First post! I'll say a little about myself here before we get on to the nitty gritty. I'm Bree, I'm 24 years old, an Aries, and an aspiring author. I love all kinds of stories, but have a vested interest in Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, and sometimes Young Adult. This blog is something I've wanted to do for a long time and will feature not only book reviews but television and movie reviews! I'm going to try to update as often as possible but I have to admit I do often get sidetracked by life. Thanks so much for reading!
Note: I want to say that as an aspiring author I never set out to rip into a book just for fun. I try to be as accurate and even-handed as possible and would never wish to give a book undeserved criticism.
The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller
Length: 352 Pages
Genres: Historical Romance and Historical Fiction
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Trigger Warnings in this book for physical and mental abuse
I just love the cover of this book and it was what immediately drew me in. It definitely has a "classier" look than most historical romance and I felt that was a good indicator of what the actual content of the book would be like. And I was right. The Widow of Rose House, while the main focus of the book is the romance, is much more than just that. I would say it actually skews more towards historical fiction, however if you think that means that there is a shortage of sex scenes or that perhaps they might be closed door...then this isn't the book for you.
But I'm jumping too far ahead. Let's take a look at the synopsis:
"A young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age debut novel
It's 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected her stiff upper lip after three years of being pilloried in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband. Now his sudden death allows her to return to New York to make a fresh start, restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time. However, fresh starts aren't as easy as they seem, as Alva discovers when stories of a haunting at Liefdehuis begin to reach her. But Alva doesn't believe in ghosts. So when the eccentric and brilliant professor, Samuel Moore, appears and informs her that he can get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds Liefdehuis, she turns him down flat. She doesn't need any more complications in her life―especially not a handsome, convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam.
Unfortunately, though Alva is loath to admit it, Sam, a pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva's new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva's history―and her heart.
Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, The Widow of Rose House is a gorgeous debut by Diana Biller, with a darkly Victorian Gothic flair and an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers."
Sounds great, right? But if you're like me and you want some more chills with your (sexual) thrills then I have to tell you this might be disappointing. I was imagining more Simone St. James (if you are like me then check on The Haunting of Maddy Clare or An Inquiry Into Love and Death!) who serves up some seriously spooky scenes in her books, and while Mrs. Biller does have a few moments of suspense, I never really felt scared. We don't spend much time in the titular Rose House, which was it's main selling point. It had so much history!
The main characters, Alva and Samuel, I waffle on. Alva was more interesting - she had a tragic past but never once did she call herself a victim - but her moments of "Strong Female Character" didn't ring true to me, simply because of the time period. I caught myself rolling my eyes as she went with Samuel alone (her being a widow making this a little more believable but still!) or her stomping into a pub to find a worker. However, later on when she opens up to Samuel about her husband having his way with her when she was seventeen and he was...not...she says something along the lines of "I was old enough to know better". As you can imagine, that really gave me pause, especially in a book that had up until this point been extremely pro-women and pro-victim.
From the very first scene of Alva meeting a publisher at the famous Delmonico's, with Samuel talking with some business men but not really paying attention, his brilliant mind focused on one of his inventions - I felt that they were going to be more caricature than fine art rendering. Sam's family life struck me as a bit twee. They're all scientists and inventors and over-achievers and not once did they did disagree on something, which I can tell you if you have siblings you do, often.
One thing Samuel is is absolutely refreshing as a romance hero. He's sweet and considerate and absolutely enamored of Alma, much like a puppy, and he has a sort of innocence that, despite his romantic history, is deeply endearing. The romantic aspect is fine, as I felt it was wonderful to see such a healthy relationship in fiction, but sometimes it felt syrupy sweet. The sex scenes are not explicit (this isn't erotica), but not at all shied away from which I loved; also they use protection (which yes, was a thing at that time period!) so that is an automatic extra point.
The whole idea behind the ghosts was so original and cool. Every person they've encountered who's had a run in with Liefdehuis' ghost have purported something different - from a phantom hand to Alva herself who has a startling experience with something similar to her dead husband. They're baffled as to how the house can have so many ghosts. The answer they come up with is brilliant.
The end felt too rushed, too perfected for me, like she was trying to make sure she wrapped up all the loose ends in just a few pages. I just expected it to be a little harder to battle this ghost and wrap up Alva's trauma, and was left disappointed.
So that's my review! Please comment your thoughts and feelings and let me know what you think!
But I'm jumping too far ahead. Let's take a look at the synopsis:
"A young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age debut novel
It's 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected her stiff upper lip after three years of being pilloried in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband. Now his sudden death allows her to return to New York to make a fresh start, restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time. However, fresh starts aren't as easy as they seem, as Alva discovers when stories of a haunting at Liefdehuis begin to reach her. But Alva doesn't believe in ghosts. So when the eccentric and brilliant professor, Samuel Moore, appears and informs her that he can get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds Liefdehuis, she turns him down flat. She doesn't need any more complications in her life―especially not a handsome, convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam.
Unfortunately, though Alva is loath to admit it, Sam, a pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva's new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva's history―and her heart.
Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, The Widow of Rose House is a gorgeous debut by Diana Biller, with a darkly Victorian Gothic flair and an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers."
Sounds great, right? But if you're like me and you want some more chills with your (sexual) thrills then I have to tell you this might be disappointing. I was imagining more Simone St. James (if you are like me then check on The Haunting of Maddy Clare or An Inquiry Into Love and Death!) who serves up some seriously spooky scenes in her books, and while Mrs. Biller does have a few moments of suspense, I never really felt scared. We don't spend much time in the titular Rose House, which was it's main selling point. It had so much history!
The main characters, Alva and Samuel, I waffle on. Alva was more interesting - she had a tragic past but never once did she call herself a victim - but her moments of "Strong Female Character" didn't ring true to me, simply because of the time period. I caught myself rolling my eyes as she went with Samuel alone (her being a widow making this a little more believable but still!) or her stomping into a pub to find a worker. However, later on when she opens up to Samuel about her husband having his way with her when she was seventeen and he was...not...she says something along the lines of "I was old enough to know better". As you can imagine, that really gave me pause, especially in a book that had up until this point been extremely pro-women and pro-victim.
From the very first scene of Alva meeting a publisher at the famous Delmonico's, with Samuel talking with some business men but not really paying attention, his brilliant mind focused on one of his inventions - I felt that they were going to be more caricature than fine art rendering. Sam's family life struck me as a bit twee. They're all scientists and inventors and over-achievers and not once did they did disagree on something, which I can tell you if you have siblings you do, often.
One thing Samuel is is absolutely refreshing as a romance hero. He's sweet and considerate and absolutely enamored of Alma, much like a puppy, and he has a sort of innocence that, despite his romantic history, is deeply endearing. The romantic aspect is fine, as I felt it was wonderful to see such a healthy relationship in fiction, but sometimes it felt syrupy sweet. The sex scenes are not explicit (this isn't erotica), but not at all shied away from which I loved; also they use protection (which yes, was a thing at that time period!) so that is an automatic extra point.
The whole idea behind the ghosts was so original and cool. Every person they've encountered who's had a run in with Liefdehuis' ghost have purported something different - from a phantom hand to Alva herself who has a startling experience with something similar to her dead husband. They're baffled as to how the house can have so many ghosts. The answer they come up with is brilliant.
The end felt too rushed, too perfected for me, like she was trying to make sure she wrapped up all the loose ends in just a few pages. I just expected it to be a little harder to battle this ghost and wrap up Alva's trauma, and was left disappointed.
So that's my review! Please comment your thoughts and feelings and let me know what you think!
