The Tea Rose

I started another series. This time it was only a trilogy.

Fiona Finnegan is a stubborn dreamer of a dock worker’s daughter living in London right before turn into 20th century. Fiona may not be living in even middle class terms, but it’s a good life with a loving family and adoring… the author doesn’t say it but I am, boyfriend. When unions are beginning to be formed, things begin to happen in Fiona’s life that set her up to flee for her life and that of her little brother Seamie. All she knows is that she wants a tea business, and come hell or high water she’s going to get it.

I’ll tell ya somethin’, I got caught up in this drama. Jennifer Donnelly did a great job of giving us a setting where the trope of underdog can really shine. Fiona is someone who is given all these obstacles against her, being a young woman growing up in what is considered the neighborhood of poverty in a time where modern hasn’t hit quite yet, and through grit and love for her family she gets the work done. Fiona is resourceful in a networking sense, and lives in a way where when you’re kind to everyone, you’re going to get kind back. You also see her be human and wear her emotions on her sleeve, and with that there is drama.

Oh, Joe; how can I hate you? [Spoiler] Why did you have to give in? I feel for Joe, though. Fiona and him are young and in love, and their immaturity shows in their lack of communication and understanding. To me, that one moment is the one that sets the stage for the rest of the series; without it, the whole story would have been different. Imagine, your life could be like this, so many different ways it could go based off of one moment. Sorry, I went deep there. Anywhosies, I appreciate the moments we have with Joe. He is resourceful in a learning sense, and the moment you give him any kind of hope, he’s all in. The love story of Joe and Fiona is so Hallmark but I love it because they grow up and realize what they really want, separately of course, but in their own time. They’re very much a teamwork couple. Lately, I have been on this train of how we all have our whole lives to figure out who we are, our purpose, be genuinely confident in ourselves and love ourselves, and it’s ok. Some things are easier to figure out than others, and this example that we read with The Tea Rose just makes it for me.

This is such a good start to a series, and I remember finishing The Tea Rose and just hopping right into The Winter Rose after. I would say that this would be something I could’ve read in high school if you’re a parent considering the content. Romance, intrigue, drama, family. I would read it again. If you want to check out book one of The Tea Rose series, you can find it here.

9/10