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Burning Beauty
{from book jacket} Beautiful Virginia Oliphant is loved by two men--gay, irresistible Tony who tempts her with his millions, and steady, charming Michael who tempts her with nothing more than his devotion.
Because her brother is weak and needs her strength, and because she believes that he has it in him to be a great writer, Virginia is willing to sacrifice the chance for her happiness, until a disastrous affair with a sophisticated woman of the world brings the boy to a realization of his selfishness. From his pain and bewilderment is born his manhood and Virginia is at last free to make a choice for her own happiness.
Because her brother is weak and needs her strength, and because she believes that he has it in him to be a great writer, Virginia is willing to sacrifice the chance for her happiness, until a disastrous affair with a sophisticated woman of the world brings the boy to a realization of his selfishness. From his pain and bewilderment is born his manhood and Virginia is at last free to make a choice for her own happiness.
318 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1929
18 people want to read
About the author
Temple Bailey
103 books12 followersKnown as "Queen of the Romantic Novel", Irene Temple Bailey was born in Petersburg, Virginia. Her childhood was spent in Washington, D.C., and she attended a girls' school in Richmond, Virginia. In the early 1900s, she had her fiction published in national magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Cavalier Magazine, Cosmopolitan, American Magazine, McClure's, Woman's Home Companion, Good Housekeeping, and McCall's.
Her success with short stories inspired her to try her hand at books, and her first novel, Judy, was published in 1907. She eventually wrote over 25 best-selling books and became one of the most successful authors of her time. Later she also ventured into screenwriting; in 1914 she wrote the screenplay for the Vitagraph Studios film Auntie.
Temple Bailey is probably most famous for her short story, "A Parable of Motherhood."
Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1...
Her success with short stories inspired her to try her hand at books, and her first novel, Judy, was published in 1907. She eventually wrote over 25 best-selling books and became one of the most successful authors of her time. Later she also ventured into screenwriting; in 1914 she wrote the screenplay for the Vitagraph Studios film Auntie.
Temple Bailey is probably most famous for her short story, "A Parable of Motherhood."
Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 27, 2025
Virginia is overshadowed by her selfish brother Rickey, who is convinced that he has the genius to write a bestselling book. He potentially sells the unfinished manuscript to a famous editor, Michael McMillan, who is smitten with the lovely Virginia. But Virginia is also being wooed by rich Anthony, who impresses her with his fancy country estate. Virginia must choose if she will marry for money or for love, but her brother's selfish concerns take precedence and Virginia runs away from both her suitors in order to take care of Rickey.
Rickey is obsessed with a wealthy socialite called Marty that he dubs his "silver witch". She is his muse for a new book, but she is just toying with him. He barely notices the sweet Mary Lee who truly loves him.
I really loved this sweet romance! It's very clean and wholesome, as the characters consider what it truly means to love someone and meet the challenges of life together. The romance is not just about falling in love, but also about deciding what kind of person you want to be and what kind of life would make you happy. It's about integrity and having the courage to face the truth!
I especially liked the Christian themes in the book, as the characters sometimes look to God for inspiration and courage! The Christian themes are very subtle with only a couple of mentions of God or praying, but the Christian worldview underlies all the decisions the characters make and all their deepest desires for a life of peace and joy.
The writing is delightful and I loved all the scenes at Christmas time in the middle of the book. The supporting characters are memorable and complex, especially Anthony's family and Virginia's neighbors. The plot really keeps you wondering, because their plans are always changing and new circumstances arise that seem to tear the characters apart even more.
It was really interesting to explore the nature of creativity and genius through Rickey's attempts at writing a successful novel. He has great ideas, but they fall flat when he tries to write it out. Virginia also has some of the creative spark and she is much better at organizing the ideas and bringing them to fruition because she has a more disciplined mind.
The story explores the hold that selfish people have on the people who love them. Michael says that Virginia has made Rickey be selfish, because she is always forgiving and generous. She ought to be more tough on him and demand respect! These two siblings have fallen into some toxic behavior patterns that are not doing either of them any good, and it takes real strength of character to break that pattern.
To see sensitive details including some drunkenness, check out the book on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/burnin...
Rickey is obsessed with a wealthy socialite called Marty that he dubs his "silver witch". She is his muse for a new book, but she is just toying with him. He barely notices the sweet Mary Lee who truly loves him.
I really loved this sweet romance! It's very clean and wholesome, as the characters consider what it truly means to love someone and meet the challenges of life together. The romance is not just about falling in love, but also about deciding what kind of person you want to be and what kind of life would make you happy. It's about integrity and having the courage to face the truth!
I especially liked the Christian themes in the book, as the characters sometimes look to God for inspiration and courage! The Christian themes are very subtle with only a couple of mentions of God or praying, but the Christian worldview underlies all the decisions the characters make and all their deepest desires for a life of peace and joy.
The writing is delightful and I loved all the scenes at Christmas time in the middle of the book. The supporting characters are memorable and complex, especially Anthony's family and Virginia's neighbors. The plot really keeps you wondering, because their plans are always changing and new circumstances arise that seem to tear the characters apart even more.
It was really interesting to explore the nature of creativity and genius through Rickey's attempts at writing a successful novel. He has great ideas, but they fall flat when he tries to write it out. Virginia also has some of the creative spark and she is much better at organizing the ideas and bringing them to fruition because she has a more disciplined mind.
The story explores the hold that selfish people have on the people who love them. Michael says that Virginia has made Rickey be selfish, because she is always forgiving and generous. She ought to be more tough on him and demand respect! These two siblings have fallen into some toxic behavior patterns that are not doing either of them any good, and it takes real strength of character to break that pattern.
To see sensitive details including some drunkenness, check out the book on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/burnin...
March 4, 2016
Not Temple Bailey's best, but still an interesting look at the values of New York society. You always think that people have more freedom now or that we are morally more loose, but people are the same throughout history. Sin, virtue, always the same no matter the time.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews