Lost Roses of Ganymede House

by Constance Walker

Although attracted to the handsome master of Ganymede House, governess Sarah Scott wonders why he avoids her gaze, why the children never smile, why a portrait of the former mistress is locked away, and why a rose scent permeates the air

Genres: Gothic

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Constance Walker is the author of THE SHIMMERING STONES OF WINTER'S LIGHT, LOST ROSES OF GANYMEDE HOUSE, IN TIME, and WARM WINTER LOVE among other works of Gothic and contemporary fiction.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off I would like to say thinks to Constance Walker for asking me if I would like to read and review her book, and I'm so glad that I did, this is actually the second one of her books I've read and review and just like that one I have to say that I loved it. There's just something about her style of writing in this one and the other one that reminds me of the style of writing that you would find in classic literature,and not just any classic literature but just to name a few: Oliver Twist and Jane Eyre
Especially like you would find in Jane Eyre: just like that story once you start reading it pulls you in and won't let go, I don't know if it's her description of her characters, or the settings of her stories maybe a bit of both but like I said once you start reading you just can't seem to stop.
List of what I loved:
1: the characters: they make you love them even the ones that you want to hate or dislike
2: the settings: the descriptions of them, so detailed that when your reading it's like your actually there, that you can reach out and touch, or feel or even smell what she's talking about.
3: paranormal:
4:secrets and lies,the mystery: that's another thing that keeps you pulled in, it makes it so you have to know what secrets are being kept, what lies are just lies or is there some truth mixed in to them,
5: the gothic touch: which is great because it helps ties in with the setting of the story as well as with the paranormal.

[Barbara Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chill of foreboding that the orphaned and impoverished Sarah Scott feels at her first sight of Ganymede House hit me too. It stayed with me throughout this riveting book as Sarah tries to protect her two adorable, vulnerable young pupils, and herself, from the growing evil that surrounds them. Is the intriguing scent of roses that emanates from the room of the children's beloved mother, who died under mysterious circumstances, meant to protect them--or to lure them into danger? It lured me, too--right up to the heart-stopping conclusion of this beautifully written book. Thank you, Constance Walker, for a great gothic tale. Like the scent of roses at Ganymede House, its memory will linger on.

[Abby Pechin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An original Gothic romance. I very much enjoyed reading this novel and could not put it down for long! I am currently reading the next novel written by this same author and it appears to be in a similar vein. I love this genre and if you do too, you should read this book!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ended abruptly

I liked the story and I would recommend it.. it got a little wordy during Sarah’s thoughts, and I could tell who the villain was pretty soon. I kept hoping for some sign of regard from Oliver towards Sarah, but I didn’t see it. I felt bad for her marrying someone still so in love with his beautiful first wife. I would have liked to read more about their marriage and whether Sarah could ever be loved by Oliver as much as he loved Rosamunda. Still- I enjoyed it even if I did feel kind of sorry for Sarah at the end. Btw, what did Sarah look like? I don’t remember a description.

[Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

My rating is solely based on the fact that there was no romance in this at all, like not even a little. I did think it was strange there was no mention of love on the back of the book but since this is a Zebra Gothic romance book I obviously assumed it was to be a romance, well it wasn't. She is literally just a governess to his kids, no love, no kisses, just a professional relationship and he is still in love with his dead wife. So if you're looking for romance skip this one.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Constance Walker's gothic romance is written in the traditional vein of gothic romances published in the 1970's and 1980's. Overall the work is engaging, and I found myself returning eagerly to find out what happened next. The descriptions of each scene were highly detailed, a feature I enjoyed in this and the previous work I read by Ms. Walker, The Shimmering Stones of Winter's Light.

A quality I particularly enjoyed in the work were the sharp rises to suspense after long moments of brooding suspense. The setting, a large, old, mansion, was shadowed and silent, and when strong emotions erupted unexpectedly, it truly rang on the page. I also appreciated Ms. Walker's psychological realism. It made her inclusion of a ghost within the story feel even more realistic. While there was not a lot of romance within the story, I appreciated that the characters behaved realistically for their class and time period (which I inferred to be the 19th century).

The abrupt switch between past and present tense at several points during the work was a glaring detraction. This appeared to be an error in editing. It threw off my focus, but other than this there were no major problems with the book. I found the book enjoyable and would read other gothic romances by this author.

[Janet Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

I chose this rating because I really like the book. I like gothic books. It caught my interests right away.

[Squeaky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not get into this gothic novel.. the hero was a dud, not appealing, not mysterious.

[Mary Dunham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just okay

I would give 3 1\2stars if possible. There wasn't much of a romance, and the villain was so obvious almost from the beginning.