Hello Bookish Lovelies :)
I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you decided to drop on by The Preppy Book Princess tonight for another book review.
I'm Kirby, and I'm thrilled to have you here.
Today's post is a tad on the late side, but that's okay. I recently finally got around to reading a title I had actually included in my 2022 Most Anticipated Release Post (Yes I know I'm two years past that!), and today I can't wait to tell you all about it.
If you'd like to check out my reviews of the first two books in the series, you can do so using the links below:
Otherwise, keep on reading down below for today's full review.
Where the Last Rose Blooms by Ashley Clark:
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Genre: Christian Fiction/Dual Timeline/Historical/Contemporary
Series: Heirloom Secrets
Synopsis:
Alice runs a New Orleans flower shop alongside her aunt, but thoughts of her mother, who went missing during Hurricane Katrina, are never far from her mind. After getting off on the wrong foot with a man who comes to the shop, Alice soon realizes their worlds overlap--and the answers they both seek can be found in the same place.
In 1861 Charleston, Clara is an abolitionist, unbeknownst to her father, who is heavily involved with the Confederacy. She attempts to assist an enslaved woman reunite with her daughter, and a dashing Union spy is just the person to help them. But things go very wrong when Clara agrees to aid the Northern cause by ferrying information about her father's associates--and her own fiancé.
Faced with the unknown, both women across the years will have to dig deep to let their courage bloom.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
Ashley Clark would be one of the best authors to recommend to someone who is unsure about giving Christian fiction a chance on the basis that they believe the stereotype that all titles within the genre are exactly the same. She's a masterful storyteller, and I've been eagerly looking forward to reading this one ever since I finished Paint and Nectar.
I honestly bought this one as soon as it released, but held off on reading it as I wanted to save it for a special occasion since I just knew I was going to end up loving it. That occasion finally arrived, and I got the chance to read this book I'd been building up in my mind for quite sometime
Where the Last Rose Blooms is a dual timeline, Christian fiction title that's set in the south in Charleston and New Orleans. A mystery emerges in the present that seems to be connected to the past, and the reader gets to try and figure everything out right along with the characters in this wonderfully put together story.
Alice and Clara are both protagonists I could find myself rooting for, and I loved the lengths they are willing to go to help those who need it most. Both romances are also super sweet, and I would have a hard time honestly picking which one was my favorite. The setting worked just as well in this one as it did with the first two titles in the series, and I continue to enjoy how immersive this author's writing style truly is.
However, as much as there was to love about this one, I have to be honest and state that I didn't end up enjoying it as much as I did the first two. I loved both of those titles, and could barely bring myself to put them down. This one, however, felt like it missed its mark a bit, especially when it came to the mystery elements. Both mysteries had such great potential, and neither of them ended up resolving in a way that felt satisfactory to me. I wanted so much more, and this novel ended up feeling so much shorter than I was expecting it to be.
All in all, still a wonderful read, but definitely my least favorite of the three.
Final Rating: 4/5.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
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