The Widow of Rose House: A Novel

by Diana Biller

It’s 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected her stiff upper lip after three years of being pilloried in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband. Now his sudden death allows her to return to New York to make a fresh start, restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time. However, fresh starts aren’t as easy as they seem, as Alva discovers when stories of a haunting at Liefdehuis begin to reach her. But Alva doesn’t believe in ghosts. So when the eccentric and brilliant professor Samuel Moore appears and informs her that he can get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds Liefdehuis, she turns him down flat. She doesn’t need any more complications in her life - especially not a handsome, convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam. Unfortunately, though Alva is loath to admit it, Sam, a pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva’s new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva’s history - and her heart. Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, The Widow of Rose House is a gorgeous debut by Diana Biller, with a darkly Victorian Gothic flair and an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers.

• ISBN10: 1250297850
• ISBN13: 9781250297853
• Publish Date: 1 November 2019 (first published 8 October 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Saint Martin's Griffin,U.S.
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Leigha]

The charming Professor Samuel Moore sweeps disgraced widow Alva Webster off her feet in this adult historical romance.

I decided to purchase this novel after reading several favorable reviews about it. I may be a romance junkie, but I have rarely enjoyed historical romance (the exception being Julie Garwood’s historicals and, of course, she switched to contemporary romance about 15 years ago). I was hoping, SO HOPING, this book would be the breakthrough I needed to truly enjoy a good historical romance. Alas, it, as so many others before it, failed.

Historical romance fans will probably love it. Sam is a charming and engaging lead. It would be impossible not to love him. Alva is harder to warm up to in the beginning, but I enjoyed her character arc the most at the end of the novel. The historical setting, oppressive atmosphere, and interesting ghost story are well-written. All the elements are there for a wonderful read, and I wish it had enchanted me too.

tl;dr A well-written novel with an atmospheric setting and charming characters that I just could not get into.

[jamiereadthis]

Good spooky story for October. The romance zips a little quick for me, though, and feels shallow now that I’m into slow burns that take three books to play out. But Sam is a button. And there’s ghosts!

[Molly J(Cover To Cover Cafe)]

As a lover of a historical novels, I was excited to be able to review this novel. Diana Biller is a new to me author, but I will tell you this. After reading this debut novel, she will definitely be one I will read again. From start to finish, she had me entranced with this novel.

I absolutely loved her characters! She chiseled Alva and Sam so perfectly. The fact that their story takes place in, shall we say a haunted house, really drew me into the heart of the story. I’m all about the paranormal! The details that Biller used to portray the “haunted” mansion was incredible. I felt like it was within the home myself! That was incredible!

Watching Alva’s past come to light really tugged at my heart. The past is the past and should be left there, but much like the house, it was determined to haunt her. But, seeing Sam’s feelings spark from the pages really made me smile. I loved watching them together!

For a debut novel, this exceeded my expectations. I am so happy to have had the chance to read this one! It’s worthy of 4 stars and two thumbs up from this reader. I am very much looking forward to seeing what Biller has in store for us with her next one! Well done!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Publisher, St. Martin's Press and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

[chymerra]

I didn’t know what I was expecting when I started reading The Widow of Rose House. I was interested in reading the book. Anything with ghosts and romance in it, and I am reading it. But, I was a little iffy on the Gothic description. I haven’t had the best luck when it comes to reading books in that genre. That was my only hold back from being delighted in reading The Widow of Rose House. I am happy to say that, I was pleased to read this book. I did have an issue with the ending, but other than that, it was a great read.

The Widow of Rose House’s plotline was medium paced. It wasn’t too fast or too slow. Which was perfect for me, and it made reading the book enjoyable. There were no dropped storylines. But there were storylines that I felt needed clarification like how Henry ended up with the Moore’s or why Alva’s mother hated her. The latter gave me a feeling that there was more going on in that relationship than what was said.

Alva was such a complicated woman, and I found her hard to get to know in the beginning. The author held back a lot when it came to her marriage to Alain. There was a point in the book where I did wonder if she was as scandalous as the gossip made her out to be. Then the author explained that Alain was abusive. That is when she started to come to life in my eyes. Alva was vulnerable but at the same time had a backbone of steel. She was damaged goods, and she knew it. She had such a hard time trusting people, after what her husband did, and it took her forever to trust Sam.

I loved everything about Sam. He defined the term absent-minded professor. People could be standing in front of him, and if something caught his attention, bam, they would cease to exist for him. It was awesome!! Take, for instance, the serving tray conversation. I was dying laughing as I read that scene. It was hilarious. I also loved how deeply he loved his family. They were everything to him and vice versa.

Sam and Alva’s romance was unique. I say unique because Sam knew right away that Alva was his other half. But, he also saw that she was damaged. He did pursue her, but everything that happened was on her terms. On Alva’s side, she fought her feelings for Sam tooth and nail. It was amusing and sad to read. Amusing because she blustered a lot and sad because she felt she wasn’t good enough for him.

I didn’t get any sense of sexual attraction or chemistry between Alva and Sam. So when they had sex, it was a surprise. It was a clean sex scene. Nothing explicit. It was descriptive but didn’t go over the line. I loved it!!

The ghost storyline was interesting. I say interesting because I enjoyed the search that Alva and Sam did on the previous owners of the house. I also enjoyed seeing how paranormal research would have looked like in the late 1800s. But then the ghost storyline took a weird turn that involved possession and being able to see slightly into the future. I was a little “eh” on that part, but it did add a unique flair to the storyline.

The storyline with Alva’s brother-in-law and Alva’s marriage was sad. I liked how the author didn’t get graphic with the abuse that Alva and her mother-in-law suffered. Alva’s brother-in-law was skeezy. He was trying to blackmail her into giving him money each month. Considering how divorce was looked upon in that century, I didn’t blame Alva for caving into him. But, I wasn’t expecting what happened to him at the end of the book.

The end of the book was alright. But I got a sense that it was rushed. But overall, it was a good read. I do hope that there will be other books about the other Moore siblings!!

[thebookdisciple]

The Widow of Rose House is a unique mix of historical romance and gothic ghost story. Mrs. Webster has been scandalized and has returned to the States to pick up the pieces of her life. Sam is an eccentric invention who wants to hunt ghosts in his free time. These two are polar opposites but that made the story work. Mrs. Webster is world wary after all she has been through and Sam is kind of clueless of the world since he spends so much time in his own head! The story takes place in the late 1800's in New York City-not a time period I have ever read fiction regarding.

Honestly, The Widow of Rose House is delightful because of Alva and Sam. These two characters are the type you just simply love. To see what Alva has endured (and continues to endure) makes your heart hurt for her. Sam is so endearingly quirky he is a perfect yin to Avla's yang. Their romance is inevitable because you can see right away how perfect they are for one another. Sam is determined to have his best life and pursue whatever he fancies, and Alva needs someone like him in her life. Despite the heaviness of a battered widow and a haunted house, this book had lots of laughs.

While there is a ghost story aspect, it isn't necessarily focus of the story. However, there were a few creepy moments that provided tension to the story.

Honestly, I was really surprised to know The Widow of Rose House was a debut! I think Biller has a wonderful future ahead as an author because her words were emotive and passionate. Overall, this was a delightful surprise of a story!

[EBookObsessed]

I intended to read a chapter or two to see if I had any interest and didn't put it down until I had finished the entire book.

The notorious Mrs. Webster has returned to New York and nothing is going to stop her from reclaiming her life -- not even a ghost.

Alda Rensslaer was seduced at 16 by Alain Webster. As a sheltered and unloved girl, she was the perfect naive target for Alain who was 14 years older. He ruined her and arranged their marriage so that he could have her money. After ten years of physical and emotional abuse, Alda got up the courage and enough money to leave him. He wouldn't have cared but then murmurs started about Alda's constant bruises, so Alain distracted everyone by starting rumors about orgies and affairs which gossip came out in the newspapers and he once again left Alda ruined by society's standards. After her husband's death, Alda returned to New York and purchased an abandoned property known as Leifdehuis or Love House.

Alda's plan is to return the House to its former grandeur, all the while she will be documenting and photographing the work and she will then publish a book to sell to the up and coming middle classes on decorating. She is even willing to tout that the book is written by the notorious Mrs. Webster if it will help her sales.

Alda only has one major obstacle to her plan. The workmen and most of the town believe that her house is haunted and they refuse to return to work. The only way to get them back to work is to convince them, by a reliable source, that there is no ghost.

Professor Samuel Morse of the Morse Family -- the first family of American science -- has been trying to get Alda to let him study her haunted house. She agrees to let me and his equipment in in hopes that he will fail to find a ghost and then can convince her workman to return, and if he does find a ghost, can he convince it to, you know, move on and out so she can get back to work.

I sat down to peruse a few chapters to see if I was interested and I was caught up in the story of Alda, and whether or not her house was haunted. Alda's a nice person. Her parents suck. As a young girl, she fell under the pretty spell of Alain, and his hot/cold romance antics left her desperate to please him. He abused her physically and mentally and the rumors that he spread about her still ruin her life long after his death. She also has her brother-in-law coming around and blackmailing her and mentally abusing her further. The ghost investigation takes up a portion of the story, but at least half is focused on the romance between Sam and Alda.

While the story itself was interesting, I have to confess my love (just like all the women in the book) for sweet Professor Sam Moore. Sam is the epitome of the absent-minded professor. He is brilliant and his mind goes many different directions at once, mostly on inventions or on Alda. If you read J.D. Robb's In Death series, he reminds me of a young Dennis Mira, adorable and flighty. He's like an adorable little puppy. All he wants is to study the ghost and spend time with Alda and invent more things. He doesn't care about the gossip and is frustrated because Alda won't let him into her life. At first, she is afraid. Alain and Sam are polar opposites and she knows this, but she was also fooled very badly by Alain. She is afraid to be vulnerable again to another man. Once she trust that Sam won't hurt her, Alda realizes that she doesn't want to drag him down with her, even if it hurts him, and he makes sad little puppy eyes at he

I loved the entire Moore family but unfortunately, there is no indication that we will be coming back to this family for more stories. I want more time with the Moores.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See more at EBookObsessed.com