Today is release day for Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan. I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this book from her publishers, Avon, via NetGalley back in March of this year. This is Claire’s debut adventure into writing crime and I know there’s plenty more to come. Below is the book cover and the description followed by my review and buy links.
Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allan
Her name was Rose. You watched her die. And her death has created a vacancy.
When Emily lets a stranger step out in front of her, she never imagines that split second will change her life. But after Emily watches a car plough into the young mother – killing her instantly – she finds herself unable to move on.
And then she makes a decision she can never take back.
Because Rose had everything Emily had ever dreamed of. A beautiful, loving family, a great job and a stunning home. And now Rose’s husband misses his wife, and their son needs a mother. Why couldn’t Emily fill that space?
But as Emily is about to discover, no one’s life is perfect … and not everything is as it seems.
My Review of Her Name Was Rose
I finished reading Her Name Was Rose at 1.30am and wiped away a few tears. This is such a powerful, emotional, rollercoaster of a ride and I’m sad that it’s over. The writing is flawless and from the very first page, I became Emily, the wounded, lonely, damaged, person, convinced that the death she witnessed should have been hers. My heart raced, anxiety, fear of what was to come next, what I was going to find out about her. The story pulled me in and didn’t let me go. I watched a movie in my head throughout.
Emily is a victim, lonely, isolated, and damaged from past experiences and in this psychological thriller, you get to become her. The story is told in first person and in reading, I too became a friend, a lover, a victim of circumstance. I felt her pain, her raw emotions, her confusion, and most of all her need to belong. I became a member of Scott’s and revelled in the delight of being part of the team. I was Emily and in the chapters from Rose’s point of view, I became her too. To me, this is always a sign of a great book, when I get to become the main character and feel everything they do. Allan does this brilliantly and effortlessly.
This is a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing and even though you might think you know who did it, don’t hold your breath. There is so much to tell, so much to be revealed, and at times you won’t know what’s going to happen.
I read this book over two days and I know it’s a story that is going to stay with me for quite some time. There are twists and turns, and hidden details that emerge, but no words are wasted. There’s nothing in this book just for the sake of it. Every detail is required and written beautifully. The Facebook posts from Rose’s husband portrayed grief in a way that only someone who has experienced it could. It was raw and powerful and it grips the heartstrings.
I loved all the characters in this book and I’m sure anyone who reads it will too. It’s so hard to leave a review without going into details of the plot and storyline, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Just read it and enjoy it for what it is, and what Allan has created. A masterpiece, from a master of words. A story that will pull you in and spit you out when it’s done, leaving you traumatised, exhausted, and exhilarated all at once.
I anticipate that Her Name is Rose will be one of the most talked about thrillers of 2018 and I’m so grateful that the publishers and NetGalley provided me with the opportunity to read this before it hits the shelves in June. I already have it on pre-order and can’t wait to add it to my bookshelves. A definite 5* review from me.
Her Name Was Rose is available now in ebook and paperback from Amazon and all other retail outlets.
Until next time,
Keep reading and writing,
Amanda
Amanda J Evans is an award-winning Irish author and writing coach. Amanda writes adult romance that often crosses into paranormal and fantasy. Growing up with heroes like Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones, her stories centre on good versus evil with a splice of love and magic thrown in too. Her books have all won awards and her novella, Hear Me Cry, won the Book of the Year Award at the Dublin Writers Conference 2018. Amanda is also the author of Surviving Suicide: A Memoir from Those Death Left Behind, published in 2012.
