In Regency London, a woman escapes from a burning warehouse, only to realize she doesn't know her own identity. Although the locket around her neck says that her name is Miranda, she has absolutely no recollection of her past. Nor does she know why two very different men want her. Ian MacVane and Lord Lucas Chesney both pursue her—but for very different reasons.
In a race against time to discover who she is and which man she can trust, Miranda embarks on a soul-stirring journey that takes her from the dazzling salons of London to the craggy Highlands of Scotland. All of her beliefs—about herself, her world, and the nature of love—are tested to their limits as she seeks the truth about her past, and reveals unexpected passion that ignites the hidden fires within.
Susan 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.
Do you remember when every Regency historical had to have a spy, adorable urchins or both? Published in 1996, this novel predates the years where readers could find a spy skulking in every ballroom and it does avoid many of the clichés in which spy romances of the early 2000s abound. I wasn’t sure whether to expect a romp or high adventure and as it turns out, I got neither. There is some adventure to be had in this novel, but it’s a more deeply emotional love story of the sort I lapped up as a high school and college student in the 90s.
Set during Napoleon’s temporary exile to Elba, the story opens as Ian MacVane rescues a young woman from a mysterious warehouse fire. The stunned woman remembers nothing about herself or her past, and the only clue to her identity is a locket around her neck bearing the name “Miranda.” In the confusion of the fire, Miranda falls into the hands of the night watch and since she cannot identify herself, she ends up in Bedlam.
Ian eventually finds Miranda and is able to get her out of the asylum by proclaiming himself to be her fiancé. Convinced Miranda is in danger, Ian decides to marry her. Along the way, another man claiming to be Miranda’s fiancé appears -and of course intrigue ensues.
The intrigue in this story definitely captured my attention. The spy plot is well constructed, and the historical details woven into the story made the plot and the characters’ motives feel very believable. Ian’s past has made him something of an outsider and one can easily see why he would have fallen in with the company he has. The mystery of Miranda’s past and how that fit into the treachery swirling around her kept me hooked as well.
Just when I thought I owned all of Susan Wiggs' books, I discovered this one. What a wonderful read, one that I couldn't put down! I finished it at 3:30 am. Whether Ms Wiggs is writing a historical a contemporary or something in between, it is always magnificent! The first time I ever read one of her books, I told my husband, the difference between hers and other authors' books, is that hers has "substance". With as many as I've read, that opinion has not varied!
Miranda ditemukan di RS Bedlam yg khusus utk orang-orang berpenyakit kejiwaan akut, dalam keadaan amnesia. Ian MacVane tadinya hanya berniat membawa pergi Miranda dari tempat tsb utk menyelidiki siapa sebenarnya Miranda ini. Ian membawa Miranda ke kampung halamannya, Skotlandia. Tetapi saat pesta pernikahan steadfast (saya baru tau artinya, semacam nikah gantung kalau di Indonesia), datanglah Lucas, Lord Lisle yg mengaku sbg tunangan Miranda.
Miranda makin bingung dgn kehadiran kedua pria yg mengaku sbg tunangannya. Frances, lady yg menyukai Lucas sampai iri hati krn Miranda diperebutkan dua pria, bahkan sampai berduel di hadapan raja-raja Eropa. Seiring berjalannya waktu, ingatan Miranda berangsur-angsur pulih dan mulai mengingat siapa dirinya yg sebenarnya dgn lambat.
Novel ini padahal punya potensi menarik dgn tema cerita mata-mata yg menjadi amnesia. Sayangnya saya merasa kurang greget. Plot cerita agak ngeselin karena kita dibawa terombang-ambingnya perasaan Miranda yg kacau balau krn amnesia dan pengakuan para tunangan palsunya tsb. Blm lagi kemudian Miranda mengetahui ayahnya blm meninggal dan sedang ditawan utk "diperas" ttg formula penemuannya. Tokoh antagonis di novel ini juga kurang greget dan kurang jelas motifnya memburu Miranda.
Cinta segitiga disini juga "nanggung" dan malah membuat chemistry relationship Miranda - Ian malah terkesan dipaksakan juga.
Novel ini Lumayan sajalah, buruk nggak, bagus sekali juga nggak.
Miranda oh Miranda.. Ga tau nasibmu ini dibilang jelek atau bisa bilang bagus ya..
Setelah berhasil diselamatkan dari gudang yang terbakar, Miranda kehilangan ingatan. Tau-tau dia sudah dimasukkan ke RSJ. Hingga datanglah Ian MacVane yang mengaku sebagai tunangan Miranda.
Next, Ian sudah membawa Miranda ke Skotlandia, kampung halaman Ian. Ian tidak pernah kembali ke Skotlandia sejak dibawa pergi ke Inggris.
Kemudian datanglah Lord Lucas Chesney yang mengaku sebagai Tunangan Miranda. Wow, 2 tunangan sekaligus. Terlalu WOW!!!
Miranda yang telah menikah kontrak dgn Ian merasa bahwa ada yang tidak benar. Dia kemudian kembali ke Inggris bersama Lucas, berniat untuk mencari jati diri. Di Inggris, Miranda tinggal bersama Lady Francess. Lady Francess ini sebenarnya cinta mati kpd Lucas.
(Cinta bersegi-segi itu ga enak rasanya.)
Ingatan Miranda Pelan2 kembali dalam kilasan-kilasan. Miranda menyadari ayahnya masih hidup dan berniat mencari ayahnya juga menyelesaikan misteri yang ada.
Dan siapakah pria yang akhirnya dipilih oleh Miranda? Apa hubungan Miranda dgn kebakaran gudang?
Yang membuat saya terus lanjut baca Novel ini adalah misteri dalam kisahnya. Penasaran, si Miranda ini berdiri di pihak mana sampai2 banyak yang ingin membunuh dia.
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Ini pertama kalinya baca Novel HR karangan Susan Wiggs. Not bad.. 😊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
There was an explosion and Miranda Stonecypher felt herself being thrown. She thought she was dead but she somehow survived and was rescued by a Scottsman who she later found out was Ian MacVane. She saw him rescue a young boy also. They were separated for a few days because she was found and taken to Bedlam because she had no memory of who she was. Ian searched until he found her there and took her away with him. He took her with him to Scotland where they were married. Ian had convinced Miranda that they were engaged before she lost her memory. She was convinced that he was correct and that she was indeed in love with him during the time they spent together. They were preparing to spend the night together when another man showed up to interrupt their wedding feast. He was Lucas Chesney. He told Miranda that he was her fiancee. Miranda ended up fleeing Scotland to head back to London to find out the truth about herself. Miranda was a scientist who had hidden behind her fathers name to introduce balloon flight and also learned how to direct rockets to hit their intended targets. She came to remember that her father had been kidnapped and she remembered eventually that he had escaped. She later remembered where he might go and she snuck out to find him. She ended up rescuing him from his kidnapper with the help of both Ian and Lucas who had figured out where she had gone and followed her. Ian had gone to find Miranda because he believed that she held the key to a plot by Napoleon to assonate the leaders of the day so he could try once again to conquer their lands. Ian fell in love with her during their time together and tried unsuccessfully to let her go. He found himself drawn back to her each time he tried to tell himself that he didn't care. Ian's father had been killed when he was young by a man he remembered as Adder. His mother was raped and his sister was left to die in her cradle. He and his brother were taken to do slave labor as chimney sweeps. They soon grew too large and were assigned other things to do. He watched his brother fall off a roof and die. Ian also lost a part of his little finger during his time serving under others. He eventually escaped Scotland but vowed revenge on Adder and knew in his heart that he would return one day. That day was when he came home to marry Miranda. With the help of the small boy he rescued, he saw his mother become human again. She had been cared for by a neighbor but she hadn't healed from the events surrounding the death and taking of her family. Ian saw her come out of her shell in the short time he was in Scotland. Miranda was a part of that healing because his mother seemed to approve of her and the small boy drew her out. Ian followed Miranda back to London and tried to win her back after she left. She came to remember that her and Lucas had broken up before the explosion in the warehouse. She had gone there to stop him from blowing up something and eventually remembered the plans that had been made and who the intended target was. With Ian's help, the plan was spoiled. Ian had been set up to take the fall along with Miranda. It involved a man called Adder and that man was the same man that had killed Ian's father. Because of what happened to Ian's brother, Ian was deathly afraid of heights. Ian had to get into the basket of a balloon to try and capture Adder. They ended up fighting and Adder fell out and died. The balloon caught on fire and Miranda thought that Ian had also died but he didn't. She knew by then that she loved him and told him so. She knew that with everything that had happened to Ian that he had a hard time believing that he was in love with her too. It was hard for him to let anyone into his heart. Lucas was disappointed that Miranda had regained her memory because he really wanted to marry her. Miranda had been staying with a woman named Francis. Miranda had figured out that Francis was in love with Lucas and tried to help her out. Lucas had to figure out that he was good enough to be with Francis. He didn't think she would be interested in him because although he had good family connections, he was poor. He thought that since she was rich, she wouldn't ever be interested in him. Francis told him that he was letting his pride get in the way and they eventually married after Miranda decided to stay married to Ian. Miranda and Ian returned to Scotland where Ian became the Laird of his clan and moved into the main house there. Ian was granted the land by the king once the plot to kill the leaders by Napoleon had been put to a stop. Napoleon would not be a threat to their country again with this plot foiled.
It is sort of original. This woman, smart and with a thirst for invention, gets involved in some complot to help Bonaparte. This spy, Ian, saves her from a fire, and she does not remember a thing. Then he pretends he is her fiance, and then the "real" fiance also gets there, and so she's suppossed to find who is lying and who is not. Of course, Ian is from Scotland and way more passionate and roguish, and then she falls in love with him. He has a past: pretty much his whole family was killed by an English man and he has always looked for revenge. His mom was raped and his brother and dad died. He finally finds the dude, the one to blame and fights to death on an air balloon after he mistakingly thought Miranda had chosen her former beau, Lucas. Then he survives when he realizes revenge was not worth it, only Miranda was. And then they get married and live happily ever after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
First of all, Ashford McNab is an amazing narrator!! She literally makes a book for me. Even though she reads more dramatic books usually I find that I can hold on and endure the angst when she's performing.
Second, this book has two very strong female leads and I love them both. Neither is ever TSTL!So, even with the running around and spy stuff there's enough romance to keep me reading. Third, the hea is perfect for everyone rather than a series or sequel.
I love an amnesia trope. Wiggs did a great job with it.
Miranda by Susan Wiggs is a novel taking place in Regency London. A building blows up and a woman is rescued from the flames but has no memory. She is wearing a necklace with the name Miranda on it. Two men claim to be her fiancée. She searches to bring her memory back and find the truth about herself and why she was in a warehouse to begin with. Time is racing by and the wrong decision could be dangerous.
Set in Napoleon's era Miranda has lost her memory in a warehouse explosion and fire . Does she trust Lucas or Ian to be telling her the truth about her past and her relationship with them? Will she really discover who she truly is and why people are looking for her?
A very different story from Wiggs. Miranda loses her memory in a warehouse explosion. She is rescued by the Scottish hero Ian MacVane. Lots of history of the struggle between England and Scotland. And of course the love story.
Sedih ih, kisah yang awalnya dibuka dengan begitu menggemaskan, dan aku berhenti baca di tengah-tengah, justru berakhir dengan rasa kurang puas. :( Begitu aku lanjut baca, setelah kali pertama membaca, aku sudah mulai kehilangan minat. Lebih lagi, chemistry-nya seperti hilang terbang entah ke mana. :( Kalau pada akhirnya aku tetap memberikan bintang dua, itu lebih kepada paruh pertama kisah yang aku sukai. :)
The mystery is intriguing and Miranda is likeable but the set up is rather far fetch, a female spymaster in Regency period is so not gonna happen (for me at least)!
This was a light entertaining historical romance with the slight twist that the heroine has amnesia and doesn’t know who to trust. Definitely not my favourite Susan Wiggs novel but it was decent.
I went through the whole book not caring for any of our main characters. Plus there were times it was like reading a telenovella. Just so over the top that I’d roll my eyes.
I was not sure I would like this book but as the pages turned I found that I really enjoyed it! I had to find out if Miranda would regain her memory. So much! It was an amazing book!
Good story! Begins with a fire and a mystery, who and where is Miranda? As it enfolds and Ian McVane finally finds her after much hunting. After his investigation, he solved the mystery and all ends well after a lot of action!
J’ai adoré le style de Susan Wiggs et sa manière de détailler le partie historique. L’intrigue est classique (l’amnésie est un sujet souvent abordé dans les romances) mais les sujets abordés sont très intéressants telle Mary Wollstonecraft, les sciences. Il y a une certaine psychologie, une fluidité, l’empressement de savoir la suite… qui amène à un beau coup de cœur. Une lecture qui m’a donné envie de découvrir d’autres titres de cet auteur.
Juin 1814.
Un message chiffré, une guerre future sur l’Europe et une inventrice à supprimer après qu’elle est révélée un secret qui renversera la monarchie.
Londres, juin 1814.
Rescapée d’un incendie meurtrier, Miranda Stonecypher ne sait plus qui elle est et ne doit d’être en vie que grâce à Ian MacVane. Persuadée qu’on cherche à la tuer suite à l’explosion, Miranda est emmenée à Bedlam, un asile de fou où on traite les gens qui n’ont plus leurs esprits. Pendant ce temps, Ian apprend que la jeune femme qu’il a sauvé est l’objet de sa mission et le traître que les services de renseignement de Sa Majesté recherche. Pour déjouer un attentat, Ian doit retrouver Miranda et profiter de son amnésie pour la surveiller et lui soutirer des informations quand elle aura retrouvé sa mémoire.
Pour cela, un seul moyen : se faire passer pour son fiancé et se marier en Ecosse… Mais revenir sur les lieux qui le hantent va être une douloureuse épreuve pour celui qui a fui son pays après la mort de son petit frère.
L’arrivée de Lucas Chesney va contrecarrer son plan. Qui de Ian ou de Lucas est le fiancé de Miranda ? Pour trouver la vérité, Miranda devra partir seule à la conquête de ses souvenirs mais un ennemi rôde…
Ian sauvera-t-il Miranda du complot dont elle est l’enjeu ?
Une très belle romance historique sur fond d’espionnage, d’inventions et de féminisme. Le contexte historique est mis en valeur par des détails passionnants.
Une héroïne savante et féministe, un agent à la solde Jacobite à la sole des Anglais, une amnésie entourée de mensonges et d’amour…
Entre espionnage et amour, Susan Wiggs signe une très belle romance où tous les coups sont permis !
Within the atmospheric streets of Regency London, Susan Wiggs weaves a tale of mystery, identity, and the tumultuous journey of self-discovery in "Miranda." The narrative unfolds against a backdrop of burning warehouses, hidden loyalties, and the undeniable allure of a bygone era.
The story opens with an enigma—an unidentified woman, bearing the name Miranda on a locket around her neck, emerges from the flames of a burning warehouse with no memory of her past. The narrative is immediately propelled into a race against time as Miranda grapples with the dual enigma of her own identity and the two men, Ian MacVane and Lord Lucas Chesney, both claiming to know her. The premise sets the stage for a captivating journey of self-discovery and the unraveling of hidden truths.
Miranda, the central character, is a compelling protagonist whose journey becomes a crucible of self-discovery. Her interactions with the devilishly handsome Scotsman, Ian MacVane, and the nobleman Lord Lucas Chesney introduce layers of complexity and romantic tension. Each character is meticulously crafted, with their own motives and secrets, adding depth to the narrative.
The author masterfully transports readers to the Regency era, capturing the essence of both the dazzling salons of London and the craggy Highlands of Scotland. The richly detailed settings enhance the immersive experience, allowing readers to visualize the opulence of London's social scene and the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands. The contrast between these locales mirrors the internal conflicts Miranda faces.
"Miranda" seamlessly blends romance with elements of mystery and intrigue. The tension between Miranda and her two suitors adds a layer of unpredictability, keeping readers guessing about the true nature of her relationships. The narrative skillfully navigates the complexities of love, trust, and passion, providing a satisfying blend of emotional depth and romantic allure.
At its core, the story is a poignant exploration of identity and self-discovery. Miranda's quest to unearth the truth about her past serves as a metaphor for the human journey to understand oneself. The author skillfully intertwines the external mysteries with Miranda's internal struggles, creating a narrative that resonates on both intellectual and emotional levels.
The author employs a writing style that effortlessly transports readers to the Regency era, with eloquent prose that captures the nuances of the time. The dialogues are sharp and reflective of the social norms of the period. The pacing is well-crafted, allowing for a gradual unfolding of the mystery while maintaining the reader's engagement.
On the whole, "Miranda" is a gripping historical romance that excels in its portrayal of mystery, passion, and the timeless quest for self-discovery. As Miranda unravels the shadows of her unknown past, readers are drawn into a world of hidden secrets, unexpected passion, and the enduring quest for love in the midst of uncertainty. This novel is a must-read for fans of historical romance with a touch of mystery and a strong emphasis on the complexities of the human heart.
In Regency London, a woman escapes from a burning warehouse only to realize she doesn't know her own identity. Although the locket around her neck says that her name is Miranda, she has absolutely no recollection of her past. Nor does she know why two very different men want her. Ian MacVane and Lord Lucas Chesney both pursue her-but for very different reasons.
In a race against time to discover who she is and which man she can trust, Miranda embarks on a soul-stirring journey that takes her from the dazzling salons of London to the craggy Highlands of Scotland. All of her beliefs-about herself, her world, and the nature of love-are tested to their limits as she seeks the truth about her past, and reveals unexpected passion that ignites the hidden fires within.
A Scotsman, a woman with amnesia, two men and a hot-air balloon. I enjoyed it. It was a romance with a mystery.
In Regency London, Miranda Stonecypher is rescued from a burning building by Scottish stranger Ian MacVane to realize she has no memory of herself or her life. The story takes us through their search for her history - -