The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (thoughts)

I began reading Susanna Kearsley in January of this year, after seeing Marg praise her to the skies. And here I am, eight months later, having read four of her books without blogging about any of them! Trust me, this is not for lack of enthusiasm: I just adored The Shadowy Horses, my first experience with her, and every book I’ve read since has confirmed that she is one of my new go-to comfort authors. Unfortunately, her back list is a bit difficult to get ahold of (I’m hoping that changes as she becomes more popular), so when I saw her latest book, The Rose Garden, available on Netgalley I jumped on it. And y’all, I loved this! As much as Shadowy Horses, even (and far more than The Winter Sea, which honestly is my least favourite of the four I’ve read, although it’s still good).

While Kearsley’s Canadian, she seems to have a strong affection for the British Isles, particularly the romantic, wind-swept corners. The Rose Garden is set in Cornwall, and the location is really the third main character. Much like du Maurier, Kearsley takes advantage of the romantic aspects of its smuggling past, with some fun seafaring bits. I’m a sucker for a good ship scene! Have I mentioned that the main character’s name is Eva? And that there’s time travelling? As you can see, it’s almost as if this book was designed to win me over. ;)

And win me over it did! Because in addition to its ‘on-paper’ qualities, it’s just a wonderful book. Kearsley has a solid writing style that perfectly complements her two strongest features (and the reasons I love her): believable, likeable characters and a strong sense of place. These happen to be two of the most important aspects of fiction for me, which probably explains why she’s become one of my go-to authors in such a short period of time. I just love her heroines (my primary complaint about The Winter Sea is that the contemporary storyline doesn’t get as much ‘air-time’ as the historical one, and I really wanted to spend more pages with the modern heroine), and it’s so nice to know from the start that their lives will work out in the end. I highly, highly recommend The Rose Garden (and Kearsley in general, but this is an excellent place to start) to anyone who enjoys a good story with a vivid setting and memorable characters. And if you’re in need of a well-written comfort read, run to your library or bookstore to get your hands on a copy!

Finally, a quick note for those who worry that ‘romance’ is synonymous with smut: rest assured that Kearsley doesn’t write explicit scenes. The most description we get is of the kisses…otherwise, the bedroom door remains firmly shut. ;)

Suggested Companion Reads

• Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier (I’d be remiss not to mention another wonderful Cornish romance featuring a smuggler!)
• The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (If you’re looking for more magical romance.)
• Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce (This one also features a time-travelling plot.)
• The Little Country by Charles de Lint (de Lint is also a Canadian who wrote this novel set in Cornwall!)