Review ~ A Rose for St Amelia by Jack Nesbitt

Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie
November 2015

After twelve years of marriage and a particularly troublesome divorce, Rose escapes to her holiday hideaway in Southern Spain. In Malaga, Rose is able to nurse her wounded spirit in a place where happy memories abide and where she feels that recuperative time spent in this tranquil spot may just bring her the peace she needs. When she meets the enigmatic Antonio in a museum, she is attracted by his good looks and charming nature and before too long they become a couple sharing a passionate romance. However, Antonio has secrets that he is unable to share with Rose and as the story progresses we start to see that all is not comfortable in this idyllic Spanish paradise.

I found this book really enjoyable. It's a quick read, coming in at just under 150 pages, so I was able to read it comfortably in one sitting. The warm Spanish atmosphere gives the story a languid quality and so descriptive is the narrative that Malaga easily becomes another character in the novel. There is a good blend of light and shade, and the romance between Rose and Antonio is nicely explored. The mystery at the heart of the novel could perhaps have been allowed more depth, as it all seemed to wrap up fairly quickly, but that's just my own personal observation. Having said that, the story concludes nicely and there is a surprise twist which I didn't see coming.

A Rose for St Amelia would make an ideal holiday read and I’m sure that it would comfortably pass the time between applying sun screen and restorative dips in the swimming pool.

Best Read with ...platters of  smoky paella, heavy on the chorizo, and jugs of ice tinkling Sangria, laden with fruit..

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My thanks to the author for sharing his book with me.

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