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Goddess of the Rose
(Goddess Summoning #4)
by
When modern-day Mikki ends up in the strange Realm of the Rose, Hecate has been waiting for her. So too has her gorgeous guardian beast, who soon has Mikki swooning. But to save the realm, Mikki will have to sacrifice her life-giving blood.
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Paperback, 345 pages
Published
February 7th 2006
by Berkley Sensation
(first published 2006)
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Showing 1-30

Start your review of Goddess of the Rose (Goddess Summoning, #4)

I tried, I really did. I even picked it back up, after a few previous failures but by God, could she please stop talking about those fucking roses. Seriously. I felt like all I read about were those roses and how she grew them. Ghh. I did hear it gets better after the first half, but by then I just didn't care anymore. Sadly a DNF for me. :(
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First Line: "Once upno a time, when men still believed gods and goddesses walked the earth, Hecate, Great Goddess of Night, was granted dominion over the crossroads of man."
I just keep enjoying Cast's Goddess Summoning series. They are such a different type of romance. I was particularly tickled reading this one because the hero is not a man, but a beast. This story combines the ancient mythology of the goddess Hecate and the well-known fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast. The beauty, Mikki, is a ...more
I just keep enjoying Cast's Goddess Summoning series. They are such a different type of romance. I was particularly tickled reading this one because the hero is not a man, but a beast. This story combines the ancient mythology of the goddess Hecate and the well-known fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast. The beauty, Mikki, is a ...more

So, I'm a complete Faery Tale freak and a big fan of Roses and Hecate and all. I asked my Roommate beforehand what she thought, if I would be offended or pleased. She gave me a noncommittal answer, and since it wasn't an outright pan, I read the book.
I remember getting to a certain point and thinking, "hrmm... I think the author was a Dianic at one point" as her rituals are very close (even verbatim in some areas) to the Dianic rituals I'm used to. Then again, the Dianics didn't originate those ...more
I remember getting to a certain point and thinking, "hrmm... I think the author was a Dianic at one point" as her rituals are very close (even verbatim in some areas) to the Dianic rituals I'm used to. Then again, the Dianics didn't originate those ...more

I've had a love / hate relationship with the Goddess series books. Some of them have been wonderful and others have made me want to throw the book across the room. This one fell somewhere in between. I thought the story was intriguing but a lot of the characters left me cold and weren't really given a three dimensionsal life to make me want to explore why they might be giving off that cool indifference. The heroine, Mikado, is a thrown into a world she loves where her job is to care for the rose
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Out of all of the Goddess Summoning series this book is the one that tugs on my heart strings the most. It has been several years since I first read this book and now the second time through it still brings me to tears. I love this book. It is a twist on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast one of my favorites. P.C. Cast does a great job breathing new life into the tale. I hope you love it has much as I do!!
Yup, third time through and I still cry each time. I love this story and I cannot wait to ...more
Yup, third time through and I still cry each time. I love this story and I cannot wait to ...more

THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD BEAUTY AND THE BEAST RETELLING!
There was so much magic and mysticism in this book, it was awesome. I loved how Mikki was swept off to the magical Realm of the Roses. P.C. Cast always manages to bring mythology alive in different and innovative ways. I loved Mikki when I met her and I thought her erotic dreams of a beast man were quite unique. I really enjoyed the romance in this and I am super supportive of the message being about acceptance, love and trust. (view spoiler) ...more
There was so much magic and mysticism in this book, it was awesome. I loved how Mikki was swept off to the magical Realm of the Roses. P.C. Cast always manages to bring mythology alive in different and innovative ways. I loved Mikki when I met her and I thought her erotic dreams of a beast man were quite unique. I really enjoyed the romance in this and I am super supportive of the message being about acceptance, love and trust. (view spoiler) ...more

I really enjoyed this installemnt in the Goddess Summoning series and it has quickly become my second favourite book in it - only topped by Goddess of Spring.
This book tells the tale of Mikado, a modern american woman, who by a chain of events is transported to the magical Realm of the Rose where she is to rule as the high priestess of the Goddess Hecate. But there is more to her new job and the realm she is to govern than there seems to be; the same is true for the Guardian who protects the rea ...more
This book tells the tale of Mikado, a modern american woman, who by a chain of events is transported to the magical Realm of the Rose where she is to rule as the high priestess of the Goddess Hecate. But there is more to her new job and the realm she is to govern than there seems to be; the same is true for the Guardian who protects the rea ...more

When I first picked up this book I was actually intrigued by concept of the story of having beauty being mixed with Greek mythology. I really thought this book would be an interesting read but little did I know what a stuggle It would be to just finish it. I was immensely disappointed by how the book turned out to be. It was a really slow and boring read there were times were I would nod off to sleep while reading it. I have read many other books by this same author and was not disappointed but
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I absolutely LOVED this Beauty and the Beast retelling...it was full of magick and romance and roses, with a unique twist on the story. 4/5⭐️

This book was just "meh" for me. The beginning was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SLOW. And like a lot of P.C. Cast books the characters were 2 dimensional. Any villains found in this story I just skimmed over , like I skimmed through the last third of this book. So I think it's time me and P.C.Cast say good bye she has amazing ideas but writing style, characters and settings just aren't enough to keep me hooked.
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“This book is for everyone who fell in love with the Beast, and then was truly disappointed when he turned into a handsome prince.”
This is the dedication P.C Cast wrote at the beginning of this book and as soon as I read those words, I knew this would be a story I would love. While I haven’t read all the books in the Goddess Summoning series – I have read most, and without doubt Goddess of the Rose has definitely been my favourite so far!
When modern day women Mikado (Mikki) finds herself transp ...more
This is the dedication P.C Cast wrote at the beginning of this book and as soon as I read those words, I knew this would be a story I would love. While I haven’t read all the books in the Goddess Summoning series – I have read most, and without doubt Goddess of the Rose has definitely been my favourite so far!
When modern day women Mikado (Mikki) finds herself transp ...more

3.5 stars. Fluffy, fun romance. I'm generally a fan of stories where love is built on a true connection instead of simply a physical attraction. This was a Beauty and the Beast retelling mixed with Greek mythology, which was a bit strange, but since I like both of these things, I was okay with the odd combo.
That's about it. I can't seem to make it through a book of Cast's without getting annoyed at the lead female at least a couple of times...but ah well. It wasn't that bad this time as it coul ...more
That's about it. I can't seem to make it through a book of Cast's without getting annoyed at the lead female at least a couple of times...but ah well. It wasn't that bad this time as it coul ...more

As usual with P.C. Cast's Goddess Summoning series, the first third to one half of the book started out pretty slow and requires a bit more willpower to get through (luckily I picked up this book for the first time on an airplane so lack of anything else to do helped me to get through the initial slow parts). I've also read her Goddess of Spring novel, and that one seemed to pick up the pace and introduce the romance much earlier than Goddess of the Rose. Once the romance finally got going I rea
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For instance, I thought I was literally in a different world. Everything was new to me, Godess, beast, etc. And it was too feminine for me. So i really had to make an effort in understanding this story.
In the end, I enjoyed so much, I even see myself as an Empousa. ( with the power of summoning your maids through telepathy, chiton dress, hotsrping and a power to grow roses through blood!)
I love how the ending gave justice to all the characters. Less drama, less violence, just creativity and ma ...more
In the end, I enjoyed so much, I even see myself as an Empousa. ( with the power of summoning your maids through telepathy, chiton dress, hotsrping and a power to grow roses through blood!)
I love how the ending gave justice to all the characters. Less drama, less violence, just creativity and ma ...more

I wasn't that thrilled about this story at first even though it's loosely based on Beauty and the Beast but I ended up really liking it later on. Hecate wasn't that bad. I usually quite enjoy stories that show you how someone fell in love with a "beast" and it was exciting reading how Mikki embraced her needs and instincts, how she knew she didn't belong and how she ended up getting her happy ending. And now there is a new goddess.
The sacrifice scene as well as the almost rape scenes were a bit ...more
The sacrifice scene as well as the almost rape scenes were a bit ...more

blah blah blah...
i'm almost halfway and it's all been about roses and ceremony. i'm all for world building but this is ridiculous - the two main characters have barely interacted and if i read one more thing about tending a rose garden i'm going to scream. DID NOT FINISH.
maybe one day when i'm feeling more patient (and really desperate for something to read) i'll revisit the story, instead i'm moving onto the next book in the series. ...more
i'm almost halfway and it's all been about roses and ceremony. i'm all for world building but this is ridiculous - the two main characters have barely interacted and if i read one more thing about tending a rose garden i'm going to scream. DID NOT FINISH.
maybe one day when i'm feeling more patient (and really desperate for something to read) i'll revisit the story, instead i'm moving onto the next book in the series. ...more

I did it, I finished the book. I have to say, I am disappointed. This book is so unlike P.C. Cast. But then again, I haven't read any of their other books except for The House of Night Series and The Forbidden Game. However, I found this book very unlikable, and the characters were underdeveloped. It also had a few loose ends I was unhappy with.
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3.5 stars a different take on beauty and the beast

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Like much of the books that I've been reading recently, I like the IDEA behind the book without liking the actual book itself.
I mean, come on. I love me some Beauty and the Beast retelling (although, I'm loathe to tell Cast about Cupid and Psyche... Dear lord no.), but I could not with Goddess of the Rose.
She fucked the Minotaur. Come on. Seriously? I cannot.
On top of the usual Cast nonsense of pages of “Let's cast a circle! Water, I call to you! Fire...” Blah-blah-blah... It got old, real fast ...more
I mean, come on. I love me some Beauty and the Beast retelling (although, I'm loathe to tell Cast about Cupid and Psyche... Dear lord no.), but I could not with Goddess of the Rose.
She fucked the Minotaur. Come on. Seriously? I cannot.
On top of the usual Cast nonsense of pages of “Let's cast a circle! Water, I call to you! Fire...” Blah-blah-blah... It got old, real fast ...more

A Beauty and the Beast retelling,I was so excited,so ready for a new favorite book... I adore PC Cast, but this volume just wasn't as good as her other offerings.. This book was 70% about roses and gardening and only a miniscule amount was romance. I thought this particular Goddess Summoning volume would be the darkest and most steamy, but of the 3 I've read it's the least. The beginning chapters are really interesting and the last few are very exciting, but the rest is about roses! I've seen ot
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Mar 18, 2018
selene
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
people who love myths and Beauty and the Beast also roses
Shelves:
beauty-and-the-beast
This was a very original Beauty and the Beast retelling. In other reviews I have seen people complaining about how much they didn't like the amount of pages this book dedicated to talking about roses. I must say I loved every second of it and is something I will miss in other re-tellings. Our protagonist, Mikado, is a very headstrong character and I love her. I love that beast doesn't have to change his appearance as well as all the mythological and ritualistic portions of this book. Somehow I w
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Nice enough. Not as good as the others I've read in the series so far.
Took a long while to get into the story. The first half, the pacing was very slow with not much plot.
The whole story was a bit lacking. Not as rich and detailed as others in this series have been. A very simple story that could have been executed better.
I also disliked how some information was kept from Mikki. The whole keeping something from someone for their safety or wellbeing or whatever is a trope I just loathe. It's over ...more
Took a long while to get into the story. The first half, the pacing was very slow with not much plot.
The whole story was a bit lacking. Not as rich and detailed as others in this series have been. A very simple story that could have been executed better.
I also disliked how some information was kept from Mikki. The whole keeping something from someone for their safety or wellbeing or whatever is a trope I just loathe. It's over ...more

I like this series....I know its a bit cheesy and some parts are just wrong in the point of view of mythology. It is, at times, basically erotica with some sort of mythological storyline, but I still enjoy it. This is the first book I read in the series and proceeded to read the others out of curiousity. I'm re-reading it now and I see some things I missed when I was younger. The coincidences of "anointing" herself, the invocation, the blood, its a bit too much of a stretch but I guess thats wha
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"This book is for everyone who fell in love with the Beast, and then was truly disappointed when he turned into a handsome prince."
Urmm bingo! That's been me since I was a kid and first watched Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
You know everytime I think I'm bored of P.C. Cast's same plots and schemes she surprises me with a good story.
I liked how this was different from the other summoning as she kept her own body which meant there wasn't all that fuss about hiding who she was and gods/godesses. ...more
Urmm bingo! That's been me since I was a kid and first watched Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
You know everytime I think I'm bored of P.C. Cast's same plots and schemes she surprises me with a good story.
I liked how this was different from the other summoning as she kept her own body which meant there wasn't all that fuss about hiding who she was and gods/godesses. ...more
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PC was born in the Midwest, and grew up being shuttled back-and-forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell in love with Quarter Horses and mythology (at about the same time). After high school, she joined the United States Air Force and began public speaking and writing. After her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a #1
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