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Review and Giveaway: "Roan Rose" by Juliet Waldron





Synopsis: 

Loyalty Binds Her.

More like a gangland war for turf and loot than chivalry, the War of Roses disrupted the life of the English commoners for hundreds of years. Roan Rose is the story of one of them, a girl born on the Yorkshire dales. When the Countess of Warwick decides to take sturdy, gentle Rose to Middleham Castle to be companion and bed-time poppet for her youngest daughter, Anne, her fate is changed forever. Rose bears intimate witness to the passions, betrayals, battles and all the reversals of fortune which will shape her lady’s life—and her own. Anne Neville will briefly become a Queen, and Richard, Rose’s secret love, will become a King, one whose name has become synonymous with evil. When her King is betrayed and slain at Bosworth Field, Rose returns to a peasant’s hard life. She has one final service to perform.




My Thoughts:  

Likes: I really like reading about the Wars of the Roses so I was very intrigued by this book.  I liked that it featured Anne Neville as a main character because the story was told from a different perspective than most books that are set in this era.  It was fascinating to get to see Anne's experiences through Rose's eyes; from her marriage to Edward of Lancaster and it's aftermath to her marriage to Richard, Ms. Waldron provided a completely different view of the the historical events of that era.  I also really liked how Ms. Waldron wove the role of the 'wise woman' into the story; Rose wasn't just Anne's companion, she was also a very capable healer and midwife and added to her depth as a character.  There was also kind of a fun little twist at the end of the story that added a little something extra to it.

Characters: I liked Rose a lot and enjoyed watching her relationships with both Anne and Richard.  I didn't always like Anne and Richard but because Rose loved them, they seemed a little more likable.   I also liked Hugh.  He was by no means perfect and at times was not a nice person but he really loved Rose and I felt bad for him because she didn't feel the same way as him.

Dislikes:  I had a hard time with Rose and Richard's relationship.  It just seemed so unhealthy for Rose and it always felt (to me at least) that he was just using her.  I wanted to feel like it was so romantic, but I just couldn't.  It also bothered me that she would choose Richard over her husband and children.


Overall, I think this was an entertaining read that provided a unique perspective on the period of the 'War of the Roses'.  3 stars.

I received a copy of this book from HFVBT in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:


“Not all who wander are lost.” Juliet Waldron earned a B. A. in English, but has worked at jobs ranging from artist’s model to brokerage. Thirty years ago, after the boys left home, she dropped out of 9-5 and began to write, hoping to create a genuine time travel experience for herself–and for her readers. She loves her grand-girls and her kitties, likes to take long hikes, and reads historical/archeological non-fiction as well as reviewing for the Historical Novel Society. For summer adventure, she rides behind her husband of 50 years on his “bucket list” (black, and ridiculously fast) Hyabusa motorcycle.

You can find more information at www.julietwaldron.com or connect with Juliet on Facebook.

 

Giveaway

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Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on June 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
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Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.


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