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The Midnight Rose

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What to expect

From the author of the Seven Sisters series, Lucinda Riley, The Midnight Rose spans four generations and sweeps from the glittering palaces of the great maharajas of India to the majestic stately homes of England, following the extraordinary life of a girl, Anahita Chavan, from 1911 to the present day . . .

Read by Aysha Kala (The Appeal, The God of Small Things)


'A captivating read from Lucinda Riley. Ideal for a book club' – Daily Mail

A lifelong passion. An endless search.

At the height of the British Raj, eleven-year-old Anahita, from a noble but impoverished family, forms a lifelong friendship with the headstrong Princess Indira, the privileged daughter of rich Indian royalty. Becoming the princess's official companion, Anahita accompanies her friend to England just before the outbreak of the Great War. There, she meets the young Donald Astbury – reluctant heir to the magnificent, remote Astbury Estate – and his scheming mother.

Eighty years later, Rebecca Bradley, a young American film star, has the world at her feet. But when her turbulent relationship with her equally famous boyfriend takes an unexpected turn, she's relieved that her latest role, playing a 1920s debutante, will take her away from the glare of publicity to the wilds of Dartmoor in England. Shortly after filming begins at the now-crumbling Astbury Hall, Ari Malik, Anahita's great-grandson, arrives unexpectedly, on a quest for his family's past. What he and Rebecca discover begins to unravel the dark secrets that haunt the Astbury dynasty . . .

Shortlisted for the Epic Romantic Novel of the Year in the Romantic Novelists' Association Books Awards

Five-star reviews:

‘Wow! What a wonderful story, recommend it to take you away into another world (or two)

I was completely drawn into the story with its twists and turns and wonderful descriptions of life in India as well as Devon’

‘This is a book that reveals itself slowly to the reader. It is a story of love and loss and everything in between, but those words alone are not enough to describe how utterly mesmerising this book is’

‘Such a lovely story, beautifully narrated. A long winding tale which will bring tears to your eyes’

Critics Review

Irish-born Riley is quietly becoming a huge success story
Red
A captivating read from Lucinda Riley. Ideal for a book club
Daily Mail
What an absolutely fantastic storyteller - I was immediately immersed in the story, and absolutely compelled to keep reading to the very last page
Katherine Webb, author of The Misbegotten
Spellbinding storytelling
Choice Magazine
A strong, often nostalgic offering
Daily Express Weekend
This is a beautifully written story that captures the imagination
Shropshire Star
Romantic fiction at its most captivating
Lancashire Evening Post

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
Author Lucinda Riley
Narrator Aysha Kala
Duration 19 hours and 31 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781529043655
Format Audiobook
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Genre Contemporary romance, Family life fiction, Fiction: dual or multiple timelines, Historical fiction, Historical romance, Narrative theme: Sense of place
Availability GB, IE, US
Rating
5.0 (2 reviews)
Narration
5.0 (2 reviews)

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