Diana Biller

A young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age debut novel.

A Novel

The Widow of Rose House

Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, The Widow of Rose House is a gorgeously romantic debut by Diana Biller, with an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers as she starts over and finds true love. / / / Mass market paperback edition. / / / It’s 1875, and Alva Webster is ready for a fresh start. After three years of being pilloried in the presses for fleeing her abusive husband, his sudden death allows her to return to New York where she is determined to restore a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time. She is decidedly not supposed to fall in love. But when a haunting at her new home threatens her careful plans, she must seek help from the eccentric and brilliant and - much to her dismay - very handsome Professor Samuel Moore. Alva doesn’t need more complications in her life, especially not a convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam. Unfortunately, Sam is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva’s new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva’s history, and her heart...  / / / "A chemistry-fueled debut with a bit of a ghost story, great for readers of gothic romance." -Booklist

accidentally read the sequel first whoopsie 

Annabella

Connor 

This book was... lovely. Just... lovely. It is gentle and kind and warm and I would very much like to curl up inside of it. A new favorite for sure, and I'm already looking forward to whatever Biller does next.

a few content warnings, although I don't think they're particularly hidden, and both larger issues were dealt with well, and with compassion: (view spoiler)[history of assault/abuse (for our leading lady who had a terrible first marriage), improper imprisonment/treatment in an asylum (not our leading lady, but rather important in the final quarter of the story) (hide spoiler)]

Becky

** spoiler alert **
           I started reading this book in September 2020! Reading slumps and mood reading had other ideas though. Thankfully, I knew my inability to finish was very much a me issue and finally in February 2022 I felt like I was ready to pick this back up and try again. Thank god I did.

This book was adorable. Alva Wevster is a widow with a horrible reputation. She has arrived back in the United States ready to pursue a writing career and buys a run down house to showcase her interior decorating skills. Unlucky for its haunted... or maybe it's lucky for her as it means her home attracts the interest of Sam Moore. Sam was an adorable cinnamon roll of a scientist who happened to believe in ghosts and wanted to study them. They were a match made in heaven really.

I could write pages about how much I adored Sam. He was all sunshine and rainbows and endless optimism. If I met him in real life I'd probably finding all that positivity sickening and avoid him at all costs. He was just so very charming and I honestly could not get enough of him. He was like an excited puppy. He probably got annoying at times but you simply could not resist his enthusiasm for things. He had the positive outlook on life we could all probably benefit from having. He charmed everyone he met and didn't even realise it because he just figured that's how people were. 

Alva was the grumpy one here and I honestly couldn't blame her. She wasn't so much grumpy as simply exhausted with things. She had gone from a loveless family to a loveless marriage and even when she escaped her husband and lives her own life the man still managed to ruin things for her by spreading lies. The man didn't even have the decency to give her some freedom from him after his death, his shadow followed her and she was done. Everyone judged her based on salacious stories in the newspaper so I got why she wasn't immediately charmed by Sam asking to study her home. It made it all the more fun to see her slowly warm to Sam until he was through her defenses before she even realised. 

This couple is really the main reason to pick this book up. Don't get me wrong, the ghost story was well done and I liked them investigating the history of the house. I think there was a good resolution that didn't feel false but still managed to resolve things. But I was here for Sam and Alva's story and their romance, anything else was a bonus.

Judy McClure

Quite enjoyable. Great banter between main characters.

danielle bush

Alva is a notorious women, after she left her abusive husband. She returns home and buys an old sort of dilapidated house. She is hoping to slowly fix it up, while writing a book about it.. However what she doesn't know is that her house is haunted.. 

Sam is a super nerdy adorably scatterbrained inventor. As a side hobby he has an interest in ghosts.. Not really investigating,but kind of, but more just cataloging and gathering information.. He asks Alva if he can investigate her home but she refuses at first. she doesn't believe in ghosts.. yet

After Alva realizes her house may actually have a ghost, and that no one will work in it until she can prove the ghosts are gone. She asks Sam to see if he can help the ghosts move on.. 

While investigating Sam and Alva begin to have feelings for each other. 

I enjoyed reading this, and the super cute romance between Alva and Sam

Cheryl Hedlund

This was a very uneven reading experience for me. I think that is because this book was straddling the line between too many things. There was a hint of gothic, but not enough and very low on atmosphere. Just a few scenes were set in the haunted house. In places it read like a historical fiction exploring themes of women's agency in the Victorian era. It also read in places like a full genre romance exploring trauma and a past abusive relationship. There was a humorous lightness and modernity to the tone and dialog that felt more romantic fantasy Victorian than some of the thematic content which would fit better in a more serious historical Victorian style. The two were kind of fighting each other. There was a lot of potential and I wanted to like this more than I do. For me, the execution and the balance was off. The characters felt simplified (thoroughly moustache twirling villain, an overly idealized and naïve hero) and the conclusion was too quick and convenient. All the ingredients were there, but for me were slightly under baked.

Heather Harrington

After the death of her cruel husband, Alva Webster has returned to New York a social outcast. The rumors surrounding their marriage and his death were not very favorable to her, and no one in the top social tiers will even look at her, especially her own parents. But that's more than fine with Alva, since she's got her hands full trying to renovate a mansion that no one wants to touch due to it supposedly being haunted. No one except for eccentric genius engineer, Professor Sam Moore. Alva doesn't believe in ghosts, but after experiencing a few hauntings while in the house, she has to admit that the charming professor is her only shot at uncovering the mystery. The deeper the pair dive into the house's tragic secrets, the more Alva finds herself opening up to Sam and letting her own walls come down in the process.

I didn't know much about this going into it, but it completely blew me away. Biller has such a way with story telling that fully draws you it. Before I knew it, I was halfway through because I just didn't want to put it down. Alva was such a strong character who has gone through so much, and the journey she goes on with Sam was so touching and lovely. And Sam! He alone made this a 5 star for me. He was so charming and sweet. He was the perfect mix of adorably absent-minded and swoon-worthy. I also loved all the humor he brought to the story. I kept finding myself smiling at his antics, and loved his and Alva's relationship. Even though there's a supernatural element to the story, it doesn't fully take over, and it becomes almost more of a mystery. I'm so impressed with this being Biller's debut novel, and can't wait to see what more she comes up with. If you're a fan of historical fiction/mysteries, check this one out.

b.andherbooks

A widow trying make a new life and write an interior design book escaping an abusive husband finds out the house she has purchased to fulfill her dreams is haunted. The only way forward is to allow the pesky, nerdy, and sexy inventor who's been begging her to investigate the phenomenon into her life, and perhaps into her heart.

Delightfully swoon worthy and full of tender moments, this is a gothic-lite romance perfect for the Fall spooky season. I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered this is also quite steamy. I've never read such an absolutely sexy scene where a lover knows to stop and re-check in for consent (CW panic attacks). My heart grew five times.

Also, I adored Sam, his family, and their messiness and their heart, and how much love they immediately gave to Alva. She's so lonely and so deserving of love and it was truly beautiful to see.

The overall mystery with the ghosts was so inconsequential to me personally because the romance was just that good. 

CW: domestic violence, threats of violence, gas-lighting (none of these by the hero), atmospheric scariness, panic attacks, sex (consensual)

Re-read in 2020 and I bumped up my 4-Star review to a full 5 because I just love this darn book so much. Sam is such an amazing romance hero, he just sparkles on the page, and oh, I'm so glad my dear Alva is wrapped up in her perfect HEA with him.

This also remains the best example of a love interest stopping sex as soon as they notice their partner dissociating. What fantastic example of consent and care, and I urge everyone to read this for it.

I don't typically gravitate towards gothic romances, but I'd heard a lot of great things about this one and I couldn't resist. When @beyondbookish recommended it for #12reads12friendsin2021, I quickly made it one of my picks so I'd have extra motivation to read it. I'm glad I did, too. Sam was such a delightful cinnamon roll hero. Alva was fantastic, too. The story was enthralling and I loved the audio.

Southern Today Gone Tomorrow

So, the first thing of note this is a Romance (NOT SUITABLE FOR KIDS) and that the ghost story, while the propeller for the plot, is not the main point of the book until the last half. Before that, its the romance.

Sam Moore is the best character in this. I love the description that Alva uses for him, he is a Good Man. A Good Man isn’t a Nice Guy, a Good Man is the kind of person who stands up for what is right and is honestly good. Good through his actions, and good through what he believes and how he treats everyone. Sam is the kind of person who can talk to anyone, doesn’t see the point in wasting time on things that he doesn’t care about, and is far more focused on how he can make life better/easier for everyone around him.

Alva is a strong character as well; she and Sam share the lime light fairly equally. Throughout the book, I appreciate her growth which is in large part to the steadfast and unchangeable nature that Sam has. The two of them create a wonderful foil.

If you enjoy romance or a good ghost story, or even a woman who was scared coming to her own, this is a good novel for you.


I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Jo H

My Year of Historical Romance - Book 18
Gilded Age, New York, USA

Lacey

I read this for halloween and it was exactly the kind of gothic romance I was looking for! Also, I LOVED the cinnamon roll hero

Ashlee

This is a funny, scandalous and sweet historical romance! I thoroughly enjoyed the humor in this book, particularly from Sam and his family. 

In addition to the humor and romance, The Widow of Rose House has a tantalizing ghost story and mystery begging to be solved. 

Definitely recommend!

The Widow of Rose House A Novel

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