Where the Last Rose Blooms

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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

Paint and Nectar

GIVEAWAY

CLARK, ASHLEY

PAINT AND NECTAR

In 1929, a spark forms between talented watercolorist Eliza and William, a charming young man who has been hired to forge her popular paintings. Her aunt makes it clear Eliza should stay away from him because of a feud between their families over missing heirloom silver. But the source of the rivalry was long ago, and as the two get to know each other, they fall in love. William regrets the job that desperation led him to take and their families' ongoing bitterness, but setting things right comes at a cost.

In present-day Charleston, Lucy Legare has just inherited an old hose from a mysterious benefactor, along with all the secrets it holds, including an old silver heirloom.. Declan Pinckney is determined to buy the house for his family's development company. But as Lucy uncovers secrets about the house, garden, and silver, she becomes more determined than ever to preserve the historic Charleston property, not only for history's sake but also for her own.

My Review:

Mercy! What a breathtaking pair of stories! The way the dual timeline is woven together, the parallels in Eliza's and Lucy's lives, the heart break, the triumphs, the surprises, the way everything crests to multiple 'aha' moments at the end!!!! All punctuated with startling snippets of widsom like this:

"If you want to sprout roots, my dear, then tend them carefully. Roots are fragile before they are strong. It's true of plants as it is for life."

I'm pretty much gobsmacked except....

Sqqquuueeaaaallll --- multiple fangirling moments if you have read The Dress Shop on King Street. Won't say any more but I was "Wait, whhhaat??? I remember..." all the way through. So. Much. Fun. (But it's okay, if you haven't read King Street first. You'll still enjoy this one just as much.)

Clark has a way of conjuring up images with her words and phrasing that makes it feel like I've lived each moment with these characters. Truly, breathtaking pretty much sums it all up. Paint and Nectar is a strong compliment to her debut sister.

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 Paint and Nectar, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your 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 winners announced on Saturday May 29  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Dress Shop on King Street

GIVEAWAY

CLARK, ASHLEY

THE DRESS SHOP ON KING STREET

Harper Dupree has pinned all her hopes on a future in fashion design. But when it comes crashing down around her, she returns home to Fairhope, Alabama, and to Millie, the woman who first taught her how to sew. As Harper rethinks her own future, long hidden secrets about Millie's past are brought to light.

In 1946, Millie Middleton -- the daughter of an Italian man and a Black woman -- boarded a train and left Charleston to keep half of her heritage hidden. She carried with her two heirloom buttons and the dream of owning a dress store. She never expected to meet a charming train jumper who changed her life forever...and led her yet again to a heartbreaking choice about which heritage would define her future.

Now, together, Harper and Millie return to Charleston to find the man who may hold the answers they seek...and a chance at the dress shop they've both dreamed of. But it's not until all appears lost that they see the unexpected ways to mend what frayed between the seams.

My Review:

This is me completely stymied over what to say about this debut novel...other than it's phenomenal! Clark's evocative phrasing is bliss to sink into. Sharp imagery, exquisite word choice and depth of storytelling pulled me in and held me captive until the very end. Now I'm an emotionally saturated mess suffering separation anxiety from these characters and their charged stories.

So...two timelines equals two heroines as well as two heroes and we get all their perspectives. I usually relate to one time period more than the other in this type of story but I was equally invested in both in The Dress Shop on King Street. And I loved the way the author moves from one era to the other, expertly weaving disparate lives together in such an enthralling way. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! Especially with such soul piercing tidbits as these:

"Wasn't stepping out in faith all it took to come into God's blessing?" (p 79) Ha! I loved Harper for thinking this in an almost petulant, grumpy kind of way because I've been there mulling over the exact same thing, on the same kind of journey she's on. :-)

and

"...have you ever considered whether fear -- rather than your dream -- is what you're holding onto?" (p 217) Both heroines struggle with this one...and...tada...me too. I did a double take when I read these words, courtesy of one of our dashing heroes. Love when it feels like my storybook characters are talking right at me. :-)

Astonishing. Moving. Memorable. The Dress Shop on King Street is the kind of book that has the power to make a difference in a reader's life.

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 The Dress Shop on King Street, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your 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 winners announced on Saturday February 13  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!