Review: Me? Give Five Stars to a Romance? Huh?
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 5, 2012
I absolutely adored this book - something that I rarely say. Blue Rose in Chelsea made my heart sing and fill with poignant memories of my first love,  "'...you'll wonder what he is doing, what he looks like, if the years have aged him. Somehow, you know, that no matter how he looks today,  he will always look to you as he did the last time you saw him, forever young, bright with potential. You'll obsess, does he still have the same essence of personality, or is he changed?'" Blue Rose in Chelsea is one of the most exquisitely evocative contemporary and timeless love stories that I have read; it's tender, sad, vibrant, compelling. The main character, Haley is thunder bolted by Evan, a man who has little time for Haley but a great attraction to her. Evan, we gradually learn, has been hit by the same bolt of passion, yet their life tracks are in opposition and they cannot seem to be at the same place at the same time. As it often happens, life gets in their way; family ties pull them apart and life just goes on. Destiny plays a huge role in the plot. The literary allusions are well timed and authentically integrated. The author developed some real, interesting, and unique characters in Blue Rose; people that you fall in love with. When the book ends, there is an empty spot in your heart because you feel as if you have been permanently parted from dear, quirky, real friends. Keep writing, Ms. Devoy. I volunteer to read every word you write - high praise from a very critical, somewhat jaded reader. P.S. This is the kind of book where readers inevitably start to think of which actors should play which roles in the chick flick big screen version. Warning: Boyfriends and husbands will be dragged to this movie but it will be best seen with your college room mate or gay guy pal.