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The Rose Garden

by Susanna Kearsley (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 7,484 ratings · 1,214 reviews

"A thrilling, haunting, and deeply romantic story."
-Rachel Hore, internationally bestselling author of The Memory Garden
"Whatever time we have," he said, "it will be time enough."
Eva Ward returns to the only place she truly belongs, the old house on the Cornish coast, seeking happiness in memories of childhood summers. There she finds mysterious voices and hidden pathway...more

Paperback, 441 pages

Published October 4th 2011 by Sourcebooks Landmark (first published January 1st 2011)

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Nov 13, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

I find it difficult to rate this novel. On one hand, I was sufficiently engaged by the narrative and the characters to read it in two or three sittings. On the other hand, it requires a massive suspension of disbelief, which at times I found difficult to sustain.

The heroine is Eva Ward, who after the death of her much loved sister, travels from the United States to Cornwall to scatter her sister's ashes near Trelowarth House, where she and her sister spent their childhood summers. Family friend...more
I find it difficult to rate this novel. On one hand, I was sufficiently engaged by the narrative and the characters to read it in two or three sittings. On the other hand, it requires a massive suspension of disbelief, which at times I found difficult to sustain.

The heroine is Eva Ward, who after the death of her much loved sister, travels from the United States to Cornwall to scatter her sister's ashes near Trelowarth House, where she and her sister spent their childhood summers. Family friends - rose grower Mark and his sister Susan - still live in the house and their artist stepmother Claire lives in a cottage on the estate. Eva inexplicably finds herself time-travelling back to Trelowarth House as it was in 1715, where she encounters the smuggling Butler brothers and their Irish friend Fergal O'Cleary and becomes caught up in an aspect of the 1715 Jacobite rebellion. The rebellion is the event around which the 1715 part of the narrative revolves, but it's not really the point of the novel. Rather, this is a romance between Eva and Daniel Butler, a couple separated by time.

I'm not sure whether I like the novel because I have some (very distant) Cornish ancestry, because I've been to Cornwall and can picture the landscape in my head or because I love Daphne du Maurier's descriptive writing and I strongly feel the possibly unconscious influence of Frenchman's Creek on Kearsley's writing. It may be a combination of all of those factors. In addition, I like Kearsley's prose and her ability to describe landscape.

However, even the strengths of the novel don't completely hide its weaknesses. One of them is Kearsley's attempt to provide scientific support for the idea of time travel. As I recall, she did the same thing with the concept of genetic memory in The Winter Sea. This is neither helpful nor necessary, particularly in the case of this novel, as Kearsley refers to Stephen Hawking in support of an assertion that time travel is possible. This is problematic because Hawking, as far as I know, believes that forward time travel may be possible, but not backward time travel. If you're writing a work of the imagination, then whether or not time travel is actually possible is beside the point and references to science only draw attention to the implausibility of the concept. And implausible it is, because in this novel time travel seems to happen randomly with no persuasive explanation for why it only happens to Eva (view spoiler).*

Speaking of implausible, something that really struck me was just how incurious those 18th century men seem to be. A young woman materialises in the house and announces she's from 300 years in the future and virtually the only reaction is "You're from the future? Right then, you'd best pop on this frock 'cos you look a bit funny and why don't you pretend you can't talk so that people don't notice your funny accent. Now, what'll we have for supper?" I think not.

Another problem is the fact that not a lot actually happens. Eva is sad, she goes to Cornwall, she travels back and forward in time. She falls in love. When back in 1715, she's a woman, so she can't really do very much except wait around for things to happen. That said, there's a bit more action in the last quarter of the novel and a nice twist at the end, part of which I had anticipated, but elements of the twist still took me by surprise.

I know that I'm being nit-picky about a book which I actually enjoyed reading. Overall, I would have preferred a little more depth and a little less fluff. But this does not pretend to be great literature. It's pure escapism and a pleasant way to spend a few hours. And it made me want to go back to Cornwall, which is no bad thing. This is in 3-1/2 star territory, but creeping up towards four. I liked it more than The Winter Sea and Season of Storms, but not as much as Every Secret Thing. I'm still waiting for the Kearsley novel which will blow me away.

*An explanation of sorts is provided, but it's very weak.(less)

23 likes · like · see review

Nov 01, 2012 Patricia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To me, a good time-travel yarn must display a certain amount of plausibility. I found this vital element lacking in "The Rose Garden." Daniel and Fergal should have been shocked by a woman from the future suddenly appearing out of thin air. They should have been questioning her about her strange appearance, what time period she came from; what it is like in the future. Instead, they're pretty much blasé about this mysterious phantom woman. Fergal is a little taken-aback at first but any misgivin...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, historicals, romances, favorites

How does she do it?

No, seriously, how does Susanna Kearsley manage to engage me, move me to tears and surprise me time and time again with her brillant writing skills? Frankly, I have no answers, except to say that Kearsley's stories speak directly to my heart in a way no other writer since M.M. Kaye, Mary Stewart or Daphne DuMaurier has done.

The worlds she pens are grounded in the every day realities of modern life, but brushed with the magic of possibilities of lives redeemed, transformed, or...more How does she do it?

No, seriously, how does Susanna Kearsley manage to engage me, move me to tears and surprise me time and time again with her brillant writing skills? Frankly, I have no answers, except to say that Kearsley's stories speak directly to my heart in a way no other writer since M.M. Kaye, Mary Stewart or Daphne DuMaurier has done.

The worlds she pens are grounded in the every day realities of modern life, but brushed with the magic of possibilities of lives redeemed, transformed, or made complete by the convergence or confluence of time slip or time travel. That meeting of past and present lives is full of historical adventure and romance, and usually offers the reader a nice surprise twist by the end (not to mention a few tears along the way).

The emotional appeal and impact of The Rose Garden is further strengthened by the fact that the main character, Eva, has suffered the loss of her beloved sister at the beginning of the novel. Her coming to terms with that loss, and where she belongs in the world, is an ever present fixture throughout the book. Fans of Kearsley will know that she lost her own sister not long ago, so the feelings expressed and felt by Eva are no doubt culled in some part from the writer's own experience, and will certainly resonate with those of us who too have lost people we love.

There are some minor quibbles I have that make the story less then a "perfect book": the love story (which read in places like a cheesy romance novel), the novel's pacing (which alternated between smoothly flowing and engaging to slow and boring, IMO - sorry!) the time travel aspects (which were pulled off fairly well, but it still wasn't possible to suspend disbelief 100% of the time) and the somewhat abrupt ending (could we not get a little epilogue or something??) However, as my 5 stars will attest, it was the "perfect book" for me, and certainly now becomes my second favorite Kearsley after Mariana, which still holds top spot. The Rose Garden resonates with haunting passages reminiscent of du Maurier's novel, Frenchman's Creek, lyrical place descriptions worthy of Mary Stewart, and the hallmark emotional punch of Kearsley's own style, which is in a class all it's own.

Thank you, Susanna, for another winner! Now please write faster...(less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Parvathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: time travel fiction lovers

Recommended to Parvathy by: Lekshmi Priya

Shelves: broken-characters, chick-lit, expected-more, feel-good, fantasy-politics, historicals, informative, movie-material, past-lives

Where to begin? If you have read a Susanna Kersley's book before you would know that she writes her stories in dual time. You have the present where the story begins and the past where the actual story takes place and she will find one way or the other to get you there. In Winter Sea she brought us to the past by introducing a character who had the memories of one of her ancestors, in Marianna it was reincarnation and in the Rose Garden there is actual time travel to the past. Now why exactly on...more Where to begin? If you have read a Susanna Kersley's book before you would know that she writes her stories in dual time. You have the present where the story begins and the past where the actual story takes place and she will find one way or the other to get you there. In Winter Sea she brought us to the past by introducing a character who had the memories of one of her ancestors, in Marianna it was reincarnation and in the Rose Garden there is actual time travel to the past. Now why exactly only the main character and some other character seems to suffer from this particular problem is not sufficiently explained even though the author did mention something about a calling and need that is so great that it transcends time. That combined with the corresponding geographical location VOILA!! you have instant time travel. So there is Eva losing her sister and best friend Katrina to some illness in the present. Who travels to Trelowarths, a place where she and her sister spent time in their childhood, to scatter her ashes. While staying at Trelowarths Eva gets transported to the past to the year 1715 where she meets Danial Butler a smuggler who lived at Trelowarths at that time. Boy meets Girl and the story takes on...Of course this book cannot be classified as straight romance as there is a lot of history thrown in to the mix, which is highly accurate.

In all the Susanna Kearsley book I have read the past is always centered around the failed Jacobite revolution of 1715. Even though each and every one of the protogonist does not suffer a sad ending due to the same it nevertheless it does not amount to a satisfying read knowing that all the planning and preparation is going for a failed cause( that is if you are a fan of happy endings). In fact I think this book along with the two books mentioned above should be termed as series reads because the background for the story is same, only the characters and places differ. The same formula borders on to predictabilty that one suffers only when one is acquainted with the author's other works. As a stand alone novel The Rose Garden is an interesting read. The author has a gift with words that helps to create vivid images for the reader. The descriptions are endless and detailed about every other irrelevant thing in this book except the description of the main character. Even now after finishing the book I still don't know what the main character Eva looks like. Was she tall? What was the color of her hair? her eyes?. The author leaves this entirely up to the readers descretion but frankly I found it very difficult to read on without having any idea about whom to place in the scenarios. The character development was good though unbelievable at times. The truth is, it is hard to believe that both the characters have fallen head over heels in love only after a few encounters. I don't think there were enough exchanges between them to warrent such an outcome and that too when Daniel Butler was supposedily suffering from the lose of his beloved wife. On the whole The Rose Garden is a fascinating read if you have not much experience with the author's other novels but even then it does not fall short of a good read. I would recommend this book to people who are in to time travel fiction. (less)

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Apr 17, 2011 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-historical-fiction, 2011-4-5-5-stars

4.5 stars

'Whatever time we have,' he said, 'it will be time enough.'

When Eva Ward's sister dies she returns to Cornwall to scatter her ashes, to the place where they had spent their happy childhood summers, Trelowarth House. The gardens at Trelowarth have for generations grown roses and been tended by generations of Halletts, with Eva's friends Mark and his sister Susan Hallett now in charge of the house and gardens.

It is on her first morning there that Eva begins to experience a series of stran...more 4.5 stars

'Whatever time we have,' he said, 'it will be time enough.'

When Eva Ward's sister dies she returns to Cornwall to scatter her ashes, to the place where they had spent their happy childhood summers, Trelowarth House. The gardens at Trelowarth have for generations grown roses and been tended by generations of Halletts, with Eva's friends Mark and his sister Susan Hallett now in charge of the house and gardens.

It is on her first morning there that Eva begins to experience a series of strange events, voices and hallucinations that she puts down to grief and stress at the recent loss of her sister. But when these hallucinations continue and grow ever clearer, Eva realises that what she is experiencing is real, and that somehow she is able to move back and forth through time.

In 1715, Daniel Butler is the resident of Trelowarth House with his brother Jack and his friend Fergal. Daniel is a free-trader, although the law calls him a smuggler. But Eva has landed in a dangerous era. The 1715 Jacobite Uprising was not restricted to Scotland. James Stuart had his supporters in Cornwall as well. And Daniel is caught up in the intrigue of the times. As Eva continues to travel between her own time and the past she becomes increasingly attracted to Daniel. But with no say over how or when she travels through time, Eva wonders how this will all end and if she could ever have a future with Daniel. In the past.

Like Susanna Kearsley's other novels I've read, this story has a gothic feel, not darkly gothic but hauntingly beautiful. She brings the story alive incorporating details of 18th century life such as food and cooking, running a household, clothing, sailing; and setting her story around real historical figures who were instrumental in the Jacobite Uprising in Cornwall.

Susanna Kearsley effortlessly draws all the threads of her story together at the end, weaving the sub-plots into an integrated whole. Characters, remarks, events that seem incidental to the story become important later on. There is something so masterful and yet deceptively simple about Susanna Kearsley's prose. Her writing is like the little black cocktail dress - simple, classic, elegant. When Eva tries to understand what is happening to her, Daniel explains -

'When I meet a wind I cannot fight,' he said, 'I can do naught but set my sails to let it take me where it will.'

Beautifully crafted, Susanna Kearsley has written another romantic historical fiction as fine as 'Mariana' and 'The Winter Sea'. At the conclusion of 'The Rose Garden' I was left with a sense of deep satisfaction. This is romantic historical fiction at its best.

4.5 stars
(less)

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Nov 13, 2011 Clare Cannon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adults, young-adult

The Rose Garden is a sweet historical romance that's not especially deep but is warm, light and generally happy. It is set in the cosy atmosphere of Cornwall in southern England, complete with its peculiar Brontean landscape and its changing weather, friendly people who are so easy to like, ancient customs and traditions and the long history that has matured the whole package like good wine.

Time travel takes us right back into history and is necessary for the development of the story, though it...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Katherine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, time-travel, historical-fiction, romance, kindle-read

I find it interesting that Susanna Kearsley's books are compared to works by Daphne du Maurier, Mary Stewart, and Diana Gabaldon, some of my favorite authors. Kearsley certainly has du Maurier's talent for sense of place and Stewart's mix of romance and suspense, however I'm not so sold on the Gabaldon comparison though both do deal with time-travel. Gabladon's books are dense and history-heavy (something I happen to love) and while this may be historical fiction it's of a much lighter variety....more

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Jan 03, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library

Not as rich as The Winter Sea - with a few very similar characters (oh, hello handsome overly confident man who rents cottages!) but all in all still a sweetly magical story. I like the way she integrates her history lessons, and I love her ode to her childhood Cornwall, enough to overlook some plot annoyances. (view spoiler)...more

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Jun 12, 2012 NayNay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-historical-fiction, books-i-would-read-again-and-again

Susanna Kearsley's books are meant to be savored. The story can't be rushed, and you are fully rewarded at the end. The Rose Garden is a beautifully written story, and I felt like I was in the book with the characters, the descriptions are so vivid that they stand out in front of you. The romance between the main characters is one that every girl wishes for, it makes the heart beat just a bit faster as you yourself are falling in love with the story.
Do not hesitate, get up and go get this book N...more

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Oct 17, 2011 SOS Aloha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my first book from Susanna Kearsley and realized that I am, once again, behind the power curve. Kearsley is an award winning author and THE ROSE GARDEN will contribute more accolades to her resume.

I requested to review THE ROSE GARDEN based on its setting in Cornwall. I grew up visiting my English Granny in Devon and enjoyed the opportunity to explore Cornwall. Kearsley chose well as Cornwall is the perfect setting for a time travel. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Eva and her sister,...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would really have loved to give this 3.5 stars.

www.theultimatebooknook.blogspot.com

After reading The Winter Sea, I knew I had to read more by that author, so I picked this book up.

I wanted to love it as much as I did The Winter Sea but sadly I didn't. It was still enjoyable and very well written, it just didn't have the enchantment that The Winter Sea did.

Kearsley is a fantastic writer. She brings you into these worlds and makes you feel them. She can bring out so many emotions in just one boo...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Hazel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, sci-fi-fantasy

I thought this book was beautifully written. I know others have criticized the book, saying that it's not believable. To this I say, reading any fiction book or watching any movie that isn't a documentary requires suspension of belief. If you can't suspend your belief then you should stick to reading & watching non-fiction. On that note, let me get on with this review.

Several things I liked about this book. Eva is a normal woman who finds herself in extraordinary circumstances. Somehow she...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-it-audible

3.5 stars. Audiobook

I have been a bit reluctant to tackle anything by Susanna Kearsley, thinking modern woman time traveling to a Jacobite uprising, sounds awfully Gabaldonian, and knowing there's no way she can do it as well. I was pleasantly surprised. I was pretty quickly able to leave behind comparisons to Outlander and enjoy this for what it was. There are certainly some problems with the story, particularly the pacing and rushed quality of the romance, but overall it was interesting and to...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Macarena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, favorite-books, time-travel

“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” – Rabindranath Tagore

Do you believe in fate? Do you think two people can be destined to be together? How do you know you've met the "right" person?

Eva returns to Cornwall after 20 years to scatter her sister's ashes. (No, this is not a spoiler, because you can read it at the beginning of the book –in the very first sentence, in fact.)
She stays at her childhood friends' house (Mark and his sister Susan) --Trelowarth House, an an...more

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Nov 15, 2012 ♪ Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance, fantasy, books-i-wanna-marry

Once again, Susanna Kearsley has secured her place in my top favorite authors.

Although a little slow going at first, Kearsley paints a grand landscape of a quaint seaside village in Cornwall, all down to rock, foamy seas, and lush hillsides. Very reminescent of DuMaurier's style in the opening of 'Rebecca'. The details arent what pulled me into the story but it helped me understand why the characters loved it so. I would say that the author has a good deal of her heart there as well.

The notion...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Brie C. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

The Rose Garden is one of the best books I have read this year. Everything about it is beautiful: the setting, the characters, the romance, and most of all, the writing style. There’s something about Ms. Kearsley’s voice that feels almost magical, I was transported to the places she describes and I felt like I was part of the book.

When Eva’s sister, Katrina, dies, she has the painful task of having to take care of her ashes. After much consideration...more Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

The Rose Garden is one of the best books I have read this year. Everything about it is beautiful: the setting, the characters, the romance, and most of all, the writing style. There’s something about Ms. Kearsley’s voice that feels almost magical, I was transported to the places she describes and I felt like I was part of the book.

When Eva’s sister, Katrina, dies, she has the painful task of having to take care of her ashes. After much consideration she decides to bring them to the small town in Cornwall where they used to spend their summers when they were kids.

Once she gets there, Eva reunites with a full cast of characters from her past that grieve the loss, but welcome her with open arms. While she settles and decides what to do with the ashes, strange things start to happen: she hears voices that come from rooms she knows are empty; new paths appear in the woods just to disappear in the blink of an eye; and then she has vivid dreams about being in a different time. It doesn’t take long before she realizes that she is, in fact, time traveling, and that what she’s seeing is the 18th century version of the town. There she meets Daniel and Fergal, the original inhabitants of the house, and she quickly becomes involved in their lives and machinations; Daniel’s in particular.

Eva’s hands are full. First, she has to deal with her present problems, her grief and her sense of lost; then she has to accept the unbelievable, and finally she has to come to terms with the fact that she’s falling in love with a man who lived almost three-hundred years ago, and whose life may be in danger.

My description of the story falls short because there are lots of things going on in it including several romantic sub-plots. The book is narrated by Eva and she is definitely the heart and soul of the novel. She was an engaging woman that was a bit lost and in a lot of emotional pain, but never gave up or succumbed to self-pity. She was the perfect combination of vulnerability and strenght. I think Ms. Kearsley’s portrayal of the sense of loss and void that comes after losing someone dear to you was spot on.

Daniel was a great hero, so sensitive and honorable. I did feel like he didn’t have much trouble getting used to Eva and her story of time-travel, though. That part was the hardest for me to swallow and accept, even harder than the actual time-travel and is my main and only complaint with the book. However, I think that there were so many things going on and that having a skeptic hero would have been, perhaps, too much.

The secondary characters were just as likeable and necessary for the story as the main ones. Fergal, Daniel’s Irish friend, was loyal and funny; Mark, the steady and reliable friend who’s in charge of the house and in love with gardening; Mark’s sister, Susan, who’s at a turning point in her life and trying to come to terms with sacrifice and love; and Grace, the mother figure that in a way binds them all together. I cared deeply for each and every one of them and I was happy to see the resolution to each of their individual stories and journeys.

The time-travel aspect of the story was very well done. This isn’t a sci-fi book where every single facet is explained, so you will have to take the fantastic elements at face value. This isn’t meant to be a story with a believable explanation for time-travel, but even though it’s a bit unbelievable, the story works because Ms. Kearsley keeps her explanations simple and to the point. Eva, Daniel and Fergal, the characters that are aware of the time-travel, understand the danger that comes with it, they go to a lot of trouble to hide Eva, to have appropriate clothes available to her, she can’t speak because her accent would betray her, and she’s aware of the fact that she’s in a particular difficult time period, and is afraid of changing history with here mere presence.

The ending was rushed but gripping, and I was unsure whether it would be happy or sad. In a way it was bittersweet, but not bad at all, I assure you that it was satisfying and everyone gets their much deserved happily ever after.

Finally, I have to mention the descriptions and the setting. Ms. Kearsley describes the places in a way that make you feel like you are there. It was so vivid that I could almost smell the sea and had no trouble picturing the town and the house.

You have to read this book, it starts a bit slow and the romance is sweet and understated, but I couldn’t put it down. Just like that, I have a new favorite author.(less)

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Oct 02, 2011 Jackleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Following the death of her sister, Eva travels back to her childhood home in a quaint fishing village in Cornwall, to scatter her sisters ashes. Although Eva feels cut drift and alone in the world, as her sister was her last surviving family member, she has always felt a magical connection to Cornwall and seeks out this one place where Eva feels she and her sister most belong. Luckily, she comes to stay with childhood friends whose hospitality and warmth embrace her in her time of grief. Their h...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 31, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Laura by: Hannah

Shelves: kindle, cornwall, time-travel, british-literature, historical-romance, historical-fiction, read-2012, hf-18th-century

Let the new faces play what tricks they will
In the old rooms; night can outbalance day,
Our shadows rove the garden gravel still,
The living seem more shadowy than they.

William Butler Yeats, The New Faces

Page 41:
‘Ever try to hold a butterfly? It can’t be done. You damage them,’ he said. ‘As gentle as you try to be, you take the powder from their wings and they won’t ever fly the same. It’s kinder just to let them go.’

In order to avoid repeating what has been said before by other reviewers, I woul...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Sher rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book 21 2012 Reading Challenge
Enjoyed this book very much. A slight twist from The Winter Sea- since her heroine traveled through time instead of just viewing another time through a character's eyes for a book she was writing. Oddly though -- the historical event seemed to be exactly the same in both books? King James trying to get back his throne? Kearsley has just published a new book, and after a break from her, I likely will read it also.
Sher

This book felt very much like The Winter Sea in th...more

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May 19, 2011 Thebruce1314 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-gots

This isn't my favourite of Kearsley's books...that's still a toss-up between The Shadowy Horses and Mariana...but she has yet to write something that I don't like. If I had to make a comparison, The Rose Garden is a little like a cross between the Outlander series and The Time Traveler's Wife, but told with Kearsley's gentle voice. Her style hearkens back to classic writers like Mary Stewart and Daphne DuMaurier with her own flair for character and setting. Kearsley's books always have an elemen...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Shellys♥ Journal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, england, historical-fiction, fiction

Eva goes to a childhood haunt in England - an old house called Trelowrath - to mourn the loss of her sister. While there, she starts seeing things and hearing things. She wonders what is happening - are the past and present co-mingling.

I really loved this story. It is the perfect romance for me. I love all the little bits of the author's foreshadowing in this book, and the emotions of some of the character and the intermingling of history. I love the romantic tension - the patience that the read...more

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May 19, 2012 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An entertaining love story with a blend of past and present. I didn't find it as deeply touching as The Winter Sea, but I still couldn't put it down. The explicit time travel called to mind both The Time Traveler's Wife and Outlander but Kearsley has her own voice that is sweet and gently romantic. The twist at the end was unexpected, giving it a little more depth and rounding out the edges nicely.

1 like · like · see review

May 11, 2012 Carolyn F. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, historical-romance, magical, audiobook

Audiobook.

Sweet, romantic, time travel fiction. Eva's sister dies and she goes back to the place they spent summers at to scatter her ashes. Eva then begins traveling back in time to the same castle then occupied by Daniel Butler. For some reason he believes her and doesn't think she's a witch even though it's around 1715. They slowly fall in love while she travels back and forth all willy-nilly.

Enjoyable book. Narration pretty good. She didn't quite get the Canadian/California accent but then...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Ricki Treleaven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This week I read The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley. This is the second book of hers I have read; you can read my post about The Winter Sea here. I enjoyed The Winter Sea only slightly better that The Rose Garden, but both are fantastic. Some friends who have also read Mariana claim that it is even better that tho other two. If you have read Mariana, I would love your input!

The Rose Garden is a time travel story set in Cornwall. Eva Ward has returned to Trelowarth estate to scatter the ashes of...more This week I read The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley. This is the second book of hers I have read; you can read my post about The Winter Sea here. I enjoyed The Winter Sea only slightly better that The Rose Garden, but both are fantastic. Some friends who have also read Mariana claim that it is even better that tho other two. If you have read Mariana, I would love your input!

The Rose Garden is a time travel story set in Cornwall. Eva Ward has returned to Trelowarth estate to scatter the ashes of her sister. She has chosen Trelowarth for her sister's final resting place because they spent many happy childhood summers there. At Trelowarth, Eva struggles with her grief. She becomes concerned with her mental health when she begins hearing voices and having hallucinations. Soon she recognizes that her experiences are not manifestations of grief: She has been traveling back in time to the early eighteenth century shortly before the Jacobite rebellion.

While in the past, Eva meets Daniel Butler, Trelowarth's dashing master. Daniel is a smuggler by trade, and he is a Jacobite sympathizer who couldn't care less about the anniversary of King George's coronation. Of course Eva knows the outcome of the rebellion, but how can she warn Daniel without changing history? Eva struggles to come to terms with her grief while she determines where she belongs in time.

I enjoyed the Cornish folklore Kearsley wove throughout the plot. Mr. Art @ Home's family is Cornish (most Tre-names, like Trelowarth and Treleaven(our last name) are Cornish). The Cornish customs that sprang from folklore and superstitions are fun to read about in The Rose Garden. I also enjoyed Kearsley's treatment of time travel. It is truly one of the most creative time travel worlds I have ever read, and I love her explanation of Eva's experiences. The only thing I did not like about The Rose Garden is the ending. It ended rather abruptly, and it did not fit with the rest of the story arc. Still, it was very well-written, and I would not have minded reading a longer book because I still have questions. I wish Kearsley would write a sequel!
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Feb 17, 2013 Vicki rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In The Rose Garden, Susanna Kearsley explores the idea of time travel. Although the mechanism is not completely clear in the book, apparently one spot on the Cornish coast allows time slippage for some people. The protagonist, Eva, is one of them. She has come back to Cornwall with her sister's ashes, wanting to spread them some place her sister belonged and, interestingly, I think that is one of the themes, where does one belong, not just place, but time. There is also consideration of changes...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Sage Bell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know I'm reading a good book when

a) I find that I'm desperately curious to visit the real-life setting I read about

b) I don't hear the bunch of rowdy, noisy boys downstairs because I'm much too engrossed.

That's exactly what happened while I was reading The Rose Garden. The author made Cornwall seem so special, beautiful, and, yes, magical, that I know want to travel there, walk the Wild Wood like the heroine did, visit the Fudge Shop and Tearoom, go on top of the hill overlooking the sea. I...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Alix rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At first, I wasn't sold on the characters in The Rose Garden. The main character's loss of her sister seemed out of place, even though it was the driving force of all the main events in the book. As I read on, I simply enjoyed the book for its good story and grew to like the characters more. Although not "realistic", I do enjoy Kearsley's different renderings of time travel throughout each of her books, and was pleasantly surprised by the method and manner of this books's concept. Others have cr...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Rachel Goodman rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

All right... so I'm on page 267 of 428 (Kindle App for iPad version). I was going to wait to review this but I don't think my opinion is going to change at this point. Basically, this novel has a very interesting story and it was plotted okay enough. It wasn't so bad that I put it down and the love story and time travel thing Kearsley had going on was right up my alley. However, I found myself really annoyed at time while reading the narration. Sometimes it would be fine as I was going along rea...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Wench rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, time-travel, ebook

This book gives me a lot of feels.

A LOT of feels.

I'm a bit of a sucker for time travel books. I love playing with history, and looking at the synchronicities, and trying to detangle wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff. Better yet if it's a romance.

I don't know that I quite believe the romance in this book between Our Hero and Our Heroine, but it's not UNbelievable. They seem very... proper - except when they're not. The Hero certainly seems to develop a strong attachment to Our Heroine quickly, whe...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Quiana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, historical, emotional, romance, time-travel

After the death of her sister, Eva Ward returns to Trelowarth, the place where she and her sister spent many happy summers vacationing during their youth. Eva doesn’t know it yet, but she’s about to embark on an adventure filled with mystery, intrigue, and danger; all while falling in love with a mysterious stranger who couldn’t possibly belong in her time. Will Eva be able to hold on to a love that’s rooted in the past?

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley was a mostly enjoyable read. Kearsley di...more

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Claire's time travel	9	50	Apr 24, 2013 09:07pm
Book Worms: The Rose Garden: Chapters 6-10	13	15	Oct 13, 2012 10:57am
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Some of The Girls: What are you reading today? 9/26	2	2	Sep 26, 2012 07:24am
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About Susanna Kearsley

Aka Emma Cole.

Susanna Kearsley studied politics and international development at university, and has worked as a museum curator.

Her first novel Mariana won the prestigious Catherine Cookson Literary Prize and launched her writing career. Susanna continued her mix of the historical and paranormal in novels The Splendour Falls, Named of the Dragon, Shadowy Horses and Season of Storms.

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“Whatever time we have," he said, "it will be time enough.” — 44 people liked it

“Ever try to hold a butterfly? It can't be done. You damage them," he said. 'As gentle as you try to be, you take the powder from their wings and they won't ever fly the same. It's kinder to let them go.” — 13 people liked it

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