The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

[amyb]

It’s very rare in Hollywood where the sequel is as good or better than the original…but not so in the literary world! Jennifer Donnelly hits one out of the park with her follow-up to The Tea Rose. In The Winter Rose we are taken back to London at the turn of the 20th Century and meet back up with Fiona and Joe and now, their children. Fiona still has her Tea business and Joe has decided to take up politics in order to help the working class from whence he came from.

The other heroine of the book is India Jones, an independent young woman who has just graduated from Medical School and has dreams of opening a hospital for the poor women and children of Whitechaple. She soon crosses paths with Sid Malone and thus begins their relationship.

Fiona’s brother, Seamie has returned to London after leaving school – he has hopes of being an adventurer. I really liked reading about Seamie and his adventures – I hope there is more of him in the next novel.

In The Winter Rose, we travel to London, Africa, Kilimanjaro and eventually California where the novel ends in the best, most romantic way ever! Get your tissues ladies!

Donnelly is working on the third novel titled The Wild Rose, but there is not yet a release date. I’m not a very patient person, but I am sure this will be well worth the wait.

Thanks for the beautiful story Jennifer!

Overall: 5/5

[Misfit]

I really really liked this one, and I hope the last book is Seamie's story. What an ending! OT, but the boss and his family just summited Kilamanjaro on a climb for the cure. Haven't seen the pics yet.

[amyb]

Wow! What an amazing time that must have been for them! I'm green with envy.

[diamondlil]

I loved, loved, loved this book! Can't wait for the third book...whenever it comes out.


From the author's website:

Work is proceeding on The Wild Rose, the final book of the Rose trilogy. The Wild Rose will continue the Finnegan saga, taking the family through World War One and into the 1920s. No pub date yet, but I'll keep you posted as the book progresses.

I'm also working on a new young adult novel, due to be published in 2010.

[Divia]

hmm I wonder what the other YA book is. I'm interested in that.

[Vanessa]

I've just had an email from Amazon to say that I can pre-order The Wild Rose and it's given a despatch date of 7 November.

[diamondlil]

That will be cool if it is true, but I am not holding my breath just yet. As of June Jennifer Donnelly was still working on it. It has also been on Amazon UK with a release date of May this year before as well.

[Vanessa]

I've just finished this book. What an epic! But I loved it and did shed a tear at the poignant ending. I was very sad to turn the last page!:o

I'm so much looking forward to reading The Wild Rose whenever it gets published in the UK. I believe The Wild Rose will be Willa, Seamie's love interest.