Title: Roses in the Devil’s Garden
Series: Fallen Rose: Book One
Author: Charlie Cochet
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 67 Pages
Category: Historical Romance
At a Glance: I loved the first part of the book where we get to know Harlan and Nathan, but the second part felt like another story.
Reviewed By: Ky
Blurb: Working for the Bureau of Prohibition means facing dangerous criminals, desperate gangsters, speakeasies springing up overnight, a city controlled by corruption, and an employer that can’t be trusted. If that’s not enough, best friends and lovers Harlan Mackay and Nathan Reilly still bear the scars—both seen and unseen—that they earned fighting in the First World War. When a ghost from the past resurfaces to destroy everything they hold dear, it might be the last straw for Harlan and Nathan.
New York City is a war zone, the government is in the pocket of organized crime, and the exposure of their illicit romance is a constant danger. For Harlan and Nathan, it’s not a question of whether they’ll escape unscathed, but of which enemy will get them first….
Review: Roses in the Devil’s Garden is a short story set after WWI. It’s also the first book in a series and as such, it sets the atmosphere for the next stories. It introduces characters and it leaves loose ends to be tied up in the future.
I loved the first part of the book where we get to know Harlan and Nathan, see their relationship and their connection, see how they work together and how well they understand each other. I liked the jealousy and the bump in their lives when the past made an unexpected appearance. I liked what they did about it, and I liked the whole idea for the plot about a couple who are best friends, partners in life and partners at work.
The thing is that the second part felt like another story. The focus wasn’t on the main characters anymore but on those around them who, I believe, are getting their own stories. From the moment the focus left the MCs, the whole story became too complicated with many names thrown in the mix, friendships sprouting up as if from nowhere, and potential coupledom appearing everywhere.
Harlan and Nathan were amazing, though, so 3 stars just for them.
You can buy Roses in the Devil’s Garden here:
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