The Tea Rose is an exceptional historical fiction with a dose of romance. It is the first in a trilogy and I highly recommend that you read all three.
SUMMARY
In 1888, Fiona Finnegan and Joe Bristow hoard shillings and pennies so
that they can marry and open a shop. But Jack the Ripper stalks the
streets of London's East End, and poverty threatens from the shadows.
Setting the story in motion is the murder of Fiona's father, a dock
worker whose union activities angered his tea-company boss. Fiona and
her younger brother must flee to New York City to avoid their own
murders. Through hard work and luck, Fiona and her beloved Joe prosper
on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Misunderstandings and mistakes keep
them apart as they build separate lives and incredible fortunes.
Children's book writer Donnelly effortlessly takes her narrative through
slums and high society while intertwining a number of subplots without
tangling them. Both major and minor characters capture and hold interest
and sympathy. Although the number of Fiona and Joe's near encounters
stretches the imagination, readers will forgive the tease once the
lovers' reunion and Fiona's revenge for her father's death converge in
an action-packed ending.
