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Customer Reviews for Random House, Inc Rose House
Random House, Inc Rose House
Amid a tangle of rose blooms and thorn, widow Lillian Diamon's private moment of grief is captured in a painting on display in a present-day, Sonoma Valley, California, art gallery, Her quest to find the artist unravels a greater mystery changing everything about her loss-and her future.
Average Customer Rating:
(13 Reviews) 13
Rating Snapshot (13 reviews)
5 stars
8
4 stars
3
3 stars
2
2 stars
0
1 star
0
2 out of 367%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Rose House
Review 1 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Romance and Mystery Perfectly Blended!
Date:May 27, 2012
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
The Rose House... a beacon of hope, a harbor for dreams and a refuge for hearts.
Lillian Hastings, a recent widow and prisoner of her thoughts, is drawn to a mysterious painting hanging in a gallery, it's significance plays on her emotions and engulfs her.
Geena, sister to Lillian has devastating secrets to share and a longing to right the wrongs in her past.
Kitty owner of Frances Di Camillo whose home is encompassed entirely of beautiful and captivating roses. She gives of her time and talents freely always lending friendly conversation to all in need.
A painting lovingly created by an artist longing to capture the beauty and essense of a perfect subject. Very much aware of how people view the creator's vision of paint to canvas and ability, the shy artist enjoys watching the reactions, yet longs for a critique and a way to approach others.
In the midst of Rose House something sinister lurks in the background always waiting for satisfaction.
Are you yearning for a romance that reaches out to touch you?
Are you searching for mystery and intrigue that will keep you guessing?
A deep and beautifully haunting novel that reaches the core of the heart to capture the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time getting to know these different and well formed characters. Well written plot, dialogue, scenery intermingled with twists and turns kept me glued to the book and turning the pages. I was highly entertained by this impossible to put down book and will recommend this well written novel to others!
Are you searching for mystery and intrigue that will keep you guessing?
A deep and beautifully haunting novel that reaches the core of the heart to capture the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time getting to know these different and well formed characters. Well written plot, dialogue, scenery intermingled with twists and turns kept me glued to the book and turning the pages. I was highly entertained by this impossible to put down book and will recommend this well written novel to others!
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Review 2 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Overall Good Read, But...
Date:May 5, 2011
Michelle H.
Location:S. California
Gender:female
I have to say that while I enjoyed the book, I did not find it to contain a lot of spiritual content. Lillian had to move on with her life and found hope in "The Rose House". She did miss church, especially "the loud singing. and did attend an outdoor service after being invited. She and her sister did have some Christian characters around them, but not much was said about their need for God in their lives. Also, I would have liked to know more about Truman's character and what he was thinking. And, I was confused as to the motives of the stalker. It just seemed that some information was left out.
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Review 3 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Disjointed and a Bit Odd
Date:May 3, 2011
Quality:
3
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
3
out of
5
When Lillian found herself plunged into grief at the sudden loss of her husband and children she retreated to a beautiful place of hope – the Rose House in the Sonoma’s wine country. Returning to the Rose House four years later she finds a painting revealing her deep feelings in those wretched moments from her past. Suddenly she finds herself followed by strangers, plagued by confessions from her estranged sister, and swept into an unexpected romance.
Rose House is the second in a loosely connected series of novels tied to the Rose House, the Sonoma valley, and the families who live there. The first in this series is the widely acclaimed Ruby Among Us (which I have not read). This book can easily be read as a stand-alone though.
I was drawn to Rose House by the mystery of the story – who had painted Lillian? How had they witnessed her secret grief? Was this a God thing? Unfortunately what I found was a choppy and confusing story. Tina Ann Forkner jumps around in time and space during the early portions of the book in a way that was hard for me to follow. It took me awhile to understand the backstory because it was revealed so slowly and jumpily.
I also found Lillian’s emerging romance somewhat unbelievable – I actually thought her love interest had very strange stalker, obsessive-type qualities. I really couldn’t understand why she would go in for that (I certainly wouldn’t).
This was my first exposure to Forkner’s work and though I can’t say for certain what I was searching for (it was the nebulous mystery that drew me in), I can’t shake the sense if disappointment I felt after finishing this novel.
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Review 4 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Date:September 15, 2010
I would highly recommend this book. It is such a good story. I felt as if I knew the characters, they are so real to life. Look forward to reading more books by this author.
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Review 5 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Date:July 13, 2010
Lana Hurt
Tina Ann Forkner is such a talented writer. Ruby Among Us & Rose House are 2 great books I recommend every one read. Tina writes in such a way that it makes you feel you are right there with the characters. Her writing keeps you so caught up in the story line that you can't put the book down. Can't wait for another book by her to come out.
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Review 6 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Date:August 27, 2009
This is a beautiful and compelling story! "Rose House" by Tina Ann Forkner, is a poignant and heartfelt story of love, loss, betrayal, forgiveness and new beginnings. It takes place in the picturesque wine country of California. The characters are personable, appealing and interesting. It was all too easy to feel the pain and sorrow of the main character. The story moves at a leisurely pace, but is not slow. I was thoroughly drawn in by the beauty, pain and secrets that swirl together seamlessly, and culminating in the hope of a new future.
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Review 7 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Date:August 25, 2009
Rose House by Tina Ann Forkner is the second book in the La Rosaleda series following Ruby Among Us. I do recommend reading the first book in this series, because there is a great deal of emphasis on the hope that Rose House offers. Lillian Diamon visits Rose House shortly after the death of her husband and twin children, but after being followed by mysterious men, she cuts her visit short. She doesn't return for four years, but when she does, she discovers that someone has painted a picture of her in the moment of her deepest grief. At first, she is angry at the intrusion, but upon meeting the mysterious artist, Truman, she finds herself drawn to him. Before she can make room for him in her heart, she has to release the grief at her loss and the bitterness at her sister's part in it. This book just didn't work for me as well as Ruby Among Us. The various plots didn't knit together neatly, and the purpose for the antagonist's murderous rage is never really disclosed. I didn't understand why he didn't just leave Lillian and Geena alone, no deep dark secrets were exposed to explain it. The romance between Lillian and Truman is the saving grace of the novel, but there is too little of it. Forkner is a terrific author, and I'm sure that her next book will be again evidence of that.
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Review 8 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Date:August 20, 2009
"Rose House" was a well-written Christian romance novel with a good dose of suspense. It had a lot of romantic tension and temptation.This novel was the second in a series. This one focused on new characters with some characters from the previous book playing a supporting role. You can understand this book without having read the previous one. However, the author was deliberately vague about some details from the first book that might have helped readers understand the full significance of the Rose House.The characters were engaging and complex. They dealt with real, difficult conflicts and decisions. There were no quick or easy answers to the pain and betrayal Lillian felt even though healing and reconciliation did come in the end. The pacing was excellent, and the world-building details were excellent.Lillian dealt with a lot of loss in the novel and questioned why God allowed her young children to die. She ignored God after losing them. Several of the characters discussed this question with her, but I never felt like the discussion got preachy or "here's how you ought to believe." There's probably more God discussion in the novel than most non-Christians would be interested in, though.There was no sex (for reasons beyond "religion," too), and I don't recall any bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this book as very good, clean reading.
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Review 9 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Date:June 2, 2009
Carol Wilson
Enjoyed it very much...kept me guessing...a nice mixture of romance and suspense. I could well visualize the Rose House and all the "players".
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Review 10 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Date:May 23, 2009
The back cover of Rose House describes this book as "A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting, and one woman's search for hope." After reading only a few pages, I wondered how or even if Lillian would find this hope, after the indescribable loss she had faced in her personal life. But Rose House, a vine-covered cottage nestled in the vineyards of Sonoma Valley, is that symbol of hope. Rose House became famous, and visitors to the fictional town of La Rosaleda saw the house as a symbol of their hopes and dreams.Forkner's writing style often evokes emotions and makes the reader think, as when Kitty says: "I learned that a home is more than walls or even beautiful gardens. Without people who love us going in and out, walking down the halls, sitting at the kitchen table for a meal, a house is just an empty shell." I am thankful for my house that is certainly not an "empty shell."This book is not a downer at all. In fact, it inspires and shows how joy can come out of pain and loss. There's engaging characters, suspense, and the mending of difficult relationships - elements that combine to make an enjoyable read. Forkner is also good at using the art of painting to help us see God as the true Master Artist in our lives.Forkner's conclusion, actually the Epilogue, was done in one of the most unusual ways I've ever seen - through a photographer's lens as he pans out to capture the scene. "The camera's lens caught the joy on the face of each of Lillian's guests, pausing the moment where it seemed that their lives, and hers, were poised at the edge of a blank canvas just waiting to be painted with the rich shades and hues of a dazzling new scene. Click-click."
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Review 11 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Date:May 17, 2009
Cheryl Shryack
Rose House by Tina Ann ForknerIf you havent read Rose House you need to rush to the book store and purchase it. It is really a great book. I read the book in 2 days. Its one of those books that you cant put down. Rose House is the 2nd book in the series and well worth the wait. My book club read Ruby Among Us which was Tinas first book in the series. Also a great book!The story takes place in a small town known as La Rosaleda which is near the lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley. Lillian finds herself at a beautiful cottage that is covered in roses which is known as the Rose House. She is mourning the loss of her entire family and seems to be drawn to this place. Four years later she returns to La Rosaleda and discovers a painting of her in front of the Rose House. She is determined to find out who the mysterious painter is. She never really knew what happened to her family on that fateful day 4 years earlier. There is a mystery to be uncovered. What happened on the day that her family was killed? The only one who truly knows what happened is her sister who disappeared on that fateful day? This is a story about pain, healing and forgiveness. I truly loved the characters in the story. Tina made them come alive and feel real to me. I loved the mystery that was wrapped into this story. I especailly loved the ending to this story but you will just have to read it to find out.
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Review 12 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Date:May 15, 2009
Ann Shorey
Tina Ann Forkners second novel, Rose House, is an engrossing and worthy successor to her outstanding first book, Ruby Among Us. In Rose House, Forkner revisits La Rosaleda, a fictional town set in the beautiful Sonoma Valley of California.Id call the plot of Rose House a mystery wrapped in an enigma, to paraphrase Winston Churchill. The main character, Lillian Diamon, is mourning the loss of her family when she finds herself drawn to the fabled Rose House in La Rosaleda. Forkner starts the pages turning right away, with a mysterious photographer who is spying on Lillian. From there the story spins out question after question. We walk in Lillians shoes as she lives through her grief and confusioneach new revelation deepening the mystery of what happened to her family.The story is filled with a sense of menace. We share Lillians doubts about whom she can trust. The reader is drawn further into Rose House to answer questions raised about each of the fully-drawn characters that Forkner introduces. As the plot lines converge, the book sweeps to a heart-stopping conclusion. The characters became real to meIm still thinking about them. I loved the way this novel resolved. I had tears in my eyes when I read the ending.
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Review 13 for Rose House
Overall Rating:
Date:April 29, 2009
Rose House was a compelling story about a widow's grief and healing journey. Lillian is living every woman's worst nightmare. Having her family wiped out and then finding out how and why it happened would send anyone over the edge. This well-written portrayal of her pain pulled me because she had many legitimate reasons to be sad. I found this very believable and the writing very passionate. The whole scenario with her sister was also realistic as I personally have known several people in the same situation - betrayed by their own sister. That's tough to deal with. But my favorite part of the story was actually the romance. Truman was one of the hottest heroes I've gotten to know in 2009. He was amazing and I can see why Lillian found him hard to resist. The air literally crackled when they were near each other. This author knows how to write romantic tension like few authors have mastered. That alone makes this story a treat for me. So often in Christian fiction the attraction is toned down. Not so in Rose House. I sensed their longing and it was incredibly well done. I was just sorry the story had to end. I hope there is a sequel in the works.
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