Black Rose: In the Garden, Book 2

My favorite author did a lovely job on this second in a series novel. Her characters are vivid and so alive. Dialogue is definitely her forte.

Over one hundred years ago, a young woman on the brink of insanity...or just beyond it...disappeared without a trace. Her ghost haunts the house and grounds of the Harper household and has for as long as anyone alive can remember. Most who have seen or heard her speak of the care she shows to the children of the house, singing lullabies to the young and offering a comforting presence to young mothers. But there is a darkness, too, and when lullabies become edged in madness and comfort turns to terror, a group of family and friends must ban together to find out who their ghost is, where she is, if they have any hope of surviving her wrath.Rosalind Harper is a strong, independent, mature woman. She lost a husband young, made a mistake with a second marriage, but has lived a life of class and poise, correcting mistakes and building her life from tragedy. She may be the mistress of Harper House, but her focus is her family and her business, the In the Garden nursery. Since the events of  Blue Dahlia (In the Garden, Book 1) , Roz, along with friends Stella and Hayley and their respective loves and children, have had to put the search for the identity of the Harper Bride on hold. Genealogy expert Dr. Mitchell Carnagie was unavailable until a previous engagement was concluded.When Roz's path crosses Mitch's again during a wild spurt of Christmas shopping, more than talk of ghosts gets stirred up. Mitch's project is finished and he's ready to start the search for Amelia full time, and Roz realizes that the sexy doctor might just be the balm to that niggling bit of loneliness that tugs at her heart. What she doesn't realize is that her resident ghost has no love of men, and as the relationship between her and Mitch heats up, Amelia turns her viscous will into keeping them apart.Some of my favorite romance reading of all time has been various Roberts' trilogies. I love how she weaves interesting and sympathetic characters who are easy to fall for into an overall arc that spans three books, while maintaining a level of storytelling that supports each book individually. She truly is a master at that impressive feat.I'm particularly fond of lead character Roz Harper, a woman of advancing age, within spitting distance of fifty, with concerns and attentions suited to her age and her milieu. She's got an ex-husband who's a rake and a snake, and she's forced to deal with him, though it goes against her grain to do so in the manner in which it is forced. She doesn't break under pressure of ghost or male ego, and holds close to her heart those she considers friends and family. As a character, she's the epitome of grace and cool southern charm...with just enough fiery temper to keep her from being too Stepford.While I am known for having a fondness for damaged characters who rise above their personal demons to wage battle against the forces of darkness, I admit I found Roz's well-balanced, independent nature both an admirable and welcome change. She's got a steel spine with pleasant touches of softness for contrast and depth, and she approaches problems with a keen mind and determination. I couldn't help but like her. And respect her. Mitch was a charming counterpoint. A man who is aware of his demons and admits to his past mistakes as he takes responsibility for them. He's a good man, honest and hard working, with the confidence to appreciate a woman of strength without the games and machinations so often seen in younger couples.Their relationship sparks and simmers, developing slowly but sweetly along with the plot threads of the Harper Bride, who shows her nasty side in all its freaky glory more than once, and the ex-husband, who's a sleaze of the first order. There are ancillary plot threads of extended family that also add to the mix. Together, the plot develops with solid pacing and depth, each aspect complementing the other and building off each other nicely.Knowing that this was the second book in the trilogy helped assuage the impatience to get the answers to Amelia's past, and Roberts takes time to provide glimpses of her history and add some truly atmospheric creepiness to her haunting ways. As a result, Amelia is just as well rounded...if definitely unbalanced...a character as the living members of the book.My only complaint...well...not really a complaint, more as a dissatisfied observation, with this book in particular and the series as a whole is that the characters all seem a little too perfect, a little lacking in flaws and insecurities and peccadilloes. They all make noises about their hang ups - Roz's temper and stubbornness, Mitch's tendency to be messy and forgetful, etc., but in the end, they're all just a little too perfect, always doing the right thing at the right time in the right way. It's a little disconcerting. And not always the easiest thing to relate to. I think that's why, despite the fact that I liked the book quite a lot, I never actually connected to it on a personal level, and why, though I admired Roz and had quite a lot of affection for Mitch, I was never completely invested in their relationship or the continuing saga of the Harper Bride. Not enough to be rabidly enthusiastic of it, anyway.I liked it, though. Quite a bit. And anyone who enjoys romance mixed with haunted houses and a centuries-old mystery and a lot of horticulture will probably enjoy it, too.Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

Wonder addition to book one! Mitch and Roz are wonderful characters so in enjoyed how their love grew. On to book 3!

BLACK ROSE, the second installment in the GARDEN trilogy, is a big improvement over the premier of the series (BLUE DAHLIA), includes snappy dialogue, interesting characters, a satisfying romance and very few thorns to mar the reading experience. While I recommend the book, particularly to those who were disappointed in BLUE DAHLIA, at times there seemed to be too many characters cluttering up each scene, scenes including the main couple were not as plentiful as hoped, and the hero's unrealized desire to rescue the heroine was a little disappointing.BLACK ROSE continues the story of three women drawn to Rosalind Harper's historic southern home to run a nursery/landscaping business and solve a ghost story. ROSE is Roz's story, and follows the forty-something owner while she struggles to build her business, overcome a bitter second marriage to a philandering con man, and track down the truth about the resident ghost with the help of visiting genealogist, Mitchell Carnegie.The most appealing feature of this book was Roz's character. All too often it seems that authors leave romance to the twenty and thirty-somethings, and when they do try to write more mature heroines, they often read like a twenty-two year old with too much mileage and not enough wisdom. In ROSE, it was clear from the beginning that Roz was strong, independent and, despite the blow to her self respect dealt by her last husband, had the confidence to claw her own way out of her problems. Love-interest Mitchell was not as clearly drawn, but was appealing both because of his willingness to take responsibility for mistakes in his first marriage, and in the way he obviously respected as well as loved Roz.Unfortunately, Mitch's protective instincts found very little outlet in this book, despite the plethora of opportunities presented by the return of Roz's ex-husband and a ghost with increasingly physical ways of expressing her displeasure. Roz's grown son, Harper, was too eager to intervene when danger or insult threatened, and Roz did her fair share of rescuing herself in most cases. While I always find it appealing when heroines work their own way out of trouble-especially considering the number of helpless-damsel characters in romance-it can be overdone and probably was just a bit in this book. I would have been a little more impressed with Mitch if he had managed a heroic intervention or two.My only other criticism is that Roberts tried to include too many people in this book: Stella and Logan, their children, Roz and Mitch, Roz's four kids (including Harper), Mitch's son, Hayley, Hayley's daughter, Roz's ex, Roz's ex's new girlfriend, and a number of Roz's acquaintances in the Ladies-Who-Lunch set, among others. The net result was that there were actually very few scenes where Roz and Mitch had an opportunity to interact, and keeping track of the trials and tribulations of all the different characters was distracting and took some of the edge off both the suspense and the romance.ROSE was a good read overall, and I look forward to the last installment in the trilogy.

I love NR, I love the simplicity and the reliability of her books.oh sometimes I like to complain that they can be a little too predictable but underneath the beginning I understand I love her writing style and I will probably never not pick up one of her books as a comfort read.The character developments are always fantastic and I like that she doesn't have to take cheap pot shots at a woman's ability to take care of herself and build a life that's not only enjoyable but sustainable. I really liked Roz as a character, I love the fact that she's from money but by no means a snob, she's down to earth and a crafter. I love the vulnerabilities that make her so real and the patience and respect between her and Mitch that can only come from having great loves in their lives previously. Anyway before I ramble on anymore 5* from me.

I really love Roz in this mid series book. I definitely would like to be 'like her when I grow up' too. I love the ghostly twist in this romance series by Nora but also the trouble stirred up elsewhere in the story aswell.

A great 2nd part of the trilogy. Showing the strong character of the leading lady. Her family is her 'all' along with her blooming business. The handsome professor is the next instalment of her growing family.Only part that I am unsure of is that such a strong woman is seen as older when she hasn't yet reached 50 years old. Not the best thing to read when you are close to that age yourself.On a whole, a fabulous book and I can't wait to read the next book.

I love Nora Roberts. Her books are excellent. Can't wait to read the last book in this trilogy. Luckily it is on my bedside table. It is New year's Eve and what better way to greet the New Year . Thank you Nora. Keep 'em coming. Your are the best.

I love this author and I have very nearly read all the books not just in this series but all series written.She is an excellent author, I love the story lines, and I love that everything is in 3's I love a series of books and with a triology you have that without having to many books to read to finish off a series.Perfect thing to take away with you and read by the pool!