The Tea Rose: A Novel (The Tea Rose Series, 1)

I did enjoy this book, primarily because the story kept moving. I have given it a five star rating, not because the writing is so outstanding, but because there is merit and a forward movement of the story. I will confess, that there are some parts of the story, which, at the time I read them seemed a bit far-fetched, but overall, it worked with the storyline and characters.No doubt this book is a bit of an epic. The number of pages is probably a dead give away on that score. But, to tell the entire story, it needs to be. I wll say, that when I finished the book, a few days ago, I was disappointed to see it end. I want to know what the next story is for Fiona and Joe.This book has it all. There is murder, in all its gore and horror. In fact the first chapter or so, does not really lead you to what the story is truly about. However, it is important to set the scene and give you that certain sense of dread for what the people of Whitechapel were experiencing at the time London was haunted by Jack the Ripper. But, Jack the Ripper, though a theme to this book, which has some level of import is not the real story. This is really a family story and a love story. It is a story of love for the ages. Joe and Fiona have grown up together in a poor part of London. But, they have dreams -- big dreams. Dreams that are wider than their experience, but they also have love. We meet them when they are planning and saving for a time when they will open a store and make it the finest London has ever seen. Of course, those plans also call for them to be married.But, Joe is offered the great opportunity to work for one of the largest buyers and sellers of produce in London. He takes that job. While he propers and is pursued by the boss' daughter, Millie Petersen, Fiona's life takes a turn for the worse and all that is dear to her begins to disappear. That would include Joe, for one night, after consuming too much alcohol at a party at the Petersen's home, Millie entices Jack to her bed. After that one night a baby is on the way, and Joe is forced to marry Millie.Fiona is in despair. As her life spins out of control, she suddenly finds herself in the killing sights of her father's former boss. She grabs her young brother, Seamus, and they escape aboard a White Star ship for America. Upon landing in New York, Fiona finds not all is well with her uncle.With her spirit and drive she works to pick him up and recover his business. Her hard work pays off. As time passes things change for Joe and Fiona, but they always "miss" each other. Fiona eventually marries, in New York and succeeds at her dreams, but with someone else by her side. Eventually her husband dies, and Fiona finds herself back in London to seek the revenge on her father's employer which she has planned for nearly her entire adult life. With the help of good lawyers and Joe, Fiona succeeds, but nearly losses her life and others dear to her in the process.When she learns Joe is now a free and successful man, their love is rekindled. But, it is not always an easy road to attain the dreams and happiness born in youth.

NOTE: The Tea Rose is the first book in the Rose Trilogy. Having read all three of the books, I wrote my review of the entire series and included it as one review for the series.Don't take this the wrong way, but the books in the Rose Trilogy reminded me of the Danielle Steel books I used to devour when I was 14-years old ... and I mean that in the very best way!!I used to love Danielle Steel's books (though I've "outgrown" them after being exposed to a "better" class of books) because they featured heroines who experienced all these ups and downs but who eventually triumphed over difficulties to have amazing lives. Plus they also had complicated and often tragic love lives. The Rose Trilogy has all these same elements ... except with better writing and historical detail!!The Rose Trilogy focuses on the Finnegan family--a close-knit family from the hardscrabble section of London known as Whitechapel. Family members include: family patriarch Paddy, whose leadership in the nascent union movement leads to tragedy; his wife Kate, who struggles to keep the family together despite multiple difficulties; Fiona, the oldest daughter, who is in love with the boy down the street; Charlie, the oldest son, who contributes what he can to family finances, even when that means walking on the edge of what is legal; and Seamus, the youngest son, who is just 5 years old in the first book but is featured front and center in the final book of the series.We first meet the Finnegans in The Tea Rose. It is the 1880s in East London, and a murderer named Jack the Ripper is terrorizing the area. (Donnelly even goes so far as to unmask Jack's "true" identity in the book.) The Tea Rose of the title refers to Fiona Finnegan, the feisty daughter who is in love with a coster (veggie salesman) named Joe Bristow. They are saving every bit of their meager wages to open up a shop of their own. However, tragedy hits the family and Joe betrays Fiona in the worst way possible--leaving Fiona and Seamus in desperate straits. Fleeing to America, Fiona struggles to survive in New York City, where she vows revenge on the man who ruined her family.The opening book sets the tone for the entire trilogy: star-crossed lovers; continual setbacks and obstacles; rich historical detail (Donnelly isn't afraid to incorporate real-life historical figures such as George Mallory, Jack the Ripper and Lawrence of Arabia into her books), and a plot that keeps you wondering what will befall her beleaguered characters next. (Some pretty hot and heavy sex scenes are sprinkled throughout too!) Although there is a fair amount of coincidence that strains the limits of believability, just forget all that and enjoy the ride.The second book, The Winter Rose, has a new "rose" as its center--Dr. India Selwyn-Jones, an idealistic young doctor who dreams of opening a clinic for women and children in poverty-stricken Whitechapel. Just like Fiona in the first book, India must deal with an evil man set on ruining her life while struggling with her attraction to a criminal named Sid Malone. The book moves from London to Africa and also introduces readers to Seamus as a young man. Fiona makes periodic appearances but isn't the primary focus of the book. Although it sounds like the book doesn't focus as much on the Finnegan family, I'll leave you to discover why that isn't true!The third and final book, The Wild Rose, features Willa Alden, the great love of Seamus Finnegan's life, as its rose. "Wild" is the right word to describe Willa, who readers first meet in The Winter Rose. She is a fearless mountaineer who defies expectations of what women can and should do, despite a significant handicap after an accident on Mt. Kilimanjaro (which takes place in the second book). Like the other two books, this book starts in London before moving the action to Arabia during World War I.Each book is a chunkster (all of them are 500+ pages) and requires a fairly decent time commitment, but they are the type of chunksters that move along at a steady clip. My biggest criticism is the amount of coincidence that propels the plots, but don't let that stop you from reading the books. This was historical fiction at its best: fast-paced, far-ranging and drama-filled. I enjoyed the series immensely, and thank Jill at Rhapsody in Books for turning me on to this series. I would have never picked these books up on my own as historical fiction isn't my preferred genre and the staid covers don't give you a full sense of all the action, drama and romance that pack the pages inside. Highly recommended!

I have reread this book too many times to count and I STILL get in my feelings about it. The heartbreak Fiona goes through feels relatable even though I’ve never had those things happen to me. Her triumph and growth felt well worth it. I wanted to throw the book across the room at some points because I was so frustrated at the characters, but the story and way the author writes never left me adrift. The timeline and directions for each character felt well planned and flowed nicely. And who doesn’t love a good bit of revenge? I recommend this and the following 2 stories to everyone I know who loves to read.

Bad condition of book. Returned.

Absolutely loved this book! I like historical fiction and I was afraid that it would turn out to be more on the romance side than historical fiction but I was pleasantly surprised. I found the characters well developed and life in East-end London in the late 1800s very well researched. Most importantly for me though is that it is well written, well edited and proof-read.

I loved this story and it's characters. It tells the story of Fiona Finnigan and her rise from a life of poverty to the owner of a tea company and tea rooms. A wonderful read.

Ich bin ein Fan des historischen Englands, na gut: Amerika gilt auch. Auch für einen Nicht-Native-Speaker ist das Englisch gut verständlich und die vielen Seiten sind im Nu verschlungen. Ein wundervoller Erzählstil, warum habe ich nur solange gewartet, es zu lesen - hatte ich die Empfehlung doch bereits vor Jahren bekommen! Die drei Bücher habe ich in drei Wochen gelesen und das erste auf deutsch dann an eine Freundin verschenkt. Kurz darauf erzählte sie mir, sie habe das dritte Buch bereits fast durch. Einfach wunderbar!!

Once upon a time in Whitechapel, London, there was a beautiful girl and a handsome boy. They were young and in love. Poor but optimistic.So begins this wonderful story about Fiona and Joe. It takes us from London's poor East End in the 1880'es to Convent Garden's markets and West End's upper class neighbourhoods. Further on to New York and a whole new world of immigrants seeking their fortune in the bright new world.A rich and satisfying novel where nothing seems impossible. Where sorrow and unhappiness instigate hard work and the fulfilling of seemingly unattainable dreams.Are there too many convenient co-insidences? Too unrealistic developments? A poor daugther of an Irish dock worker building an American business empire? Perhaps. But isn't life full of co-insideces, of choices, of unexpected twists and turns suddenly changing everything...A fairytale for adults. Engaging, absorbing and heartwarming. The kind of book which makes one wish it would never stop. I have ordered the sequel "The White Rose". The third book in the trilogy will be released in September.Enjoy!