Rose

I liked both Rose and Max. Their story had me feeling sad, angry, lustful as well as making me laugh.
Ending was slightly rushed however overall a very fine read

Rose by Sydney Landon
5 full stars

Triggers Yes
Story Line 5 stars
Characters 5 stars
Conflict 4.5 stars
Steamy Sexy Scenes 5 stars

This is the fourth book in the series Lucian and Lia.

After the trilogy of Lucian and Las, Rose is the first of the series that has different characters as Hero and Heroine. Rose, Lea’s friend, and Max, Lucian Lawyer and friend.

This book picks up a few months after Lea had her baby. Rose suddenly finds herself in a situation, not of her making, where she desperately needs help. With Lucian and Lea out of the country, the only person she has to turn to, is Lucian’s lawyer, Max.

When Max finds Rose, wet, cloths torn, sitting huddled like a vagrant against a shop wall, he takes her home and tends to her presenting wounds and places her in the guest bedroom. All done and dusted right? Wrong. This is where the book explodes.

Sydney Landon, I found, doesn’t do untainted picture perfect couples, or the dark brooding male and the innocent virginal female. Sydney has a way of making the ugly, dark and damaged side of a person and making it significant and profound in an exceptional way. In other words, she makes it matter.

With Lea’s lifetime of physical and mental abuse, and later sexual abuse added to her torment, we see how she overcomes that, by being self determined and kind, being all that her parents aren’t. Lucian dealt with a manic depressive fiancé who wasn’t properly diagnosed and not on medication, surviving an attack on his life and the loss of an unborn son with cocaine. When situations become too stressful for him he turned to cocaine, and with a small selection of close friends and his Aunt, he kept everyone else at a distance. Sydney took the reader on a journey with Lucian and Lea on how they came to address their demons in the dark and became stronger for it, not only for themselves, but also for each other as a couple.

Rose found a coping mechanism to help her deal with certain situations.

‘There are areas of my life I keep locked away’.

It’s not of the healthy variety either.

‘A perfect storm can’t be stopped, though. You can only hold on and try to ride it out - hoping you’ll survive the aftermath.’

Max had shut himself off from becoming too close to people, especially women, so Rose poses a problem for him in more ways than one.

‘Two damaged souls united in an imperfect circle of hope, love and laughter.’

Pop in a deep and well hidden mystery surrounding Rose, and you have a damn fine book that keeps you well entertained. The sexual chemistry is sizzling as well.

Iv’e put Sydney Landon on my list of authors to follow for a reason.

Another great addition to this story that brings in past characters and shows that love can conquer anything. Only wish was that there was more story about how the characters end up. Maybe another book that updates everyone’s lives? Love the series- now on to Aidan!!!