I had a complicated reading experience with this book. While I was engaged enough to get through it, I kept waiting for the stakes to be higher. Which is odd considering half of it takes place on the Titanic. It just felt like the book didn't know what it wanted to be: a contemporary mystery or a historical spy book. While these seem like they'd fit together, most of our characters felt two dimensional. There was a lot of exposition and I felt like I was being told everything without seeing it. Some of our character motivations didn't feel believable to me, and many characters' personality traits would change on a dime. Also the only difference between our two narrators was one would randomly interject modern "humorous" zingers that never really fit the mood, and the other one was always having some sort of existential crisis. Often the author would praise her own writing of the past narrative in the modern narrative which felt super weird. For example, after reading what Ava writes in her memoir at the end about her mother, our modern storyline with Taylor is described as not having a dry eye in the room. It was super awkward, because the previous scene really wasn't that moving. Yes this is subjective, but as someone who has trauma surrounding the death of a loved one, it just didn't work.

A YA historical fiction with an element of mystery, why not!?

This book goes back and forth between Taylor in the present time and with Ava who was a passenger on the Titanic.

Taylor is in England to go to a summer program in Oxford. When she lands, she is greeted by a chauffeur who takes her to have tea with Lady Mae Knight, not Oxford. She soon finds out the Lady Mae knows a lot about her father, who died at war. Taylor starts questioning who is Lady Mae, and how does she know so much. Unfortunately, Lady Mae dies, and Taylor has to find out the connection by reading a diary written by Ava. She also has to find out if Lady Mae’s death was a coincidence or a murder.

Ava, is an heiress. She boards the Titanic with her father, and leaves her unstable mother behind in hopes to go to New York to become a photographer. While on the Titanic, Ava is presented by a solider with the opportunity to help her mother and her mental state if she spies on a specific passenger who claims to be psychic. Soon Ava discovers everyone has a secret, including her father. Ava’s not sure who to trust. But everything changes when the ship starts to sink.

Ava’s recounts of her time on the Titanic help Taylor discover the link between Lady Mae and her family. She also finds out what really happened to Lady Mae Knight.

I really enjoyed this one! I liked the weaving between the present and the past and both of the characters. The storyline was interesting with elements of suspense and mystery. I also loved the unraveling of the connection between characters and how the secrets unfolded.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for a copy for my honest review.

I thought this was such a great book. Once I got started it was hard to put down. I love Taylor and Ava as main characters. The book starts out with Taylor, a young budding journalist, goes to England for a summer program to find out the mystery behind a photo of her father with another woman. A few years ago she lost her dad after being killed in action while overseas. When she gets there a woman by the name of Lady Mae Knight wants her help in exchange to tell her about the photo with her father. Then through a journal we learn Ava's story. Her surviving the Titanic and discovering about her father and trying to uncover a mystery. I love how some of the characters in this novel were real people who was on the Titanic.

A solid YA mystery/historical novel, in which we move from the Titanic to Oxford university, from the past to the present. I don't think I am the target audience of this kind of book any longer but I am sure it will find its public!

This book sold me when it said “Titanic” - as a little girl i was obsessed with the unsinkable ship that sunk and had to read every book about it whether it was non fiction or fictional.
This story felt very poetic and it does follow two timelines of Ava and Taylor. Split between modern time and of course the time when titanic was afloat. I would have preferred just Avas story and would have rated it higher but if we include Taylors story i have to knock it as I wasn’t much interested with Taylor. I might need to do a reread later and see how i feel about it.

Thank you Netgalley and Owl Hollow Press for the arc! This title was released October 6, 2020.

The synopsis says this would appeal to readers of Libba Bray. After reading the premise, it kind of reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. As a fan of both of these authors, I had to request this novel! I am so glad I did. This story really had my heart aching, as you can imagine. Half of it takes place on the Titanic! Those were my favorite parts, since I adore historical fiction. Ava’s sections read as a memoir, so I didn’t mind the first person. However, I might have enjoyed Taylor’s parts more if it was written in third person. Other than that, I was so engrossed in this story. There is murder, family secrets, and light romance. I devoured it quickly! A great read for a cozy evening indoors.

The premise of this book immediately drew me in, I love novels that take place in multiple time periods, and I was excited to read Ashlee Cowles' retelling of the story of the Titanic.

The cast of characters was incredibly strong, I found them all very compelling and were the highlight of the novel. In particular; Taylor's dad, Mae, Caleb, and Nathaniel all made for excellent supporting characters, I owuld love to read a follow-up novel all about Mae and her story.

It was an intriguing storyline, however, while it's something I do enjoy when done well, I found that the dual perspective took away from the story. Taylor's perspective distracted from Ava's story, as soon as I was getting into Ava's storyline it would switch to Taylor, the modern storyline was slow and I found myself wanted to just skip back to 1912.

The Poppy and the Rose had a really slow start for me. To be honest, I wasn’t that interested in Taylor’s story and I couldn’t figure out how the Titanic and 2010 England could possibly be related. I’m glad I pushed though. Ava’s story kept me on the edge of my seat, and groaning when it was a Taylor chapter. I could’ve done with more Ava and less Taylor, but all in all it was a captivating read.

It’s 2010 and Taylor is on her way to Oxford for a summer session in Journalism. It’s perfect timing, since her father has recently passed away, her mother has sold the house she grew up in and remarried, and Taylor is feeling quite lost. It’s 1912 and Ava has just boarded the Titanic with her father, and although she’s in the first class part of the ship, she’s feeling a little out of place, especially when she starts seeing her father around the ship with a woman who is not quite in their class. As the story moves back and forth, we learn how Taylor and Ava’s lives are intertwined, how maybe Taylor isn’t as alone as she originally thought, and perhaps there’s more to the story with her father than Ava originally sees. I didn’t realize this was a YA book when I started reading it, not that it really matters, The characters were strong and the plot moved along quite nicely. Very nice read and something different from my usual stuff.

NOTE: Special thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a Titanic-inspired story! It's all so tragic and you know if nothing else, it's going to leave you feeling some stuff. And this book was definitely no exception! I mostly enjoyed it, though a few things were iffy, so let's dive into a round of "yays" and "nays"!

The Yays:

►The settings/time periods. So not only was the "past" part of the story obviously set in 1912 (because it'd be really fishy if a Titanic story happened some other year, ha), but the contemporary portion was also set about a decade ago, and in England!

►Ava and her story were phenomenal! I absolutely felt connected to Ava, and her experiences were harrowing, no question. I loved how many real Titanic passengers made appearances, but I also really loved the fictional passengers in the story as well. Tying the whole thing into the precursor events of WWI was an awesome choice as well. Not only did it add a layer to the story, but I learned some new stuff!

►I absolutely did want to know how Taylor's dad tied into it all! While I wasn't as connected to Taylor as I'd have liked (see below) I was so curious about what her dad had to do with these random folks in Oxford! Likewise, the mystery surrounding Mae and Ava had me so invested, as I wanted to know more about them!

►Both women's stories were quite emotional. I definitely felt for both women. Ava of course because of not only the Titanic, but because she'd had some other catastrophes befall her, and Taylor because my heart broke for the untimely loss of her father.

The Nays:

►Taylor's risky behavior just made no sense to me. I mean, I know some people are impulsive! But I didn't get that vibe from Taylor when the story began. Like, at all. So for her to ditch her program at Oxford to go chasing down random old ladies (and someone who may want to harm old ladies) seemed to be a stretch. Even the biggest risk takers among us would probably give pause when alone in a foreign country, right? I get that she needed answers about her dad, but the potential reward didn't seem worth the risk. So, I had to suspend some serious disbelief.

►I think this ties in to the above point, but I had a tough time connecting with Taylor. Maybe if I knew more about her, it would have made more sense? But I felt like her story was quite secondary to Ava's, which made sense, but it also lead to me wishing I knew more about her.

Bottom Line: Overall a really fascinating and emotive look into the Titanic and its contemporary legacy, definitely worth the read!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Owl Hollow Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would rate this closer to a 3.5/5, but will round up to 4 in this case. The premise intrigued me from the very beginning, and I'll admit I'm biased as a lover of all things Titanic. I thoroughly enjoyed Ava's character, and the parallel account of her experiences on the Titanic. Modern-day Taylor, however, seemed lackluster in comparison. I don't know if that's a critique of her character portrayal or how her storyline was written...it feels more like the latter. While reading through the book, it felt like I was skimming through Taylor's chapters to get t0 Ava's. I wish Taylor had been more compelling.

Finally, I felt like the mystery surrounding these 2 characters and the secrets aboard the Titanic require a large suspension of disbelief. Something more realistic would have been better when combined with a real-life, historical event.

I was here for the Titanic and all my Titanic-needs were satisfied. A lot of that part of the POV seemed very based on the movie with little cameos from actual people who were on board, but it never felt cloying, and I really got the feel for the atmosphere and surroundings and grandiose living of the upper-class and the fright of the sinking and, just, the whole shebang. Quite enjoyed the plot surrounding that POV, too. That part was fun.

My low rating is mostly because for a dual POV-book, only one of them actually seemed to add to the plot, the other was just.. there. Sure there was an arc, but it just didn't seem.. relevant? The past POV, Ava on board the Titanic, carried the entire story, while Taylor, the present POV.. basically just read a book? There was some attempt at creating a murder mystery, but it never felt engaging and just.. meh. Sad face.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A fun and quick read about a young woman trying to come to terms with her father's legacy. When Taylor Romano goes to study in England she encounters a strange woman that wants to gift her, her precious and never-read before memoir. What Taylor will discover are secrets that sank with Titanic and many that are still alive until now.

The Poppy and the Rose is an entertaining read, however, I did feel like the ending was rushed and I wished that the supporting characters had more depth to them.

I loved this book. The dual timeline is interesting and the historical research was well done, the addition of all the well known passengers on the titanic and the descriptions of how the events unfolded on the night of the sinking was incredibly emotive and I felt connected to all of the characters.

I found the modern day character a little less sympathetic and not as easy to relate but her story was intriguing nevertheless. Overall I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Historical Fiction. A more in depth review is up on my blog at www.notesandanovel.com

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.

I was so excited to read this when I heard it was a Titanic story. I was hooked from the beginning. This story had so many great things in it from a different perspective on the Titanic, espionage, crazy characters, a murder mystery, and a surprising twist at the end.
Taylor sets off to England to study abroad and visit the place where her father was seen in a mysterious photo. Immediately on her arrival, she is met by Nathaniel who invites her to tea with her benefactor Lady Mae Knight. Lady Knight leaves her a journal that draws Taylor into the life of Lady Ava and her father aboard the Titanic and the secret mission that has the potential to prevent World War I.

The twists in the story kept me engaged the entire time, just when I would think that I had it figured out something else would happen that would have me guessing all over again.
I'm usually not a fan of dual POV but the way that Ashlee Cowles writes the transitions made them seamless and easy to keep up with. I definitely recommend this to anyone that likes YA historical fiction.

This book was enjoyable, fast paced and a pleasure to read. The cover art is beautiful, and I loved the descriptive writing style the author has. Overall, I think this is a good read for any YA reader who enjoys good storytelling and a bit of mystery too.

It is 1912 and Ava Knight is journeying with her father onboard the majestic and unsinkable new ship, the Titanic, when a figure offers her the chance to fulfil her one greatest wish, in payment for her eyes...

It is 2010 and Taylor Romano has ventured from America to the UK plagued with questions about the myriad of mysteries that surround her father, and which he can't himself answer for after his untimely demise.

How are these two perspectives interlinked, when so many years and tragedies separate them? That was a question that puzzled me throughout and which Cowles only saw fit to answer during the last 10% of the book. Everything that came before was permeated with my heightened intrigue and my attempts to theorize how past and present were tied together altered on every other page.

My interest in the Titanic is what initially intrigued me about this book and I was pleased to find an almost equal attention paid to both perspectives, after the first quarter. I found the author did an applaudable job of recreating high society of this time, the grandeur of the new ship, and the tragedy during the time of its sinking.

Whilst I was less immediately interested in Taylor's perspective, her quest did eventually win my intrigue over. This was especially so when so many similarities between this modern-day individual and the deceased historical one became more and more apparent. Her story became my own, just as Ava's did and both perspectives continued on an unguessable trajectory until their twisted conclusions saw them aligned.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So can we take a moment to discuss how gorgeous the cover art is?! That is immediately what drew me into the book. I had to know what magical tale lay between these pages. I must say, the cover art isn’t the only thing impressive with this novel!

I did not expect to love this book the way I did, the only complaint I really have was it was too short. I wanted more. I loved how the author blended the past and present in such a beautiful way. It was remarkable how you needed both time frames to unravel the mystery.

I will warn you, don’t go into reading this and expect everything to be factual. While this is historical in nature, it is also fiction. You have to read the story for what it is. I do feel there could have been more loose ends tied up, but it was still good regardless.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

First off I think this may be one of my favorite covers ever! I'll probably buy a copy just to have the cover on my shelves. I was drawn into the story for it's connection to the Titanic because as any 90s baby will tell you, there's just some type of obsession burned in our childhood thanks to Leo DiCaprio. I loved that the main character Taylor was visiting Europe to study abroad but the whole family mystery felt a little forced. I loved Ava's perspective of her time on the Titanic and I was thoroughly interested in what was happening. I didn't love the 'mystic' part to the storyline. It didn't feel necessary and made it feel even less believable, Overall though I did enjoy it a bit.