Rating: 
Summary: Lives up to it's reputation and then some! Excellent!
Review: You know a book has a lot to live up to when you read things like "One of the world's most cherished love stories!" and "Probably the best historical romance ever published" and "One of the greatest love stories of all time" not to mention "A watershed in romance fiction". This book and this author (whom I've never read) seem to be much revered by readers and authors alike, so when this book was re-issued in June, I was glad of the chance to read it and see for myself what all the fuss was about. And let me tell you I was not only blown away, but I'll be searching out Ms Kinsale's other books for sure! A great book, compelling characters and a story to make you smile and weep and worry and hope that all will be well in the end!When first we meet Christian Langland, Duke of Jervaulx, he is too handsome and charming for his own good, dissolute, completely reckless and full of hubris. He also happens to be a mathematical genius. He is working on a paper detailing a new mathematical theory with an unlikely partner - blind Quaker John Timms whose daughter Archimedea (Maddy) is his eyes and caregiver. Maddy is both fascinated and repulsed by the duke and his wild, worldly ways (he actually flirts with her!). When word comes that he has perished in a duel, both the news and her reaction to it shock her, as she weeps for this man she thought she did not even like! Months later, Maddy and her father find themselves at Blythedale Hall, an insane asylum for the well to do where Maddy will assist her Cousin Edward who runs the place. On rounds to meet the patients, she is stunned to discover a disheveled, wild-eyed Jervaulx among the inmates! Before the duel could even commence, Christian was struck down by a stroke and is left unable to communicate, with damage to his motor skills and memory. In his frustration, he lashes out like an animal but when he recognizes Maddy, he calms. She is allowed to be his daytime caregiver and he latches onto her like a lifeline. His fear and frustration were nothing short of heartbreaking and the treatment and humiliation he endures from his "attendants" borders on cruel and masochistic - simply horrifying. Maddy devotes herself to easing his fears, helping him to communicate and, when she learns that he must face a competency hearing (instigated by his greedy brothers-in-law) or lose his title and his freedom for good, she resolves to do what she can to prepare him. But all sorts of misadventures, manipulations and deceptions follow with Christian keeping a death-grip on Maddy while Maddy is torn between helping Christian and keeping to her father and her faith. I won't say more about the plot, but the characters are so well written that they will make you laugh, cry, and bite your nails with anxiety for them. This book must have been exhausting to write! The author deftly conveys Christian's frustration, broken language and motor skills as well as his needy attachment to Maddy as it grows to love. And Maddy is so devoted to Christian that time and time again, she tests the bounds of her faith against what she feels is right. This is a truly moving, wonderful story that I highly recommend to those looking for more than just sex and light romance. This book is an investment in time and emotions - not a quick, easy read. If you like more complex books and authors like the Bronte sisters, George Elliot, Julia Ross/Jean Ross Ewing, Mary Balogh early Woodiwiss and maybe even Liz Carlyle or Gaelen Foley, I think you will like this book. Very highly recommended!!
Rating:
Summary: Oh Maddygirl!
Review: Oh what a love story! Brilliantly written, beautifully told,and most of all, evocatively gut-wrenching. Kinsale not only conveys a story, she enlivens it. Every sentence heightens your senses to the point where you no longer feel you are a reader looking upon a story but a participant who embodies the book by vicariously living and breathing every syllable. For me, the hero Christian Langland, Duke of Jerveaux-a brilliant mathematician, and a reckless, handsome nobleman suffers a stroke that renders him speechless and an inability to understand written or spoken speech, which is misinterpreted as madness by his family, hence his imprisonment in an insane asylum-stole my heart and made this book so incredibly disturbing, intense and highly palpable.
The Heroine, Archimedea Timms-a Quaker who transcribes mathematical patterns and equations for her brilliant blind father and heart-achingly called Maddygirl by Christian when she decides to save him and be his personal attendant-was the most unlikely heroine I have ever encountered in a romance novel, but strangely contributed to this fascinating tale of two vastly different souls merging to become one. True, she is not the most liked heroine I have ever read, but she is real and deep but frustratingly stays true to her Quaker beliefs even after her love for Christian is evident. Twenty-eight years of pious Quaker-life was not easily erased from her conscience, which I respected yet antagonized me towards her at the same time, however the feeling was evoked in a positive way that kept my interest in the story and their relationship to a fever pitch. I will not divulge anymore of the story-line for it would ruin the story for you. But it is safe to say that it will remain "one of the most cherished love stories of all time" in my heart and soul, for Christian found his Maddygirl in the most unlikely places, in the most unlikely circumstance and in the most unlikely love they could have ever imagined!
Rating:
Summary: Wow, what a book!
Review: This had to be my all time favorite book, I have read. I read fairly diverse material and happened to pick this one up since I was all out of my favorite authors and in need of an new one. Never in a million years would I have thought it would be this fantastic. Like my other reviews, I won't bore you with the details of the book which you can read from the excerps or other reviews but I will tell you what I thought and why. Not only was it a great story, different from typical romance novels, but it was an extremely well written story. The dialogue, Quaker use of thee/thou, and use of internal musing, Duke during his infirmity, were well thought out and easy to read. I particularly liked the characters. Maddy's nature was critical to the Duke's recovery. She was pure, honest, loving and somewhat simple in her desires. The Duke before the transient ischemic attack or mini-stroke, he was brilliant, arrogant, sexy - a true duke! Afterwards, he was dangerous, still brilliant, still sexy yet childlike and sweet. Only under these strange circumstances envisioned by Kinsale could these characters have a chance at developing a relationship. From two completely separate worlds, they created mutual need for one another that evolved into love. I believe that there was probably an element of attraction between the two before the Duke's stroke, however neither would have acted upon it. But afterwards, the Duke was stripped of his dignity and life as he knew it and the only one who seemed willing to stand by him or understand him was Maddygirl. So it was inevitable that a relationship develop, especially with their mutual attraction. But not only was the story line wonderful to read, the description of life as a Quaker, the horrors associated with the lunatics asylum and the greed of the families seemed so real, so believable. Kinsale has a unique ability to weave a story together that you never want it to end. You want to know more about their lives beyond the story. What their lives are like when they have children, get older etc. Rarely do I want or think that more could be exciting about the hero and heroine after the last page, but these characters are so real and likeable that I want to know more about their lives and where they go after the end of the book. And I think Kinsale has the aptitude to weave the story long after the last page. So if you have never read one of Kinsale's books, I highly recommend it. In fact, I'm giving this to my husband to read next. Or if you have read other Kinsale books, you probably know exactly why I'm so impressed with her writing. But either way, the time spent reading "Flowers" is well worth it and immensely enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Utterly devasting; utterly Kinsale!
Review: I read Flowers from the Storm after reading about 20 other romance novels. What impressed me about Flowers was that for the first time in a romance novel, I encountered an author who assumes that romance readers have intelligence. Not only does she challenge her readers to follow the Quaker thee/thou speech, she also puts her readers inside of Jervaulx's mind and forces us to see and hear the world through his stroke-damaged perceptions--a world where simple English words have little meaning. She then takes this one step further, challenging us to follow along with her, by letting us feel Jervaulx's frustration and rage and letting us hear what he hears as he tries to understand Maddy's thee/thou Quaker speech. Ingenious! I've read somewhere that Kinsale's greatest skill is in taking a hero that no one could love and making you want to lick his boots by the end of the story. This is never truer than in Flowers from the Storm. This book needs to be reprinted!
Rating:
Summary: Goes beyond the romance genre--truly a great novel
Review: First, Kinsale can write with depth, complexity, beautiful language--and all this from (dare I say it) an English professor. I rarely read romance or mystery, only by recommendation. I have read this particular book three times now, and each time I read it I find more detail, more of Kinsale's fine characterization, more nuances I glossed over at first. The tale is the story of two characters becoming through unbecoming, and the smart reader will notice that Kinsale foreshadows much of her characters' fates all throughout the novel, in splendidly subtle asides. The novel, though it alludes to classic romances, such as Jane Eyre, never becomes a parody itself, and the story is heartfelt, emotional, and satisfying. A duke, both a rake and a mathemantical genius, suffers a stroke when he encounters the husband of his lover in the husband's own hall. The duke manages to present a breakthrough geometry he has authored with a blind Quaker before his collapse. The Quaker's daughter, who has helped her father with this paper, is told the next day that the Duke is dead. Later, she encounters the self-same duke at her cousin's asylum, where the duke is taken for mad. Naturally, a cautious relationship ensues when the Quaker girl realizes that the Duke is not insensible, only aphasic, or damaged in his capacity for speech. She becomes his "nurse". At times hilarious, at times heartbreaking, this book stands as the ultimate romance experience. And do read it a few times and watch for those hints Kinsales drops throughout...
Rating: 
Summary: Love it or hate it?
Review: This book left me torn. I really enjoyed the first half. Christian, Duke of Jervaulx, is a rake, but not THAT bad of one-he drinks, gambles, has affairs with willing married ladies. He is also a genius. One day he suffers a horrible stroke that leaves him unable to speak or understand language. His nasty family sends him straight to the madhouse, where he is beaten, humiliated & misunderstood.
In comes Maddy. She realizes that Christian is not mad, but is trapped inside his own mind, unable to speak. She has some sort of ephinany that it is God's Will that she help this man. So she does. Sort of. Christian sees that she is the only one who can help him, and is desperate for her. But she seems too scared to really be helpful. She is constantly letting other people tell her what to do & how to do it.
They take Christian to a competency hearing, trying to take away his title & money & lands. He fails. His aunt says she won't send him back to the madhouse if he marries some stupid young girl. Of course he agrees, but ends up running away at the wedding, taking Maddy with him.
This is where I started to hate Maddy. She is a self-righteous, narrow-minded, weak, stupid woman. Christian needs her help badly, but all she can do is condemn him for his past actions, criticize him for the way he lives, and try to get out of her decision to help him. She claims to love him, but she won't compromise one little bit on anything for him. She consistently tries to leave him, even after they are married-by her choice-while Christian stuggles with everything. He can barely speak or write, and he's lost his sense of self. But he does his best to deal. His family wants to send him back to the asylum, his bankers & lawyers have decided on their own that he is incompetent & won't give him his money, his mistress from before the stroke causes all sorts of trouble, and all Maddy can do is complain about him and cry and whine about how she never should have married him. Ugh.
She is the worst sort of hypocrite. I'd have thought that her faith would make her strong & compassionate, but it just seems to make her judgemental & weak. Christian loves her, needs her more than anyone else, and she keeps turning her back on him. In the end, Christian has become a better man, but she is still the same.
All in all, loved him, hated her. The story was well-written, and Christian is one of the most memorable characters I've read. But the heroine ruins it. I couldn't stand her, & don't think she deserved Christian's unwavering love.
Rating: 
Summary: Challenging but captivating read
Review: "Flowers from the Storm" is a most unusual romance. Indeed, take away the silly cover and it probably could be placed in the literature shelf. The book certainly includes the growth of a relationship but it is so much more complex than 99% of the romance market. Indeed, it was a bit more of a challenge than I wanted at times (I read it while ill) but I'm glad I stuck with it. The challenge lies mostly in the language of the book. For many authors it would be enough to have a Quaker character with all of the "thee/thou" language. Kinsale starts with not only the Quaker language but Maddy's struggle to be a Quaker falling in love outside of her faith. THEN, Kinsale creates a most unusual hero - a regency rake who's a mathematical genius. THEN, our hero has a stroke and we spend much of the book looking at (and hearing) the world through his impaired facilities. Both his speech and his hearing are damaged and the reader has to guess at what he says and hears. It can be done but it requires careful reading. Bottom-line: An unusual romance that is worth the extra effort - but it is important to go into this reading experience prepared for a different experience.
Rating: 
Summary: ugh
Review: i dont know what all the hype is about this book. It was horrible. The female character was....unloving...despite the efforts of the author to get you to feel for her and understand her dilemas while dealing with her religion and duty. She was unchristian in my mind. I absolutely could not stand her. As for him, I did like the way the author described what was going through his mind while attempting to communicate. It was very human, and so was he. The only reason I gave it a 1 was because of him and his plight. Is a throw away. sorry author, but you failed miserably with this one.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite historical romance
Review: I've read this book so many times that it has become tattered and dog eared. (and I take great care of my books!) Ms. Kinsale is a savior of the romance genre. She writes intelligent, fleshed out, complex stories with deep, believable characters and this book is probably her greatest. Of those who gave it very bad reviews, all I can say is that they were probably expecting one of the light, "easier-read" romances that you sometimes crave. This book, however, is much more of a feast for your mind than those. I do agree that a few of her books have gotten a little too verbose and twisted up in the subplots, but not this one. And despite that, I still think she's one of the best out there.
Rating:
Summary: sets the standard for great romance fiction
Review: This book proves that romance fiction can also mean well-written fiction. This novel is a mature love story centered around believable, well-developed characters. Christian, a profligate duke used to arrogantly controlling his world, succumbs to an illness not understood in his day and is labeled as "mad" and shunted off to an asylum. Maddy, a Quaker assisting at the asylum, takes a special interest in Christian when she recognizes him as not only the duke, but as the man who shared a passion for mathematics with her father. Maddy has an immediate affinity towards Christian, believes that he is not "mad" and begins the process of assisting him to escape the machinations of family and business associates who are quick to wrest from Christian his title, his money, his very being. But Kinsale's story is not a predictable one. Maddy comes to love Christian but it is love complicated by its conflicts with her strict religious tenets and by her doubts as to Christian's true nature. Christian's illness and his relationship with Maddy makes him recognize his debauched past and want to become a better man, but just how much of the "debauched duke" in Christian is what attracts Maddy despite her protests to the contrary? As Maddy and Christian conspire to keep Christian from being declared incompetent by the courts, they interact with a host of wonderful characters including Christian's old drinking buddy Durham who turns out to be a clergyman, the good Quaker man Gill who Christian has reason to be jealous of, and Christian's aunt who has her own reasons for accommodating Christian marrying a Quaker. Interwoven in the tense plot are scenes so poignant that the reader's heart goes out to Christian as he struggles with himself and his love for Maddy. Christian's illness has left him unable to speak complete sentences, yet Kinsale imbues his few halting words with such depth of feeling that they speak volumes. The book is over 500 pages and yet I wish it had gone on for 500 more. If only I did not despair that it will be a long time before I find another romance novel that is equal in stature.
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