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: Excellent Characters & Captivating Story
Review: Jennifer Donnelly quickly grabs your attention and totally captivates you with the story of star crossed lovers, Fiona Finnegan and Joe Bristow. I loved this book so much that I found it very difficult to put down and I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning reading it. Fiona and Joe are the perfect couple who share the same dream of opening a shop and they are very much in love. However, their circumstances change for the worst when Joe is tricked into a marriage to another woman and Fiona must flee to New York with her 4 year old brother to escape from the men who murdered her father. This is a story of true survival after life throws you a curve ball and it lives on in your mind for weeks after you have turned the last page. The Characters in this book are very well written and I really began to care for them, especially Fiona. I'm anxiously awaiting a second book by Jennifer Donnelly and will purchase it as soon as its released. I highly recommend reading The Tea Rose to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: I loved this book! It took a little while to get involved, but once I was, I couldn't put it down! Even now, having finished it a week ago, I am still thinking about the characters, as if they were real! Donnelly does a great job of getting the reader involved in these peoples lives. I am a fan of the genre (19th century poverty striken London), having read "The Crimson Petal and the White," "Slammerkin," "Falling Angels." This was one of the best books I have read this year. And if you are a closet "Ripperologist" you will love the intersting take on who he was! I liked how Donnelly incoroprated real people and events into this fictional story. I am looking forward to reading Donnelly's other book, "A Northern Light," and hope it is just as good. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and and well written book.
Rating: 
Summary: Started off slow but quickly gained momentum!
Review: It's the oldest theme in the world: Poor, lonely, beautiful English heroine pulls herself up by the boot straps to become one of the richest women in the world. It took me forever to get involved with this book but eventually I reached the point where I couldn't put it down. Fiona Finnegan, the lively eighteen-year old tea house worker lives in poverty in Whitechapel during the 1880's; she and her family may not have material things but they are very rich with their love for each other. Fiona also has a wonderful fiance, Joe Bristow (they are madly in love with each other). And then, everything is gone. THE TEA ROSE is the story of Fiona and her rise to become the greatest business woman in New York. The wonderful relationships she has all contribute to her rise to the top.
Some of the storylines were a little ridiculous and the climax of the book came much to late but all in all this was a pretty good read.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely my cup of tea!
Review: Wow! Finishing this book was the one thing I dreaded. The Tea Rose was a captivating, heartfelt, and engaging read. I was lost in this fascinating, atmospheric world of 19th century London, and would love to go back sometime and revisit the wonderful characters that Jennifer Donnelly created. The Tea Rose tells the story of 17-year-old Fiona Finnegan and her beau, Joe Bristow. Fiona, a worker in a tea factory, and Joe, a coster in his family's produce business, have big dreams of opening their own tea shop one day. Saving money from every paycheck into an old cocoa tin, Fiona and Joe slowly get closer to realizing their dream. But things don't always work out they way they're planned -- the unionization of labor workers, a serial murderer on the loose, and a scheming buxom blonde play their part in destroying everything Fiona and Joe has worked for. There is so much more to this novel, however, but I don't want to ruin the fun for readers to discover for themselves. There are many supporting characters that add complexity and texture to this story, and Jennifer Donnelly has done an exceptional job of bringing them all to life. The writing is concise and the perfect balance of dialogue and description. I loved every page, especially since there was always something new and exciting happening. The best book I've read so far this year, and most likely one that will be hard to top.
Rating:
Summary: On my Top 10!
Review: I picked up this book at Publix, and didnt think it would be much more than something to read, but I was wrong! Fiona is a captivating character who you grow to love from the first chapter to the last. She is remarkable and you cant do much but want to be with her every step of her journey. Her journey is just as amazing, Fiona goes through a really bumpy ride and you continue to wish that things will be the way she wants them but then she gets thrown another curve. The journey and characters are so well written you will be fustrated, or happy or stressed when they are- you will not be able to stop yourself from molding to Fiona's emotions. Jennifer Donnelly does an amazing job or recreating the life of an english or american girl in the late 1800s. I felt as if I had been pulled back in time, the detail and descriptions make you believe you were really there smelling the market and the river. Pick it up or give it as a gift, these are words and emotions to share!
Rating:
Summary: Splendid Tale of True Love
Review: A splendid tale of true love and the long journey it takes. This deserves 4 1/2 stars because the writing is top notch, the story moves quickly, the plot twists are intriguing and as a whole it draws you into the tale. It's only flaw may be that it was too predictable at some points, but that is no reason to bypass this excellent book. This story is great for vacation since it reads so well and is easy to interrupt and resume.
Rating:
Summary: My Cup of Tea!
Review: This was a wonderful, sweeping epic of a story. Set in the last 1800's in England, the book tells the story of Fiona Finnegan, a young girl who has to deal with an extreme amount of tragedy in her life. We also meet her boyfriend, Joe, the love of her life. The two plan to marry and open their own store but events unfold that tear them apart and shatter their dreams. The rest is truly a rags to riches story. There is mystery, romance, murder and mayhem...all very well written and highly entertaining. A satisfying and exciting read. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably good!
Review: I did not want this book to end - I loved being swept up in this colorful, rich, exciting story, where all the plots were as descriptive and real as watching them on a movie screen. I loved the descriptions of the marketplace in London, and of the sacrifices that Fiona and her mother made while supporting the family on very little funds. The dialogue was engaging, often funny, and one observes the characters' dialect becoming more refined as they moved upwards in life. There was amazing struggle in the beginning. However, at the turning point in the story, one could not help falling in love with Nicholas, while pining away for Fiona's lost love, Joe. Much develops in the span of ten years. The reader is transported to America where the descriptions of old New York are refreshing and optimistic - it's wonderful to picture New York with the Fifth Avenue mansions and horses and carriages. I feel like visiting Delmonico's restaurant after reading this book! Returning to London to fulfill a special, life-long mission, Fiona reflects on her childhood and life-altering experiences that led to her success. One can't help but admire her determination and ingenuity. There is so much more that I loved about this book that I can't put it all in this review - you should read this book and make your own list of things! However, I do wish there were more of Jennifer Donnelly's novels - I look forward to seeing what she'll try next.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: I could not put this book down! Best book I read all last year!
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