Scan barcode
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
2.5/5
I wanted so much more from this book, I loved the two main characters but if they were given a 100 pages more I feel like it could have been a little better. The story obviously was set around Ava but I feel like Taylor got pushed aside.
I wanted so much more from this book, I loved the two main characters but if they were given a 100 pages more I feel like it could have been a little better. The story obviously was set around Ava but I feel like Taylor got pushed aside.
madamelame's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ameserole's review against another edition
3.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ever since I saw The Poppy & the Rose was a book that really intrigued me. Mostly because of the cover and the title but once I read the synopsis - I was basically hooked and wanted to dive into the book.
In it, you will meet Ava and Taylor. They are living in different timelines and have pretty different lives. Sometimes the dual timelines works for me but this one seemed a bit odd because nothing was really meshing with me. I mean, the characters themselves were pretty interesting and entertaining at times. Plus getting to see someone on the actual Titanic is pretty cool. Yet, these two didn't have much in common so it was hard to connect with them at times.
Out of the two, I actually enjoyed Ava's parts a lot more than Taylor's. It wasn't hard to fall for her parts because of knowing the Titanic pretty well. At one point, Taylor does become a bit more interesting than she originally was but that was near the ending of the book. So long story short, her parts definitely dragged for me and I found myself just wanting to skim them at times.
In the end, it was still an interesting book but it would have been nice to have both parts being equally intriguing and entertaining for me.
Ever since I saw The Poppy & the Rose was a book that really intrigued me. Mostly because of the cover and the title but once I read the synopsis - I was basically hooked and wanted to dive into the book.
In it, you will meet Ava and Taylor. They are living in different timelines and have pretty different lives. Sometimes the dual timelines works for me but this one seemed a bit odd because nothing was really meshing with me. I mean, the characters themselves were pretty interesting and entertaining at times. Plus getting to see someone on the actual Titanic is pretty cool. Yet, these two didn't have much in common so it was hard to connect with them at times.
Out of the two, I actually enjoyed Ava's parts a lot more than Taylor's. It wasn't hard to fall for her parts because of knowing the Titanic pretty well. At one point, Taylor does become a bit more interesting than she originally was but that was near the ending of the book. So long story short, her parts definitely dragged for me and I found myself just wanting to skim them at times.
In the end, it was still an interesting book but it would have been nice to have both parts being equally intriguing and entertaining for me.
aprilslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Unique storytelling and I always find books about the Titanic fascinating! I really enjoyed the characters in this one and how the story unfolded for the reader as it unfolded for the characters who were also reading along with the memoir. I thought everything wrapped up well in the end and it took some twists I wasn’t expecting!
ruxandra_grr's review against another edition
2.0
If anything, I really admire what Ashlee Cowles tried to do with The Poppy and the Rose. There are a lot of promising elements here – we follow two main characters, whose journeys are mirrored and echoed in two different timelines – but there is such a thing as way too many promising elements.
Taylor is a teenage girl who gets a spot in a journalism summer program at Oxford in out own time. But she is also there to maybe sneakily find out more about a photograph in which the father she is still grieving is holding a mystery woman. But, for someone who wants to be an investigative journalist, she doesn’t really have to do much investigating, because she is approached by the driver of a mysterious Lady Mae Knight right as she gets to her Oxford lodgings.
Through a series of events, Taylor ends up reading the journal of Ava, a privileged young woman who writes an account of her transatlantic journey on the Titanic.
This seems simple enough, but there are way too many elements at play in the novel that don’t really coalesce into a focused story and I’m not going to give details about them, just enumerate. We have a society of psychics, we have an assortment of real life Titanic characters, we have two blooming romances, two mothers who are apparently mentally unstable (and rather judged for it), namedropping of Freud and Jung in a pretty awkward way. Then there are two father suspected of cheating on their wives, a gothic manor, a Miss Havisham like mysterious old woman, not one but two whodunnits that aren’t investigated all that much, grand foreshadowing of World War I, and a Serbian plot to… maybe bring about a communist utopia? Which yeah, historically speaking didn’t turn out so well in Eastern Europe, but also is treated a bit strange in the context of what we are living right now in 2020.
“But if you fail, Lady Ava, I cannot protect you from the coming clash that is sure to dismantle Europe’s class system, once and for all,” says one of the characters, ominously and not at all subtly.
Then there’s stuff about freewriting and the occult, Glastonbury Abbey, curses on the males of a family, treasure hunts, and a very intriguing concept called vesica pisces, which as a Pisces I feel morally obligated to research further.
I feel like all of the details present don’t manage to recreate the texture of a significant historical event – the sinking of the Titanic and the era it took place in -, but quite the opposite, they seem like references being ticked off a list. And the kind of hindsight wink wink jokes peppered all over the 1912 timeline. There was one that made me groan, about little dogs that belong to wealthy women and how “Soon they’ll be carting them around in specialty-made handbags”.
But time and time again, when I read, there is one thing that makes or breaks a book for me, and that’s compelling characters. If they were vivid enough to ground all of the disparate elements that make up the book, then I would shut my yapping and be very into it. Unfortunately, for me, neither Taylor, nor Ava works as a lived in, breathing, of course she would do that character. For much of the book, things seem to just happen to them. And I’m not going to say anything else, because I don’t want to spoil anybody, but there is not much agency or spark there.
**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC (yay, my first ARC) for an honest review**
Taylor is a teenage girl who gets a spot in a journalism summer program at Oxford in out own time. But she is also there to maybe sneakily find out more about a photograph in which the father she is still grieving is holding a mystery woman. But, for someone who wants to be an investigative journalist, she doesn’t really have to do much investigating, because she is approached by the driver of a mysterious Lady Mae Knight right as she gets to her Oxford lodgings.
Through a series of events, Taylor ends up reading the journal of Ava, a privileged young woman who writes an account of her transatlantic journey on the Titanic.
This seems simple enough, but there are way too many elements at play in the novel that don’t really coalesce into a focused story and I’m not going to give details about them, just enumerate. We have a society of psychics, we have an assortment of real life Titanic characters, we have two blooming romances, two mothers who are apparently mentally unstable (and rather judged for it), namedropping of Freud and Jung in a pretty awkward way. Then there are two father suspected of cheating on their wives, a gothic manor, a Miss Havisham like mysterious old woman, not one but two whodunnits that aren’t investigated all that much, grand foreshadowing of World War I, and a Serbian plot to… maybe bring about a communist utopia? Which yeah, historically speaking didn’t turn out so well in Eastern Europe, but also is treated a bit strange in the context of what we are living right now in 2020.
“But if you fail, Lady Ava, I cannot protect you from the coming clash that is sure to dismantle Europe’s class system, once and for all,” says one of the characters, ominously and not at all subtly.
Then there’s stuff about freewriting and the occult, Glastonbury Abbey, curses on the males of a family, treasure hunts, and a very intriguing concept called vesica pisces, which as a Pisces I feel morally obligated to research further.
I feel like all of the details present don’t manage to recreate the texture of a significant historical event – the sinking of the Titanic and the era it took place in -, but quite the opposite, they seem like references being ticked off a list. And the kind of hindsight wink wink jokes peppered all over the 1912 timeline. There was one that made me groan, about little dogs that belong to wealthy women and how “Soon they’ll be carting them around in specialty-made handbags”.
But time and time again, when I read, there is one thing that makes or breaks a book for me, and that’s compelling characters. If they were vivid enough to ground all of the disparate elements that make up the book, then I would shut my yapping and be very into it. Unfortunately, for me, neither Taylor, nor Ava works as a lived in, breathing, of course she would do that character. For much of the book, things seem to just happen to them. And I’m not going to say anything else, because I don’t want to spoil anybody, but there is not much agency or spark there.
**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC (yay, my first ARC) for an honest review**
bookishteresa's review against another edition
3.0
I was given an ARC copy from NetGalley.
The Poppy and the Rose has a really interesting premise that I like -- weaving the story of Ava, a passenger on the Titanic, and Taylor, who is in the present. I love the historical factors in the story. The book reads very fast and I really enjoyed the flashbacks. The dual POV worked really well for the story to push the story along with Ava's story being read in a book by Taylor. They are both unfolding a mystery around their respective fathers and family histories. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I would have liked more of Taylor's story.
The Poppy and the Rose has a really interesting premise that I like -- weaving the story of Ava, a passenger on the Titanic, and Taylor, who is in the present. I love the historical factors in the story. The book reads very fast and I really enjoyed the flashbacks. The dual POV worked really well for the story to push the story along with Ava's story being read in a book by Taylor. They are both unfolding a mystery around their respective fathers and family histories. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I would have liked more of Taylor's story.
jlynnreadsandwrites's review against another edition
3.0
I was provided an ARC for this book through NetGalley.
This was a fun, light read with an interesting family mystery at the center.
Taylor doesn't know what to think when Lady Knight pops into her life unexpectedly. In Oxford for a summer program, Taylor has never heard of Lady Knight or Meadowbrook Manor. When the old woman says she has answers to Taylor's family history and knows information about Taylor's dead father, Taylor finds it hard to resist. When she arrives at Meadowbrook Manor, however, Lady Knight had died leaving Taylor without the promised answers. Inside the manor, Taylor discovers the memoir of Lady Ava Knight whose fascinating memories of sailing on and surviving the Titanic keeps Taylor enthralled. As Ava's family secrets are revealed, eventually so are Taylor's.
Ava is a young woman with aspirations of being a photographer in a world that is not ready for her ambition. She finds herself caught between an imposing soldier and the strange, otherworldly woman he's asked Ava to spy on for him. In return, the soldier will help cure Ava's ill mother. But nothing is as it seems and Ava is left untangling a complicated web.
I really enjoyed reading Ava's story. As a lover of historical fiction, I enjoyed reading another perspective of what a journey on the Titanic may have been like. Ava moves between being a spoiled, entitled rich young woman who is proud but still naïve and a strong, determined person who wants to be seen and heard. This helped to ground her character and felt reflective of how teenagers actually are.
I found it difficult to be as invested in Taylor's story as I was in Ava's. I wanted more about Taylor's past in order to ground me in her emotions and perspectives. Her character felt surface-level. At times, her voice was inconsistent. Some moments the sentences from her perspective felt too flowery and inconsistent with the first-person narrative. As the story continued, I found myself invested in the mystery of the story more than Taylor herself. Some of the plotline felt a little far-fetched and convenient. And Taylor's romance felt unnecessary to me and lacked build-up.
Overall, I did enjoy the storyline and enfolding mystery. If you enjoy lighter, quicker reads with interesting family mysteries or stories that mix the past and present I would recommend this book for you.
This was a fun, light read with an interesting family mystery at the center.
Taylor doesn't know what to think when Lady Knight pops into her life unexpectedly. In Oxford for a summer program, Taylor has never heard of Lady Knight or Meadowbrook Manor. When the old woman says she has answers to Taylor's family history and knows information about Taylor's dead father, Taylor finds it hard to resist. When she arrives at Meadowbrook Manor, however, Lady Knight had died leaving Taylor without the promised answers. Inside the manor, Taylor discovers the memoir of Lady Ava Knight whose fascinating memories of sailing on and surviving the Titanic keeps Taylor enthralled. As Ava's family secrets are revealed, eventually so are Taylor's.
Ava is a young woman with aspirations of being a photographer in a world that is not ready for her ambition. She finds herself caught between an imposing soldier and the strange, otherworldly woman he's asked Ava to spy on for him. In return, the soldier will help cure Ava's ill mother. But nothing is as it seems and Ava is left untangling a complicated web.
I really enjoyed reading Ava's story. As a lover of historical fiction, I enjoyed reading another perspective of what a journey on the Titanic may have been like. Ava moves between being a spoiled, entitled rich young woman who is proud but still naïve and a strong, determined person who wants to be seen and heard. This helped to ground her character and felt reflective of how teenagers actually are.
I found it difficult to be as invested in Taylor's story as I was in Ava's. I wanted more about Taylor's past in order to ground me in her emotions and perspectives. Her character felt surface-level. At times, her voice was inconsistent. Some moments the sentences from her perspective felt too flowery and inconsistent with the first-person narrative. As the story continued, I found myself invested in the mystery of the story more than Taylor herself. Some of the plotline felt a little far-fetched and convenient. And Taylor's romance felt unnecessary to me and lacked build-up.
Overall, I did enjoy the storyline and enfolding mystery. If you enjoy lighter, quicker reads with interesting family mysteries or stories that mix the past and present I would recommend this book for you.
whitreadslit's review against another edition
3.0
*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
If I see that a book revolves around the Titanic, I am pretty much immediately on board. In addition to the absolutely beautiful cover, the plot synopsis was what drew me to this book. I have been a giant Titanic nerd since I was a very young child (before the movie came out, by the way. I am a Titanic nerd of the highest order
If I see that a book revolves around the Titanic, I am pretty much immediately on board. In addition to the absolutely beautiful cover, the plot synopsis was what drew me to this book. I have been a giant Titanic nerd since I was a very young child (before the movie came out, by the way. I am a Titanic nerd of the highest order
rdyourbookcase's review against another edition
3.0
The Poppy and the Rose had a lot going on - but it was all fun, interesting stuff. Murders and psychics and affairs, oh my! I enjoyed it, but the writing itself wasn't super engaging. I found my mind drifting and then I'd miss something important and have to go back and reread. Still, a good story, though.
belellcollins's review against another edition
5.0
The Poppy and the Rose is part historical novel, part thriller, and part modern-day family drama. How all three of these things intersect was the part I liked the most about the book. Moving back and forth from Ava's story abord the Titantic in 1912 and Taylor's modern day efforts to uncover her father's secrets was moving and well blended. I spent the entire book trying to figure out what was happening but the characters were smart and adventurous and made dumb choices, but they felt real and their heartbreaks hit me harder than I expected. I genuinely wanted more story when it ended and while the ending was resolved I still wanted more. My only complaint is that there were parts of the 1912 story that felt impossible and ridiculous, but the twists definitely made it entertaining.