Customer Reviews

The Silent Rose

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Here is the story of Devon James, a successful writer with a relationship that is on the rocks. Deeply unsatisfied with her personal life, she develops writer's block. She has a deadline for her next book looming in the near future and a relationship that is suffocating her. To solve the two problems, she books a weekend at an old bed and breakfast on an island off the state of Connecticut. The trip there is gloomy with rain, an impatient fiancé, and what turns out to be an old Victorian house in the midst of renovation. Devon and her fiancé Michael try to make the best of it and they stay overnight in the house against their better judgment. That evening they make love and Devon can sense a spirit in the room with them actually participating in their lovemaking. (No, this isn't a graphic love scene.) Well after fiancé Michael falls asleep, Devon has a terrifying vision of another spirit in the room and is so terrified by it that she is unable to go to sleep for fear that she'll be injured by the malevolent ghost. Michael sleeps restlessly beside her while she is awake the entire night. When they wake up they resolve to leave as quickly as they can.

They return to New York City and Michael wants everything to go back to normal, but they never do because Devon is so fascinated by the old house and the ghosts she encountered there that she begins to research what happened at the old house. Rather predictably, she breaks up with Michael, who, though not a bad guy, never took her writing seriously. He wants her to settle down and become the perfect corporate wife. She has known she doesn't love him and gives up trying to make things right with Mr. Wrong.

During the course of the research on the old house, Devon meets the wealthy Jonathan Stafford, owner of the old house. He lives in New York running a huge conglomerate. His son is at a special hospital, crippled from the waist down. Jonathan is very protective of his son and as the owner of the old haunted house, he bristles at Devon's research. He's afraid that something in his family history will come out to embarrass him and more importantly, to embarrass or traumatize is crippled son. We don't find out why his son is wheelchair bound until the conclusion to the story so I won't say much more there.

Jonathan will use any means possible to persuade Devon to drop her research of the old house and the history of his family on the island. Devon has a complete and justified mistrust of Jonathan's motives. In spite of that, a relationship develops between the two characters. Now that I've set the stage for the story I can tell no more as it would ruin the suspense. This was a very chilling ghost story mixed with a sizzling romance. The ghost story is so well done that it could have easily stood on its own without the romantic element. The romance is so well done that it'll send you looking for your husband or significant other. This was a very satisfying read.

i was extremely annoyed to hear other reviewers complaining that they didn't like this book because it wasn't a historical romance like kat martin's other books. one reviewer said they didn't reccommend the book because they just "assumed" it would be historical and didn't even bother to read the summary on the back. personally i admire any author who can jump time period the way mrs. martin does.

this was the first kat martin book i read. i picked it up on a whim and ever since have been a die hard fan and am slowly reading through her back list. i love her steamy style with passionate heriones and dark, roguish heroes. this particular story took some flack for being a supernatural/ paranormal book but truth be told that is only a very small aspect of the book. "the silent rose" is the story of Devon James, an author who visits an inn and has an experience she can't explain, which quickly comes to consume her in a way that confuses her. hoping it will help her understand why she feels a connect to the people who lived so long ago in that house Devon begins to do research on the inn and the family that owned it.

Jonathon Stafford is the head of the Stafford family and it was his old family home that Devon begins to investigate. he vows to stop her using any means neccessary to protect his family and their good name. Jonathon is cold, determined man in the beginning of the work but when he meets Devon the passion is instant. i always love a brooding hero, it adds more action to the story and really who wants a man who wont put up a fight? :)

The story that follows as each character tries to work out what they feel for the other and their own personal convictions is wonderful. Jonathon has been burned in the past, something typical in many romances but always treated different i feel by each author, when he married a shallow woman when they were never really in love. Devon was also burned by a cheating husband, a nice addition i thought since to often the herione is some foppish virgin who has someone how always known someone was waiting for her. Jonathon wants her to quit her work but Devon steadfastly refuses.

i loved the chemistry between these two characters and the secondary characters are great. from Devon's crazy new aged friend to Jonathon's channel clothed sister. none detract from the story however and you find yourself wanting to smack one character and then hug them all in the same breath.

the paranormal aspect is treated as real. ghosts are assumed to exist and this does take place in current day, no regency era here so if you want historical check out any number of martin's other books which are just as great. or if you can't deal with whole ghost thing martin has other contemporary novels. check this one out i had a blast reading it. a good romance to while away a day with. you wont be able to put it down, i wasn't :)

Never having read Kat Martin's work before (historical or contemporary), I didn't go into THE SILENT ROSE with any previous expectations. I was hesitant to read a novel dealing with parapsychology, but decided to give it a try. I'm very glad I did.

What I most appreciated about this novel is the obviously tremendous amount of research Ms. Martin put into it. Many romances deal with parapsychology so lightly that it is easy to dismiss it as part of the fantasy of the novel. As Devon James researches paranormal phenomenon in order to write her planned book, Ms. Martin shows Devon running into the quacks as well as those whose claims to psychic ability cannot be dismissed as lightly.

All of this made highly interesting reading. As a Catholic, I don't put much stock into paranormal phenomenon, but I'm willing to admit that there is much we cannot explain... much that will only be revealed in God's good time. I thank Ms. Martin for asking questions and for showing that there are no pat answers.

As for the romance, I found it lovely. Devon and Jonathan had to keep rebuilding trust when first one, then the other of them betrayed it. I especially appreciated that there were still issues in the relationship to resolve even after love was declared. Too often, in most romances, that is the end of the story. "I love you. Oh, I love you, too. The End." But not here. Devon and Jonathan still had to struggle to make the relationship work.

I was very impressed with this first novel by Kat Martin that I've read. I'll be keeping my eyes open in the future for more of her novels.

This book was recommended to me because I love a good paranormal story. I was a tad disappointed in the fact that it was more romance involved and only got spooky at the beginning and the very end of the book. The two main characters sort of got on my nerves about how they were so very deceitful to each other, but always seemed to forgive one another for horrible things that they did to each other. That was kind of unbelievable, but then again it is a fiction novel. It was good enough for me to finish the entire book, but like I said I was told it was more a paranormal novel so I kept waiting for something spooky to happen chapter after chapter. If you like just romance novels, then this is for you. If you like a good spooky novel, before reading this, I would suggest you look elsewhere first.

Although I did enjoy this book it really was not up to Ms. Martin's level.

Devon and Jonathan are two people that I had a hard time "seeing" as a couple. Devon is a well-known author and after one terrifying visit to a B&B owned by Jonathan she becomes obsessed with writing a story about her experience there. Jonathan is a private man and will do all that he can to keep the secret of the Inn and of his family quite. No matter what he has to do even if it means seducing Devon.

There is plenty of plot twists and the secondary characters are likeable but it still is lacking her magic. The story is still worth reading but don't expect the same magic that you may have encountered in her other books.

I have read several of Kat Martin's books, so when I found this one naturally I decided I needed to try it. I was a little upset at first to find that it was a contemporary, since I am an AVID historical romance reader. But, needless to say I loved it. I think the chemistry between Devon and Jonathan was dynamic. The only thing I found a little lacking was the ending. I expected more out of the ghost characters at the end with everything that leaded up to it. I must say though that I am definitely looking forward to the next contemporary. =0)

Kat Martin, who is known for her wonderful historical romances, has a surprise in store for her readers with her latest release, "The Silent Rose." This novel is a deliciously thrilling paranormal suspense, and quite a departure from Martin's previous work. She explains in her introduction that it has been her dream to write about ordinary women who have had extraordinary experiences, and reveals that this story is based partly on actual events that happened to herself and her husband. But never fear, Martin hasn't left her romance roots behind, as the romance between Jonathan and Devon is as steamy and sensual as they come. "The Silent Rose" is the first in a series of contemporary romantic suspense novels that Martin has planned, and I for one will anxiously be awaiting the arrival of the next.

The Silent Rose was the first contemporary romance that I've read from Kat Martin. I enjoy her historicals much more.

When Devon James and her fiance go to spend a night at a B&B in Conneticut, Devon is unprepared for the feelings and visions she endures during her stay. Determined to find out the meaning of these visions, Devon begins to investigate the history of the home.

When Jonathan Stafford is informed that Devon is investigating the history, he will do everything in his power to stop her (it doesn't help that he's a multi-millionaire either!). He'll use everything in his power, including seducing her. Neither Jonathan or Devon are prepared for the love that blossoms between the two.

This was a pretty good book, but I found it could have been much better. I didn't think that Jonathan and Devon had the chemistry that Kat Martin's books usually have.

I read this book a LONG time ago and I loved it, but it fell apart and I lost it. I couldn't remember the title or the author, but I remembered the main characters name and the title had rose in it. I finally found the title on this site. This is a WONDERFUL book that kept me captivated, I still remember it till this day.

This book was recommended to me because I love a good paranormal story. I was a tad disappointed in the fact that it was more romance involved and only got spooky at the beginning and the very end of the book. The two main characters sort of got on my nerves about how they were so very deceitful to each other, but always seemed to forgive one another for horrible things that they did to each other. That was kind of unbelievable, but then again it is a fiction novel. It was good enough for me to finish the entire book, but like I said I was told it was more a paranormal novel so I kept waiting for something spooky to happen chapter after chapter. If you like just romance novels, then this is for you. If you like a good spooky novel, before reading this, I would suggest you look elsewhere first.