Our Sweet Violet
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By Rosie Goodwin
avg rating
2 reviews
The brand-new historical romance in the bestselling Flower Girls collection.
Hull, 1905
As the much doted-on daughter of the local doctor Violet Stroud had a comfortable, happy childhood – despite a distinct lack of love from her cold-hearted mother. But when her father unexpectedly dies, Violet’s life is turned upside down. As secrets about the family come to light, Violet finds herself homeless and with no one to turn to apart from Edie, the family’s gentle and loving housekeeper.
Violet and Edie set out on their own to run a café by the docks and life, while humble, starts to settle down. Perhaps, Violet may find happiness again and even . . . love? But when Violet’s brother, Oliver, comes back on the scene, chaos follows at every turn, and while walking home alone one night, something unthinkable happens. With her contented existence and her chance at true love under threat, Violet must summon all the strength she has to put her life back together. Will she ever find the peace that she so desperately desires?
‘Full of Goodwin’s wisdom and warmth, Our Sweet Violet is a sweeping and romantic page-turner and the perfect ending to a sweet and heady series . . .’ Lancashire Evening Post
Praise for Rosie Goodwin
‘A heartwarming saga fans will love’ Woman’s Weekly
‘Rosie writes such heartwarming sagas’ Lyn Andrews
‘The new Catherine Cookson’ Coventry Evening Telegraph
TweetReviews
This story followed the life of Violet, a young girl born into hardship but blessed with a gentle heart and strong spirit. After being seperated from her mother, she faced cruelty, poverty and betrayal, yet she continued to search for love, belonging and a place she could call home. The story took you on Violet's journey until she built the life she deserved.
Violet was my favourite character because despite everything she faced, she stayed kind, resilient, hopeful and determined. I found it fasinating how she remained compensationate even with individuals who had let her down. The more I read, the more I disliked many of the characters in this book as they were exploiting Violet by mistreating her or taking advantage of her innocence. Their cruelty was harsh, heartless and selfish, considering Violet was so gentle and kind.
Reading this book felt quite emotional at times where I had to balance heartbreak with hope. I felt I was physically, emotionally and personally following Violet on her journey; I have to praise the author for achieving this level of emotion from the reader.
The only negative comment I can make is that at times the story felt emotionally heavy and difficult to read, especially the scenes showing Violet's suffering. A few characters were extremely cruel which made me feel overwhelmed and frustrated.
On a positive note, Rosie Goodwin wrote with warmth, clarity and strong emotional depth. Her descriptions were captivating which kept you turning the pages. She balanced hardship with hope, and wrote characters who felt real, flawed and memorable. Her storytelling style made you care deeply about the characters.
By the end, the book left me feeling moved, relieved and uplifted. After following Violet through so many trials, her moments of happiness and peace felt well-earned. It left you with a sense of hope and admiration for Violet's strength. A very good read where you just want to switch off from work and chores.
This is the kind of book worth reading if you just want to escape. It’s nicely written and has a good story flow. It’s not high brow and the plot is a bit cliched, but it’s great escapism. It’s a classic romance novel which is set in the 1800/1900s - an unrequited English love with high drama. Worth a read if you just want to relax and switch off.
