Rose Cottage: A Novel

I think I have everything written by Mary Stewart--at least I try. She so vividly pictures everything for the reader that one feels one is right there in that world. I keep watching for any of her books that I might not have and any new ones.

I loved this book. Very few books make me cry nowadays but this one did. I finished it in about a day and when I was close to the end I said to my husband "I want to own this book." It was the perfect blend of coziness, English countryside, suspense, romance, not to mention the fact that it was touching. My mom is more of the Mary Stewart fan than I am, but that may change now. I remember reading her Merlin trilogy years ago and would highly recommend them. So if you want a little escape to a cozy world that isn't too syrupy-sweet, get this book!

Set in a World WarII era, this enchanting story is witty and interesting. Mary Stewart continues the charm and charisma of her usual way of descriptive writing in "Rose Cottage." You won't want to put it down for long. I felt as if I could smell the Roses!

I love Mary Stewart books and this one I enjoyed just as much as all her others. My all time favorite is Touch Not the Cat, but I read the Rose Cottage in one night straight. I stayed up until 5:00 in the morning, it was just too good to put down. From the setting of small town life and the diverse characters Stewart creates to the suspense of the mystery of lovely Kathy's mother, I had a lot of fun with this book.

I was engrossed from Chapter 1. It wasn't as dangerously dramatic or violently romantic as her other books (all of which I've enjoyed, so far), but it had drama, it was romantic. The story was beautifully written, realistically conveyed; the plot gracefully woven, not cluttered. All the things we seem to need in our books and films these days, romance, scandal, suspense, deceit, death... were there, and in their place, not exploded to overwhelming proportions. I recognised some of the people she described, most of us have known similar, in our own spheres. Sometimes you want a comfortable read, but nothing too dull... and this is the book for it.