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whatsheread 's review for:
Never the Roses
by Jennifer K. Lambert
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
NEVER THE ROSES by Jennifer K. Lambert is a cute romantic fantasy that reads more like a character sketch or writing exercise than a full-fledged novel. The plot is simple, and the characters remain relatively one-note as well. They develop enough to understand what they want out of life and not much more beyond that.
However, this in no way means NEVER THE ROSES is a book you should skip. Sometimes, simple writing makes for the most meaningful stories. While there is not much action and adventure within the novel, it makes up for that lack by focusing your attention on the idea of healing and forgiveness.
Ms. Lambert piques your interest immediately as she opens Oneira's story as she is building her sanctuary piece by piece. You might not understand completely what is happening at first, but the idea of taking something from your dreams and making it real is fascinating. If that doesn't catch your interest, Ms. Lambert throws out another hook with the fact that Oneira spends all of her time reading. I know plenty of people for whom the idea of hiding from the world in a gorgeous place of your making, surrounded by items you most love and all the books you can collect, is a dream come true, myself included!
The fun starts when Oneira grows bored of reading her books and chooses to tweak the nose of a fellow sorcerer by stealing one of his. Not only does this action create the romantic tension of the story, it also highlights Oneira's mischievousness. The written sparring that commences between the two sorcerers is delightful, and the romance blooms as well as any flower in Oneira's garden.
I say that NEVER THE ROSES feels like a character sketch or simple writing exercise because I never felt Oneira was in danger from anyone or anything. The various rulers we meet, those who have the potential to ruin Oneira's retirement plans, are nothing more than greedy caricatures rather than actual threats. She may have a dark and bloody past, but by the time you meet her, she is nothing more than someone with an aching heart and mind that needs rest and recovery. That recovery comes in the form of letter-writing, gardening, and creating something special from nothing but dreams.
Forgiveness of yourself, your past mistakes, and your past actions taken is the main theme of NEVER THE ROSES, and it feels like a lesson many of us need to heed these days. We are all so quick to judge others based on one sentence said, a social media post made, or something equally trivial. We forget that humans make mistakes all the time, and maybe that one sentence or post was a mistake. Because we are so quick to judge others, we are even quicker to judge ourselves, especially now that social media shows us such a highly cultivated perspective of others without showing the messiness beyond the scope of the picture or video. It means we face disappointment and heartache in almost everything we do because we can never please everyone, and we individually can never please ourselves all the time. NEVER THE ROSES is a gentle reminder that dreaming is important, that some of the purest joys are from the simplest things, and that we all need to learn to forgive ourselves and each other.
However, this in no way means NEVER THE ROSES is a book you should skip. Sometimes, simple writing makes for the most meaningful stories. While there is not much action and adventure within the novel, it makes up for that lack by focusing your attention on the idea of healing and forgiveness.
Ms. Lambert piques your interest immediately as she opens Oneira's story as she is building her sanctuary piece by piece. You might not understand completely what is happening at first, but the idea of taking something from your dreams and making it real is fascinating. If that doesn't catch your interest, Ms. Lambert throws out another hook with the fact that Oneira spends all of her time reading. I know plenty of people for whom the idea of hiding from the world in a gorgeous place of your making, surrounded by items you most love and all the books you can collect, is a dream come true, myself included!
The fun starts when Oneira grows bored of reading her books and chooses to tweak the nose of a fellow sorcerer by stealing one of his. Not only does this action create the romantic tension of the story, it also highlights Oneira's mischievousness. The written sparring that commences between the two sorcerers is delightful, and the romance blooms as well as any flower in Oneira's garden.
I say that NEVER THE ROSES feels like a character sketch or simple writing exercise because I never felt Oneira was in danger from anyone or anything. The various rulers we meet, those who have the potential to ruin Oneira's retirement plans, are nothing more than greedy caricatures rather than actual threats. She may have a dark and bloody past, but by the time you meet her, she is nothing more than someone with an aching heart and mind that needs rest and recovery. That recovery comes in the form of letter-writing, gardening, and creating something special from nothing but dreams.
Forgiveness of yourself, your past mistakes, and your past actions taken is the main theme of NEVER THE ROSES, and it feels like a lesson many of us need to heed these days. We are all so quick to judge others based on one sentence said, a social media post made, or something equally trivial. We forget that humans make mistakes all the time, and maybe that one sentence or post was a mistake. Because we are so quick to judge others, we are even quicker to judge ourselves, especially now that social media shows us such a highly cultivated perspective of others without showing the messiness beyond the scope of the picture or video. It means we face disappointment and heartache in almost everything we do because we can never please everyone, and we individually can never please ourselves all the time. NEVER THE ROSES is a gentle reminder that dreaming is important, that some of the purest joys are from the simplest things, and that we all need to learn to forgive ourselves and each other.