Crave the Rose

NEW ADULT:  Cassia finds herself intrigued by an Irish student named Bram while studying abroad at Oxford University.  Tough and tattooed on the outside, Cassia is much softer and more vulnerable than she pretends to be. It’s not too surprising she’s devastated when she finds her long-time boyfriend Spencer cheating on her. If the breakup wasn’t rough enough, the car wreck that follows has her sitting by Spencer’s bedside even as he curses her with his last breath. Months later, Cassia and Bram meet again. This time they decide not to fight their attraction to one another. Instead, they agree to be friends with benefits and very definite rules.

“Crave the Rose” starts out fast with the attraction between Bram and Cassia and almost immediately dispatching the unneeded Spencer. The language and location give the tale an exotic twist, especially for American readers. It’s a refreshing change to have the heroine be the bad girl, but ironically, Cassia really isn’t. Despite her numerous tattoos, she’s someone most readers can relate to.

Bram is harder to like because he spends most of his energy hiding his epilepsy and flip-flops on various decisions. He allows Cassia to work endlessly in the gardens, and then decides he doesn’t need them. The tale’s timeline jumps without explaining what happened in the intervening time. This slows the momentum and confuses character motivations. “Crave the Rose” is a young adult romance that is sure to please many, especially those who enjoy steam with an Irish accent.

Morgan Stamm