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Belladonna
WAS IT WITCHCRAFT, OR A HEALING GIFT? AND WAS HER FATE DEATH, OR FAME OF FORTUNE? Hurt and betrayed, fifteen-year-old Bryony Luscombe knows instinctively that her love for Paul Blythe, heir to Brashfield Hall, is worthless. Brought up by a local wise woman in a small fishing village, Bryony's history is a whispered secret, but one which is destined to lift her from poverty. Hounded from the village on suspicion of witchcraft, Bryony is forced to seek help from a most unwelcome source. An ambitious entrepreneur, Max Randal persuades Bryony to place her trust in him. But Max has other motives and secrets of his own, and Bryony cannot afford to compromise her pride, independence - and possibly her heart - again.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 6, 2024
Read this a few days ago and I wished I hadn’t. The main female character’s “naïvety” bordered to stupidity. In the summary it is written and I quote “Bryony cannot afford to compromise her pride and independence” and I must ask. What pride? What independence? For she had none!
Nothing Bryony had done ressembles pride or independence quite the contrary in fact.
She dreamed of a life of leisure and luxury but without having to work for it. Which meant she had to rely exclusively on the “benevolence” of men. And I must admit I am impressed at her capacity to trust men time and time again after being lied to, manipulated, abandoned, betrayed, blackmailed and almost raped on multiple occasions by said men.
I wish she would have made something of herself without having to throw her body into the bargain. That was sad and upsetting honestly. She didn’t deserve to be victimized that way.
Every single ones of her plans consisted of her bargaining with a man in exchange for sex or favours. She never took the time to think about the consequences of her actions. How it would affect her or the people around her. As soon as she was told she would have what she wanted, nothing else mattered.
Bryony often came off as self centered and frankly incredibly foolish.
Of course she always ended hurt then tossed aside by these men and you would think she had learn something. But no! Instead she will only jump into the next man and make a new bargain. It was quite frustrating to see her make the same mistake over and over.
The fact it had a relatively happy ending didn’t save the book for me.
Nothing Bryony had done ressembles pride or independence quite the contrary in fact.
She dreamed of a life of leisure and luxury but without having to work for it. Which meant she had to rely exclusively on the “benevolence” of men. And I must admit I am impressed at her capacity to trust men time and time again after being lied to, manipulated, abandoned, betrayed, blackmailed and almost raped on multiple occasions by said men.
I wish she would have made something of herself without having to throw her body into the bargain. That was sad and upsetting honestly. She didn’t deserve to be victimized that way.
Every single ones of her plans consisted of her bargaining with a man in exchange for sex or favours. She never took the time to think about the consequences of her actions. How it would affect her or the people around her. As soon as she was told she would have what she wanted, nothing else mattered.
Bryony often came off as self centered and frankly incredibly foolish.
Of course she always ended hurt then tossed aside by these men and you would think she had learn something. But no! Instead she will only jump into the next man and make a new bargain. It was quite frustrating to see her make the same mistake over and over.
The fact it had a relatively happy ending didn’t save the book for me.
May 25, 2018
Read this years a go when I was a youngin' after stumbling across it n my sister's room. Absolutely love it - I love stories based around the Victorian era and which chart social mobility. Jeanne Whitmee is an incredible writer and I couldn't recommend reading this enough. I shall be re-reading it again soon I am sure.
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