Review: The Rose Girls by Victoria Connelly

Thirty-year-old Celeste Hamilton’s life is at a crossroads: she has just left a disastrous marriage, and her estranged mother has recently died, leaving the family’s rose business in jeopardy. Reluctantly, Celeste returns to the family home, a moated manor house in Suffolk, to help her two younger sisters sort out the estate and revive the business.

Having endured the fallout from her mother’s narcissistic personality disorder when she was younger, Celeste is filled with self-doubt and crippling insecurities. But she must find the strength and courage to take charge and make some tough decisions to keep the old house from falling down around them.

The Rose Girls is an uplifting, tender and romantic story of courage, perseverance and the healing power of family.

My Thoughts:

My first by this english author; I enjoyed this book which was as warm and inviting as its cover. The story is basically about the importance of family which unfolds against a fragrant backdrop of roses and is the tale of three sisters. The characters are well fleshed out with Celeste as the main character who having left 3 years previously returns after the death of het mother to help her sisters.

The way the rose theme was worked into the storyline with the rose paintings and each sister being named after a rose was really nice. I liked the teasing way the story was told where each of the women has a secret. It is light reading but as the story unfolds we learn more about each sisters relationship with their mother. As each in turn confronts their childhood demons we learn too the effect on their individual life choices.  On the whole it is a happy and uplifting tale despite a shared sorrow.

There is plenty to spark the interest of the reader and whilst some events were predictable there were a few surprises too. Set in the English countryside in a beautiful but dilapidated big old house it is the perfect relaxing read for a lazy afternoon.

(Review copy received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

• Format: Kindle Edition
• Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (1 Jun. 2015)