It is not often that I read a book I dislike so much, I struggle to finish it. I am an avid reader and I can count on one hand the books I have put down in the last 30 years. Even when I dislike a story or heroine, there is something that pushes me to finish.

Three weeks ago I had the next few weeks of book review posts finished. Then I picked up The Rose and the Thistle. If you are a fan of overly descriptive stories with pages filled with details that do nothing to move the plot forward and sentences such as They went into the King Wark which was so crowded it seemed cheek to jowl. The auld tavern had a storied past. Then this book is for you. As it is with apparently many people, having won a Christy Award in 2023 and a rating of 4.5 stars on Amazon.

If you are not a fan of pages of useless information that do nothing to drive the plot forward, skip it and save yourself the torture of trying to read this novel. I only managed to read the first 150 pages before I had to return the book on Libby. (Library App) 150 pages over a two week period is an all time low for me. 150 pages is often what I read in a day. After giving myself a break with another novel, I sat back down determined to finish. It had to get better, or so I thought.

The Good

The research on this novel is impressive. Obviously a ton of effort went into it. So much I feel a bit guilty for not enjoying it. I would imagine if she wrote a history book for this time period it might be quite interesting.

The two main characters weren’t full of red flags. They weren’t perfect, but they weren’t toxic. Always a plus. I also appreciated the heroines change of priorities.

The Bad

I was 75 pages in when I decided to read the back of the book. Why? Because I honestly couldn’t figure out the plot. I can’t think of a single time in nearly 30 years of avid reading I have been so bored as to wonder “what exactly is the point behind this?”

After reading the back of the book and finishing the novel I was left wondering if the person who wrote the synopsis read the book themselves.

Drawn into a whirlwind of intrigue, shifting alliances, and ambitions, Lady Blythe must be careful whom she trusts. Her fortune, her future, and her very life are at stake. Those who appear to be adversaries may turn out to be allies–and those who pretend friendship may be enemies.

I wouldn’t use the word “intrigue” to describe this story, much less “whirlwind”. Except perhaps by saying it was a whirlwind of disappointment. I was expecting a novel filled with political intrigue and excitement. What I got was a romance driven story that was rather boring and full of tropes.

Final Thoughts

This book is a great example of why a person should never give up on reading. If this had been my first attempt at a novel I would think books weren’t for me. Not everyone has the same taste in books and what one person loves another will hate. This style of book will never be one I enjoy. That is no fault to the author, my guess is she rather excels in this style of writing. As for others, they will enjoy the many descriptive details, from the unicorns and thistles on the ceiling, to the types of fabric on the furniture.

Which category do you fall into? Do you love very detailed descriptions? Stories that leave some details to the imagination? Or ones that leave nearly all descriptions behind?

As always thank you for stopping by and if you have any book recommendations (that hopefully fall into the second category listed above) I would love to hear from you!