She had no name but…Miranda.Raised in a notorious brothel without family or heritage, she knew only endless days of drudgery as a servant, shrinking from the life that would one day be forced upon her by those to whom she owed her daily existence. She had no hope until…James.The man who, with skill and tenderness, showed her what her future could be. He fulfilled her most ardent desires, … explored with her the depths of love possible between a man and a woman — and betrayed her trust.She feared the future without…her identity.Alone, wounded, and armed with mysterious clues to her family, she begins an epic journey through Victorian London to find the answers she seeks—all the while hiding her past and shunning love and marriage. She wonders if she will ever again meet the man who spoke to her heart. And if she did, would it change the course of her destiny…and his?
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Miranda , upon the care of Maud, grew up as a maid in a high-end brothel. She several traumatic and broken-hearted moments. With the help of friends, she found a new course in life. But the torments from the past came back to haunt her.
The story was so enticing, I couldn’t put it down. It had heart-sickening moments as well as heart-warming moments. Some actions/decisions by our heroine were illogical but it made the story real, and inviting. I strongly recommend reading this (Note: Be prepared for Grievous heart-breaking moments)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved the struggle that she faced, the hardships that almost seemed insurmountable she was able to overcome – all simply by staying true to being the loyal, sweet person she was.
She definitely lives a life that is full of more knock-downs then blessings, but she has learned to take every little bit of sun and make the most of it. I’m eager to see what happened to make Hawk forget and how the plot develops after the plot twist at the end
Warning: Mild spoilers!
This book kept my interest throughout. I didn’t want to stop reading, but I did have to sleep at some point. My only disappointment with it is that there was a cliffhanger at the end, sigh.
I felt for poor Miranda and the awful circumstances she grew up in, with the abuse she received from Lily and the Ladybirds. Thank goodness she had Maud and Celia to look after her. During her time living in the brothel, she was drugged and sold/sent out for a week for a tryst. Miranda and James, the man who purchased her services, fall in love and make plans to marry. He promises to come back for her, but he never shows. Years pass and Miranda has the opportunity to escape the brothel so she makes her way to London.
Miranda becomes a loving companion to Lady Shefford, who leaves her an inheritance upon her passing. The lady’s grandson is having none of that and pays a visit to contest the will. Guess who the grandson turns out to be…..but it seems that the H does not recognize our h from before. My question is why??? I definitely am going on to the next book to find out!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The first book in the Heart of a Rose series, it is written differently that I am use to. Miranda will have so much to overcome. This story at the end has Miranda aghast, and ends with a cliff-hanger ending. I want to read the next book. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Impressive book.
From the cover to the last page, this book was a stunning example of what a truly good story should be. It had all the elements, the good, the bad, and the unexpected. The mix of characters was splendid and had such a real feel to them. Miranda journey was a wonder to read. I felt every emotion Miranda was experiencing that just shows you how well this was written. I hope I get the chance to read the next two books I so want to know what happens to Miranda. I did receive a free copy of this book from Booksprout and voluntarily chose to review it.
Growing Up Deprived Broken Dreams, Broken Love
ADULT Victorian Romance and Adventure, with a Second Chance Love
Her Knight in Shining Armor, the Slayer of Her Dragons
The daughter of a prostitute, Miranda, is brought up motherless in a high end brothel. Her mother sold her to the madam! She is treated most cruelly and as a possession by the madame.
Even some of the prostitutes are cruel to her, just because they can get away with it. Her only friend is Maud, a kitchen maid who is her soul mother, the mother she never had.
Trained in the art of seduction by Giselle, a French prostitute, Miranda learns to read and to have good manners, too. Meanwhile, the cruelty continues and Miranda knows that she and Maud must leave the brothel or she will eventually die there.
Violence too awful to relate here gives her nightmares, despair, and nearly kills her spirit. Are all men and even women, so vicious and cruel?
ARC Provided by Booksprout
This ebook was $2.99 on Amazon at the time of this review.
Opinions expressed here are entirely my own fault!
This is a novel of extreme emotion, elation, happiness, then loss , and devastation of the mind, body and soul. I was deeply affected by this story, and will always remember it. This is a Great novel, a masterpiece of the despair of a young woman who is just trying to live….Above all, this is a novel of a second chance at love .
Loved the book, hate cliffhangers. Loss of a star for the crazy cliffhanger. Cliffhangers are so unfair to readers.
TITLE: Orphaned girl, growing up in brothel, escapes to a clean and promising life.
SETTING: London, England, about 1856.
Miranda Kingswood was orphaned while she was young and grew up in a brothel as an servant. Life is difficult for her, especially because the owner, Lily, is harsh to her, no doubt to prepare her to be submissive to ultimately serve Lily’s clients. We watch as she matures and faces increasing opposition from some of the sex workers, and training by a prominent worker in preparation for becoming such a worker herself. As she buds into a young woman, she draws the attention of the male clients.
Betrayal is a frequent theme: Lily, the owner, betrays Miranda by allowing her to be used as a sex worker, when she knows Miranda does not want this life style; betrayed by the sex workers, who seem to want her to suffer as they do; betrayed by a man who seems to love her and says he wants to marry her, but takes her back to the brothel and abandons her. Only when she finally meets Lady Sheffield, who takes her under her wing, does she find true security for the first time in her memory.
CRITIQUE: This was a gripping, sometimes difficult to read book for several reasons: the cruel treatment Miranda receives from childhood onward, and the sex she is exposed to, and trained for, as a girl on the verge of womanhood. (Warning! Detailed scenes, and violence does occur). If one can skip the sex, this is a good story.
This is the first of 3 books, and the reader is left with a shock and a cliff-hanger at the end of this volume, and a keen desire to see what-happens-next. Miranda is a “good” heroine, in that she tries to be upright in the midst of a horrible setting. However, she displays human weakness when she succumbs to seduction. So far, (by the end of the first book), there is no Hero to whom we can entrust her care with any degree of certainty.
Storyline: 5
Realistic: 5
Moral tone: caution! Graphic descriptions and violence described!
Engages reader’s emotions: 5
Maintains interest: 5
Will I read the next book? Most likely, intending to skip over the intimate encounters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cliffhanger — You must read book 2 for the complete story
Regardless of the author’s talent, and Gayle Mullen Pace is talented, I do not give high ratings to incomplete books. I searched the description on the sell page of A Rose Beneath the Snow, and no where was it mentioned that the story was in two parts. At 432 pages, I would have thought an entire story could be told and told well. Silly me.
Had this not been an undisclosed partial story, I would have given it four stars. The characters were well defined and developed. The story had a few glitches, but it was overall good, if not a bit sad and dark.
411: This book contains explicit sex, abuse, violence and rape.
Disclosure: I received an complementary copy of this book from the author via Booksprout. I am voluntarily submitting my honest review.