My enormous thanks to the lovely folk at Harper Collins for a surprise copy of The Trouble With Rose by Amita Murray in return for an honest review.

The Trouble With Rose is available in e-book and for paperback pre-order through the publisher links here.

The Trouble With Rose

A missing sister. A broken heart.
A whole lot of trouble…

Rilla is getting married. Except she isn’t. She’s running away – from her confused fiancé Simon, her big mad family, and the memories nipping at her heels.

Her sister Rose would know what to do in such times of crisis.

But the trouble is, Rose is the crisis. She disappeared years ago, and Rilla’s heart went missing too.

Where is Rose? And who is Rilla without Rose?

If she’s to rescue some happiness out of all this chaos, she needs to find out.

My Review of The Trouble With Rose

Rilla is about to marry Simon, but events may not go according to plan.

I have a confession. I wasn’t especially interested in reading The Trouble With Rose and the only reason I did read it was because it was quite physically light and I needed to reduce the weight of books in my suitcase on a recent holiday! This ridiculous attitude just goes to show how wrong a person can be. I absolutely loved Amita Murray’s funny, touching narrative with a family mystery at its centre.

The Trouble With Rose is plotted perfectly so that whilst Rose’s absence is at the heart of the action, her presence is felt through every facet of Rilla’s life and personality. I was as desperate to know what happened to Rose as was Rilla.

Amita Murray writes in a style that is effortless to read. This isn’t to say it is lightweight or superficial but rather that at times her descriptions are beautifully wrought and her ability to convey Rilla’s feelings and emotions through the first person narrative is faultless. It felt as if Rilla was my friend and was speaking directly to me. There is also a sparkling wit, especially in the passages relating to Rilla’s extended family that made me laugh aloud with recognition at times.

I thought Rilla was a triumph. With Rose gone her feelings of stasis and guilt render her unable to fulfil her potential. As the totally apt cover suggests, Rilla is unbalanced and without Rose feels incomplete. At times she is her own worse enemy which makes her even more realistic and endearing.

Whilst The Trouble With Rose can be enjoyed as a highly entertaining light read, Amita Murray has woven in wonderful themes of identity, ethnicity, family, relationships, guilt and love so that there is real depth for those wanting it too. I thought it was a perfect read.

Having begun relatively disinterested in reading The Trouble With Rose, I have finished the book feeling thoroughly entertained, emotionally engaged and desperate to know what happens next in Rilla’s life. This is a totally smashing book from Amita Murray that I really recommend. I loved it.

About Amita Murray

Amita Murray has worked as a dancer, arts writer, fashion editor, seller of Christmas flowers, PR assistant for supercomputers, counsellor for a jobs website and hen party host. She was working as an academic when she did what you’re never supposed to do – she left her day job to try to become a novelist.

Even when she tries to write serious stuff, it tends to come out a bit funny, so she tries not to write about serial killers. She loves chocolate, dysfunctional families, and world peace. She blogs for the Huffington Post. Her short stories have been published in Brand, Inkspill, Front View, and other platforms.

You can follow Amita on Twitter @AmitaMurray and visit her blog for further information.