Die Winterrose

Geschrieben von Jennifer Donnelly und Sabine Arnhold

Erzählt von Sabine Arnhold

London, 1900: Die junge India Selwyn-Jones bewegt sich in den feinsten Kreisen. Bis sie als Ärztin im berüchtigten Whitechapel zu arbeiten beginnt - und dort in leidenschaftlicher Liebe zu dem gefürchteten Gangsterboss Sid Malone entbrennt. Von der gefährlichen Unterwelt Londons bis nach Afrika und in die Neue Welt führt ihr Weg.
Voller Dramatik und Sinnlichkeit erzählt Jennifer Donnelly, die Autorin der internationalen Bestseller Die Teerose und Die Wildrose, von ihrer unbeugsamen Heldin India.
»Genau das, was wir in Zeiten wie diesen brauchen.« Frank McCourt

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: OSTERWOLDaudio
• Erscheinungsdatum: 15. Jan. 2013
• ISBN: 9783844906950

Jennifer Donnelly

Jennifer Donnelly writes books for children and adults, including the novel The Tea Rose. She lives in Brooklyn and upstate New York, with her husband and two greyhounds. She has a passion for tea and roses.

Rezensionen für Die Winterrose

[tiffy_reads · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This was a very good book and a nice sequel to the Tea Rose. This was well written with many of the characters entwined in different settings. It was a bit long and could've have been a bit shorter.

[stefaniegeeks · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Although this book is second in a family trilogy, it can be enjoyed as a standalone. Set in early 20th century England and spanning to colonial Africa, this historical romance is stronger than most. The historical detail and multifaceted secondary characters are reminiscent of Diana Gabaldon's beloved Outlander series.

[booklovers2 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

A continuation of the Finnegan's story. How Love has a way of finding you. The Tea Rose Saga continues back in London. Great Love Story. Ready for Book 3!

[cemagoc · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Splendidly crafted and spun, The Winter Rose took over my life as I charged through it with quick speed. The new characters are as richly full as the old, and the old are continued with delicacy and caution. Though I would have enjoyed a more Morton-like explanation of secrets, Donnelly's dramatic irony is thick and mostly done well. I can't wait to read the third!

[magnolia2_1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Sequel to the Tea Rose, the further adventures of Fiona and her siblings with a new cast of characters as well. This is a long book but an engrossing story.

[shouldireadit · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Book two of The Rose trilogy doesn't disappoint. Fiona and Joe's story is continued, but readers also find out what happened to Charlie, aka Sid Malone. When we last left him in "The Tea Rose," he didn't want to have anything to do with his old life. In "The Winter Rose," Sid loses his battle with love and falls for Dr. Jones. Unfortunately, Dr. Jones' despicable, murdering fiancee will do anything to get his hands on Sid and see him hang for crimes he may or may not have committed in his quest to marry Dr. Jones' fortune. "The Winter Rose" continues the saga of the Finnegan family, and Donnelly doesn't disappoint with her breathless style of writing, leaving readers feverishly turning pages to find out what will happen next to one of the characters we've grown to love (or hate.)

[tiffy83 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

This was a very good book and a nice sequel to the Tea Rose. This was well written with many of the characters entwined in different settings. It was a bit long and could've have been a bit shorter.

[janicseblen · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I read this book in 3 days. I enjoyed the demonstration of the class inequalities and how people who wanted to move forward had to struggle to do that. All in all I found this a pleasant read. The main characters in general did not grab my attention other than Sid Malone. I found him to be really interesting and yet he was one of the bad guys in the book. I had not realized, when I bought the book, that this was a continuation of a series. I'm not sure that I will go back and read the first book now. I do want to take a look at the third book in the series. This is a book that I definitely will recommend to some of my friends.

[anissaannalise-1 · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

This is the first book that I've finished of 2013 & I hate to say it, but I didn't enjoy this book very much. Even Fiona & Joe couldn't save it for me. I never cared about India and as much as I tried I just wasn't engaged with Charlie. Maybe I never invested much in Charlie from the first book in the series & that hampered my enjoyment. The opium dens were depressing & while I liked the Parliamentary angle, it wasn't enough to save the story for me. I never felt the same romance for Charlie/Ingrid as I did for Fiona/Joe. I slogged through & the best thing that I can say is that I'm glad it's over. So put off was I by this second book, I did something that I never do with series, I began the next one while I was still reading this one. I'm really enjoying the third.

[megmo07 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

I wasn't as thrilled with The Winter Rose. India's character did not resonate with me as well as Fiona's did. Also, Donnelly needs an editor. I felt this book dragged at times and I found myself skimming just to get through it.

[itsmezoe · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Simple. I loved this book. Could not put it down, resulting in wandering around bumping into objects and people alike, but I'm sure they'll forgive me, if they manage to get hold of a copy, as I recommend anyone does that wants a delightful, enthralling story of love, death and treachery from those that are closest to you.

[janismack · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Second book in Donnelly's Rose series. I liked it. She's a good storyteller and manages to keep you interested for all 700 pages. She manages to give us a true feeling of the times with her descriptiions and anecdotes. It is interesting to follow a family's development over the years. i will read the 3rd installment after I take a break. I wan't to know what happens to all her characters

[jjameli_1 · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

The Winter Rose is the second book in the Tea Rose trilogy, and follows Charles Finnegan. Charles becomes Sid Malone, a notorious crime lord, he separates himself completely from his siblings, Fiona and Seamus. I enjoyed The Tea Rose a bit more, but still thought the Winter Rose was a good followup. Charlie aka Sid Malone is a really great character. He's flawed and real. He's definitely scarred by what happened to his family, which we learn about in book one. Sid is a crime lord but one that helps the poor people of Whitechapel, almost like Robin Hood. He's build walls around his heart to make it easier to be Sid Malone, and refuses to acknowledge Fiona. Fiona wants Charlie, and he left him a long time ago. Fiona and Joe, from the Tea Rose are also a big part of the Winter Rose, and even Seamus joins in the second half of The Winter Rose. One of the great things about The Tea Rose is the romance between Fiona and Joe, so naturally I was expecting to love the romance between Sid and India, but it actually didn't do it for me much. Sid was great, my problem lies with India. India is too damn perfect. I seriously can't stand characters that are goody two shoes, she's smart, brave, independent and loved by all. *roll eyes* Then all of a sudden she starts making stupid decisions in the second half of the book that annoy me. But I did enjoy her interactions with her friend Ella.First half of the book is good, then it starts going downhill a bit in the second half. Seamus comes into play basically to set up the third book that will be about him, and I found those parts boring, so I will not be reading the third book.

[nancyno5 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I did not want to read this book....the over 700 pages looked daunting and I said to myself what can one write in a romance novel that takes 700 pages??Well I am sooo glad I read this book! (Note: This is book two of a trilogy but can be read as a stand alone.)I was really taken with the author's ability to capture me within the first page. The story was a love story but it had many twists and turns that constantly caught me off guard.The author was able to elicit a variety of emotions from this reader. Frustration, sadness, fear, joy. I thought the pace of the story continuously moved because of Ms. Donnelly's writing and story telling ability. Fast pace story telling, characters both good and bad, descriptive prose and various locations add up to one great story!

[plunkinberry · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

The Winter Rose was one of the best book I’ve read this year! This was the second book in an epic tale of turn of the last century England. This book focused on India and Sid; Sid was Fiona’s brother (Fiona was the main character and heroin of the first book, The Tea Rose). At 700+ pages, it was a bit involved and long winded at times, but the story was amazing. Excellent characters, good plot, lots of intricacy and twining of fates, so to speak – all leading to an amazing, emotional, gripping story. This is so good that I purchased the third book, The Wild Rose to continue the saga.

[cookiedemon · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

It's impossible for me to review this book without comparing it to `The Tea Rose' which is its predecessor and for me was just an utterly magnificent read that I devoured in one go. Whilst I did still enjoy `The Winter Rose' I have to concede that I didn't find it quite as enthralling and found its plot to be slightly less engrossing and generally a bit cliched and predictable.What really appealed to me about The Tea Rose was the story of the fabulous Fiona Finnegan and her rise from rags to riches, as well as all the intricate details about tea and the fabulous (and not so fabulous) settings and people she encountered. The Winter Rose by contrast, is a story of a woman breaking free of her privileged upbringing and training as a doctor in London's Whitechapel, amidst the rife poverty of early 1900's London. Both books have appealing female protagonists, but I have to admit that I never quite engaged with India Selwyn-Jones the way I did with Fiona. The characters do overlap however, and it was really nice to catch up with Fiona and her family once more and see their continuing story in this book- so I would recommend that you read these books in their intended order, though this isn't of course essential as enough background is given so you know who is who.This story combines history, medicine and romance with vivid settings and really lures the reader into the tale, though I did find some aspects of the plot a little bit contrived in places (the Africa setting for one). I also struggled to understand some of India's decisions later in the book, though again maybe this is because I didn't really emphasise with her very much as a character. Also, some secondary characters became a little bit `pantomime' and over the top as the story progressed and it descended from a really intriguing story to a bit of a muddled mess. What initially appealed to me about `Sid Malone' as a character vanished too as the story progressed. Personally I feel that this book could have been shortened somewhat and it would have worked far better- I found aspects of the plot with Seamus and Willa to be really dull- though I'm guessing that's setting up the third part of this trilogy which is why it was included in here, but they weren't really needed. By jumping around from pillar to post and too many settings the story just grew a bit jumbled- I would have rather concentrated more on India and Sid and their relationship.All in all, this was a very well-researched book and I was fascinated by the intricate details of medicine at the beginning of the 20th Century and all of the ailments that inflicted the people of London and how they were treated, but it just did not live up to its predecessor at all and left me feeling (unfortunately) a bit disappointed.*This review also appears on Amazon.co.uk*

[mylady_1 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Bit of a romp but enjoyable.

[jenners26 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

NOTE: This review is a review of all three books in the Rose Trilogy.Don’t take this the wrong way, but the books in the Rose Trilogy reminded me of the Danielle Steel books I used to devour when I was 14-years old … and I mean that in the very best way!!I used to love Danielle Steel’s books (though I’ve “outgrown” them after being exposed to a “better” class of books) because they featured heroines who experienced all these ups and downs but who eventually triumphed over difficulties to have amazing lives. Plus they also had complicated and often tragic love lives. The Rose Trilogy has all these same elements … except with better writing and historical detail!!The Rose Trilogy focuses on the Finnegan family—a close-knit family from the hardscrabble section of London known as Whitechapel. Family members include: family patriarch Paddy, whose leadership in the nascent union movement leads to tragedy; his wife Kate, who struggles to keep the family together despite multiple difficulties; Fiona, the oldest daughter, who is in love with the boy down the street; Charlie, the oldest son, who contributes what he can to family finances, even when that means walking on the edge of what is legal; and Seamus, the youngest son, who is just 5 years old in the first book but is featured front and center in the final book of the series.We first meet the Finnegans in The Tea Rose. It is the 1880s in East London, and a murderer named Jack the Ripper is terrorizing the area. (Donnelly even goes so far as to unmask Jack’s “true” identity in the book.) The Tea Rose of the title refers to Fiona Finnegan, the feisty daughter who is in love with a coster (veggie salesman) named Joe Bristow. They are saving every bit of their meager wages to open up a shop of their own. However, tragedy hits the family and Joe betrays Fiona in the worst way possible—leaving Fiona and Seamus in desperate straits. Fleeing to America, Fiona struggles to survive in New York City, where she vows revenge on the man who ruined her family.The opening book sets the tone for the entire trilogy: star-crossed lovers; continual setbacks and obstacles; rich historical detail (Donnelly isn’t afraid to incorporate real-life historical figures such as George Mallory, Jack the Ripper and Lawrence of Arabia into her books), and a plot that keeps you wondering what will befall her beleaguered characters next. (Some pretty hot and heavy sex scenes are sprinkled throughout too!) Although there is a fair amount of coincidence that strains the limits of believability, just forget all that and enjoy the ride.The second book, The Winter Rose, has a new “rose” as its center—Dr. India Selwyn-Jones, an idealistic young doctor who dreams of opening a clinic for women and children in poverty-stricken Whitechapel. Just like Fiona in the first book, India must deal with an evil man set on ruining her life while struggling with her attraction to a criminal named Sid Malone. The book moves from London to Africa and also introduces readers to Seamus as a young man. Fiona makes periodic appearances but isn’t the primary focus of the book. Although it sounds like the book doesn’t focus as much on the Finnegan family, I’ll leave you to discover why that isn’t true!The third and final book, The Wild Rose, features Willa Alden, the great love of Seamus Finnegan’s life, as its rose. “Wild” is the right word to describe Willa, who readers first meet in The Winter Rose. She is a fearless mountaineer who defies expectations of what women can and should do, despite a significant handicap after an accident on Mt. Kilimanjaro (which takes place in the second book). Like the other two books, this book starts in London before moving the action to Arabia during World War I.Each book is a chunkster (all of them are 500+ pages) and requires a fairly decent time commitment, but they are the type of chunksters that move along at a steady clip. My biggest criticism is the amount of coincidence that propels the plots, but don’t let that stop you from reading the books. This was historical fiction at its best: fast-paced, far-ranging and drama-filled. I enjoyed the series immensely, and thank Jill at Rhapsody in Books for turning me on to this series. I would have never picked these books up on my own as historical fiction isn’t my preferred genre and the staid covers don’t give you a full sense of all the action, drama and romance that pack the pages inside. Highly recommended!

[hollysing · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Jennifer Donnolly's stunning sequel to The Tea Rose, whose major characters, Fiona and Joe, take a back seat to India and Sid Malone. Multi-layered and rich in characterization. You will cheer India on and **spoiler** cry when she finds out Sid is dead/Sid learns she is married.I especially enjoyed Willa, the mountain climber with whom Seamie is in love. Six main characters take separate trips to Africa where their fates are sealed or hopes realized.

[nbmars · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I had thought it was not possible for The Winter Rose to be a superior book to The Tea Rose, but incredibly, it was even better! Trust me, it is not often that I stay up until midnight and then get back up at 3 a.m. because I want to get back to a book! But it was not all straight reading, either: often I had to stop and pace, because I was so nervous about what would happen next!This historical fiction saga that takes place in the early 1900s in London describes, inter alia, the problems of health care for poor women through the eyes of the protagonist, a woman doctor who struggles for respect because of her gender, and struggles for love because of her profession. It's a continuation of The Tea Rose (which also kept me up all night reading), but either can be read as a standalone book.What Donnelly excels at the most, in my opinion, is creating voices - Mattie in A Northern Light is totally different from Andi in Revolution and they even live almost a century apart, and yet Donnelly has managed to make each of their voices sound utterly believeable and appropriate for their times. Moreover, they are both fully realized and frankly, unforgettable characters. They are young girls who are believers in dreams, but also determined to ferret out truth and justice. They do so courageously, and passionately. Similarly, Fiona Finnegan in The Tea Rose and India Jones in The Winter Rose are both feisty independent women deeply committed to social justice; who have an unending store of warmth and compassion (once their tempers have been expended); drive; courage; and an enduring capacity for love. But they have quite different and interesting weaknesses. Thus each sounds true to what she is meant to be. Donnelly may believe in strong female characters, but she is not a one-note nor a one-dimensional writer.As in The Tea Rose, I also loved the male characters, and even missed the ones who died during the first book, because just like in real life, their memories continued to inspire and influence the loved ones they left behind. This book may astound you as it educates you on the attitudes toward women, the birth process, and women doctors in the early 1900s, and on the crippling poverty that separated the lower class from the elite. Donnelly did a great deal of research to recreate the horrifying attitudes of the time. India, who is a pioneering woman doctor, opts to work in a clinic for poor women in Whitechapel to help "make a difference." She is initiated into the era’s attitudes the first time she wants to give chloroform to a woman undergoing a painful delivery. Her male superior [sic] cuts her off:"Thank you, Dr. Jones, but I do not require instruction on anesthesia from my junior. I am well aware of chloral’s properties. Labor pain is Eve’s legacy, and to ameliorate it would be against God’s will. Birth pains are good for women. The build character and inhibit indecent feeling.”India soon discovers that women were dying during deliveries because the doctors wouldn't wash their hands between patients, or because their bones were so misshapen from malnutrition that the baby couldn't come out properly.India learns even more when she improbably becomes friends with the gangster Sid Malone. He takes her on a tour of Whitechapel to help her see why admonishing women to eat more fruit and vegetables, or to fix porridge for their children, is ridiculous:"Poor women can't cook porridge, don't you know that? Of course you don't. Because you don't know shit about the poor. Oh, you talk about them plenty. And you probably talk at them, too. But have you ever talked with them? I don't think so, because if you had you'd know that porridge has to be boiled. That takes coal, and coal costs money. And if they could afford the expense, they still wouldn't eat porridge. Put it on any table in Whitechapel and it'll be thrown straight out the window. It's too much like skilly, the shit that's served in the spike. Ever been taken to a workhouse, India? Ever had your kids taken from you? Every last scrap of dignity stripped away? Think you'd ever want to eat what you'd been forced to eat there?"If they are so short of money, India rails at Sid, why do the men use up precious shillings by stopping off in bars on the way home? "‘For Christ’s sake, leave it be,’ he said angrily. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about! Have you ever put in a sixteen-hour day at the docks? Heaving coal or sides of beef in the cold and the rain till you’d thought you’d drop dead? Then gone home to the wife and five kids, all stuffed into one drafty room? Some of them sick, all of them hungry. You have any idea of the desperation in those rooms? Of the anger? Can you blame a man for wanting to forget it all for an hour with a pint or two in a nice warm pub?”Nevertheless, Sid doesn’t need India to tell him there is a better life somewhere else, doing anything else:"He wanted to keep walking…, out of this unforgiving city, out of his unforgiving life. He wanted to walk all through the night, then sit… somewhere radiant and beautiful in the morning. By the coast. At the water’s edge. Where the stiff salt breeze would blow away the stench of his sins and the sea would wash him clean.”As we follow the story of India, and Sid, as well as the characters we met in The Tea Rose, we come to learn just how much it takes to fight poverty and greed and evil, and how difficult it is to keep your faith in yourself and in humanity.Evaluation: At bottom, this book is all about sin and redemption, and the hard, hard road it takes to get there. And it's about the force of love that is sometimes all that is left to help push you down that road. But if that love is strong enough, it can get you there, if you just believe in it, and in yourself. It’s a beautiful story, and even after 707 pages, I felt bereft when it ended.I hope this selection of quotes has given you a flavor of the emotional intensity of Donnelly's soaring prose. I can't say enough about the eloquence and grandeur of her books.

[marianne_victoria_4 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

The Winter Rose features strong female characters, in particular India who becomes a doctor, a suspenseful, intricate plot, and an interesting historical setting. The story is centered in London in the year 1900 and eventually moves to Africa and to Point Reyes, California. In short, this novel is hard to put down! I hadn't read the Tea Rose, which is the first in the triology, but it didn't seem to impact my understanding or appreciation of The Winter Rose. This novel reminds me of Marge Piercy's historical fiction novels, especially Sex Wars, perhaps because of the interesting female characters. Readers who enjoyed this novel might be interested in reading Sex Wars or City of Darkness, City of Light by Marge Piercy.

[jshillingford_2 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

I chose this book because I love historical fiction, and in particular epic family dramas. This reminded me of the "Thorn Birds" in scope, and depth. The author obviously researched the time period well, as it has many details and descriptions that put a reader in that time. Plus, there is just something compelling about a female doctor in a time when they were extremely uncommon and even frowned upon. And a mobster? What more could a reader want? Unfortunately, I wish I had known this was a sequel before I selected it. The first book is "The Tea Rose," and begins the Finnegan Family saga.Yes, this book can stand without having read the first book, but a reader misses a lot (hence 4 stars instead of 5). This is especially noticeable in the chapters concerning Fiona and Joe. That was the weakest part of the book for me because I didn't have their back story. Plus, the revelation of who Sid Malone really is lacks some impact without the first book. However, it was such a good story that I went and purchased "the Tea Rose" to see how it began.

[ska336 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

How much do I love this very under-rated book...?Well I have two copies of it and if I ever want to pick up a book and read from a random point this is one of the books I do that with. It has a woman doctor (set in the early 1900s when such a thing was practically unheard of), a gangster (who I may have fallen in love with) and quite a few smaller characters which were introduced in “the tea rose” this is of course the second book of a trilogy. I simply can not wait to read “the wild rose”(...please let there be more of Sid in it Ms Donnelly!!).If you want a book that dips into London in the early 1900s with a nice romantic plot with twists and turns along the way this is the book for you. Some people a say at 724 pages the book is long, I say it's not long enough and was sad when I finished it but I was bouncing about in joy too – then I went back to my favourite parts and re-read it. I had it out from the library for 9 months and only gave it back once I had my own copy of it, and today I got another copy of it for 20p (from the library sale self) I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romance and a good plot!

[indygo88 · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

Though I'd been told that reading The Tea Rose prior to this wasn't necessary, I waited & held onto this beast of a book until I could get a hold of a copy of the first in the series. So although it took me while to get to this one, I am glad I waited because I think the books tie together well, carrying the Finnegan & Bristow characters from the first book, but also adding some new characters, in the second. However, like the first book, this one is lengthy -- very lengthy. Too much so, it seems, as many readers have been daunted by its size & gave up before really getting engaged in the story. I think that's Donnelly's biggest weakness. The storyline is good, albeit a bit predictable & a little over the top at times, but it's just unnecessarily long. But on the other hand, if you do stick it through to the end, you're sad to see it come to a conclusion. After devoting all this reading time to this saga, you feel like you really know these characters & you want to know what's in store for the future. And so, despite myself, I'm looking forward to the upcoming 3rd installment, The Wild Rose.

[runaway84_1 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

Taking off two years after The Tea Rose ended, The Winter Rose follows India Selwyn Jones and Sid Malone. I have to say, I loved India a bit more than Fiona. She had a good head on her shoulders and was very intelligent.The Winter Rose is even more an epic a book than it's predecessor. It contains the same characters from the previous installment and adds a new cast of characters to the mix. And, again, we're not stuck in one spot for too long. The Winter Rose takes us from London's East End all the way to Africa to adventures that will blow you away.Taking place in the early 1900s, The Winter Rose includes real-life events and people into the mix by showing how women were fighting for respect in the work force, and for the right to vote.I love this series - even if the books are a bit longer than they need to be; some parts are unnecessary - but nevertheless, LOVE them. The final installment can't come soon enough

[parelle · Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen]

A jolly good long time after I recieved this as my first LibraryThing Early Reviewer's book, I got around to reading it. Although I don't like reading series out of order, I found myself strangely drawn in here. And truthfully, I stayed up late to finish this book and enjoyed it rather much - I'll probably go back at read The Tea Rose (particularly as a tea drinker) when I've the chance.That said, I do have a few qualms. While I happen to like my historical fiction unadulterated, and there's only a handful of romance novel scenes here, but, eh, I could have done without them. However, I've a bit of concern about some of the historical vs. modern attitudes. Contraceptives dispensed from a state-funded clinic in 1900? To do the author much credit, however, this issue is very well integrated into the plotline of the novel and feels more like a natural part of it rather than a soapbox.

[bellafoxx · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

While not a sequel, this book is a continuation of The Tea Rose. It follows the Finnigan family. The story features India Jones, who falls in love with Feona's brother, but the road to their happiness is rocky and at times you wonder just how everything is going to work out. It does and the same time, not for everything, therefore leaving the possibility of a third book. If I was the author the title would be 'The Wild English Rose'.

[waianuhea · Bewertung: 2 von 5 Sternen]

Yaaaaay it was awesome! Like The Thorn Birds but in 1906 London. I couldn't put it down once I started. Now I'm sad that I'm finished! It's not a trashy romance novel, it's actually very educational as far as conditions of East London at the turn of the 20th Century. I love when I'm being entertained by something and then realize I'm learning something. It's fun. A lot of what the characters are doing is predictable but that could also be because she's developed their individual motivations so well. She's a really good writer (even if there are TONS of GRUESOME typos and some annoying continuity redundancy). If you like tortured love stories, read this book! Oh get your mind outta the gutter. I mean tortured like unrequited! * Well-developed character motivations - very believable * Obviously well researched material - I feel a solid sense of place and that I'm actually learning something as I read * Great job of presenting several different 3rd person limited POV's - each narrative feels and sounds distinct from each other

[thetometraveller · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

I loved this author's first book, The Tea Rose, and was not sure if she would be able to write a sequel that was equal to the first. For this book she chose different, but related, characters. Readers that did not read the first book could read this one as a stand alone story. Readers who have read The Tea Rose are rewarded with an extention of the first story, told from a different viewpoint. Highly recommended!

[andiee_3 · Bewertung: 5 von 5 Sternen]

This book was an amazing sequel to The Tea Rose! Beautifully written and captivating the entire way through, I could read the Winter Rose 100 times without ever tiring of it! The author does a fantastic job of incorporating the characters from her previous novel into this book, but adding many new faces and unexpected twists. This sensual novel is inspirational and certainly a page turner!