This novel had an interesting premise.

In execution it was ok. If someone likes novels with a bit of class romance this is the novel for them. The protagonist was a governess who neither belonged in the upper classes nor the lower classes. Luckily she falls for the right guy.

The author excels in creating a sense of place and there is a certain sweetness to the story. Even though the tale wasn't for me, I would read something else written by her.

It’s always nice to read a Regency romance that isn’t the typical format. Anna’s mother is British, but her father is part Indian, and that leaves her without a solid place in society. Although she was raised by cousins, she doesn’t truly and completely belong.

This sweet read encompasses loss, prejudice, and searching, which gives it an undertone of sadness, especially with the way Anna was treated by family. But at the same time, there is a feeling of hope that drifts through the pages.

I always love a good house party and this one allowed Anna to engage with William Thaxton and I loved the person she was when she was with him–carefree and content. She’s a strong character, facing her trials with dignity and grace. William is ambitious, yet likable, and it was a treat to watch them interact.

Content/TW: mild moment of peril/accident; mild, slow-burn romance; mild instances of prejudice

Oh this was a beautiful story of love and friendship! I truly enjoyed the characters and the scenes were beautiful! I wished there was a bit more kindness towards the main character. But I do think this was the heartache for the Indian/English people at that time! Lots of prejudice and misunderstandings! I thought this author navigated it well! And the hero was almost perfect!

Thanks to NetGalley and Covenant for this story! All opinions are my own!

This was a fantastic debut novel! I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I especially appreciated the uniqueness of this story. It isn't very common to have a Regency romance with a main character from a country other than England, so it was awesome to have the heroine, Anna, from India. While my heart broke for her and the struggles she faced, I loved that William loved her for who she was as a person and didn't disparage her solely for her heritage.

I cannot wait to read more of Jill's books in the future!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book; all thoughts are my own.

With such a beautiful title and cover, I admit I'm a little bit disappointed the romance wasn't more full on. The writing is perfectly fine and the historical side very much fleshed out, and the two protagonists have great chemistry. It's a shame they appear so little in the story, and leave you wanting more.

'Of Jasmine and Roses' is the beautiful story of a woman torn between two vastly different worlds, falling in love with someone who can fully love her back. Its a story of acceptance, love (both of the romantic, familial and platonic varieites) and is a great read if you are looking to diversify your reading in historical fiction. However, this story left me wanting more. While it was a great love story, it was more from afar and when I finished the book I felt almost half-full. In a sense, I wish there would have been more romance and fluff.

This story started off a bit rough for me. I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters, and most of them just fell a bit flat for me. Plus, every time the author would use a contraction, such as "it'd", it would jar me out of the story, because it didn't feel like that word belonged.
But, I kept reading, and eventually became quite invested in the story. I always enjoy a good underdog story, and Anna's situation just broke my heart. She had a hard time seeing her value, based on the years of being told by others how little value she had. William saw through all of the prejudices and was able to get to know the real Anna - as much as she would let him, anyway. She had spent years putting up walls to protect herself, and those walls didn't break down very easily. One downside to putting up those walls, was that they made it so Anna was unable to see just how many people truly cared about her. I think that's a lesson that all of us can learn.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. It started out rough, but got much better as it went on.

This was surprise for me. I don't know why, but I waited to start this one for sometime. But I enjoyed every chapter. Once I got passed the meet cute, I was completely sucked in.

It is a hard thing to come to terms with, loving ones self, when no one truly allows you to be proud of who you are. That was something that had to be overcome in this book. Finding where you belong and who you belong with. I loved the ability that William had to look at people as people, and he didn't believe himself above others. I loved Anna's tenderness with her charges. The characters in this book were well developed and I loved exploring who they were as I got further into the book.

I hope to read more by Jill E. Warner. This was a beautiful book.

I am truly impressed with this debut novel by Jill E. Warner which is so beautifully written. Warner completely changes one’s preconceived ideals of what a regency romance book normally looks like, and forces one to take a real hard look at the effects of prejudice which holds true even today.

I was pulled into Anna's story from the very beginning. She is one of the strongest heroines I have read in a long time, never letting the rudeness or the meanness of others change her. I experienced many emotions throughout this book from felling distraught to laughing. Watching Anna’s interactions with her two charges as a governess were definitely some of my favorite scenes. The connection she formed through her love of them was so heartwarming, and the strength that they both gained from her was awesome.

William Thaxton, a natural born problem solver, who pays attention to details, soon recognizes the value of Anna as they slowly grew together. Anna and William’s journey to love is precious, moving, and unforgettable.

I will not soon forget this engaging story, and highly recommend Of Jasmine and Roses, a wonderful Historical Romance.

I received an ARC copy Of Jasmine and Roses from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. I was not required to give a favorable review, and all opinions are my own.

Unfortunately this book was just not for me. Such a unique idea but despite my every effort, I could not get into the story or the characters. The plot was just to slow for me, but there are definitely readers who would love this one!

I enjoyed the historical fiction novel! The characters were well written and I loved how the story progressed. I look forward to reading more by Jill!

I have a new author to add to my favorite list. This book was everything I wanted in a clean read that is just so enjoyable! Beautifully written love story in so many ways!

This is a wonderful romance story. I enjoyed getting to know Anna as she struggles to find her place in a society that demands perfection. Anna is biracial her mother was English while her father was Indian. After her parents die she is raised by her titled family but eventually loses her inheritance as well as her connection with her family. She is forced to become a governess but struggles to maintain a long placement as she is often dismissed because of her biracial heritage. This is an awesome story of a young woman who overcomes much adversity as she grows into maturity and self-acceptance. The young man who finally sees her for who she is adds so much to the story. Their good-natured banter and interactions add so much to the story and make the reader cheer for them to succeed. I enjoy romances but this one was so much more than just boy meets girl and everyone lives happily ever after.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a delightful surprise Of Jasmine and Roses by Jill E. Warner is! Don’t get me wrong. I had no sense that this book wouldn’t be great. I just had no idea what to expect. I’ve never heard of Jill E. Warner before and I definitely haven’t read any of her books. That’s because Of Jasmine and Roses is Warner’s debut novel, and what a debut it is. I loved this story so much. Right from page one I was hooked and tore through the pages of this story. The best part of this story is Anna. I love her character so much. She is one of the strongest heroines I’ve ever read. Many times in this story I wanted to scream at all the other characters for being so obtuse and rude and ugly. But Anna never lets the meanness take her down. Sure, she gets hurt feelings, she gets sad, she even gets frustrated, but she never lets the rudeness or the meanness of others change her. Anna is strong. She is strong on page one, and she is strong on the final page, too. I was very encouraged by her throughout this story. But I was also glad for William Thaxton to enter her life. William is a wonderful hero. He pays attention to details, he sees what others miss or take for granted, and he recognizes the value of everyone. He is also a natural problem solver and wants desperately to fix others’ problems when he can (and even when he can’t). He is the perfect hero for Anna. I love how Anna and William become friends, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, they become more than friends. But they are a tad oblivious to their true feelings, and it takes a minute or two for them to get on the same page. I found Anna and William’s journey to love rather refreshing and endearing. What I like so much about Anna and William’s relationship is how through each other they find a sense of belonging. Like God made Anna just for William and vice versa. So sweet!

Of Jasmine and Roses is a wonderful Historical Romance. This is a story I won’t soon forget. If you love a well-written, highly engaging story that will make you feel all the feels, then this is definitely the story for you.

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I LOVED this book! It brought so much to the table that we don’t usually get in regency books. It had a main character that was a minority. The author didn’t shy away from showing hard things happening to her and the prejudice that was obviously going on at the time. Anna and William were just so lovely. Their story was honest and heartwarming. The side characters were intriguing and made their own way in the story.

I seriously can’t get over this book. I loved every page!

I loved the sense of belonging pervading in the novel.

I loved the understanding and compassion Jill Warner wrote with. She wrote with so much emotion.

Anna’s character was well developed, and beautifully done. And I loved William, so much that I would have loved a little bit more from him.

A compelling debut novel that has me excited to see what comes next from this author.

I have never read anything by Jill E Warner before but I would definitely love to read more of her work. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It really makes you stop and think about how we sometimes might judge others based solely off of their outward appearance or background without truly getting to know someone. I loved watching how the characters developed and I really felt like I got to know them. Well done!

3.25 stars
There really were a lot of lovely things happening within this book. The story is thought provoking and interesting, however I wanted more romance and a plot that was more focused and compelling.
I had a hard time feeling a connection to the characters, almost as if something was missing to really pull me into their story.
Some of the writing made me stumble. There were run-ons and grammatical errors. Also, some phrases felt abrupt, out of place or awkward.
For example, "She really should have been used to these kind of slights, but being used to something didn't make it hurt less." So by that logic it wouldn't matter if she were used to it or not.
There are more, but I am not an editor, just a reader, so I'm not sure how much my feedback matters.
Still, I thought there were a lot of endearing moments and I like the characters the author created, but I would have liked to have felt more along with them.
Due to these issues, I stopped reading the book at 46%. I wish the author the best in her journey of writing. I see a lot of potential here and a lot of great ideas.

Warner brings readers to 1837 England in this fascinating and enjoyable historical fiction novel. Following governess Anna Beasley at her latest position with the Spencer family, readers are one of many unexpected guests at the house party -- unexpected guests being Anna’s aunt and cousins and Anna herself, roped in by the hostess to keep her aunt happy. Anna, as the governess, feels under attack from all sides (guests, including her cousin Charlotte, and staff), and she has no expectations of making friends or falling in love during this awkward situation. Of course, not even practical, sensible Anna can predict what will happen over the course of this house party. Warner weaves in the complicated colonial relationship between India and Great Britain, as both Anna and Miss Hansen are half-British, half-Indian, and live in England, which adds further complexities to their relationships and interactions with others. Warner’s settings and background characters are fascinating, detailed, immersive, and charming, and she successfully brings several unique personalities to life over the course of the novel. Readers will enjoy this romantic, fun, and heartwarming historical fiction novel set in the idyllic countryside of England and in the vibrant country of India in Of Jasmine and Roses.

With her mixed Indian and English heritage, Anna Beasley has never fit in with Society. As a governess, she is neither a servant, nor part of the family she works for. Now the impending marriage of her English cousin introduces her to the groom's brother William Thaxton. Unlike most people, he treats her with the same respect and dignity as he treats everyone else, but his political aspirations would make her a politically incorrect match for him. Meanwhile, a catastrophic event in the house sends Anna's life in a tailspin.
I love William so much. With Anna's determination to always be polite, dignified, and responsible beyond reproach, his humor and social faux pas stand out in the best way and make him look colorful. I love how Anna treats the girls in her care, especially Diane. She does bring up Indian deities sometimes, which is a slippery slope with her Christianity. Lucy is hilarious, and as a blunt person, I appreciate her directness. There is an unruly horse who, as a horse person, seems unrealistically batpoop crazy. If a horse like that does exist somewhere, I doubt it could even be kept in a barn. I do wish we learned more about what the lasting effects were of the aforementioned catastrophe. Lastly, I say this a lot, but I don't like phrases about a romantic partner being the other's "whole world." That's just not healthy.