The Blood of Roses

If you like an ending where every character lives happily ever after, "The Blood of Roses" is not for you. But if you like historical romances that follow true history, this book will knock you off your chair. FIRST, A WARNING: This book is the sequel to The Pride of Lions. If you have not read "The Pride" yet, don't read "The Blood of Roses" or even the rest of this review yet. Go right to the reviews for "The Pride of Lions", and start there. This 2 book series is one story, with the same main couple and all of the events of the war they are involved in. If you miss "The Pride", you will miss out on the story completely. Be sure to buy both books at once. "The Pride" ends in a way that will make you feel an urgent need to pick up "The Blood" and immediately continue the story. (I'm so glad I read these now. I would have hated having to wait several months for the sequel to be released when it was being written.) The Blood of Roses: Scotland is feeling the joy of victory. With less than half the men of their enemies, the English, they have succeeded to win back Scotland. They are free! The fierceness of the Scottish army has troops of thousands of English fleeing battlefields in terror. For the Scottish lairds, freedom for Scotland is enough. However, their spoiled and childish prince pushes his loyal Scots across the English border. His greed insists upon taking England under his rule. Catherine has reached her father's home. She is heart- broken that Alex sent her away. She is careful to hide his identity, protecting him by claiming that her husband is away on business. She hasn't heard a word from him in months. Has he forgotten her? Alex is discovering just how much his love for his wife consumes his thoughts. He writes Catherine a love letter that washes away her every doubt. Through Damien, he finds a way to see her. The couple do not realize they are being watched by English soldiers. When Alex must return to the war, he believes he is keeping Catherine safe by leaving her with her family. However, for a jealous English officer, this provides an opportunity to attack her. In the midst of his attack, Catherine's faithful maid beats him to death. Now Deirdre is in danger of being tried for murder. The two women must flee England and find Alex's clan for protection. The war is turning viciously to England's favor. Alex, Aluinn, and Struan fight for their lives, their clan, their home, country, and the protection of their wives. Their prince is a fool who continues to make bad decisions that destroy Scotland's chances of not only freedom, but their very survival. England feels ashamed of their past defeats. To insure their victory, the son of the English king leads an army to a final battle. Without his father knowing, he demands that the English soldiers break all rules of fair and ethical war. He plans a complete and thorough slaughter. Every man, woman, and child is fair game. Thousands will di

This is the kind of book that I was sorry to see end, even after over 550 pages! "The Blood of Roses" is the sequel to Marsha Canham's excellent "The Pride of Lions" and is every bit as good as the first book. Set during the 1745 Jacobite uprising, it continues the story of the valiant Scottish warrior, Alexander Cameron, and his passionate English bride, Catherine Ashbrooke Cameron. I would strongly recommend reading "The Pride of Lions" first, and having "The Blood of Roses" on hand to begin *immediately* after the first book is finished in order to avoid groans and gnashing of one's teeth at the "end" of "The Pride of Lions". Fans of the "Outlander" series of books should lap these stories up since the books are similar in setting, deft characterization, thrilling, nonstop action and careful attention to historical detail. It should be noted that these books were actually written *before* "Outlander", so they are in no way derivative. I loved the character of Catherine even in "The Pride of Lions" when she was a spoiled, selfish, pampered little princess. So many heroines are given this same initial "Scarlett O'Hara" personality, but fail to engage me because that is *all* that there is to them. Catherine (like Scarlett herself) has a core of pure steel beneath her ribbons and paniers. She is every bit as tough as Alexander and is worthy of his love. In "The Blood of Roses", she has matured into a wonderful heroine--passionate, loyal, and madly in love with Alexander. Alexander is a *great* hero--a soldier of fortune and Jacobite spy who had sworn never to remarry after the murder of his teenage bride, he returns to England after fifteen years of exile on the Continent at the beginning of "The Pride of Lions", still a wanted man accused of murdering the men who were responsible for his first wife's death. He and Catherine are forced to marry following a scandalous duel, and initially they both seek to escape the union and to annul it. But that story is told in "The Pride of Lions"... "The Blood of Roses" picks up where the first story ended--Alexander and Catherine are well and truly married and in love (but separated--how frustrating!) The Jacobite army is on the march with the Camerons leading the charges and an angry and mutinous Catherine has been sent home to Derby for her protection to wait out the war (HA! As if *that* will happen!) The beginning of the book moved a bit slowly for my taste. There is alot of exposition to rehash the events of "The Pride of Lions", much commenting on how much Catherine is missing Alexander and a long description of the battle of Prestonpans (an excellent description of a thrilling battle--but a very *familiar* battle, the details of which are well known to anyone who has read the "Outlander" series and/or any other books about the Jacobite rebellion of 1745.) Don't get me wrong, I really liked all the historical detail and descriptions of real historical figures included in this book

Although I have gotten a little teary eyed over certain stories over the years, this is the first and only time that I actually openly wept while reading a book. After I finished reading this book I felt as if my heart had been physically snatched out of my chest, wrung out and then hung up and left to rot. I know that's a little dramatic but the emotional upheaval that this book has caused in me calls for a little drama.This is the continuing epic love story of Alex and Catherine Cameron two seemingly star crossed lovers who are repeatedly torn apart by the events that take place during and after the doomed Jacobite rebellion of 1745. The author's vivid descriptions of this dark period in Scotland's history brought to vivrant life a bit of history I knew nothing about. Through Ms. Canham's flawless writing I was able to feel Catherine's despair at having to see her husband go off to war without knowing if she'd ever see him again. Also, I was able to comprehend her inability, at first, to understand what drove her husband and the other Highlanders to fight agaisnt such insurmountable odds. On the other hand, Alexander's desperate attempts to shield his wife from the ugliness of war and to keep her safe from the repercussions that would surely some after the debacle was over were equally vivid. His attempts to keep her safe were met with derision by Catherine who now considers herself a Scot and is determined to take her place by her husband's side even if it means giving up the gilded world of the aristocracy and putting her life on the line. Catherine's believable evolution from a selfish, self centered girl to a mature, strong woman who will do anything for the man she loves is a testament to this author's skill as a writer.While this is very much Alex and Catherine's story, it is also the story of a people who will fight to the death for honor. A people who are driven by a sense of loyalty so strong that they are willing to pay the ultimate price for what they believe is right. This is not an easy book to read and it is almost impossible to summarize and review in an objective manner while I'm still so emotional over it. Suffice it to say that it's an epic love story; one that I know will haunt you long after you've turned the last page. This is not say there isn't a happily ever after, there is but it is a bittersweet one.In short, I highly recommend this book to those who love historical romances but be warned that this author does not wallpaper her book with history as so many others do she uses it heavily to immerse the reader into this time period and she does it brilliantly. Highly recommended. :)

The "Pride of Lion's" and the "Blood of Rose's" are my favorite books to date.Very moving and touching stories. I was so moved by both that I want to write to the author and let her know this personally.

I have never read a book that I felt exhausted after reading it. It made me wonder how Ms. Canham felt after she was finished writing it??? I loved the book. I have read as many of her books as I can find and found that, even though I loved them all, this one, and the one before: "Pride of Lions", are truly unmatched. I have read many books by many authors since then and no one can truly compare. However, I have just finished reading "Rebellion" by Nora Roberts that also was place at the time of the Battle of Culloden. In a way I wished I would have read that one first because the historical characters in that book correlate to the historical characters in this book. However, that book I would consider to be "Battle of Culloden 101" for historical facts, and this book, "Battle of Culloden 401". It is very intense, very passionate, very bloody and very real. I could feel the swords biting into me, I cried the tears of the women waiting for words, and I could smell the blood on the various fields. Mostly, though, I can grieve over the loss of their land and their country. Even today, though they are now called the "United Nations" England reigns over the country and they live under the ruler of Queen Elizabeth. I wonder what those who died in that last battle would say today if they could?