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.
Ever since I picked up and read 'A Weekend with Mr. Darcy' years ago, I have been in love with Victoria Connelly's writing. She's one of those authors whose works never ever disappoint me and I always look forward to her upcoming releases. Her Austen Addicts series is great (and a must-read for any Jane Austen fan) but her other novels are amazing as well. Last year I read and reviewed Victoria's summer release 'A Summer to Remember' (click here to read my review) which was a fantastic read as well. On the 1st of June, Lake Union Publishing released her latest novel 'The Rose Girls' and I was really excited when Victoria herself contacted me about the book. I straight away loved both the sound of the story and the gorgeous book cover, so I couldn't wait to start reading!
After divorcing her husband and the death of her mother, thirty-year-old Celeste Hamilton finds herself moving back in to the family manor in Suffolk too help her two younger sisters, Gertie and Evie, out. The family rose business could use a big boost and the house needs some serious renovations as it is slowly falling apart on all sides. Celeste can think of a possible solution: selling some of the family paintings in order to be able to pay for the renovations. But will it be enough or should they consider selling the family home instead? Next to their business problems, the sisters are also dealing with their own personal issues, and Celeste soon starts to realise she will need to take the lead if she wants to not only save the rose business but also the relationship with her sisters...
Wow, another amazing read by Victoria Connelly! I'm actually sad I've finished it because I couldn't get enough of it and simply enjoyed it from start to finish. 'The Rose Girls' has everything what a great read should have, in my opinion: a captivating plotline, a fascinating group of characters, a good touch of romance, and a lovely setting. The story is mainly set in a big country house in Suffolk, England and thanks to the author's vivid descriptions I was able to visualise it all in my head. I fell in love with these three sisters who are trying to save their family home and business, while also having their own issues to deal with. This provides the reader with several storylines to focus on and resulted in me wanting to keep on reading, discovering more about the story and the different characters.
Victoria Connelly has a fantastic writing style and has clearly done her research for this novel (I had no idea there was so much to learn about roses!). I really felt like I got to know the characters and warmed to Celeste, Gertie and Evie without any trouble. The secondary characters also really added their own special something to the story, especially elderly lady Esther. If you're looking for a women's fiction read to take with you on holiday or just a book to get stuck in for a few free hours, look no further. 'The Rose Girls' is a stunning, charming, captivating read which I really enjoyed. One of my favourite reads of 2015 so far and one I can't recommend to others enough!
10/10
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