8 months ago

Review:  The Rose GardenAuthor: Susanna KearsleyPublisher: Sourcebooks Landmark, a division of Sourcebooks IncSource:  ARC from Sourcebooks Inc Aisle B Rating: Chapter  8   But I was afraid. It made no sense for me to be, I knew, because he wasn’t real; he wasn’t there. Pure instinct made me take another backwards step, and then another.    `Wait,’ he said, and moved as if to follow, only something very curious began to happen then. As I moved backwards and away from him, he started to dissolve and fade, becoming like a shadow I could almost see but not.  I thought I saw him stretch his hand towards me as though trying to reach out, to stop my leaving. And then all at once he was no longer there on the hillside, and in the same heartbeat I wasn’t there eitherExcerpt from The Rose Garden page 76Eva Ward returns with her sister’s ashes to Cornwall (England) where the Trelowarth rose gardens bring back some of her happiness shared childhood memories. Greeted by family friends Eva embarks to make peace with her sister’s passing only to find herself embroiled in a mysterious phenomena where voices are heard whispering from the next room.The whispers come and go but no one admits to being the culprit awakening her sleep. On a walk through the grounds of Trelowarth, she comes across a new path where suddenly a man appears in a garb from the 18th Century. Both are astounded by the others’ presence and they realize that something is amiss. Eva finds herself traveling time and her discoveries will lead her to  Daniel Butler,  a man whom she can never be with. The dangers of the past rear forward and Eva must decide whether tampering with the past will forever change the future, knowing full well that doing nothing will end both hers and Daniel’s fate.*************************************************************************Susanna Kearsley’s The Rose Garden tale of love with time travel starts off strong with its message on how fate can change lives despite the challenges of linear time.  Eva’s plight is an understatement of sorts since she finds herself embroiled as an unwanted accomplice to the Butler brothers: Daniel and Jack . Daniel’s friend Fergal O Cleary will make you laugh as he takes it upon himself to be her “brother” to her newly acquired “muted” self. They make up a new identity for Eva in the hopes of covering her eccentric mannerism from the dastardly evil Constable Creed.Kearsley time travel journey was enjoyable but I did expect more from the plot. I realize this is Eva’s journey of self discovery, yet at the same time I felt it was just too simple for the two main characters in terms of accepting each other - no awkward moments of “time”  continuum.  I’d be inclined to be more vocal over the whole disappearing into another time zone and hesitant to trust the words of a woman who “misted into being”.  The strongest factor in The Rose Garden is the camaraderie between Daniel and Fergal -aka the voice of reason.  Fergal will make you laugh at his brutal honesty and his spurts of cleverness in moments of utter conflicts.  If you are up to the challenge of time travel then try Kearsley’s journey into 1715 Cornwall. Be aware that the smugglers’ legend is woven throughout the book, it will make you wonder whether you should ever venture into a coastal cave where treasures may  be hidden. If you’re up to the challenge - then get ready to be zapped back into this 18th Century adventure.

Review:  The Rose Garden
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark, a division of Sourcebooks Inc
Source:  ARC from Sourcebooks Inc

Aisle B Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Chapter  8

   But I was afraid. It made no sense for me to be, I knew, because he wasn’t real; he wasn’t there. Pure instinct made me take another backwards step, and then another.
   `Wait,’ he said, and moved as if to follow, only something very curious began to happen then. As I moved backwards and away from him, he started to dissolve and fade, becoming like a shadow I could almost see but not.
  I thought I saw him stretch his hand towards me as though trying to reach out, to stop my leaving. And then all at once he was no longer there on the hillside, and in the same heartbeat I wasn’t there either

Excerpt from The Rose Garden page 76


Eva Ward returns with her sister’s ashes to Cornwall (England) where the Trelowarth rose gardens bring back some of her happiness shared childhood memories. Greeted by family friends Eva embarks to make peace with her sister’s passing only to find herself embroiled in a mysterious phenomena where voices are heard whispering from the next room.

The whispers come and go but no one admits to being the culprit awakening her sleep. On a walk through the grounds of Trelowarth, she comes across a new path where suddenly a man appears in a garb from the 18th Century. Both are astounded by the others’ presence and they realize that something is amiss. Eva finds herself traveling time and her discoveries will lead her to  Daniel Butler,  a man whom she can never be with.

The dangers of the past rear forward and Eva must decide whether tampering with the past will forever change the future, knowing full well that doing nothing will end both hers and Daniel’s fate.
*************************************************************************

Susanna Kearsley’s The Rose Garden tale of love with time travel starts off strong with its message on how fate can change lives despite the challenges of linear time.  Eva’s plight is an understatement of sorts since she finds herself embroiled as an unwanted accomplice to the Butler brothers: Daniel and Jack . Daniel’s friend Fergal O Cleary will make you laugh as he takes it upon himself to be her “brother” to her newly acquired “muted” self. They make up a new identity for Eva in the hopes of covering her eccentric mannerism from the dastardly evil Constable Creed.

Kearsley time travel journey was enjoyable but I did expect more from the plot. I realize this is Eva’s journey of self discovery, yet at the same time I felt it was just too simple for the two main characters in terms of accepting each other - no awkward moments of “time”  continuum.  I’d be inclined to be more vocal over the whole disappearing into another time zone and hesitant to trust the words of a woman who “misted into being”. 

The strongest factor in The Rose Garden is the camaraderie between Daniel and Fergal -aka the voice of reason.  Fergal will make you laugh at his brutal honesty and his spurts of cleverness in moments of utter conflicts.  If you are up to the challenge of time travel then try Kearsley’s journey into 1715 Cornwall. Be aware that the smugglers’ legend is woven throughout the book, it will make you wonder whether you should ever venture into a coastal cave where treasures may  be hidden. If you’re up to the challenge - then get ready to be zapped back into this 18th Century adventure.