During a heist that starts to go sour, Sid is gravely injured and eventually taken to the hospital. Sid and India aren’t fond of each other after their first meeting, but fate deals them another hand. She accepts a position with an East End practice, quickly learning that she has her work cut out for her if she’s going to be preaching the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables to families that live off a pound a week. She is passionate about her career and has high hopes to open a free clinic for women and children in the East End. Freddie, the representing Member of Parliament for the Whitechapel area, is grooming himself for the upcoming election. He first clashes with India when she inspects one of his opium dens with her fiancé, Freddie.

Sid, as you can guess, is a very unhero-like hero. He has no qualms about the brothels or opium dens he has a part in either. The opening scene shows him breaking a harmless man’s arm. Sid is an East London gangster with very few redeeming qualities. Sid Malone and India Selwyn-Jones are just about as wrong for each other as two people could be. This practically flawless story called to the romance lover in me as well as the history nut and is very close to being a masterpiece. Enthralling, magical, emotional and downright funny are the first words that spring to mind when I think of Jennifer Donnelly’s second book in her Tea Rose series. The Winter Rose is only the second novel to earn that coveted honor from me. There are DIK books and then there are the books you wrap in Kevlar, place inside a waterproof lock box, and keep by your side at all times.

The tea rose by jennifer donnelly