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Monday, August 17, 2015

83) Picking up the Pieces by Denise Grover Swank

The Blurb :

While Rose might be reeling from the news that Joe’s ex-girlfriend is pregnant, she’s got bigger issues to deal with. One, putting her business back together albeit with a new partner and into two separate entities; and two, trying to keep the Fenton County Sheriff’s Department from figuring out the true identity of the Lady in Black.

My Thoughts :

While the Rose Gardner series is one of my favourite audio series and I refuse to waste an Audible credit on a novella.  This short story follows the fifth book and as the title suggests, it is all about Picking up the Pieces.  Anyone who has ready Thirty-Two and a Half Complications will know that the title has a lot of meaning.

I really like the concept of this series but this short story doesn't embrace Rose and her visions of the future at all.  If anything the novella is a rehash of past stories with a little piece of new information thrown in now and again to keep it from going stale.  There are some revelations that any fan of the series will want to know but this isn't the right short story to read to get a feel for the series or just to give it a try.  This short story will ruin the whole series if you don't read it in the proper place.

There is no mystery in this book, just an extended epilogue to the fifth installment.  What makes this one worth reading is the change in POV with not only Rose telling the story but also Joe and Violet sharing their side of things.  While I thought this would help me understand these two characters better and maybe like them more (I have been slowly building up some major dislike for them both for the last couple of books) I actually found myself liking them even less.  If the author was attempting to get them some sympathy votes or explain their actions better then she failed in my view.  I may have liked Joe's decision at the end but Violet is my least favourite character at the moment.

So if you are a fan and are following this series then you really need to give this one a read.  Don't go into hoping for too much but go into it knowing that you already know a lot of the content and there are some interesting developments here and there and some vital information to store away for the next books in the series.

I will be heading back to see what happens next with Rose as soon as possible.  I am really enjoying this series and the audio books are well worth checking out.




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