HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

The Brothel. Lesley Pearse
Loading...

The Brothel. Lesley Pearse (2011)

Series: Belle (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
19912135,414 (3.96)7
London 1910 Fifteen year-old Belle has lived in a brothel in Seven Dials all her life, with no understanding of what happens in the rooms upstairs. But her innocence is shattered when she witnesses the murder of one of the girls and, subsequently snatched from the streets by the killer, she is sold into prostitution in Paris. No longer mistress of her own fate, Belle is blown across the globe to sensuous New Orleans where she comes of age and learns to enjoy life as a courtesan. Yet thoughts of home - and the knowledge her status as golden girl cannot last - compel her to break out of her gilded cage. But Belle finds escaping tougher than she imagined, for her life is threatened by desperate men who crave her beauty and attention. Armed only with resourcefulness and spirit, she has a long and dangerous journey ahead of her. Will courage be enough to sustain her? Can she make it back to her family and friends and find her chance at true happiness? Number One bestseller Lesley Pearse has created in Belle a heroine for our times- a strong woman who stands up for right in a world turned bad.… (more)
Member:Ani36ol
Title:The Brothel. Lesley Pearse
Authors:
Info:Michael Joseph, Hardcover, 624 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:*****
Tags:None

Work Information

Belle by Lesley Pearse (2011)

None
Loading...

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.

No current Talk conversations about this book.

» See also 7 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 12 (next | show all)
This was ok, but I think she has written better books. ( )
  LisaBergin | Apr 12, 2023 |
First in the Belle series. London 1910. 15-year-old Belle has lived a sheltered life in a brothel in Seven Dials, ignorant of what actually happens in the rooms upstairs. One day she witnesses the murder of one of the girls, is snatched from the streets by the killer and sold into prostitution in Paris. Later she is taken to New Orleans where she learns to make the best of her situation in order to survive and keep her dream alive of one day designing and making hats in her own shop. Throughout all this her family never give up hope of one day finding her, especially her friend Jimmy, and an aspiring journalist who has taken up the story of underage girls being snatched from the street and sold into prostitution. Sad to say that this still goes on around the world today. A long book but a quick read, sometimes too much unnecessary detail re surroundings, but enjoyed. ( )
  DebbieMcCauley | Jan 26, 2018 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
Sometimes a book falls unto the category 'Guilty Pleasure' and 'Belle' by Lesley Pearse is definitely in that category. Belle is a sheltered 15 year old girl in the early 1900's who is raised in a brothel. After she witnesses a murder, she is kidnapped and sold into the sex trade. However, our Belle is smart, she is beautiful, she is plucky. As she travels from England, to America, to France, Belle uses her wits to make the best of a very bad situation. Her family in London never stop looking for her. This book has a feisty herione; not just one but two love interests (which one will win out in the end?); action; adventure and happy endings. Sometimes you just want to read a book because it's a fun read. This one will fit the bill. ( )
  EvelynBernard | Jan 12, 2016 |
I know when I pick up a Lesley Pearse book that I will be getting great writing, a clever and thoughtful story, and a cast of interesting characters, including a feisty female. Belle is no exception to this and this book is similar in style to some of the author's strongest works such as Never Look Back, Hope and Charity.

Belle is a 15 year old girl who witnesses a murder and is then snatched off the streets of Seven Dials in London and forced into prostitution, both in France and in America. The next two years find Belle in all sorts of situations but her strength and courage carry her through.

Despite there being some points where it seemed a bit far-fetched, this is a fantastic story told by a mistress of storytelling. I loved Belle, who kept fighting back no matter what life threw at her, and I also really liked the other characters such as Mog, Jimmy and Etienne.

It's a long book at almost 600 pages, but I found I got right into it quite early on and then was completely engrossed in and didn't want to put it down. Excellent read and now onto the sequel, The Promise. ( )
  nicx27 | Aug 11, 2012 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
This was a graphically haunting and realistic portrayal of human trafficking in Europe and the USA during the early 1900's.

While I enjoyed the book and it was a quick read, the story was difficult to read at many parts as myself a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I admired Belle's fighting spirit, as like her, I wouldn't give up on being free of my abusive situations and those responsible. So I had a lot of sympathy and understanding of Belle's experiences as I went through the book.

The book was well written and the characters realistic and well written, not just hard to bond and relate to fictional characters. Furthermore, there were many plots within the story arc, and it kept me on the edge of my seat and not wanting to put the book down.

I didn't like some of the words or phrases the author used. The slang used from the early British 1900's was hard to grasp and feel they were real words or what was exactly being said. With this being an unedited copy I was left second guessing some of what and how it was written. So as a reader, that was frustrating at times.

I would recommend this book to others and hope to read other books by Lesley Pearse. ( )
  Pheonix | Jul 30, 2012 |
Showing 1-5 of 12 (next | show all)
no reviews | add a review

Belongs to Series

Belle (1)

Belongs to Publisher Series

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Epigraph
Dedication
To Harley MacDonald, my new and gorgeous grandson, born 5 March 2010. And to Jo and Otis for making me such a happy and proud Granny again.
First words
"You must be whore. You live in a brothel!"
Quotations
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

London 1910 Fifteen year-old Belle has lived in a brothel in Seven Dials all her life, with no understanding of what happens in the rooms upstairs. But her innocence is shattered when she witnesses the murder of one of the girls and, subsequently snatched from the streets by the killer, she is sold into prostitution in Paris. No longer mistress of her own fate, Belle is blown across the globe to sensuous New Orleans where she comes of age and learns to enjoy life as a courtesan. Yet thoughts of home - and the knowledge her status as golden girl cannot last - compel her to break out of her gilded cage. But Belle finds escaping tougher than she imagined, for her life is threatened by desperate men who crave her beauty and attention. Armed only with resourcefulness and spirit, she has a long and dangerous journey ahead of her. Will courage be enough to sustain her? Can she make it back to her family and friends and find her chance at true happiness? Number One bestseller Lesley Pearse has created in Belle a heroine for our times- a strong woman who stands up for right in a world turned bad.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Haiku summary

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (3.96)
0.5
1 1
1.5
2
2.5
3 7
3.5 2
4 14
4.5 1
5 9

Is this you?

Become a LibraryThing Author.

Penguin Australia

An edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia.

» Publisher information page

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 203,207,936 books! | Top bar: Always visible