Review of Rose House
May 28, 2009
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
WaterBrook Press (May 5, 2009)
by
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tina Ann Forkner writes contemporary fiction that challenges and inspires. She grew up in Oklahoma and graduated with honors from CSU Sacramento before settling in Wyoming. She lives with her husband, their three bright children and their dog and stays busy serving on the Laramie County Library Foundation Board of Directors. She is the author of Ruby Among Us, her debut novel, and Rose House, which recently released from Waterbrook Press/Random House.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A vivid story of a private grief, a secret painting, and one woman’s search for hope
Still mourning the loss of her family in a tragic accident, Lillian Diamon finds herself drawn back to the Rose House, a quiet cottage where four years earlier she had poured out her anguish among its fragrant blossoms.
She returns to the rolling hills and lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley in search of something she can’t quite name. But then Lillian stumbles onto an unexpected discovery: displayed in the La Rosaleda Gallery is a painting that captures every detail of her most private moment of misery, from the sorrow etched across her face to the sandals on her feet.
What kind of artist would dare to intrude on such a personal scene, and how did he happen to witness Lillian’s pain? As the mystery surrounding the portrait becomes entangled with the accident that claimed the lives of her husband and children, Lillian is forced to rethink her assumptions about what really happened that day.
A captivating novel rich with detail, Rose House explores how the brushstrokes of pain can illuminate the true beauty of life.
If you would like to read an excerpt from Rose House, go HERE
Sally Says: I really dislike having to give bad reviews. In fact, I’d rather not, but CFBA makes us post our take on a book whether we like it or not. (Passing the buck, I know.)
So with that introduction, I must say that I did not care for The Rose House. I wish I had; it has a beautiful cover and the back cover piqued my interest, but I felt the story didn’t quite deliver. The quality of the story wasn’t up there. The characters weren’t three dimensional, and the plot was a bit unbelievable at times with characters already being in love when they’d only known each other a few days.
Maybe I wasn’t the right reader for the story; it felt more like a genre romance than the women’s fiction it was portrayed to be. If you love genre romance, then you may enjoy the book. But if you like what I like, 
, then this may not be the book for you.
Comments
4 Responses to “Review of Rose House”
You and me both, Sally.
What a shame! The premise sounded really intriguing. But the synopsis was making me expect the kind of moody suspense that I like, not a romance.
I have read CBA novels that kept my heart hammering and my mind spinning for days, then gulped at a negative posting and shrugged my shoulders, wondering whether I knew books…or not. In this postmodern society, the old saying “different strokes for different folks” seems to apply to the literary world more than ever.
Speaking of the literary world, it’s a pretty small group of folks, really, especially in the Christian market. The dear soul you give a poor review may be a fellow publishing house mate next year. You may be asked to serve on a committee with that writer. And some writers are sensitive and have long memories when it comes to their babies.
Balancing on the tightrope of building up brothers and sisters in Christ and criticism meant as instruction can be a tenuous position. After a few nasty spills where I got bumped and bruised, I’ve pledged to only post reviews that will encourage my fellow Christian writers. Lord knows there’s enough of the other type of reviews out there.
Patti Lacy
As a rule, I don’t post bad reviews. Patti, you’re right; there’s no point in bashing each other.
Here I was forced to give a review, no matter how I felt about the book. I’d rather say nothing, but that’s not how the CFBA works.