The Rose Garden

By: Susanna Kearsley

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Length: 12 hrs

Publisher's summary

Acclaimed author Susanna Kearsley's previous works have won the RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award, and finaled for both the UK Romantic Novel of the Year and the RITA awards.

Eva Ward is a modern woman thrown back three centuries to 1715 - only to find that might be exactly where she belongs. There, she finds true love with Daniel Butler, but the discord surrounding Hanoverian King George plunges the lovers into a world of intrigue, treason, and romance.

©2011 Susanna Kearsley (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Kearsley masterfully writes authentic voices for Eva and Daniel as they wrestle with their improbable connection and its implications." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Kearsley makes the impossible seem real as sheweaves a tale full of genuine characters [with] a strong sense of place and makes history come alive." ( Booklist)

"Susanna Kearsley's The Rose Garden is an enthralling and achingly romantic read." ( BookPage)

it grew on me

As I listened more to the story it grew on me and I found I looked forward to listening to it, like wrapping myself in a warm blanket, such a nice diversion from current events. As previous reviewers said a main story arc at the beginning of the novel, didn't seem plausible, and initially I felt the story was too superficial, but that changed and I anticipate listening to more of her books. I dropped one star for performance because, although the reader is excellent, it seemed, as many readers noted, that certain text accidentally left was reinserted in a way that was noticeable.

So many questions

Did Nicola Barber do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

There are several male characters and they get a bit confusing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My reaction wasn't extreme. I enjoyed the book overall. I still have many "WHY" types of questions. I love time travel books and there is a bit of a gap for me with this one. I liked it, but I feel a little... unsatisfied... with some of the overall story.

Absolutely wonderful!

I'm so glad that I discovered this author. Wonderfully well written and crafted story. I cried at the ending because it was that moving.

Good book, weak romance, but worth a listen.

If you're a fan of Diana Gabaldon and the Outlander series you will like this book. it kind of bothered me that there was no real conclusion to the book, you don't know how the heroine Eva's life turned out. She basically just steps into the past and disappears. That really kind of bothered me. I would have liked a little bit more of maybe an epilogue, some kind of knowledge as to how Eva and Daniel ended up, what happened to them in their lives, where did they go? Did they leave Cornwall? did Eva ever make it back to the house and did she ever go back to her natural time? These are questions that have flowed through my mind at the conclusion of this book. But the book was definitely worth a listen. The romance was a little weak considering that Eva and Daniel knew each other for approximately 3 days before they were madly in love with each other. I definitely think the author could have fleshed out the romance aspect of this novel quite a bit more. But since I am a fan of the Outlander series and still prefer those books to this book. But all in all I think it was worth a listen even if it made me sad at the end of the book. I was never sad at any of the ending of the Outlander books and I feel as though the Outlander books had more of a conclusion to them.

Like the book, The Rose Garden--hated the reader

Would you try another book from Susanna Kearsley and/or Nicola Barber?

This is my first purchase and I loved the book--when I read it. I just hated how NIcola Barber put a Cornish accent on everyone and lowered the register of her voice for the male characters. I wonder if the male readers put on a falsetto voice when they read the parts spoken by women. If this is standard practice I doubt I will purchase any more audible books.

Liked it a lot!

My husband and I listened to it in the car and we enjoyed it very much. Made the miles fly by.

beautiful

what a beautiful story, well written and conceived, I felt like I was there with all the characters!

A sweet one off time travel story

I really enjoyed listening to this story. It had magical elements to it and I love a good love story. I thought the time travel was well written and intricate enough that there were still surprises to come at the end. I highly recommend!

Liked this one as much as The Winter Sea

What made the experience of listening to The Rose Garden the most enjoyable?

There were a couple of twists that I did not see coming until the last minute, but the storyline was engaging and thoroughly enjoyable. I would rate this one PG (for the parents out there).... I didn't hesitate to recommend this one to my mother. There is a sweetness of character in the main character, and though she was nothing like myself, I could easily be friends with her. I also like how the author writes several completely stand alone books, with a central theme. The Jacobite rebellion seems to be one of her favorite historical times, and though this book does not delve quite so much as her others may, I find myself wishing to learn more about that time in history.

What did you like best about this story?

MILD SPOILER:
I love time travel stories, and I also like that this one flies in the face of traditional "time travel rules". The theory was an interesting one. I also liked that the Grey Lady was tied in. I've always liked the Grey Lady legends.

Have you listened to any of Nicola Barber’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I never have, though I may seek her out in future. She has a soothing voice (not soothing enough to make me sleep at the wheel, but still...). I will add her to a list of good narrators.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Past, Present, Future...it's all relative. (For those physics geeks out there)

Any additional comments?

This book is mild, and may seem a bit too "un-racy" for many readers, but I would still suggest it. There are no graphic scenes, no gratuitous sex, no brutal, bloodthirsty gore fests, and no unfathomable tech, but I found this one so refreshing, I will likely listen again (a rarity for me, as I have hundreds of books to listen to), as I do with The Importance of Being Earnest, Pride and Prejudice, The Three Musketeers, and a very few of my favorite fantasy series. Give it a try.

The Rosé Garden

Stunning. The author had great foresight while writing this. Kept me interested, couldn't put it down.