Red Roses

by Katie Ward

Autumn has hit rock bottom; her fear of rejection has stopped her making any progress in life and after a chance meeting with a stranger on the beach she decides to take drastic steps to change that. What she doesn’t realise is that she has just made the decision that will lead to her death.



Red Roses is an uplifting and compelling story that beautifully contrasts the joy and delicacy of life with the grief of tragedy and the power of love and friendship to endure it all.

259 pages, ebook

Published October 31, 2021

Reviews

[Heidi Lynn’s BookReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I want to thank Katie Ward and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

Ohh if you are anything like me and love all things celebrity, pop culture, and the theatre then you will adore Red Roses by Kate Ward!! Yes, this book has all this rolled into one and then some!!

Katie would like to dedicate this book to her Aunt Susan Ward who she sadly lost to cancer in July of 2020. Also, this book goes out to all the ones that lost loved ones in 2020/21.

Oh how I totally fell in love with this cover design on the Red Roses book cover! Just LOVED the cartoonish graphics, the colors, the design, it made me want to know what the book was about! Kudos to the graphics design team!!

There were many times in Red Roses where things were said that just made me smile ear to ear! One of those was the analogy of the quest for love and finding a good pair of shoes! Even a few times I had to laugh!

I commended Autumn’s parent’s for supporting her decision to spontaneously wanting to move up and relocate to another area! I thought that was an incredibly brave move of her to find happiness!

Red Roses definitely jump around in time!

Having myself worked for Temp Agencies in the past I couldn’t help but laugh at some of the jobs she interviewed for or was put on.

The connection Autumn and Amelia had was beautiful! Always there for eachother supporting one another even miles away.

The character names in this book were so unique I absolutely loved them!

[Ilana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Red Roses by Devon-based Katie Ward is a complex New Adult story with a final touch of crime novel. For me, it was a surprising read, particularly the end which woke me up from the ongoing romance with a jolt. Actually, I´ve read the ending twice, to be sure that I really got into the significance of the events.

Broke, Autumn has a mysterious encounter at the beach with a strange woman who encourages her to start completely anew in Dublin. With nothing to lose, she embarks on an adventure along which she will not only make new friends, but will also learn how to cope with her fears and insecurities. She will reach her dream of acting and will understand the importance of human connections and trust. Until the fine rope of her luck broke.

Katie Ward is very good at creating immersive reading experiences, with ambiances making the reader familiar with the environment. In this friendly empathic surrounding, the action is following a very fast pace, distracting and very demanding, nevertheless a very eventful story. The disadvantage of such a busy timeline is that either one cannot properly cope up with the high concentration of events or it make the entire story less authentic. I personally love fast paced novels but in the case of Red Roses I had sometimes the feeling that it´s too good to be true: there are so many events and too little time and even if Autumn had had a stroke of luck however it is mostly unlikely.

All those observations put aside, Red Roses is an inspiring read if you are looking for strong women characters setting an encouraging example to do not matter what in order to find oneself and fight against one´s weaknesses. The book is both serious and entertaining, dealing with life´s challenges and unexpected - deadly - heartbreaks.

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of a book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

[Kerry https://likeherdingcatsblog.wordpress.com Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I agreed to read Red Roses but the blurb intrigued me and I have to say that I wasn’t disappointed at all. Red Roses is a New Adult book meaning that it is aimed at people in their late teens/early 20s and contains subject matter relevant to the issues and experiences of that age group. However, don’t be put off as I am a 44 year old woman and I thoroughly enjoyed this bitter-sweet novel.
I am a massive believer that fate is something very different that how most people think of it. Rather than being a pre-determined path that you cannot avoid, I believe that every choice we make sets us on a path that leads to various outcomes, and I feel that Red Roses demonstrates this perspective brilliantly.
In the first few pages it is explained that the choice made by Autumn during a conversation with a stranger eventually lead to her death. As a reader it was really difficult as I became so invested in Autumn and so enamoured by her adventure but also always had the niggle in the back of my mind that my heart would be broken at some point and there was nothing that anyone could do to stop it.
I was captivated by Autumn’s journey of self-discovery, friendships and love. It was so heart-warming and uplifting to be part of and I was carried along on the wave of adventure.
I have never been to Dublin but the description in this book is so detailed and vivid, without slowing the narrative down, that I feel as though I have visited. It created such an atmosphere and welcoming vibe and was the perfect setting for Autumn’s journey.
This is such a charming story and despite some roller coaster emotions and the feeling that it’s going to end, it still leaves a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart.

[Niki Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Roses intended target market is YA (Young Adult) however I am far older than that and found it an enjoyable read about a young girl who wants to change her life. I felt it had some great life lessons including dream big and go after what you want but with a underlying warning of, if you feel that something, someone is wrong or toxic then trust your gut instinct, it is usually right. These are great life lessons and they are put across in a fabulous way for young adult readers and us older bods alike.

I loved the main character, Autumn. She is confident and strikes out on a new life journey with out any idea of how she is going to achieve this. She does reach her dream, a bit too easily but this does fit with the style of the book. Although she is strong she is also very cautious in all things related to her heart. She doesn’t give her heart easily but when she does is it the right thing to do? Will it all lead to disaster?

The friendships in Red Roses are beautifully created and Autumn relies heavily on her friends through her rollercoaster life, loves, laughs and grief.

An uplifting story with a great message contained throughout. The end is both sad and joyous and really makes you bond with Autumn and her lovely soul. A great light read that is uplifting, emotional and full of wonderful relationships.

[Jéssica · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Adult is a genre that I'm reading more in the last few months, and this book was part of that list.

As we follow Autumn in her journey were met her loved ones, and see how brave she was for making decision to find happiness. It kind of made me want to go on a journey like this one, of getting out of my comfort zone. Yet, the book has another side of it, one that was emotional and that made me rethink a lot of things.

The relevant issues and experiences that Autumn and those around her go through was a good message and very thought provoking. There were difficult things to go through, there were emotional moments from the very beginning.

And even though I love the idea of going to another city and going on a self-discovery journey, that I really loved more was the interactions between the characters, it was the love, and it was the heart-warming side of the story that touched my heart and made me wonder more.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I loved the rollercoaster and the journey until the very ending.

[Thank you Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, Katie Ward for the ecopy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Roses by Katie Ward seeped right into my heart and had me invested. This is a new adult novel, which is part of the reason I wanted to read it. I love this target age because it usually brings a story of self-discovery and adventure, which is what Red Roses is about.

This is a very bitter-sweet novel. You’re tipped off in the beginning about how this will play out, and that is something you carry with you through the whole novel. I found this clever from a writing perspective. You can’t help but fall in love with this character while the knowledge you have tugs your heart strings.

Autumn’s journey of self-discovery, friendships, and love was uplifting and heartwarming. I honestly needed the cry this book allowed me to have. It was just beautiful to read.

This isn’t a book I will soon forget, and it’s an author I will definitely be looking for more from. Don’t miss out.

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the free review copy. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Roses - Katie Ward

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Autumn has hit rock bottom; her fear of rejection has stopped her making any progress in life and after a chance meeting with a stranger on the beach she decides to take drastic steps to change that. What she doesn’t realise is that she has just made the decision that will lead to her death.

I am not sure what I was expecting when I started reading this book but we are very quickly introduced to Autumn and once you get to know her you quickly become very invested. I was captivated by Autumn’s journey of self-discovery.

This is an uplifting and very well-written book that will you take you on an emotional roller coaster ride.

Rating: 4/5

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book instantly intrigued me and there is a continuous air of mystery that surrounds it from the very opening chapter which I really loved. It felt a very brave move to make the reader aware at from the start the main character dies but it works brilliantly because it really does add an edge to the whole book and once I started reading was barely able to put this book down. It keeps your attention superbly from beginning to end, the characters are so well drawn and the plot has so many twists and turns you just never see coming. I loved this book and would definitely recommend especially if you like a book that really keeps you on your toes!

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful journey of finding yourself & in a way I guess losing yourself.

A highly emotive, bittersweet read. I thought it was very well written & descriptive with some amazing yet highly flawed characters.

I'm definitely going to be checking out Katie's other books now, as I thoroughly enjoyed this read & would highly recommend it to anyone.


Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot & gifted copy.

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 4 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

[Teneisha (Teesbookjourney) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great read about life and journeys. I had a great time reading Authum's struggles and good times. I decided to read this book solely based on the description. I am not a fan of the cover art but the description sounded great.

Although a compelling story in the end. There was some lag in the beginning.. Took me a while to get invested in the characters

But once the characters and the story started to gel. It was awesome

[Nets · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book pulled me in from the start. We follow Auntumn who is trying to decide whether or not to move to Dublin to follow her dream but the decisions she makes along the way have extreme consequences.

I enjoyed the book as a whole and flew through it. My only issue was that some of things that are said and mentioned aren't followed through which didn't effect the actual story but because I'm nosy, I wanted to know more 😂

The characters were well written and the story was great. Overall, I enjoyed it and would love to read more by the author

[Tiziana Langone · Rating 4 out of 5]

One choice, with a devastating conclusion

Autumn has one big dream, becoming a famous actress. But her life isn’t exactly a glamourous one so after meeting a stranger at the beach, she decides to move to Dublin. She hopes that there she will be able to make her dreams come true.
Random meetings will result in real friendships, colleagues will become close friends, but Autumn will also see that not everyone is as honest and loyal as she thought.
And little does she know that her moving to Dublin will lead to her death in three years. But these three years will fill a complete lifetime…

Starting reading this book, I didn’t expect that the prologue would be already such a sinister one.
I didn’t expect to be reading how someone would die, and especially not the main character…
And while I was reading, and the better I got to know Autumn and her story, I kept thinking and hoping that somehow things would end well for her.

Autumn, being in a rut, has the courage to just pack her things and start all over again. And that was something I admired, because I surely wouldn’t dare to do that myself!
Just pack everything, having no securities at all, I just cannot see doing that myself!
Sometimes I thought she was being too trustworthy, especially when we see how her friendship with Amelia is born. It makes sense in first instance to just share a cab, but then spend so much time together with, to be honest, a total stranger… Maybe I’ve been watching too many thrillers with a bad ending 🤣
But on the other hand it was also lovely to see how that random meeting with Amelia would resist the hand of time and that Autumn and Amelia truly become best friends.

I didn’t expect to be reading this book in 1 session, but suddenly I found myself totally immerged in the tale of Autumn and her dream of becoming an actress and just to find her own happiness.

This isn’t a story filled with only happy moments, where everything goes smoothly and Autumn is surrounded by real friends. But that is also just the reality… nothing in real life goes just as we wish, and we will always encounter people with a double agenda.
And just like Autumn, we will get betrayed by people we least expect it, and when we least expect it.

I have to say, sometimes the pace went a bit too fast for me. I would have loved to read more of the ‘in betweens’. But of course, Autumn’s story has to reach the climax, and of course not every little thing can be told.
And I just kept my fingers crossed that the prologue somehow would have a twist… and it did, just not in the way I thought it would, which broke my heart.

But in the end, there was also a silver lining… because some characters somehow got their happy end. And that all thanks to being friends with Autumn…
Autumn’s destiny and way she had to go, was almost reason for me to give “just” three stars. Because I’m a total sucker for happy ends for all the main characters. But the more I thought about the whole tale, the more I realized that would do injustice to the path Autumn took.

Because this book has heart – crunching moments. but it also filled with wonderful moments of friendship, courage, love and determination.
And all the positive events someone has in life, they outweigh the negative ones. And no matter what Fate has in store for us, in the end it will be all worth of all the pain when you see the happiness in someone else’s eyes…