Leo doesn't love Daylily, it's never made clear what his feelings for Rosie really are, and he goes and falls in love with Princess Una. Rosie's feelings of friendship with Leo grow into something more. The Romance: Daylily falls in love with Leo despite herself. He does pretty much the same thing in Veiled Rose as he did in Heartless, and it impressed me about as much as it did before: not at all. Once I found out who Beana really is, I liked her and I hope to learn more about her story in future books. And of course, her treatment of Rosie did nothing to endear her to me.

She unwittingly falls in love with Leo - or so she claims, - but I never got the impression that she truly did love him. I thought I would like Lady Daylily at first, but it didn't take me long to realize that everything she did was for her own selfish desires. While he seems to genuinely regret his cowardice, and he ultimately pays for what he's done, I still had difficulty liking Leo as much as I wanted to. But then he just forgets about her? For years? There's also the fact that in the end, Leo is proven a coward, and he decides to marry a girl he admits he doesn't even care about. Sure, Leo put Rosie under his personal protection and got her a job as a palace servant - which, while not the ideal position, was way better than her life on the mountain. But then Leo had a bad tendency of just forgetting about Rosie, and that's something no true friend would do. I could understand his want and need to pursue his own life, rather than simply accept the role that was laid out for him from the beginning. Half of the time I liked him, as he continued to stand by Rosie while everyone else was cruel to her. She's a fighter, and I really appreciated that, especially after reading Heartless, where Una did nothing to help herself.

Rose Red is in distress alright, but she doesn't let it get her down. She may not be able to do much about her situation, or really help anyone else, but at least she tries, rather than playing the victimized damsel in distress.

You really see the character impersonator's face, and I like how her image is in a mirror, held (clearly) by the Dragon.Ĭharacters: Rose Red is a much better protagonist than Una in Heartless. Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Even though the girl looks nothing like Rose Red, I do like the cover.

Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl