Romancing the Rose

Yvonne
Bartholomew
Genre: 
Historical

“Romancing the Rose” tells the story of Berengaria, wife of Richard the Lionhearted, one of England’s most well-known historical figures - a crusader and respected warrior. Berengaria’s life is no fairytale, though. She never managed to set foot on English soil, her marriage was a lot more complicated than at first appeared and she was kidnapped en route to her own wedding.  Her dreams for the future may have been shattered, but her spirit never was. 

Historical fiction lovers will devour this book. It focuses on the ‘forgotten queen’, the Holy Wars, life in the middle ages, and offers enough intrigue, twists and surprises for the reader to enjoy. Berengaria is an intriguing character.  She was a brave, heroic woman who never gave up, no matter what life threw at her. She made brave choices, had a loving, kind spirit and all the cruelty in the world didn't bring her down. The secondary characters are entertaining too, and a lot of historical figures make an appearance.   

An avid reader of history books might have questions about the book’s historical accuracy. The pacing starts off a little slow and the writing tends to be on the wordy side.  But considering it’s fiction, one should allow the author certain liberties and the book certainly is entertaining! The plot is moving, making it very easy for the reader to relate to Berengaria’s struggles.

Majanka Verstraete