to go through to reclaim his wife and finally settle into his homeland again, is quite a sad, frustrating and detailed witnessing of the times. This was quite a compelling read - much more than just a romance novel. this book will grip you solidly between good and evil and mainly forgiveness and punishments. The secondary tale of Rauol - Galerons friend and warrior and the expected to be convert to the church, cousin Aline. Now there story was the romance novel - very heartfelt and sweet. Both stories are blended together perfectly by the expert pen of Beverely. The only reason not 5 stars is I prefer a little more romance in my books and always I like more sizzle!

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.)

Painful to read, but as a tribute to Jo Beverley's skills, I did complete it. The heroine, Jehanne, reminds me of those modern heroines that writers make strident and argumentative, and unlikable just to have more conflict in the story.

Galeran is just so happy to see his wife and son and nothing is as he expects, but he's been through so much and stayed true to his wife, that I really wanted his homecoming to be happy. Instead, his son is dead and wife adulterous. You just feel so sorry for him because of his treatment by Jehane, you kinda want to slap her, or at least I did. Also, she's never redeemed. When a hero cheats on the heroine, you usually get this scene where he apologises and admits how wrong he was. She never does this. She submits to punishment, but she NEVER says she's sorry or expresses regret. This may not be in keeping with the character, but still it does not make for a satisfying read. Thankfully, I've read other Jo Beverley or I would not read any more. It's like I can't read Jane Feather because I read one of her novels where they choose never to marry. It's just wrong, I like the predictability of romance novels, I admit it.

Jehane is a hard woman who goes crazy and seduces another man in her home. That's really what she does when it gets down to it. In addition to never apologizing, she also says she loves Raymond, the man she cheats with, more then life itself. I had to read that line several times to make sure I understand that the heroine was proclaiming that she loves another man more then life itself at the end of the story. She just bothered me and I didn't really root for her. I'm a horrible person I know, but I didn't really want her to be happy and live happily ever after. But also we rarely see the story from her perspective. I don't remember the story being from her perspective in more then a couple of places.
It's mostly Aline's and Galeran's stories.

The hero is absurdly forgiving and never even considers getting rid of Jehane, I couldn't believe. She does this to him and he just says, okay, I still love you, let's live happily ever after. This leads to a noticeable lack of large blow up fight where they hash how to adultery and future of their relationship.

The Aline/Raoul storyline redeems it somewhat and near the end, they get a much higher percentage of pages and they did help me stay with the story. I get what Jo Beverley was trying to do in creating this non-traditional romance with the heroine in the masculine roles and the hero in the feminine one and an unusual romance storyline of women's infidelity and the products of that relationship, but I also wonder why she didn't give us any satisfying resolution except in the Aline storyline. The main storyline gives us no satisfying resolution in terms of the hero/heroine relationship, or the bad guy storyline. It turns out that the bad guy isn't really and all the blame is suddenly heaped on the secondary bad guy. It just seems like this story needed some more editing to help with flow and proportions, and resolutions.

It's just not worth the money, although I did finish it, waiting for a blowup the whole time that never happened.

First off I totally hated the heroine, in my romances I like the heroine to actually love the hero. No such luck in this book and the reason for committing adultrey was pretty lame too it was something about hating God, pulease and then throughout the whole book she doesn't even say she is sorry for god's sake! She says nothing about it actually although you have to wonder if she loves her husband at all I mean she is always trying to save the guy she had before her husband came home. I hated this book. No let me not say I hated the whole book anyway for there was one redeeming quality about this book and that was the secondary romance of Aline and Raoul now why could they not have had a story all there own that was something that I was intresting in. For one you felt that they did love each other for in the book is says that he has not had another woman when he gets intrested in Aline. I just skipped through the Jehanne and Galeran parts (although I agree with another reviewer that he should have kicked her out on her a**!) Anyway the secondary romance was very good but the main romance plain sucked! this was my first romance by Jo Beverley and thank god I did not pay about 6 bucks for the thing(I checked it out at the library) anyway folks if you are intresting in true romance please skip this book you will be nothing but disappointed!

Initially it was really hard for me to get through the book. Not because it wasn't good, but because I hated the heroine, Jehanna. Every couple of chapters I had to stop reading because I couldn't stand her and upset at Galeran, for being so forgiving. I almost stopped reading the book, but decided to trudge on. Finally Aline and Raoul happened... Thank goodness! Aline and Raoul, having their own side story in the book, was a great reprieve from your feelings towards Jehanna. Overall, it's a great story if you can get pass your dislike of the heroine. You'll sympathize with Galeran. enjoy the battle between Aline and Raoul and you may find yourself teary eyed when Galeran finally mourns for his son.