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themeadowlibrary's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“She knew it was the music that had calmed her. His music.”
A unique perspective with strong themes and an intensely beautiful romance at the heart.
This book is so dramatic, and yet it feels grounded in reality. It was a very unique historical romance! The writing is very well done, and the story kept me turning pages well after my bedtime.
But my favorite part was the characters! It took me a while to warm up to our heroine, Jane, but by the halfway mark I understood her anxieties and hesitations and really grew to like her. Our hero, Percy also undergoes a transformation, but he’s more likable from the start. And by the end of the book they are the most romantic couple.
The side characters were all so well written that I want to read more about them! I am thrilled to read other books in this series, so much so I’m already guessing who will get their own books. Personally I hope Percy’s sister gets a book, and his travel friend, and Cameron’s friend Tavish, but honestly I would even be interested in a book about Michael (the cousin/villain). It was interesting that there is a whole chapter from Michael’s perspective, really showing a theme of this book- even people who do bad things are usually trying their best with what they know.
A few things weren’t my cup of tea. The big reveal of Jane’s identity was kind of anticlimactic- it’s revealed earlier in the chapter in a throwaway line before she tells Percy, which I found strange. The third act is very, very tense; for a book with an anxious heroine, it was pretty anxiety inducing! And at first I really did not like Jane, which made it hard to get into the book.
But overall, even though it is a hectic ride through a nuanced landscape, the journey is fun and the happily ever after felt more satisfying for the troubles along the way!
Star Rating: 3.25/5
Tropes: Letters, hidden identity, insta lust
CW: Violence, death, confinement, alcohol, mental health, injury, medical content, blood
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Violence, Car accident, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Death, Mental illness, Blood, Gun violence, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Infidelity
ameliabee33's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was such a good 👏 debut 👏 novel 👏 There are themes of betrayal, acceptance of love and self, and of course a capture/daring escape scene- and what more could you want from a historical romance? Roses in Red Wax also brushes on the mistreatment of the workers in cotton mills, specifically exploitation of child labor, as well as the forced exodus of the Scottish from their homes to make way for "improvements".
Jane Stuart is unsure if she can accept Percy's love after she has lost everything, her love, her home, her apple trees that she worked so hard on. When Percy Sommerbell, a rake who unwillingly inherits his father's industrialist empire, wants a temporary dalliance with Jane to distract him from the horrible truth about his source of income, Jane finds herself reluctantly drawn to his charms. But how can Jane let herself love and be loved in return, when it feels like a betrayal to who she was? Percy wants a distraction to what weighs heavy on his mind and heart, nothing serious, but Jane has a way about her that makes him think things are not going to be as fleeting has he first planned.
Things I liked:
▪︎Jane's special interest in apples and botany
▪︎Musical vocab
▪︎The scene where Jane confronts her feelings for Percy and has that moment w/ her deceased husband and accepts that she can love again and everything is going to be okay I sobbed like a baby I was a mess 😭😭💕
▪︎He literally bought her a house
▪︎Percy actually doing something with his position of power to provide better working conditions and getting kids out of the mills
▪︎Kingcup yellow
Like I mentioned before, this was an excellent debut novel. I will definitely be rereading and finding more things that i enjoy to highlight and underline. Thank you to the author for an eARC, all opinions are my own! You can find this book March 3 :)
Jane Stuart is unsure if she can accept Percy's love after she has lost everything, her love, her home, her apple trees that she worked so hard on. When Percy Sommerbell, a rake who unwillingly inherits his father's industrialist empire, wants a temporary dalliance with Jane to distract him from the horrible truth about his source of income, Jane finds herself reluctantly drawn to his charms. But how can Jane let herself love and be loved in return, when it feels like a betrayal to who she was? Percy wants a distraction to what weighs heavy on his mind and heart, nothing serious, but Jane has a way about her that makes him think things are not going to be as fleeting has he first planned.
Things I liked:
▪︎Jane's special interest in apples and botany
▪︎Musical vocab
▪︎The scene where Jane confronts her feelings for Percy and has that moment w/ her deceased husband and accepts that she can love again and everything is going to be okay I sobbed like a baby I was a mess 😭😭💕
▪︎He literally bought her a house
▪︎Percy actually doing something with his position of power to provide better working conditions and getting kids out of the mills
▪︎Kingcup yellow
Like I mentioned before, this was an excellent debut novel. I will definitely be rereading and finding more things that i enjoy to highlight and underline. Thank you to the author for an eARC, all opinions are my own! You can find this book March 3 :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death and Violence
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