The Book’s Basics
Title: Price of a Rose
Author: Byrd Nash
Series: Yes. This is the second story.
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Length: Novella
Initial Reaction: Cute and the characters felt more rounded than the ones in the 1st book.
Note: I received a free electronic copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review. My review on the site can be found here.
Summary
Price of a Rose centres around the Parker sisters, Lily, Rose, and Poppy. After their father loses a bet with Sir Garrick, a recluse with a shabby yet once grand home, the three sisters attempt to make amends for their father’s mistake.
They each take on different tasks, while very aware that Sir Garrick and his home are living under a fairy curse. The question remains, though: is Sir Garrick is rude because it is his natural disposition or is he kind and capable of love, even under the Glamour that shows him as a beast?
Who would I recommend this book to?
I would recommend this novella to anyone who enjoys clean romance with a bit of magic and humour thrown in. It is appropriate for younger readers, so anyone from young teens and up.
Side Note
The review of this book is the first one that I have written for Reedsy. It was exciting because I was able to get a free copy of this book (and also of the first book in the series). I enjoy writing on this blog, but I’m hoping that by reviewing on different sites I will have the opportunity to read books that I would not have otherwise read and to connect to other readers and reviewers.
This year hasn’t quite gone to plan and I haven’t done as many reviews as I intended to, but I plan on picking up some more in the future.
Writer Craft Notes
I am an unpublished writer, but I would like to be published someday, so when I read a book I am trying to be more aware of the author’s craft and what I can learn from them.
Reading this book has been really interesting from an aspiring writer’s point of view. The first book was not bad, but I thought that Price of a Rose was better from a craft perspective. It seems that Nash is improving with the books that she writes, and that is inspiring to someone like myself who worries about improving their own writing.
This novella has fairytale, fantasy, and historical elements in it. I loved this mix and Nash blended these different aspects really well together without overpowering or neglecting any. It made the book interesting to read. Even though it is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, these elements made it feel fresh, while still staying true to the original fairytale.
There are a couple of times when I was removed from the story because of things that happened. There is a point in the story where something is set up to happen, but it is brushed away and isn’t mentioned again. There is another time when I believe a resolution is made, but the story goes on as if it hasn’t been, which lessens the tension later on in a part of the story that should be full of tension.
The Parker sisters are interesting characters, and I like that they all have different personalities. More important than that, their differences are their strengths and none of them are put down for them. For example, Lily is excellent at baking and housekeeping, and so takes on traditionally female roles, while Rose is much happier outdoors working in the garden getting covered in dirt. Poppy is different again by pursuing scholarship, a primarily masculine endeavour in the setting, and is supported by her sisters. The sisters love and respect each other. They work together well, combining their strengths to solve the mystery of the curse and to improve the house.
I find novellas more difficult to write than novels. They are shorter, which means that the writer has to make their words work a lot harder. I felt that the tension issues were the most pressing ones from a craft perspective and it can be helpful to study how to incorporate tension into a work. By reading authors who are learning tension and authors who have perfected it, this will help aspiring writers learn how to do it well.
Or, at least that’s what I’m hoping!
Katie's Convos 