This is my second book by this author and I have enjoyed both.

This novel is inspired by a real person, Dorothy Forster of Bamburgh, known as the Northumbrian Jacobite heroine.

🥀1700’s
The Rose, a talisman of great power, had been thought lost for centuries. Another uprising was in the air, and the rebels needed The Rose. Dorothy Foster did everything in her power to protect the talisman, but her brothers' involvement in the rebellion made it difficult.

🥀Present time
Hannah returned to her home to write a biography of a Victorian heroine, where she suddenly became interested in the life of Dorothy Foster. She discovered secrets and learned of Rose's magical power.

I loved this book. It transported me to another time and place along with Dorothy and Hannah's courageous journey. The story captivated me from the very beginning. A truly wonderful book.

The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick

As others by this author , a brilliant dual timeline .
This time set in magical Bamburgh Northumbria and set around the Jacobite uprising in the 18th century and the present day and a rose talisman that is passed down the generations .
Nicola is the queen of dual timeline books and manages to keep both times equally relatable to each other .

I really enjoyed this book the dual timelines worked really well and were an aspect that I loved. The writing was engaging and really drew me in. I couldn't put it down

I really enjoyed reading this as a historical tale and worked well with the plot of the story. I was invested in what was happening with the characters and how they worked in this universe. Nicola Cornick has a great way of telling the story and how the characters were used in this.

Nicola's books are always such a joy to read. Her characters are warm and well-rounded, the historical detail is spot on (and done with a beautifully light touch rather than being dry - she really makes you feel as if you're there), and she's brilliant at evoking a sense of place.

This is a dual timeline book, with biographer Hannah Armstrong in the present and Jacobite Dorothy Forster in the 1700s. Both have difficult siblings and a man in their life they maybe shouldn't fall in love with; both have a sick parent (stepmother in Hannah's case and father in Dorothy's); and both are struggling to sort out their lives - so, despite the centuries between them, they have much in common. Dorothy needs to protect the Rose and her family; Hannah's drawn to finding out the truth about Dorothy's life, and discovers connections she never expected.

Thoroughly entertaining and hard to put down. Definite five stars. Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for the ARC (and all views are unbiased and my own).

A well written book about a rose talisman, narrated in dual povs. We have Dorothy from the 18th century Jacobite times and modern day Hannah both with purposes. Typically dual pots, spanning time can getting confusing, but this book carried it well. The protagonists are both strong in character and intelligent. The hista9rical details are well written - Jacobite settings are always thrilling and this book delivers.

Dual timeline story set around Northumbria featuring Dorothy and Hannah during Jacobean times and present day. An interesting story.

What another exciting and riveting historical dual timeline adventure by Nicola Cornick! I don’t think this author could write anything less than a 5 star novel as everything I have read of hers has been flawless. I was so engrossed in The Secrets of the Rose I did not realise I had come to the last page! What a powerful portrait of Dorothy Forster from the annals of Jacobite history. Also, Ms. Cornick has managed to create an equally strong female lead with Hannah Armstrong in the present day thread. I was cheering for both women equally and the parallels in their lives created an even stronger narrative that reflected in a special unified whole. Hannah exhibits her ancestor Dorothy’s brave and steadfast characteristics as she also deals with the troubles of her brother and secrets of her stepmother. Dorothy on the other hand had even more challenges due to the constraints on women of the era.

Dorothy Forster is a fascinating woman of the 1700’s who was up against some slippery enemies. A woman’s life then was ruled by the wishes of the men that surrounded them. But Dorothy being quite independent, manages to work around the challenges she faces. Her own brother Thomas is wrapped up in the Jacobite rebellion and leads his younger brother into dangerous territory. Labelled as traitors, their future is not looking very bright and Dorothy tries hard to help and protect her kin. With an ill father to care for, her journey ahead sees many challenges but thankfully she has the support of a hand full of good people as she navigates her way through a minefield of villains, while protecting the legendary talisman Rose and the men she loves.

Hannah Armstrong returns to Bamburgh Hall to work on a writing project she has been assigned: a biography of the Victorian heroine, Grace Darling, daughter of a local lighthouse keeper who helped her father rescue shipwreck survivors of 1838. But Hannah initially feels Grace’s heroism is ‘over-exaggerated' until she visits the island with her old friend and things become clearer and her opinion changes. But also she must unravel the mystery that surrounds Dorothy from the past and her stepmother in the present who has been acting strange. What secrets has she been harbouring?

The Secrets of the Rose contains incredibly gorgeous description that transported me to the various locations and era (including outlines of Lindisfarne Castle). The haunting atmosphere that shrouds and enhances the settings—including Bamburgh Hall, is clearly felt in both past and present timelines. This all adds to the ghostly sketches and superstitious mystery that surrounds the legendary Rose and its believed powers. Ms Cornick certainly successfully creates tension, chills and splendour on her literary canvas. Plus the characters are distinct, well developed and delivered respectfully. We adore Dorothy’s kind yet fierce heart and Hannah’s intuitive mind and caring soul. These two ladies who are centuries apart hold some very common threads between them. They have the potential and make a huge difference in the lives of those who are close to them: including a few good men such as Aaron Salter and John Armstrong.

I loved this novel so much and could not put it down. It covers an interesting time period. Ms Cornick weaves history expertly into a fascinating fictional story. My only regret is that it had to come to a close! When the last page turned, my heart kept pondering the characters and eras these two women lived in.. A definite must read for 2025! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for a review copy.

What an amazing and powerful book set in 1700’s about the Jacobite uprising, the characters in the book are set on real people. The authors research and attention to detail really shows. I hadn’t heard of this historic event until I read this book and I learnt soo much, This book really shows the female power both in the past and the present day, the characters are so powerful and inspiring. I thought there was a smooth transition between the last and the present povs and both were interesting to read about. I also enjoyed reading the historical note at the end. Definitely worth reading and would recommend especially if you love reading about history.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

I would like to thank Boldwood books and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
I loved it, it's set in Bamburgh in Northumberland and centres around the Jacobite uprising in the 18th century and the present day and a rose talisman that is passed down the generations what's not to love?
Living in Northumberland my whole life I could picture the locations as if I was actually there.
Fans of Nicola Cornick will love this as well as fans of Christina Courtney .

A fascinating time slip novel which I really enjoyed both for the characters and the story. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.