Aurora's Pride

by AnneMarie Brear

From the author of the Kitty McKenzie series and The Slum Angel. A sweeping historical saga of love and loss. Aurora Pettigrew has it all, a loving family, a nice home, a comfortable life. She’s waiting for the right man to offer her marriage, and the man for her is Reid Sinclair, heir to the Sinclair fortune and the love of her life. But, Reid’s mother, Julia, is against the match and her ruthlessness unearths a family secret that will tear Aurora’s world apart. Unwilling to bring shame on her family and needing answers to the allegations brought to light by Reid’s mother, Aurora begins a long journey away from home. She leaves behind all that is familiar and safe to enter a world of mean streets and poor working class. Living in the tenements of York, surrounded by people of a class she’d never mixed with before, Aurora struggles to come to terms with the way her life has changed. By chance, she reconnects with a man from her past and before he leaves with the army to war in South Africa, he offers her security through marriage. Aurora knows she should be happy, but the memory of her love for Reid threatens her future. When tragedy strikes, can Aurora find the strength to accept her life and forget the past?

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Fiction, Historical, Ebooks

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 6, 2012

About the author

Australian born AnneMarie Brear writes historical novels and modern romances and sometimes the odd short story, too. Her passions, apart from writing, are travelling, reading, researching historical eras and looking for inspiration for her next book.
https://www.facebook.com/annemariebrear
http://www.annemaribrear.com

Reviews

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those books where a few silly non-communications and preventable MUs lead the h's life to go full 180˚. Just a few lines at the opportune times would have prevented the h to suffer disappointment and so many indignities.
And this can be termed a historical chicklit of sorts as it shows the till-now-protected h go through so much within a short period of time and find an inner strength to deal with all that - and is helped by a handful of people, mostly women who enter her life, even as it goes off kilter.
And she barely manages to keep one step ahead of disaster because wherever she goes, the author introduces a new villain to hound her - more mean, vicious, malicious than the last. So, an all pervasive doom and gloom hangs over the book.

The h/H barely spend quality time together in the book. It's so inconceivable how they manage to botch up a simple sweet childhood romance. Their families are neighbors and they are committed to marry although no one in their families know of it.
His mother's, the snooty mean witch comes to know of it. She wants something better than new money for her son and so engenders the misunderstandings. Although how come they fail to communicate even when they get to spend time together in the beginning begs the question. And after that, there was no time.

The h's pregnant and on top of it the witch tells her that she's the illegitimate daughter of her mother's sister. The H is mostly away to London or America and his mother tampers with the their letters. So, the h - scared and unwilling to shame her foster parents - runs away to find her birth mother who's a poor maid in a tavern or something. The h's shocked by the poverty and all the offensive things she sees, and almost gets raped by her mother's beau. Her mother's a hard woman who has had a single mistake ruin her life and now her daughter is about to do the same. The two start on a bad note but later decide to make a home together. The mother, who seems like callous person, actually come around for her daughter.
The h learns to live like the lower classes, finds a job where she meets villain #3, the husband of her employer who sells babies! He get girls pregnant and then sells their babies to wealthy people.
On the upside, she makes friends with woman living on their street but still life's tough.

Here for a brief reprieve, she meets Tom, the H's brother - a rebellious but good hearted young man who's joined the army and is sailing to South Africa. He persuades her to marry him after getting her story out of her. Before leaving, he leaves her a cottage in the country. The h, her mother, and their new friends- a father and daughter, move in here together. The man wants to marry her mother while the daughter is a widow with a baby and has become a good friends with the h. Just when she's settling in for bucolic bliss, another nasty lecherous person starts dogging her. So never a respite.

Meanwhile, we get few vignettes of the H as he misses her but is told by her family (who have no clue where she is) that she's touring Europe with an aunt. He's confused but cannot do anything. His father dies and he has lots of business responsibilities. His mother is still the wicked witch or actually worse and he slowly wises up on her. The story picks up from the scene where he stands up to his mother on Christmas Eve - the day they later learn Tom dies in the siege of Ladysmith.
The witch does get a mild comeuppance/dressing-down of sorts but the mcs, especially the h have suffered too much by then.
The h's foster parents, although shown briefly, are good people and accept her back readily and so she was an idiot to run away. But, I guess she needed to go through all this to grow as a person, see the seedier side of life and find her mother again.

The writing is good and the bare bones of the story are fine but all that time spent separately with so many new characters - including ott villainous ones - being introduced takes away the charm of the romance. When I'm reading a romance, I want that to be the mainstay of the story and not irrelevant people and events who do not interest me.

[poppie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time of reading this author and have to say what an enjoyable read it was. Set in Victorian Yorkshire basically, it follows the life of Aurora who discovers her mother is not her birth mother and sets out to find her. There is much more to this story with many twists and turns which adds lots of interest and makes this a very good, easy and enjoyable read. Will be seeking out more written by this author.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

With fairy tale connotations Anne Brear offers you a story complete with true love, a stepmother, a wicked queen, and a knight who rides to the rescue. Only the "stepmother" isn't evil; the "queen" is evil, but she's a mother not a queen; and the knight, who is not the hero of the story, his armor is a little too tarnished to be shining.

What in the story is going on?

In the beginning of To Take Her Pride it appears as if it's a childhood sweetheart's story. Aurora and Reid have spent many childhood years living next door to one another, ultimately falling in love. Like most sheltered children though, they are blind to the plans, plots, and secrets that threaten their happily ever after.

The biggest plotter working against them is the evil, manipulative, and controlling Julia who also happens to be Reid's mother. She is absolutely set against Reid ever marrying Aurora, as she sees Aurora's family as being beneath her own. In her determination to keep Aurora away from Reid Julia unearths a secret that will forever alter Aurora's world, driving her away from her family and the safety of her family's home.

Aurora's journey takes her into a world far removed from the one she used to know. She reconnects with a lost relative, forms friendships with the honorable and the slightly disreputable, and through it all becomes a stronger and more independent person.

If you're looking for a fairy tale with a twist, then look no further than To Take Her Pride. The characters may not fill out all the classic roles precisely, and you'll get to meet the entire townspeople around the "castle", but they are beyond a doubt entertaining and very adeptly written. It's a great read that reminds the little girls in us that sometimes the princess has to become Cinderella in order to be a good queen one day.

*Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for a review*

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aurora is sure that she and Reid will be married soon, but life has other plans. And by life, I mean Julia, Reid's evil mother. His father's illness and Reid's own misguided sense of duty pull them further apart, but if not for Julia's interference, all other factors would have been insignificant.

Instead, Aurora ends up far from home and everything familiar, struggling just to survive. Yet she finds unexpected allies in her new life. When life takes yet another tragic turn, the story could easily have gotten ridiculously depressing. Instead, it leads to a happy resolution. (It's a romance, so I'm not giving away anything there.) I got a little irritated at Reid's indecision and desire to please everyone else, but I did think it was sweet that he didn't give up on Aurora or blame her for anything that happened. Had he turned into a self-righteous jerk, it really would have ruined the book for me. One villain is enough for any book.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Maggi Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brear paints a gritty, but vivid picture of Victorian Yorkshire which held my interest until the end with wonderfully detailed and authentic descriptions of the poorest parts of Yorkshire and the characters who inhabit them. They all seem very real and leap off the page. The protagonist is a young, well born woman, Aurora Pettigrew who is forced to abandon her wealthy family, and becomes determined to find her birth mother. Discovering her is quite a shock. Aurora finds she must develop new skills to survive in the slums. Strong and determined she is constantly tested in a sometimes violent world. I stayed up late finishing this novel. Brear's stories are so unpredictable I couldn't guess the ending. There's a tender love scene, a handsome hero and the minor characters too are exceedingly well drawn. Made me a bit teary at one point, but the ending is heart warming.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another romantic tearjerker by Ms Brear, set in nineteenth century Yorkshire with an authentic atmosphere and lots of conflict. Aurora suffers two setbacks in quick succession, and rejected and heartbroken she leaves her family rather than disgrace their name Her formerly comfortable life takes a downward turn in all directions when she has to make a living in a poor area of town.

Aurora has more spirit than even she imagined and she not only survives long hours in menial jobs with demanding employers, but unwilling to bring disgrace to the man she loves, she stands by her principles and goes it alone As with all AnneMarie’s novels, the route to the end is uncertain – will she, won’t she – but it’s definitely worth the wait.

[Maggi Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Tugs at the heart! Anne Brear's novels always tug at the heartstrings. This beautifully wrought tale is set during the Victorian era in Yorkshire. Aurora Pettigrew believes her life will be a happy and comfortable one, shared with the love of her life, Reid Sinclair. But when someone destroys that dream, Aurora must find the strength to make her way in a far harsher and more difficult world. Brear's characters are always strongly defined and real and the world they inhabit is superbly described.

[Emily (Heinlen) Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book. Just when you think it is going to go one way, it does a 180 on you. I loved Aurora. She was such a great character. Not only was she passionate, but she had the ability to learn and change in such a way that she felt real. Every one of her disappointments, you felt as the reader and every time she stood back up, squared her shoulders and moved on, you cheered for her. I definitely recommend this book!

[Derek Sanderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story of perseverance!

All of Brear's books carry themes of endurance and diligence. This one, similar to Slum Angel (not sure if the title is correct...hopefully it is!) tells the story of a wealthy young woman who learns of a family secret and thereafter finds herself living in miserable circumstances. Her search for truth inevitably turns into a journey of self-discovery as she learns to see herself, and others, with deeper insight that only difficult challenges can bring.

[Susan Royston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, tears and hate

This story has everything you could want in a romance and more. This is the first book I've read by this author but it won't be the last. The highs, the lows, the meanness and kindness take you on a roller coaster ride till the last page. I have read all Catherine Cooks on and Georgette Heyer, also Julia Quinn. This book tops them all!

[Amber Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical romance

I loved seeing the character development. Everyone but Julia changed and grew, learning from their and others situations. I hated how it all ended with Julia but everything else was a good read.

[Janeellis65iCloud.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant story as always

Cannot stop reading these books. Love everything I read from this wonderful author. I am sure she is responsible for weight as i read more and more

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

Very interesting story, so many intriguing twists and turns, wondering what will happen next! I was especially pleased that there was an epilogue!😊
I recommend this book.

[Mrs Margaret Maher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great Book

I really loved this book or had my full attention. If was one of those books that you can't wait to get back too. I enjoyed the book by this author. If is well worth reading

[Julia Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

auroras pride

A beautiful story of mothers love for their children, no matter how misguided they all want the best for their children.
Undying love of a couple, and brothers love for his siblings

[Willie. Van Den Hoek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story indeed

Another really different story and just as enjoyable as Annmarie , s other books. The people are loveble strong and caring. There is a lot of heartbreak before all urns out well. Nicely written.

[Jennifer evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story

Fell in love with the character's and the story was believable. One of Anne's best books. I love the fact it wasn't all just negative

[c m bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pride

From the first word to the first page this story had me gripped. A fabulous tale of two families. Another wonderful story of fabulous characters.
Thank you AnneMarie xx

[Elizabeth Cleland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story!

Lovely story so much happening. Sad,cruel,snobby,happy. Lots of different angles and happenings! Will definitely watch out for this excellent author!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book

I didn't want this book to end one amazing story what do I read next and ideas anyone plz x

[Lisa Thewlis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Brilliant author, another fantastic storyline. Aurora has hard times ahead and faces them with strengh , and hope. Loved it

[Maryanne Druery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading

Very nice relaxing, predictable story.
If you like a period story. I find them quite lovely. Worth a read ..

[Meredith Stoddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aurora Pettigrew has loved her neighbor, Reid Sinclair, all he life, but she hasn’t told anyone about it. When Reid professes his love for her, she thinks that her dreams are within her grasp. But Reid’s proud mother doesn’t believe that the Pettigrew’s daughter is good enough for a Sinclair. She conspires to separate the young lovers and sends Aurora on a journey into a world she had never imagined.
I admit, that I have a weakness for historical romances. Yes, I know they’re formulaic and often predictable. One of the formulas that occurs in historical romances is what I’ll call the “unfortunate misunderstanding”. This is where the potential lovers are separated either physically or emotionally by a simple lack of communication. I find these to be some of the most frustrating romances to read because things could be cleared up so easily if the characters would just communicate. Sure, Reid’s mother manipulates the situation, but really it could all be cleared up with a letter or two. Of course, that doesn’t make for a very dramatic love story. I liked Aurora from the start in this story and found myself a little frustrated when this happened because in the beginning she seemed so intelligent. Still, I suppose first loves make us all do some ninny-headed things. She redeems herself in the end.


This book strayed from the typical formula in a couple of places. One is when Aurora flees to York and her financial circumstances change so drastically. Brear does a terrific job shifting from country drawing rooms to city slums. The characters and picture of Aurora’s life in York are rich and vivid. This is actually where the book shines. I found myself interested in the lives of the secondary characters and their community and in the relationships that Aurora builds with them. The conflicts and challenges of her life in York turn Aurora into a better person. The other key place that breaks the formula is one that I won’t mention because I don’t want to give away too much of the plot. I will say that it reminded me a bit of Charles Dickens and I found that I liked that very much.

I think the key difference is that this isn’t so much a love story about Aurora and Reid as it is a story of personal growth on Aurora’s part. She goes through some real changes in her circumstances and her thinking. I found this refreshing. The characters were rich and the story had some interesting twists, although I did find myself occasionally wanting to knock the character’s heads together to get them talking. 4/5.

[Lauren Keegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars
Set in 1898, Yorkshire, Aurora Pettigrew dreams of marrying her childhood best friend, Reid Sinclar. Reid's mother is completely against this because she feels Aurora is of a lesser class to her wealthy, first born-son. With Reid's father on his death-bed, he promises Aurora that he will marry her when his family troubles subside. Before he leaves, Aurora and Reid have an intimate encounter that will surely consumnate their love.

When Reid's mother learns of their encounter via intercepted letters between the couple, she puts a plan in to action to shame Aurora and drive her away from Reid once and for all. A family secret is unveiled and Aurora flees her family home and the life she had known in search of a lost relation on the streets of York. Of course, Reid is completely unaware that any of this is happening and returns home to find Aurora has disappeared and her mother gives him a vague explanation for her disappearance.

Everything that could possibly get in the way of Aurora and Reid's happiness does, in the form of births, deaths, marriages, and Reid's horribly controlling mother. For the most part of the story, Aurora and Reid are separated and I felt frustrated throughout this time. The lack of communication between the characters, Reid's naivety and Aurora's stubborn pride had me clenching my fists in the hope that they could just all sort it out and live happily ever after.

Aurora grows from the young woman who is used to being waited on and living among a reasonably respected class, to living on the streets and working hard to make a home for herself. She finds inner strength from the difficult situations situation and plans a future without Reid in her life. I was more understanding of Reid's obliviousness to his mother's behaviour because he was away so much and grieving for his father. But even when he did find out what was going on he seemed to take his time to go to Aurora.

To Take Her Pride is a suspenseful (and frustrating!) story of forbidden love between best friends who will do whatever it takes to defend their pride in a class-driven society.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good old fashioned rags to riches story set in Northern England around the turn of the cenury, told with panache and pathos.

The heroine Aurora Pettigrew, has led a sheltered and affluent life, raised by doting parents in a prosperous, opulent home where her main ambition is to marry the boy next door Reid who has reciprocated her love and adoration, but whose mother Julia believes her family to be a cut above her neighbours and does everything she possibly can to intervene and ensure her beloved son will never lower himself to marry into a family whose wealth was earnt through "trade"

When she uncovers an unsavoury secret about Auroras background she is quick to seize the chance to ruin the young girls hopes of marriage with her son and Aurora ends up devastated and destitute.

What follows is a story of struggling to survive, adapting to new circumstances living in poverty rather than privilege. The writing style is delightful, the story flows beautifully and the characters although all slightly flawed are detailed and credible.

This is the first book by this author I've read and found it very easy to get into, the historical romance storyline is a little predictable - riches to rags and back but what makes it stand out is really great writing. The story flows beautifully, you rapidly become immersed in it and you just want to read another few pages - then a few more.

The characters are superb and the story unashamedly romantic. My only niggle is that although most of it is set in York there is very little sense of place and it could almost have been set in any large city around the turn of the century which disappointed me somewhat as I know York well. I'd have loved it to paint a clearer picture of York for readers who perhaps haven't been there but would like to visualize the location. However the accomplished storytelling makes up for this.

A heartwarming historical romance.

[Mirella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been an avid follower of Anne Brear for many years and have had the pleasure of reading almost all of her novels. I was eager to read this one, confident that it would be as impressive as the others. This book exceeded my expectations and is one of favourites.

The story takes place in Yorkshire England during the late 19th century. At the heart of this tale is a young woman named Aurora, a young woman of comfortable means who is in love with Reid, a young man of privilege, who lives next door. Conflict arises when Reid 19s mother, Julia, who believes Aurora is unsuitable for her son because her family is newly wealthy, sets out to research the family 19s past secrets. She manages to discover a secret that devastates Aurora 19s life and forces her to live in poverty.

As expected, To Take Her Pride is the kind of story that moves the reader through a realm of emotions. Complex, realistic characters, a rags-to-riches theme, and a forbidden love element, kept the plot moving at a good clip with unexpected twists along the way. The reader is taken on an emotional journey through historical York where the author 19s attention to detail and historical accuracy truly makes the story and characters feel authentic.

This novel is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching. It depicts England 19s class system in an unbiased, true manner. The author plumbs the depths of her characters, making them multi-dimensional, imperfect, and fascinating. I could not put this book down and it kept me reading long into the night. If this is the first book by Anne Brear (formerly Anne Whitfield) that you 19ve read, rest assured that it will not be the last. You 19ll become a collector like me! Get this book, sit back, and enjoy beautiful prose and an exquisite read.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has done a very good job showing the life of the down-trodden, the slums of England and what it really means to be poor. And at the same time, while Aurora, the young heroin of the story, was still living a sheltered life at the beginning of the novel, the descriptions of the rich and powerful of this world are also quite believable. I particularly enjoyed Julia Sinclair, the perfect shrew, always ready to show Aurora's family the Pettigrew how low they are on the social scale compared to the Sinclair! That is not to help Aurora and Reid's--the eldest of the Sinclair sons--relationship.
All in all a pretty good read. I was happily surprised to discover that To Take her Pride is not just another love story. Granted yes, it is all about love but there is more to it. The main character, Aurora Pettigrew, will have to deal with some serious trouble, shame and rejection, face an impressive ordeal and learn to stand on her own two feet before she can finally get what she really wants.
This is a very good novel, entertaining and well-written. I very much enjoyed that you don't always see it coming either. This novel is full of good surprises!

[Cherry (_forevermint) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following in the footsteps of my previous books, I wanted to read something from a similar era and this was it, though it was more of a roller coaster than I expected. Aurrie's love story was no walk in the park and she endured so many hardships and tragedies, my heart ached along side hers. I was beginning to think her love story would end with out a happily ever after which she most definitely deserved after facing the wicked witch of Sinclair Hall. The story was wonderfully written and executed even the scenes that were difficult to read because of how awful Aurrie's life became. Her story is one that will surely pull your heart strings and make you applaud her for her strength to be able to come out of the slums a stronger woman. Definitely a must read!

[Chris Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable and emotional saga of the trials and tribulations of a girl rejected from high society and forced to live in the destitution of the poor areas of York. But love conquers all and she fights to return to her rightful way of life.
Very well written, with believable and understandable characters. Occasionally a few spelling errors or omitted words marred the flow of the story line, and jumps between scenes with no paragraph/chapter breaks were slightly confusing, but these could be glossed over easily without losing the plot.
A (sweet) inoffensive historical memoir/saga to shock and delight the senses and emotions.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad I persevered with this book. At first I found the heroine stupidly naive and selfish, but she grew a backbone and I came to respect her in the end.

I have only one caveat left, which is that the final wedding would have been illegal in England. This is why I marked it down a star. There would have had to be an annulment of the previous marriage, which under the circumstances would not have been difficult as it probably wasn't legal either. So there would have had to be no great upheavals in the plot line to sort this out.