Review: A Bed of Thorns and Roses by Sondra Allan Carr

I happened to notice a book a few weeks ago among the “alsobots” (those books people also bought that Amazon tells you about) on the product page for my novelette With Heart To Hear. My story is a Victorian era adaptation of the beauty and the beast tale, and so is A BED OF THORNS AND ROSES. But where my story has a lot of sensual, even erotic content, Carr draws the curtain on her lovers.

The hero and the heroine in Carr’s story are both scarred, one more obviously than the other. Both keep secrets for reasons that are completely understandable. Both are afraid to hope for what they believe is unattainable: the love of the other.

It’s often said in romance circles, that the strength of the genre lies in the transforming power of love. That love can heal both the characters, and our readers. I believe this is true. And I believe that few authors have done a better job of demonstrating that power than Ms. Carr.

A BED OF THORNS AND ROSES proceeds at a measured pace, but it isn’t slow. Carr takes only as much time as necessary to show the emotional growth of the characters. (This is a welcome change from the common practice of compressing what would normally be a months long process into a few days.) Despite this, the book doesn’t drag, and I was always anxious to get back to it at the end of the day. The story is exquisitely, beautifully, emotional. Her prose is smooth and lyrical, but never purple.

I hope that Carr will soon be releasing her promised WORLD OF PANGAEA fantasy novel, because she is truly a talented and skilled author.

If you haven’t guessed by now, I highly recommend this book.