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The Tea Rose

Molly's Letter (A Tea Rose Story)

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New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Donnelly returns to the unforgettable world of her beloved first novel, The Tea Rose . It’s the summer of 1891, New York City, in the early days of Fiona Finnegan’s marriage to Nicholas Soames. Though their marriage is an unconventional one and the wounds of the past are not fully healed, the two best friends are happy together, consumed with chasing their dreams and building a better life for themselves and their loved ones. When Fiona senses a quiet love blossoming between her widowed uncle, Michael Finnegan, and his neighbor, Mary Munro, she’s thrilled and hopes that Michael will soon propose to Mary. But one night, at a family supper, a surprise announcement tears these hopes asunder. Will Mary be lost to a determined suitor? Or will Fiona and Nick find a way to unite two souls who belong together but are held apart by grief, pride, and too many words left unspoken? Molly’s Letter is a love letter to family, friends, and the bonds that outlast loss, pain, and sometimes, even life itself. Molly’s Letter is the first in a series of novella-length stories written straight from the heart by Jennifer Donnelly for readers of her Tea Rose saga. Each one is inspired by – and set within – the epic world of The Tea Rose , The Winter Rose, and The Wild Rose .

About Jennifer Donnelly

Jennifer's books have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list numerous times, most recently with her 2019 novel Stepsister . They have received many awards and commendations, including the LA Times Book Prize , the UK's esteemed Carnegie Medal , and the American Library Association/YALSA Best Fiction For Young Adults list. Praise for The Rose Saga The Tea
"Donnelly indulges in delightfully straightforward storytelling in this comfortably overstuffed novel...the novel's lively plotting, big cast of warmly drawn characters and long-deferred romantic denouement make this a ripping yarn."
Publisher's Weekly

"This is a splendid, heartwarming novel of pain, struggle, decency, triumph -- and just what we need in these times."
Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes

"Steeped in melodrama, revenge and a maddeningly star-crossed romance, The Tea Rose is a fine yarn... Bottom Guilty pleasure ."
People Magazine

The Winter
"Donnelly is a master of pacing and plot, with enough high points scattered throughout to keep your pulse racing..."
The Washington Post

"I loved this book. It is truly seductive, hard to put down, filled with mystery, secret passions, unique locations, and a most engaging heroine."
Barbara Taylor Bradford, author of A Woman Of Substance

The Wild
"This time around, Donnelly has leaned more toward Indiana Jones than Barbara Taylor Bradford, and the result is a perfect vacation read."
Booklist

"Enjoy the 600-plus pages of romance, harrowing exploits, cinematic backdrops, cliffhangers, and plot twists."
Publisher's Weekly www.thetearose.com

128 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2023

32 people are currently reading
856 people want to read

About the author

Jennifer Donnelly

29 books8,252 followers
Jennifer Donnelly is the author of fourteen novels - Beastly Beauty, Poisoned, Stepsister, Lost in a Book, These Shallow Graves, Sea Spell, Dark Tide, Rogue Wave, Deep Blue, Revolution, A Northern Light, The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose and The Wild Rose - and Humble Pie, a picture book for children. She is a co-author of Fatal Throne, which explores the lives of King Henry VIII's six wives, for which she wrote the part of Anna of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife.

In 2023, she published Molly's Letter, the first in a series of novella-length stories called Rose Petals set in the world of her three-volume Tea Rose series -- followed by Where Roses Fall in August, 2024.

Jennifer grew up in New York State, in Lewis and Westchester counties, and attended the University of Rochester where she majored in English Literature and European History.

See Jennifer's full bio on Wikipedia.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Jennifer Donnelly.
Author 29 books8,252 followers
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October 13, 2023
To all you lovely Tea Rose Saga readers: THANK YOU! I’m so grateful to you for taking the time out of your busy lives these past many years to share your thoughts, enthusiasm, and kind words about The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose and The Wild Rose – they mean more to me than I can say. And I’m beyond excited to share this brand new Rose story with you, so we can continue the conversation!

But you're probably wondering just what I'm up to with this out-of-the-blue addition to the Tea Rose Saga ... so here’s a quick, spoiler-free Q & A:

Q: Is Molly's Letter a new Tea Rose Saga book?

A: Yes! But it’s not a 700 page novel. It’s a 120 page novella, and it’s the first in a series of new stories set in the world of the Rose Saga. Each story centers on an episode in the lives of characters from the Rose books -- some major characters, some who might’ve been mentioned but not deeply delved into. Or they might be entirely new characters that none of us have met before!

I’m calling these stories Rose Petals – all parts of the big bouquet that is the Rose Saga.

Q: Does Molly’s Letter feature characters from The Tea Rose?

A: It sure does! Fiona Finnegan and Nick Soames return in this story, as do Fiona’s Uncle Michael and Fiona's friend, Mary Munro. Plus a new character – but I can’t say too much about him … yet!

Q: Where is the story set?

A: Molly’s Letter is set in New York, within the timeline of The Tea Rose, in the gap between Parts Two and Three, in the summer of 1891.

Q: It’s been twenty years since The Tea Rose was published. What inspired you to revisit these characters now?

A: Two little – and powerful – words: my readers. Molly’s Letter is a love letter to everyone who ever wrote me, or emailed me, or posted a comment to tell me how much they loved the Rose books, and how they wished they could spend more time with those characters. That kind of encouragement, that depth of love and loyalty … well, it’s nothing short of overwhelming, and I hope that Molly’s Letter and the rest of the Rose Petals speak to my readers’ hearts in the exact same way that the Rose books do.

Q: What is Molly’s Letter about?

A: The story explores how two characters from The Tea Rose, Michael Finnegan and Mary Munro, try to find love again after each has lost a beloved spouse, and how Fiona and Nick try to help them – but how that help might be too little too late. Molly’s Letter contains one of the saddest scenes I’ve ever written, and one of the funniest, too – at least if you like slapstick humor as much as I do! And it ponders an important question: It is possible to get a second chance at love?

Q: Where and when can I buy Molly’s Letter?

A: When – October 3, 2023. Where – Most places where books are sold -- though you may need to ask your brick-and-mortar bookseller to order it for you (it's on Ingram, the big book distributor). You can also get a signed copy directly from me through my web store!

Q: Are you publishing these Rose Petals without a traditional publisher?

A: Yes! These aren't traditional books -- they are a collection of related but independent stories, I don't know what all of them are going to be, I don't know how long they'll be, and I don't know how many I'm going to do. That's not a model for traditional publishing! If my Rose Petal story is 100 pages long, I want to publish it at 100 pages ... and price it accordingly. So I have started a small publishing company called Wild Rumpus and our first project is to produce these Rose Petal stories. I'm a little nervous to be doing this independently, to be honest (I mean, what do I know about the business of publishing?!) ... but it's incredibly exciting and liberating at the same time!

Q: So, we have Molly's Letter with Fiona and Nick ... what other Rose Saga stories are we going to see and when?

A: Well, I don't entirely know, but I do have several ideas, and they span all three Rose Saga books. I'm working on the second one right now ... and it's set in the Winter Rose featuring (who else?) Sid and India. I'm biting my tongue to not spill the whole plot right here because I LOVE those two and I'm so enjoying being with them again ... but I think I better write it first! When will it be out? Well, when it's done 😉. Seriously, my hope is to do one of these every few months ... so maybe around the holidays or very early 2024. I will keep you posted!
Profile Image for Ralph.
9 reviews
October 3, 2023
A lovely little story that conjures the Tea Rose vibe (and characters, and setting, and storyline, etc. etc.) to a T.

As usual with Donnelly, there's more going on under the surface than the sweet, funny story she tells here. All four of the main characters are suffering through the trauma of losing their first, true love. And yet they find (or fashion) a new sort of love -- "just a little quieter, just a little softer," as Michael puts it in an absolutely brilliant graveyard scene in this book. So touching ... and a big theme to ponder: how many of us have lost our first loves, did we manage to find love thereafter, and what kind of love was that -- a little quieter and softer, perhaps?

It's hard to talk too much about this without spoiling The Tea Rose, but there are some pretty deft references and foreshadowings here. Again, trying not to say too much, but

Speaking of deft, Donnelly had no small task fitting this neatly into a gap in the Tea Rose (between parts II and III -- after Fiona escapes to NY and marries Nick). Yet I could find no glitches or missteps -- this entire story fits within the bigger Tea Rose storyline without disruption or awkwardness. We know at the outset what's in store for all the characters after this book ends, yet this story is still full of drama, emotion, and surprises (and, of course, flowers, family, food, Victorian New York ... and tea).

In short: if you loved the books of the Rose saga, you'll love this. It took me right back. I'm very happy Donnelly (apparently) has more of these "Rose Petal" novellas on the way. If you haven't read the Tea Rose, this would be a fine introduction, but I'd recommend reading at least parts I and II of the Tea Rose before this -- there's a lot of context you'd miss without it.

Donnelly says a Tea Rose TV series is potentially on the way, too -- I'm guessing these novella-length Rose Petals will translate pretty cleanly into episodes in that. I sure hope that's the plan. Am I the only one who misses Downton Abbey and would love to see the Rose saga brought to the screen??
Profile Image for Tracy.
692 reviews55 followers
October 17, 2023
For all fans of The Tea Rose series by Jennifer Donnelly. This is the first of a series set in the Tea Rose world. Well written. Made me laugh and most importantly, I got to visit the characters I love and miss so much. Fabulous idea and can't wait for more!
Profile Image for Caroline.
1,546 reviews77 followers
March 4, 2025
I recently read The Tea Rose after it had sat on my wtr list for over a decade, and I loved it! Pretty good timing really, since this novella only came out in 2023, two whole decades after the first book! I wouldn't have guessed while reading it. This takes place where a time jump was in The Tea Rose. The author does refresh you a bit on the characters, but I'm not sure if this should be read immediately after the first book, long after (but I think you should at least vaguely remember the characters), or even take a break from the first book to read this, as a lot happened at the end of it - including the aftermath of what happens in this novella. It's a sweet story, where we meet many of the characters from The Tea Rose again, and the plot fits very well with that book, so if you loved that, you'll probably love this too.
Profile Image for Samantha Maria.
89 reviews
October 12, 2023
I was surprised in a good way when I saw Jennifer Donnelly was writing some new novellas to fit in with her Rose series, it's been a while since she wrote the original trilogy and given the time inbetween and the detail in those books I wondered how well the new stories would fit in, but I really wanted to read them anyway because I loved the originals. I can't say too much about Molly's Letter without giving away spoilers but I loved this novella! I loved it sooo sooooooo much! I was expecting to enjoy it but it went way above and beyond expectation for me. The events of this story happen during The Tea Rose (book 1 of the trilogy) - it fits in between parts 2 and 3 of that book. You get to spend time with Fiona, Nick, Seamie, Michael, Mary, Ian, Alec, Nell and some new characters too during their time in New York. The characters, the settings, the way it all fits together was absolutely spot on! nothing was OOC or felt clunky, it was seamless - I'm so impressed with how she did that! It's really well written with brilliant attention to detail so it reads like it was always meant to be part of the original! Of course if you've read The Tea Rose you know the trauma the characters have suffered already and you also know what happens later. This is part of that story, of loss and love, family and friendship, and obviously has it's own heartbreaking scenes too which made me teary, but mostly it's uplifting, touching, thought provoking and heartwarming and honestly in some parts it's so funny I laughed so hard I cried. One chapter in particular is hilarious - I haven't laughed so much in ages! Nick is an absolute star in this BTW!
Molly's Letter is a must read for anyone who loved the Rose series, easily 5 stars for me and I can't wait to read the rest of the "Rose Petal" novellas!!
Profile Image for Jade.
1 review1 follower
October 24, 2023
Tea Rose series

I loved this short story!!! I really missed these characters. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't enough though, I need more!!!! I hope she continues to build off of these characters. I would love updates on them, their lives, and stories about their pasts. It was a nice letter/story from "an old friend" and a good reminder of how much I truly love this series.
10 reviews
October 18, 2023
Mollys Letter

Super sweet story! A fun and fast read. Certainly a compliment to the trilogy I so enjoyed 😊. Looking forward to more from author.
Profile Image for LadyFinney.
9 reviews
October 3, 2023
How delightful to be back in the company of the found family of The Tea Rose! This charming novella, the first of the Rose Petals, gifted me with a lovely afternoon filled with escapades of Fiona & Nick, Alec, Ian, Seamie, Nell, and of course Michael and Mary. I laughed and cried and loved it!
Profile Image for flyfishinglady.
124 reviews
October 22, 2023
I love the Tea Rose novel (5 star for me) and the rest of the Tea Rose series. Such fun to revisit these characters. Looking forward to the next novella (episode). Hoping that there may be more suspense in the novellas to follow. My favorite genre is historical fiction and hoping the next novella will follow this path, like the Tea Rose.
183 reviews2 followers
October 25, 2023
Perfect holiday read… just wish it were longer!

Didn’t love the slightly ‘slapstick’ scene with everyone hiding but other than that it brought back all the lovely feels from the original books.

Made me want to re-read the whole trilogy…
Profile Image for &#x1f4da; Shannon.
1,310 reviews45 followers
October 10, 2024
Who would have thought that a novella that I read in an evening could have made me cry on three separate occasions? There is something incredibly special in the way this author can evoke the feels, both good and bad. Two of the three crying events were for things specific to this novella and only one of them is because I've read the other books in the series. For the most part, this can stand alone, but you're really missing out if you don't choose to read the Rose series, one of the best series that was ever written.
Profile Image for Margaret.
1,537 reviews66 followers
November 15, 2023
I started reading Jennifer Donnelly with her YA books and progressed to The Tea Rose Saga. All the books that I’ve read are historical and some of my favorites

Molly's Letter is set in the world of The Tea Rose saga, taking place in 1891. Molly is the recently departed wife of Fiona‘s uncle Michael, she leaves behind a young daughter also. This is a story of family and friends, love and loss, and new beginning. It’s a story of the past reaching through grief and heartache to give one’s heart another chance.

Well this was a quick read, coming in at 119 pages, it packs a punch and has me yearning to get back and possibly do a reread of Fiona’s story.

This is the first book in a series of novella for readers of the saga, I can’t wait to see what comes next.

My thanks to the author, Jennifer Donnelly, for gifting me with a copy of this book, my opinions are entirely my own.
Profile Image for Christine.
148 reviews2 followers
March 26, 2024
I SOOO missed this family, especially Nick! This Rose Petal had love, humor, tears and just all around heartfelt family goodness.

Loved the POVs of Michael and Molly. Oof! Right in the feels. I also really appreciated having more scenes with just Nick and Fiona as a couple, particularly from Nick’s POV.

Really looking forward to more! Now I’m considering a series reread, or at least, TEA ROSE.

Profile Image for Scarlet.
77 reviews
October 30, 2025
4.5 🌟 this confirmed that I love nick so much and am such a joe hater like joe was ALL lust. the fact that nick’s first priority at all times was making fiona feel special and treating her well in every way even though he couldn’t give her that one thing, it’s just the perfect love story to me even though it’s platonic. this was a very cute novella I think I liked it even more than the first main book cause there was no joe. and of course because the other characters were fun as well
178 reviews
May 17, 2025
5⭐
This was a cute look into how Michael and Mary got together. I liked all of the characters in this story, and really wanted to see how they turned out. Also, it was beautiful reading about Nick again. I loved him. He was amazing. It makes me miss the Tea Rose world so much. I'm going to have to re-read the series. My favorite is still Winter Rose. 😍💖
Profile Image for Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου.
Author 6 books385 followers
August 15, 2024
Όμορφη ιδέα, καλά εκτελεσμένη, που μας επέτρεψε να γυρίσουμε σε αγαπημένα μέρη κι αγαπημένους ήρωες που ίσως και να είχαμε λησμονήσει μέσα στο πέρασμα των χρόνων. Διασκεδαστικό, απολαυστικό, με δόσεις συγκίνησης, ήταν η τέλεια έκπληξη για τους fans της σειράς.
Profile Image for Jennifer Skurski.
17 reviews
September 10, 2024
Jennifer has ressurected the NYC Finnegan Family to bring true love back to the family. It never gets old. The plot is a bit easy and could have used a few more unexpected twists that you would expect from Jennifer. Nevertheless the story brings you back to Fiona and that’s good enough for me!
Profile Image for Loreta.
94 reviews
January 14, 2025
Wonderful short story

Finished it in one evening. But, absolutely worth it. Absolutely love everything single character especially those returning from past novels. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Anne Boardman.
735 reviews4 followers
May 28, 2025
This novella feels like a few chapters left out of one of the author’s earlier book. No surprise since I knew the outcome from those other books but interesting insight into two minor characters. Well written as can be expected from this author.
Profile Image for Judy Sescil.
224 reviews8 followers
October 26, 2023
From the Tea Rose Series we can enjoy Fiona and Nicholas as well as her Uncle Michael and Mary in this Novella. Highly recomend for all those that love the Tea Rose series!
Profile Image for Julie.
1,030 reviews72 followers
November 5, 2023
A wonderful edition to my Tea Rose collection.
2 reviews
November 15, 2023
So good to come back to my favourite characters after such a long time, it really felt like coming home!
Profile Image for Caitlin.
3 reviews
December 14, 2023
I loved The Tea Rose and this was such a nice little surprise! I loved this novella and the love story/stories. Can't wait for the rest!
Profile Image for Thelma.
14 reviews3 followers
December 16, 2023
I loved this little story that let me revisit characters from one of my favorite books.
Profile Image for Jen Davies.
19 reviews1 follower
December 31, 2023
I absolutely loved revisiting these characters! I think I must have read The Tea Rose about ten times and each time I read it I love the characters more and more. A perfect Christmas present!
2 reviews
February 15, 2024
I am partial to any everything Tea Rose related so this book was right up my alley.I enjoyed the little insights. It was amazing.
Profile Image for Natalie.
96 reviews1 follower
August 22, 2024
Crying at this beautifully written novella with all my of favorite characters that make you feel like a part of their story & family.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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