Review of The Rose of Winslow Street

The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden is the story of love in unexpected places. Libby Sawyer and her father are enjoying a relaxing time at their summer home when their house is in turmoil. Romanian Michael Dobrescu is new to American soil, but he has one goal in mind. Claiming the house that should be rightfully his. However, that house happens to be Libby's house. As the town is in confusion about the rightful owner, Libby finds herself torn between the two families. Although she doesn't understand Michael's ways, he is a strong man who cares strongly for his fragile sister and his motherless children. As the tension grows and Libby doubts herself, more and more of Michael's true history is made known, and secrets are no more. Soon, the rightful owner of the house becomes trivial, and it's Libby's heart that is at stake.

This book is definitely interesting. There are more points of intrigue than just the matter of who gets the house in the end. It was a great idea to center the book around a house but make it so much more; each person has a unique, strong tie to the house either directly or indirectly. I liked the aspect of a foreigner in the story and that sudden breaking of tradition that pushes everyone to think about the former status quo. Libby is a good leading lady; her insecurities make her relatable and likeable. I feel like her character was very thought out and well-balanced, and her relationship with her father was interesting to read about. I also loved the character of Mirela, in fact, she was my favorite character in this book. Her strength and inner beauty shone through and really contributed greatly to the storyline.

That said, I have to say that this book was doing great until it turned into a romance. I didn't feel like I knew Michael at all through the storyline and suddenly, BAM! romantic tension! Certainly, he seemed like a strong and chivalrous character, but he never seemed as human as Libby did. I wish it could have been crafted differently because this book had many strong points, but unfortunately, the romance was not one of them. Some things to be aware of is that the book gives the story of a violent, violating attack on a woman. It does not go into detail, but her character is a big part of the book.

All in all, I rate this book 3.5 stars out of 5.

Specifics (from amazon.com)
~Paperback: 342 pages
~Publisher: Bethany House Publishers(January 1, 2012)

Note: Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book for reviewing purposes.