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Rose by Another Name

Author: Melanie Thurlow

Publisher: Inkling Publishing, LLC

4 Stars

Her worth decided over a game of cards, Lady Rosalyn Hayes has accepted her future. She will marry a duke she doesn’t know to protect her sisters’ reputations. Lord Robert Phillip Clarence, Duke of Brighton, lives a life of debauchery far from his country estate, and even farther from the lady he must marry in order to restore his family’s ancestral lands. They think they know each other. But when they finally meet and their true natures are revealed, will they live happily ever after or will the ton be shocked to see a lady run?

Please note I received an advanced copy of Rose by Another Name in exchange for an honest review.

(Obligatory disclaimer done. Onto the review, m’ladies!)

In my opinion, it takes a talented writer to create a sense of mounting tension while creating a slow-burn love story, and Thurlow is definitely one of them. I was consistently impressed with her skilled use of language and description to highlight the various conflicts between Rose and Robert; their sense of responsibility and obligation to their respective families playing alongside their desire for freedom and adventure; their mounting physical attraction clashing against the rules and expectations of propriety and civility. All written in the same breathless wonder as the characters experiencing it for the first time.

While there are some plot twists and surprises, the plot maintains a languid pace which I felt strengthened the story because it allows for some truly moving scenes between Rose and Robert. Their chemistry is off the charts, but the author kept their romance completely chaste. Thurlow does an amazing job in building suspense in these scenes. The reader can practically feel the push-and-pull happening within the characters; what they want versus what is expected of them. Enough so that I was able to overlook the fact that they fall in love very quickly. Their interactions are grounded (and adorable) enough that I completely believed these two would connect, and bond as quickly as they did.

I would have loved to read more about her relationship with her sisters. While the ending was sufficiently shocking and a nice departure from traditional romance novels, I think it would have resonating more emotionally with me as a reader if there had been more time spent on Rose’s reasons for the decision she made. I completely understood why she made the choice she did, but felt the motivation for her choice was a little rushed. However, it’s the first in a series so I imagine Thurlow will continue and expand this relationship further in the next installment, which I will definitely be reading.