Willowdale Road

by Clara Bella Rose

In the humid heat of Florida, north of Tampa, lies a small town built of dirt roads and broken-down seashells. Carroll Pines winds through orange groves and cattle pastures, where Rodas Perez has built a home for his family.
Secrets begin at home.
Rodas enjoys the gamble of cockfighting and the taste of sweet Cuban cigars. He believes he can exercise authority and inflict harm on anyone, including his wife and two daughters.
Olivia Perez (Liv) is older, wiser, and tougher. On her 17th birthday, the strong-willed and rebellious girl will leave home to marry. Leaving her younger sister, Vivi, behind.
Vivian Perez (Vivi) is alone to keep her father's secret. She believes she's caused her father's death. With no remorse, he can no longer hurt her.
The secrets continue.
Immerse yourself in the nostalgic story of a young girl who challenges herself for a more promising future.
Vivi becomes a young woman with a mind of her own and finds love.
Once with a man she cannot have, and twice with a man, she cannot keep.

Vivi knows how to keep secrets. This time, it is from her son until a hidden letter is revealed, along with all that he was never meant to find.

Sometimes, death brings out the truth, and secrets must be told!
Take a walk with Vivi as she continues her journey down Willowdale Road.

258 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2024

About the author

Clara Bella Rose is from a small town near Tampa. Although she has lived in various states through the years, she always found her way back home to the Florida sunshine.
Traveling with her husband, riding fast roller coasters, and reaching her annual reading goal are among her favorite things.

Reviews

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely powerful story of a young girl traversing this crazy world. Clara Bella Rose takes us through the unique, yet relatable, life of Vivi in the most emotional and methodical way. You will be completely immersed in the nostalgia of Willowdale Road while being captivated by all of the characters and their intertwining stories. Rose's writing is unlike anything you've read before! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll barely be able to put this book down.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Clara Bella Rose for this beautiful journey down Willowdale. It was hard to put this book down. I love the description of the neighborhood the neighbors and that magical community. It was realistic with moments of pain and heartbreak for Vivian Perez. Life didn’t start off easy for her. The magic of her childhood was marked by trauma. Yet despite everything she was strong and worked hard to become an amazing woman. Vivi grew up literally before my eyes. I appreciated how Clara presented Vivi’s story. I liked how as a reader I had a bird’s eye view of Vivi and her struggles and successes. Clara did an amazing thing by really giving the reader a chance to know Vivi. What I mean is that she really finished her story and then left the reader wanting more! Again it was realistic with true growth and change in Vivi. Thank you Clara and I look forward to what happens next with Vivian Perez!
My book arrived beautifully wrapped with a bookmark that matched the gorgeous book cover.

[Ashly Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book, the beginning didn’t make much sense to me. I felt it jumped around a bit. The more I read the more I fell in love with the story. Vivi faces some difficult challenges through her life but the way she tackles them with such Grace is amazing. I am really excited to read the sequel and see what’s in store for Vivi when she ventures back to Willowdale road.

[Ashley Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willowdale Road is a heartfelt coming-of-age story that lingers long after the last page. Vivian’s journey through heartbreak, family secrets, and self-discovery is both tender and powerful, with moments that mirror the struggles we all face in finding our place in the world.

Clara Bella Rose’s writing pulls you into the neighborhood of Willowdale Road so vividly it feels like you’re walking alongside the characters. The emotional depth, combined with themes of forgiveness and love, make this a beautiful read that will resonate with anyone who has faced challenges within their own family.

This is one of those rare books you want to share with others, not just for the story, but for the comfort it brings.

[Raven Preisinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love coming-of-age stories so I was really excited for this one! I did enjoy the overall story, but there were a lot of glaring details that didn’t align with the timeline which really made me lose credibility in the book. Examples- texting, email, and cell phones…but it was around 1992. Not likely. There were quite a few of these things that continued to happen and that is a major issue for me. The writing was okay but I could definitely tell this was a new author who didn’t have a lot of experience writing novels. I would love to read future novels by this author to see how her writing style evolves!

[Phillip Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willowdale Road tells the fabulous life journey of Vivian Perez in such gorgeously rich detail that you'd believe the whole thing to be true. Clara Bella Rose is a master storyteller with a keen way with words. The themes she explores uncover the types of universal truths that almost any reader will find something deep to cling to in it.

[Dwain Cassady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the joy of reading this tale of a girl growing up and facing the dreadful things life can throw one's away before it was published. It's an immersive story that lets us follow Vivi from childhood into adulthood. I found myself cheering her on through her struggles.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Willowdale Road is clearly a labor or love, and you can feel the author's pride and passion in telling this story. Readers who enjoy heartfelt storytelling will appreciate this book. Thank you to goodreads for the opportunity to win a copy.

[Jennifer Rutledge · Rating 1 out of 5]

should have DNF

To me there was no real point to the story. It was a short read but I couldn’t get in to it.

[SASHA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect. Short chapters, straightforward writing. I loved how well the author was able to fit Vivi’s life into 250 pages unlike other authors where k find parts that seem to drag on. Definitely interested in seeing what her next book is like!

[Angelina Kavanaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl from a trauma filled background to mom who does everything to give her son the life she didn’t have - I’m not crying you’re crying.

[AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coming of age story that captured me from the very beginning. We are introduced to a detail oriented, self aware little girl who simply wants to be a little girl but is burdened with a dark secret.

Immediately, the author draws us to Vivi and you feel a responsibility towards following her through her life. Along the day we’re introduced to such colorful small town characters, romance, family squabbles and familial support in different forms.

The voice given to the characters and the depth provided to understand even the most complex of Rose’s characters are unmatched. I was moved to tears and chuckling at the wit and sweetness of moments throughout the beautiful novel!

Oftentimes I feel I’m taken on a journey through stories but I truly felt like I was linked arm in arm with Vivi, growing with her, watching her fail, helping her pick up pieces, encouraging her while she thrived and leaning into her hurts.

[Tara Vogel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Although the first half of the book was a little slow, the story really picked up midway. I’m glad I continued reading. Overall it was a good story. I would recommend.

[Gina Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I graciously received an advanced copy of this from Clara Bella Rose, all opinions and statements of this review are my own.

I’ll start off by saying, wow, just wow!

At first, I did not necessarily know what I was getting into, but from the first few lines I was hooked into Viv’s story. The setting descriptions were perfect, and I truly felt like I was back in the little neighborhood outside of Tampa that we stayed in while we vacationed there (rooster fights and all), living Vivian’s life right along with her.

This is a true coming of age story, and overcoming many trials and tribulations that have often been only a burden Vivian had to bear. The story was very fast-paced, but with enough detail that left no gaps, and as Vivan ages you truly feel all of her emotions and actions come full-circle into adulthood and you’re maturing right along with her. And if we’re talking about character development and lovability, Vivian Perez is all the things! Viv is well-rounded, a little snarky, but is always looking to improve her situation and encouraging others along the way. Her older sister Olivia guides her and other key community members also help Vivian understand the world around her, and help her along the way, which I adore.

I truly felt like this connected to various parts of my childhood and brought about a sense of nostalgia, and served as a wonderful reminder that you are not your upbringing and you are more than your situation. This was truly a heartwarming story, and I cannot wait for this to be released so others can share in the inspirational story that is Willowdale Road.

[Hannah Prats · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence had me hooked. The first chapter sets the scene well that you believe you’re actually there watching the novel unfold. Liv is a total badass. LOVED THE LAST CHAPTER. Everything came full circle. A good coming of age story that tugs at the heartstrings.

[Alma Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willowdale Road by Clara Bella Rose
Willowdale Road was a special street in Florida to grow up on. I laughed and cried while reading Vivi's coming-of-age story of a little girl who's burdened with a dark secret. while being happy in this crazy world.
I want to thank Cora Bella Rose for sending me this beautiful ARC. I totally enjoyed my walk down Willowdale Road. You totally deserve a five star review for telling us about your life on Willowdale Road.

[Siri Hutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

💛 A comfort read with secrets dotted throughout.

💛 A precious love story.

💛 Wholesome friendships.

💛 Florida-based.

At many times I so badly wanted to hop into this novel and join the summer fun in the main character, Vivi’s, life.

When I had the true pleasure of meeting Clara, the author of Willowdale Road, and was talking to her, I asked her what book she thought hers was most like. She said a few people had said it reminded them of Where the Crawdads Sing. I was like, "Oh yeah, hand me a copy right this instant, please!"
Something about the tranquility in the cover, yet the secrecy in the blurb, told me it might be like that, and when she said it, I merely just couldn’t resist. Now let me tell you, probably like most people, I don’t finish a novel off in two days unless it is a masterpiece. But after getting that, I read my weekend away. I looked at my clock once and it was perhaps noon, and the next time I checked it, it was dinner time. And then I continued to flip pages late into the night. I absolutely love when a book completely sucks me in in that way. I can’t even tell you the last time I read a book that quickly! And I must confirm, in my opinion, it is the next Where the Crawdads Sing!!! A wonderful comfort read with secrets dotted throughout, with a precious love story and wholesome friendships. It evoked a great deal of nostalgia.

Truly a lovely novel. Bravo, Clara!! ♡

[Jenny Kime · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first 20 or so pages of this book made me feel like the storyline was going to go dark. However, as I kept reading, I realized that’s not true at all. This was a bittersweet story that captivated me, mirroring real life—all the joys and pains of it, love and loss, family and memories. It was precious. I read it in three days. The author preserves the names of real locations which makes the story feel real, which also makes me think how much is real and how much is fiction. I loved this escape into Vivi’s world, learning all about her history and story. It was beautiful.

[Sheryl Odell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Viv - her struggles and successes from childhood to adulthood is an enjoyable read. She’s a person you can’t help but root for. Descriptions are vivid, bringing you into the story.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story about the life of Vivian Perez who lived in Florida. It goes through her struggles and success during her life starting at a young age through adulthood. It gives you a view of her life in a small neighborhood and having to deal with some very adult-like issues. As she grows older she finds love, loss and the reality of the difference of people. It is well written and the characters all have great and different personalities. The story has a good pace and left you wanting to read more. A very enjoyable read that I highly recommend.