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amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Alva was also a great character. I felt for her struggle to forge her own path and establish a life for herself after a terrible marriage. She was also very witty, and her banter with Sam was top-notch. I enjoyed watching how they both
The side characters were interesting too. I loved the Moore family and will definitely be checking out the author's other books which feature them. I don't see a book yet for Henry, but I hope one is in the works because he was really great and I'd love to learn more about his mysterious tragic backstory.
The only thing that knocks off half a star from my rating is that the book had some odd pacing. The first 20% of the book is mostly spent following Sam as he does research. There were long sections entirely focused on the relationship alternating with long sections entirely focused on the ghost investigation. I thought the two storylines could have been mixed in together a bit more.
Graphic: Violence, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Mental illness, Sexism, Confinement, and Infidelity
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Murder
valkyrie1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Death
juliana_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Mental illness
wilybooklover's review
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Bullying, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death, Body horror, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Suicide
elizalavenza's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Abandonment
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
crystalisreading's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
From the clever, absentminded, brilliant, tender hero Professor Samuel Moore to the lovely and elegant but cautious, guarded heroine Alva Webster, and to include Samuel's over-the-top mad scientist family and Alva's ebullient maid, the characters were delightful--except for when they weren't, as in Alva's subtly threatening family by marriage, or her coldly cruel family of birth. This isn't a light story--Alva has been through so many different kinds of trauma, and it takes Samuel's combination of confidence and enthusiasm mixed with tenderness and patience to unlock her frozen, guarded heart.
The setting added something to the charm too, I suspect. I appreciated the originality of the story. Yes, Alva and Samuel are both upper class wealthy white Americans, And no, there's not a lot of diversity in their world. But Alva's status as a disgraced woman and Samuel's family's eccentric scientists created a Gilded Age world that felt fresh and new and delightful. There's also several aspects of mental health representation that manage to be both respectful and yet appropriate to the time. I enjoyed the world that the author built up around these two characters, and look forward to spending more time in that world in future books.
So, in summary, The Widow of Rose House is a lovely Gilded Age romance, full of little details that help to create a sense of historical authenticity, and centered around a romance that is as wholesome and healthy and supportive and emotional as it is passionate. I highly recommend it and cannot wait for the next book!
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness