** "Red as a Rose is She: A Novel" by Rhoda Broughton, invites readers to a 19th-century Welsh valley, where youthful Esther Craven grapples with love's complexities and societal pressures. The story begins with Esther's amusing reaction to a proposal from Robert Brandon, revealing her close bond with her brother, Jack, and resistance to conventional romance. Through witty dialogue and a charming tone, the author sets the scene, exploring themes of love, desire, and youthful trials as Esther navigates her feelings and the expectations of love. **

Red as a Rose is She: A Novel
By Rhoda Broughton
** In a quaint Welsh valley, a spirited young woman must decide if she will defy expectations by embracing love or remain loyal to her brother.
Summary
About the AuthorRhoda Broughton was a Welsh novelist and short story writer. Her early novels earned a reputation for sensationalism, so that her later, stronger work tended to be neglected by critics, although she was called a queen of the circulating libraries. Her novel Dear Faustina (1897) has been noted for its homoeroticism. Her novel Lavinia (1902) depicts a seemingly "unmanly" young man, who wishes he had been born as a woman. Broughton descended from the Broughton baronets, as a granddaughter of the 8th baronet. She was a niece of Sheridan le Fanu, who helped her to start her literary career. She was a long-time friend of fellow writer Henry James and was noted for her adversarial relationship with both Lewis Carroll and Oscar Wilde.
Rhoda Broughton was a Welsh novelist and short story writer. Her early novels earned a reputation for sensationalism, so that her later, stronger work tended to be neglected by critics, although she was called a queen of the circulating libraries. Her novel Dear Faustina (1897) has been noted for its homoeroticism. Her novel Lavinia (1902) depicts a seemingly "unmanly" young man, who wishes he had been born as a woman. Broughton descended from the Broughton baronets, as a granddaughter of the 8th baronet. She was a niece of Sheridan le Fanu, who helped her to start her literary career. She was a long-time friend of fellow writer Henry James and was noted for her adversarial relationship with both Lewis Carroll and Oscar Wilde.