Dinner at Rose's

by Danielle Hawkins

In the wake of an unfortunate best-friend-and-boyfriend-caught-having-sex-in-a-chair incident, Jo Donnelly flees her civilised city life to take up a temporary job at the physiotherapy clinic in her small home town.

Jo is ineptly assisted at work by a receptionist who divides her time between nail care and surfing the internet. Meanwhile, her new flatmate is a joyless couch potato who hogs the TV and is vigilant in her quest to prevent excessive electricity consumption. Life would seem a bit grim if not for Jo's eccentric honorary Aunty Rose, who lives up the valley with her pet piglet, four dogs and two sheep.

Rose was a wise and infinitely patient friend to both Jo and her bona fide nephew, Matthew, while they were growing up. And when Rose is hit by illness Jo moves in to look after her, while Matt helps out as much as his farming duties allow. But illness aside, it's not long before the mischievous Rose is playing cupid.

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Ebooks

411 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Bestselling New Zealand author Danielle Hawkins lives on a sheep and beef farm near Otorohanga with her husband and two children. She works part-time as a large animal vet, and writes when the kids are at school and she's not required for farming purposes. She is a keen gardener, an intermittently keen cook and an avid reader. Her other talents include memorising poetry, making bread and zapping flies with an electric fly swat. She tends to exaggerate to improve a story, with the result that her husband believes almost nothing she says.

Reviews

[Carol, She's so Novel ꧁꧂ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the author's warm approachable style and that she respected readers enough to think they could figure out Kiwi terms for themselves (with the exception of a mildly sexist one which really should be allowed to fade into obscurity!) I liked the casual mentions of the Cossie Club, potato top pies & Shrewsbury biscuits.

The story was a good one, the characters (in particular Aunt Rose) were very well drawn. The transition from chick lit to a sadder, story was handled effortlessly and convinced me who has cared for dying relatives myself

I have settled on a 4★ rating just because of a combination of a few minor points added up.

✦ By 2012 an office worker as useless as Amber wouldn't hold on to a job.

✦ Chick lit should be unputdownable - & this one wasn't. There was a part round the 30-40% mark that really dragged.

✦ Just too much was piled on at the end.

But a great debut and I have her latest on one of my to read lists.

[Nomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, so good! I love Hawkins's effortless style that makes me feel like I am a part of the (fictional) family. Hawkin's dialogue is so superb, and her comedic timing lifts the book in places where there is sorrow and loss. The relationships and interactions are genuine and nuanced and the romance is all the more swoony for it's understated slow build and reveal. Love the New Zealand setting and so happy to have a new fave contemporary adult author to follow.

Seriously ~ if you like contemporary adult fiction with small town settings, a bit of swoon, a lot of heart, effortless humour and unforgettable characters you need to be looking up Danielle Hawkins ASAP.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best joys that I love about reading is not only getting the ability to discover brand new authors and their wonderful arrays of books but also the ability to discover new authors from my very own country of New Zealand.
With a break in writing from Michelle Holman as she is taking a sabbatical and its been a while since Sarah Kate-Lynch has released a novel as well as Kate Langdon, my New Zealand themed books were falling a bit short though of course I have had the wonderful Lee Murray providing me with some respite with her New Zealand novel "A Dash of Reality",
Danielle Hawkins ,raised in Otorohonga has written a New Zealand based novel out in the wop-wops of Waimanu.
After finding her long-term partner of five years in an armchair having sex with her best friend, Josie has decided to hop across the ditch to New Zealand to the hometown of Waimanu where her Honorary Aunt Rose lives along with her sister Hazel and her two children Matt - who is Josie's age and daughter Kim. Here Josie will discover the true meaning of friendship , secrets and how some secrets are needed to be put into the open for each other to develop the ability to move forward and how even if you aren't searching for it true love and butterflies - the whole works can be right in front of you the whole time - you just need to go with the flow and accept and recognise the signs . This is one of those books where the saying "If you love someone then let them go as when its the right time they will come back to you".

[Eva Gavilli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ammetto che mi aspettavo un libro completamente diverso: la copertina fa pensare ad una commedia degli equivoci, la sinossi ad un chick lit molto leggero...niente di meno azzeccato, non è nessuno dei due. Si tratta, invece, della storia di Jo, la cui vita perfetta va a rotoli e si vede costretta a rintanarsi nella sua cittadina natale, ospite della zia Rose. Qui cercherà di ritrovare se stessa, con un nuovo lavoro, nuove e vecchie frequentazioni ma anche problemi pegiori di quelli che si è lasciata alla spalle.
***
Honestly, I was expecting a completely different book: the cover makes you think of a comedy of errors, the synopsis of a very light romance... nothing less spot on, it's neither of the two. Instead, it is the story of Jo, whose perfect life falls apart and she is forced to hole up in her hometown as a guest of her aunt Rose. Here, she will try to find herself again, with a new job, new and old acquaintances but also worse problems than those she left behind.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was page 4 when I saw this and knew it was going to be a good book : "You really should consider becoming an eccentric yourself. It makes life so much more interesting".
When I grow up I want to be like Aunt Rose.

This is such a beautiful story; it has laughs, tears and frustration of how life can be so unfair.

Keep this for a rainy weekend or a holiday because you won't be able to put it down.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

With warmth and humour, Danielle Hawkins explores family, friendship and love in rural New Zealand in this delightful debut novel. Dinner At Rose's fits right in with Allen & Unwin's current crop of rural lit in the Australian market, despite being set in New Zealand. The author herself was raised on a cattle and sheep farm and now works alongside her husband in their dairy farm while also working as a large animal vet.

In Dinner at Rose's, the protagonist Jo Donnelly has returned to the small farming community she was raised in to take up a temporary position at the local physiotherapists after discovering an affair between her boyfriend and best friend. While her parents have moved on, Jo's beloved honorary Aunt Rose and many of her childhood friends remain in the area and Jo easily she slips back into life in Waimanu after years in inner city Melbourne. As Jo juggles dodgy clients with 'groin strain', a receptionist who barely remembers to answer the phone, a joyless roommate and her rebellious 'little sister' Kim, she realises her crush on Matt, her childhood friend and Rose's nephew, is resurfacing, though it seems doomed to remain unrequited given his relationship with 'Farmer Barbie'. When Aunt Rose falls ill, Jo and Matt are determined to care for the woman they cherish in her own home, but as they grow closer, Rose begins to drift further away.

I love the characters of Dinner at Rose's. Jo is smart, capable and witty. Even though her life has fallen down around her ears she has picked herself back up and is moving on with determination. Rose is just delightful, the type of aunt we all wish we had who is enhanced by her eccentricities and unfailingly supportive. Matt is a genuinely nice guy, steady, loyal and handsome. Their relationships with each other are heart warming and Hawkins beautifully captures the dynamics of a 'family' chosen and nurtured.
One of the things I found most entertaining in Dinner at Rose's is the author's sense of humour. Rose's eccentricities are warm and amusing from her penchant for plain speaking to her mollycoddling of her pet pig, Percy. Jo is quick witted with a biting, yet not cruel, sarcastic attitude. The banter between Jo and Matt is funny and their jibes firmly grounds their life long friendship. Several of the minor characters can best be described as quirky, including the environmental nazi roommate and halitosis sufferer, Bob McIntosh. Matt's mother is clueless and the cause of much unintended hilarity while Kim's teenage dramatics have you laughing in recognition. Amongst all the laughter though, Hawkins sensitively deals with the more serious events in the novel. Her characters have to face betrayal, illness, stalking, injury and loss but it is these difficulties that enhance the joy of the novel.

Dinner at Rose's is a charming read that will have you smiling, even through the few tears that escape. I truly enjoyed this contemporary story that blends romance, friendship, tragedy and love with humor and heart.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed me straight away, from the moment I opened the first page right up until the second I closed the book after finishing.

After discovering her long-term boyfriend having sex with her best friend, Jo leaves her life and returns to her little home town in New Zealand. Luckily, her aunt Rose loves nearby, who is eccentric and loves nothing more than a gossip. Rose’s nephew Matt is a frequent visitor, and as well as being Jo’s childhood friend, he was also her childhood crush too! As they all spend time together, it is not long before Rose starts playing cupid…

I really enjoyed this story! Sometimes you come across books that are a real pick-me-up and this is definitely one of them!

The characters were fantastically written. Rose is brilliant, I would have loved to have an aunt just like her! She made me laugh and smile throughout and I really wish I knew her in real life. Matt comes across as a genuinely lovely man, charming, warm and kind. And Jo is the perfect heroine for this book, making this mix of characters and book one you won’t want to miss!

Amongst the smiles and laughter, there are a few serious moments, which are dealt with very sensitively and even had me shedding a tear or two. I was particularly gripped to these parts as I’d grown very fond of the characters and so wanted to see how they would cope with the difficulties and challenges that had faced them.

Dinner At Rose’s is a charming book that will touch your heart throughout – there is romance, friendship and more to be discovered. Filled with humourous moments, laughter, and a few tear-jerking scenes too, this is a captivating tale that must be read!

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Beautifully written with wit, humour, sensitivity and compassion. I reminisced, I chuckled, I laughed out loud and I shed a few tears. I even felt sorry for the dastardly ex who got what he thought he wanted. And Aunty Rose, her very nature refused to let the novel get too dark so it was a much lighter read than it might have otherwise been given the sensitivity of the subject. And her food concoctions I had difficulty reading about them let alone imagining them finding their way into anyone's stomach.

I enjoyed the gentle but no less stressful romantic pace between Matt King and wanna be Jo King (get it? JoKing? Once I 'got it' I couldn't stop laughing). Their relationship while it ducked in and out of the novel felt unforced and natural as it ambled along to its conclusion.

A great read. I'll be watching out for anything else by this kiwi author.

[Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with characters you will love and an earthy honesty - a great read.

My View:
Do not be put off by the brief description that reads as chick lit/romance - Danielle Hawkins writes fiction with humour and depth and portrays rural life in a vibrant reality. There is always a very human, poignant narrative thread in Danielle’s books – and Aunt Rose is the pivotal poignant character in this read. We all need an Aunt Rose in our life.

I very much enjoyed this early read from this author – I have read several of her books including Chocolate Cake for Breakfast, The Pretty Delicious Café , When it All Went to Custard; her reflections of rural life are always interesting, engaging, poignant and satisfying. Such enjoyable writing!

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was SO happy while reading this book. I adored CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR BREAKFAST when I read it eons ago and reading DINNER AT ROSE'S was like being wrapped in your favourite blanket and revisiting all the memories that make you inexplicably happy.

I can't WAIT to gobble up Danielle's next book!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

So nice to read a lovely story set in your own country, filled with characters and a setting you can identify with, and be able to laugh at the NZ sense of humour with which this was written.
Not blow your mind life changing material, but an enjoyable way to loose yourself for a few hours.

[KateFromAllGoodBookStore · Rating 4 out of 5]

laugh out loud funny, a little bit romanitic, and slightly teary in places! the perfect good quality easy read and one I can think of half a dozen friends i want to give this to! fantastic!

[Bonnie Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute romantic love story with lots of New Zealand references that were fun to read.

[Irina Villacis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro con una trama sencilla pero muy inspiradora acerca de rose que fue la piedra de esa familia incluso de sus vecinos. Personajes creíbles, creativos y maravilloso. Defectos y virtudes bien desarrolladas y expuestas . No le pongo 5 estrellas porque hubiera querido que ahondara mas en la vida de rose y me parecio que un montom de capis perdidos en la pareja principal.

[Susanna Neri · Rating 3 out of 5]

La trama romance alleggerisce un libro che parla anche di buona morte. Date le premesse mi aspettavo qualcosa di più.

[Imogen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all-time favourite books.

I enjoy reading light fiction that is both well-written but not too light and stupid. Basically, I enjoy a nice setting (London, Paris, rural/country towns etc.), nice characters and a nice story with a little bit of drama thrown in.

This book ticked all of those boxes.

Set in a small town in New Zealand, (one of my favourite countries), this was pretty much guaranteed to be an Imogen book based on setting alone.

Jo moves back to her native New Zealand from Australia after finding her boyfriend cheating on her with her best friend. This is knowledge that is known to the reader pretty early on and we come across Jo having just set up residence in the small town, living with her Aunt Rose. I liked the story starting here. It was nice to join Jo just as she was getting herself together to begin working and living in a new environment.

Character wise, there are quite a few who have a big impact throughout the novel. Jo's Aunt Rose, of course, plays a large role, and she is truly lovely. Such a great, fun character to read about. We find out more about her life as the book goes on and this really added some drama and tension. Matthew, the love interest is wonderful. He's the type of love interest I really enjoy reading about in that he was a really nice, funny, sweet, intelligent guy and I completely understood the attraction to him. Matthew's family create yet more added drama and WOW, did I hate Hazel. She infuriated me, which is of course, the mark of a good character and writer. While we are given the chance to empathise and feel slightly sorry for Hazel as the novel progresses, I still disliked her.

There are several sad things that happen over the course of this book, but not too overdone, and instead they add a great deal of depth to the novel. I felt a lot of feelings reading this book! Happy, sad, wanderlust!

Overall, this book is really a great example of an easy to read, fun book that deals with family dramas, illness and love. It was truly beautiful and I look forward to reading Hawkins' other book, Chocolate Cake for Breakfast (which I've had in my possession for an embarrassingly long amount of time without having read it) and any other books she writes. I can't go past a book set in rural New Zealand!

[Josephine Draper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less romance, and more small-town NZ slice of life. I think this is why I enjoyed it. I can't stand the kind of contrived romance where a conflict pushes apart our star-crossed lovers. This is a book practically without antagonists. Yes, there is heroine Josephine (good name)'s ex, Graeme, and ex-best friend Chrissy, but they are both mercifully absent. Instead, all we have to contend with is a bunch of quirky, and in some cases annoying, residents, of fictional Waimanu, heroine Jo's hometown. After catching her boyfriend cheating with her best friend, Jo has returned home to lick her wounds, take on a temporary physiotherapy job and reconnect with friends and family. Central to the book is the eponymous Rose, Jo's almost Aunty. In Chapter One we meet the obvious love interest, Matt. He has a girlfriend already but other than that he and Jo are nothing short of in tune and clearly into each other. What could possibly go wrong?
I won't spoil the plot, but suffice to say I enjoyed the exploration of NZ life. Mince and cheese pies, onesies to survive the winter, Jaffa Thins, pig hunting and lots of details of farming life that sounded pretty authentic to me.
I thought this was a beautifully and amusingly written book. The banter between the characters is on point. I wasn't mad keen on the heavy hints made by family members about marriage and babies at the end of the book which turned the family relationships from charming to overbearing, but other than that a very enjoyable read.

[Kristine Davila · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 family stars!

While reading this, you'll feel warm (thou the house was cold) deep inside. Their family (except Hazel) may not be perfect or they may not be all of the same blood, but their relationship were heart-warming.

I love how Aunt Rosie had lived her life and the legacy she left behind. I wish I have somebody like her.

[anolinde · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was one of those romances where everyone kept telling the two main characters that they were in love with each other and meant to be together, etc., but I could never quite figure out why (other than the obvious cliche of childhood friendship).

Oh, and of course someone has cancer.

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book and devoured it quickly. It's beautifully written and engaged me from the opening page. I'll be reading it again in time.

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un romanzo solo apparentemente leggero, ambientato nella campagna neozelandese. Il titolo italiano è, come spesso accade, completamente fuorviante.
La protagonista scappa dalla città dopo una grande delusione amorosa e torna dove è cresciuta. I personaggi sono dotati di un senso dell'umorismo nero, il cosiddetto English humor, che io apprezzo molto.
Ho però letto con molta sofferenza gli episodi che riguardano Rose, la vera anima della storia, attorno alla quale girano tutti gli altri personaggi (ma non voglio anticipare nulla, visto che nella maggior parte delle sinossi non se ne parla).

[Cronache di Betelgeuse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recensione pubblicata su Cronache di Betelgeuse

“La cena delle bugie” di Danielle Hawkins è un romanzo che ci trasporta in una piccola città rurale della Nuova Zelanda, dove l’autrice dipinge con maestria un racconto che intreccia abilmente elementi romantici, drammatici e umoristici. La storia segue Jo Donelly, una fisioterapista che fa ritorno a casa dopo la dolorosa scoperta del tradimento del fidanzato, trovando conforto nell’eccentrica zia Rose e ritrovando Matthew, un amico d’infanzia con cui aveva condiviso un breve ma intenso rapporto in passato.

Il vero cuore pulsante del romanzo è il personaggio di zia Rose, una donna di mezza età felicemente single che vive in campagna circondata dai suoi amati animali domestici. La sua personalità eccentrica ma profondamente amorevole illumina ogni pagina con una presenza carismatica che ci cattura immediatamente. La sua malattia e il successivo decorso, pur rappresentando uno dei filoni narrativi più toccanti, viene gestito dall’autrice con grande sensibilità e realismo, diventando un catalizzatore per l’evoluzione della relazione tra Jo e Matthew.

La forza del romanzo risiede nella sua capacità di ritrarre in modo autentico la vita in una piccola comunità rurale neozelandese. L’autrice, attraverso una scrittura scorrevole e naturale, quasi giornalistica, ci fa respirare l’atmosfera di questi luoghi, popolati da personaggi credibili e ben caratterizzati. La narrazione in prima persona, strutturata come un diario personale, permette al lettore di entrare in profonda sintonia con i pensieri e le emozioni di Jo.

La storia d’amore tra Jo e Matthew si sviluppa con dolcezza sullo sfondo di questa ambientazione rurale, evolvendosi con naturalezza attraverso incontri casuali e momenti di condivisione. Il personaggio di Matthew, uomo di campagna sensibile e affascinante, si rivela il perfetto contrappunto alla vulnerabilità di Jo, accompagnandola nel suo percorso di guarigione emotiva e riscoperta della fiducia nell’amore.

Particolarmente apprezzabile è la capacità dell’autrice di equilibrare temi leggeri e profondi. Le dinamiche familiari, l’elaborazione del lutto, l’importanza dell’amicizia e il senso di comunità vengono esplorati con delicatezza, senza mai appesantire la narrazione. I momenti di humor, distribuiti sapientemente nel testo e spesso derivanti dalle eccentricità dei personaggi, alleggeriscono le situazioni più intense e rendono la lettura piacevole e scorrevole.

L’atmosfera rilassante e contemplativa, tipica dei romanzi di ambientazione rurale, si fonde perfettamente con il tono intimo e confidenziale della narrazione. Il mondo creato dall’autrice, sebbene idealizzato in alcuni aspetti, mantiene una sua autenticità che lo rende credibile e coinvolgente.

Nonostante il titolo italiano possa risultare fuorviante rispetto all’originale “Dinner at Rose’s”, il romanzo si rivela una lettura gratificante che sa toccare le corde giuste del cuore senza scadere nel melodramma. Un libro che si consiglia a chi ama le storie di rinascita personale, le ambientazioni rurali e i personaggi autentici, capace di regalare sia sorrisi che momenti di riflessione profonda, mantenendo sempre un tono generale positivo e ottimista.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, with a delightful, quirky heroine, a handsome and witty hero and Aunty Rose who is everything you could want as your eccentric aunt. She reminded me, with her weird cooking and warm personality, of Django in the Freya North books.
Set in New Zealand, and unashamedly New Zealand in its style, this book is a treasure. I wish it hadn't finished.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a romance with a true New Zealand voice, then Danielle Hawkins, Dinner at Rose’s is a must. The one thing that struck me in the first few pages of this novel was the recognisable New Zealand landscape and manner of speaking. I’m a city girl, who lived in the country because that is where my husband’s role took us, so the pictures that Danielle painted of small rural New Zealand resonated. Dear Aunt Rose is a real character, bits of whom we will know in some of our aunts and grandmothers. The rural men also fit the bill.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book. It was a great comfort read. Even though it dealt with sickness, Hawkins handled it wonderfully. Also the romance was perfect. The best part however were the women characters. They were complex, and for the mos part, empowering-they had bad situations yet they made the most out of life. I wanna be like them. My only complaint is the ending, when Matt got in accident right after Rose died was completely extraneous however that is just one small quibble. I will definitely check out what else Hawkins has written.

[LaVerne Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4 1/2 Stars*

I really enjoyed this story. At times it got a little rambling, but even then, it was still addictively sweet. The chemistry between Jo and Matt was beautifully done and honest and I enjoyed the humour throughout with many laugh out loud moments.

A wonderful read by a rising Kiwi talent. I can't wait to see what Ms. Hawkins dishes up next.

[Ej · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hovering over 3 or 4 stars. It's a well written book. I enjoyed the snappy, witty dialogue between the main players, and parts of the story were moving. Coming from NZ I found much of the novel heart-warmingly familiar. There were some minor downpoints but nothing that would stop me recommending this harmless, wry love story.

[Isabel Mansfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. lots of feelings. lovely family ties and adopted family/honorary aunt part was super sweet and just what you hope for human connections to be like.

[Jenny McGrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Such a nice novel a little bit of everything life throws at one looking forward to the next novel hope it's as enjoyable