The Winter Rose
A second in series after The Rose Queen, The Winter Rose continues the story of Cadi, now enrolled in the WAAF, and Jez, a mechanic in the RAF. Jez, unbeknown to Cadi, has volunteered to go to the Middle East and pretends he’s been ordered there. The nasty Daphne gives away his secret, meaning that on his return, in time for Christmas, he and Cadi are estranged. In the meantime, Cadi is involved in trying to reunite her friend Izzy, who she’s rescued from an abusive father, with her long-lost mother. The mother has got herself involved with some very nasty characters, and Cadi, Jez, Izzy and a number of others eventually discover where she is and effect a rescue.
I hadn’t read the first in series and found the number of plotlines and characters from book one quite difficult to follow. The story of itself has plenty of twists and turns; however, it would have been good to have more of a sense of the impact of war beyond the difficulty of making a phone call without the operator cutting you off and the crowded nature of the trains. Cadi is promoted to corporal in the WAAF, and a more in-depth description for what that role might entail and insight into Jez’s life in Africa, and the travel to and from there (which seemed to be accomplished with surprising ease), might have given a greater feeling of place and time. The characters themselves are kind, thoughtful, and caring people, apart from the baddies, and overall the story is suitable for a warm Christmas fireside read.
