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Finding Rose Rocks
When Jennifer Ellis’s business fails, she decides to leave Oklahoma in a cloud of red dust and return to her San Diego roots. Then Troy Stanhope comes along with a solution to her company’s woes, and she falls for his velvety voice and appealing confidence. As their relationship deepens, she is called to the west coast on a family matter and decides to stay for the summer. She meets a new man and is drawn to his irresistible charm. Her newfound self-awareness mingles with salty ocean breezes and eucalyptus-scented air to place her in his arms. Their liaison is heartfelt but brief, mid-life’s last hurrah. Jennifer realizes her heart is back on the southern prairie, but she may be one adventure too late.
- GenresRomance
362 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2016
3 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Karen Ginther Graham
2 books101 followersKaren Ginther Graham is a long-time Okie but hails from Southern California. Her writing often reflects these two places. Her livelihood included management and renovation of apartments in a reemerging part of Oklahoma's inner city. She studied literature at the University of Oklahoma. She and her husband live in Edmond, Oklahoma.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 9, 2017
Jennifer Ellis finds herself in quite an unusual situation after a nasty divorce. She's now in charge of a huge apartment building, and pours her heart and soul into it. That's her financial security, time consumer, and attention distractor. Times are hard for her, and she needs to make this apartment building work for her. No doubt about it. But when she gets to know a potential client, sparks fly, and the sun starts to shine into her life. This self-discovery novel is well-written, and a second chance is what we all deserve. If not a solid second chance, then we can atleast read about it in "Finding Rose Rocks".
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
October 15, 2017
This was such a wonderful book to read. It is mainly about Jennifer and her finding herself, as well as love. She is 45 and is no pushover. She knows what she wants, she thinks. She is the main character of the story along with her love interest, a rancher named Troy. Troy can be quite bull headed at times. I loved these two characters. They were not perfect, they were perfectly imperfect. This story was something that I could see happening in real life. The characters are flawed, believable, and human. This story was so descriptive of Oklahoma that I felt like I was there. When Jennifer traveled to the Coast of California, I was there too. This story evoked a variety of emotions, love, fear, anger and even some resentment at times. This was truly a love story, with all the ups and downs that love brings. It is not always rosy and nice. It can be cruel and heartbreaking too. This book encompasses all of this and does it beautifully. The flow of the story is flawless as far as I am concerned. It flowed well from beginning to the very end. I want to read more about Jennifer and Troy. I really hope their story will continue. Love and life is precious, but it will never be flawless. I highly recommend this read. It is a great one!
July 31, 2016
Finding Rose Rocks is a novel by Karen Ginther Graham. This wonderful novel is set in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Mustang, Oklahoma; and Cimarron, Oklahoma as well as California. It is a touching story of second chance love and romance.
Sometimes a novel just grabs hold of you and won’t let go. This is one of those novels for me. I simply could not put it down and ended up staying up until the wee hours of the morning just to finish it. These hours were greeted with laughter and tears as the book progressed. The Cherokee legend of the Rose Rocks permeated the novel.
After her divorce, Jennifer was left with a thirty-six unit apartment house in Oklahoma City. She redecorated the apartments and upgraded them to smart corporate apartments with three month leases. She was doing well until the FAA shut down its training facility in Oklahoma City and then business fell. When Troy Stanhope of Stanhope Construction called wanting housing for forty crewmembers who were working on a mall in nearby Coahoma, Jennifer was elated. Hopefully after meeting with Troy and looking at the apartments, she would get a contract leasing her apartments for at least six months and possibly longer. That is, if a good deal could be made for both sides. With the income, she could be that much closer to being able to move back to California. However, she didn’t reckon with the attraction Troy Stanhope would generate. Would she return to California or stay in Oklahoma with a dyed in the wool Okie?
Sometimes a novel just grabs hold of you and won’t let go. This is one of those novels for me. I simply could not put it down and ended up staying up until the wee hours of the morning just to finish it. These hours were greeted with laughter and tears as the book progressed. The Cherokee legend of the Rose Rocks permeated the novel.
After her divorce, Jennifer was left with a thirty-six unit apartment house in Oklahoma City. She redecorated the apartments and upgraded them to smart corporate apartments with three month leases. She was doing well until the FAA shut down its training facility in Oklahoma City and then business fell. When Troy Stanhope of Stanhope Construction called wanting housing for forty crewmembers who were working on a mall in nearby Coahoma, Jennifer was elated. Hopefully after meeting with Troy and looking at the apartments, she would get a contract leasing her apartments for at least six months and possibly longer. That is, if a good deal could be made for both sides. With the income, she could be that much closer to being able to move back to California. However, she didn’t reckon with the attraction Troy Stanhope would generate. Would she return to California or stay in Oklahoma with a dyed in the wool Okie?
August 24, 2016
Jennifer Ellis is a divorced woman in her mid-forties in Oklahoma who is struggling with her apartment complex. When things take a turn for the worse with it she contemplates leaving to head back to San Diego. Then Troy Stanhope comes into the picture looking for housing for his construction crew. Perfect, right? The two of them quickly become more than just business associates and the two of them have a wonderful connection that was interesting and real. There is more to the story than just their love affair, which was both surprising and enjoyable to read.
The description of the land and the peripheral characters was very realistic as was as the development of Jennifer. I felt like I was able to fully see all side of the multidimensional character.
Second chance romances are among my favorites and this one certainly did not disappoint.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
The description of the land and the peripheral characters was very realistic as was as the development of Jennifer. I felt like I was able to fully see all side of the multidimensional character.
Second chance romances are among my favorites and this one certainly did not disappoint.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
March 13, 2018
Jennifer is a 45 year old divorced woman who isn't quite sure what she wants to do with her life. She owns and manages an apartment complex in Oklahoma but plans to move back to California in the future but just isn't sure what she wants to do with her life. UNTIL....she meets Troy, a rancher who helps run a construction company that wants to rent her apartments. She and Troy fall in love and she moves to his ranch until she has to go to California to help her mother. Once she gets back to the beach, she becomes unsure of which direction her life should take.
I enjoyed this romance and found Jennifer's dilemma to be very real. There were times that I wanted to just shake her because I didn't agree with her decisions but it was all part of her quest to decide how she'd live the rest of her life. If you want to read a simple romance, this isn't the book for you. If you want to read a book with real life characters - flaws and all - and a book about discovering who you are and what you want out of life in your 40s, this is your book. This book about self-discovery is way more than a simple romance novel.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review.
I enjoyed this romance and found Jennifer's dilemma to be very real. There were times that I wanted to just shake her because I didn't agree with her decisions but it was all part of her quest to decide how she'd live the rest of her life. If you want to read a simple romance, this isn't the book for you. If you want to read a book with real life characters - flaws and all - and a book about discovering who you are and what you want out of life in your 40s, this is your book. This book about self-discovery is way more than a simple romance novel.
Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review.
April 24, 2016
I am glad I read this book and I recommend it to you because it is a deep and thoughtful read. Please don’t rush through this romance. The land and settings are important to understanding this book. Just like the land of Oklahoma, the story of Jennifer and Troy is rugged and real. Jennifer is in her forties, divorced and working hard to establish a new career. She is a combination of her native California, lovely, spontaneous, energized and spunky, and she is steady and determined, like Oklahoma, where she now lives. Troy appears in her life, and he is a gentleman cowboy and difficult to tame. At first, they appear to have a storybook romance, but “life is full of long backward glances.” “Will hope bloom like one of the field flowers?” Like the rose rocks of Oklahoma, both Jennifer and Troy are beautiful and complex and you may be surprised at some of their attitudes and choices. I hope that the author writes a sequel, because I think there is more to know about these characters. The author has a lyrical way with words. I was given a copy of this book to review, and this is my unbiased opinion.
May 29, 2016
I really enjoyed this story. It affirms that the lightening bolt of love can strike anywhere, anytime. The author paints wonderful visual imagery with her words and the main character feels like a living, breathing person. It’s very much a book “of a place” and the author’s connection to the wild west and the California coast really shines through. You get to know the main character and feel her struggle to make the right choices for herself. Like many women of middle age, she’s been pulled along by her husband’s needs and life. Now with a divorce in her pocket, her journey to self-discovery begins. If you’re looking for love again, take a trip west!
November 6, 2018
Finding Rose Rocks by Karen Graham is a book that starts off with a fiery attraction between two middle-aged attractive and energetic people. Their affair is romantic, but is drawn-out for mysterious reasons before their passion is consumed. The author, a gifted writer, describes their courtship as they date, become friends, and finally surrender to passion, well sort of.
This book is hot, but it is not a typical romance novel. The characters have much to learn through each other. Troy, her lover has leftover sexist attitudes and Jennifer, his sweetheart, who at first willingly plays the unsure-of-herself kitten role with him, also has limitations holding her back from being fully intimate. As a result, they end up on a tough-and-tumble path with each other. What Jennifer does to work out her fantasy life, and ultimately prove the strength of their love as she grows stronger in herself─and forces Troy to let go of his control issues─ is unexpected.
Graham’s descriptive prose is full of literary talent when she writes: “winter’s first snowflakes whisked up and over the windshield of Troy’s truck, soft like the dusting of powdered sugar through a finely meshed sieve.” Also, the description of Jennifer’s relationship with her son is genuinely heartfelt and touching as the author describes their life and death adventure together when they travel in a blizzard to visit Troy in rural Oklahoma.
This author has a unique ability to convey emotions in her writing. However, the climax of the book, when Troy and Jennifer finally share their passion after courting, is short-lived and rushes quickly to cooler emotions. It creates a sense of half-finished dessert. No matter, the adventures and suspense between the lovers brings the book to a good ending after a rambunctiously rebellious period of turmoil, adventure, and mysterious trysts.
This book is hot, but it is not a typical romance novel. The characters have much to learn through each other. Troy, her lover has leftover sexist attitudes and Jennifer, his sweetheart, who at first willingly plays the unsure-of-herself kitten role with him, also has limitations holding her back from being fully intimate. As a result, they end up on a tough-and-tumble path with each other. What Jennifer does to work out her fantasy life, and ultimately prove the strength of their love as she grows stronger in herself─and forces Troy to let go of his control issues─ is unexpected.
Graham’s descriptive prose is full of literary talent when she writes: “winter’s first snowflakes whisked up and over the windshield of Troy’s truck, soft like the dusting of powdered sugar through a finely meshed sieve.” Also, the description of Jennifer’s relationship with her son is genuinely heartfelt and touching as the author describes their life and death adventure together when they travel in a blizzard to visit Troy in rural Oklahoma.
This author has a unique ability to convey emotions in her writing. However, the climax of the book, when Troy and Jennifer finally share their passion after courting, is short-lived and rushes quickly to cooler emotions. It creates a sense of half-finished dessert. No matter, the adventures and suspense between the lovers brings the book to a good ending after a rambunctiously rebellious period of turmoil, adventure, and mysterious trysts.
October 20, 2017
Finding Rose Rocks is a woman’s fiction novel that focuses on an older generation. This romantic novel focuses on Jennifer, a business owner who happens to lose it all. She decides to leave and start fresh in a more familiar setting, her hometown.
A dashing man named, Troy, comes along and offers a solution to her problems. As things heat up between the two, fate separates them because Jennifer has to leave to see family for the summer. Things get more complicated for her, while she is away and that’s when the story takes an even interesting turn.
From the beginning, I was captivated by the classical but, sensual style of writing the author had. It reminded me of the feeling you get when the exterior architecture of a building is all contemporary but, once you enter the building, the sense of being home rushes through your veins.
The name of the book comes from a type of mineral formation found almost exclusively in Oklahoma. Such detailed approach is what we need nowadays in the writing world. Even the name of the book has a beautiful backstory to it. There is a nice flow to the story. The literature standard is written with depths of emotional dilemmas, and I believe that what’s makes this book stand out.
I recommend this book to romance readers and people that enjoy woman’s fiction.
A dashing man named, Troy, comes along and offers a solution to her problems. As things heat up between the two, fate separates them because Jennifer has to leave to see family for the summer. Things get more complicated for her, while she is away and that’s when the story takes an even interesting turn.
From the beginning, I was captivated by the classical but, sensual style of writing the author had. It reminded me of the feeling you get when the exterior architecture of a building is all contemporary but, once you enter the building, the sense of being home rushes through your veins.
The name of the book comes from a type of mineral formation found almost exclusively in Oklahoma. Such detailed approach is what we need nowadays in the writing world. Even the name of the book has a beautiful backstory to it. There is a nice flow to the story. The literature standard is written with depths of emotional dilemmas, and I believe that what’s makes this book stand out.
I recommend this book to romance readers and people that enjoy woman’s fiction.
April 10, 2019
Jennifer is 45, successful, business owner. She negotiates for Troy's son's workers to stay at her building. Troy is 50 and from Oklahoma, but Jennifer is from California. This is her second chance at love after a divorce, but her heart is torn between falling for him and returning to California. He will not bend, and neither will she. Then comes the moment she decides to make a momentous decision that changes everything.
I really liked Jennifer until she makes a decision that hurts Troy and Ben. I didn't think she was honest with either of them. She seemed to be following men, instead of making her own decisions. I felt as if she settled. So for me, this story started out very strong with the budding romance between Troy and Jennifer, while she maintained her independence. I applauded her decision for space, but if the situation had been in reverse, would she have been as hurt as they were? And then there was her concern for Misty that left me hanging.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read with good writing. It is mainly the ending that caused me to feel less for Jennifer and her potential.
I really liked Jennifer until she makes a decision that hurts Troy and Ben. I didn't think she was honest with either of them. She seemed to be following men, instead of making her own decisions. I felt as if she settled. So for me, this story started out very strong with the budding romance between Troy and Jennifer, while she maintained her independence. I applauded her decision for space, but if the situation had been in reverse, would she have been as hurt as they were? And then there was her concern for Misty that left me hanging.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read with good writing. It is mainly the ending that caused me to feel less for Jennifer and her potential.
December 21, 2016
Jennifer Ellis is single (divorced) when we meet her and was longing for the west coast of her remembrances. Having a hard time renting out her apartments she perhaps was hoping that fate would somehow step in and help her decide her next move. When a call comes in that could very possibly solve her apartment and financial woes in one fell swoop, she is over the moon, at least initially. She was not expecting her heart to be stirred as much as her bank balance as she now has to deal with Troy, the handsome, no-nonsense guy to whom she has an immediate attraction. The fact that he moves real slow in affairs of the heart turns out to be a concern but one they get going, Jennifer is all in. Until she has to move back west and meets someone completely different from Troy. Torn in love and in life, Jennifer has to decide for once and for all. I was rooting for her all the way.
October 3, 2016
I loved this story a lovely read and a beautiful story recommended
October 29, 2016
This is the kind of book you’ll want to curl up with on a nice comfy chair beside a fire on a cold winter’s day. At its heart it’s about an older woman getting a second chance at love at a time in her life when she thought such opportunities might be gone. I enjoyed getting lost between the pages of Karen Ginther Graham’s novel and reading about Jennifer’s life and struggles: in business, with her family and in love. The sweet story will warm you long after you’ve left that perch beside the hearth.
Jennifer is divorced, focused on her career which is not going so well and has the added burden of an aging mother in another state with questionable acquaintances who may or may not get her arrested. Aside from this family drama, there’s Jennifer’s long held desire to return to the beaches of her youth --providing ample complexity to her life. Enter Troy, a businessman with an opportunity that could get her back on her feet. But that’s not all he wants, which sets up the lingering question, Will she stay or go?
The author’s writing takes us through Jennifer’s journey in a realistic manner while revealing that life sometimes throws tough questions at you that there are no easy answers to.
Graham’s evident love of Oklahoma and Southern California shines through in the thoughtful descriptions of sunsets, the ocean, the countryside and indigenous flora, fauna and rocks that make up the various settings in this story. The characters are well developed and relatable. Although I thought Troy was rather bullheaded and commended Jennifer for putting up with his ways. The point is -- they were honestly believable.
I received a free copy of this novel for review purposes only.
Jennifer is divorced, focused on her career which is not going so well and has the added burden of an aging mother in another state with questionable acquaintances who may or may not get her arrested. Aside from this family drama, there’s Jennifer’s long held desire to return to the beaches of her youth --providing ample complexity to her life. Enter Troy, a businessman with an opportunity that could get her back on her feet. But that’s not all he wants, which sets up the lingering question, Will she stay or go?
The author’s writing takes us through Jennifer’s journey in a realistic manner while revealing that life sometimes throws tough questions at you that there are no easy answers to.
Graham’s evident love of Oklahoma and Southern California shines through in the thoughtful descriptions of sunsets, the ocean, the countryside and indigenous flora, fauna and rocks that make up the various settings in this story. The characters are well developed and relatable. Although I thought Troy was rather bullheaded and commended Jennifer for putting up with his ways. The point is -- they were honestly believable.
I received a free copy of this novel for review purposes only.
February 12, 2018
Jennifer Ellis is a 45-year-old divorcee with a university-aged son and the owner of an apartment complex in Oklahoma. Her business is struggling, and she wants to give up on it and move back to California. Then one day, Troy Stanhope, the owner of a construction company, calls her to inquire about housing for his construction crew. Troy, a hunky, divorced 50-year-old, meets with Jennifer and ends up renting the apartments, but their relationship soon becomes more personal and they fall in love.
This is a sweet second chance romance. The author’s style is very polished, and she really brings the characters to life by conveying their personalities through dialogue. The characters are believable and easy to root for: Jennifer is smart, thoughtful, and knows what she wants; Troy is charming, romantic, and a bit pig-headed. The sex scenes are particularly well-written, sensual and suggestive without being too graphic.
Kathleen Jones, author of Love Is the Punch Line
This is a sweet second chance romance. The author’s style is very polished, and she really brings the characters to life by conveying their personalities through dialogue. The characters are believable and easy to root for: Jennifer is smart, thoughtful, and knows what she wants; Troy is charming, romantic, and a bit pig-headed. The sex scenes are particularly well-written, sensual and suggestive without being too graphic.
Kathleen Jones, author of Love Is the Punch Line
September 9, 2016
3.5 stars. This book and me connected on some level but for the most part it tried patience. Jennifer being the single middle age divorced lady taking on a guy like Troy should have and could have been a whirlwind romance. Instead it was a constant tug of war with each other. One not in same place as other then the other gets in that place and then drama. Troy seemed to be pushy and unaccommodating, pushing Jennifer to cancel her dream of California. I wanted these two together but then thought she deserved be treated better as well. No wonder she made the decision while away she did when he was all my way out no way. The writing was almost like was reading a skimming version of a book and hurried.
December 10, 2018
3.5 stars. Recommend for fans of second-chance love stories, but this fare is more meaty than sweet. Kudos for the middle-aged main characters and the gritty settings. Troy and Jennifer's relationship is rocky from the start, and Graham does a good job leading the reader through Jennifer's conflicted feelings about her mom and sister, her business, and her lovers (yes, plural.) I skimmed over the descriptions of clothes, food, china patterns, etc that might fit genre romances well but struck a precious note here. I was left rooting for this relationship to work, but not confident that it would; this couple still have plenty of issues to sort through. Sequel potential?
April 28, 2017
“Romance is possible between two people at any age! I love feeling young and acting young as I age”, Kim Alexis. This is true for Jennifer, the protagonist in the novel.
It’s a saying – not in the Bible – that God helps those who help themselves. Jennifer is helping herself by trying to make it in the rough and tumble world of the construction business. Through no fault of her own, her apartment project goes bust. This is where God steps in to give a helping hand in the form of Troy. He’s the answer to her need for making the apartment project a success. As a bonus, he’s also going to meet her need for love. The plot thickens when Ben enters the story. Who is she going to choose? Sometimes you don’t know what you have until you have a choice to make.
For a debut novel, this novel was very well written with well developed characters. The author has a lot of talent.
It’s a saying – not in the Bible – that God helps those who help themselves. Jennifer is helping herself by trying to make it in the rough and tumble world of the construction business. Through no fault of her own, her apartment project goes bust. This is where God steps in to give a helping hand in the form of Troy. He’s the answer to her need for making the apartment project a success. As a bonus, he’s also going to meet her need for love. The plot thickens when Ben enters the story. Who is she going to choose? Sometimes you don’t know what you have until you have a choice to make.
For a debut novel, this novel was very well written with well developed characters. The author has a lot of talent.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews