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Wintersbride
"I should have adopted you, not married you!" Adam's comment was made jokingly, after their hasty marriage. Admittedly, Miranda was young, but his proposal had seemed like a good practical agreement. It would provide Miranda with a home and his daughter, Fay, with a mother.
Understanding Fay was only part of the problem. Miranda found it increasingly difficult to live with the ghost of Adam's first wife--and to know that her growing love for him was unwanted...
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1951
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43 people want to read
About the author
Sara Seale
71 books21 followersSara Seale was the pseudonym used by Mary Jane MacPherson (d. 11 March 1974) and/or A.D.L. MacPherson (d. 30 October 1978), a British writing team who published over 45 romance novels from 1932 to 1971. Seale was one of the first Mills & Boon's authors published in Germany and the Netherlands, and reached the pinnacle of her career in the 1940s and 1950s, when they earning over £3,000/year. Many of Seale's novels revisited a theme of an orphaned heroine who finds happiness, and also employed blind or disfigured (but still handsome) heroes as standard characters.
Mary Jane MacPherson began writing at an early age while still in her convent school. Besides being a writer, MacPherson was also a leading authority on Alsatian dogs, and was a judge at Crufts.
Mary Jane MacPherson began writing at an early age while still in her convent school. Besides being a writer, MacPherson was also a leading authority on Alsatian dogs, and was a judge at Crufts.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 28, 2020
Atmosphere and malevolence pervades this less than sunny romance. Yes, shades of Rebecca as Noel Cades said.
1951 novel with a May-December marriage of convenience that is really a MOC. The 38 yo widower hero, not only one of the most clueless heroes ever but worst fathers, saves the tiny 19 year old heroine and offers her a platonic MOC so she can help humanize his daughter.
They arrive in Dartmoor where the moors and the inhabitants of the house are equally unwelcoming. The daughter is a brat, the cook is snooty, and the governess is a nightmare. Sara Seale does an excellent job turning this romance into a rather dark suspense story with a potential OW that flitters in to be smug and then is gone. A little more kindly interference on her part would have been entertaining.
In addition to the atmosphere, the heroine is what makes the story. While British, she was raised in France and is decidedly practical and even puts the condescending hero in his place when he questions her maturity. She declares she is more than happy to marry for security rather than love. She holds her own for the most part against the other characters mainly because she just doesn't give a damn, nineteen or not. She gets more and more French as the book goes along. Not a perfect book, but loved the writing and the heroine.
She makes attempts to get to know the daughter with mixed results but is stonewalled by the governess and the father because she doesn't understand the situation.
The hero is a washout with little to no personality. He's on the periphery of the heroine's life and even worse with his daughter. There are reasons for indifference, but they simply reinforce either his stupidity or his bad parenting skills.
Given how much older the H is, maybe he'll pop off, and she can marry the even older, more charming and much smarter doctor friend.
Little to no actual sizzle or romance. Fade to black ellipses....
1951 novel with a May-December marriage of convenience that is really a MOC. The 38 yo widower hero, not only one of the most clueless heroes ever but worst fathers, saves the tiny 19 year old heroine and offers her a platonic MOC so she can help humanize his daughter.
They arrive in Dartmoor where the moors and the inhabitants of the house are equally unwelcoming. The daughter is a brat, the cook is snooty, and the governess is a nightmare. Sara Seale does an excellent job turning this romance into a rather dark suspense story with a potential OW that flitters in to be smug and then is gone. A little more kindly interference on her part would have been entertaining.
In addition to the atmosphere, the heroine is what makes the story. While British, she was raised in France and is decidedly practical and even puts the condescending hero in his place when he questions her maturity. She declares she is more than happy to marry for security rather than love. She holds her own for the most part against the other characters mainly because she just doesn't give a damn, nineteen or not. She gets more and more French as the book goes along. Not a perfect book, but loved the writing and the heroine.
She makes attempts to get to know the daughter with mixed results but is stonewalled by the governess and the father because she doesn't understand the situation.
The hero is a washout with little to no personality. He's on the periphery of the heroine's life and even worse with his daughter. There are reasons for indifference, but they simply reinforce either his stupidity or his bad parenting skills.
Given how much older the H is, maybe he'll pop off, and she can marry the even older, more charming and much smarter doctor friend.
Little to no actual sizzle or romance. Fade to black ellipses....
November 26, 2013
Should it be a guilty secret that I love these old May December romances? The marriage of Adam Chantry and Miranda looked very unlikely but surprisingly, Miranda has a lot more to her than you would think at the first meeting when she faints from hunger at Adam's feet.
In fact she charms everyone, her husbands friends, his daughter and most of the servants. The only people she doesn't charm are Grace, his dead wife's cousin who had matrimonial ambitions and the governess. Even Adam is reluctantly charmed but he is hampered by his residual sense of failure over his first marriage and the knowledge that he is far to old for his wife. This is only emphasised when her old friend Pierre comes to visit.
I love the dynamics of May December romances. There is the fear of the affection falling into the paternal realm, particularly on the part of the older person in the relationship. The disparity of power is also interesting and I like it that often the seemingly powerless partner actually wields a great deal of power through love.
However politically incorrect they may be I shall continue to enjoy them.
In fact she charms everyone, her husbands friends, his daughter and most of the servants. The only people she doesn't charm are Grace, his dead wife's cousin who had matrimonial ambitions and the governess. Even Adam is reluctantly charmed but he is hampered by his residual sense of failure over his first marriage and the knowledge that he is far to old for his wife. This is only emphasised when her old friend Pierre comes to visit.
I love the dynamics of May December romances. There is the fear of the affection falling into the paternal realm, particularly on the part of the older person in the relationship. The disparity of power is also interesting and I like it that often the seemingly powerless partner actually wields a great deal of power through love.
However politically incorrect they may be I shall continue to enjoy them.
March 24, 2012
Very old skool, published in 1960. The heroine is truly a pitiful waif. She's orphaned, without family, penniless, homeless and hungry. The H rescues her after she faints from hunger. He actually goes beyond the call of duty by marrying her in a marriage in name only. she is to be companion to his troubled daughter and he will provide a home and security.
The home he takes her too is on the Dartmouth moors and is rather sad, lonely and gothic. there is an evil governess who is practising some kind of mind games on the whole house.
The heroine surprisingly for her age and circumstances is no doormat altho she has difficulty getting anyone to treat her as an adult. As is norm for these oldies there is not much romance. the heroine falls for the H pretty quickly but because of his demons from prior marriage the H keeps his distance.
This actually a pretty good read.
The home he takes her too is on the Dartmouth moors and is rather sad, lonely and gothic. there is an evil governess who is practising some kind of mind games on the whole house.
The heroine surprisingly for her age and circumstances is no doormat altho she has difficulty getting anyone to treat her as an adult. As is norm for these oldies there is not much romance. the heroine falls for the H pretty quickly but because of his demons from prior marriage the H keeps his distance.
This actually a pretty good read.
February 25, 2015
4 Stars ~ Adam, a surgeon, had come to Miranda's aid when she fainted from hunger. He found the 19 year old rather disconcerting, in her approach to life. "Security is better than independence, and I am not romantic." With no one to take her in, Adam felt himself wanting to protect her. He's a widower with a 12 yr old daughter, and a neighbour bent on marrying him, and countless women seeking the same. So he takes Miranda at her word, and suggest that they marry, as a business arrangement; she would stop the social matchmakers and be a companion for her daughter, and he would provide her with security. Though surprised by his proposal, Miranda says yes, and two weeks later he takes her to his home on the English moors as his bride.
Life at Wintersbride is not what Miranda had expected. The governess to Adam's daughter, Fay, is rather strict and Miranda quickly begins to suspect her motives. Fay has been turned against her father, and seems only to listen to Simmy, the governess. Everyone follows Simmy's lead and treats Miranda as if she too were a child, and when she complains to Adam, he insists she must sort out her own troubles with the household staff, but that Simmy rules must be adhered to when it comes to Fay. As the days turn into weeks and then into months, Miranda realizes that the past holds the house hostage and Simmy is the catalyst. Somehow she must prove to Adam that the woman is evil and takes pleasure in her hurting the child emotionally.
Sara Seale has a penchant for very young orphaned heroines and heroes that are much older with a strong desire to protect her. Adam can't quite understand the tenderness Miranda makes him feel toward her. He uses her youth as a shield, insisting on seeing her as a mere child, somewhat like his daughter. Miranda is frustrated to no end with Adam's attitude, and slowly tries to get him to see her as the beautiful young woman she is. The evil governess is truly a horror, and I wondered how Adam could have been so blind to her manipulations. The scene where Miranda finally defeats the evil cow, is very well written and I'm glad Adam took immediate action to get rid of her. The HEA is sweet and satisfying.
Life at Wintersbride is not what Miranda had expected. The governess to Adam's daughter, Fay, is rather strict and Miranda quickly begins to suspect her motives. Fay has been turned against her father, and seems only to listen to Simmy, the governess. Everyone follows Simmy's lead and treats Miranda as if she too were a child, and when she complains to Adam, he insists she must sort out her own troubles with the household staff, but that Simmy rules must be adhered to when it comes to Fay. As the days turn into weeks and then into months, Miranda realizes that the past holds the house hostage and Simmy is the catalyst. Somehow she must prove to Adam that the woman is evil and takes pleasure in her hurting the child emotionally.
Sara Seale has a penchant for very young orphaned heroines and heroes that are much older with a strong desire to protect her. Adam can't quite understand the tenderness Miranda makes him feel toward her. He uses her youth as a shield, insisting on seeing her as a mere child, somewhat like his daughter. Miranda is frustrated to no end with Adam's attitude, and slowly tries to get him to see her as the beautiful young woman she is. The evil governess is truly a horror, and I wondered how Adam could have been so blind to her manipulations. The scene where Miranda finally defeats the evil cow, is very well written and I'm glad Adam took immediate action to get rid of her. The HEA is sweet and satisfying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2018
Sara Seale does Rebecca and it's glorious. It starts off a little bit These Old Shades with surgeon Adam Chantry, 38, rescuing a "young boy" from a fairground. The boy is, of course, 19-year-old destitute waif Miranda, who was raised in France (and thus has the same exotic speaking patterns of Vicky and her siblings in These Delights).
Adam, a widower with a young daughter, proposes a mariage de convenance [translation: no sex] and Miranda accepts. She does find him very attractive from the start, which is nice to find in a Sara Seale.
Adam brings her to Wintersbride, his home. It's practically a shrine to Melisande, the "late Mrs Chantry". I spent the entire novel with "the first Mrs de Winter" ringing in my head. It is constantly mentioned by nearly every character how beautiful the late Mrs Chantry was, and there's a great big painting of her hanging in the dust-sheet covered drawing room. All the servants are obstructive and hostile to Miranda, but it soon turns out which one is the evil freak.
Of course, we eventually learn that the Beautiful Melisande
As mentioned, it's great to see Miranda as the one trying to provoke some kind of sexual response from Adam (not that Sara Seale would ever describe it in such shocking terms!) There are a few rather amusing bits where Adam gets angry and warns her to "lock the door" and cautions that he is "only flesh and blood" - and we tear our hair in despair, because Miranda is gagging for it.
It's at this point that the reader wishes they were in an Anne Mather novel, because we all know how THAT would go. But since we're in a Sara Seale, Miranda "turns her face away from the light" and says that she "should not care for it at all", and we have to wait another fifty pages for Adam to finally get a clue. But it's very sweet when he does.
This is one of the best Sara Seale novels - I highly recommend it.
Adam, a widower with a young daughter, proposes a mariage de convenance [translation: no sex] and Miranda accepts. She does find him very attractive from the start, which is nice to find in a Sara Seale.
Adam brings her to Wintersbride, his home. It's practically a shrine to Melisande, the "late Mrs Chantry". I spent the entire novel with "the first Mrs de Winter" ringing in my head. It is constantly mentioned by nearly every character how beautiful the late Mrs Chantry was, and there's a great big painting of her hanging in the dust-sheet covered drawing room. All the servants are obstructive and hostile to Miranda, but it soon turns out which one is the evil freak.
Of course, we eventually learn that the Beautiful Melisande
As mentioned, it's great to see Miranda as the one trying to provoke some kind of sexual response from Adam (not that Sara Seale would ever describe it in such shocking terms!) There are a few rather amusing bits where Adam gets angry and warns her to "lock the door" and cautions that he is "only flesh and blood" - and we tear our hair in despair, because Miranda is gagging for it.
"Yes Adam," she said, and lay back on her pillows, very still. "You would not" - her voice was almost a whisper - "you would not think of - altering the terms?"
He stood looking down at her, hands thrust deep in his pockets, but there was no tenderness in his sudden smile.
"That is always possible," he said, "but in the meantime you'd better take to locking your door. Flesh and blood takes little count of contracts or obligations if tried too highly, and I don't think you would care for a marriage consummated in that spirit, Miranda."
It's at this point that the reader wishes they were in an Anne Mather novel, because we all know how THAT would go. But since we're in a Sara Seale, Miranda "turns her face away from the light" and says that she "should not care for it at all", and we have to wait another fifty pages for Adam to finally get a clue. But it's very sweet when he does.
This is one of the best Sara Seale novels - I highly recommend it.
August 29, 2012
Slightly annoyed. It was horrible how the heroine was constantly treated like a child. She was the heroes wife, granted it was a marriage of convenience due to the fact the hero found her starved to death or thereabouts. It annoyed me that the hero damaged her in that way when she to me, didn't act anything like a child. I think it was basically because the hero was having a hard time hiding his feelings and he used that as a defense. Anyways that's what ticked me off about the book. I wanted to bonk the hero but good.
October 7, 2018
The first Mills & Boon romance I’ve ever read. I saw the beautiful battered 1961 paperback in a charity shop and have whipped through it while on holiday. A “Rebecca” rip-off with a couple who are too polite to communicate and don’t seem to either realise that they both desperately want to shag. Complete with serious political incorrectness as the much older husband keeps calling his 19 year old wife “child”, slapping her when she does anything foolish, and behaving in other uptight ways which I think is meant to be sexy.
January 22, 2019
It has a tense "Gothic" like story line.
December 25, 2023
What a unique and utterly gripping read. At times I felt like I was reading something by Daphne du Maurier, or some ominous Victorian gothic horror tale. The house of Wintersbride is an eerie, glum place filled with dark secrets, unfriendly staff and a seemingly disturbed little girl. Our young heroine finds herself married to a much older man who abandons her to a solitary and useless life at Wintersbride. Over the course of the book she breaks down barriers, uncovers secrets, and saves a cursed house and family from a dire situation.
The H too was really rather wonderful, he starts out aloof and distant, but he is also vulnerable and ultimately humbled by the h's love and goodness.
I was so immersed in this story, and at times so uncertain as to who was a good'un and a bad'un - Sara Seale writes a fantastic story that had me glued to the final page.
The H too was really rather wonderful, he starts out aloof and distant, but he is also vulnerable and ultimately humbled by the h's love and goodness.
I was so immersed in this story, and at times so uncertain as to who was a good'un and a bad'un - Sara Seale writes a fantastic story that had me glued to the final page.
April 11, 2024
8/10 enjoyed this. Very well written. The villain is well-portrayed, if similar to other villains by this author. Both hero and heroine are likeable. I do like the way this author writes. Gripping from page 1. Deducted 1 for:
1. complete coincidence with sudden appearance of OM at a critical promising moment in the H-h relationship
2. heroine's reaction to the hero at the above scene- her character to date has been open yet she doesn't bother to reassure the H upon the OM arrival
1. complete coincidence with sudden appearance of OM at a critical promising moment in the H-h relationship
2. heroine's reaction to the hero at the above scene- her character to date has been open yet she doesn't bother to reassure the H upon the OM arrival
June 24, 2021
I love all Sara Seale book. Pure escapism.
June 19, 2022
3.5 stars. Very unusual harlequin. Feels more like a gothic novel
March 2, 2025
I enjoyed this book so much! I'm going to try to find some more stories by this author.
If only people would communicate...but then we wouldn't have a story.
If only people would communicate...but then we wouldn't have a story.
May 21, 2020
Enjoyable read at the time of this issue in 1977.
February 3, 2017
Very unromantic to me whe the hero consistently calls his wife (our heroine) "child". Many of this author's heroines are depicted as shapless, boyish, and child-like. A hero attracted to those characteristics does not appeal to me
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November 4, 2016The story was interesting. The h was young but not stupid nor weak. The H and h interactions seemed understandable since the book was written in 1950s.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews