What do readers think of The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M. J. Rose? Write your own review.

The Witch of Painted Sorrows is about a young woman, on the run from a bad marriage, who is drawn to her family's ancestral home and is ultimately possessed by the spirit of an ancestor, who was a courtesan and a witch. The plot is interesting enough, but I found the "faux Victorian" writing style annoying. Also, the primary character, Sandrine, made one puzzling, impetuous, and ultimately disastrous decision after another--without which there would be no story I guess.

This is a book that will probably appeal to many readers, but it did not appeal to me.

This was the first book I've read by this author. It was well written and had some historical interest, however I had difficulty connecting with it. There was far too much going on and not real depth except for the graphic sex, which frankly, detracted for me. I like to read stories that could be believable. This wasn't at all.

The Witch of Painted Sorrows had promise and perhaps if I were "hooked" on the genre I'd have enjoyed it more, but I was lost by the constant need to "tell" me rather than "show" me and to invest every instant with symbolism and portent.

I was looking forward to reading this book, billed as a Gothic, erotic tale, but it's neither deliciously creepy nor sexy. The protagonist, Sandrine, only becomes marginally adventurous due to ghostly influence and never displays traits to make the reader care about her. Unfortunately, there's no sense of thrill or peril with the story, and there's a great deal of telling instead of showing, e.g. he stand close to her, she feels excited - buy why? There's no wit or sparking dialogue between Sandrine and Julien, and the Gothic aspect of the plot never feels foreboding, so there was really no point of tension to …more keep me absorbed in the plot. (less)

This started out promising. Sandrine Salome is fleeing a bad marriage. She returns to her Grandmother's home in Paris, but nothing is as she expected. It is set in the art world of 1894 Paris. There is a mysterious mansion, her secretive grandmother, her abusive husband, a new romantic interest and a possible touch of the paranormal. However, I forgot that M.J. Rose has a lot of graphic sex in her books. If you enjoy that, you will probably like this book. I found it unnecessary and that it detracts from the story. I liked many elements in this book, but midway through I lost interest. Perhaps it is that her …more writing does not maintain the intensity that this story needed. I would find it hard to recommend this to anyone, except for a light junk read. (less)