Book was ok, pretty good actually until it got about midway through Part 3, then it started to drag. ( )

I got the book for free in return for a review. This was a surprising book. I did not like it at first since it feels like a rushed love story and very predictable. Then the unexpected happen. The story has redeemed itself. It's not as predictable as I thought. Instead of a damsel in distress, we see the damsel who is the one saving the man. It was nice change from your usual love stories. It was also nicely written. ( )

The Brevity of Roses is a quiet but probing look at the life of Jalal Vaziri as he searches for love and a sense of peace with who he is. Through the eyes of the women who love him -- his sisters and his lovers -- I felt as if I was looking into the soul of a man who feels out of place in the world, and found myself longing for him to gain a new perspective on life.

As delicately as a vine climbing over a trellis, the author weaves together a variety of lives, time periods, and personal journeys. The gradual revelation of oneself in a new relationship and the struggle to overcome past hurts are illuminated in each of the main characters, making for a satisfying read. ( )

A beautiful, touching story about love, loss, and finding the strength to live again. I could hardly put the book down! Looking forward to reading more by this author. ( )

Oh my! When I finished reading The Brevity of Roses I felt as if I had spent an enjoyable afternoon viewing a delectable movie! Even yet, several days later, I woke one morning with that sense of having just been there.

This story pulled me in from the beginning and held me till the end. Linda Cassidy Lewis’ characters come across as genuine with their human struggles – emotional pain, loss, fear, tenderness, misunderstanding, desire, avoidance, family strife, anger, hope, love, and I may have missed mentioning a few. The romantic scenes are well-written, not explicit or over the top. There is some cursing in the story, mostly the ‘f’ word, but it was not out-of-place as you get to know the characters, and I could get past it after the first couple of times. It is not excessive and did not detract from the story at all.

There are three main characters: Meredith I liked, even though the turn of events surrounding her shocked and disappointed/saddened me. Jalal I grew to like; I wanted to follow him closely throughout the book because he was intriguing, although I wanted him to stop being stubborn about his relationship with his father and be mature about it so he could gain perspective for his life. Renee I didn’t appreciate at first – when she showed up where it seemed she shouldn’t be – but then the situation is clarified and she grew on me.

The other characters intertwining around the main ones add so much to the story and help make it well-rounded, believable, down-to-earth. Conversations are natural and easily understood, as if the reader is standing in the room listening in.

A lovely strength in The Brevity of Rosesis the importance of family, food, and traditions, with cultural differences finding their place, their blend, in the preparation of meals and recipes – whether for two or twenty.

There is so much that makes this fiction seem like the true story of a few people, but I cannot say more about it or I will give too much away. If you enjoy romance novels that are not x-rated, and real-to-life women’s fiction, you will probably really enjoy this one.

Linda Cassidy Lewis delivered a debut novel that satisfies and also left this reader-reviewer hoping for more from this talented author. ( )