The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

amyb · Post by **amyb** » Wed September 3rd, 2008, 3:16 pm

Buy my fine parsley-o!

I loved, loved, loved this book! The Tea Rose is a fabulous story of an amazing, ambitious girl, Fiona, from the slums of Whitechaple who dreams of a life without poverty and a boy named Joe. Fiona and Joe grew up with each other and are very much in love. Their relationship changes when Joe moves to a better job and then Fiona loses her family tragically and escapes to New York taking her 5-year-old brother, Seamie, with her. The story then follows Fionas life and struggles in New York and her rise to the top of the Tea trade.

Donnelly includes many wonderful characters throughout the book, my particular favorite being Nick. Fiona is a very interesting woman to read about, you really get to know her and you kinda miss her when youre done. The relationship with her and Joe is beautiful and pure you just know they are meant for each other.

All in all this is fabulous story telling and I highly recommend it to any lover of fiction. I mean this book has everything you could want: mystery, romance, power struggles, murder, grief, heartbreak, loveall the essentials!!!

I am off to read the sequel now, The Winter Rose. Cant wait!!!

LCW · Post by **LCW** » Wed September 3rd, 2008, 4:28 pm

I absolutely loved this book too! I'm one of the few who doesn't think the sequal, The Winter Rose, was as good. This one is definitely a reread and a keeper.

diamondlil · Post by **diamondlil** » Wed September 3rd, 2008, 9:24 pm

I really liked this book, but I loved the second one! Can't wait for the third book in the series!

There were too many near misses and coincidences in The Tea Rose. Some of those elements were still present in The Winter Rose but they were incorporated better in the main story.

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Wed September 3rd, 2008, 9:31 pm

I loved The Tea Rose, too. The author seems to be taking her time with the third one. Not that I'm in a hurry as I haven't read The Winter Rose yet.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Wed September 3rd, 2008, 9:32 pm

[quote=""diamondlil""]I really liked this book, but I loved the second one! Can't wait for the third book in the series!

There were too many near misses and coincidences in The Tea Rose. Some of those elements were still present in The Winter Rose but they were incorporated better in the main story.[/quote]

I loved both books, but I agree about the near misses. I was just ready to scream a few times it was driving me nuts.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Wed September 3rd, 2008, 9:56 pm

See I didnt like The Tea Rose. It seemed more like an soap opera to me more than anything else, and I just dont dig those books. I did like her YA book though.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Thu September 4th, 2008, 12:31 am

We can't always think alike and like the same books all the time, that's just life. Besides, that's your era.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Thu September 4th, 2008, 1:07 am

[quote=""Misfit""]We can't always think alike and like the same books all the time, that's just life. Besides, that's your era.[/quote]

Thats true.

To each their own!

LCW · Post by **LCW** » Thu September 4th, 2008, 7:07 am

[quote=""Misfit""]I loved both books, but I agree about the near misses. I was just ready to scream a few times it was driving me nuts.[/quote]

That's what I loved about it. I was literally on the edge of my seat for parts of it. It was great!