|
|
Fortunately, since I read Blue Dahlia, the first novel in Ms. Roberts's
In the Garden trilogy, a while after it was released, I was able
immediately to pick up its sequel, Black Rose. Whereas in Blue Dahlia
we got to meet and get to know the characters as Stella and Logan’s relationship
blossomed, in Black Rose it’s Rosalind’s turn.
Widowed when her three sons were young, Rosalind Harper managed not only to
survive but to thrive, maintaining her ancestral Harper House by building the In
the Garden nursery. After a brief, disastrous second marriage, Roz has decided
to focus her energies on business, family, and avoiding romance.
When Roz begins to work more closely with Dr. Mitchell Carnegie to determine the
identity of the Harper Bride, resident ghost of Harper House, she begins to
rethink her decision. With the support of the original cast of characters, Roz
tackles the troubles left over from her second marriage and her reservations
about heading down the path to romance for a third time while growing ever
closer to discovering the Harper Bride's identity.
This novel was every bit as entertaining as the first. The suspense woven in as
the ghost takes an even more active role kept the pages flipping. My
only regret is that by reading this novel in the month in which it was released,
I am forced to make due, until December, with a brief glimpse of chapter one of
Red Lily, the final book in the trilogy. I know what will be at the top
of my Christmas list.
Review by Missy Abbott, Watermark employee since 2005.
September 3, 2005 |
