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SPOILER WARNING. Those who have not yet read to the end of book #2, The Winter Rose, might find this review slightly spoilerish.
The Wild Rose begins about eight years after the close of The Winter Rose. Seamie Finnegan is now a famous explorer and the pride all of England. Willa Alden, on the other hand, still carries a lot of emotional baggage from her climbing accident on Mount Kilimanjaro, and when not drowning her sorrow and misery in alcohol and drugs, she lives by and climbs the *foothills* surrounding Mt. Everest. Just when Seamie thinks he can put Willa behind him and move on with life, Willa’s father passes away and she returns to England for the funeral…
So as not to spoil, I’m not going to reveal anything else that happens in the book.
This is another big ole’ fat soap opera in the same style as the first two, cliff hanging chapters and all. I really liked the way Donnelly brings back characters from the earlier novels, plus she gives them an actual story instead of a quick nod and fade to black like you see in other series (although I would have like more of Fiona and Charlie after…). I also appreciate the way Donnelly brings social issues and prejudices into her stories and involves her characters in them, you can see that these are issues she cares a great deal about. That said, I do have a few quibbles.
One of the greatest aspects of the first two books were the strong female characters. No matter what adversities and crappy things life dealt them, Fiona and India always picked themselves back up, dusted themselves off and got on with life. Not so with Willa. She’s self-destructive, pouty and some times just gawd-awful miserable, and she spreads that sunshine to everyone around her. Yes, I know it sucks she lost a limb, but Joe’s in a wheelchair and gets on with life quite nicely thankyouverymuch. Willa would have been more sympathetic (and interesting), if the woe-is-me attitude was dropped and we see her carving out a new life dealing positively with her handicap.
As for the handicap itself? Willa has a prosthetic leg in lieu of the one she lost after her climbing injury at the end of book two. Unfortunately, there are times when that limb virtually disappears from the storyline for lengthy periods of time. While I don’t want to be clubbed over the head with constant reminders of her artificial limb, I’d have preferred seeing more of the day-to-day impact it has on her. Does she take it off when she showers? Goes to sleep? What about when making love, and why is it when we do get *the big love scene*, is there no discussion/mention of it between the pair? Seriously, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to imagine Willa being a bit sensitive about her partner’s first look at it in the *flesh*, nor that her partner could reassure she’s beautiful to him as she is. Why doesn’t she worry about damage to it whilst hiking those dangerous slopes around Mt. Everest? After arresting a dangerous fall, all that’s mentioned are a couple of broken fingernails??!!
I did enjoy this a lot, but just not as much as the first two books (which I loved to bits) and I’m knocking off a half star for the quibbles listed above. Fans will definitely lap this up like kittens with cream and I do recommend it, but I just wanted a little bit more. 3.5/5 stars.
FTC disclosure, I obtained a copy of this book from Net Galley.
At Home With A Good Book and the Cat 
I am starting this within a couple of days.
As excited as I am to read this, I knew it would not be as good as the first two. I just didn’t “connect” with Seamie and Willa in the second book… the way I did with Fiona & Joe and India & Sid.
As you said, I never did connect with them either in the last book. Nor as well as I should have in this one. Looking forward to how you do with it.
I have to admit that I’ve only read the first book in the series, and didn’t think much of it. And how Willa is dealing with the loss of a limb, it just doesn’t sound right at all — I suspect that amputees have a lot of issues about revealing their bodies. And just two broken fingernails? Spare me… As they say, thank you for taking one for the team.
The arresting her fall bit killed me, but it’s an advance copy so I can’t quote. I was afraid at first they were going to end up climbing Everest together and I was going to have serious issues with that. Thankfully the story went elsewhere.
That fingernail bit is what landed this book on the Do-Not-Touch list for me. I’ve been mountaineering a bit, and know what it’s like to hit rock. Broken fingernails would have been the least of it. What did your mt. climbing boss have to say? Or did he just laugh for five minutes?
Boss has been traveling so I haven’t had a chance to put a bug in his ear. I saw the pics of the mountains surrounding Everest, they are no chump change. I have a hard time believing she was able to traipse around them to her heart’s content like she did. It was still a good story, and I know Donnelly’s fans will love it to bits.
Not as good as the last one? That’s disappointing. Then again, it would have had to have been pretty darned good to be anywhere near as good as The Winter Rose for me!
Meant to say, I am pretty disappointed if this is the final cover. The other two covers were absolutely gorgeous, and this one is just a little bit insipid.
I know, it is pretty in it’s own way, but I don’t think it suits Willa very well. Looking forward to chatting with you and a few others about this when you start.
I agree with Marg. I’m not loving the cover. There’s somethingg about her lips that bother me.
I had a feeling this would be the case — I adored The Winter Rose but found the Seamie/Willa storyline the weakest part. That said, I’m still very much looking forward to reading The Wild Rose and revisiting some memorable characters from Tea Rose and Winter Rose.
I wish there had been more of Fiona and Charlie’s story. Can’t tell you what, but I wanted more of that.
Joanne, I totally agree with you. However have pre-ordered the book and look forward to it. Just LOVED the first two!!
jennifer prove again how amazing write!!!!!!!!!!! i love it …… i love it cause the main character (willa) she is not the perfect girl….. could continue the roses????????