Rose has always been the unassuming and overlooked Fowler sister. But when she discovered her late mother's diaries and her grandmother gave her the famous Poppy Necklace, Rose was inspired to make changes in her life. She wants to live it up a little, do things that are not connected with Fleur Cosmetics, the family business. It all starts at the Cannes film festival, when Rose gets drunk, goes skinny dipping and meets a hot guy. Not much happens but he makes a lasting impression on Rose, she doesn't know his name, and he just disappeared. Then her sister Violet asks Rose to come to work at her London office for a change of scenery, and that's where Rose runs into her mystery man again. By sheer coincidence, Caden Kingsley, happens to know Rose's sister Lily; he is on some sort of holiday in London. Caden hadn't forgotten Rose either, and Rose tumbles in a wild sexual affair with a man she knows nothing about.

Had the blurb mentioned the hero's occupation, I might not have picked up STEALING ROSE, but I admit I was curious to see if Ms. Murphy could make the book work for me. And had I chosen to bypass STEALING ROSE, I would have deprived myself of the best New Adult book I have ever read. In STEALING ROSE, the woman makes the decision to have sex without the usual pretexts and excuses; for once, it does not feel contrived. Rose really asks nothing of Caden; she has no expectations other than having sex with a man she desires, and escaping reality for a short time. Caden and Rose are very complex and fascinating characters, and it was enthralling to watch them interact and grow as people as well. There is a lot of steamy, wild, no holds-barred sex in STEALING ROSE, and yet the book is not about sex, it's about unbridled passion, life, personal growth and self-discovery.

Ms. Murphy's prose is mesmerizing, lyrical, yet light and crisp, and the tone is very intimate. STEALING ROSE is told from alternate points of view, and the protagonists' voices are so distinctive, that it's almost superfluous to be told whose chapter it is. The dialogues are brilliant, and fit every character to a Tee, no matter the sex or age. I also love how the author handles the bond between the sisters because it's so realistic. There is also the side story about the sisters' relationship with Pilar, the despised woman who is engaged to their father that might have serious repercussions for the Fowler sisters.

STEALING ROSE is a captivating book, with some expected turns of events, which are treated as such, however life-changing they might be, as well as a few very surprising plot twists. Ms. Murphy kept me guessing at how STEALING ROSE would end until the very last pages. I can hardly wait to read Lily's story and to see how everything unfolds in the third instalment of The Fowler Sisters series. Amazing!