For the Roses by Julie Garwood

Discovered as a baby and raised by four urchin boys, Mary Rose Clayborne remains fiercely loyal to her misfit family until an English lord reveals a shocking secret that sends her into a confrontation with her past. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly In 1879, British lawyer Harrison MacDonald is on a mission to find the long-lost daughter of his employer, the powerful industrialist Lord Elliott. His search takes him from London to the majestic mountains of Montana, where he finds Mary Rose Clayborne, a breathtaking beauty with four tough brothers. Harrison infiltrates the family by playing on Mary Rose's generosity, but instead of uncovering whoever kidnapped Mary Rose as an infant, he finds a loud and argumentative, though warm and caring, family. Harrison fights his growing desire for Mary Rose but fails, and soon the two are married. When Harrison confesses the truth behind his charade, the bride feels betrayed by her new husband, but follows him to England to meet her father and to snare the real kidnapper. Even Garwood's more loyal fans may be dissatisfied with her lifeless narrative and slow pacing here, as well as with the endless parade of new secondary characters. The only saving grace is the outrageous behavior of the heroine and her siblings, as wild as the Old West in which they live. Doubleday Book Club main selection. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal When a gang of New York orphans discovers baby Mary Rose inside a picnic basket in a trash bin, they travel to Montana to establish a more suitable home for their new charge. Headed up by an escaped slave and peopled with would-be juvenile delinquents, the family that results is unique, to say the least. But it works for 19 years?and then Harrison MacDonald appears, sent by an English nobleman to reclaim the long lost Mary Rose. Filled with humor and appealing characters and neatly punctuated with letters to the absent Mama Rose, Garwood's (Prince Charming, Pocket Bks., 1994) lively and charming romance is essential to most romance collections. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist When four streetwise boys, one of whom is a runaway slave, find a baby girl in a New York City alley, they make a pact to raise her the way they should have been raised. Christening the child Mary Rose, the children form a family under the adopted name of Clayborne and head West to protect Mary Rose from the people who abandoned her. Eighteen years and several thousand miles later, Harrison MacDonald tracks down a rumor about a young lady who could be the daughter of his employer, a wealthy British lord. Harrison confirms that Mary Rose, whom he has fallen in love with, is the missing child, stolen as an infant and believed dead, and immediately makes plans to reunite her with her family as his wife. In England, Mary Rose soon realizes love is stronger than blood and returns to America and her brothers. The conclusion to all this is quite satisfying. A surefire hit with fans of the historical romance and the best-selling Garwood. Highly recommended for all public libraries. Melanie Duncan Review Thrown into a trash heap in New York City, a tiny baby is found by four boys. Adam, Douglas, Travis and Cole name her Mary Rose and make her part of their unusual family. The boys aren't related-- in fact, Adam is a run away slave-- but they are a family in the ways that count. Together, they will move to Montana Valley and raise Mary Rose. Out west no one will question their relationship and they will have the kind of peaceful life they've always wanted. Until someone shows up looking for that little lost baby. Harrison Stanford MacDonald arrives in the town of Blue Belle to find out about the Claybornes. Hired by Lord William Elliot of England, he has heard rumors that Mary Rose Clayborne bears an uncanny resemblance to Lady Agatha Elliot. Could it be that Mary Rose is the long lost daughter of Lady Agatha and Lord William? He intends to find out. When he sees the beautiful Mary Rose, he knows there is no mistake-- no matter who she says she is, this girl is Lady Victoria Elliot. But before he can return her to her real family, Harrison must gain her trust as well as convince her brothers. He concocts a plan that is sure to endear him to Mary Rose. Mary Rose has always had a soft heart for bumbling misfits. Harrison MacDonald certainly seems to fit that description. He obviously has no experience with guns and he doesn't understand the ways of the west. Convinced he will get himself killed, Mary Rose takes him under her wing and brings him to her brothers' ranch so they can teach him how to defend himself. It doesn't take long for Mary Rose to lose her heart to the man who will change her life forever. But will she be able to forgive him for deceiving her? When she finally returns to England to meet the family she has never known, Mary Rose finds herself in a world that is foreign to her. Her father and aunt want to forget the past and turn her into the Lady Victoria she should have been. Before she can have a future with Harrison, Mary Rose will have to deal with her new identity and the past. She may have been born Lady Victoria, but in her heart she will always be Mary Rose.Julie Garwood writes the most wonderful books! Her stories are imaginative, passionate and always special! I couldn't put this book down! Charming and romantic! For The Roses is a winner! You will fall in love with these characters! Once again, Julie Garwood proves that she is one of the best in romance fiction! Her books just keep getting better and better! If you haven't read a book by Julie Garwood, you don't know what you've been missing! Once again, a winner!Kristina Wright -- Copyright © 1994-97 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved -- From Literary Times