Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale

[dangermousie]

The one about an aristocrat confined to an asylum after a stroke renders him incapable of speech and a Quaker lady who becomes his nurse...

All you guys who recommended this book, I am totally in your debt. I just finished it and am slightly breathless. It was the most intense and heartbreaking* romance novel I've ever read. Anyone who hasn't read it, and likes amazingly-written romance novels (this is by far the best one I read ever) with major hurt/comfort and hero whose very existence depends on heroine, what are you waiting for?

My one quibble was the heroine - I liked her but became increasingly impatient with her by the end of the book. She seems realistic enough for a Quaker but prim and pious is pretty much antithetical to me. By the time she got to worrying about how it was sinful that she was really into making love with her husband, because they were doing it in daylight, I just wanted to tell her to shut the fuck up and go buy a red dress or something.

* I don't consider Acheron a romance book. That one gave me nightmares for weeks.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Does it have a happy ending?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yup. What romance novel doesn't? :)

[(Anonymous)]

Stupid Question, I know, but it might have been something like Wuthering Heights.

[(Anonymous)]

Stupid question, I know, but it might have been something like Wuthering Heights.

[charlie-bz.livejournal.com]

What romance novel doesn't?

Once I read that I felt I it was my duty as a former romance afficionado to show off my knowledge and respond with an answer. But then I couldn't think of any so now I can't be Miss Smarty Pants.

Happy endings are the number one criteria even if the hero doesn't deserve one. I can think of a few "heroes" who should not get that happily ever after.

Have you ever read a series of romance novels featuring the same heroine but she ends up with a different guy in either the second or third book? I've read that but for the life of me, can't remember what books those were.

[algelic.livejournal.com]

Sookie Stackhouse? xD

[charlie-bz.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, that's right! But that's not the one I'm thinking of. This story was an old-timey bodice ripper.

:)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Are you thinking of the Angelique series by Sergeanne Golon? Or maybe King's Brat?

[algelic.livejournal.com]

Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine, I surrender! I'll read it! xD

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

YESSSSSSSS

[eccequambonum.livejournal.com]

I remember getting 2 chapters from the end and having to put the book down and not picking it up for months because I couldn't bear the idea of the story ending. So very intense and captivating, and I rarely say that of a romance!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know! It was such an intense experience. I've never felt that invested in a romance novel before.

[algelic.livejournal.com]

Oh! I should tell you that everyone raved about another Laura Kinsale novel called "The Shadow and the Star". Since you loved this one, you should try that one too!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I'll check it out. I am currently reading another one of hers, but I don't like it as much as I did Flowers.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I bought this last night because all my recent encounters with romance novels have been HORRENDOUS. So I am looking forward to something delightful. I also bought Beautiful Disaster which I am enjoying muchly.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

BD is so entertaining in its codependent emo. Feels like a kdrama :P

[(Anonymous)]

I peeked at the ending, so may I ask who is Diana?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Diana is his illegitimate daughter from mistress he had before he met heroine (hero is obviously not a virgin :P)

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

I dont know I understood the heroine's dilemma and I actually felt really bad for her cause she grew up in a really religious environment and suddenly she's thrown into the den of debauchery. I grew up with religious parents and it can create alot of conflicted feelings in a person. While I liked the novel my problem was with how pushy the hero could be sometimes and how dramatically different the pair's lives were, and it was kind of annoying that instead of him renouncing all his wealth and becoming a quaker (not that i expected that ending lol ya right) she renounces being a quaker to be with him. and i could tell it was something super important to her, i honestly wasnt sure if the two would ever realistically reconcile their differences. that said I was satisfied with the ending and its still one of the better romance novels i've read.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

See, I think I'd rather eat my head than be a Quaker so the whole dilemma of 'be a duchess and wear diamonds or be a quaker' felt to me like 'should I enjoy this nice meal or put my hand in the garbage disposal' type of question. I mean...duh???? She's still Quakerish by the end, even if not one formally perhaps so I don't think she particularly gave up much anyway...

I don't think he was particularly pushy - he just couldn't communicate well so it came across as pushiness out of frustration and desperation but I never felt he was in control of her or anything (more like the other way around).

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

Yeah but that was not her value system. She was taught to feel disgust at such intense wealth. I myself even though I am no quaker would feel creeped out being THAT disgustingly rich. If she grew up with a mentality that swimming in wealth is sinful and that being hardworking and modest in your clothes and lifestyle was the best most righteous path then it makes since she'd feel uncomfortable with the new wealthy lifestyle and that she'd be suspicious of it. I dunno for me her conflicting emotions and struggle to adapt to this new life was the most fascinating thing in the novel. Again I guess because I could kind of see her point even though I wouldn't wanna be a quaker at all.

Yeah it was that reason that his pushiness or what appeared as such didnt ruin the novel or anything for me, he was just really a mess and had trouble getting his point across so i felt bad for him and mostly overlooked it.