A story with dual time lines, both involving women fighting against male members of the family.
1715, Bamburgh in Northumberland is full of rumours about a Jacobite rebellion. Dorothy Forster, her father, Sir William and her two brothers Thomas and Nicholas all live at Bamburgh Hall. Dorothy has already declined several offers of marriage, she wants to keep her independence, but the Forster family is poor, and she may be forced to marry to keep the family estate intact.
At a dance, she is introduced to Lord Derwentwater, who has recently returned from France. He supports Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Pretender to the throne of England, she is shocked to find out that both her brothers are going to join the rebellion.
Present day Bamburgh sees Hannah Armstrong return to her family home. She has been commissioned to write a history about local heroine Grace Darling, but she would prefer to write about Dorothy Forster, a distant relation. Her brother Brandon is away from home, the locals have made it clear that he is not wanted around the hall, he caused much resentment upon his last homecoming.
Whilst investigating both the Hall and the local church, Hannah is struck by the many references to roses both carved and painted. She remembers being told about the family legend of Bamburgh women being keepers of the rose, a talisman that will keep the family safe, and will protect against those who seek to take it for their own use. Brandon is also searching for the rose, for his own purposes.
A fascinating blend of historical facts and fictional characters. A good story full of mystery and frustrated romance.
I love that area, but my favourite place is Lindisfarne, although I have visited Bamburgh several times. I fully intend to use this information as a guide upon my next travels up North. I will recommend this to my local library and book groups. I will also leave a review to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Boldwood Books for my ARC, freely given in exchange for my honest review. Rated this a five star read.

The Secrets of the Rose is the first book I have read by Nicola Cornick. I love trying authors who are new to me, so I was delighted when I was offered a copy of this. I enjoy historical fiction and this book did not disappoint. It runs a dual timeline, Dorothy Forster and her family during the Jacobite Rebellion in the 1700s and Hannah Armstrong and her family in the present day. Hannah is tasked with writing a biography of Grace Darling from Bamburgh and her heroic feat of rescuing the survivors of a shipwreck. However Hannah is more fascinated by the story of Dorothy Forster and cannot resist doing some research about her and her family from Bamburgh Hall and Castle.
I found this a really exciting story with lots of other little stories woven into the main story. I am so grateful to NetGalley, Boldwood books and Nicola Cornick for an arc of this exciting story.

Set in Northumberland against the backdrop of Bamburgh Castle this novel follows Hannah Armstrong as she unravels the mystery of a family talisman, the Rose. It also tells the story of Dorothy Forster, an earlier guardian of the Rose, who lived through the troubling times of the Jacobite Rebellion in 1715/16. The Rose has a power of its own and those who misuse it should beware!

I did the happy dance when I received this ARC from NetGalley as I am a big Nicola Cornick fan. The Secrets of the Rose does not disappoint- it features likeable characters and Cornick's easy-to-read style that pulls you right in and makes you feel like you are right there in the action. A dual timeline story, the present day timeline features author Hannah who has returned to her home in Northumbria, UK, to research her next book about a local girl named Grace Darling who became famous in 1839. The person she is most interested in, though, is Dorothy Forster, a Jacobite supporter around the time of the 1715 rebellion. She struggles to stay on task researching Grace's life while she reconnects with Aaron, who had once been best friends with her difficult brother. The second timeline is that of Dorothy Forster herself, who worries about her brothers getting involved with the Jacobite cause while taking care of her infirm father and trying to avoid her controling uncle who wants her to marry a man she does not love. There is way more to this story but no spoilers. Cornick masterfully weaves the two stories together so that about half way through, it became a can't-put-it-down kind of novel. I got a kick out of the cameo mention of Lizzie Kingdom from Cornick's The Forgotten Sister, which I also loved. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Two powerful women Dorothy Forster and Hannah Armstrong. Two women different centuries each trying to protect family in the best way possible. Dorothy, the odds against her due to the customs and expectations of the age. Controlled by an uncle who has the power and the money, a brother who is greedy for power and completely indifferent to the needs of the family, a younger brother swayed by the romance of intrigue and war, an ailing father wrapped in the past. Hannah protective of a beloved stepmother and wary of an avaricious brother trying to unravel the secrets of a talisman and a history which connects Dorothy to her.

Grace Darling the heroine of countless stories also features as this was the beginning of the story and the reason for Hannah to delve into the past. Her brief was to write a book following her best seller, but the story, the tomb and the picture of Dorothy draws Hannah into another dimension.

I loved the historical details and background to the story. The failed Jacobite uprising, the bloodshed, the political maneuvering that follows in power struggles all form part of the story. The romances are an intrinsic part too as they are the impetus and reasons why people act the way they do, when they want to protect those they love. Family feuds, sadly do persist past and present and greed and avarice are always around.

The story held my interest throughout. I’ll be looking out for this author.

Well done dual time historical romance. I definitely preferred the historical storyline, but both were enjoyable. Recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Secrets of the Rose is a dual-timeline novel set in the present day and 1715, and much more importantly, it's located about 10 minutes from where I live. Just like when someone writes a historical novel featuring one of 'my' historical characters, I felt a little uneasy about it all. Thankfully, I needn't have worried, and that allowed me to enjoy the story and local scenery very much.

Dorothy Forster is a local legend to the area and someone I've heard quite a bit about. It was lovely to put some 'flesh' on those stories and see her come to life as a real person. While the story has some slightly mystical qualities, it was still very enjoyable.

As always, I prefer the historical timelines to the modern-day ones, but Hannah was an engaging character with a lot going on in her life. I appreciated the parallels between the two main characters. The conclusions for both of our characters are thrilling and swept me along with them.

A delightful, easy read, I devoured in a couple of sittings.

The Secrets of the Rose is the type of book that will keep you engaged from page one until the end. It´s full of history, plus the descriptive narrative of the Bamburgh castle, Bamburg hall, Front Street in Northumberland among other locations transports the reader to every one of those places. It made me add it to my bucket list of places to visit asap.

Hannah Armstrong comes back to her hometown to write a historical biography for a local heroine, Grace Darling, but what she ends up doing is finding the story of Dorothy Foster who has always been an intriguing person for Hannah. The connection between the two and how their stories go back and forth from the past to the present was beautiful and nerve wrecking and the same time.

Expect mystery, romance, suspense and lots of historical facts from not one but two heroines at different moments of history in Northumberland.

I just can’t express enough how much I loved this book, the fact that I’m one of many Nicola Cornick’s fan doesn’t affect my honest and voluntary review. This is a must read.

Have you ever researched one person from the past for an assignment and found yourself gravitating toward another historical figure from a different era? Hannah Armstrong knows this feeling very well. She returns to her home in Bamburgh to write a biography about Grace Darling but is instead pulled towards an equally fascinating story of a Jacobite rebel. Dorothy Forster is a young woman who is trying to keep her family together as the world around her changes drastically. Can Dorothy protect her loved ones while fighting for her country and can Hannah find the truth hidden for far too long before it's too late? Two tales of courage, strength, and love are told in Nicola Cornick’s latest novel, “The Secrets of the Rose.”

I want to thank Boldwood Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have been enjoying Nicola Cornick’s blend of modern-day and stories of the past to create thrilling novels, so when I heard that she had a new one coming out this year, I knew I wanted to read it. When I saw that it took place during the Jacobite Rebellion, it intrigued me because it is a period of English history that I am not familiar with and I wanted to learn more.

Let’s start with our friend from the past, Dorothy Forster. She was the daughter of Sir William Forster, the sister of Thomas and Nicholas Forster, and the niece of Lord Crewe. Dorothy is a strong independent young lady who does not want to get married and instead help her ailing father. It was a peaceful life until Earl Derwentwater convinced her brothers Thomas and Nicholas to the Jacobean cause to return Prince James Stuart to the throne, culminating in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715. To top it all off, Dorothy finds out that her family, primarily the women in her family, are the Keepers of the Rose, a mythical talisman that both sides believe will make sure their victory is assured. When Dorothy’s brothers are taken prisoner, she must choose whether to leave her father and her beloved blacksmith John Armstrong, and travel to London or stay where it is safe.

Flash forward to the modern-day with Hannah Armstrong, a historian who came back home to study her latest subject, Grace Darling, a Victorian woman who saved her family and others from a shipwreck. It's been many years since Hannah has been home and there is a lot of tension once she arrives. Her step-mother Diana is hiding both medical and personal secrets from Hannah and her friends Alice and Aaron welcomes Hannah back with open arms. However, her estranged brother Brandon lurks in the shadows, searching for a particular portrait of Dorothy Forster and the Rose. Hannah has to piece the clues together while balancing her crazy social and romantic life before it is too late.

I found this a rather enjoyable novel and it was so fascinating to learn about not only Dorothy Forster and the Jacobite Rebellion but Grace Darling and her daring rescue. It was a thrilling romantic read full of twists, turns, and callbacks to Cornick’s previous novels. I hope that this novel will inspire more authors to explore the Jacobite Rebellion. If you want a novel that explores a moment in English history that does not get much attention with dynamic characters, I suggest you read, “The Secrets of the Rose” by Nicola Cornick.

This book is set in two timelines. The historical part is set in 1715 , based on a real family in the Jacobite uprising. Dorothy is a feisty character, as is her housekeeper , and I enjoyed their interactions as they resisted being dragged into something that was going to cause grief. I reality felt for her as her life was brought into turmoil because of the actions of her brothers. The present day story also has a problem brother in it. The greed and ambition in these stories causes a lot of issues. Both stories show love, loyalty, resilience and respect, and were a pleasure to read with an interesting connection between them. I look forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A lovely little historical novel based loosely on a little know woman character in the 1745 Jacobite rebellion. Told in dual timelines of the present and the 1700s there are parallels in the characters lives and as you read you'll discover the connection.. With a touch of magic and romance, this story is an entertaining read that also gives some insight into a historical time and place.
4 stars.

A beautiful cover to match perfectly with a wonderful dual timeline novel. The past of Dorothy Forster woven intricately with the present of Hannah Armstrong.
I raced through the novel as the two storylines kept me riveted and intruiged.
I loved it

It took me a while to get into but it did enjoy this book. Not a replacement for Barbara Erskine but a good second.

Enjoyed this dual fiction novel. The history of this era is something I had little knowledge of, so I found it fascinating to learn more.

I also enjoyed the modern strand of the story featuring Hannah and Diana - with more secrets and danger involved.

A well written and entertaining historical fiction book by one of my go to local authors.

Boldwood Blogger

A gripping dual timeline read. It’s 1715, the country is on the brink of rebellion and Dorothy discovers that her family are the keepers of a talisman known as the Rose. Meanwhile in present time Hannah returns home to find her stepmother is unwell and that she has been keeping secrets. Tasked with writing about Grace Darling Hannah is drawn to Dorothy, the talisman and a family resemblance. As she discovers the family history the secrets begin to unveil. Will Hannah unravel the secrets in time?
A read that keeps you gripped from start to finish. Great descriptions and historical content combine to give readers a magical and engrossing treat.

What a great read! The transitions from past, Dorothy to present, Hannah flow smoothly making it quite the page turner! Historical, adventure, romance, it was excellent.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review, I loved it!

It’s another really good book by this author. The book is told through dual timelines, each one interesting. I found myself more caught up in the present day story than the past one. A perfect book for all historical fiction fans

I don't wanna be dramatic, but this book was effing brilliant. Could not recommend it more! Have never read a book so fast!

i really enjoyed this book. it had all the great things. a dual timelines. a mystery. a romance. all woven through the telling of present day and the past. it was such a gripping read. this author has found her niche in these genre of books. i love finding a great author who knows how to do their type of writing well. so that you just slip into it each time knowing its going to be great. this is another brilliant one to add to this authors talented style.

I do love historical novels that combine with the present. This had mystery, magic and romance all in one and i loved it. 💕#TheSecretsoftheRose #NetGalley