Rosa

by Jeanette Taylor Ford

Elizabeth Rosa Fulton is leading a great life. The bright star in the sky of Lake Enterprises as its Business Manager, she is also the shining light in the life of Justin Lake, her boss and owner of Lake Enterprises. However, as the result of a certain event, all this suddenly changes, leaving Elizabeth broken hearted and without a job or a home.
When her grandfather, Lord Carrington, offers her the post of Estate Manager to the Longdene Estate, Elizabeth feels that this is the place to recover from her broken heart and be useful to the family at the same time. And indeed, she loves Longdene and the friends she makes there. But, as time goes on, as she learns about the mysterious disappearance, many years before, of her great grandmother and namesake Rosa, Elizabeth becomes a victim of a series of unexplained and scary ‘dreams’.
As the events escalate, Elizabeth has cause to doubt everyone around her, even her friends. And, as the culmination of experiences rises to something quite terrifying, Elizabeth has to ask herself if she is really being haunted by her dead great grandparents or is she going mad?

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 14, 2014

About the author

From a bookworm to a bookworm who writes!

Jeanette Taylor Ford grew up in Cromer, Norfolk, moved to Hereford in 1968. Now lives not far from Nottingham. She has six children, seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. A compulsive teller of tales, she mostly writes in the genre of the paranormal but sometimes digresses into other subjects, stories for children, short stories and the occasional poem.

Visit Jeanette on her facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Jeanette-Tay...

or her blog:https://jeanetteford51.wordpress.com/

Reviews

[Robert Southworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly addictive

Every now and then, but not as often as I would like, I am simply blown away by a novel. Within this books page you experience the full range of emotions. The plot is clever, and with each passing chapter the intrigue and excitement grows. Vibrant and complex characters are weaved into a intelligent storyline. Then to top it all off, a wicked twist. Quite simply an awesome read...

[Katrina Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review of Rosa by Jeanette Taylor Ford

I found Rosa both terrifying and emotional. The bond between Elizabeth and her grandfather spoke of love and how far one would go for those they love to save them from hurt and pain. I thought the author did a great job of keeping me as a reader on my toes. I couldn’t work out if the violence bestrode on Elizabeth with really the spirit of Rosa trying to find peace, or something more human and dark assaulting her in her sleep. Either way this book was very well written and I didn’t expect to have tears in my eyes by the end of the story.

The story itself follows Elizabeth as she leaves her job in the city and moves in with her grandad. However, soon she becomes a curios young lady and asks her grandad about a secret room in his home. This becomes the room where nightmare happens. But is it the ghost of Rosa making Elizabeth shiver at night? Or is there more to the people living around her than she could have ever imagined? You’ll have to read this spooky, gripping and heartbreaking story to find out.

I really like Elizabeth’s character, although not perfect she had a big heart and believed in the power of tree-hugging. Daniel was also a very interesting character and one that I imagined as a creepy all see gates keeper at first, but he grew throughout the story.

I also liked the setting in this book and the visits the characters took to Norwich my hometown. I recognised some of the places referenced which made this story more realistic for me and rather creepy as I’ve not read many books with Cromer and Norwich location settings and the author did describe them very well.

The end pulls my heart more than I expected from this story and I think other readers will also find the end most unexpected and emotional too.

This is a book with great and mysterious characters, realistic setting and an ending that will not only surprise you but tuck your heartstrings.

[Lucas W Mayberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feeling depressed and low after a messy breakup, Elizabeth moves in with her Grandfather to look after his estate that she will eventually inherit. Recovering from her breakup she soon gains the attention of two admirers in the shape of Adam and Dan even if the latter is initially frosty towards her. And with friends Gerry and Alison in tow she might just be able to get her life back together. However things take a turn when Elizabeth starts seeing a ghostly figure and when she opens a room that has been locked for years she realises it’s her Great Grandmother Rosa who disappeared years ago when her Grandfather was a boy. Upon finding Rosa’s journal it may not have been a simple disappearance and as Elizabeth investigates her life slowly spirals as she starts experiencing what Rosa experienced. Is it really happening or is she going insane? Or is it something more sinister revealed in a neat little twist? You will have to read to find out. This was a bit of a slow burner at first but it’s one of those books that you need to pay close attention to as clever little clues to what is going on is left like crumbs right from the start. I thought I had guessed what was going on but I was wrong. I loved reading this and recommend it to anybody who is into supernatural romance mysteries.

[Helen Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping page-turner

I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological chiller with an unusual twist. This is a suspenseful story of old family mysteries, ghosts, and highly questionable men, from stalkers, disgruntled exes, wife-beaters, and a doctors son who switches allegiance from one woman to the other with startling ease. It all contributes to a pervading undertone of disquiet, lightened by friendships old and new in a balance that’s just enough off-kilter to build a growing sense of unease and the need to know who is more than they seem. When I had to put the book down to do other things, I couldn’t wait to get back to it. Towards the conclusion, the reader discovers that the MC, Izzie, knows more than the author revealed; adding another layer of intrigue to the single-viewpoint narrative. Although I had an inkling of the denouement, I wondered if I’d misread the subtle hints as it’s unexpectedly creepy in more ways than one! A great book to curl-up with.

[Sarah Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooked!

We follow Izzy as she flees from London after breaking off an affair with her married boss. She heads to Longdene House in Norfolk, owned by her Grandfather Lord Carrington.
While she is there, she ends up staying in her great Grandmother Rosa's previously locked bedroom, no one had entered this room since Rosa went missing. When strange things start to happen, we are sucked in to diary pages and Nightmares. The author has written a banger of a book, with fantastic supporting characters Gerry and Alison, and also Daniel who remained a mystery to me right to the end. The ending blew me away, I did not see it coming. I was hooked on this book, and for the authors first book I have to say bravo, throughly enjoyable and if I could give more stars I would.

[Justin Hooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific read by a writer that I had never heard of before. The book has a number of threads, which include love, paranormal and mystery. What I liked about the way it was written was the style. Ford can certainly write a gripping yarn and keep you turning pages to see what is going to happen next. It starts quickly and continues at a steady pace until the final page. I never guessed the ending, which is a novelty for me these day. Highly recommended.

[Tracey Gerrard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and enjoyable read!
Heading off to Norfolk to her grandfather’s estate, Elizabeth Rosa Fulton hopes to mend her broken heart. What she never expected was to be plagued with dreams, nightmares, and ghostly goings-on.
This is the first book by this author that I have read, and it definitely won’t be my last.
A thoroughly enjoyable read which was well-written and had lots of twists to keep you engrossed throughout. Recommended!

[Paul Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a while I am drawn out of my cocoon, the comfort zone of my favorite reading genres. In this case I was asked by the author to give Rosa a try despite it being a modern day mystery/romance tale...far from the ancient times, places and subject matter I usually frequent. Rosa certainly got my attention right away as the story sort of begins at the end giving the reader a kind of heads up that there may be opportunities to try and guess what's going to happen next. However, the author doesn't make it easy to guess correctly as she provides many clues, twists and turns to keep the reader turning the pages. The characters are well thought out as are the descriptive portions of the narrative as the reader follows Rosa around the estate and surrounding countryside. I won't go into spoiler mode about the eventual solving of the mysterious goings on at the manor...suffice to say that it caught me by surprise having formed a different outcome in my own mind as I read the tale. I guess it is okay to step outside one's normal habits and try something different on occasion. 4 stars

[Steven Ashford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a simply written but fast paced mystery with engaging characters and a supernatural edge. There's an unexpected twist at the end, which I found a little far fetched, but the book stayed entertaining.

[Beverley Latimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read!

I loved this book. The storytelling is superb with wonderful characters and all kinds of goings on.
The twist at the end left me speechless. Well done Jeanette. This is a book that I will highly recommend to my friends and family. Five stars.

[Pumpkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and easy to read supernatural thriller. It played out well, but I would have liked to find out more about Dan's abilities and really see him use them as part of solving the mystery.

[Angela Rigley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Izzy goes back to the ancestral home to be haunted by her great grandmother, Rosa, whom she resembles. Izzy is a believable girl, especially when she decides to open a restaurant, using locally-produced fare. There are one or two unanswered questions, though, in my opinion.

[Deborah Foulkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up to read for an hour this Sunday afternoon and three hours later, I've just put it down finished. Deliciously addictive, the story draws you in from the very first page. After a traumatic break-up Elizabeth (Rosa) finds herself travelling to Norfolk to stay at her grandfather's stately home to try and heal her wounds and find herself. Once there, she is encouraged to take over the management of the estate where she meets her childhood friend Daniel. After no contact since they were children, Daniel gives her the cold shoulder, but running the estate soon draws her attention.
All seems well, but when her grandfather opens a locked room of Elizabeth's great grandmother also called Rosa, the ghosts of the past start to haunt her and the answers lie in Rosa's diaries. Now Elizabeth fights not only those ghosts, but her own sanity.
Though this is set in the modern day, Taylor Ford' narrative read very much like a Victorian Gothic ghost story, reminding me very much of Susan Hill. I would read more of this author again. I enjoyed her style of writing and how she manages to catch the reader's attention and keeps them hooked by weaving excellent story telling. Highly Recommenced

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very intriguing and enthralling read. It drew you in from the first page and hard to put down. It kept you guessing to who or what was causing all this havoc in Elizabeth's life. All I can say is fantastic story..