A number of elements here that I don't especially love. Psychics are hard to pull off in a novel, especially when it isn't the protagonist who has the ability. The book would work better if we didn't have the modern character framework.

This sounded pretty interesting but I'm not sure I am the best audience for Historical Fiction. That's something I am discovering so please take this review with a grain of salt. It was fine. Not the best, but not the worst. I think if the premise interests you then you should definitely check it out!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I was intrigued by the fact that this book's plot involved the Titanic. Well about half of it does. The story takes place in part in 2010 when a girl named Taylor goes to Oxford for a summer program. There she meets an old woman who invites her to her home, Meadowbrook Manor for a visit. She has something to tell her about her father. Taylor's father has passed away and left a hint of past that could destroy his reputation within his family. But the old woman dies before she can reveal the secret and Taylor is left with a diary. So the other half of this book is the story of Ava, a weathy teenage girl who takes a voyage on the Titanic with her father. There is some secret society mystery afoot on the ship and it will all tie into Taylor's story nearly 100 years later. This book was enjoyable. I especially liked the scenes on the Titanic where Ava would run into real figures and events from the tragedy. I thought that a good attention to detail was paid to these portions of the book. I did not care much for the secret society pieces. They just never felt important to me. Even when the ship was actively sinking, Ava's concern felt more geared toward the secret society. Still I'm glad to have read this book and I'm sure other YA readers will enjoy it.

I have been sleeping on The Poppy and the Rose because I wasn't sure I'd like it. I knew it was a historical, and I usually try to stay away from them when I can. However, it kept popping up in my list and I couldn't resist. I felt like it might've been a DNF, but I am so glad that I kept reading because I was hooked.

My 11-year-old has been learning about the Titanic in school, so that has reignited an obsession with all things Titanic so this was fulfilling in that regard. It's not a Titanic retelling, it just takes a lot of what we know about how the vessel hit the iceberg and how everyone was piled onto the life boats, etc. So if you're expecting a retelling, you're really not going to get it here.

With that said, there is alternating points of view. Ava's in 1912 on the Titanic, and Taylor is 2010 in the home of wealthy woman and doesn't know why this woman is interested in her. Taylor finds a diary of Ava's and we recount her life through Taylor's reading.

I, personally, wasn't too entirely interested in Taylor's point of view. I was invested in finding out the truth for her, even though I pretty much figured it out -- to some extent -- before the big reveal. I think that's why I was mostly interested in Ava. There was so much to uncover with her. There's spying, adultery, the sinking of the Titanic itself, and so many secrets.

If you're interested in family drama and mystery, with a dash of romance, and all the historical fiction . . . then you'll love this. Don't do what I did and sleep on it.

Somehow this book just did not hold my attention enough to go further than the first few pages. Couldn't finish it.

"Solitude has soft, silky hands, but with strong fingers it grasps the heart and makes it ache with sorrow." This book has many lines as powerful as this.

Being the Titanic lover that I am, I couldn't resist the urge to request this title. Ava and Taylor’s stories, for me, were of two different calibers. Ava’s story aboard the Titanic was the most compelling, and it’s difficult for it not to be with our modern-day obsession with the ill-fated voyage. Truthfully, I wish that this had just been Ava’s story, as it would have made for a stronger read overall. I do still recommend this book, if only for Ava’s story of adventure and mystery aboard the Titanic! I love how the story is told from the past to the present and how little by little the truth is unraveled and the connection of the characters is slowly revealed.

What a lovely historical fiction novel! I am usually a bit wary about reading books regarding the Titanic because I know it will be a heart wrencher, but the synopsis was so intriguing! I thoroughly enjoyed the multi-perspective approach to the narrations; moreover, the two timelines weaved together quite nicely. Ava is a fantastic character! The intertwining of history, psychology, conspiracy...it was so well done!

There were some elements that seemed randomly placed. For example, Tay's roommate Dalia comes in at one point and just magically seemed to know certain things. In addition, the sinking of the Titanic seemed a bit rushed. Despite that, the scene that followed the devastation of the Titanic sinking seemed a bit comical after following a scene so traumatic.

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I’ve been obsessed with the Titanic for as long as I can remember so I jumped at the chance to read and review this book. The Poppy and the Rose has all the things i love. Mystery, history and family driven stories. It was a great read, I recommend picking it up!

A dual timeline historical fiction story revolving around the Titanic with a mystery about a photograph, family secrets, and a touch of romance. A perfect read for Fall.

I was really excited for this. A Titanic mystery with some mystical timelines? Sign me up! After reading.... this book just fell really flat, especially because of how many expectations I put into it. The timelines were often times hard to tell apart because the main characters are very similar in voice. The mystery at the story's core was not very complicated, and the resolution did not feel fulfilling. There were almost too many threads going on and none of them were strong enough to carry the book.

I love Titanic so when I saw this book I immediately jumped to request it! I love that this was a dual timeline and loved learning how the characters were intertwined!

Interestingly written with the dual timelines. Each girls story was well connected to the other. The historical mystery kept you guessing!

My favourite thing about this book was the duo timelines. We followed Taylor in modern-day London and Ava who is aboard the Titanic. The imagery was all so beautiful and I loved exploring a well-known part of history. If you're a fan of the Titanic, I would definitely recommend this! Taylor's story honestly wasn't that interesting, but Ava's was intriguing and made the book worthwhile.

Taylor has just landed in England where she is attending a summer program at Oxford University. But she has also traveled here because she needs to know why she has found a picture of her dead Dad looking really cozy with a woman who isn't his wife. England will hold all the answers, as well as some more questions. Ava is about to board the Titanic, sailing a world away from her life to start fresh. Ava is anticipating a dull voyage until she is approached by a stranger who asks her to spy on a suspicious passenger. When Ava uncovers more questions than answers, she unknowingly stumbles upon a secret that has the power to change the fate of the whole world.

The mystery in this book is fantastic! You get so wrapped up in Ava's world and mysteries only to be brought back to Taylor who is also learning Ava's story, and just as curious about what happens to her as the reader is. Taylor is wrapped up in Ava's mystery while trying to connect it to her own. Since we all know how Ava's voyage will end, it adds an element of suspense and urgency, not sure if the answers will come before the iceberg! In the end, it did feel like some of the mysteries fell a little flat, but I don't know if anything much more exciting would have made sense.

Ava and Taylor were both characters that you could really understand. They had clear motives and flaws that really made you feel like you were on this journey with them, not just watching it happen to them. Ava was an instant favorite because of the elegance and self-assured attitude that was able to take her where she needed to go. I had my doubts about Taylor, but she was able to win me over in the end.

(actual rating: 3.5/5)

'The Poppy and the Rose' presents an interesting tale that is bound to interest most YA readers: mystery on the Titanic, family secrets, and a dash of romance. The story is told through two parallel timelines; Ava Knight, an aspiring photographer on the Titanic with her father, and Taylor Romano, who's just arrived in Oxford and is looking for the key to her father's past.

What follows is an interesting historical mystery with different characters and some unexpected twists, all of which made for an enjoyable reading experience.

I think that of the two timelines, I was much more interested and invested in Ava's. The writing was atmospheric, in a way that made you feel that you were there on the Titanic with her. There were some info-dumps, especially in the beginning, which made it a little difficult to get into.

Taylor's perspective felt more like a way to tell Ava's story, without actually making the entire book about just Ava. While I really liked the concept of the dual timelines, I think that there should have been more detail about her story, rather than just the bare minimum, because it didn't explain some of her actions, as well as the eagerness she had to learn more about Ava.

The plot twists at the end, however, really made the whole book worth it all. It was interesting to see how the timelines converged, but also how a certain plot twist really put all the little details from earlier in the story together.

Overall, I think that my expectations might have simply been too high for this book. While I do think that it had an excellent concept, I think that it needed some more work, as well as some important details from Taylor's side of the story to make it more cohesive. That being said, this book definitely made for a relatively quick and enjoyable read, and I would recommend this book for others if you're looking for exactly that sort of mystery novel.

This story was a very interesting take on the Titanic! The blend between YA mystery and historical fiction was done really well, and I enjoyed following the perspectives of both Ava and Taylor throughout the story. The writing style was beautiful yet still easy to follow, so I will be interested to check out more by this author.

I was expecting more of an intriguing read, but I wasn't able to finish this because everytime I picked it up, I didn't want to listen to Taylor's POV. It was really hard for me to get past even the first few chapters because her character was rather bland overall and the time jump was weird to me. If it had just been one POV I might have liked this better, but with both of them it just didn't work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an e-arc of this book.

I am a sucker for anything involving the Titanic, but when you add in a mystery, secret societies, and a hint of paranormal, I know I'm going to be in for a treat.

The Poppy and The Rose by Ashlee Cowles follows two timelines. In 1912, Ava Knight and her father are traveling across the Atlantic Ocean on the new luxury liner, Titanic, While on the ship, Ava becomes involved in a plot to stop an evil organization from bringing about the destruction of millions of lives. In 2010, Taylor Romano arrives in Oxford for a summer journalism program and becomes embroiled in the mystery of an old heiress' death. Taylor uncovers Ava's journal and works to figure out how Ava's story is connected to her own history.

I really enjoyed the dual timelines in this book. Usually dual timelines are hit or miss, but this one done really well. We are slowly learning information in both timelines and can work to try to solve the mystery as we go back and forth. Ava's timeline was a little more interesting at the start, since being set on the Titanic is what initially drew me to the book. But slowly, I began to get more intrigued with Taylors timeline as we try to figure out the connection between the two. The ending was a little predictable, but overall, the book was enjoyable and well written.

The cover is also stunningly illustrated.