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150th out of 1,138 books
—
1,080 voters
Moonraker's Bride
Born in a Mission in China, Lucy Waring finds herself with fifteen small children to feed and care for. The way she tackles this task leads to her being thrown into the grim prison of Chengfu, where she meets Nicholas Sabine - a man about to die.
He asks her a cryptic riddle, the mystery of which echoes through all that befalls her in the months that follow...
She is brought...more
He asks her a cryptic riddle, the mystery of which echoes through all that befalls her in the months that follow...
She is brought...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
January 1st 1973
by Souvenir Press
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Feb 16, 2011
Hannah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of MM Kaye and Victoria Holt
Shelves:
2011-reads,
gothics
Rating clarification: 4.5 stars
Wow...how in the world did I miss this book back in the day? I can't believe it took me over 30 years to read this one.
Moonraker's Bride was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-L-Y wonderful. The kind of book you get that tingling feeling about by page 10 or so. The kind of book you stay up way past your bedtime reading and savouring. The kind of romantic suspense book that used to be so popular 30-40 years ago, and now can't seem to be replicated by today's crop of writers. It reminded...more
Wow...how in the world did I miss this book back in the day? I can't believe it took me over 30 years to read this one.
Moonraker's Bride was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-L-Y wonderful. The kind of book you get that tingling feeling about by page 10 or so. The kind of book you stay up way past your bedtime reading and savouring. The kind of romantic suspense book that used to be so popular 30-40 years ago, and now can't seem to be replicated by today's crop of writers. It reminded...more
I would say a 3.5 stars. This book was recommended to me by my friend, Angie C. I do not really like romance novels, but this had an element of mystery, intrigue, and suspense. So I liked it. I loved the riddle, I suspected the hiding place of the treasure early in the book. I guessed the riddle, even before the characters did, which is so unlike me. I was confused about who the true evil guy was. Although that is what the author wanted me to be, confused. I was hoping that Nick would be the goo...more
1 like · like · see review
I'll always, always love these kind of books - the ones that play off romance and mystery while being set in an interesting period of time and culture, the ones that remind me of classics like Green Gables...but a little more grown up.
(What adds to the awesome - China! My gosh! :D)
This was a no-heavy thinking, feel-good, read - at its essence, a romance, even with it being set in China, exotic China. Its not a book which delves deeply into the historical setting, or Chinese society, or anything...more
(What adds to the awesome - China! My gosh! :D)
This was a no-heavy thinking, feel-good, read - at its essence, a romance, even with it being set in China, exotic China. Its not a book which delves deeply into the historical setting, or Chinese society, or anything...more
Lucy, from Moonraker’s Bride by Madeleine Brent, was born and raised in China. She was the daughter of rich missionary parents from England until she was orphaned due to disease. She runs an orphanage with little help from Miss Prothero (who raised Lucy). One day an English stranger comes into their little village and Lucy’s life quickly spirals beyond her control. One minute being thrown in prison, the next being married. One day after being married, she is widowed. Two strange men are searchin...more
The historical romance genre has never been a particular favorite of mine, but that may be because I’ve read the wrong type (i.e., too many bonnets.) Madeleine Brent—otherwise known as Peter O’Donnell, British mystery writer—caught my attention right away with teenage Lucy and her struggling mission home in China. This is the first Brent/O’Donnell novel I’ve read, but it shouldn’t be the last.
Lucy Waring is a unique heroine: English, but orphaned so young in China that she grew up generally thin...more
Lucy Waring is a unique heroine: English, but orphaned so young in China that she grew up generally thin...more
If you want a book that keeps your attention, this is it. I read this book over a weekend and could hardly stand to put it down long enough to eat.
Lucy is an English orphan in China around the turn of the 20th century. She winds up in jail for stealing and meets Nick Sabine, an Englishman condemned to death. After learning about her situation, he marries her in the prison and gets her out, sparing her a brutal punishment. She is then helped out of the country and sent to England, a foreign land...more
Lucy is an English orphan in China around the turn of the 20th century. She winds up in jail for stealing and meets Nick Sabine, an Englishman condemned to death. After learning about her situation, he marries her in the prison and gets her out, sparing her a brutal punishment. She is then helped out of the country and sent to England, a foreign land...more
Mar 16, 2008
Linda
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Linda by:
Vanessa H.
The pitch on the back of this book states, "The stranger she married that night was gone by morning. But for the rest of her days, she would be Moonraker's Bride." Now, who could resist a story like that? Moonraker's takes place in China right before the Boxer Rebellion. This is an amazing book well worth the time invested in reading it.
Madeleine Brent's books all follow a certain pattern, but it is an intriguing and enjoyable pattern indeed! The heroine always has an unusual background outside of ordinary society. She is usually thrust into that society and the story becomes a "fish out of water" story, and then usually it becomes incumbent upon her to return to her origins to solve the mystery/rescue or become reunited with the hero. Off the top of my head, some of her heroines have been circus performers, raised by aborigine...more
Finished!. I was sad when I finished this book. I loved the mystery with just a touch of romance. It was one of those books that as you were reading it drew you in and when you put it down it left you forgetting something. When ever I paused from reading, I was still thinking about Luci and her trials of running an orphanage in China all by herself and only being seventeen. When her luck changed and the mission field came in to relieve her of her duties, Luci was sent to England to be with a fam...more
I dare not put this book in my favorites shelf yet, because I have only read it once, and to say that a book I have only read once is a favorite, is like listening to a song once and saying it's my favorite song.
But I will say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has been a while where I have so thoroughly enjoyed a plot line like this one. I finished it at one in the morning and was left wired and gregarious and completely satiated, like after a good meal. The writing was good, it wasn't stand-o...more
But I will say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has been a while where I have so thoroughly enjoyed a plot line like this one. I finished it at one in the morning and was left wired and gregarious and completely satiated, like after a good meal. The writing was good, it wasn't stand-o...more
This was recommended to me by one of my best friends (Treena) :) She had read it in high-school and loved it and I finally borrowed it and loved it too! Since reading Moonraker's Bride I have read 2 additional Madeleine Brent books and am reading a third. There is a similar theme in all of the books (I won't spoil it for you) but the thing I love most is having a strong, resilient, independent, courageous heroine to admire. I think this is what inspires me most in any book. These books are mostl...more
May 14, 2013
Emma
added it
Lucy is an English orphan in China around the turn of the 20th century. She winds up in jail for stealing and meets Nick Sabine, an Englishman condemned to death. After learning about her situation, he marries her in the prison and gets her out, sparing her a brutal punishment. She is then helped out of the country and sent to England, a foreign land to her. Blundering her way through unfamiliar customs, dealing with the family she's been stuck with, and courting a man whose own parents don't se...more
The heroine made the story but the plot was a little weak. I enjoyed the old-fashioned feel to it.
I like Lucy. She's English but she's grown up Chinese. She thinks like a Chinese and she behaves like one too even though she speaks English well. There's a bit of identity confusion because she's basically a half-breed. Looks English but acts Chinese. I found the added details of the way Lucy's brain works interesting. For instance, she has round eyes, which is ugly to the almond-shaped Asians and...more
I like Lucy. She's English but she's grown up Chinese. She thinks like a Chinese and she behaves like one too even though she speaks English well. There's a bit of identity confusion because she's basically a half-breed. Looks English but acts Chinese. I found the added details of the way Lucy's brain works interesting. For instance, she has round eyes, which is ugly to the almond-shaped Asians and...more
1 like · like · see review
Liked it, liked it, liked it. Think I read it in a day...I know, I know, you should see my house. Oh well. I thought that this was on par with Golden Urchin, my favorite one of hers. There were twists and turns and the heroine was a bit more vibrant and charismatic than in some of the other novels, which was a nice change. I'm always impressed at how well the cultures are researched. The title makes it sound like the story will be a bit cryptic, but it's not. I'd buy it, or happily receive it as...more
Sep 28, 2011
Cass
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
all who love Victorian romance novels
Recommended to Cass by:
Mary Ann
My sister kept telling me how great this book was and kept loaning her copy out to everyone but me. My library didn't have it so I had to buy it on Amazon. It came with another Madeleine Brent book that was even BETTER than Moonraker's Bride--Merlin's Keep!
Back to Moonraker's Bride review...It is really good! A plucky English orphan girl raised in a Chinese orphanage by an English missionary after her parents die. Goes through many trials, including marrying a stranger (Englishman, of course) in...more
Back to Moonraker's Bride review...It is really good! A plucky English orphan girl raised in a Chinese orphanage by an English missionary after her parents die. Goes through many trials, including marrying a stranger (Englishman, of course) in...more
This book is one of my favorites! It follows the story of an British girl named Lucy who has lived and worked in a mission in China ever since her parents died in the late 1800s. One day, a strange foreigner comes to her small town and warns her of one Nicholas Sabine-proceeding to draw his face on the wall of mission. As times grow harder at the mission, Lucy resorts to stealing in the neighboring town. When she gets caught, she gets sent to jail. To her surprise, who should she meet in the cel...more
Apr 11, 2010
Mojca
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
lovers of old-school gothic romance / mystery
Lucy Waring, an orphan living in a Chinese mission, is the only one who can take care of the fifteen children living with her. In order to provide food, she's forced to steal, for which she ends up in the prison, where she meets Nicholas Sabine, a man with only a few hours to live, his execution is coming up shortly.
Inside a prison cell the two struck a strange friendship that culminates with Nick's marriage proposal. Lucy, unable to deny a dying man, accepts. The next day, she's a widow.
She ret...more
Inside a prison cell the two struck a strange friendship that culminates with Nick's marriage proposal. Lucy, unable to deny a dying man, accepts. The next day, she's a widow.
She ret...more
Jun 05, 2008
Ange
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
lovers of romantic suspense
Shelves:
i-own-this-book
I love books that carry me away and make it hard to put them down--and this was great in that way! It is hard to decide which Madeleine Brent book I love the most but this was certainly rivals some of the others for first place. Madeleine Brent books often follow a pattern (highly suspenseful, young English girl living in a foreign country, lots of action, mystery, full of twists, great character development, a fun little romance), but then have one or two small parts of the pattern that are dif...more
Feb 11, 2008
Rebecca
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who enjoy romantic, adventurous novels
Recommended to Rebecca by:
Aunt Carolyn
Shelves:
fiction
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The story kept me entertained and I wasn't able to guess the resolution of every plot point, so that was good. I liked Lucy, the main character, very much. Although the plot is rather unbelievable, it was so much fun to read that I didn't care if it was possible to have so much coincidence in one novel.
Lucy was orphaned as a young baby. Her parents died while serving a Christian mission in China. She is then raised by a missionary, Miss Prothero, who rear...more
Lucy was orphaned as a young baby. Her parents died while serving a Christian mission in China. She is then raised by a missionary, Miss Prothero, who rear...more
I enjoyed this book very much. In fact, I have a vague feeling that I've read it before. Luckily, I bought a library bound edition with no cover and no indication of what the book is about. So, I read it again (I think) and loved it. A historical adventure with a touch of romance. Very good.
p.s. Not remembering if I have read it is not a reflection on the book -- I just have a horrible memory that allows me to re-read books I know I have read and liked without remembering the plot:)
p.s. Not remembering if I have read it is not a reflection on the book -- I just have a horrible memory that allows me to re-read books I know I have read and liked without remembering the plot:)
This book has been on my to-read list over at Goodreads since I joined the site three years ago! I hadn't gotten around to reading it yet because my local library doesn't have a copy. Finally I went ahead and requested it via InterLibrary Loan. It was a great read! The writing was good (it was both easy to read while still being descriptive) and the characters were great, too. The setting was very interesting: China on the brink of the Boxer Uprising (which I'd only really heard of but couldn't...more
This book had pretty much every element that I really love in a good book: exotic settings, a strong female lead character, several great twists in the plot, a title that makes you think while you're reading the book and try to figure out the reason behind it, triumph over adversity, mystery, romance, adventure. Usually I think I'm doing good to get in two or three of those elements from a book, but Moonraker's Bride has all! I'd never heard of this book before and I guess it's out of print. Man...more
2 likes · like · see review
I always have trouble with a book or story that has flat characters. The heroine was good and beautiful and strong, which is great, but she never learned anything new. Never changed at all! Then what was the point of the story? It has to be more then just an adventure for me. One other thing, I can't handle more than about two uncanny coincidences in a story. I counted at least eight. It's never a good sign when you are constantly scoffing to yourself while reading a book.
I actually read this book when I was a teenager...13, 14, 15...or there abouts. I looooved this book then. I was so pleased to have remembered the title. I am reading it again and I am enjoying it. It has a strong female lead character, romance, a dastardly villain, exotic locations, and interesting historical context (Boxer Rebellion). Although, I have not finished...yet...I am going to go ahead and give it 5 stars. As I am reading it, I am remembering the differents scenes. A book you can reme...more
I read this book when I was a teenager (many years ago :0) and I was enthralled. I can't remember the details exactly but I seem to remember that it was about a girl who had been raised in China and then brought to England for some reason. There was a mystery of some sort involved. After that I read everything that I could get my hands on by Madeleine Brent. Today I read a blog that mentioned that Brent was actually a man by the name of Peter O'Donnell!
This became one of my favorite books early in high school. When I reread it recently, I definitely saw its failings more than I had in the past, but I still love it and fully recommend it! It takes about half of the book to engage the reader in the intrigue of the story, but it's worth the wait. I enjoyed the interesting characters, the plot twists, the romantic bit, and the adventure aspect of the story. I liked the main character's attitude and approach to life (apart from her excessive humili...more
Lately I have been reading books that have not captured my attention. There have been several of them. So I thought it was me instead of "them." But I picked up this book and was intrigued from the beginning. It was also a little nerve racking about how the story was going to come together during the last 10 pages of the book.In fact the author took the story right to a couple of pages before the end to keep you at the edge of your seat. Really good read. I'd recommend it to everyone.
This has to be one of my all time favorite books. I read it first when I was young, and have read it again more than once and love it each time. This is a clean romance/mystery fiction. I love the characters. Lucy is great as she proves her courage and determination and just plain goodness throughout the book. I have given this book to friends my age who have also enjoyed it. Love it!
Loved this book! It is a historical romance mystery, somewhat Gothic. The settings are intriguing, ranging from China to England. The main character is taken on a journey and her faith, courage, and knowledge is put to the test. She learns to trust her senses and her heart while integrating the good things she was taught while growing up. It's a very entertaining book, full of great detail!
Why is this book out of print?!! It's such a great story - like a cross between The Goose Girl, Rebecca, and the Scarlet Pimpernel (kind-of). I love the way he narrates - loved the characters and surprises. It has mystery, romance, suspense. I think I'll start passing it around to my friends if they promise not to lose it. Thanks to my sister for discovering it!!
1 like · like · see review
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Madeleine Brent is a pseudonym used by Peter O'Donnell.
Peter O'Donnell was born on 11 April 1920 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He was interested in writing as a child, and began writing professionally at the age of 16. During World War II he served in the Royal Signals Corps, and was stationed in Persia, Syria, Egypt, the Western Desert, Italy, and Greece. After the war, he worked as a comic s...more
More about Madeleine Brent...
Peter O'Donnell was born on 11 April 1920 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He was interested in writing as a child, and began writing professionally at the age of 16. During World War II he served in the Royal Signals Corps, and was stationed in Persia, Syria, Egypt, the Western Desert, Italy, and Greece. After the war, he worked as a comic s...more
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