THE BRIAR… smoldering attraction between them, and in her secret heart, wishes he wanted more.
THE ROSE…
Devan, Marquess of Castlereagh, is tormented by his past and determined to live out his days in quiet solitude at his Ireland estate. That is until Raven enters his life. With the face of an angel, the body of Aphrodite, and the tongue of a drunken Irishman, he’s never met any woman so infuriating… so seductive… so… his match.
THE LEGEND…
From historical Ireland and its mystical legends to the elegant ballrooms of Regency London, together Devan and Raven discover the truth of the past and a love so strong it cannot be denied.
Based loosely on the ballad “Barbara Allen”, and more specifically on Dolly Parton’s version of the ballad, THE BRIAR AND THE ROSE is set in Ireland and London in 1827.
more
This was a great historical and imaginative regency read with great characters that was set in Ireland. This book kept my attention and I could not put it down until the very end. I also enjoyed the two different versions (clean and explicit) to choose from in the same book.
Until the end, I was unaware it was based on a Dolly Parton song. As wrapped up in the story line as I was, it just never crossed my mind. I was so wrapped up in Devan and Raven and figuring out when they were going to realize their obvious love for each other and Raven’s memory loss. Does she ever get it back? Where does Seamus and the older story lead and how is it related to the future? Whatever happened to Katherine that Devan loved before? The plot twists and turns draw you into the story from page one and doesn’t let you go. It has well developed characters, believable time relativity and a love story that leads to three happily ever afters for two people. In order to know how that happens, you’ll have to read this wonderful story. The first I’ve read by this author, but definitely not my last!
This is the first book by this author that I have read and it wasn’t what I expected. I found the first chapter or two a little slow but once I got into the story I found it hard to put down. At times I got frustrated with the characters not communicating better but under the circumstances, it was not hard to realise why the characters acted as they did. I found it a long book but there was a lot of story to go into it. I really did enjoy it and if you want to read something that is going to take you on a very unexpected ride this is the book for you. It will have you guessing, smiling, frustrated, angry and relieved all at the same time. I read the PG version which I found great for me because I have always skipped the sex scenes anyway.
The Briar And The Rose:(A Regency Romance) by Laura Mills-Alcott is based on the Gaelic folk tale by the same name. This book is a pleasant mixture of romance and paranormal with a dash of gothic tale mixed in. It’s the story of a young woman, Raven, who has no idea of who she is or if she has any family. She finds herself elevated from working in the gardens to a lady in training by the Marquess of Castlereagh. Devon, the Marquess, sees Raven as almost the twin to his lost love Lady Katherine, who had just died in a fire. He sets out to recreate Katherine by tutoring Raven in the ways of the privileged class. However, there seems to be more to Raven than is first apparent. Although she says she can not ride, she disappears at night riding one of the Marquess’ horses as if she is a very proficient horsewoman. Where does she go? And why can’t she remember the ride the next morning?
Why does she dream of Mairead and Seamus and their ill fated love story? Is she somehow connected with them? And does Devon the Marquess share the same dream?
All this unfolds within the pages of this interesting tale. This is an excellent book to spend time with in front of a warn fire on a cold winters night.
This is an incredibly unique, poetic read. It’s a story within a story (with another story woven between them)– but even though that sounds confusing, I found it to be surprisingly easy to read and follow. The “background” story of Seamus and Mairead’s tragic love added a depth and mystery that permeated every page, and Devan and Raven were the perfect star-crossed lovers — broken, and flawed, but absolutely beautiful. I especially enjoyed watching them evolve as the story progressed. (The more I learned about Devan, the harder I fell for him.) The secondary characters were just as endearing, and I appreciated that they added TO the story instead of competing for attention.
I have to admit that I did get frustrated at some of the miscommunications– surely NO ONE could be that daft! For all of Devan’s redeemable qualities, he didn’t have a drop of common sense, and I couldn’t quite believe that (given everything else I knew about him). However, it did add a bit of levity to the some stressful situations– and added a bunch of verbal “oh COME ON”s to my reading 🙂 And besides, people CAN be alarmingly clueless sometimes, so it’s certainly not impossible.
This was an excellent blend of romance and mystery, with just a sprinkle of the paranormal mixed in. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an atypical but addictive Regency romance!
Although, I do not usually read romance novels, this one kept my interest from the beginning. It was truly a page turner. Without giving away any of the contents, I just wan to say I had a very hard time putting this book down to do what my life required. The language was pleasant and descriptions easy to visualize. I do recommend it. Thank you.
I loved this book!!! What a wonderful imagination Laura Mills Alcott has! I was hooked within the first chapter! I found some humour in the way Raven and Devan’s thoughts were, just like a real relationships when couples don’t say what is on their mind. The way Laura’s imagination was with the dreams and what happened when the went to London had me awed! What a fantastic book!!!
Author Laura Mills Alcott has written a beautiful, mysterious, historical romance that had me from page one! Devan, Marquess of Castlereagh, has been nursing a broken heart from losing the beautiful Katherine in a devastating fire. Having only met Katherine on that night, Devan truly believes in love at first sight. Going through his daily routine is difficult for Devan until he spots new servant, Raven in his garden. Believing she is his beautiful Katherine, Devan’s heart breaks again after hearing Raven’s irish brogue, until he notices the true beauty of Raven. Soon after, Devan begins having strange dreams of being in another place and time with Raven. What could this mean? Raven is unsure of her true identity after being found by Collette, a servant of Marquess of Castlereagh. After being introduced to Devan, Raven also begins having the same dreams. Will these dreams answer the question of who Raven truly is? What is her connection to the Marquess? Will these past be able to correct itself so that these two can find happily ever after? I was so drawn into this amazing story with a glorious mix of mystery, romance and paranormal. I am looking forward to seeing more from this amazing author!
Raven and Devan or?
There is one word to describe this work and that is Outstanding!! It was intriguing and so well-written full of wonderful magic and characters that will take your breath away. Yes, I loved this fairytale paranormal romance. There will be parts that will touch your heart this is a complex story and I look forward to reading other works by Laura Mills-Alcott. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it
My rating is actually 4.5 stars. I loved the mix of paranormal into this love story! The story of Mairead and Seamus was heartbreaking, but I was so glad they got their HEA with the help of Devan and Raven, who had their own awesome love story. The road to happiness was definitely not an easy one for either couple, but this story really makes one want to believe in soulmates! No spoilers, but I really loved the ending, too. I will definitely read more of Laura Mills-Alcott!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.