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The Rose Garden
A New York Times and USA Today Bestseller!"I've loved every one of Susanna's books! She has bedrock research and a butterfly's delicate touch with characters--sure recipe for historical fiction that sucks you in and won't let go!"-- DIANA GABALDON , #1 New York Times bestselling author of OutlanderA journey through time and a story of love, The Rose Garden tells the story of a modern woman thrown back three centuries only to find that might just be where she belongs.After the death of her sister, Eva Ward leaves Hollywood behind to return to the only place she feels she truly belongs, the old house on the coast of Cornwall, England. She's seeking comfort in memories of childhood summers, but what she finds is mysterious voices and hidden pathways that sweep her not only into the past, but also into the arms of a man who is not of her time. But Eva soon discovers that the man, Daniel Butler, is very, very real and is thrown into a world of intrigue, treason, and love.Inside the old house, Eva must confront her own ghosts, as well as those of long ago. And as she begins to question her place in the present, she realizes she must decide where she really in the life she knows or the past she feels so drawn towards.Other bestselling books by Susanna The Winter SeaA Desperate FortuneThe Firebird
550 pages, Hardcover
First published April 15, 2011
1608 people are currently reading
31761 people want to read
About the author
Susanna Kearsley
32 books8,953 followersNew York Times, USA Today, and Globe and Mail bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is a former museum curator who loves restoring the lost voices of real people to the page, interweaving romance and historical intrigue with modern adventure.
Her books, published in translation in more than 20 countries, have won the Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, a RITA Award, and National Readers’ Choice Awards, and have finaled for the UK’s Romantic Novel of the Year and the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.
She lives near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
(Aka Emma Cole, a pseudonym she used for one novel, Every Secret Thing, a thriller which at the time was intended to be the first of a trilogy featuring heroine Kate Murray, and which may yet be finished, some day. Meantime, Every Secret Thing has been reissued under Kearsley's name, and the Emma Cole pseudonym is no longer in use.)
Her books, published in translation in more than 20 countries, have won the Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, a RITA Award, and National Readers’ Choice Awards, and have finaled for the UK’s Romantic Novel of the Year and the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.
She lives near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
(Aka Emma Cole, a pseudonym she used for one novel, Every Secret Thing, a thriller which at the time was intended to be the first of a trilogy featuring heroine Kate Murray, and which may yet be finished, some day. Meantime, Every Secret Thing has been reissued under Kearsley's name, and the Emma Cole pseudonym is no longer in use.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,494 reviews
January 8, 2014
Re-read January, 2014 with Jeannette and Diane Lynn:
Actually a better read the second time around, Great story; warm and wonderful characters. I cried again this time around, which is always a bonus feature :D
Original Review:
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...
Actually a better read the second time around, Great story; warm and wonderful characters. I cried again this time around, which is always a bonus feature :D
Original Review:
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...
November 14, 2012
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 .*
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.
April 3, 2017
I really like Susanna Kearsley's writing. I loved the descriptions of Cornwall, England in the beginning of this book. I could envision it so clearly in my mind.
The story started off quite nicely for me but I found it to be rather slow in the middle. Not much happened and I found it sort of wandered to nowhere for a bit. The ending picked up and the twist was a nice one!
The story started off quite nicely for me but I found it to be rather slow in the middle. Not much happened and I found it sort of wandered to nowhere for a bit. The ending picked up and the twist was a nice one!
August 29, 2021
Ahhh..what a concept! This will go down as one of my all time favourite. I must admit that in the beginning I found a couple of the characters annoying but it soon had me hooked. The style of narration in the book is totally captivating. While reading I got lost in the world of this beautiful novel that combines of historical fiction, romance, time travel and just a touch of the supernatural. There's a lot of twists that I didn't see coming. And I enjoyed every minute of it.
December 2, 2017
To me, a good time travel yarn must possess a certain amount of plausibility. I found this vital element seriously lacking in "The Rose Garden." Daniel and Fergal should have been shocked by a woman from the future suddenly appearing out of thin air; e.g., they should have been questioning her about her strange appearance, what time period she came from, what it was like in the future; etc., etc. Instead, they're pretty much blasé about this mysterious phantom woman. Fergal is a little taken aback at first but any misgivings he has are short lived. Before you know it, he's behaving like a mother hen towards this poor girl from the future. It seems the author attempts to explain this scenario by depicting Daniel and Fergus as "scientific types." Well, scientifically-minded or not, most people would be slightly freaked out by something like this happening. This scenario is not even remotely believable.
Although I thought the writing was good and I enjoyed reading the descriptions of Cornwall, I thought the characters were flat and uninteresting, and I had to force myself to keep reading. This is the first book by Susanna Kearsley I've read. Not sure I'll venture to read "Winter Sea."
Although I thought the writing was good and I enjoyed reading the descriptions of Cornwall, I thought the characters were flat and uninteresting, and I had to force myself to keep reading. This is the first book by Susanna Kearsley I've read. Not sure I'll venture to read "Winter Sea."
August 15, 2023
The moment I realized this novel was set in Cornwall, I was halfway to loving it already. Then it had that du Maurier flavor, the atmosphere of Jamaica Inn and the mystery element, the historical setting and charming gentleman that put me in mind of Winston Graham’s Poldark, with the addition of a well-conceived and executed time-travel angle. What’s not to like? My only regret is that I let it languish on my bookshelf for over a year.
There was something about this remote western corner of Britain that captured the soul and refused to let go, something ancient and wild in the moors and black cliffs and the voice of the sea that spoke always of something unseen and enchanted.
I was so in the mood for this sweet romantic tale that swept me along and swept me away from my everyday world of problems and sorrows. Sometimes, somewhere else is just where we want to be, and today 17th Century England was just the right place for me and Daniel Butler was just the right man.
I hope Susanna Kearsley has more of this up her sleeve. I’ll definitely be reading another of her novels soon to find the answer to that question.
There was something about this remote western corner of Britain that captured the soul and refused to let go, something ancient and wild in the moors and black cliffs and the voice of the sea that spoke always of something unseen and enchanted.
I was so in the mood for this sweet romantic tale that swept me along and swept me away from my everyday world of problems and sorrows. Sometimes, somewhere else is just where we want to be, and today 17th Century England was just the right place for me and Daniel Butler was just the right man.
I hope Susanna Kearsley has more of this up her sleeve. I’ll definitely be reading another of her novels soon to find the answer to that question.
December 4, 2014
A Good Yarn
The tale is a good yarn, primarily along the romantic side with touches of historical data incorporated throughout. The author provides a substantial amount of detail about the main characters which makes them all the more realistic. Although I found it a bit slow at the beginning, I soon began to enjoy the colourful characters and found it flowed along nicely. If you have never read a S. Kearsley’s book then I highly recommend “Mariana” as a first pick which was superb.
The tale is a good yarn, primarily along the romantic side with touches of historical data incorporated throughout. The author provides a substantial amount of detail about the main characters which makes them all the more realistic. Although I found it a bit slow at the beginning, I soon began to enjoy the colourful characters and found it flowed along nicely. If you have never read a S. Kearsley’s book then I highly recommend “Mariana” as a first pick which was superb.
August 7, 2022
This is my idea of romance. Time travel, fantastic historical detail, a slow burn of a relationship that felt genuine and sweet, smugglers, a historic home in Cornwall, and a glorious garden. A perfect read for those who like Jane Austen-style romance, British history, and a touch of time-traveling magic. Reminds me very much of an old novel by Mark Luke called The Nonsuch Lure. If you liked this book, you might enjoy that one as well.
May 6, 2017
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.
This book is romantic with just enough suspense and explanation behind the time-travel to make it a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read. For me, it would have come in at 4 stars (being a bit light in the historical element with a few references that had me raising my eyebrows) except I loved the time-travel twist at the end--that pushed it almost to 5 stars. A perfect "escape" book.
This book is romantic with just enough suspense and explanation behind the time-travel to make it a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read. For me, it would have come in at 4 stars (being a bit light in the historical element with a few references that had me raising my eyebrows) except I loved the time-travel twist at the end--that pushed it almost to 5 stars. A perfect "escape" book.
October 11, 2011
3.5 stars out of 5
I keep seeing it everywhere...
"If you enjoyed Outlander, you'll love The Rose Garden"
Ok...me, me, me!!!
I loved Outlander and the entire Outlander series. So, that means I'll love this book right?
Wrong. I didn't LOVE it. I liked it. It was good but not outstanding (the way Outlander was). It was interesting but not interesting enough to warrant the comparison to Outlander.
Hold up, don't get me wrong here.
This book was good. I thought the beginning was excellent. I thought the ending was satisfying. It was the middle that made the book just good but not great.
My experience with Susanna Kearsley consists of The Winter Sea & this book. Both books I absolutely adored at the beginning. Both books I loved the ending. Both books I almost stopped reading in the middle out of pure boredom. Notice a pattern? Yup, the author has a tendency to drag the middle portion of her books to the point of book-stopping-boredom. I've learned in my vast Kearsley reading experience to read through the boredom so that I can be rewarded with a fantastic ending. It would be nice if her books didn't bore me at all in the middle but I can't have everything!
Ok. I’ve said a lot without saying one word about the actual story. (it’s a talent of mine)
The Story-
The story is actually really simple-
Girl’s sister dies. Girl goes back “home” to scatter sister’s ashes. Girl time travels. Girl falls for guy back in time. What to do? What to do?
That pretty much sums up the plot. What saves the simple plot is the characters. They are well written and even the minor characters are interesting.
Overall-
Good but not great. Definitely not Outlander. Good book to read in between books in the Outlander series!
I keep seeing it everywhere...
"If you enjoyed Outlander, you'll love The Rose Garden"
Ok...me, me, me!!!
I loved Outlander and the entire Outlander series. So, that means I'll love this book right?
Wrong. I didn't LOVE it. I liked it. It was good but not outstanding (the way Outlander was). It was interesting but not interesting enough to warrant the comparison to Outlander.
Hold up, don't get me wrong here.
This book was good. I thought the beginning was excellent. I thought the ending was satisfying. It was the middle that made the book just good but not great.
My experience with Susanna Kearsley consists of The Winter Sea & this book. Both books I absolutely adored at the beginning. Both books I loved the ending. Both books I almost stopped reading in the middle out of pure boredom. Notice a pattern? Yup, the author has a tendency to drag the middle portion of her books to the point of book-stopping-boredom. I've learned in my vast Kearsley reading experience to read through the boredom so that I can be rewarded with a fantastic ending. It would be nice if her books didn't bore me at all in the middle but I can't have everything!
Ok. I’ve said a lot without saying one word about the actual story. (it’s a talent of mine)
The Story-
The story is actually really simple-
Girl’s sister dies. Girl goes back “home” to scatter sister’s ashes. Girl time travels. Girl falls for guy back in time. What to do? What to do?
That pretty much sums up the plot. What saves the simple plot is the characters. They are well written and even the minor characters are interesting.
Overall-
Good but not great. Definitely not Outlander. Good book to read in between books in the Outlander series!
October 11, 2015
A delightful blend of romance, time travel and historical fiction that actually reminded me a bit of one of my favorite books Outlander. A quick and easy read that brought the handsome Daniel Butler and charming Fergal of the late 1700's to life to join Eva in a mysterious adventure. Loved it!
July 5, 2018
DNF @ 23%.
Started out promising but then it turned into a boring version of Outlander.
Started out promising but then it turned into a boring version of Outlander.
August 23, 2018
The Rose Garden, by Susanna Kearsley is historical fiction. It is time travel. It is romance. It has a twist I did not see coming.
Eva Ward's beloved sister has died and she returns to their summer home in England to distribute Katrina's ashes. Strange things start to happen while she is staying at Trelowarth, resting and attempting to recover from her grief. She is transported back to the early 1700's to the Trelowarth of that time. She meets the Butlers and their best friend Fergal. She has no control over her teleportation. Makes for some interesting situations when she shows up unbid in modern clothes.
The Butlers are smugglers and Daniel is a Jacobite. I had heard the term Jacobite in other books I have read. I now understand them to be a group that desired to restore the Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England and Ireland . The sitting King, George, was not too pleased with that (!) and he and his followers considered them traitors worthy of death.
The story alternates between present day in which plans to open a tearoom and garden tour are underway and the past, where Eva falls for Daniel.
Lots of tie-ins between past and present. The writing coherently transposed between the two time periods. I am not the biggest fan of historical fiction romance so my rating reflects that.
Better than a 3 but close enough to give it a 4. I will hazard a guess that if you do like romance, you will consider this book very good.
Eva Ward's beloved sister has died and she returns to their summer home in England to distribute Katrina's ashes. Strange things start to happen while she is staying at Trelowarth, resting and attempting to recover from her grief. She is transported back to the early 1700's to the Trelowarth of that time. She meets the Butlers and their best friend Fergal. She has no control over her teleportation. Makes for some interesting situations when she shows up unbid in modern clothes.
The Butlers are smugglers and Daniel is a Jacobite. I had heard the term Jacobite in other books I have read. I now understand them to be a group that desired to restore the Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England and Ireland . The sitting King, George, was not too pleased with that (!) and he and his followers considered them traitors worthy of death.
The story alternates between present day in which plans to open a tearoom and garden tour are underway and the past, where Eva falls for Daniel.
Lots of tie-ins between past and present. The writing coherently transposed between the two time periods. I am not the biggest fan of historical fiction romance so my rating reflects that.
Better than a 3 but close enough to give it a 4. I will hazard a guess that if you do like romance, you will consider this book very good.
June 24, 2018
"When I meet a wind I cannot fight , I can do naught but set my sails to let it take me where it will."
I enjoyed this one. It was not my favorite of her books that I've read, but I loved it just the same. There was a bit of time travel in this one. A great escape book. I think I would have liked a little more character development, but I suppose it would have made the story too long. Having been to Cornwall recently, I really enjoyed the setting, it brought back so many lovely memories. It is definitely a place I'd like to return to.
September 12, 2018
I love re-reading (or listening) to old favorites. The only words I can think of for this story, or more importantly the love story are sweet and soft. If I should ever find myself transported back in time I would so love to find me a Daniel Butler.
July 25, 2017
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 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 discretion 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 although 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. 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.
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 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 discretion 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 although 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. 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.
April 24, 2012
In all honesty, I didn't think I was going to like this book at first. It started promising, but then just kept dragging on and on and ooonnnn with flowery descriptions and melancholy reminiscences until I wanted to scream, "Get on with it!"
But then, right around chapter 8, things finally started getting interesting. Once I'd made it to chapter 10 or so, I couldn't put it down. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I love time travel stories and this one hits the mark pretty well. My favorite characters were Daniel and Claire, and the twist at the end is just completely cool. I can't even really find words to describe it. Just...neat. This book made my night. I hope it makes yours.
But then, right around chapter 8, things finally started getting interesting. Once I'd made it to chapter 10 or so, I couldn't put it down. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I love time travel stories and this one hits the mark pretty well. My favorite characters were Daniel and Claire, and the twist at the end is just completely cool. I can't even really find words to describe it. Just...neat. This book made my night. I hope it makes yours.
March 27, 2018
Eva Ward returns to the Cornish coast to scatter her sister's ashes. Trelowarth House, in the village of Polgelly, Cornwall, is a place filled with summer, childhood memories with the Hallett children Mark and Susan. Agreeing to do the public relations for the Hallett's roses and the future teahouse, she is wrapped up in the work, until one day she fades through centuries to appear in the early eighteenth century. She meets Daniel Butler, a free-trader who supports the Jacobite cause. She fades again reappearing in her own era.
Eva discovers she can randomly fade between 1715 and the present and back again. When Eva is with Daniel, they develop feelings for each other. Eva is falling in love with Daniel. Will she be able to have a relationship with him when she can't control the time-travel? Can Eva save Daniel and his brother, Jack, from the failed Jacobite cause? What about her own century? Can she hide the evidence of her time-travel?
This is my first book by Susanna Kearsley. The time-travel is accomplished with ley lines. I have encountered this same theory in other novels, so I didn't find it hard to believe it possible in this story. The characters, both primary and secondary, were well written and fleshed out. The plot is well thought out. The description is fabulous. I recommend this book to all who like time-travel.
I have two favorite quotes I wish to share.
"When I meet a wind I cannot fight," he (Daniel) said, "I can do naught but set my sails to let it take me where it will."
Trelowarth," he (Daniel) countered, "is rooms gathered under a roof, nothing more." He refilled his cup and my own. "I argue 'tis never the place, but the people one shares it with who are the cause of our happiest memories. That is why we find that having lived them once, we can never recapture them. (331)
Eva discovers she can randomly fade between 1715 and the present and back again. When Eva is with Daniel, they develop feelings for each other. Eva is falling in love with Daniel. Will she be able to have a relationship with him when she can't control the time-travel? Can Eva save Daniel and his brother, Jack, from the failed Jacobite cause? What about her own century? Can she hide the evidence of her time-travel?
This is my first book by Susanna Kearsley. The time-travel is accomplished with ley lines. I have encountered this same theory in other novels, so I didn't find it hard to believe it possible in this story. The characters, both primary and secondary, were well written and fleshed out. The plot is well thought out. The description is fabulous. I recommend this book to all who like time-travel.
I have two favorite quotes I wish to share.
"When I meet a wind I cannot fight," he (Daniel) said, "I can do naught but set my sails to let it take me where it will."
Trelowarth," he (Daniel) countered, "is rooms gathered under a roof, nothing more." He refilled his cup and my own. "I argue 'tis never the place, but the people one shares it with who are the cause of our happiest memories. That is why we find that having lived them once, we can never recapture them. (331)
February 28, 2015
I didn’t have to read much of this to realise that Susanna Kearsley’s work is going to be the perfect replacement for the comfort reading I got all the way through in the last two or three years (Mary Stewart’s romance/adventures). It has the same sense of place, the beautiful descriptions of landscape, and the same sort of heroine: female, curious, about to be swept up in bigger events than she’d ever have expected. And better: this is explicitly fantastical, where most of Mary Stewart’s books were more mysteries, sometimes with hints at fantasy.
And better again, whew, we don’t have first cousins getting married at the end.
It does start off with kind of a slow pace, and Eva is only rarely involved in actual action, despite the backdrop of free trading and other such types of derring-do. And it is indeed a romance, so the ending is a happy one for most of the characters (though there’s a sadder note, too, with Eva’s sister’s husband; I was glad there was some closure at the end of story with him as well, even if it was a sadder story), and there’s plenty of romance going on — not just for Eva, but in the background. And yeah, I think Fergal and Daniel take the time travelling woman a little too lightly. They’re curious, but not curious enough to feel realistic. They both just decide to protect her right away.
But I enjoyed it anyway: it has a great atmosphere, and the writing flows well. It’s a bit like The Time Traveler’s Wife, I guess, in that I wouldn’t want to examine how the timeline works too closely lest it fall apart, but it was the ideal fluff, and it had enough substance that I cared about the characters.
And better again, whew, we don’t have first cousins getting married at the end.
It does start off with kind of a slow pace, and Eva is only rarely involved in actual action, despite the backdrop of free trading and other such types of derring-do. And it is indeed a romance, so the ending is a happy one for most of the characters (though there’s a sadder note, too, with Eva’s sister’s husband; I was glad there was some closure at the end of story with him as well, even if it was a sadder story), and there’s plenty of romance going on — not just for Eva, but in the background. And yeah, I think Fergal and Daniel take the time travelling woman a little too lightly. They’re curious, but not curious enough to feel realistic. They both just decide to protect her right away.
But I enjoyed it anyway: it has a great atmosphere, and the writing flows well. It’s a bit like The Time Traveler’s Wife, I guess, in that I wouldn’t want to examine how the timeline works too closely lest it fall apart, but it was the ideal fluff, and it had enough substance that I cared about the characters.
July 15, 2023
Labai silpnai 3*.
"Rožių sodas"-antroji pažintis su Kearsley keliaujančiais laiku personažais, bet širdį ir jausmus palietė deja tik "Mariana".
"Rožių sodas"-antroji pažintis su Kearsley keliaujančiais laiku personažais, bet širdį ir jausmus palietė deja tik "Mariana".
June 18, 2021
‘Whatever time we have,’ he said, ‘it will be time enough.’ YOU GUYS I CAN'T MOVE ON. I love, love, loved this book! Susanna Kearsley has a way with words I swear. She's so fucking poetic and I love reading her books but this one, by far, is my favorite of hers. Again, this book has everything i want in a book. history, time travel and romance. The main character finds herself slipping through time, and has no control over when it happens. Daniel is a man living in the past. It was interesting to read how it would all happen, if there'd be a happy ever after or not. I literally loved all the characters, they were all so well fleshed out. Fergal is so funny, i want him. Jack is so funny as well but something unexpected happened and I was so sad over it. I did not really expect that ending. I thought my guess about how it would happen would be right but it wasn't. I never wanted the book to end and the last chapter left me wanting more. I mean the idea is there, but i wanted to read at least one more chapter to see how it would all turn out to give myself peace? But anyway it was such a very good book and i was sucked in. I enjoyed reading it very much, I've never felt that excited about a book since what the wind knows by amy harmon so it's safe to say that this was really good and exceeded my expectations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2024
4 stars = Fantastic and easy to recommend.
‘Tis never the place, but the people one shares it with who are the cause of our happiest memories.
If you are able to suspend disbelief, as is usually required for historical fiction with time travel, then it is easy to enjoy this lovely romance. Most of the novel takes place on the Cornish coast, and about a third of it is spent in the past (1713), not long before the Jacobite uprising.
Knowing that the battle will not end the way he wishes does not make it any less worthwhile the fight.
If you like stories like this, you will not find anything new here. It is predictable, and has acceptable if not memorable prose. Despite these shortcomings, it was still enjoyable and had multiple endearing characters. It has a moderate, steady pacing and the plot gets going right away. I always looked forward to returning to see what happens next.
I would know, and remember, and that was enough.
-------------------------------------------
First Sentence: I lost my only sister in the last days of November.
Favorite Quote: Time was good at erasing the tangible proof that a person had lived.
‘Tis never the place, but the people one shares it with who are the cause of our happiest memories.
If you are able to suspend disbelief, as is usually required for historical fiction with time travel, then it is easy to enjoy this lovely romance. Most of the novel takes place on the Cornish coast, and about a third of it is spent in the past (1713), not long before the Jacobite uprising.
Knowing that the battle will not end the way he wishes does not make it any less worthwhile the fight.
If you like stories like this, you will not find anything new here. It is predictable, and has acceptable if not memorable prose. Despite these shortcomings, it was still enjoyable and had multiple endearing characters. It has a moderate, steady pacing and the plot gets going right away. I always looked forward to returning to see what happens next.
I would know, and remember, and that was enough.
-------------------------------------------
First Sentence: I lost my only sister in the last days of November.
Favorite Quote: Time was good at erasing the tangible proof that a person had lived.
July 29, 2016
Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows
Fair is the lily of the valley
Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne
But my love is fairer than any.
Come over the hills, my bonnie Irish lass
Come over the hills to your darling
You choose the rose, love, and I'll make the vow
And I'll be your true love forever.
'Twas down by Killarney's green woods that we strayed
When the moon and the stars they were shining
The moon shone its rays on her locks of golden hair
And she swore she'd be my love forever.
Chorus
It's not for the parting that my sister pains
It's not for the grief of my mother
'Tis all for the loss of my bonny Irish lass
That my heart is breaking forever.
Chorus
Thought most of this fit the spirit of the book nicely.
Not in the proper headspace for a review (our cat Goldy died today, such a sweetie ).. I may update later with some quotes from the story buy I do highly recommend it m
Fair is the lily of the valley
Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne
But my love is fairer than any.
Come over the hills, my bonnie Irish lass
Come over the hills to your darling
You choose the rose, love, and I'll make the vow
And I'll be your true love forever.
'Twas down by Killarney's green woods that we strayed
When the moon and the stars they were shining
The moon shone its rays on her locks of golden hair
And she swore she'd be my love forever.
Chorus
It's not for the parting that my sister pains
It's not for the grief of my mother
'Tis all for the loss of my bonny Irish lass
That my heart is breaking forever.
Chorus
Thought most of this fit the spirit of the book nicely.
Not in the proper headspace for a review (our cat Goldy died today, such a sweetie ).. I may update later with some quotes from the story buy I do highly recommend it m
January 7, 2023
I basically loved the book till the last end. It honestly felt like a rushed ending and I was left with more questions than necessary. So is the fey lines the only explanation for the whole thing? Not that I expected a whole scientific explanation but everything seemed to have a very washed up answer and I was left asking more questions than I originally wanted.
The ending was so bland I honestly wanted to reduce this to two star but I left a three star review just because the beginning was very sweet and started quite good (I won't say strong, it was too lukewarm for me to use that word). The book itself had so much potential that was clearly lost by the end. Quite sad to see that.
The ending was so bland I honestly wanted to reduce this to two star but I left a three star review just because the beginning was very sweet and started quite good (I won't say strong, it was too lukewarm for me to use that word). The book itself had so much potential that was clearly lost by the end. Quite sad to see that.
March 28, 2025
Maybe 2.5 stars?
A thoughtful time travel romance with beautiful prose.
And by thoughtful, I mean slow. This moved at a snail’s pace, hampered by the author’s need to examine and describe every emotion, facial expression, gesture, and most especially the surroundings in minute detail. It’s obvious she loved her Cornwall setting, but I was here for the story, not a travel log.
This was also dreadfully in need of third person narrative. Experiencing the story in first person narrative, entirely in the mind and through the eyes of the FMC, Eva, inserted her between the reader and everything that was taking place, and Eva was dreadfully reticent about how and why she fell in love with Daniel and the reader has no clue why he fell in love with her, and it happened quickly with few interactions or words between them.
In addition, some story threads are dropped (why days pass between her visits to the past but she returns to the exact moment she left in the present) or are left unexplained (the repercussions from what happened in the cave).
Just for the sake of future me, so that when I stumble across my review two years from now my memory might be jogged: After the death of her sister, Eva returns to an estate in Cornwall where she and her sister had been happy as children to scatter her ashes. While there, she begins to be unpredictably transported from the present back in time to the early 1700’s, where she meets Daniel Butler and his friend and brother, smugglers by trade and popular among the villagers, but targeted by the evil constable Creed for personal reasons. Her inability to predict when she time travels brings danger to herself (witch!), and Creed’s persecution of the Butlers adds an element of danger to the story. The villain adds some much-needed flavor…and how sad is that?
When the romance falls flat in a romance book, beautiful prose can’t save it. This took a long time to wade through and the payoff was disappointing.
A thoughtful time travel romance with beautiful prose.
And by thoughtful, I mean slow. This moved at a snail’s pace, hampered by the author’s need to examine and describe every emotion, facial expression, gesture, and most especially the surroundings in minute detail. It’s obvious she loved her Cornwall setting, but I was here for the story, not a travel log.
This was also dreadfully in need of third person narrative. Experiencing the story in first person narrative, entirely in the mind and through the eyes of the FMC, Eva, inserted her between the reader and everything that was taking place, and Eva was dreadfully reticent about how and why she fell in love with Daniel and the reader has no clue why he fell in love with her, and it happened quickly with few interactions or words between them.
In addition, some story threads are dropped (why days pass between her visits to the past but she returns to the exact moment she left in the present) or are left unexplained (the repercussions from what happened in the cave).
Just for the sake of future me, so that when I stumble across my review two years from now my memory might be jogged: After the death of her sister, Eva returns to an estate in Cornwall where she and her sister had been happy as children to scatter her ashes. While there, she begins to be unpredictably transported from the present back in time to the early 1700’s, where she meets Daniel Butler and his friend and brother, smugglers by trade and popular among the villagers, but targeted by the evil constable Creed for personal reasons. Her inability to predict when she time travels brings danger to herself (witch!), and Creed’s persecution of the Butlers adds an element of danger to the story. The villain adds some much-needed flavor…and how sad is that?
When the romance falls flat in a romance book, beautiful prose can’t save it. This took a long time to wade through and the payoff was disappointing.
February 17, 2012
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 book. You are sad, then happy and in love. You laugh and cry and feel every moment of the story. Very few authors can do that.
Once again, Kearsley found a way to weave past and present together in an incredible way. It amazes me, the inventiveness she uses to put these stories together. Just like with the other book, I was much more into the past's story line than the present's. It is probably the hopeless romantic in me, since this is where the love story happens.
The Rose Garden sagged a little in the middle. I found myself skimming parts trying to find where the story was going to pick up again. But, the plot twist at the end made up for that. I just felt the ending was too rushed. I wanted to know more. I wanted the loose ends to be tied up a bit better. I can't say much without giving parts of the story away but if you read it, I'm sure you will understand.
In the end it was a good book, just a bit disappointing. I wanted more out of the story.
I will be reading more by Ms. Kearsley, though. I can't wait to see what else she has in store for me.
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 book. You are sad, then happy and in love. You laugh and cry and feel every moment of the story. Very few authors can do that.
Once again, Kearsley found a way to weave past and present together in an incredible way. It amazes me, the inventiveness she uses to put these stories together. Just like with the other book, I was much more into the past's story line than the present's. It is probably the hopeless romantic in me, since this is where the love story happens.
The Rose Garden sagged a little in the middle. I found myself skimming parts trying to find where the story was going to pick up again. But, the plot twist at the end made up for that. I just felt the ending was too rushed. I wanted to know more. I wanted the loose ends to be tied up a bit better. I can't say much without giving parts of the story away but if you read it, I'm sure you will understand.
In the end it was a good book, just a bit disappointing. I wanted more out of the story.
I will be reading more by Ms. Kearsley, though. I can't wait to see what else she has in store for me.
September 19, 2011
Recently divorced and at loose ends in life, Eva Ward accepts the task of scattering her dead sister’s ashes at their childhood home in Cornwall. Eva settles in for a long stay at Trelowarth house, but in true Kearsley fashion things start going bump in the night – and Eva is walking a path in the present one moment and the is next she’s stepped into the past – 1715 to be exact. She’s soon involved up to her neck with brothers Daniel and Jack Butler, Both smugglers like any good Cornishman, but they’re also plotting with the Jacobites and things get a bit complicated at times…
“It was not the best of places I could be.”
So as not to spoil I won’t reveal anymore, but fans of Kearsley should enjoy this a lot. This was a nice blend of time travel, romance, mystery and political intrigues. The time travel is handled nicely and is believable, although there was an unexpected twist at the end that took me by surprise – not 100% sure if I bought into that one. I liked watching the relationship grow between Eva and Daniel, but at the same time I didn’t find as much sizzle off the page chemistry I’d normally like to see. This is a book best to cuddle up with on a quiet weekend alone, and I mistakenly read it mid-week when my concentration wasn’t at its best. My bad. Kearsley fans will love this to bits, but while I enjoyed this it wasn’t quite up to par with The Winter Sea. 4/5 stars.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks for an advance copy.
“It was not the best of places I could be.”
So as not to spoil I won’t reveal anymore, but fans of Kearsley should enjoy this a lot. This was a nice blend of time travel, romance, mystery and political intrigues. The time travel is handled nicely and is believable, although there was an unexpected twist at the end that took me by surprise – not 100% sure if I bought into that one. I liked watching the relationship grow between Eva and Daniel, but at the same time I didn’t find as much sizzle off the page chemistry I’d normally like to see. This is a book best to cuddle up with on a quiet weekend alone, and I mistakenly read it mid-week when my concentration wasn’t at its best. My bad. Kearsley fans will love this to bits, but while I enjoyed this it wasn’t quite up to par with The Winter Sea. 4/5 stars.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks for an advance copy.
November 14, 2011
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 interferes very little and is more romantic than scientific. It facilitates the characters' meeting and nothing more.
The romance is sweet and ... romantic, and the characters almost live things in the right order, just a day or so out. It was a relief to find no description at all, and without it the atmosphere and storyline hold perfectly.
This is a good book to give a bit of comfort when needed, a light and warm pick-me-up that is a pleasant read from beginning to end.
April 1, 2015
Romance,historical fiction,fantasy? All genres fit this story. A young woman grieving the death of her sister finds comfort in the rambling old house on the Cornish coast, full of happy memories of summers past.
All is not as it seems though, as Eva finds herself hopscotching between the present and the distant past of the 1700s. In the present,she is helping her childhood friends hang on to the family estate fallen on hard times. In the past she is introduced to the early residents, Daniel and Jack Butler and their friend Fergal. There she is caught up in the world of smugglers, free traders as they call themselves. Romance, danger and high seas adventure combine to leave Eva's head spinning as she tries to maintain her grip on her senses.
I found the story engaging and the characters easy to like or dislike as the case may be. I liked the fact the Eva's time travel was unpredictable and frequently inconvenient. This led to some terrific humor that only added to the strength of the story.I appreciate the way this author spins her story web,leaving the reader happily encased til the story's end.
All is not as it seems though, as Eva finds herself hopscotching between the present and the distant past of the 1700s. In the present,she is helping her childhood friends hang on to the family estate fallen on hard times. In the past she is introduced to the early residents, Daniel and Jack Butler and their friend Fergal. There she is caught up in the world of smugglers, free traders as they call themselves. Romance, danger and high seas adventure combine to leave Eva's head spinning as she tries to maintain her grip on her senses.
I found the story engaging and the characters easy to like or dislike as the case may be. I liked the fact the Eva's time travel was unpredictable and frequently inconvenient. This led to some terrific humor that only added to the strength of the story.I appreciate the way this author spins her story web,leaving the reader happily encased til the story's end.
May 13, 2014
A comfortable, easy to read book containing romance, time travel, history and a lot of detail about the Cornish coast. I love Cornwall and, like the main character in the book, I used to holiday there. It is a delightful place but to my shame I never felt any magic when I crossed the Tamar. Perhaps that's just me. Anyway this was a pleasant enough story to while away a few hours. It was odd that Daniel was so totally unfazed when a strange woman kept popping up in his house and then disappearing again but at least she was clothed (remember The Time Traveler's Wife?).
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