The Shattered Rose

Painful to read, but as a tribute to Jo Beverley's skills, I did complete it. The heroine, Jehanne, reminds me of those modern heroines that writers make strident and argumentative, and unlikable just to have more conflict in the story.

Galeran is just so happy to see his wife and son and nothing is as he expects, but he's been through so much and stayed true to his wife, that I really wanted his homecoming to be happy. Instead, his son is dead and wife adulterous. You just feel so sorry for him because of his treatment by Jehane, you kinda want to slap her, or at least I did. Also, she's never redeemed. When a hero cheats on the heroine, you usually get this scene where he apologises and admits how wrong he was. She never does this. She submits to punishment, but she NEVER says she's sorry or expresses regret. This may not be in keeping with the character, but still it does not make for a satisfying read. Thankfully, I've read other Jo Beverley or I would not read any more. It's like I can't read Jane Feather because I read one of her novels where they choose never to marry. It's just wrong, I like the predictability of romance novels, I admit it.

Jehane is a hard woman who goes crazy and seduces another man in her home. That's really what she does when it gets down to it. In addition to never apologizing, she also says she loves Raymond, the man she cheats with, more then life itself. I had to read that line several times to make sure I understand that the heroine was proclaiming that she loves another man more then life itself at the end of the story. She just bothered me and I didn't really root for her. I'm a horrible person I know, but I didn't really want her to be happy and live happily ever after. But also we rarely see the story from her perspective. I don't remember the story being from her perspective in more then a couple of places.
It's mostly Aline's and Galeran's stories.

The hero is absurdly forgiving and never even considers getting rid of Jehane, I couldn't believe. She does this to him and he just says, okay, I still love you, let's live happily ever after. This leads to a noticeable lack of large blow up fight where they hash how to adultery and future of their relationship.

The Aline/Raoul storyline redeems it somewhat and near the end, they get a much higher percentage of pages and they did help me stay with the story. I get what Jo Beverley was trying to do in creating this non-traditional romance with the heroine in the masculine roles and the hero in the feminine one and an unusual romance storyline of women's infidelity and the products of that relationship, but I also wonder why she didn't give us any satisfying resolution except in the Aline storyline. The main storyline gives us no satisfying resolution in terms of the hero/heroine relationship, or the bad guy storyline. It turns out that the bad guy isn't really and all the blame is suddenly heaped on the secondary bad guy. It just seems like this story needed some more editing to help with flow and proportions, and resolutions.

It's just not worth the money, although I did finish it, waiting for a blowup the whole time that never happened.

The heroine is weak. The betrayal is overwhelming. I just wanted Galeran to beat Jehanne and move on and find a more virtuos woman. He could do better than this slut. She doesn't even seem guilty! I'm so distraught over this storyline. I can't believe Jo Beverly wrote.

This book was not a romance IMHO. I wish the hero would have just kicked the heroine to the curb and found someone that was at least faithful to him. If I don't like the protagonists in a story and I'm expecting a romance, then for me the book did not do it's job. Jo Beverley is a good writer but I find her stories can be quite dark.

Ok, I'll admit I didn't get past the first 24 pages, but by that point, I knew all I needed to know. I normally really love Jo Beverly, so this was an extra disappointment.

The book starts in a place where most romance books END. Jehanne and Galeran are already married, have a child and Jehanne has had an adulterous affair and had a second child while her husband is away at war in the holy lands for three long years. All Galeran can think of while he is away is his lovely wife and child, and he comes home to find she's replaced him with someone else AND had her lover's child! That is SO unromantic. What is the point of reading further? I already hate Jehanne and frankly, think she's a tramp with no morals.

All the other reviews I've read solidify my feelings about this book. If you love a sweet romance, this is not for you.

I have a feeling this is a more accurate tale of the times than many that are written - even the betrayel, the adultery and certainly the actions between Crown and Church. Such a very complicated sad story. Galeron who seems like such a good and decent man - spending 2 years in service fighting in Crusades to come home after a vow of celibacy while gone to a wife that has recently given birth and to his infant son who has died. And this becomes not just what Galeron wants, and how he is able to forgive and deal - it becomes a matter of the King, Bishops and of course the babies father. What Galeron has to go through to reclaim his wife and finally settle into his homeland again, is quite a sad, frustrating and detailed witnessing of the times. This was quite a compelling read - much more than just a romance novel. this book will grip you solidly between good and evil and mainly forgiveness and punishments. The secondary tale of Rauol - Galerons friend and warrior and the expected to be convert to the church, cousin Aline. Now there story was the romance novel - very heartfelt and sweet. Both stories are blended together perfectly by the expert pen of Beverely. The only reason not 5 stars is I prefer a little more romance in my books and always I like more sizzle!

Initially it was really hard for me to get through the book. Not because it wasn't good, but because I hated the heroine, Jehanna. Every couple of chapters I had to stop reading because I couldn't stand her and upset at Galeran, for being so forgiving. I almost stopped reading the book, but decided to trudge on. Finally Aline and Raoul happened... Thank goodness! Aline and Raoul, having their own side story in the book, was a great reprieve from your feelings towards Jehanna. Overall, it's a great story if you can get pass your dislike of the heroine. You'll sympathize with Galeran. enjoy the battle between Aline and Raoul and you may find yourself teary eyed when Galeran finally mourns for his son.

This is one of Jo Beverley's older titles and remains my favorite of all. This is a Medieval Period work, featuring Galeran, husband of Jehanne, who has returned to his keep following a long crusade in the Middle East. Filled with intrigue, tragedy, and passion, THE SHATTERED ROSE is driven by Galeran's unceasing love for his wife and his enduring desire to return to life as it might be. But Raymond of Lowick, a neighboring noble, has designs on everything Galeran holds dear, and will stop at nothing to achieve his own goals, with Jehanne, broken by loss, his unwilling pawn.

This is a marvelous example of Beverley's ability to create place. Her dialogue and character-building are second to none,as well. This is a finely drawn plot, skillfully set in tumultuous times.

I read this book BEFORE I started on Dark Champion mainly because it takes place PRIOR to that book.

I can't say I hated the book because I didn't. I just couldn't (for whatever reason) get into it like I did Lord of Midnight. I struggled through it but wanted to find out what happened to the characters.

I gave it four stars because toward the end of the book I FINALLY was able to become emotionally involved with both Galeran and Jehanne. Prior to that, although I liked them both, neither character moved me, except for when Galeran went before King Henry, then I was interested in how it all turned out.

I did enjoy the secondary romance between Raoul and Jehanne's cousin Aline. I absolutely loved how Raoul found ways to storm Aline's "castle".