The Frost of Springtime
Rachel L. Demeter
Blurb
To rescue her was to rescue his own soul.
On a cold Parisian night, Vicomte Aleksender de Lefèvre forges an everlasting bond with a broken girl during her darkest hour, rescuing her from a life of abuse and misery. Tormented by his own demons, he finds his first bit of solace in sheltering little Sofia Rose.
But when Aleksender is drawn away by the Franco-Prussian war, the seasons pass. And in that long year, Sofia matures into a stunning young woman—a dancer with an understanding of devotion and redemption far surpassing her age.
Alongside his closest friend, Aleksender returns home to find that “home” is gone—replaced by revolution, bloodshed, betrayal—and a love always out of reach. Scarred inside and out, he’s thrust into a world of sensuality and violence—a world in which all his hours have now grown dark, and where only Sofia might bring an end to the winter in his heart.
Inspired by the 1871 Paris Commune, The Frost of Springtime is a poignant tale of revolution, redemption, and the healing power of love.
Sample Prologue and First Two Chapters on Goodreads
My thoughts
The Frost of
Springtime is Rachel L. Demeter’s debut novel. At first glance it is a love story in the
aftermath of war. But Frost in springtime, why should there be
a frost for two people in the springtime of their love? Cleverly, in the title itself, Rachel Demeter
is warning her reader that this just might be a bumpy ride till spring.
We meet Sophia outside a brothel where her own mother
intended to sell her. Aleksender de
Lefèvre encountered Sophia and in a moment of compassion, took in the girl and
found that somehow she filled the emptiness within his heart. Aleksender was apathetic to the harsh life of
most around him and it seemed that Sophia alone was able to bring him back from
the abyss and breathe life into him again.
For Sophia, Aleksender was her savior, her hero and she devoted herself
to nurturing him and showering him with passionate affection. Indeed,
Sophia felt her purpose in life was to bring to Aleksender the love and
happiness he had brought into hers.
This would make for a Cinderella tale, except that Aleksender
was a married man and not to a hateful vengeful woman; indeed, Elizabeth's only
crime was that Aleksender did not love her.
An arranged marriage, like most of their class, but just as arranged for
her as for him, he was certainly not the sole victim. For this reader, my opinion of Aleksender
suffered from the way he callously treated his wife, without cause, other than
selfishness.
Sophia was his constant, his never changing ideal;
beautiful, happy, eager to please and make him welcome. It was true that he had changed from her
savior and from the man who practically raised her to be anything more; one
wonders if that was the true essence of Aleksender, never giving without
knowing the return on the investment.
Truly this is a remarkably complex character driven novel
that remains true to the history it sets itself against. It is almost as if these three people had
lived but a decade later, perhaps two, they would have all been able to fulfill
their own dreams and desires. Perhaps
that is the frost of Spring, of life and possibilities just on the cusp of
existence cut short to wait to bloom again.
The wistful loveliness of the setting paints a picture of a crying France, blending in with the dynamic romance perfectly. Or rather, it does not merely blend in the background as much as glitters like the brightest jewel, shining with a vibrancy that makes one want to relieve the halcyon days of grand old Paris.” – Buried Under Romance
“We are in awe. The Frost of Springtime is a MUST HAVE! Despite that we loved the true facts, we fell instantly in love with the story. It was dark, emotionally devastating, and sensual. The innocence between the two main characters was beautiful and their love grew so strong throughout the story with such grace. One of us even cried while reading The Frost of Springtime. We loved the cover, we loved the writing style, and we adored the characters. We fell in love, really hard." – Divas Book Blog
“I absolutely love this book. The Frost of Springtime shows how love and tragedy go hand in hand and that love can actually be more powerful than anything. I have found that most books do not hit this point right on the nail like this one does. It’s a Historical Romance and let me just tell you this is one book I couldn't put down.” – Magic Within The Pages
“Rachel L. Demeter is a brilliant writer, I was captivated by her description, by her knowledge of history. The politics of the time is very prevalent throughout The Frost of Springtime. The instability in the country, as well as the instability is Alek's life and of those around him. The forbidden love between Sofia and Alek is such a guilty pleasure, a draw to this story.” – Book Obsessed Chicks
Purchase Links
Amazon (eBook) *Currently Prime Members can read the kindle edition for free!*
Meet the Author
Rachel L. Demeter lives in the beautiful hills of Anaheim, California with Teddy, her goofy lowland sheepdog, and high school sweetheart of ten years. She enjoys writing dark, edgy romances that challenge the reader’s emotions and examine the redeeming power of love.
Imagining stories and characters has been Rachel’s passion for longer than she can remember. Before learning how to read or write, she would dictate stories while her mom would jot them down for her. She has a special affinity for the tortured hero and unconventional romances. Whether sculpting the protagonist or antagonist, she always ensures that every character is given a soul.
Rachel strives to intricately blend elements of romance, suspense, and horror. Some common themes her stories never stray too far from: forbidden romance, soul mates, the power of love to redeem, mend all wounds, and triumph over darkness.
Her dream is to move readers and leave an emotional impact through her words.
Connect with Rachel
Official Site: http://racheldemeter.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelLDemeter
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/rldemeter
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/racheldemeter1/
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/24737695-rachel-l-demeter
Amazon Author Page: http://racheldemeter.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/amazonbutton.png
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/RachelLDemeter
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