Review of Enigma Rose

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 13 Aug 2021, 07:06

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Enigma Rose" by SE Reynolds.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Enigma Rose by SE Reynolds is a novel that mixes romance, eroticism, and thriller in a character-based drama. Joshua Steadman is the mayor of the small town of Fairview. He always relied on his wife Melissa's help, as she was great at talking to people and making voters feel like they mattered. That's why Melissa's death threw Joshua's life into chaos, even more, because she revealed some secrets connected to his past a few days before dying.

Joshua tries to move on and meet new women for very different reasons, as he wants to have sex but he also thinks that, at some point, he'll need to remarry to prevent his voters from thinking that there might be something wrong with him. Virginia and Stacie are two of the women he meets, two very different women who have different things to offer and require different types of commitment. At the same time, Joshua increasingly thinks about his past, when he was in love with his college girlfriend Rose, who suddenly disappeared from his life.

This is the story of flawed characters who slowly reveal the side they hide from other people. The author used multiple points of view in which different characters told in the first person their side of the story. You can literally read their thoughts, understand the motives behind their actions, their issues, their background, and more. There are many discoveries and twists concerning their backstories and their actions. The result is realistic, as you can expect to meet actual people with those flaws.

Some bits of the story are told from the point of view of two different characters. However, it's the exception, not the rule. That adds to the parts where one of the protagonists is seen from the point of view of another one. All of that offers more depth to their development without becoming boring due to an excess of repetitions. In my opinion, SE Reynolds handled those multiple points of view and the repeated bits very well.

Of the protagonists, Stacie is the only one that, in my opinion, can be considered likable but seeing all of them from different points of view creates a fascination for what they're doing and thinking, so I wanted to know more about all of them even if I didn't like them. I could say that some of the protagonists are the thing I disliked in the novel but that's because the author developed them well, so I reacted to their flaws. For these reasons, seeing the different sides of all the protagonists was my favorite part of the novel.

After the first few chapters, I wondered why this novel was included in this section, as it seemed more suitable for the romance and eroticism section. To avoid spoilers, I can only say that some developments make it suitable for this section and you have to read it to understand why.

The errors in the book didn't detract from my enjoyment but I found more than 10 of them, so I have to take a star from my rating, which is 3 out of 4 stars. This is a novel for adults because there are some explicit descriptions of sexual encounters that go into detail. If you have no problems with graphic sex and you like stories that dig deep into the characters' minds and show both their public and private faces, Enigma Rose is perfect for you.

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Enigma Rose
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Amy Luman · Post by **Amy Luman** » 17 Aug 2021, 10:27

I really don’t like any sort of romance in the books that I read. I don’t think that it adds anything. However, having said that, I think I’ll read it anyway.

Theana De lima Araujo · Post by **Theana De lima Araujo** » 17 Aug 2021, 12:35

Hi, thank you for the insightful review. I can't say with absolute certainty that I'd read this novel, but I'll keep it in mind. Have a lovely evening/ day.

Raluca_Mihaila · Post by **Raluca_Mihaila** » 17 Aug 2021, 14:50

Politics and marriage go hand in hand

. You have piqued my interest with your review, and I wonder what happens next. Thank you for your recommendation!

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 17 Aug 2021, 15:41

Amy Luman wrote: ↑17 Aug 2021, 10:27 I really don’t like any sort of romance in the books that I read. I don’t think that it adds anything. However, having said that, I think I’ll read it anyway.

I'm not into romance either but this novel stimulated my curiosity because of all the other elements and in the end I liked it. Thank you for commenting!

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 17 Aug 2021, 15:42

Theana D wrote: ↑17 Aug 2021, 12:35 Hi, thank you for the insightful review. I can't say with absolute certainty that I'd read this novel, but I'll keep it in mind. Have a lovely evening/ day.

Glad I was useful, and thank you for your appreciation!

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 17 Aug 2021, 15:42

Raluca_Mihaila wrote: ↑17 Aug 2021, 14:50 Politics and marriage go hand in hand . You have piqued my interest with your review, and I wonder what happens next. Thank you for your recommendation!

I can only tell you that a lot happens...

thank you for commenting!

Shilisia · Post by **Shilisia** » 17 Aug 2021, 15:49

Although I do not enjoy detailed erotic scenes, I really enjoy books whose characters are developed in a nice and consistent manner. Really enjoyed the review.

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 18 Aug 2021, 01:24

Shilisia wrote: ↑17 Aug 2021, 15:49 Although I do not enjoy detailed erotic scenes, I really enjoy books whose characters are developed in a nice and consistent manner. Really enjoyed the review.

Character development is one of the novel's strong points. Thank you for your appreciation!

Brandy_Nyongesa · Post by **Brandy_Nyongesa** » 18 Aug 2021, 04:49

Thank you for the detailed review. Explicit sex encounters are not my kind of thing. Thanks for the review.

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 18 Aug 2021, 06:48

Brandy_Nyongesa wrote: ↑18 Aug 2021, 04:49 Thank you for the detailed review. Explicit sex encounters are not my kind of thing. Thanks for the review.

In the end, it's a matter of taste. Thank you for commenting anyway!

18 Aug 2021, 08:07

It sounds like the novel has a number of interesting characters and the reader gets a chance to "meet" them. I'd definitely like to read this one but my interest is piqued by Mellisa. Why would she, on her last days, throw her husband under the bus and divulge info that could harm his career? Your review has me wanting for more!

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 18 Aug 2021, 08:13

Nqobile771 wrote: ↑18 Aug 2021, 08:07 It sounds like the novel has a number of interesting characters and the reader gets a chance to "meet" them. I'd definitely like to read this one but my interest is piqued by Mellisa. Why would she, on her last days, throw her husband under the bus and divulge info that could harm his career? Your review has me wanting for more!

To be clear, Melissa's confession is to Joshua only, but that adds to the pain of losing her making his life, including his professional life, more difficult. For Melissa, it's a confession of something she did.

Thank you for your appreciation!

18 Aug 2021, 08:58

NetMassimo wrote: ↑18 Aug 2021, 08:13
Nqobile771 wrote: ↑18 Aug 2021, 08:07 It sounds like the novel has a number of interesting characters and the reader gets a chance to "meet" them. I'd definitely like to read this one but my interest is piqued by Mellisa. Why would she, on her last days, throw her husband under the bus and divulge info that could harm his career? Your review has me wanting for more!
To be clear, Melissa's confession is to Joshua only, but that adds to the pain of losing her making his life, including his professional life, more difficult. For Melissa, it's a confession of something she did.

Thank you for your appreciation!

Thanks for clarifying because I was confused. Mellisa sounds like a devoted wife who wanted his husband to succeed wholeheartedly. It's a very interesting novel.

Ruchi Raina · Post by **Ruchi Raina** » 19 Aug 2021, 02:41

This book seems very intriguing, and what has piqued my interest is why, on her death bed, would Melissa reveal a secret that she has kept hidden for so many years? And is it related to Rose? Because I think the sudden mention of Rose has something to do with Melissa's secret. I would love to read this book to know more. Thanks for the beautiful review.