Rookie patrol officer Rose Brighton chases a suspect down an alley. Without warning, her vision wavers, and the lone suspect appears to divide into two men—the real suspect, frozen in time, and a shadow version with a gun. Confused by what she’s just seen, but with no time to second guess it’s meaning, Rose shoots the real suspect in the back.Forced to lie to detectives, she risks her job and her … job and her life to discover the shocking truth of who she really is—a witch of an ancient House, the prey of one powerful enemy, and the pawn of another.
House of Rose, set in the Deep South city of Birmingham, Alabama, is the first book of the Magic City Stories.
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First let me state, I received an Advance Reader Copy, (ARC), but this in no way influences my review. I always leave an honest review
Holy shiznet!!! This story grabbed a hold of & wouldn’t let go. I couldn’t put it down. I was reading til the wee hours, sleeping for May 3 or 4 then up again reading to the end. This was a gr8 mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. I laughed a little, I cried a bit, I even clenched my teeth at times. I recommend this read 5 Thumbs up
5 stars
Review by Leah
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
House of Rose by T.K. Thorne brought the art of magic back without all the black magic, spells and potions. She brings the power of Mother Earth, the grounding and I thank you for that, so refreshing. The bonus is, IT’S A CRIME NOVEL WITH WITCHES AND WARLOCKS!
A beat cop patrolling the streets, Rose and her partner Paul respond to a burglary call in her neighborhood. During that call, another comes in a couple of blocks over and they are in pursuit. As Rose turns the corner sees something she cannot explain. A vision, a premonition, all she knows is she has to save her partner.
Adopted as a child after a tragedy that took her family from her, Rose thought she was it, she had no blood family left. So it was quite a shock when she stumbles upon her Great Aunt Alice and it took quite a bit of convincing that they were related. Then finding out she is the firstborn heir of the House of Rose throws her for another loop. Oh yeah, Rose, there is a House of Iron who is trying to kill you. Perfect! Gotta love family drama. Rose took to her abilities like a deer to a frozen pond. Thank you T.K. Thorne for that, it drives me insane when I am reading about someone coming into their powers and *poof* they know how to use them.
Aunt Alice and her “kitties” (you will giggle when you get to that part of the book) is a character that everyone wants as an aunt and then there is Paul, ohhh Paul, you sir are a tricky little thing.
The book does not say it but the House of Rose reminds me of Green Witches (not the book, the actual Green Witches). They pull from the earth’s energy, stones, gems, elements, etc. which is near and dear to me. I am all for reading about the black/dark magic but it’s refreshing to read about the other side that many people do not think about. This was one read I did not know how it would end. I was not able to predict the ending in chapter 5, which was awesome! It kept me on my toes and up past 2 am. Ready for book 2
This book wasn’t quite what I expected to be, but that isn’t exactly a bad thing. First, I did enjoy the book. I found it written well, the details (especially the police angle) were exceptional, some of the twists were unexpected, and the plot was very interesting. The book kept my interest in part because I was enthralled with the rose necklace. However, I do admit that I had a hard time connecting to the characters. They seemed a little distant, and I never really felt like I knew them, with the exception of Rose’s friend Becca who I really liked more than the others. I was intrigued enough, though, that I will definitely read the next book in the series. Recommend. I was provided the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.