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amy_in_the_city's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
This was a sweet romance with a good mix of humor, sadness, and a ghost mystery. Sam reminded me a lot of The Doctor from Doctor Who. I loved that he was a golden retriever type who was totally smitten with Alva right from the start and really loved that he was persistent without being pushy or disrespecting Alva's boundaries.
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 bothgot their revenge on Alva's awful parents and that Sam listened to Alva's wishes on how to proceed instead of charging in and doing things his way.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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
heabooknerd's review
5.0
THE WIDOW OF ROSE HOUSE was an absolute delight to read and I loved both the romance and the intriguing ghost story. I was pulled into the story almost from the beginning and while the pace felt a little slow in some areas it was a minor thing. Easily the best part of the book were Alva and Sam who have the best banter and I loved their interactions.
Sam is a bit of the absent minded professor in that his brain is always going and he gets easily distracted. But he's also the best cinnamon roll hero ever and I don't know how Alva resisted him for so long. In addition to being a genius, Sam is caring, loyal, and so generous with everyone. He's the exact kind of hero that Alva needed in order to let down her walls and trust someone again. Alva's story, while probably very common for the time period, was still heartbreaking. She's independent in a lot of ways but much of that comes at a heavy price and it was interesting to see the way Alva handles her infamous reputation. I liked that even after everything Alva has been through she's still a strong woman who goes after what she wants. While she's a bit of a grump sometimes, she hasn't let her past make her bitter.
I also loved the entire Moore family and some of their antics had me laughing as I read about them. Henry in particular has me very intrigued and I loved his loyalty and his exasperated affection toward Sam. Overall, this was an amazing debut novel and while I generally don't read much historical romance (compared to the other subgenres) I will definitely be reading any future books by Diana Biller.
Content Warning: As a 16 year old, Alva is seduced by an older man and forced to marry him; references to physical and emotional abuse, rape, blackmail; references to a child being sent to an insane asylum
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Favorite Quotes:
"Love isn't naïve, Alva. It's hope, and it's faith, and it can outlast buildings and wars and empires."
Sam is a bit of the absent minded professor in that his brain is always going and he gets easily distracted. But he's also the best cinnamon roll hero ever and I don't know how Alva resisted him for so long. In addition to being a genius, Sam is caring, loyal, and so generous with everyone. He's the exact kind of hero that Alva needed in order to let down her walls and trust someone again. Alva's story, while probably very common for the time period, was still heartbreaking. She's independent in a lot of ways but much of that comes at a heavy price and it was interesting to see the way Alva handles her infamous reputation. I liked that even after everything Alva has been through she's still a strong woman who goes after what she wants. While she's a bit of a grump sometimes, she hasn't let her past make her bitter.
I also loved the entire Moore family and some of their antics had me laughing as I read about them. Henry in particular has me very intrigued and I loved his loyalty and his exasperated affection toward Sam. Overall, this was an amazing debut novel and while I generally don't read much historical romance (compared to the other subgenres) I will definitely be reading any future books by Diana Biller.
Content Warning: As a 16 year old, Alva is seduced by an older man and forced to marry him; references to physical and emotional abuse, rape, blackmail; references to a child being sent to an insane asylum
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Favorite Quotes:
"Love isn't naïve, Alva. It's hope, and it's faith, and it can outlast buildings and wars and empires."
suvata's review
4.0
• ModernMrsDarcy.com 2020 Summer Reading Guide
+ Scandalous Widows
+ Haunted House
+ Brilliant Professor
——————————————
= Fantastic Historical Novel
+ Scandalous Widows
+ Haunted House
+ Brilliant Professor
——————————————
= Fantastic Historical Novel
marieintheraw's review
4.0
I went into this with absolutely no knowledge and ended up with a gothic romance? I mean, heck yes.
tunderalma87's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The historical setting is barely there, it reads like a contemporary. The main characters are cute together, the book has a charming cast of side characters, at least in the first half. The second half completely goes off the rails, instead of gothic vibes we get cheesy dialogues and reunion with a ghost, but the romance is enough, I guess....
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization
katiekat1984's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
awishman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
4.25