HER NAME IS ROSE is a love themed story with music and flowers set in Ireland, Boston and London. Iris and Luke meet in college, fall in love, marry and after trying to have a child for three years, decide to adopt. The birth mother is a young American, studying in Ireland, who gives birth to Rose. The Bowens now have their daughter and are a very close and devoted family. When Luke dies of cancer, Iris and Rose are lost and grief filled. How will they continue on without him?

At 19, Rose is a gifted violinist studying at the Royal Academy in London. She is ready to take her Master's Class and hoping to ace it but she is concerned. Music has never let her down but she has never felt so alone before. Her dad is gone and she misses her mom. And Connor Flynn, Master violin maker from Galway, who kissed her when he presented her with the violin he made her, felt rejected by her. He texted for awhile but gave up when he got no response. Rose wondered if she had made a mistake?

Iris has just been terminated as a writer about gardening for the local newspaper and decides to blog about it. Gardening is the only thing that helps as she mourns the loss of her beloved husband. After a frightening diagnosis of "architectural distortion", in one of her breasts, Iris knows it is time to keep the promise she made to her husband as he was dying. She has to find the birth mother so Rose will have some family if she should die leaving Rose completely alone. Iris goes to Dublin where she has a meeting with a representative with the Irish Adoption Agency. No pertinent information is given but when the rep leaves Iris to get her a cuppa, Iris steals an envelope with a Boston address from the file. Iris flies from the West Coast of Ireland, across the Atlantic Ocean to Boston. Her journey there, her attempts to find Rose's mother, the new people she be-friends, touched my heart.

HER NAME IS ROSE is the debut novel by Christine Breen who lives in Kiltrumper, Ireland, with her famous husband, novelist Niall Williams. I loved her story about family, adoption, motherhood, told beautifully with real characters that I found myself rooting for. Perhaps the plot is filled with many implausible coincidences, but that's why I love reading fiction. The ending finds both women poised on the edge of change and leaves you wondering what will be next for them? Rose has three loves now: her beloved mom, her violin and Connor. Iris is ready to move on and begin anew. Will she find a spot in her new life for Hector, that sweet jazz pianist, who already loves her? What a delicious sequel this could be. It is a recipe for a very sweet second course.