I believe it is a mistake to review a book that you liked very much or disliked intensely. Either way, your bias is bound to affect the review. So I will just add that I liked it very much.

That said, this is a powerfully engrossing book, a historical novel set in China and England during the Boxer Rebellion years, when the further away from the Chinese capital, the more powerful and vicious the sway of the warlords. A spellbinding mix of action, suspense, mystery, romance and humour wrapped in an elegant package, as becomes a writer who also created the 1960s comic strip heroine, Modesty Blaise.

The next best thing to a romance that gives you butterflies is one that warms your heart.

The romance in this book didn't occur until well into the second half, but it was adorable and so worth the wait. I prefer my romance to be a little less in the background, but the rest of the book was interesting enough to make up for it. Lucy's adventures in China and as a transplant to England were entertaining. Of course, she was quite dense when it came to a certain person's character (who I had pegged as a bad guy from the beginning), and if she hung her head and wondered what she said wrong one more time I was going to shoot something. Her mistakes regarding the differences between Chinese and English cultures were pretty amusing.

Overall, it was an easy read, not particularly well-written, but fun all the same.

Madeleine Brent is actually my favorite author. Moonraker's Bride is in the classic form of unexpected villain, unreadable twists, and incredibly well researched setting. I've read ALL her books, and they're just like one big box of chocolates. Madeleine is almost a genius author, who shows the new world the lost art of storytelling. Gripping, and emotionally articulate, the story deals with the fate of a 'Chinese' girl. All her books are adventure-romatics without being soppy, and that is because Madeleine Brendt is penned under Peter O'Donnell. This brilliant man wrote all the Modesty Blaze books, which were the forerunner to James Bond. If this critique appeals, then you'll probably take to his 13 books. (or 11? - forgot)

Lucy spent her whole life in China, and she is more Chinese than English. She is used to hard work and sacrifice, so she never expects anything different. England will not leave her alone, though, and she goes through a lot of danger to find a lasting home where she belongs.

I laughed, and I cried, too. There are difficult moments, and again, they're handled expertly so the reader feels maybe even more than Lucy feels. There is a little romance, mostly hinted at, and a LOT of suspense. Some parts of the story may feel a little slow-moving to the modern reader, but there are frequent periods of intensity, so it's worth the wait.

I love how the world and the history were handled--this happens right before the Boxer Rebellion in China, and Lucy faces a lot of ignorance about China and her life there. I think Madeleine Brent handles the different cultures very well, showing each matter-of-factly without judgement. Her characters are interesting and individual.

This book is one of my new favorites. I'm going to have to read more by Madeleine Brent.

Really close to 5 stars but just not quite there. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is one of the better books in the romantic suspense genre that I have read. Can be hard to find in some libraries, but well worth tracking it down. I love how this author, really a man, sets his books in exotic locations and somehow works England into the story as well. He also writes strong, smart, capable heroines.

Takes place just before and during the Boxer Rebellion in China. Lucy Waring, 17 years old and very intelligent, was born and raised in China. She cares for about 15 girls in a mission. These girls were either abandoned or orphaned. The head of the mission is very sick and dies, leaving Lucy all alone to care for the girls. It is a very poor mission and Lucy must resort to theft to feed everyone. Well that gets her into a bind. She meets two Englishmen and they may or may not be able to come to her aid. There is also a helpful doctor. I don't want to give anything away, but Lucy ends up sailing for England. There are some hilarious scenes in England, as well as some suspenseful ones. One of the funnier scenes involves Lucy telling the family she is living with why she believes she was brought to England. In England there is also a young boy named Matthew who was sweet. We also have a bonfire, caves and a snow storm to add some action. After a bit, the story moves back to China and the action really picks up. I won't give anymore away.

This was recommended to me by my GR friend Hannah. Thanks Hannah!

4.5 stars. It's the late 1890's, and seventeen year old Lucy Waring has lived in a mission home in China and has been immersed in Chinese culture all her life. She was born in mainland China to Protestant missionaries, was orphaned at a young age, and has ended up taking care of fifteen abandoned Chinese girls at a rural Christian mission, pretty much singlehandedly after the elderly Englishwoman in charge of the mission falls ill and dies. Lucy speaks English (though less well than Chinese) but has no real knowledge of British culture and considers herself and all other foreigners ugly, because, you know, those unattractive round eyes.

Lately, though, the mission has run out of money and the girls have been living hand-to-mouth. In desperation, Lucy turns to theft to try to keep herself and the Chinese girls alive. On her latest outing she gets caught and tossed into prison, where she meets the second "foreign devil" in two days who has posed her the same riddle:

Above the twisted giant's knife
Where the wind-blown blossom flies
Stands the temple where fortune lies . . .
Rest the sightless tiger's eyes.

Nobody knows what this poetic riddle means, but everyone is convinced that some kind of valuable treasure awaits the person who unravels it.

Her co-prisoner, a young British man, has some money, and helps Lucy get out of prison with a little well-placed bribery. In return, Lucy marries him right before his execution for desecrating a Chinese lord's family tomb, so that he'll have an heir. Eventually Lucy is sent to England, where love and danger await her, along with some serious social missteps.

"You'll never guess why Papa brought you here," said Amanda . . .

I hesitated, for I knew that in a Chinese household the purposes of the senior male person would never be discussed in such a way. But this was England, where manners were different. Everyone was looking at me expectantly, so I bowed my head politely to Mr. Gresham and said, "I know you paid a lot of money to the Mission, sir . . . I am greatly honored that you have chosen this insignificant person to be your concubine now that your wife is becoming old."

There was the most terrible silence.

Moonraker's Bride is a light, enjoyable read, with hidden treasure, perilous caves, family feuds, misunderstandings, romance, hidden passageways, and terrible danger during the Boxer Rebellion in China. I thought this was one of the better books I've read in this genre. It's well-researched, interesting and exciting, even if you have to suspend some disbelief here and there.

Madeleine Brent books are generally set in the 1800s, with an orphaned British heroine who has been immersed in a different culture, which has vastly affected her outlook on life. In Golden Urchin (my favorite!) the MC was raised by Australian aborigines, in Stormswift (NOT my favorite!) she was kidnapped at age 17 and forced into marriage and then into servitude/slavery in Afghanistan, and in Moonraker's Bride the heroine has grown up in China and has adopted its culture. It's an interesting pattern, and it does make for unusual and fascinating romantic suspense novels.

My all-time favorite Madeleine Brent book! This is one of the first books I ever read as a young teen that included a romance. I’ve read it many times.

Characters- Compelling FMC that I just adore. She is capable, humble, kind, smart, and 100% endearing.
The love interest is perfection. There are other side characters that I just love, too!

Plot- I enjoyed the FMC’s growth arc and adventures. How everything comes together at the end is great!

Writing This is old fashioned writing. In other words, it’s not super fast paced. But the writing is fantastic. Since I read this aloud to my 12-year old daughter, it’s okay that it was a little slower paced since she’ll listen to anything if I’m reading out loud. :) So I like to pick oldies to read to her, ones that I know she won’t read herself.

Romance- There is a soft, slow romance here. It’s actually a bit of a mystery who the love interest is at first. The plot and action complement the romance. Although the romance isn’t developed to its FULL potential, there was still good chemistry!


Content-

Language- no swearing
Spice- very clean.
Substance abuse- none
Cover- good
POV- single POV
Cliffhanger- no
Format- out of print book that I own

This Victorian romance reminded me a lot of Mary Stewart's books, because the heroine is such a fighter. She is strong, smart, and able to get out of trouble as quickly as others get into it. One of the things that boggled my mind about this wonderful story with the terrifically competent woman is that it was written by a man using a woman's pseudonym. It shows a man's influence, perhaps in the amount of adventure that Lucy gets into. I love adventure so this was perfect for me.

Lucy Waring is a seventeen year old girl who has lived her whole life in China as a missionary taking care of Chinese girls who have been abandoned by their parents, because boy children are preferred. Her parents died when she was young and the only other adult at the mission is Miss Prothero who is dying. Lucy has run out of money to take care of her 15 girls and, as a last resort, decides to leave the village and walk to Chengfu to steal. She tried begging before, but the Chinese have strict rules about who is allowed to beg, so she got into trouble.

She almost gets away with it, but is wrangled and thrown into prison. Lucy knows, as a foreign devil, because she is English, the ruling warlord will probably be very stern and cut off her hand.. She prays for just a beating, until a handsome, devilish, English stranger who is also jailed presents her with money enough to bribe the guards. This comes with strings attached. She has to marry her fellow prisoner, Nick Sabine. All this happens in the beginning and there is a ton more story, so I am not giving anything away. I can't wait to read more from this author, writing in the 1970s (not the most enlightened time) about a girl heroine. She has a mind of her own and she uses it.

Love this! It is sad that so many good books go out of print. I was lent a vintage copy by a friend! The writing reminded me a lot of Anne of Green Gables, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden, although this was written more recently than any of those. I loved that it was an exciting adventure/romance that was totally clean, but still kept my attention the whole time. Books like that are so rare these days. This book takes place during the Boxer Rebellion in China, which is an interesting piece of history to learn more about.

outstanding novel!

I first read Madeleine Brent in the 70s. She was one of my favorite authors and I was so glad to find her books in Kindle. It has been so long, rereading them was like reading them for the first time. I’ve read Tregarons Daughter and Moonrakers Bride in the last two days, sacrificing sleep because I just can’t put them down. I’m off the the Capricorn Stone now. Stay tuned for my review.

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. Many thanks to my awesome sister-in-law, Bonnie, for introducing this lovely book to me.

Now, this was a great read! Much more gripping than any other gothic novel-- heck, any novel, period-- that I've read in a while, and with a thrilling, emotional romance that I actually cared about, for a change. Moonraker's Bride was an absolute treat to read. I could deduct some small fraction of a star for minor quibbles, but this one is easily rounded up to five stars.

Is it sexist for me to admit that I was ever-so-slightly skeptical when I learned (before starting the book) that Madeleine Brent was the pseudonym of a male author? I should never have doubted: he had far greater skill at writing romance than a great many of the female authors I've been reading, lately. I know next to nothing about the author, actually, but I can't help but picture him as one of his own characters-- Mr. Marsh.

I fear I can't go into a detailed reaction without possibly spoiling the story, so I'll save specific commentary for the next (spoiler-warned) section. Suffice it to say that the novel was a highly addictive blend of adventure, mystery, and romance, enlivened by occasional sparks of humor. I look forward to exploring more of the author's work.

Specifics:
-- Though the Chinese setting was not a special attraction to me when I selected this book, I ended up finding it an interesting and well-written element of the novel.

-- "You must always remember that you are an English child, dear. That does not make you better than a Chinese child, of course, but it is right to take pride in your own country." (This seems to be an unpopular opinion, in much of the West, these days, but I agree wholeheartedly that pride in one's own country is natural and healthy and does not stop one from appreciating what's good about other countries.)

-- "One way in which I knew I was a foreign devil was that I could follow and understand a tune in the same way as Miss Prothero. To the Chinese children the melody meant nothing, and neither did the time. They simply shrieked out the words, all on the same note and as fast as possible."  (I imagine that some readers are bothered by this and certain other instances that may not be politically correct.  Personally, I just wonder if this is a truthful depiction of how Chinese peasant children of the time would have sung a European tune-- especially since these children were raised in an English-run mission, with daily exposure to European music-- hymns.  It seems they should be as capable of singing along as the average English child.)

--  Parts of the mystery were easy enough to solve, yet there was enough uncertainty (about everything except that brass shield!) to keep me wondering for a good while exactly how it would play out.  And by the time it was all perfectly clear, I was thoroughly hooked on the romance and wouldn't have dreamed of stopping reading, even if the mystery had been tidied up chapters earlier!

--  My new literary crush is Nick Sabine.  I'm not sure I can pin it down precisely-- the wicked sense of humor? the devil-may-care attitude?-- but he's a thousand times more engaging and likable and real-seeming than the last dozen or so heroes I've "met".  I vote "swoon-worthy"!

--  I looked up the definition of "moonraker" long before it was ever spelled out in the book.  What a strange word!  And a strange explanation for it, too...

--  If I had to find faults with Moonraker's Bride, they'd be as follows:
1. There are a great many coincidences... But those don't really bother me when the book is entertaining.  Just heap on a little more suspension of disbelief.
2.  Stereotypes?  Well, yes, there are some, but they could've been much worse.
3.  Though I like Lucy, she is almost too good to be true, most of the time.
4.  Is it realistic that a man like Nick Sabine would be "experienced"?  Yes.  But I still don't love that aspect of the character... It was the one thing I would've changed about him, I think.   However, that seems to be something we're supposed to expect, if not applaud, in the hero of gothic novels.

--  There are times that Lucy is just a bit too naive and slow on the up-take, but I'm happy to overlook them.  Especially when they yield moments of hilarity like  her answer to the question, "Do you like cats?" and her belief that Mr. Gresham has brought her to England to be his concubine.  (!!!)

--  It's funny how often fiction gives us two maps to a treasure that are useless individually, but consulted simultaneously will supposedly point the direction-- or a map ripped in half so that the halves must be joined to be useful.  I can't quite picture how that works... It seems that one half would have to be better than the other, if not completely sufficient.

--  This book has at least a couple of references to "spoonsful" of this or that.  The word "spoonsful" just looks completely wrong to me.  Possibly some people think that's correct, but I'm sticking with "spoonfuls".   (And after looking it up online, I've now seen the word "spoon" so many times that it looks ridiculous-- nonsensical.  Funny how easy it is to do that...)

--  "Never change."  ~~swoon~~ ;o)  (Yet at the same time... People do change, whether they want to or not... And it would be nice to think that someone would love you even when you do change over the years.  But now I'm reading too much into something that's surely meant just to be a sweet, charming "I love you" between the hero and heroine.)

-- I didn't realize until just now that this was published in the early 1970s!  I would've guessed it was written earlier than that-- maybe about twenty years earlier... (That's a compliment, by the way...)