Black Rose: In the Garden Trilogy Author: Visit Amazon's Nora Roberts Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0425269558 | Format: EPUB
Black Rose: In the Garden Trilogy Description
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Book two of Roberts's In the Garden trilogy (following
Blue Dahlia) ably showcases the author's many strengths, from her creation of appealing characters to her melding of the eerily paranormal with the delightfully down-to-earth. Rosalind Harper is the owner of a historic Tennessee mansion and the force behind the thriving garden business on its grounds. Widowed young and then scarred by an unwise second marriage, Roz has sworn off dating, instead inviting a collection of family, friends and their children to share her home. Unfortunately, the house is also inhabited by a mysterious ghost, known as the Harper Bride. Roz hires genealogist Dr. Mitchell Carnagie to track the Bride's identity, but the unpredictable and passionate relationship that develops between the two sets off still more malignant displays from the ghost. Roberts postpones the ghost story's resolution for the trilogy's end, but brings Roz and Mitch to a satisfying commitment complete with realistic power struggles and peace treaties among their various children. Roz's inherited privilege is off-putting at times, and her calm in the face of ghostly attacks seems far-fetched. Yet she remains a warmly appealing heroine, resolutely finding her path through a midlife romance that is more complex and hard-fought than 20-something love.
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--This text refers to the
Mass Market Paperback
edition.
From Booklist
Roz Harper has a thriving gardening business and family and friends she dearly loves, but every so often she misses having a man in her life. Roz loved her first husband and the father of her children, but her second husband turned out to be a cheating, thieving scoundrel who left her wary of romance. When Roz hires a genealogist to investigate her family's past, and hopefully discover the identity of the "Harper Bride" ghost who haunts Harper House, the chance for romance unexpectedly reenters Roz's life. But once Roz begins dating Mitchell, the Harper Bride's visits turn increasing violent as the ghost does her worst to prove to Roz that all men are untrustworthy. Roberts takes a smart, stubborn, and refreshingly older heroine, pairs her up with a hero who appreciates her strengths, and, writing with her usual sharp wit, works her reliable brand of literary magic in the second title in her Garden trilogy, an irresistible and occasionally quite-eerie tale of romance, family, and friendship.
John CharlesCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the
Mass Market Paperback
edition.
See all Editorial Reviews
- Series: In The Garden (Book 2)
- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Berkley Trade; Reprint edition (February 4, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0425269558
- ISBN-13: 978-0425269558
- Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
BLACK ROSE, the second installment in the GARDEN trilogy, is a big improvement over the premier of the series (BLUE DAHLIA), includes snappy dialogue, interesting characters, a satisfying romance and very few thorns to mar the reading experience. While I recommend the book, particularly to those who were disappointed in BLUE DAHLIA, at times there seemed to be too many characters cluttering up each scene, scenes including the main couple were not as plentiful as hoped, and the hero's unrealized desire to rescue the heroine was a little disappointing.
BLACK ROSE continues the story of three women drawn to Rosalind Harper's historic southern home to run a nursery/landscaping business and solve a ghost story. ROSE is Roz's story, and follows the forty-something owner while she struggles to build her business, overcome a bitter second marriage to a philandering con man, and track down the truth about the resident ghost with the help of visiting genealogist, Mitchell Carnegie.
The most appealing feature of this book was Roz's character. All too often it seems that authors leave romance to the twenty and thirty-somethings, and when they do try to write more mature heroines, they often read like a twenty-two year old with too much mileage and not enough wisdom. In ROSE, it was clear from the beginning that Roz was strong, independent and, despite the blow to her self respect dealt by her last husband, had the confidence to claw her own way out of her problems. Love-interest Mitchell was not as clearly drawn, but was appealing both because of his willingness to take responsibility for mistakes in his first marriage, and in the way he obviously respected as well as loved Roz.
Black Rose, the second in the In the Garden series, focuses on Rosalind (Roz) Harper; head of Harper House; owner of the In The Garden nursery; mother to luscious Harper (as well as Austin and Mason); close friend of Stella Rothchild; distant cousin by marriage (on her late husband's side) and friend to Hayley Phillips; hot babe; temperamental; difficult. I could go on, but you probably get the picture. Roz is a powerful woman who works at maintaining control of her life. This can be difficult when ex-husband (#2...a mistake), Bryce Clerk, makes a serious effort to make her life miserable.
When the situation with the Harper Bride (the ghost) turns very dangerous in Blue Dahlia, Roz decides to hire a professional to find out what's up with the ghost (whose name we learn is Amelia). Enter genealogist, Dr. Mitchell Carnegie, in Black Rose. Mitch's arrival on the scene adds new energy to Roz's life (though she seems to have plenty of that already), some anxiety, and a growing passion for the handsome (of course), brilliant, kindly man who has come into her life.
At the same time, Hayley Phillips, who came to Roz about six months pregnant in Blue Dahlia, gives birth to baby Lily, named after the red lilies Harper Ashby (Roz's eldest son) brings to the birthing room just before Lily arrives. There's an underlying sexual tension growing between these two as the story develops and, by the end of Black Rose, the stage is set for Red Lily, Hayley's story.
Meanwhile, the ghost continues to act up as Roz and Mitch's relationship heats up. Mitch spends more and more time at Harper House studying journals, photos, and other Harper family records and documents, which upsets Amelia. She has a healthy hatred for men. "They lie. They all lie" (she mind talks to the women).
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