Where the Last Rose Blooms by Ashley Clark

The audio version of this review was first shared in Episode 63: A Bookchat about The All-American with Susie Finkbeiner & a Review of Where the Last Rose Blooms by Ashley Clark

THE BOOK

Alice runs a New Orleans flower shop alongside her aunt, but thoughts of her mother, who went missing during Hurricane Katrina, are never far from her mind. After getting off on the wrong foot with a handsome yet irritating man who comes to her shop, Alice soon realizes their worlds overlap—and the answers they both seek can be found in the same place.

In 1861 Charleston, Clara is known to be a rule follower—but the war has changed her. Unbeknownst to her father, who is heavily involved with the Confederacy, she is an abolitionist and is prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause. With assistance from a dashing Union spy, she attempts to help an enslaved woman reunite with her daughter. But things go very wrong when Clara agrees to aid the Northern cause by ferrying secret information about her father’s associates.

Faced with the unknown, both women will have to dig deep to let their courage bloom.

THE REVIEW

In 2021, I discovered The Heirloom Secrets series and fell in love with Ashley Clark’s writing. Her stories ministered to my heart in a way I hadn’t experienced with a series before, and her characters stayed with me long after I turned the final page. Both The Dress Shop on King Street and Paint and Nectar made it onto my Favorite Reads of 2021 list, so needless to say, I had high expectations going into book three. As a reader, there’s nothing quite so disappointing as falling in love with a series only to have the final book fall flat. 

Dear reader, I’m ever so pleased to report that Ashley Clark stuck the landing! 

Where the Last Rose Blooms is everything I’d hoped it would be. Poignant. Beautiful. With the warmth and southern charm of my Granny’s hand-stitched quilt. Clark’s pacing is masterful, perfectly balancing intense scenes with moments of levity. Once again, she’s created a diverse cast of characters and tackled relatable issues with authenticity and respect. I could see myself in Lucy’s battle with anxiety, depression, and grief. I could feel her pain, and more importantly, I could feel my hopes rising as Lucy found new hope in the midst of pain. God spoke to me through the pages of this book. He used the story to help me see my own in a new way and left me with comforting truths to ponder long after The End. 

Ashley Clark’s The Heirloom Secrets series is one I will treasure and gush about for years to come. One I will read again when I need my hope restored or simply want to visit some old friends. 

If you’re new to Christian fiction, read this series. If you’ve been reading Christian fiction since Love Came Softly, read this series. If you’ve never read Christian fiction or have a negative impression of the genre, please, read this series. It is not one to be missed!

THE AUTHOR

Ashley Clark is the acclaimed novelist of The Heirloom Secrets Series. She writes women’s fiction set in the South, and her stories are filled with faith, sweet romance, and lots of family secrets. She loves all things vintage and the almost-forgotten stories of the past. Ashley finds her writing interests influenced by the spaces shared between femininity + strength, loss + legacy, and beauty + memory. She is an English adjunct instructor, a wife and homeschool mama, and she adores her adopted senior Cocker Spaniel. 

Read more about Ashley on her website. (www.ashleyclarkbooks.com)

Reviewed by Angela Bell.

Disclaimer: The author offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.