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Fiction Review – The Rose Garden

Thursday, January 17th, 2019

The Rose Garden

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)

I have read a few Kearsley novels and I never know how to label them.  Fiction? Supernatural? Romance? Historical Fiction?  Kearsley’s novels seem to have a bit of everything and The Rose Garden was no exception.

Eva and her sister Katrina had a very close relationship.  When Katrina dies, her husband asks Eva to take Katrina’s ashes to a place Katrina loved and where she felt like she belonged.  Eva settles on Cornwall, where she and Katrina spent their childhood summers and shared many happy moments.

Eva hasn’t been to Cornwall in many years, but when she arrives at Trelowarth House it was like she had never been gone.  Her friends embraced her, and she was able to say her final goodbye to her sister Katrina.  But one morning she hears voices in an adjoining room, only there is no one there.  Not long after, Eva finds herself slipping through some sort of time shift and she is taken back to the eighteenth century at Trelowarth House.  She meets Daniel Butler, his brother Jack, and Fergal O’Cleary and in her shifts back and forth between the present and past, Eva gets to know these men and becomes a part of their lives.  When she realizes she has fallen in love with Daniel she is at a loss of how they can possibly have a life together.  What Kearsley develops is a story with connections from the past that impact the family who lives at Trelowarth House in the present. With the help of a trusted confidant, Eva comes to understand her place in both of those times.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, I am unsure of how to label this novel.  There are elements of several genres and Kearsley finds a way to merge them all together to create a novel that has a little of everything without it seeming unfocused.  Additionally, the characters are likeable and as the reader I wanted them to be happy.  While I did enjoy The Rose Garden, I don’t think it felt as streamlined as some of Kearsley’s other novels.  When the mystery of how Eva is able to shift through time is answered, it’s not covered as deftly as I would have expected based on other Kearsley novels I’ve read; however, I still think the story was lovely and worth a read.

 

 

 

 

 

Romance Review – A Veiled Deception

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

A Veiled Deception by Annette Blair

Vintage Magic Book 1

Review written by Cindy F. (frazerc)

I loved this book, which really surprised me because much of it concerns fashion, both current and vintage, which I have no interest in. [Hey, it’s not entirely my fault – I grew up in a time and place where ‘haute couture’ meant your jeans and your sweatshirt were both clean at the same time…] But the author sold it to me and I actually found it very interesting.

The heroine, Madeira [call me Mad] Cutler, head design assistant in a New York fashion house is called home to Mystic Falls. Officially she’s supposed to help her youngest sister plan her wedding and unofficially she’s supposed to make sure there is going to be a wedding at all. An old friend of the groom has shown up and is acting like SHE is going to be the bride. Not good but Mad can fix anything – which turns out to be a very good thing when she stumbles over the corpse of the usurper strangled with Sherry’s wedding veil and it looks like little sister is the prime suspect. Of course she plans to fix this by finding out who really did the deed.

To this end she snoops, she gossips, she pulls strings – all while going up against Detective-Sergeant Lytton Werner. The same Werner who in third grade she called ‘little wiener’ in the school cafeteria – a nickname he has never escaped even when he became a 6+ foot hunk. And, yeah, he still blames her. He considers her his own, personal thorn…

And then her life gets really strange – it seems that besides being able to see ghosts [her family home is a haunted 250 year old inn] some vintage clothing gives her glimpses into their past owner’s lives. While she finds this spooky and disconcerting, it does help her solve the current crime [and sheds much needed light on past crimes as well.] She finally breaks down and tells Nick, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, FBI agent and brother’s partner, about the visions and eventually he comes to believe her. The trick is how to get the good detective to look in the right places without explaining how she got the information and without a lick of proof – because she is definitely NOT telling him about the visions!

All this is going on while Mad is having her own personal crises – she decides to quit her job, buy the old carriage house/hearse barn and turn it into an upscale [very, very upscale] dress shop selling high end vintage clothing and her own designs which will be named Vintage Magic. It comes complete with yet another ghost – one that is handsome, charming, and fond of chatting with those that can see him.

A word about the sex in this book – there’s sizzle but all the actual contact takes place ‘off screen’.

Vintage Magic Mysteries

1. A Veiled Deception

2. Larcency and Lace

3. Death by Diamonds

4. Skirting the Grave

“Your Love Story” Valentine’s Contest

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Happy Post-Valentine’s Day! If you’re in need of a good love story, or in need of PBS credits, look no further than February’s blog contest.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is one of the most widely read books on our site, with 1,426 reviews. Many Nicholas Sparks fans say it is the prolific romance author’s best and most touching work.  Any one of the thousands of members who have read the book can readily explain the novel’s appeal.  It’s a story about real, powerful love that endures over a lifetime, and it’s an intimate invitation to share the likable couple’s journey. A true tale of devotion like this is a welcome reminder of how wonderful life can be when you’ve given your heart to another.

Available to order on PaperBackSwap today!

Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, we’d like to invite you, our readers, to submit your love stories to the PBS Blog. You can tell us how you met, what made you fall head-over-heels, or what has kept the flame alive. If your anecdote involves Valentine’s Day, that’s even more fitting! Just let us in on any influential details that made your journey as a couple special and worth retelling as “your love story”.

Get your submissions in by February 25th in a comment to this post. We’ll choose the top five stories and post them on February 28th. Then, PBS members will have four days to vote for the best one. The winner will be announced on March 4th and that lucky lovebird will  receive ten credits!

Please keep the stories to no more than 300 words. Though you may be madly in love, you don’t need to include every single detail about your other half!  Let’s face it; if it’s that interesting, it’s probably fiction.

Now that you know the details, it’s time to start writing! If you aren’t sure how to begin, think of The Notebook to give you an idea. If you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for? Order it from the site as a Valentine’s day treat, sure to lift even the weariest of hearts!