Thunder and Roses

Fallen Angels, Book 1

By: Mary Jo Putney

Narrated by: Peter Bishop

Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

They called him the Demon Earl. They said he could do anything. Son of a rogue and a gypsy, Nicolas Davies was a notorious rake until a shattering betrayal left him alone and embittered in the Welsh countryside. Desperation drives quiet schoolmistress Clare Morgan to ask the Demon Earl to help save her village. Unwilling to involve himself in the problems of others, Nicholas sets an impossible price on his aid - only if Clare will live with him for three months, letting the world think the worst, will he intervene. Furiously, Clare accepts his outrageous challenge, and finds herself drawn into a glittering Regency world of danger and desire.

As allies, she and Nicholas fight to save her community. As adversaries, they explore the hazardous terrain of power and sensuality. And as lovers, they surrender to a passion that threatens the foundations of their lives.

Thunder and Roses was nominated for a RITA award and was a finalist for the RWA Golden Choice award for best audiobook of the year.

©2011 Mary Jo Putney, Inc. (P)2013 Mary Jo Putney, Inc

Great story....poor narration

This story is creative, interesting and engaging. The characters were also engaging . I listened to the story in one day...in spite of the deplorable narration.

Great start to a series!

If you could sum up Thunder and Roses in three words, what would they be?

Well-told
Poignant
Entertaining

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the characterization of every character in the book.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene in which the heroine meets the hero for the first time is very memorable. I loved the way they conversed in that scene and how they went after one another.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely, but as always what we want and what we can do is sometimes not one and the same. I managed to listen to it within three days.

Any additional comments?

I liked the narration a lot. I was actually glad that the narrator had only slight nuances between male and female voices. I hate when a male/female narrators butcher the dialogue by sounding 'cartoonish' as they try to sound male/female.

Job well done by Peter Bishop!

Another gem from MJP

Where does Thunder and Roses rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best

What did you like best about this story?

Everything

Any additional comments?

A wonderful exploration of the relationship between a gentle man who has been wronged and the woman who comes to love him.

A lot of interesting customs

What did you love best about Thunder and Roses?

Claire's resolve

Who was your favorite character and why?

Nicholas because there are so many facets to his personality and his sence of honor

Which character – as performed by Peter Bishop – was your favorite?

Nicholas

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I would differently put this on my reread list

First in the "Fallen Angels" series

Set in Wales, Mary Balogh's birthplace. She moved to Canada in her twenties, and married there.

Among other things, this story includes how humankind in MANY places has had a bad flaw of treating parts of the population as "other," not acceptable, inferior. What the specifics of such prejudices are varies from culture to culture, but the unfair, biased judgmentalism and fear is really the same!

Superficially, this story could be dismissed as the love of a good woman reforms a rake, but at a truer level, it's that by finding the security and self-worth that being honestly loved can bring he was finally able to untie the knotted strands of his own deep personality and spirit.

Good addition to “Fallen Angels”series

Plot: A half Romany (gypsy) Earl negotiates a scandalous deal with an outspoken preachers daughter. Pros: Intriguing characters, interesting plot twists, satisfying resolution.
Cons: Narrator often made it difficult to distinguish between male and female voices.

Sweet Welsh fantasy with Romany lore

Can unbelievable characters be engaging? If you suspend all disbelief, this is a fairly sweet romantic fantasy between two characters placed well out of time and drawn with a broad brush. Saved by Romany lore and the details of Welsh mining, the story pulled me along despite itself. Peter Bishop's reading tended to make all the characters sound juvenile, but then this isn't historical fiction, but pure romantic fiction, so it was just ok. Buy it on sale as I did.

Wonderful story, Peter Bishop is very good

If you could sum up Thunder and Roses in three words, what would they be?

Historical Welsh Romance

What did you like best about this story?

The slight twists and turns, although typical they were good.

Have you listened to any of Peter Bishop’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to other books that Peter Bishop has performed but will be on the lookout for Mr. Bishop.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The moment when Davies can't tell Clara that he loves her, but she has bared her heart to him.

Perplexing!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Maybe, but with a warning that it could get frustrating.

Would you be willing to try another book from Mary Jo Putney? Why or why not?

Yes. I have several Putney novels in my library. However, I probably won't try another from this series, especially with this narrator.

Would you be willing to try another one of Peter Bishop’s performances?

Not likely.

Could you see Thunder and Roses being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No.

Any additional comments?

It seems that the author could not decide if this book should be a Christian romance (lots of references to Methodist church) or if it should be a typical historical/Regency romance. The heroine goes from removing herself from the congregation in order to keep peace to playing "strip billiards". The narrator's soft, monotonous voice ruined the hero's image as a hardened rake.

I loved the intrgue

Would you listen to Thunder and Roses again? Why?

Yes, because a good romance novelist now-a-days is hard to find. I look forward to listening to Book 2.

Any additional comments?

.