Jo Beverley (1947–2016)

Jo Beverley is usually one of my favorites, a gold standard in the genre. I associate her with intelligence, sharp wit, historical accuracy...not to mention dreamy, sexy heroes and exciting, spicy plots.

But The Shattered Rose? It's not that she's abandoned historical accuracy, just that the wealth of detail that usually colors her novels so richly is absent here....in fact, the writing is unusually bland.

And while there's no sense in trying to imitate medieval speech, why - oh why! - is this show more book chock full of contemporary idiomatic speech that conveys attitudes and sentiments that would have been unfamiliar or impossible during the middle ages?

And the plot - and the characters - the last thing that I would have expected was a romance about an intelligent, strong-willed, independent woman who turns into a miserable, nasty shrew because she can't have children. I have had enough of romance novels about women who think their lives are ruined because they are barren. Especially when the author goes out of her way to create a hero who is understanding, sympathetic, and willing to look for alternate solutions!

I really appreciate the sincere love between the Jehanne and Galeran, and although it's clear that they have a lot of issues to work out, the novel has no forward momentum. It doesn't have that heart-stopping tension, it doesn't propel you forward with the looming fear that somehow, Jehanne and Galeran might be driven apart. No. From the beginning, it's pretty clear that Jehanne and Galeran will both do whatever is in their power to stay together and it's just a matter of how. show less

This is the first Jo Beverley title that I have read, but I have heard many positive reviews of her work, so I decided to read The Viscount Needs a Wife. I enjoy historical fiction, and have strong opinions about historical romance. Happily for me, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The writing style was smooth and confident, with no noticeable inconsistencies. The characters were realistic and very likable. There were two separate mysterious story lines which were resolved in a very satisfying show more manner. The author played a little with historical events, but in a way that I found interesting rather than annoying.

Also, only after reading the author's note did I realize that several characters from previous books made appearances. They appeared in natural ways, not in the manner that I have seen too often in other author's works, where I recognize that they must have been previous characters from their unreasonably instant intimacy with the hero or heroine.

Without spoilers, it is hard to further explain exactly why the book was such a good read. Still, I can safely say that I was very happy with the ending, and really enjoyed this read. Three and a half stars, rounded up to 4 because of the skillful storytelling.

**eARC Netgalley** show less

I think this is one of Jo Beverley's best books - maybe her best. It's a very daring book, for the genre, but not because Lucien is an alpha male with a potential for violence - that description would cover most romance heroes pretty well; certainly it's nothing unique.

No, the reason why An Unwilling Bride is daring is because instead of just picking up the old cliche (alpha male, potential for violence) Beverley decides to put it on trial: what happens when the dreamy alpha male crosses show more the thin line that most romance authors so delicately avoid? What happens when the heroine is someone like Beth, who has strong feelings about her own independence and rights? Beth is very well contextualized, but she gives the readers the opportunity to ask the one big question that almost every book in this genre ought to pose us: how can you reconcile the desire to be free and respected with the desire for an alpha male?

This is essentially what the book is about. Everybody - every mother, girlfriend, and companion - offers to protect Beth and punish Lucien for his transgressions. There is no 'tolerance' for violence and the sheer number of words devoted to the topic of Lucien's potential & actual violence should show that this is not a question of a 'wife beater' - although I think that it should be obvious that the alpha male hero and wife beating jerk are not totally apples and oranges.

I think Beverley ends up arguing that the difference between the hero and the jerk isn't that one has the potential for violence and the other doesn't; rather, it's a matter of self-discipline, nobility of spirit, understanding of right and wrong. Lucien isn't perfect, but he understands those things, and that's why he's ultimately a hero.

I don't think Beverley really dealt sufficiently with Beth and Lucien's feelings; this is probably the consequence of dealing so thoroughly with their beliefs. There's almost no steam, but the way that Beverley describes Beth and Lucien when they dance, or engage in a battle of the wits, is amazingly done and incredibly erotic.

And, of course, the book is a lot of fun - plenty of other Rogues make apperances, it's excellently structured (I think Beverley sets up the quotation from the Rape of the Lock as the premise of the novel and its inclusion is really cleverly done), very smart, and Beth is a wonderful heroine - really smart and sweet. show less

Basically everyone in this story is a dipshit. Really, all the major and most of the minor characters are total garbage buttwipes. And the "despoiling" let's call a spade a spade, it was rape of Eleanor is not treated like a big deal by anyone.

Could I tell you why a similar-ish plot device worked for me in Lord Ruin but not here? No, I couldn't but the dude in that book doesn't actually spend the whole time cheating on his lady, either. Everyone in this book behaves unbelievably, and I show more just could not accept it.

Was it readable? Sure, I mean, I got through it. Was it enjoyable? That's a big fat NOPE. At least it cost me zero dollars. show less