The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller is the spooky romance you want this Halloween season! You get to read the love story of Alva and Sam, set in New York in the late 1800s with the backdrop of a haunted house.
Full disclosure, I don’t do scary. I bought this book without knowing about the haunted house part. But so many people loved this book, I had to give it a try. And the people were RIGHT. I LOVED IT! So if like me, you avoid the scary, take a chance on this book. You will not be sorry!
This is my first book by Biller and I adore her new authentic voice. Her heroine Mrs. Alva Webster and hero Professor Samual Moore are quirky, original and very endearing. I absolutely loved how they each had their own interesting quirks, yet they remained relatable – Biller really thread the needle here.
Mrs. Alva Webster just returned to New York from Paris a widow and she is bringing with her quite the reputation – whether it is deserved is something to be discovered. I love how Alva knows exactly what she wants. The woman has plans and she will accomplish them! Alva’s plans are to write a book about interior design for the masses – I kept thinking of it as a home reno show for the people of the 1800s. Neither Professor Samual Moore nor ghosts were part of her plans, and as a result things got interesting.
I have to say I LOVE Professor Samual Moore. He is a brilliant scientist with an endless curiosity and patience. He’s the absent-minded professor and attentive man – all in one.
This book was an enjoyable experience from beginning to end. Above all, I loved this book because of the way Sam took care of Alva. He took care of her and respected her agency. He took care of her not because she couldn’t take care of herself but because he wanted to help her do so. It was so subtle but it meant so very much. It made my heart swell. Sam is a feminist without knowing it and I love him all the more for it. You guessed it, I want a Sam!
Alva and Sam meet due to the ghosts in Alva’s house. Sam pursues her to meet the ghosts. Sam really is the most respectful pursuer ever – it’s was so aww-worthy. He is truly excited to meet the ghosts! However, he’ll only enter the house if Alva agrees, he respects her from the start.
While I am still afraid of ghosts, Sam’s excitement about the ghosts made me a little less afraid while reading this book. The man is amazing. The things this fictional character does for me 😉
This book is truly full of interesting characters, from Alva’s staff with their interest in gossip to Sam’s amazing family of scientists. There really was a little bit of everything in this book. It would be amazing to read books about other members of Sam’s family. Especially Sam’s sisters, as they tend to blow things up!
However, I do feel this book needs a trigger warning for discussions of domestic violence. Just something to be aware of.
Finally, I am happy to say that even the ghosts were interesting. I felt both creeped out and very intrigued by the ghost and its purpose. Sam totally helped with that.
In the end, I fell in love with these two characters falling in love with each other – and isn’t that the recipe for the PERFECT book? With this new fresh voice, wonderful characters and an interesting ghost story to boot, this is the perfect Halloween romance for you to pick up! You can get your copy at Kobo or Amazon.
