A Rose in the Blitz

by Ann Bennett

Previously published as Kiss From A Rose by Ann Bennett A city devastated by the Blitz, a family torn apart by war and betrayal, will the secrets of the past ever reveal themselves?

1940: when May Rose’s sisters leave home to serve the war effort, May feels abandoned. Running away from the confines of Rose Park, the family estate, she finds herself in London, working as an ambulance driver, experiencing the horrors of the Blitz first hand. But what happens to her there remains a closely guarded secret for forty years.

1980: when May’s father, Hadan Rose lies dying, May and her daughter Rachel go to nurse him through his final days. Rachel is determined that the family secrets won’t die with her grandfather.

When Rachel is befriended by local journalist and musician Daniel Walters, she thinks she has found an ally in her search, but soon suspects he has his own motives for seeking her company.

But delving into the Rose family’s dark past involves exploring May’s wartime experience too. Is Rachel prepared for the devastating truths she begins to uncover, or will they blow the Rose family apart?

A Rose In The Blitz is a sweeping family saga of love, war and betrayal. It is the first book in award winning author, Ann Bennett's brand new Sisters of War series.

If you enjoy compelling historical fiction by Dinah Jeffries, Victoria Hislop and Lucinda Riley, you will love A Rose In The Blitz.

⭐"Brilliant book... I couldn't put it down." Amazon Reviewer ⭐"I absolutely loved this book..." Amazon Reviewer ⭐"Fascinating dual time-line novel..." Amazon Reviewer ⭐"The tumultuous WWII period of Britain was deftly and poignantly rendered. The time lines were beautifully woven together and the tempo of the book was perfect." Amazon Reviewer ⭐"This is a fast-paced plot with unexpected twists, fascinating characters, and a fresh look at life in London during the Blitz. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more about the Rose sisters." Goodreads Reviewer

Genres: Historical Fiction

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2024

Reviews

[McNinch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were likeable and well described , so much so that I truly cared what happened to them and had to keep reading to find out how their story developed.  

The fact that the book spans  two eras allowed for great suspense with the narrative moving backwards and forwards between the events of the 40’s and 80’s. The historical detail was accurate for both eras making it all the more compelling .

The book sensitively  addresses the difficulties faced by the gay community and the lengths they had to go to to fit into a society which rejected their lifestyle and in the case of gay men , criminalised their relationships. Their courage in finding the best in life notwithstanding the challenges they faced was woven convincingly into the storyline .

The setting in London was great because as a regular visitor to London the locations described are so familiar although I must say I also enjoyed the exotic locations in  previous novels by the same author . London during the blitz was probably one of the most significant places in the world during WW2 and the involvement of the characters in the drama unfolding around them was very movingly told. (I warn you you may need the old box of Kleenex nearby)

The detailed accounts of the real hardship, loss and suffering people faced, with great courage, in their everyday life, was vividly brought to life. 

My Mum grew up in a terrace in East Belfast in the shadow of Harland and Wolf Shipyard and Shorts which was an important aircraft  factory . She was 9 at the beginning of the war and 14 when it ended and has often described her experience of the family sheltering under the stairs or in air raid shelters amid the frequent bombing raids  on Belfast. Her accounts are fully in accordance with those described in this book which appears to have been well researched . I have read previous Ann Bennett books and as a bit of a history buff I have always found them to be historically accurate and often find myself googling events described to learn more about them and when I do it always confirms the accuracy of the narrative .

To conclude I am delighted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down ! 

A masterpiece of storytelling

Highly recommend !

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always thrilled when Ann Bennett releases a new book. Even better, this is the beginning of a new series. Told in a dual-timeline between 1940 and 1980, it's the story of the youngest Rose sister's experiences during the Blitz and her daughter ferreting out long-hidden secrets of the aristocratic Rose family. May Rose was an ambulance volunteer in London during the relentless bombings and the descriptions of her experience were horrific. I've read quite a bit about the Blitz but the details provided in this book were eye-opening. In addition to that, the story deals with unplanned pregnancies and their consequences as well as the complications of being LGBTQ then. This is a fast-paced plot with unexpected twists, fascinating characters, and a fresh look at life in London during the Blitz. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more about the Rose sisters.

[ANNE BARNES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book I love all of Ann Bennett books and can’t wait for the next book

[Elizabeth Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

In parallel stories set 40 years apart we discover many secrets of the wealthy Rose family of Northamptonshire. In 1980, Hadan Rose, the elderly landowner of Rose Park and its surrounding farmland, is dying and while his youngest daughter, May, cares for him, her daughter, Rachel, is keeping her company. To occupy her time, Rachel decides to investigate the family history and when she is free, May tells Rachel about her life during the Second World War.
When May’s three elder sisters had all left home “to do their bit” for the country May persuaded her father to let her work on the farm but soon he forbad even that, so she ran away to stay with a friend in London. There she joined the ambulance service encountering terrible scenes and long hours during the Blitz. Her story is a mixture of happiness and tragedy, but Rachel is very glad that her mother has shared details of this important part of her life.
Rachel enjoys working part-time in the village pub and when she meets Daniel, her life becomes more interesting despite the warnings of the pub landlady. Alongside May’s amazing tale, we share Rachel’s dawning knowledge about her complex family, and we wonder what the consequences will be of her relationship with Daniel.
I found the descriptions of London during the Blitz compelling, and I was interested to read that May was staying in Dolphin Square which I knew in the 1970s. This is the first book of a series so I expect we will discover more about the other Rose sisters in future volumes. A fascinating dual time novel dealing with many family problems.

[Carmen Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good outline but....

The skeleton of the story is good. It had potential. But it fails to follow through. Rather than flesh out from the bones of the story the author tended to resort to repetition and a jumbling of thoughts. A sprinkling of eluding to possible ghost in the house that is forgotten until an obligatory mention in final chapter. The needless mentioning of co-workers names and their life summary was nothing more than a space filling because it brought nothing to the story. But the worst is that every twist and turn was completely predictable, underwhelming leaving me with the notion that the two main characters, a mother and daughter duo, are both the most clueless people. The dual timeline was like reading two different books at the same time. The author was out of sync in making a connection other than the overly obvious one. Still the story moved along and made me think maybe it would improve but at that point I was almost finished and realized that no in fact that was all the author had to offer.

[Margaret Wray · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. A two timelines story which to me seemed to jump all over the place. A few skeletons in these cupboards I have to say. A bit of upstairs downstairs attitude in the story but that was the era. Somewhere along the way we forget that WW11 the ambulance and defence personnel were young adults and decisions were pretty hard to make in some respects.
If you would like an easy to read story this book will fill the gap.

[dorothy cannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as Anns other books.

This is the story of Rachel who asks her mother to recount her wartime experiences. Many family secrets are revealed.
I couldn't take to any of the characters and found the book rather bland.

[Patricia Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistic read

Very detailed infirmation of the horrors of the zBlitz on London. A very realistic approach to romance at that time .which wasnt far getchef at all.A nice.bit of.mystery which is slways nice. Overall a good read. I will try more of Ann zbennets books

[ROCKY · Rating 4 out of 5]

So interesting & fascinating!!

I love reading about family sagas & the secrets they uncover bc we all have them!! Recommend highly!! Loved this book I didn't want it to end!!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although i enjoyed this book , what let it down badly was over 15 pages of the next book buy the authour, and other info on the authour.

[Shirley Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, hard to put down, will definitely be looming for more from this author

[Jean Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holds your attention throughout

The author brilliantly weaves family history into a fascinating story of secrets revealed. Ultimately it is about love and forgiveness. Well done.

[Barbara Massimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked this book very much. My mother was a fire warden in the war and I could relate very much to the main character. The plot became a bit complicated but all is explained by the end.