The Tea Rose

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Victorian Epic Romance!
Review: Author Jennifer Donnelly has included in "The Tea Rose" a veritable wishlist come true of wonderful melodrama, plots, subplots, an extraordinary heroine, a hero who self-destructs and redeems himself, the worst of villains and an overall cast of lively and unusual characters that readers of historical romance will love. If you bury your nose in this delightful, juicy novel you may not come up for air until the last page is finished.

Set against the backdrop of Victorian England, in the poor Whitechapel district where prostitutes work, the working poor live, hungry children play and Jack the Ripper kills, a poor girl makes plans for the future with the boy she loves. Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, wants to open a shop with her childhood love, costermonger's son Joe Bristow. Leaving the dirty cobbled streets and dark alleyways of their neighborhood behind, the two meet at the River Thames, when work and their daily struggle allow, to pool their savings and spin their dreams of a bright future and a better life together.

Then tragedy strikes the Bristow family - traumas, one after another, hit them hard and take a terrible toll. Death, disease, heinous murders and a betrayal leave Fionna and her baby brother on the streets, alone and in terrible danger. Fionna, ever resourceful and resilient makes her way to the United States and New York City to begin a new life. Propelled by her past dreams, her innate business acumen, tremendous energy and a sense of vengeance she works to pursue her plans and raise her brother in spite of her personal pain and loss.

Ms. Donnelly's lively cast of characters, including an interesting take on Jack the Ripper, are varied and fascinating. Her straightforward storyline could easily have fallen into cliches but she comes up with unusual plot twists, and somehow writes with freshness of the age old tale of love lost and found again, family destruction and revival, and a woman's indomitable spirit and ultimate triumph. The period detail and ambiance easily transport the reader from London's savage, seedy, slums to the glitter of New York City in the Gay '90s - Fifth Avenue, Union Square, Grammercy Park and Delmonico's Restaurant. This Victorian epic is a terrific read and Ms. Donnelly has done well with this debut novel.
JANA

Rating:
Summary: Loved It!
Review: This book kept coming up on my recommendations, but I was hesitant to purchase it because of the size. I was extremely surprised that it kept my attention from page one right through to the end. I would recommend it to anyone who likes reading about this time period.

Rating:
Summary: Why isn't this on the Bestseller list??
Review: Wow!! What a terrific novel! I happened to notice this book while shopping and just picked it up because I needed something to read. Once I started I couldn't put it down. Fiona Finnegan's tale will have you laughing, crying and cheering for the good guys from page one. After 700 pages, I still want more!

Rating:
Summary: One of the best reads in years
Review: I had this one on my bookshelf for well over a year before I finally read it and I have to say I do wish I had read it sooner. Similar in feel to early Barbara Taylor Bradford, it is a wonderful historical saga with many layers. Fiona Finnegan, from an Irish family living in the Whitechapel area of London has lofty dreams with her childhood love, Joe Bristow. After a series of tragedies finds her fleeing London to go to NYC, she establishes a tea empire, then returns to London to exact revenge on former employer responsible for death of father. This was a wonderful page turner with sympathetic characters and a wonderful love story. Highly recommended. I look forward to more books by this talented author.

Rating:
Summary: READ THIS BOOK!!
Review: I was handed this book and told to read it because it was supposedly an awesome book. I took the book and asked what it was about and then told it was about the London tea industry. I thought, "wow.. how exciting". I love this book and I recommend it to anyone I know who loves reading. One of the best books I have ever read. It has something for everyone!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I loved this book! Yes, it was a little too sappy at times, but it was so much fun to read! If you want to be taken away to another place and time and simply enjoy that experience for what it is, then this book is for you.

Rating:
Summary: A FULL MENU OF READING DELIGHT
Review: I seldom find a novel I can rave about, but this is one that is compelling and satisfying. It is somewhat about the tea and vegetable business, but primarily it is a love story(ies)dealing with parental, lovers, and friendship. I would call it a saga as it is a story that envelops you and I spent a week getting through the 544 pages. The main characters are Fiona and Joe, however, there are many more and all easy to keep track of. There are 2 or 3 dastardly villains, and they keep you on edge at times, but the main thrust is of feelings before doings. There were 3 places in this story where tears dropped and the lump-in-throat appeared; events of sadness and others of joy wrapped this story up to a wonderful reading experience.

Rating:
Summary: A bit sappy and unrealistic
Review: I enjoyed parts of this book for the descriptions of London, New York and the excellent characterizations and dialogue. However, this book just didn't have enough tooth for me...parts of it were sappy and well...unbelievable. The kinda feeling I got was "yeah, right". If you want a decent beach read, that makes you feel good,this is it. I would not classify this as a page turner by any means. It is predictable and if Danielle Steel is your cup of "tea", you'll enjoy The Tea Rose.

Rating:
Summary: Predictable and full of cliches
Review: Many readers have loved this book, but while I really cared for the protagonist, I found the story very predictable and full of cliches. It just seemed a little too familiar to me--"Young, hardworking girl endures a series of personal tragedies, yet through sheer grit and determination, works her way to the top of the (fill in the blank) trade, despite countless personal and professional obstacles along the way." I guess this just wasn't my "cuppa tea."

Rating:
Summary: What FUN!
Review: Action, adventure, heartbreak, humor, suspense, romance, revenge - this is one ride you won't want to miss! You will have a great time rooting for Fiona Finnegan throughout her trials and tribulations and, finally, her triumph! The characters (yes, all of them) are so well-developed it's hard to believe that they aren't real. This has become one of my favorite books of all time...so much so that I couldn't wait for the paperback and have bought many copies of the hardback to share with friends - all of whom have absolutely loved it! Kudos to Jennifer Donnelly for the THE TEA ROSE - I look forward to great things from her in the future!