Review: Where the Last Rose Blooms

 

Where the Last Rose Blooms

by Ashley Clark

About the Book

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 with a handsome yet irritating man who comes to her 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 known to be a rule follower–but the war has changed her. Unbeknownst to her father, who is heavily involved with the Confederacy, she is an abolitionist and is prepared to sacrifice everything to help an enslaved woman reunite with her daughter. But things go very wrong when Clara agrees to aid the Northern cause by ferrying secret information about her father’s associates.

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

My Thoughts

With heart and haunting prose, Ashley Clark paints a vivid portrait of two women, separated by 160 years, searching for answers to a better future.

Ashley Clark’s Heirloom Secrets series has been lovely and poignant. Blending soul and mystery, each book explores issues of race, women’s place in society, and the importance of faith in our lives. I was anxious to see how the series would resolve, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The characters are so vivid you’ll expect to look up from the book and see them sitting across from you. Each of the main characters are inspiring in their own ways. So many people will relate to Alice in the face of her struggles with anxiety and depression. The descriptions of mental illness in this book are some of the truest I’ve ever read portrayed in fiction. It paints a picture of what it is like to face grief, anxiety, and depression while giving a sense of hope for those who struggle. Clara is a brave young woman who will capture your heart with her bold willingness to put her life at risk to help those who have been wronged by slavery. Rose’s heart bleeds on the page as she gives accounts of her life in her own voice throughout the story. Supporting characters like Aunt Charlotte, Juliet, Mary, and Oliver will warm your heart, as well, and create the perfect supporting cast for the book. And it was a treat to revisit favorite characters from the previous books in the series, as well as to see the connections between the characters throughout the generations.

Clark’s prose weaves its way through your heart and brings her story to enchanting life in your mind. You can get lost in these pages. The worlds of historic Charleston and modern day New Orleans come to life in this story. Sea air and roses scented my imagination as I read about Clara, Teddy, and Rose’s world, while the taste of beignets and the sounds of jazz filled my mind as I followed Alice and Sullivan on their search for answers in the Big Easy.

Filled with themes of finding hope in brokenness and redemption, Where the Last Rose Blooms will capture the hearts of readers across the board. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author and Bethany House for a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.