I was first intrigued by the beautiful cover of The Poppy and the Rose. This story follows two story lines, one in present day and one starting in 1912. I highly recommend this wonderful book. I don't usually like historical books, but the combination of history with a present day story line was very well done..

I have always been intrigued by the Titanic and how everything that happened was kind of the perfect storm. When I saw this book was a duel POV Titanic mystery novel I had to pick it up. I was kept on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was drawn in by the accurate portrayal of the families and the high society aboard the Titanic and Taylor's need to know more about Ava really drove the book onward. I enjoyed seeing the similarities in both Taylor's and Ava's lives and how they intertwined at the end in such an unpredictable way.

An intriguing blend of two mysteries of different eras featuring the paranormal, family drama, and a little bit of romance, The Poppy and the Rose does not disappoint. Taylor Romano, an American journalism student in the Oxford summer program finds herself in the middle of mystery that keeps getting bigger at every turn. The Poppy and the Rose features genuinely surprising twists I never saw coming, making it uniquely thrilling.

this is my very first time reading a book by this author, and i have to say -- ashlee cowles certainly didn't disappoint !

i liked the way she linked the past and present narrative together, and some of the sentences in ava's narrative were so beautiful, so moving, that i found myself reading some of them over and over again.

as the author has mentioned in the author's note at the end, some of the characters were inspired by real people who were aboard the titanic that fateful night. i think that's one of the things that appeals to me about this book -- it gives us a connection to people who actually lost their lives in reality as well. you realise that the people aboard the titanic ( in the book and real life ) weren't just spoilt, rich people but that there were others who were denied a chance at life due to their relatively lower class. you realise that the people who lost their lives that night weren't just a nameless, faceless swathe of humanity, but individuals with their own lives, hobbies, eccentricities, mannerisms, philosophies.

i really do appreciate this book and while the manner of linking both the past and present was deft enough, i also do think taylor's narrative was rather redundant. for me, her narrative wasn't really as gripping as ava's was, but it may serve as a breathing space for readers who usually prefer contemporary novels over historical fiction.

also, it doesn't make sense to me that taylor's college didn't make a bigger fuss out of the fact that she was missing for so long. one might say that dahlia was questioned about taylor's whereabouts, but what could she have possibly said that was so convincing ?

all that being said, i also felt like taylor and nathaniel's little romance was redundant. it didn't seem to add anything to the storyline, in my honest opinion.

would recommend if you're looking for a book that incorporates contemporary and historical fiction storylines based on the night the titanic sank -- all written in lyrical prose.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the chance to review this story !

Such a disappointing read.

The synopsis seemed to be really interesting and I was really expecting so much of it but it ended up disappointing me.

Most of the events in the story bored me and remained that way until like halfway towards the end and it just started going okay but ended up disappointing as well and nothing really strikes me the most and because of that it was kind of forgettable as well. I wasn't able to relate much to any of the characters, both Ava and Taylor annoyed me at some point and to the story overall despite atleast a good writing style an interesting concept and it just irks me.

I just wished that the beginning wasn't that dragging and the characters were much more well written and likable and it would be so much better tbh.

This book had such an interesting premise and the art of the cover is beautiful. The plot wasn’t uninteresting per se, I just had some troubles getting into it, and I was able to predict most of the ‘plot twists’ fairly easily. The characters felt a bit plain, and even though it is a 300-page novel, the plot felt rushed.

I like that the novel is divided in two storylines, and even though we, as readers, already know the faith of the titanic, there is still an element of intrigue. Taylor’s storyline had a few clichés that weren’t my cup of tea, but it kept me curious enough to continue reading.

Overall, this was not a bad novel, it just wasn’t for me.

Read on the suggestion of my friend Cossette, this wasn't bad! Smaller-scale than I thought it would be but still a breezy and easy story.

This was a captivating novel right from the beginning. Taylor’s story has you in present time with her secretly trying to find out about a mysterious woman who is in a picture with her deceased father. Ava’s beautiful adventure takes you on a trip on the Titanic. The twist and turns both stories take you on keeps your curiosity peaked. And it all came to a beautiful ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The Poppy and the Rose had a interesting premise - Dual timeline. Titanic story. Mysteries deaths. However, the execution just wasn't what I wanted it to be. The writing was OK, but at times it felt forced and overwritten. I liked the idea of the story, as I'm always a sucker for a Titanic story, but I just didn't connect with this one. At times the plot was confusing and didn't have a great flow. The elements of magical realism were interesting and I wish she would have explored those more. I do think some of these issues could have been worked out in the editing process. So, overall, this was a fine story that was entertaining, but it just lacked some elements to really make it a great read.

While I thought this was an excellent premise, the execution left something to be desired. The author's writing style is so lush that I alternated between being stunned at the beauty of the words and being confused as to what was happening. I would read these beautiful crafted paragraphs and then look up and think, What just happened?

There was too much going on (after a rather boring beginning) that I think distracted from the story. I would have preferred either a simpler, more clear writing style or a single point of view. The alternating viewpoints did not help me clarify what was going on.

The Poppy and the Rose is historical fiction set both in the present and in 1912 told in lyrical prose and using some spiritualism topics, following the mysteries behind an old photography revolving the Titanic sinking.

This was a bumpy ride cause the book felt so rushed in some parts and so unbelievably slow in other parts of the story, both times to the book's detriment. The use of the dual-POV is well done and the characters fell three-dimensional so that's at least a plus.

It's my first time reading a Titanic retelling and I wasn't disappointed but something was missing. Maybe it was that I enjoyed more one of the two narrators over the other and the conclusion of some mysteries felt anticlimatic.
The setting's quite good, actually, and it shows the author did a lot of research. Very atmospheric and gothic.

I think the multi-timeline element really worked for this story - I was equally invested which is incredibly hard to do. I think Cowles writing and characterization remain excellent with complex characters and who's lives and histories intersect in interesting ways.

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review
The premise of this book was incredible but the writing style was a fail for sure.

This book took my breath away. It wove together the story of a girl who doesn't know why she's been summoned to a manor and the story of a young woman on the Titanic, and their paths cross in the most inexplicable ways. As a reader, it felt like a mystery; some things I could figure out ahead of time and other I never quite puzzled out until the end of the book. There's an underlying urgency that's present throughout the book that weaves it's way into both the past and the book's present (speaking of which, those transitions were seamless).
As an avid fan of historical fiction, this book was perfect. There were so many nods to historical figures who were on the Titanic, and a good portion of Lady Ava's story was based on real historical evidence. The story was so intriguing that I genuinely hoped it was true. It was so easy to get lost in Cowles' writing that I could spend hours reading without realizing it.
There were so many profound messages in this book about the meaning of life and the lessons we learn from war, death, and tragedy. I would 100% recommend this book to anyone interested in the early 20th century, anyone who loves a good mystery, and any who likes to be invested in the books they read. This really was a fantastic story and I don't think I'll ever forget it.

The cover drew me to this book, then the synopsis pulled me in. It was a very interesting read, following two time lines. One POV is present day, the other set in 1912. A very interesting, beautifully written story that I thoroughly enjoyed!

The Poppy and the Rose
Author: Ashlee Cowles
Genre: YA Historical
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ / 5
Reviewed: Maya

[Trigger Warning: death of a parent, dead bodies, sinking of a ship, drug addiction (laundrum), murder, posioning, racism, miscarriage, kidnapping, drug use, violence]

I had not seen this book *anywhere* so I had low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised by this! The writing style was very good and I found myself wanting to continue reading so that I could go along with Taylor on her journey of unravelling the past. The alternating viewpoints really engaged me and helped me to understand both of the main characters and their lives. I liked diving back into YA historical fiction because I am a bit of a modern history nerd, but I hardly ever read this genre. The book was very refreshing and was not too ‘historical’ as there was a combination of a modern day POV and setting. Cowles did a very good job at setting the scene of the Titanic and building interesting characters. The reason this was not a five star read for me was because I felt like I’d read the writing style before and the book was set-out in very similar ways to other ‘uncovering the past’ books. I found that the ending was a tad bit rushed and could have been more spread out. Also, I have no idea what the title references … can anybody help me out? I recommend this book if you want a historical read about the Titanic while still having a contemporary perspective.

Huge thanks to Netgalley, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and of course Ashlee Cowles for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was set for the 6th of October, 2020.

I really wanted to like this book. I felt from the get-go that this story held a lot of promise; dual POVs set nearly a century apart, spies on the Titanic, a gothic manor, and many, many secrets to unravel, among other things.

Unfortunately, I just didn't find that the execution held up. The prose often felt a little lack-luster, choppy, and slow. I didn't feel particularly drawn to the characters (although, I admit I immediately had a soft spot for Nathaniel) and honestly, I was annoyed with them more often than not. Our main characters felt one-dimensional, and I found myself more intrigued with the side-characters.

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, but one of the most notable comments I have for The Poppy and the Rose is that I felt like I was on the outside looking in. With historical fiction, I need a strong atmosphere to make me feel lost in the time period -- unfortunately, Ava's chapters lacked that. With a number of clumsy name-drops (Freud and Jung, namely), blunt modern-day references (hand dogs in purses...), and a list of historical facts and events being ticked off, I felt... well, like I was reading a book. And when I'm reading a book, I really don't want to feel like I'm reading a book.

The stakes felt too low for me to really feel captivated. The separate plots are intended to fit together, and they do, but it ends up feeling clunky and awkward. While I do want to praise Cowles for what she was intending to do here (because multigenerational stories like these are HARD), I think it just needed a little more time in the workshop to ensure both stories fit smoothly together and had their own individual intrigue.

All that said, there were certainly elements I enjoyed! There were many moments and lines that had me grinning, and personally, I'm a sucker for a good cliché, especially when gothic vibes are involved ("oh no! Flooding has blocked off the bridge, guess you'll have to stay in our dark creepy manor).

The Poppy and the Rose wasn't for me, but there is definitely an audience for it, and if it still sounds like your cup of tea, I highly suggest checking it out!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, from start to finish. It kept me guessing at every turn, and I had difficulty putting it down anytime I had to do something else. The concepts/themes this story was built around were soulfully written and beautifully expressed. Also? I loved the ending. Such a warm light at the end of the tunnel of darkness.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

When Taylor Romano arrives in Oxford for a summer program, she doesn't expect to be met by a Rolls Royce. The old woman she meets inside is a surprise as well, and Lady Mae, the woman, is ready and willing to tell Taylor a story about her deceased father. That is, until Mae unexpectedly dies, leaving behind a memoir from Ava Knight, a survivor of the Titanic. How can the mystery Ava finds aboard the Titanic link back to Taylor's father?

Here's my problem with this book. The Titanic descriptions are great, but it feels like every bit of it is pulled from the movie. The wording, the people highlighted, all of it. It was weak storytelling that relied far too heavily on actual events to move a story forward. Second, the Taylor chapters were just her reading this diary of Ava's and every once in a while having an "Ah-ha!" moment. It's less mystery than show and tell. I wanted to like it, but the pieces just never fully came together for me, and it became predictable very quickly.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook of The Poppy and the Rose!

This book follows 2 time lines, one set in present day where we follow Taylor, and one set in 1912 following Ava. Taylor has recently moved to England to start school when a mysterious older women meets her and requests she read a memoir. Taylor is skeptical about this but intrigued to know more. She arrives at the Meadowbrook Manor to find tragedy and a memoir written by a mysterious Ava. Ava’s memoir recalls her time on the titanic and how she survived and the goings on that happened while she was aboard.

I overall enjoyed the book. There were lots of twist and turns along the way and figuring out how all the characters connected and intercepted was fun. However, at times the book got a little too philosophical for me and I found myself getting a little confused. Overall, I enjoyed and the ending was sooo good, a nice conclusion!