• For the Roses

  • Claybornes' Brides, Book 1
  • By: Julie Garwood
  • Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
  • Length: 22 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,104 ratings)

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For the Roses  By  cover art

For the Roses

By: Julie Garwood
Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
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Publisher's summary

Julie Garwood's best-selling novels of the beloved Clayborne family began with this critically acclaimed masterpiece.

The Clayborne brothers were a rough gang of street urchins - until they found an abandoned baby girl in a New York City alley, named her Mary Rose, and headed to Blue Belle, Montana, to raise her to be a lady. They became a family - held together by loyalty and love, if not blood - when suddenly a stranger threatened to tear them apart.

Lord Harrison Stanford MacDonald brandished a six-shooter and a swagger, but he soon proved to be a gentleman to the core. The brothers taught him frontier survival, while Mary Rose touched his heart with a deep and desperate passion. But soon, a shattering secret would challenge everything Mary Rose believed about herself, her life, and her newfound love.

©1995 Julie Garwood (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

What listeners say about For the Roses

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful Story

As I started listening to this captivating story it reminded me of a Hallmark movie that I watched on TV. About an hour into this book I realized that it was a Hallmark movie! I looked it up and the movie is called "Rose Hill' made in 1997. Of course this book is better because of the detail as they crammed 22 hours into 2 for the movie.

Its a touching story of commitment, devotion, honor, and love. It shows that the meaning of family goes deeper than blood. Such a touching story nobody should miss.

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34 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

And So It Begins

This fan simply adores all of Julie Garwood's novels. No matter if they are from far in the past or modern day. She pull's me right into the book. I love the way she brings the clan names through time into her present day F.B.I. series. The narration on this particular book was simply wonderful. Mikael Naramore did an excellent job. I swear it was a pure pleasure to listen to him read. This small gang of young boy's, jump right into the heart and stay there all the way through the book. Which sets you up for the following book's.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

By far the BEST Julie Garwood book I have read!!!

Actually I have to say this is not only one of J Garwood’s best books but one of the better book I have yet to read. This story encompasses love, compassion and sacrifice between people brought together by life’s misfortunes. I am so sensitive to writer’s ramblings on about the hero or heroin’s thoughts (which are mostly repetitive) that reading this book was truly refreshing. This story was action filled, not thriller action, but the type where every moment was filled with relevant pieces that I feel added to the story and to the building of each and every character. GREAT job Garwood. This is TRULY one of the books worth three times the credit. Get it and enjoy experiencing true love of family, friends and a soul mate.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

I love Julie Garwood but...

... this one goes back to Audible. I can't even finish it.

Pros:
-The premise is wonderful. Orphaned New York street urchins rescue a baby girl from a trash heap and raise her in Montana.
-Nice variety of characters sprinkled generously throughout the story.

That's pretty much it.

Cons:
- Main characters that I've encountered so far (Mary Rose, the four brothers, Harrison, Eleanor) are reduced to archetypes who are much too perfect in their assigned roles. It's not "real." Adam is always wise and knows everything. Rose is kind and generous to the point of occasionally risking her life or the family's stability in order to not have to say , "No." "Eleanor is perfectly horrible. Harrison is so perfect in every skill he has picked up since leaving Scotland that one wonders that he can't fly. Yes, it's like that.
- Too many I-can't-buy-that plot devises inserted. For example, the four street urchins and Mary Rose speak fluent French. There is no explanation (at least as far as I got before I gave up) for when or how they managed this while making their way from NYC to Montana, keeping themselves and a baby alive and building a wildly successful ranch. It just is. Side note: I loved the letters the brothers wrote "home" telling about their journey through the years. Unfortunately, that clever device was grossly underused while dialogue was beaten to death.
- Much, much, much too much dialogue. It was an extreme-eye-roll provocation at times. Long discussions about stuff that mostly didn't contribute anything to the story.
- Much too long without sufficient plot movement to make the wait and the **pain worthwhile. I've given up 13 hours in and I just can't do it any more. I no longer care.
- Finally, **the narrator is amazingly bad. He has a reasonably good range of voices but he can't act! Sometimes it was so bad, I would lose track of the story because I was groaning in anguish. Worst of all was his Scottish accent. One of the two principle characters - Mary Rose and Harrison - is a Scot. Did nobody think it might be a good idea to determine that Naramore could actually DO that accent? It's hard to describe how badly he mangles this but try to imagine that he sometimes sounds Italian, sometimes sort of American southern [???!] and sometimes - most times - like an American trying to do a Scottish brogue but failing. And I haven't gotten yet to the part where British aristocrats are introduced. The mind boggles.

If the narrator wasn't so awful, I'd probably try to wade through the last ten chapters (nine hours!) but I just can't.

I recommend many of Garwood's books, but not this one.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

amazing story, excellent narration

Well I have to say that a couple times, I wondered if this was too much talking and detail. But, after finishing it I think all those details were necessary. Definitely worth the credit, worth more than one. And, plan the last hour uninterrupted when you listen. I was in the car for my 45 minute commute and could not stop for the last 15 minutes, came straight into the house and listened to the end. This story line had many plot twists and turns. I love the historical romance genre, but they do become predictable at times. This is much more than a love story. The book explores many aspects of history, such as class differences, prejudices, divisions in our country, women's rights, and they are handled in unique ways. Highly recommend this book, and this narrator. I agree with another reviewer that the Scottish brogue wasn't always believable. But still gave it 5 stars because of the wide range of accents, ages and genders that the narrator was able to capture.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

I quit after 17 hours and don't care what happens

I have enjoyed some other Garwood books, but this was awful. The author seemed to think that witty dialogue between the characters could cover the fact that nothing happens for hours at a time. It might, if the dialogue was actually witty. Instead, I felt like I was in Oz listening to a race of people who never grow up or fully mature and who have no sense of reason or logic. It didn't come off as charming- just juvenile and silly. After 17 hours, I finally said, "Uncle." I just don't care what happens any longer, if I ever did.

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5 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Poor effort

Any additional comments?

I cannot understand how this can be a best seller. Maybe the print version was a little better, but I doubt it. The narrator in the audible version does terrible female voices. I cringed during the audible version. Also, the characters and the "I'm in love" feelings were not carefully built and revealed - they were just declared to be what the author wanted them to be and we were supposed to accept it at her word. It could have been a good story if it were written as well as Garwood did in "The Wedding" or "The Secret" and some other of her books. I am sending this one back (the first time I have ever done so).

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3 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Doesn't ever pick up the pace!

Over half way through this book and it is not going anywhere....This could really be a good story plot but it just isn't going anywhere!!
I don't feel connected with the characters, I don't feel anything for the narrator or his voices of the characters, especially when he goes from a Scottish brogue to an Irish brogue for Harrison's voice.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

To much talking

I'm used to more action and faster pace from Julie Garwood. The story line was great if it had just moved along faster and had more action and less talking. I normally don't like male narrator's. I fined they have loud and gruff voices. I like to be relaxed and soothed when I listen and men usually do terrible impressions of women. This narrator, however, did a fine job with the female voices and also had a soothing tone to his voice. My only complaint was his so called Scottish brogue, he sounded more like a Viking or Russian.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Loved the characters!

Overall the story was a bit long but the characters were fun. It only seemed to drag when the brothers were not around. I am sure I will listen to this again one day and I will have to get any future releases with this family.

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3 people found this helpful