This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Debs Carr
The Midnight Rose spans a century and tells the tale of Anahita Chavan, a young high-born Indian girl who loses her parents and is taken in by a generous and very beautiful Maharani who pays for her education in England alongside her own daughter, Princess Indira. The two girls grow up and their lives take them on very different courses, but one school holiday they are invited to stay at the Astbury Estate where Anahita meets the young heir, Donald. They go on secret early morning rides together across the moors and, although their lives are very different, he leaves a lasting impression on Anahita that will last for the rest of her life.
The book begins with Anahita celebrating her one hundredth birthday. Her family travel to see her and it's then that she calls her young blue-eyed great-grandson, Ari, to one side and entrusts him with her life story that she’s written down over the past fifty years. Although Ari never sees his grandmother again and doesn’t read the story of her lost son for a decade, he embarks on a quest to discover exactly what did happen to Anahita’s son, who supposedly died when he was a toddler. Ari travels to Astbury Hall where Rebecca Bradley, an American film star is playing the role of a beautiful aristocrat. Rebecca is being hounded by the press because of her newly discovered ‘engagement’ to another film star and when Lord Anthony Astbury invites her to stay at the hall to give her a little peace and quiet, she agrees. Ari arrives and rather than his curiosity in the Astbury Estate’s history being something that Lord Anthony is interested in, it seems to disturb him. However, Ari wants to discover the truth and together with Rebecca’s help, he slowly learns about his great-grandmother's life, her connection with this reserved family, and what really happened to her little boy.
Written in two timelines, the book moves from the present day with Ari dealing with his own demons as he tries to track down his great-grandmother's past and Rebecca’s desperation to be the best actress she can be while dealing with her own personal issues. We also discover about Anahita's childhood in India, growing up as Indira’s companion, her involvement in nursing and finally what happens to bring her to the dramatic events that change her life so utterly.Sometimes you read a book that you can’t wait to finish so that you can discover what happens to all the characters, but at the same time dread the end of being immersed in such a fantastic story. At 669 pages this is a big book, but it’s big in every way and well worth reading. I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out to be my favourite book of 2014 and I'd love to see it made into a film. The Midnight Rose has everything, love, loss, heartbreak, intrigue, brilliant plotting and a very dramatic climax. Stepping into Rebecca, Ari and Anahita’s worlds was the perfect way to relax and I loved everything about this book.
10/10