The Widow of Rose House is that Gothic Romance that my heart is always longing to read. A Lush and atmospheric regency romance that will keep you on the edge and wanting more. Engaging and heart-pounding, a must read for romance readers.

I have to admit historical romance and ghost stories are my two favorite genres. It doesnt happen often that they are together, but when they are, I can't wait to read it! This book did not disappoint. This was a beautifully written romance. I loved everything about Sam. This character will be hard for me to forget. The ghost story was an added bonus. It was not at all scary but have the story a suspenseful element. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

well hot damn, this was AMAZING.

dianne biller, i need more. like, yesterday.

alva! love. simon! swoon. i want a simon of my very own. want to put him in my pocket. the side characters! can i be adopted into simon's family? thanks. the ending! my heart.

i started it one night when i really wasn't feeling historical, but this was well overdue and my friend assured me i would like it. i figured i'd start it and switch to something else if i wasn't loving it. instead, i read almost 60% in one sitting before i finally admitted defeat and went to sleep. it was so, so, so unputdownable.

i just.. words. i don't have them. why do i struggle to talk about books i loved? honestly, there isn't a single thing i would change about this book. it was sweet, adorable, funny, steamy, interesting, well written... i loved every single element.

i'm not kidding, i need more from this author STAT.

A wonderful set of characters, a steamy romance, and a thrilling ghost story all come together to make The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller an exciting story.

The best part of the book is the relationship between Alva and Sam, the two main characters. In this historical novel, Alva is a good woman with a bad reputation. Polite society wants nothing to do with her, and neither does her family. Alva, however, is too smart and sassy to live her life hidden away in shame. Instead, she tackles the renovation of a notorious haunted house. Sam, a world-renown inventor, visits the house to study the ghost and ends up falling for Alva instead. Together, they have wonderful chemistry. I enjoyed reading about how their relationship blossomed.

One thing that I didn't like as much, however, was that this book was more of a romance than a horror novel. I had picked it because I enjoy reading about ghosts and haunted houses, but I found these ideas weren't as prominent in the story as I would have liked. It wasn't that the book was bad, it was just not the scary story I'd been hoping for. I would have liked to read more detail about the ghost and less about the relationship between the lovers.

Biller is an excellent writer, and her book was well written. Although I wasn't as interested in the romance, I finished this book quickly. The story was tied up very well at the end, and the book itself was satisfying.

I am in charge of our Senior School library and am looking for a diverse array of new books to furnish their shelves with and inspire our young people to read a wider and more diverse range of books as they move through the senior school. It is hard sometimes to find books that will grab the attention of young people as their time is short and we are competing against technology and online entertainments.
This was a thought-provoking and well-written read that will appeal to our readers across the board. It had a really strong voice and a compelling narrative that I think would capture their attention and draw them in. It kept me engrossed and I think that it's so important that the books that we purchase for both our young people and our staff are appealing to as broad a range of readers as possible - as well as providing them with something a little 'different' that they might not have come across in school libraries before.
This was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely be purchasing a copy for school so that our young people can enjoy it for themselves. A satisfying and well-crafted read that I keep thinking about long after closing its final page - and that definitely makes it a must-buy for me!

CW: domestic violence (past but shown on page), discussion of how people with mental health issues were treated in the past

I absolutely adored this historical romance. It's set during the Gilded Age in New York and features Alva Webster, a widow with quite the scandalous (undeserved) reputation, and Professor Sam Moore, an eccentric and utterly lovable man. Alva bought a new home in Hyde Park and there are many ghost stories that have intrigued Professor Moore and he charmingly pesters Alva about letting him see the home, while also hoping to charm her into agreeing to be in a relationship with him. Alva's trust issues keep her from trusting Sam, but eventually, she realizes she's going to have to ask for his help with the ghost problem. And the story goes from there.

The writing of this book is absolutely gorgeous and I loved it so very much. Also, Sam is just... He's one of the best heroes I've ever read. Like, look at this quote:

"There was nothing to be done--he was in love with her, he always would be, and that was that. She was his person. If she was complicated, then he loved her complications too."

And that's just Sam. He's direct and blunt and utterly adorable. Alva is a great heroine in her own right. Her backstory contains a life of trauma, in truth, and watching her learn to trust herself and to navigate those issues is a really great and engaging journey. I am so very excited for the next companion book in this series because I absolutely adored my time with this book. I read it slowly because I liked popping in and out. There are so many fantastic lines in this book. I really just loved it so very much.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dani for providing me with copies of this book!

I went into this read blind (the cover drew me in) and I expected a creepy ghost story (which it delivered!) but wasn't expecting a steamy romance! Normally that's not my genre, but here, balanced with all the mysterious and evil elements, it totally worked for me. This book is unlike anything I've read recently and I strongly encourage others to pick it up!

Reviewed this 2-3 weeks ago at https://www.loletaabi.wordpress.com. Too soon to submit to Amazon. I couldn't quite connect with the characters. It seemed too much drama that her husband mysteriously returned from the dead to be his abusive self again. I was interested in the ghosts of the home but felt the drama going on elsewhere detracted from the whole.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and it won't be the last! I loved the characters and the paranormal element. Also, as a resident of Hyde Park, I thought the author did a great job describing the setting and recognized many landmarks mentioned in the book. The romance aspect could have been less detailed but overall a very engaging read!

The Widow of Rose House is excellent historical fiction with a dose of romance seasoned with a surprisingly plausible touch of the paranormal. Set in 1875, Alva Webster has returned to the United States in search of a fresh start after the horror and scandal of her marriage and divorce in Europe. But her efforts at rebuilding her life by restoring Liefdehuis mansion are stymied when the scandal follows her, and only the new on again, off again, friendship with inventor Sam Moore, who seems totally unaffected by her reputation, keeps her from being completely ostracized. At the same time, odd things begin to happen at Liefdehuis and Alva has difficulty keeping workers, and even she begins to have strange experiences. It is with Sam's assistance that the two finally discover the truth about the former inhabitants of the house, as well as themselves in the riveting conclusion.
Really excellent historical fiction with a fairly non-intrusive romance - it plays an important role, but doesn't take over the entire plot. There is already a good amount of tension from the incredible cold-shouldering Alva receives from society and her family, but the paranormal elements really ratchet it up. This is most definitely not a happy spirit (giving nothing away here). The limited role women were allowed to play is its usual frustrating reality, and how remarkably easy it was to shatter Alva's reputation. It was quite interesting to see the very beginnings of "Interior Decoration," in action and as a new concept, and Sam and his family of inventors are a pure delight. Recommended.
My copy was an ARC from NetGalley.

I loved this one so much. The characters, the story, the love scene. It’s was all what I want a romance novel to be. There are so many eye-rollingly awful ones out there that when you get to one as charming as the The Widow of Rose House, you don’t want to put it down. And I didn’t. I think I finished it in less than 48 hours. Thank you Diana Biller. I will definitely check out your others, and if you don’t have any others, please hurry up and write more. Romance needs you.

The Widow of Rose House was so interesting to read despite the fact that the blurb doesn't fit the book. The blurb makes it sound like this is a gothic type of book with a lot of ghost action when in fact it's kind of the opposite.

Alva Webster is such an interesting character, she is fierce and she won't take anyone's BS, she is really something else; she's in NY and in talks of publishing an interior design/renovation book and actually renovating a Hyde Park mansion. The house turns out to be haunted and she turns to Professor Samuel Moore for help. Sam was actually hilarious. From the first line, he was so funny, awkward and nerdy type of guy which was a delight to read about.

The story is supposed to be taking place in 1875 and while I am most certainly not the person to offer any opinion on historical accuracy, this did not read like a story set in 1875, the way Alva talked, the way she behaved, some of the things mentioned in the book seemed a bit out of place, Plus, it was more Romance with a bit of ghost-ing than a dark gothic-like story, either way, I liked it!

This is one of the best historical romances I've read this year. Clever dialog and a wonderfully unique story line. Much more than I expected!

RATING: 2 STARS
DNF @21%
2019; St. Martin's Griffin/St. Martin's Press
(Review Not on Blog)

As per usual, I am probably in the minority, but this book did not work for me. It was mostly because the main character, Alva. I just couldn't like her or the way she was to Sam. I did love Sam's family and for me they kept me reading longer than I might have. When I DNF this novel, they had just gotten to the ghost story and was starting to pick up a bit. I was going to keep going but then realized I just didn't care what happened in the story next. I would highly recommend you read other reviews and see if this is the book for you.

***I received an eARC from the PUBLISHER via NETGALLEY***

The Widow of Rose House ticked off several interests for me -- Gilded Age, gothic setting, historical fiction. This is a well written, engrossing novel. The setting and historical details are superb! I look forward to reading more by this author.

The Widow of Rose House was written by Diana Biller. I’m a big fan of historical romance; I don’t read very much of American historical romance, but the premise piqued my interest.

Alva Webster has returned to New York after living abroad, accompanied by her scandalous reputation. She intends to renovate a Hyde Park mansion, detailing the process in an interior design book full of photographs, an innovative and creative venture that hasn’t been done before.

But the workers have abandoned the project because they say the house is haunted.

And then this pesky scientist keeps popping up because he wants to study the ghosts.

Alva doesn’t want to rely on anybody but herself, but Samuel Moore is sweet and kind and very earnest.

I adore cinnamon roll heroes, and Samuel is a perfect example of this trope. He has a very strong physical presence, and a brilliant mind. He can be somewhat socially inept, but this comes off as charming rather than off-putting. He looks at the world and sees ways in which everyday life can be improved. He earnestly believes that ghosts are real, and he intends to prove it with his inventions.

Alva has endured far more than anyone should have to, and thanks to her inheritance, she doesn’t have to rely on anyone. She is reluctant to allow Samuel into her sphere, and the process of learning to trust and adapt is a satisfying arc. The reader is aware that she is harboring devastating secrets, and at times, her fear is almost palpable.

As for the ghosts- I shan’t say too much on the subject, other than that it fits in well with the larger themes of the book: redemption, acceptance, and acknowledgment of suffering.

I appreciated the worldbuilding. Gilded Age New York has been explored before, but I loved seeing it in new ways- the extended Moore family are all scientists, and they are famous for their numerous inventions. Samuel, of course, remains blissfully unaffected by his membership in a world-renowned family- yet another reason I loved seeing him as the romantic lead.

Speaking of which, the chemistry between Alva and Samuel develops slowly. Samuel remains very respectful of Alva’s boundaries in terms of a physical relationship. He does keep loitering about because he really really wants to see if the ghosts in the house are real, but he doesn’t make any attempts to cajole Alva into bed; he follows her lead.

I would recommend The Widow of Rose House. This book marks Biller’s debut, and I was utterly enchanted by this book. I loved the balance between the poignant and the humorous, the latter of which is a result of Samuel completely ignoring social mores in pursuit of science. I am certainly looking forward to reading more from Biller in the future.



I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Please excuse me while I fangirl so hard over this book! The cover alone threatened to send me into a swoon. It’s perfection and I love it so much.

I would have read the book for the cover alone, but the title—lord the title promised a perfect gothic romance which was exactly what I have been in the mood for lately!

When I cracked this one open, I couldn’t wait for the glory that was promised between the pages and what glory it was! Spoiler—I absolutely adored this book and can’t wait to read more by this author!

Summary
A young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age debut novel

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. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
While this book wasn’t necessarily a haunting, spooky ghost story, it does have a supernatural element which leads a little extra gothic feel to the book which is fantastic! I love gothic romances and this book had all the things I loved—-scandalous widow, crumbling castle, a haunting. It was so moody and for a romance novel, there was surprising depth and development with the characters. After I read Bringing Down the Duke, I wanted something with similar snappy dialogue but a little more moody and this book was absolutely both of those things.

I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t wait to read the entire thing cover to cover (which I almost did in one sitting mind you!). I loved Alva, I thought she had an interesting story arc and was an interesting match for Sam. But in this book it’s Sam who steals the show. Sam Moore and his family are an absolute hoot. I want to be part of this family in the worst way. I actually kind of hope the author makes this a series featuring the other family members and friends because the characters were quirky, funny, and just plain fun. I am not ready to say goodbye to them at all.

Sam made me laugh so hard so many times. His humor and charm won me over, which is so true to character. It’s not often that I find my romantic heroes sexy when they are odd, quirky, and funny. I find the dark mysterious type much more sexually appealing, but Sam Moore changed my mind on that front. He was believably sexy and I loved that he was intelligent and went against the grain of traditional sexy heroes. He will easily be one of my favorite romantic heroes for a long time to come.

This book is perfect for fans of gothic romances and solid historical romances that have substance and plot. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

Book Info and Rating
Kindle Edition, 346 pages
Published October 8th 2019 by St. Martin’s Griffin
ASIN B07PBKSKPQ
Review copy provided by personal collection, all opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 5 stars
Genre: historical romance, historical fiction, romance, gothic romance

A young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age romantic comedy debut
It’s 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected a stiff upper lip after three years of being denounced in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband. His sudden death now allows her to return to New York to make a fresh start. Her aim is restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, along with rebuilding her reputation and completing a home interior book at the same time.
Fresh starts aren’t as easy as they seem especially after Alva discovers stories of hauntings at Liefdehuis begin to reach her. Alva doesn’t believe in ghosts. However once 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 of course, turns him down flat! Alva doesn’t need any more complications in her life—especially not a handsome, convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam.
Alva is loath to admit it, but Sam is a pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, and he seems to be the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets hidden in 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 marvelous debut by Diana Biller. And you have to know I adore debut authors and their books! Absolutely loved Samuel Moore the brilliant and extremely amusing scientist and of course his boisterously brilliant family. Alva was being persecuted by her late husbands family and I loved how Sam was able to both put them in their places and make sure they would never have the audacity to bother Alva ever again.

Brilliant and highly recommended

I'm finally ready for some spooky reads, and what better way to start than with this fantastic debut? I was very happy to read this book since I love stories about haunted houses and I'm always happy to read historical romances, as we already know.

I felt so bad for Alva, guys. Her reputation is dust, all because people were more inclined to believe the lies of men than they were to listen to her side of the story. Her family wants nothing to do with her, people stare and whisper behind her back wherever she goes, and I was honestly shocked by her strength to keep her head up and not show how much the entire thing affected her. I wanted to slap her parents, especially her mother, so so much. We get tiny glimpses from the start about Alva's difficult, from childhood all the way up to her marriage, and it honestly made me mad. I loved the symbol of her buying an abandoned house with the intention of redesigning it and making it be as gorgeous as it could possibly be. It felt to me like Alva was pouring her need to rebuild her life on this house and on this project, and I really enjoyed that symbol. Her PTSD is pretty brutal, and I don't think I've ever read about a female character suffering from it up until now. I thought Ms. Biller did a wonderful job describing the various triggers and how it manifested for Alva. Alva is a strong woman that went through a lot, and her courage and willingness to move on, to make a life for herself is something I really respected and loved reading about.

Samuel Moore is an absolute darling. It's been a while since I read about a true nerdy hero and I very much enjoyed it. He is the kind of person that gets distracted very easily by anything shiny - or in his case anything relating to science and the understanding of the world. I loved how interested he was in trying to make life easier by using his inventions. A funny one was an invention that supposedly helped a person tie their shoelaces faster, and he even went as far as to ask Alva about her shoe wearing habits and made calculations based on that. It was a scene that satisfied my nerdy soul, guys. But Sam is so much more than just an awkward nerdy scientist. He was a loving man, the kind of man that Alva (and any person for that matter) needed. Again the symbolism comes back to the house. The house brought these two people together, Alva trying to rebuild it, Sam trying to find the ghost or ghosts haunting it and trying to understand them and their stories.

Speaking of the ghost... There were many stories surrounding this haunted house and I loved how it went from a serial killer, to a child, to a maid, to a homeless man trying to find shelter from the cold. I really loved that aspect of the novel, and it got me in the Halloween spirit. The book itself isn't as spooky as one might imagine based on the blurb, but it's still very appropriate for this time of year.

I really liked this story. I think it's a fantastic debut and I will keep my eye out for Biller's future books.

Summary from Goodreads:

"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."

My Thoughts:

The Widow of Rose House was everything that I love in a gothic romance! Why are authors not writing more books like this? I've always enjoyed books like this but they are from older authors like Barbara Michaels or Mary Stewart. I'm sure you can imagine my delight when I read this description and saw the words Victorian Gothic included....I've never hit the request button on NetGalley so fast! This book was everything that I hoped it would be and so much more! One of the things that made this book stand out for me was Samuel's character. I didn't even realize that I would love his character so much until I did. The way that his mind worked just was so fascinating to read about, and I couldn't help but adore him. The romance between Sam and Alva was also just so very delightful to read about. Alva has had a hard time in her life - her marriage was horrible and her parents aren't much better. On the other hand, Samuel's family was absolutely the best (please, please tell me that we are going to get more books featuring some of his siblings) so they had very different experiences. The struggles that Alva faced with trust and love all came from her past and previous experiences. It made the romance that was developing between her and Samuel all the sweeter though because of it. I was fully behind these two working through everything so that they could find their happy ever after together. I also really, really enjoyed the haunted house that Alva was trying to renovate. I'm a sucker for a haunted house especially when there are ghosts in the mix. I was so intrigued by those portions of the book and what exactly was going on. Fair warning though, this book was unexpectedly darker than I thought it would be at times. There are a few trigger warnings in here that readers may want to be made aware of (just leave me a comment or email if you want more details). The ending of this book was absolute perfection - I cannot get over the fact that this book is this author's debut!

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book so much and cannot recommend this book highly enough! I NEED more authors to dip their toes in the gothic romance waters for sure. I also need Diana Biller to keep writing books just like this because it was both amazing and delightful. This is honestly one of the top romances that I've read so far this year and I've already read some really great ones. Fans of Barbara Michaels and Mary Stewart - take note of this author and book! I would recommend this one to fans of romance, historical romance, and anyone who loves a great gothic read like I do. I will be just sitting over here impatiently waiting for whatever this author writes next now! Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: This book is everything that I wanted in a gothic romance without me even knowing it! Such a delight!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. Honest thoughts are my own.