Heirloom Secrets Where the Last Rose Blooms, (Paperback)

I adore the Heirloom Secrets series by Author Ashley Clark. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every story. Each story can be read as a standalone, but there are familiar characters in all three books, so I highly recommend reading them all. In Where the Last Rose Blooms, both timeline stories are wonderfully engaging, poignant, told with humor, and with lovely romances. In 1861 Charleston, Clara "refused to go another day turning a blind eye to salvery's horrors." As an abolitionist, "she might lose everything. Well, everything, except her good conscience. Her heart and soul." "She had no idea what she was going to do if he (her confederate father) put her out on the street. For now, she would simply do the next right thing." She becomes very acquainted with the Victorian language of flowers and their hidden meanings. It's interesting how she uses this information. She also wants to help her slave Rose find freedom and reconnect with her young daughter Ashley who was sold years ago. In the present day story, Alice runs a flower shop with her aunt. She is excellent at what she does, and knows all the meanings of what every flower stands for. She is however traumatized that her mother never returned after Hurrican Katrina, and she doesn't know if she is dead or alive. "She (Alice) was enchanting. Absolutely Enchanting. And she was enchanting him despite his determination to play it cool." "I think it's very brave that even though you're struggling, you keep going." He met her eyes then, and the look she gave him unraveled his resolve to stay emotionally detached. "That's the very definition of bravery if you ask me." So many people wonder if God is there and if He cares when they are struggling. There is a brokenness in all of us that needs to know that the Lord loves us, and is beside us no matter what we walk through. What a beautiful, charming and meaningful story. I highly recommend Where The Last Rose Blooms. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

If you are a fan of time split, historical, or sweet romance novels, I highly recommend that you treat yourself to all three books in Ashley Clark's Heirloom Secrets series. Each book of this series leaves the reader with a sweet sense of nostalgia, probably because of the vintage heirlooms that connect the stories and characters. The theme of each book will impact a deep place in the reader's heart and soul. Where the Last Rose Blooms is the third and, sadly according to the author's note, the final book of the series. The book is largely set in Charleston in the early 1860s and New Orleans both during Hurricane Katrina and modern day. In Charleston we meet Clara, a young woman who is faced with defying her father and lending support to the Union cause, and Rose, the enslaved woman assigned to her care. In New Orleans the story centers around Alice, co-owner of The Prickly Rose bouquet shop, a young woman who has dealt with abandonment issues since her mother disappeared during Hurricane Katrina. Their stories intermingle as we are also reunited with characters from the previous books in the series. This book and this series are ones that you will want to share with your reading friends, ones that you won't be able to keep to yourself. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Where the Last Rose Blooms from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.