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Briar Rose
Beautiful heiress Briar Rose longs to find a man whom she can love. Then she meets the dashing but disgraced Lord Gareth Hawke, who has fallen on hard times. But there are those who seek to do anything they can to thwart such a union, including her spiteful stepmother and Hawke's arch enemy.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
1 person is currently reading
302 people want to read
About the author
Susan Wiggs
170 books7,463 followersSusan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She serves as author liaison for Field's End, a literary community on Bainbridge Island, Washington, bringing inspiration and instruction from the world's top authors to her seaside community. (See www.fieldsend.org) She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.
According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.
The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.
According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.
The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 22, 2025
dnf. when will i learn that books in libby's available now section are probably still available for a reason
January 29, 2021
This is a testament to the power of the book cover. Had it been any other edition, I probably would not have picked this audiobook up, but the cover art was so tantalizing, I couldn't resist. The picture perfectly catches both the innocence and beauty that Briar Rose is supposed to represent in this historical romance. It also perfectly establishes the ancient setting.
This plays like your common romance with a little bit of swashbuckling thrown in. Girl meets boy -- or in this case duke. Girl loves boy. Girl hates boy -- or in this case, endures an ultimate betrayal. Boy does a grand gesture (or something). Girl loves boy, the end.
The love interest of this book is Lord Gareth Hawk. A shamed nobleman and a scoundrel who quickly finds his way into Briar Rose's heart. The book wastes no time in getting to the girl-loves-boy part as she instantly falls for him things get hot and heavy very fast.
This was the part of the book that pulled me -- the descriptiveness of transitioning from a girl to womanhood kind fo embodied Briar Rose's character in this book. Each and every time she is seen, the reader feels she is both innocent with an underlying sassinesss to her.
Though her banter isn't as clever as better books, for me, Wiggs does a good enough job of establishing her as a character. The same with Gareth. Maybe it's an overdone motif -- the conflicted rogue -- but it makes the story instantly relatable and easy to follow. Hapless rogue meets young woman trying to find her voice and transition to womanhood.
I'm afraid it doesn't go into further depth than that. What ensues is a series of random battles, back-and-forths, will-he-won't-hes, and what serves as filler for a predictable and inevitable ending.
I like the feel of this book. It might be overwrought and repetitive for some in trying to maintain its historical setting. But the language did work for me -- though I did notice the overuse of the name "Briar Rose". On balance. I enjoyed the book and was intrigued enough by the character of Briar Rose to finish, but at the end of the day, this is nothing special. Just enjoyable for me. It gets a tentative 3 stars.
This plays like your common romance with a little bit of swashbuckling thrown in. Girl meets boy -- or in this case duke. Girl loves boy. Girl hates boy -- or in this case, endures an ultimate betrayal. Boy does a grand gesture (or something). Girl loves boy, the end.
The love interest of this book is Lord Gareth Hawk. A shamed nobleman and a scoundrel who quickly finds his way into Briar Rose's heart. The book wastes no time in getting to the girl-loves-boy part as she instantly falls for him things get hot and heavy very fast.
This was the part of the book that pulled me -- the descriptiveness of transitioning from a girl to womanhood kind fo embodied Briar Rose's character in this book. Each and every time she is seen, the reader feels she is both innocent with an underlying sassinesss to her.
Though her banter isn't as clever as better books, for me, Wiggs does a good enough job of establishing her as a character. The same with Gareth. Maybe it's an overdone motif -- the conflicted rogue -- but it makes the story instantly relatable and easy to follow. Hapless rogue meets young woman trying to find her voice and transition to womanhood.
I'm afraid it doesn't go into further depth than that. What ensues is a series of random battles, back-and-forths, will-he-won't-hes, and what serves as filler for a predictable and inevitable ending.
I like the feel of this book. It might be overwrought and repetitive for some in trying to maintain its historical setting. But the language did work for me -- though I did notice the overuse of the name "Briar Rose". On balance. I enjoyed the book and was intrigued enough by the character of Briar Rose to finish, but at the end of the day, this is nothing special. Just enjoyable for me. It gets a tentative 3 stars.
December 7, 2022
When I picked this book up out of the free bookshelf at a library, I never thought it would become my favorite book of all time. Honestly I had no idea what to expect but I was happy with it. It pairs sophisticated writing with a plot full of push and pull and almost happy endings and SO MUCH DRAMA!
December 12, 2017
Loved it.
September 18, 2013
If you want a poorly written book at a fourth grade level, rush to the library for this one.
August 24, 2014
I remember finding this one in the young adults section of the library and finding it very entertaining back then...I'l have to re-read it to see what I think of it now :/
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews