Where the Last Rose Blooms

 GIVEAWAY   

CLARK, ASHLEY

WHERE THE LAST ROSE BLOOMS

Alice runs a New Orleans flower shop alongside her aunt, but thoughts of her mother, who went missing during Hurricane Katrina, are never far from her mind. After getting off on the wrong foot who a man who comes to the shop, Alice soon realizes their worlds overlap -- and the answers they both seek can be found in the same place.

In 1861 Charleston, Clara is an abolitionist, unbeknownst to her father, who is heavily involved with the Confederacy. She attempts to assist an enslaved woman reunite with her daughter, and a dashing Union spy is just the person to help them. But things go very wrong when Clara agrees to aid the Northern cause by ferrying information about her father's associates -- and her own fiancé.

Faced with the unknown, both women across the years will have to dig deep to let the their courage bloom.

My Review:

"If God has truly redeemed me, why on some days do I still feel broken?"

The final book in Ashley Clark's Heirloom series is just as stunning as the first two. She has a magical way with words that weave a story together and keep a reader spellbound until the very last page.

Two heroines (and their heroes). Two time periods. Alice and Clara are separated by more than a century but they both struggle to make a place for themselves in a world that isn't always kind or predictable. 

This time I was particularly drawn to Alice's story (present day timeline.) I was moved by her faith journey and the depth the author brings to the complicated layers of her life. There were a few instances of leaping back in time to the early 2000s which threw me off a bit. Not a huge deterrent to my enjoyment of the story but I think I've come to the conclusion that I much prefer dual timeline stories rather than multi timeline stories. Just a personal preference.

The historical timeline with Clara and Rose was interesting, but it felt rushed to me. I wanted more details. More emotion. And there isn't an ending as much as a tapering off. It left me feeling a little bereft because not everything is tied up in a neat little bow. Much like real life, I guess. 

I think it would be best to read this series in order...or at least read the first book...before reading Where the Last Rose Blooms. Clark brings the series around full circle and we get a host of familiar faces to meet up with again. And I think there are aspects of the ending in the present day timeline that won't hold as much significance if you aren't familiar with the other stories.

I listened to the audible edition narrated by Pilar Witherspoon and Lynette R. Freeman who did a fabulous job of breathing life into these characters and doing justice to Ashley Clark's incredible storytelling skills.

"Brokenness abounds -- it is the state of this world." She patted the stitches once more with her wrinkled hand. "But if we look hard enough, we can find spaces, pierced by a needle. When threaded together, they create something beautiful -- a story, our story, and through the threads and the holes, we grow."

Goal Update: #6 Stay current with a series

 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of , leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 26 2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck