Roses Will Bloom Again

by Lori Copeland

When Emma returns home to Serenity following her sister's untimely death, she must confront Sam and the feelings she never fully dealt with after their broken engagement. A strange clause in her sister's will forces Emma to stay and work with Sam to restore her sister's old house. As they work side by side, the promise of love blooms again.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Christian

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Lori Copeland was born on 12 June 1941. She had a relatively late start in writing, breaking into publishing in 1982 when she was already forty years old. Over the next dozen years, her romance novels achieved much success, as was evidenced by her winning the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books' Best Seller award. She has been inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame.

Despite her success in more mainstream romantic fiction, in 1995, she decided to switch focus. Her subsequent books have been in the relatively new subgenre of Christian romance. She has also collaborated with authors Angela Elwell Hunt or Virginia Smith on a series of Christian romance novels.

Lori and her husband of over forty years, Lance, live in Springfield, Missouri, surrounded by the beautiful Ozarks. They have three grown sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. She and her husband are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm finally getting around to reading some stand alone books by Lori Copeland after having read and loved several of her series. So far I'm not disappointed. This was an interesting story with a bit of mystery and a lost love found. I really enjoyed it.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Mansi and her sister Lully raised themselves after their mother's death and their father's disappearance. Only 17 and 15, Emma the younger sister took off with her 17 year old boyfriend, Sam, to elope. But it all came to an end when Lully and Sam's mom caught up with them and stopped it cold.
Two years later, Emma took off and ended up in Spokane Washington. Now 12 years later, Emma has received word that her sister Lully has passed away unexpectedly and she needs to return home to her small town home in Colorado. Will Emma have to face the past and what changes will come into her life?

Beautifully written second chance at life and love stroy.

[Erica Fouché · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. I appreciated that even though it's a romance, there were really funny moments, scary moments and a mystery to be solved. I enjoyed Sam and Emma. I wish there was a book about Lully, I would definitely read it. And I wish I had an Elizabeth in my life. Great Characters, Great Story. Excellent book.

[Joleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really more of a 3 1/2 stars...not quite 4. It was a good story, although not completely unsimilar to many I've read this past year.... Main character mad at God for a bad childhood or awful incident in their life...can't seem to feel loved by Him...introduced or reintroduced to a love interest who encourages forgiveness and to recognize God's love, then God seems more real in some epiphany.
Even though it kept my interest I was bothered by constant repetition of ideas or incidents, or the way people think about things. If I read a paragraph about how weird the townsfolk thought the sisters were, I read it at least twenty times.
Many other things were repeated, like the author couldn't remember if she said that already...or it was to take up space in the book.
I've heard of Lori Copeland for years, but I believe this is the first book by hers I've read...reminded me of Debbie McComber, who writes similarly, repeating things.
Oh well, good, clean writing and good story. I don't want to be too discouraging.

[Angie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a girl named Emma who returns to her hometown upon the unexpected death of her sister fifteen years after she had left. Emma had run away from home at age 17, after a broken engagement, the death of her mother, and the abandonment of her father. When she returns home she has to face her past that she has tried to keep in the path, and deal with the town and people that she feel were part of all her problems growing up. This is another book that deals with faith and how one loses it or finds it anew. Being able to forgive and move forward is a big theme throughout. This is a good, quick read.

[Jo-Ann Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Christian Christmas story gets a bit heavy handed with the God speak. It is a very sad story about loss and abandonment between two sisters. The theme is repeated throughout the book and different characters. There is a little bit of a mystery and the female lead is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. She never asked the obvious questions or took the obvious path. After months of dragging her feet, wham bam she is ready to go and things are magically completed. It left a lot to be desired but was not a repulsive read.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author. I found this book to be so dragged out. I ended up just skipping pages to find out what would happen in the end. Well, I knew what would happen in the end, just wanted to see how the author would write it. The theme of the book didn't change until after half the book was read. So depressing and repetitive. I understand Emma was hurt by abandonment by her father. I understand that. But something happened with a boy she loved at 17 years old. Painful, she ran away. 15 years later she feels the same way. You were 17 yrs old and in high school. You are biting your nose to spite your face. Get rid of the bitterness and enjoy life!
Finally when she goes home to her home town. In time she breaks down and speaks with the man that she loves at 17. She draws it all out, oooohhh. Yes, the ending is good. Big Surprise!

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma and Lully had a traumatic childhood and were tormented by others a lot. Emma’s return to Serenity after receiving a phone call Lully had passed away. There’s still unsettle matters with pranks and individuals sneaking around. Lully’s will proved unbelievable to Emma that Sam was part owner of the old home by the cemetery. Will the city win out on tearing the home down or will Emma decide to build a future in Serenity?

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started out as a hard read for me because the Emma's sister had just died and she had to return to their hometown to take care of matters. However, the little bit of intrigue and the reblossoming of an old romance made for an enjoyable read after all.

[Jamie’s Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this story. A sweet clean romance, second chance love, a death of a sibling and forgiveness, a bit of a mystery and great faith content. My first Lori Copeland and I will be reading more from this wonderful author. Five lovely hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[MaryEllen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma was mad at, well, everyone when she left town fifteen years ago. Now she's back and facing those people plus other issues.

I enjoyed reading her journey. There was a bit of suspense, a few funny moments, and a sweet redemption story mixed in this sweet, second-chance romance.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio book

[Gwen Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that brings out many emotions. I believe I could read this again in the future,

[Janice Tolifson]

Emma left home after her sister and Will's parents broke up their intended wedding. Emma returns after 15 years when her sister dies. She leaves Emma the house they were raised in and to Will.

[Melody Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will start off by saying that I am a Christian and felt the Christian message in this book was very close to being the only positive part of this book. The theme was forgiveness, showing that sometimes it is clearly easier said than done and I feel that part was portrayed nicely.

This is a story about Sam and Emma who were deeply in love as teens and torn apart by their families because of their young age. Sam was sent away and did not return for ten years. Emma ran away after Sam had nothing more to do with her, broken hearted and alone. Fifteen years later Emma returns because of her sister's death and finds her family home has been left to her and Sam equally. It is obvious those deep feelings are still churning in both the H and h who are now in their early thirties.

Where it went wrong, in my opinion, and please understand this is only my take on the book. The story moved along much too slowly for my taste and at times I considered not finishing. It seemed to take forever for anything to happen and I did begin to read through it quickly looking for more interaction between the H and h. I really liked Emma and felt for her living with the heartache she endured and the life she lived without a family. I really thought she was doing the best she could do. I understand about holding on to past pain. I have been there myself without realizing I was doing so. And then we have Sam. I considered him weak, cowardly, a bit arrogant...and just way too sure of himself. No, I did not like him at all and the story made me doubt that he loved her.

*****POSSIBLE SPOILER******
As I said in the last paragraph, I was very disappointed in Sam. He loved Emma so much (he claims) and did try to find her at one point but then five years ago after he came home, Emma's sister told him of her whereabouts and he did nothing...absolutely nothing!! Not a phone call, letter or visit. Nada-zip-zero. Boy isn't that love for you! And here is verbatim what he told her:

"I knew where you were, Emma. I thought about coming after you. Day after day, year after year, but I didn't. I knew you were filled with bitterness, the kind that doesn't go away unless a person works at it, and I didn't figure you had been working at it -- and neither had I. You hurt me, too."

I think that is the worst paragraph in the book! That was insulting and would have been enough to send me packing far away from Sam. What arrogance that he proclaimed he 'knew' what she felt inside and whether or not she had worked on her feelings. What in the world was that about? How on earth could he know such a thing for certain? It sure wasn't like he was there. So, he just assumed he knew her thoughts and actions, or lack thereof, but did not bother to really find out by contacting this woman who he says he loved. And then he says she hurt him too!!. He was the one who was on his way to marry her, stopped by their families, and then avoided her like the plague. What conclusion was she to draw when he wouldn't even speak to her. There was some way he could have gotten word to her. I did not and do not feel his love was as deep as Emma's was. He said earlier in the book that he has never been able to get her out of his system. He could have rectified that years ago but instead decides to leave her alone, the only woman he supposedly ever loved. That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. He was a weakling, a coward. And to top it off, once she had returned he failed to let her know how deeply he felt for her. That he wanted forever with her. He would go a couple of weeks with absolutely no contact. Was that showing her that her heart would be safe this time around? Uh NO!! I personally would have been much happier if she had moved on without him. He did not deserve her any longer. He was a jerk the last half of this book and even though it is considered to have a HEA, I did not consider it as such! You can easily understand why Emma had trust issues. She strongly felt her heart would not be safe in Sam's hands. After all, it wasn't safe the first time and it just about destroyed her. I think Sam had some groveling to do to win her heart after he so thoroughly broke it before without a word of explanation.

Do I recommend this book. Well, let me just say that I would not read it again and if I knew what would transpire I would not have read it the first time. But, you should make up your own mind.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a number of years since I read a Lori Copeland book. I know this particular book of hers isn't new however, this is the first time I've read it. That being said, I found I loved Copeland's writing almost as much as when I first delved into her books.

One thing I've always liked about Copeland's books and writing style is the character's she creates. They always capture my heart and make me root for them. It was no different with “Roses Will Bloom Again.” Both Emma and Sam, the main characters, had been through hardships both together and apart. I loved reading their story. I found I could relate, especially with Emma. Though I've not experienced the same hardships, I did find myself mirroring her thoughts and emotions at times. I loved seeing Emma's spiritual journey and how she went from feeling abandoned by God and the ones she had loved over the years to understanding God's continued love for her and his plan for her life even in the hard times.

There were a few smaller things I didn't quite care for. The beginning character POV's felt sporadic. There were times in the first quarter of the book (and even a few times about halfway or three-fourths of the way through) where I wished that Copeland had really dug into a scene. The POV continued to switch from Emma's to Sam's perspective and back again. Sometimes only a small paragraph of description was shared before the author would switch back. I kept being swept right along from one scene to the next to the point where I felt mentally dizzy. I wished she would have settled into the scenes and stayed a bit longer. It was too rushed in some parts. It was like being taken to the beach and wanting to dig your toes into the sand and instead, being forced to keep your shoes on. Bummer. I really wanted to dig into the storyline more in some places. It just wasn't enough. The constant head hopping never fully let you get comfortable and connected to the story.

Also, this book dealt with some hard subject matter at times. Women's ministries, prison, parental abandonment, and the often difficult subject of young love (specifically more of a Romeo and Juliet type complete with waring families). The subject of physical intimacy before marriage was also mentioned in regard to the youthful romance, though it wasn't discussed in any great detail. This subject matter, though present, was never too overwhelming. I felt Copeland handled them all extremely well, making sure each worldly struggle was encircled by God's grace and love.

This book wasn't one of my favorites by Lori Copeland but it was still good. I fully plan to read some more of her books now that I've dipped my toes back into her writing again.

[Hayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay my first thought going into this book was boring. I did however finish the book and was glad I did. The plot finally thickened later on but then come towards the end you finally get what you wanted to happen after reading the entire book and then it just ends.... (Like a lot of story lines but still!)

This book is about a woman named Emma. She has just found out that her sister, Lully, has passed away and she must travel back to Serenity *her hometown*. She hasn't seen her sister in 15 years nor anyone else in that town for that matter. When she was a child her mother died and shortly after her father left the two sisters alone... Needless to say Emma felt like God was punishing her and not giving her a fair life so she kind of put him on the side and quit praying.

The moral I guess you would say of the story is to never lose hope and that God will always have your back. Emma renews her faith and trusts that God will do her right this time and give her the strength she needs to let go of old grudges and to face new challenges.

I gave this book a 2.5. I didn't totally enjoy the book but it wasn't that bad of a read either.

[LaSibila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Emma regresa a su pueblo natal, Serenity, al enterarse de la muerte de su hermana y después de 15 años de no verla. En su testamento, le deja la casa familiar a ella y a su ex-prometido que la dejó por presión de su madre.
Créanme, me encanta cuando una relación se reanuda después de años de madurar (ellos eran adolescentes cuando rompieron) pero no te puedo creer que siendo el sheriff del pueblo, pueda averiguar donde se encuentra y contactarse. Muy cómodo el protagonista.
Ella pelea con Dios y le pide un milagro. Cuando Sam se muestra interesado, espera que actue de tal o cual modo. AGHHH! No puedo creer que se comporten como adolescentes a los treinta y pico!!!!
Me aburrió. El romance, flojito.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual read. Some people fall in love too young. Sometimes you have to wait on love, or another person makes you wait. Sisters who love each other very much, but after a painful interference,will not solve a teenage division. Living in different places, both living alone without each other, searching in their own way for love, one who can't find it, and the other thinks she lost it. Sad, but one eventually rediscovers love and her need for God.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started reading the book, I wasn't sure I would like it. The tone bordered on depressing and the plot didn't capture my attention right away. So why did I end up give it five stars? 1: I am a sucker for redemption stories. 2: The story was full of twists that I never saw coming. 3: The resolution to the mystery shocked me, yet made total sense. 4: The setting was so realistic. 5: I fell in love with all the characters. How is that for five awesome reasons to read this book?

[Jaclynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character’s sister dies and she must go back to their home town to settle the estate. It’s only there that she discovers what a heritage her sister has left her, knowingly and unknowingly.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I randomly picked this book up at the library. It's a quick read and a good story. It's definitely forgettable but worth checking out for light reading

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome read!! Lori Copeland has always been a favorite and now I know why. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!!!

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this as a free ebook, and hadn't read any of this author before. Was an easy read and enjoyable. It was a little romance and a little mystery, which made it more interesting.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not one of her historical novels, but a very good book!!

[Debbie Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome Lori Copeland book. It is a modern day book but it has funny stuff, sad stuff; just things from a normal life. It was a great book and I would recommend it as a very good read.

[Tanya Kiefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book I've read it at least four times.

[Deedee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 stars.

[Heidi Kelsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting book! It had so many twists and turns and surprises along the way. I wasn't sure in the beginning if I'd get into it, but then I just HAD to find out what happened.