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ers407's review
5.0
Straight to the all time favorites list. This is some of the most beautiful writing I’ve ever read. I devoured the style of it. It so perfectly captures the complexity of life and relationships. I couldn’t recommend more.
eusteph's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I was so sure I was giving this a 3.5 until the very end of the book.
First, I think if you like contemporary books/romance/the like this will be right up your alley. It's not the genre I usually go for hence why I didn't have a ton of faith going into it.
This is the first age-gap relationship I've read in a book where the woman is the older one and I loved how it was done. I could really put myself in Vincent's shoes and empathize with her even though I have never come remotely close to having a conundrum such as hers.
I really liked how this had an open ending and I've got my own theories as to what I think happened next.
First, I think if you like contemporary books/romance/the like this will be right up your alley. It's not the genre I usually go for hence why I didn't have a ton of faith going into it.
This is the first age-gap relationship I've read in a book where the woman is the older one and I loved how it was done. I could really put myself in Vincent's shoes and empathize with her even though I have never come remotely close to having a conundrum such as hers.
I really liked how this had an open ending and I've got my own theories as to what I think happened next.
missashleyann's review
5.0
Can a fiction inspire like a self-help book?
There are points in Half-Blown Rose that are magical. Those moments are inspiring yet tangible; bits of ah-ha and ponderous oh’s that are enjoyable, applicable and relevant for any age reader. I want to write my memories, I want to muse on weekly colors, I want weekly flowers and friend dinners; I want to live in Paris.
Maybe that last one isn’t as easily attainable as the rest.
The reasons I want to do these things are hidden in the lines of Leesa Cross-Smith’s unique storytelling. It is an organized stream of consciousness so the reader has few questions on backstory but doesn’t get lost in Vincent’s train of thought. I struggle with following scenes drawn out by inner monologue and that never happened with Cross-Smith at the helm; she always brought me back to the right moment so I never missed a thing. Side characters were thusly given the same depth and understanding as the strangers in our own lives versus cursory mentions to fill a plot hole. Mr and Mrs Laurent - one of the greatest love stories barely told! Paris was beautiful and full of character and characters that Cross-Smith effortlessly brought to life.
Vincent and her family are marvelous. Her friends are flawed and wonderful. Loup is too good to be true (perhaps the only flaw, and yet - maybe I’m just suspicious of all the goodness). Vincent is raw and empathetic and powerful and imperfectly human, and I am honored to have gone on this journey with her. I may never forgive you, Leesa Cross-Smith and I’m sure you know why!
I told my mom this book will be staying on the shelf. Treasured, dog eared and ready to be reread again when I need to feel inspired - the first non-fantasy keeper for me! I’ll recommend it, I’ll even buy it as a gift, but my copy will stay with me as comforting as pain au chocolat when I need it most.
There are points in Half-Blown Rose that are magical. Those moments are inspiring yet tangible; bits of ah-ha and ponderous oh’s that are enjoyable, applicable and relevant for any age reader. I want to write my memories, I want to muse on weekly colors, I want weekly flowers and friend dinners; I want to live in Paris.
Maybe that last one isn’t as easily attainable as the rest.
The reasons I want to do these things are hidden in the lines of Leesa Cross-Smith’s unique storytelling. It is an organized stream of consciousness so the reader has few questions on backstory but doesn’t get lost in Vincent’s train of thought. I struggle with following scenes drawn out by inner monologue and that never happened with Cross-Smith at the helm; she always brought me back to the right moment so I never missed a thing. Side characters were thusly given the same depth and understanding as the strangers in our own lives versus cursory mentions to fill a plot hole. Mr and Mrs Laurent - one of the greatest love stories barely told! Paris was beautiful and full of character and characters that Cross-Smith effortlessly brought to life.
Vincent and her family are marvelous. Her friends are flawed and wonderful. Loup is too good to be true (perhaps the only flaw, and yet - maybe I’m just suspicious of all the goodness). Vincent is raw and empathetic and powerful and imperfectly human, and I am honored to have gone on this journey with her. I may never forgive you, Leesa Cross-Smith and I’m sure you know why!
I told my mom this book will be staying on the shelf. Treasured, dog eared and ready to be reread again when I need to feel inspired - the first non-fantasy keeper for me! I’ll recommend it, I’ll even buy it as a gift, but my copy will stay with me as comforting as pain au chocolat when I need it most.
readingintheether's review
5.0
The beauty of this book was that it was a relatively simple story, but Leesa Cross-Smith made it feel so big. I wish there was more. I wish I could see 10 years into the future of these characters lives and know more.
kenziemick's review
3.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this style of writing (a mix of narration, journal entries, playlists, script writing, etc.) though the pacing was incredibly slow. I’m not used to a story that’s so drawn out; however, we got to know the characters well, which built the tension and complexity of the story.
Thinking about how Vincent was going to ✨make a decision✨ was causing me heart palpitations and nausea lol. I found myself loving her as a character and also really disliking her (part of that complexity, eh!). The husband and lover are both sweet in their own endearing ways.
If you’re hoping for/expecting a clear ending, don’t! This is about as open-ended as it gets. I think I’ll understand my full thoughts about this book after discussing it with other folks… definitely a solid 3-3.5 star read!
Thinking about how Vincent was going to ✨make a decision✨ was causing me heart palpitations and nausea lol. I found myself loving her as a character and also really disliking her (part of that complexity, eh!). The husband and lover are both sweet in their own endearing ways.
If you’re hoping for/expecting a clear ending, don’t! This is about as open-ended as it gets. I think I’ll understand my full thoughts about this book after discussing it with other folks… definitely a solid 3-3.5 star read!
sunshine608's review
3.0
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I liked Vincent but I just couldn't get into Loup. I enjoyed the parts of Vincent's past, her marriage to Cillian and her life in Paris, but with scenes where Loup was, I glossed over them. I think part of the disconnect is that I misread the synopsis and thought the wild affair was with Cillian. Anyway, I enjoy some aspects of the book. I did not like the ending. Why such a cliffhanger I would have liked less of Loup and Vincenet and more of what was to come after the last page.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
I really really liked the author's last book, This close to okay, but unfortunately I found this newest novel way too slow-moving to keep my interest! Told from the perspective of Vincent, a mid-40s woman grappling with secrets that were revealed in her husband's latest book. Not sure if she can forgive him for not telling her about a child he fathered as a teen before leaving Ireland, Vincent is taking time away in Paris to regroup. While there she gets embroiled in an affair with a much younger French man, Loup, and has to decide if she wants to reconcile with her husband or see what might happen with Loup. Very character driven, this book might appeal to fans of The idea of you or The perfect find. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC in exchange for an honest review!
mmardybum's review against another edition
um, excuse me but... where's the rest of the book??
ketevanreads's review
4.0
I'm a huge fan of Cross-Smith and was hesitant to read this because, based on reviews, I thought this was a romance set in Paris, two things I generally avoid. While it is set in Paris (see below for my thoughts on how American writers just can't depict Parisian life accurately), it is NOT a romance. This is a romance like Doctor Zhivago and Lady Chatterley's Lover are romance.
For me, it's straight-up literary fiction with a bold feminist twist--so much so that I found it to be almost *too* obvious!-- but I guess that was a tough line for Cross-Smith to tread because I can see from the reviews here that it went over many heads.
We have an endless number of male-authored books featuring our male protagonist in a transitional space who processes by having sex with lots of women or lots of sex with one woman. Cross-Smith wrote that book, but with a female protagonist. Come on, she even gave her a man's name--was that not flashbulbs for everyone else? Oh and she's wealthy and Black, because why not inject some Black joy into the world? Some reviewers seem unhappy with that choice, but I found it extraordinarily intentional and successful.
A couple of other corrections to the many reviews stating otherwise: This is not an affair, our protagonist has very clearly left her husband. She ends the relationship, moves to a different continent for a year. I mean, sure they're still legally married, but it didn't occur to me once that this was an extra-marital affair until I read reviews expressing their discomfort over this (LOL). Second, the ending is clear as day. Sure, Cross-Smith doesn't literally spell it out for you, but like...reread the last few pages and it's obvious? So if either of those things concern you, don't worry about it.
As for writing Paris well, that's where this fell short. Although the French was largely accurate and lots of details were spot-on, there will always be some funny gaps that you'd never notice unless you were French or lived in France.
Realistic:
-American living in Paris buying their bread and produce from Franprix.
Getting catcalled because your coat covers your dress.
-Protagonist and her lover wait a very long time to say that they love each other. Not culturally accurate, but realistic portrayal based on the context.
Unrealistic:
-French people switch to franglais around Americans. LOL no.
-American protagonist befriends French woman and they are casually saying I love you to each other within months. Yes, even though they became BFFs in that timeframe, which is also unrealistic.
-Throuple/triad show up to a party and no one bats an eye. Perhaps this might be more realistic in The Arts crowd, but in general French people are VERY conservative in this regard.
-Protaganist calls out sick from teaching a class because of her period and is told nbd, get well.
-Most baffling: French lover says s’il vous plaît to protagonist? Why so formal, Loup??
For me, it's straight-up literary fiction with a bold feminist twist--so much so that I found it to be almost *too* obvious!-- but I guess that was a tough line for Cross-Smith to tread because I can see from the reviews here that it went over many heads.
We have an endless number of male-authored books featuring our male protagonist in a transitional space who processes by having sex with lots of women or lots of sex with one woman. Cross-Smith wrote that book, but with a female protagonist. Come on, she even gave her a man's name--was that not flashbulbs for everyone else? Oh and she's wealthy and Black, because why not inject some Black joy into the world? Some reviewers seem unhappy with that choice, but I found it extraordinarily intentional and successful.
A couple of other corrections to the many reviews stating otherwise: This is not an affair, our protagonist has very clearly left her husband. She ends the relationship, moves to a different continent for a year. I mean, sure they're still legally married, but it didn't occur to me once that this was an extra-marital affair until I read reviews expressing their discomfort over this (LOL). Second, the ending is clear as day. Sure, Cross-Smith doesn't literally spell it out for you, but like...reread the last few pages and it's obvious? So if either of those things concern you, don't worry about it.
As for writing Paris well, that's where this fell short. Although the French was largely accurate and lots of details were spot-on, there will always be some funny gaps that you'd never notice unless you were French or lived in France.
Realistic:
-American living in Paris buying their bread and produce from Franprix.
Getting catcalled because your coat covers your dress.
-Protagonist and her lover wait a very long time to say that they love each other. Not culturally accurate, but realistic portrayal based on the context.
Unrealistic:
-French people switch to franglais around Americans. LOL no.
-American protagonist befriends French woman and they are casually saying I love you to each other within months. Yes, even though they became BFFs in that timeframe, which is also unrealistic.
-Throuple/triad show up to a party and no one bats an eye. Perhaps this might be more realistic in The Arts crowd, but in general French people are VERY conservative in this regard.
-Protaganist calls out sick from teaching a class because of her period and is told nbd, get well.
-Most baffling: French lover says s’il vous plaît to protagonist? Why so formal, Loup??
asha_reads's review
3.0
Half-Blown Rose is a contemporary romance novel that takes place in Paris. This romance explores messy relationships, secrets, choices, and art. I loved the plot of this book. I also loved the way that the author sprinkles in music playlists, letters, and emails which worked well with the story. I also liked the writing style as well. I felt that the open ending worked for this particular book. The biggest issue I had with this story is the pacing. It’s way too drawn out and there were a few times where I tuned out. I also wasn’t a fan of the audiobook. Lastly, I found both of the audiobook narrators to be unlikable and liked reading the physical book more. Overall, I had mixed feelings about this book and it was 3 stars for me, but ultimately I don’t think it was for me.