Rose Cottage: A brilliant, gentle love story from the Queen of the Romantic Mystery

The journey and life of a family set in a small village in England in 1947...past, present and future. Beautiful descriptions of the village scenery, setting and people . Lots of twists and turns, mystery and some romance. Life is always what we choose to make of it no matter what has happened in the past. A wonderful story to enjoy and wrap your heart around. I loved it!

This is a gentle mystery, with no violence and not a lot at stake. The romance is similarly sweet and low key. What makes this story charming is the characters--in particular, the three spinsters who live at Witches' Corner. The return home to a small town is very realistic.This is a short read, and very soothing for a lazy afternoon.

I loved every word of this captivating and beautiful story. It is one of my favorites by this great writer.

Sometime in high school, I discovered Mary Stewart. I read everything she wrote and waited impatiently for her next novel. I read everything she ever published, including her children's books.On Thursday, October 12, 2017, I discovered that all of her Gothics were on sale for Kindle and in a rash moment, purchased them all.I devoured Rose Cottage and to my delight, I still love as much as I did the first time and maybe a bit more as I now have life experience and can appreciate certain nuances now that I didn't back in the day. Much of the reason I love it is not only due to a complex plot and well-developed characters, but because even her minor characters have a few details that make them memorable. Another reason is the gorgeous way she writes. Her descriptions are vivid

The book is okay. It's set earlier than my favorites (Moon-Spinners and Nine Coaches Waiting), just after the end of WWII. There's a mystery to be solved and lots of overlapping love stories. Christian morality plays a large part in this book, which seemed unusual for Stewart. Well, except maybe for Ivy Tree.

Rose Cottage is what I think of as atypical Mary Stewart Romantic Suspense. I love Mary Stewart's writing and this is no exception. It shows how expansive her work really is. I read this long ago when I was a teen and didn't appreciate what I was getting because I came for the exotic setting and thrilling build of suspense while this one is understated and more subtle than my youthful self could or wanted to appreciate. On this occasion, Rose Cottage was definitely right book for right mood.Its a softer tale straddling the past and present. It meanders along the path in a rural English village as the heroine and her childhood friend attempt to solve a mystery that occurs when she follows her grandmother's wishes to come back to the old cottage on the big estate where Kate grew up with her gran.Kate has since married, widowed from the war, and lives near London, but gran continued as the cook for the folks in the big house even when they moved to Scotland. Now, that the old family estate is being turned into a hotel, she wants her furnishings and other items taken from Rose Cottage and brought to Scotland where she is retiring. Gran gets sick and sends for Kate to fulfill the task. Kate goes to the old cottage where the mystery of her origins is something of a local legend because her mother purportedly ran off with the gypsies after having Kate in her late teens. Kate has lived under that shadow through her childhood and remembers it now when she realizes the hidden wall safe with all the family papers and valuables has been accessed and the local villagers talk of gypsy ghosts, lights in the cottage and the graveyard where two figures were seen.I enjoyed this gently-paced piece that was long novella-length. The romance side reminded me a lot of the way it was written in Touch Not the Cat (heroine doesn't notice who and what is right under her nose for the longest time). I really loved Davy with his friends to lovers approach and support of Kate while they work out the answers after listening in to the villagers 'news' and it was whimsical how the clues led to a surprise that is slowly unwrapped for Kate and the reader.I went back and forth between ebook and audio. This was my first experience listening to Jilly Bond. She had a sweet and lilting voice for the general narration and Kate's voice and a fun brogue for the villagers and locals. I have no idea if it was right for that region of England, but it felt rural and there was distinction in the voices so it was a fun listening experience.

Mary Stewart has a way of drawing you in right away, and describing the setting in such a way that you feel as though you are there. I started reading her novels when I was a teenager, and did not even know this one existed until recently. At age 60, I enjoy her books even more than I did when I first read them. Yes, a few aspects of this one are a little predictable, but there are a few other twists that make it original. Definitely worth your time to read!

I read Mary Stewart's books years ago and would look for them as soon as they were published. A while ago the books came out in e-books and I want to read them again. I found two that I have not read this one of them. This is a feel-good novel which I thoroughly enjoyed.The story takes place shortly after World War 2. Kate Herrick was married and widow during the war. Kathy grew up in Rose Cottage. It belongs to the Hall and her Grandparents were gifted to the tenancy by the Lord. Her grandfather was the estate gardener and her Grandmother was the cook. Kathy work at the estate on special occasions. Her Gran went North with the family. Her Mother left when Kathy was six years and later died in Ireland. Kate's Grans has decided to stay in Scotland and ask Kate to return to Rose Cottage and ship her belongs to Scotland. Kate has list items and is told about a wall safe with the family papers. The papers are missing and the neighbors tell her that her Mother with gipsy has been seen around the house. Kate and Dave found the hole that was dug near the cottage. There is a major twist to the tale. Who has been around the area? Are the gossips correct? Who put the roses on Aunt Bessie's grave? I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.

I love this book, it's very well written. I enjoyed reading it very much, and know that I will read it again.

Il libro lo conosco da tanti anni ed è uno dei miei preferiti

I have been a massive fan of Mary Stewart's Merlin and Arthur books (The Crystal Cave and subsequent books) ever since they came out. Now I am venturing into her other work.. This is a lovely, lovely story - very much of its time, which is so refreshing as it is not full of sex and violence. Just realistic characters and a cracking story. Loved it!

...and if this is not up with her very best, I can nevertheless find no fault with it.

Rose Cottage ein angenehm zu lesender Roman. Die Spannung hält sich in Grenzen. Die Autorin kann sehr schön und bildhaft erzählen. Nebenbei lernt man das Landleben im England der Nachkriegszeit kennen.