The House at Rose Creek
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Published Date: July 2013
Softcover: 251 pages
Genre: Contemporary LDS Romance
ISBN# 978-1-60861-894-1
Reviewed by: Shanda
FTC FYI: free review copy in exchange for an honest review
Summary
Kate Sinclair wasn’t planning on inheriting her family’s 100-year-old farmhouse. She wasn’t even planning on going back to Rose Creek. But when her aunt unexpectedly passes away, leaving her the house, she finds herself forced to confront her past, including the family she hasn’t spoken to in years.
When she finds a journal belonging to a distant ancestor in the attic of the old house, she begins a journey that reconnects her with her faith, her family, and herself.
But trouble looms. Kate’s new love interest, Andrew, has a past full of secrets. And the state department of transportation wants to bulldoze the old farmhouse for a highway project. Will Kate be able to see through Andrew’s past? Most importantly, will she find a way to save her house and hold onto the fragile threads that tie her to her family?
Review
The House at Rose Creek is a well-written debut novel with a deeper, more layered story than I expected. While it was definitely a love story, the romance was not always front and center. There was a rediscovering of love of home and family as well as a developing love and respect for those who came before. In a way, there was also a retelling of romance past as the main character reads about Ian and Jennie in his journal.
I didn’t really care for Kate at first but she quickly grew on me. I could feel the connection between her and Andrew right away. Andrew was really great, but I’m glad he had a bit of a history to keep things real. The secondary characters had dimension and personality, even if I didn’t like how they reacted some of the time, but that’s what made them more realistic. The situation with Kate’s family was relatable, tense at times and not quickly or easily resolved, but efforts and progress were still made even if everything wasn’t tied up in a pretty bow at the end. There was only one part, the sudden appearance of a former love interest, that felt a bit contrived to me.
I liked how the journal of her ancestor tied into Kate’s story and inspired her, not just in her investigation into the Church but in learning more about her family history. I, too, felt inspired to delve back into my family history. I enjoyed learning about Ian and looked forward to reading each of his journal entries throughout the story.
Readers who like a story with history and a nice romance will enjoy The House at Rose Creek. The writing is clean and easy to read, effectively evoking the emotion of the scene. I hope Jenny is hard at work on her next book because I look forward to reading more from her.
**There is a Goodreads giveaway for The House at Rose Creek open until July 31, 2013!!**
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