Released: 2007
Pages: 592
Source: Personal Copy
Review: 5/5
Synopsis:
East London 1888, Fiona Finnegan and her family work at the local tea factory. Fiona has always dreamed about owning her own tea shop one day with her childhood best friend, Joe. Fiona and Joe are inseparable, they’re in love and they’ve been saving for a long time. Their dream is within reach. When Jack the Ripper begins gruesomely murdering women, Fiona is on high alert. She doesn’t realize how her life will drastically change, and Jack the Ripper will kick her family when they are already down, forever changing Fiona's life. Fiona had her future planned, but her life takes a very different road. The people she thought would be with her are no longer around, and her tea shop dreams suddenly seem impossible. Fiona finds herself boarding a boat to New York to try and escape dangerous men. When Fiona arrives in New York, she has many obstacles ahead of her.
Review:
The Tea Rose was an amazing, captivating read. It took me awhile to pick this book up because of the size, and I’m so sorry I waited for so long. I loved each and every page. Fiona’s life is shattered but she must figure out how to save her little brother. As much as she would love to give up, she puts one foot in front of the other and thinks about her brother first. The Tea Rose is jam-packed with action, drama and loss. There is nothing predictable about this book. I can’t tell you how many times, I was shocked by how the story was being played out. Donnelly is an amazing writer. Fiona constantly struggles with setbacks and disappointments but she perseveres. Her love for Joe wasn’t enough to keep him around, and she must move on and build a new life. Fiona vows to get herself on her feet and seek revenge for all the wrong that has been done to her family.
I loved this book as soon as I started reading it. The prose was beautiful, the plot was fantastic and the characters were well defined and intriguing. The plot twists had me shocked many times. I highly recommend this one. I previously read Donnelly’s A Northern Light and really enjoyed it which put this book on my radar. I will be reading more of her books. So far, she’s two for two, I loved A Northern Light and The Tea Rose.
I really want to read this series! I loved A Northern Light but have yet to dive into this series!
ReplyDeleteI've heard this whole series is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI have read all three books in the series and they were wonderful. I highly recommend them!
ReplyDeleteI loved this book so much, and loved the second one even more! The third was a bit of a disappointment, but only as compared to the other too - it was still a wonderful story!
ReplyDeleteI have had this book on my shelves for such a long time, and have never gotten the chance to read it. I have heard such great things about the series, and I need to get to them soon. I have the third right here next to me, so I don't know what the heck I am waiting for! Very thoughtful review today!
ReplyDeleteI loved this series too!
ReplyDeleteIf you loved "each and every page," then I must add this to my to-read list!
ReplyDeleteI love stories about inner strength and perseverance and this one sounds like a winner.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to read a Donnelly book! I know what you mean though about hesitating to pick up bigger books. I think I often miss out on some really great books because of that.
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