Roses in Winter

A Tale of Beauty and Her Beast

By: Penelope Daniels

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

A desperate woman in need of sanctuary...

Alina Dameron has spent the last six years of her life married to a man who abuses her. In an act of desperation, she flees during a snowstorm and wakes up in a strange manor house whose only inhabitants are a mysterious man who won't show his face and a curious house spirit that takes the shape of fabric. Trapped because of the storm, Alina has no choice but to stay with this stranger who sometimes seems more beast than man.

A lonely duke forgotten by the world...

After a decade of seclusion, Edward Blackmore is used to being alone—in fact, he has come to depend on it. With a curse over his head and a face full of scars, he can't risk being discovered by the outside world. When a winter snowstorm brings a desperate woman to his gates, letting her stay is the last thing he needs. But the longer she is with him, the more he realizes he no longer wants to be alone. A woman in need of safety and a man in need of redemption just may find peace in each other's arms.

A love that can heal them both...

Alina's husband hasn't forgotten about his wife and with help of the villagers and the local priest, he intends on getting her back and showing her who she really belongs to. Edward and Alina must come to trust each other before it is too late.

Author's note: This book contains descriptive adult scenes of a relationship between a married woman and a man who is not her husband. It is also implied that the heroine has suffered domestic abuse in her past which may be triggering to some readers. This is a standalone story with no cliffhangers and a happily ever after.

too long

way to long for no reason. it was confusing at times. there was also no sample.

Such an Enchanting, Heartfelt Version

I was looking for holiday historical romances on Audible, and this book showed up on several searches. While it is not a traditional Christmas story, it does take place in winter and has a decidedly winter vibe. I love contemporary retellings of classic fairy tales, and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorites. If you are familiar with the original story, it is a bit darker than the Disney-fied version (which I also love). This book reflects that darkness. I appreciate that the author mentioned several triggers in the audiobook blurb on Audible. If you have an abusive relationship in your past or present, this book may be too difficult for you to listen to. The heroine is the wife of a viciously cruel man, essentially sold off to him to help pay her father's debts. As the book opens, she decides to make a break for it, hoping to get far enough away to be out of his reach. Unfortunately, the night she has chosen to leave is stormy, and she collapses in the cold in front of a tall, locked gate. Thus she enters the domain of “the Beast.”

Of course, he truly isn't so, even if he is a bit overpowering at first, especially to a woman who has been abused for so long. She doesn't know if she's truly safe with this man or even better off with him than her husband; at one point, she decides to return to “the devil she knows.” I like how the author actually took the time to show how trust was built between them. She made it a believable, natural progression. He eventually reveals what brought about his curse and disfigurement. As she believes he has saved her life twice and she has come to care for him, she is determined to help him figure out how to get out from under the curse. They eventually become intimate, and that scene was so beautifully done. He takes such good care of her—especially after he realizes that her marital intimacy was the cause of physical and psychological pain—truly wanting to make the experience one that will not only bring her much enjoyment in the moment but will help to start to heal her wounded soul. I love such tender yet passionate, intimate scenes!

If you're familiar with the original fairy tale at all, you won't be surprised that things go tragically south for this couple, and it appears all is lost. Happily, truth and love prevail, as they must in any good romance. Aside from the growing relationship between the couple, one aspect of the book that was so heartfelt was how his mother was a part of this book from beginning to end. She was also enchanted when her son was, but she is not a teapot or a clock as in the Disney movie. Instead, she becomes fabric. This might seem peculiar, but it works so beautifully in the book. She's able to fashion garments that perfectly suit her son and the heroine. She can wrap them up in the warm embrace of soft fabrics, and she has surprisingly excellent defenses. At the end, once the duke is finally returned to him, she sacrifices the last of her enchanted powers to help her son and his lady love before she herself becomes free. The end of this book—from the horrible things that happened to the hero and heroine to the triumphant end—had me in tears. I love it when a book does that! If you love well-written contemporary retellings of fairy tales—and have a particular spot in your heart for ones about Beauty and the Beast—check out this audiobook. I hope you will be as charmed as I was.