The Brevity of Roses (edition 2011)

A beautiful, touching story about love, loss, and finding the strength to live again. I could hardly put the book down! Looking forward to reading more by this author. ( )

Oh my! When I finished reading The Brevity of Roses I felt as if I had spent an enjoyable afternoon viewing a delectable movie! Even yet, several days later, I woke one morning with that sense of having just been there.

This story pulled me in from the beginning and held me till the end. Linda Cassidy Lewis’ characters come across as genuine with their human struggles – emotional pain, loss, fear, tenderness, misunderstanding, desire, avoidance, family strife, anger, hope, love, and I may have missed mentioning a few. The romantic scenes are well-written, not explicit or over the top. There is some cursing in the story, mostly the ‘f’ word, but it was not out-of-place as you get to know the characters, and I could get past it after the first couple of times. It is not excessive and did not detract from the story at all.

There are three main characters: Meredith I liked, even though the turn of events surrounding her shocked and disappointed/saddened me. Jalal I grew to like; I wanted to follow him closely throughout the book because he was intriguing, although I wanted him to stop being stubborn about his relationship with his father and be mature about it so he could gain perspective for his life. Renee I didn’t appreciate at first – when she showed up where it seemed she shouldn’t be – but then the situation is clarified and she grew on me.

The other characters intertwining around the main ones add so much to the story and help make it well-rounded, believable, down-to-earth. Conversations are natural and easily understood, as if the reader is standing in the room listening in.

A lovely strength in The Brevity of Rosesis the importance of family, food, and traditions, with cultural differences finding their place, their blend, in the preparation of meals and recipes – whether for two or twenty.

There is so much that makes this fiction seem like the true story of a few people, but I cannot say more about it or I will give too much away. If you enjoy romance novels that are not x-rated, and real-to-life women’s fiction, you will probably really enjoy this one.

Linda Cassidy Lewis delivered a debut novel that satisfies and also left this reader-reviewer hoping for more from this talented author. ( )

Free on Kindle. Spoilers. I liked this book a lot for a while, and ended up thinking it was OK. It is pretty well written. It tells 2 stories. The first is the romance between an older woman and a younger man. She is an anthropologist who retired young after her husband died, but has lots of inherited money, and he is the son of a big loving family that came to the US from Iran. He thinks his father hates him, she thinks she didn't love her husband, etc. The romance is mostly smooth, and they are happy. But then she dies, so the second half is the story of how he finds a new love, much younger than him, who brings him back to life. There are problems with the story but it was moving. The bad friends of the first wife are pretty gross & stupid; and I still don't understand why he made up a story of how he would leave but always come back; when he wanted to never leave. And I know that it makes it easier, but throwing in great wealth takes away a lot of the interest I think.

I won this book as part of a Library Thing Giveaway and just got around to reading it.. This is a beautiful novel. The author has written a story that encompasses two love stories. The stories touch your heart with their simplicity. You feel that you are watching it happen in front of your eyes. The story revolves around Jalal Vaziri a poet and his relationship with the love of his life. Jalal meets Meredith an older woman and falls in love with her. Initially she is reluctant to become involved as she feels that he is too young for her and may leave her for someone else. However, eventually he convinces her of his feelings. The story then zooms forward 10 years to a point where Jalal is seem grieving for his wife Meredith who died in an accident. This is when Renee a young woman with a troubled childhood and youth enters his life. Renee forces him to face his demons and let go of Meredith. Her love and courage force Jalal to finally come out of his grief and move on with his life.

I am usually a fan of young adult books..yet this was one book that left me wanting more.. ( )

A story that genuinely captures the beauty and the pain of love and of loss. I enjoyed the story overall, but was most interested in the later half of the novel, where we see the relationship with Jalal and Renee. To me, that relationship was more relatable than the relationship with Jalal and Meredith. I will definitely read more books by this author. ( )

The Brevity of Roses is not a romance, yet it is a beautifully written story of a man’s journey to find love & acceptance. Jalal Vaziri appears content, but knows that there is something missing in his life & it’s not just the love of his father, which he is sure he has no hope of earning. When he catches the eye of an older woman, Meredith, in a restaurant, it seems that hole in his life will be filled. Their relationship is rocky at first, but eventually smooth’s out & they settle into married life together, until a freak accident takes Meredith away too soon & Jalal closes down. While going through the motions of living, Jalal meets a younger woman, Renee, who shakes up his orderly world & forces him to feel again. It is Renee, that finally brings reconciliation to father & son, but will Jalal be able to let go of Meredith & embrace the other new chance for happiness that Renee represents? ( )

For the record, I am a 100% male reader. I am not a love story genre fan but I found this love story to be compelling.

The Brevity of Roses is NOT a romance novel. It is a thought provoking story of the love between people of different age groups and social backgrounds.

The writing is very well crafted. The characters are developed carefully and seem to spring to life. I felt like they were staring back at me from the page.

This fine debut novel is a story of complex relationships. The complexity level is dependent on the amount of thought given by the reader. ( )

This was such a wonderful book. This is one in which I really found myself trying to understand the emotions and behaviors of all the characters involved. Jalal, in my opinion, was a very complex person who had a very simple want: to be loved. I don't want to give too much of the book away through my review, but I believe that anyone who enjoys love stories should thoroughly appreciate this one. I thought that it was very well-written, and I hope to read more from this author. ( )

This is a good book within its genre. I found it well written with many reversals and an engaging storyline. It is not the kind of book that you will recall to mull over unanswered questions and philosophical conundrums and it really does not break any new ground. The main characters are complex if not a bit overly-dramatic at times as the demons of their past are encountered. To be honest, romance novels are not my cup of tea, but I found the book a good debut novel, an enjoyable change of pace, and hope the author branches out into more complex areas in the future.

This book was obtained in eBook format from the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )

The Brevity of Roses deals with loss, love, relationships and disappointment. The characters in this novel took me on a roller coaster of emotions as the deal with issues in their life. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and thought it was really well written. ( )

Jalal Vaziri has spent his life running away from his problems. He left his parents and siblings in Seattle, moving cross-country to New York to escape family pressure to join the family business. He then leaves New York and moved to California when he decided he didn't like his job and where his life was heading. The Brevity of Roses by Linda Cassidy Lewis explores Jalal's motivations and shows that you can't run away from love or reality no matter how hard you try.

When we first meet Jalal he is hung over in NYC and wondering why he's continuing down such a destructive path. He doesn't like his job or where he's heading so he drives cross-country to California and focuses on his more artistic side as a poet. Jalal knows, or thinks he knows, that he's a disappointment to his father so he keeps his visits to family as brief and far apart as possible. He also knows that although he is content with his life he isn't really happy until he walks into a restaurant and meets a woman.

Meredith is an older woman and a widow. She immediately notices Jalal as he enters the restaurant and stares, although she felt she was being circumspect in her observations. What follows is a whirlwind romance with Jalal all but moving in to her home. He cooks for her, he pampers her and she adores him. She even teaches him about gardening and tending her beloved roses. Their relationship has its ups and downs but eventually they marry and have several wonderful years together.

Jalal doesn't seem to recover from the loss of Meredith and seems to marking time only, until he meets Renee. Renee is a younger woman with an old soul. She has been through a lot in her young years and has a unique perspective on life. As she and Jalal build a friendship, she forces Jalal to revive and rejoin the human race. Can she force Jalal to see that just as the life of roses is brief, so can opportunities to enjoy life and love before it is too late?

Ms. Lewis has provided a tender and thought-provoking look at life, chance, and love. Jalal seems to spend his time presuming what motivates others and often getting it wrong. As an older woman, Meredith was able to change his point of view on some things. As the younger woman, Renee is able to change his point of view on other things, most likely because of her youth, vibrancy and life experiences. Perhaps the primary thought underscored in The Brevity of Roses is don't assume anything, enjoy life and love wherever you may find it, because you never know when it may be gone. Although romance is at the forefront of this story it provides so much more, because in many ways it is a coming of age story for Jalal. The reader is afforded the opportunity to see him grow and develop from a man in his early thirties to age forty. Yes, in some ways he is overly spoiled, but he isn't obnoxiously spoiled just incredibly naive in some ways. I enjoyed seeing him grow and the different dynamics of his relationships with Meredith and Renee. ( )

I love this debut novel in that it delves into love, relationships, and grief that is not sappy or clichéd. The characters are as unique as the story in which they are portrayed. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever suffered self-doubt, disappointed their parents, or suffered loss. That's everyone. ( )

I'm reading this because the author opined that she didn't think any men had read it. I don't know if I can get through it. It is very well written, but it's a LOVE story. Just not my cup of genre tea. The authors swears it is not a romance novel. Having never read one of those, I can't argue. So far, IMHO, it is still definitely a chick book. (Oooh, PC alert, bad reference to females!) Having never been tall, dark, and handsome, or suave and debonair, I can't relate to a guy who has a brief conversation with a woman, then says let's have sex, and the next thing it is morning and both are waking up. Not that I haven't had a few impromptu trysts, to put it mildly. Just not my cup of genre tea, but I'll read more before giving up.

7/1/2011: I'm giving up for now. I've read 22% of the book on my iPhone Kindle app. I saw a genre name that applies to this book, IMO. "Chick Lit". As I noted, the prose is well written, the story line seems to take great leaps. The author is an avid blogger and self-publisher, I highly recommend her blog.

Every once in a while, I come across a work of literature, which is not only fascinating, entertaining, and moving, but which touches me on a deeper level. The Brevity of Roses by Linda Cassidy Lewis is one of those books.

The Brevity of Roses is a story about love, the power and beauty of love as well as the fear it can trigger and the pain it can cause. Love is what the three main characters--Jalal, Meredith, and Renee--struggle with.

Jalal, a handsome American-Iranian poet from a well-to-do family escapes a life of drugs, alcohol, a career he hates, and a lot of superficial relationships by moving across the country from New York to California. He finds love and embraces it but when tragedy strikes, he withdraws from life. Underneath the shiny veneer he presents to the world, he is slowly dying. Meredith, an anthropologist, struggles with feelings of guilt toward her former husband which hold her back from giving her heart fully, and Renee, a waitress and survivor of childhood abuse and neglect, falls in love but when it gets serious, her first reaction is to run. But it is the tenacious Renee who ultimately manages to break down the walls Jalal has built around himself and forces him to face his demons, a grief so deep it threatens to undo him.

While reading this book, I was often reminded of a quotation by May Sarton in her book Mrs. Stephens Hears the Mermaids Singing: "Love opens the door into everything, as far as I can see, including, and perhaps most of all, the door into one's secret, and often terrible and frightening, real self."

The Brevity of Roses is a carefully crafted, beautifully told story. The characters are complex and believable, flawed but loveable. With vivid descriptions, the author manages to engage our senses, our thoughts, and our emotions. And, without any explicit love-making scenes, she creates a highly charged and sensuous atmosphere.

Masterful debut novel by a talented author. I look forward to more of her work. ( )

"The Brevity of Roses" is an elegant story that quietly dragged me into the lives and loves of its characters. Perhaps this novel appealed to me because love in its many forms—a passionate interest of mine—is the main theme. Both the wonder and the anxiety of sensual love, family love and friendship are explored with charm, poise and intelligence.

Jalal, a handsome American-Iranian poet, unexpectedly finds love with an older woman, Meredith. When tragedy strikes, he withdraws from life until Renee, a young woman as wounded by love as he, falls in love with him, Jalal struggles to break free from his pain and grief. His is a struggle we all have to cope with at some time in our lives and that is where the story's greatest appeal lies.

For a debut novel, this story is well-crafted and complex, interesting and deep, without ever being obscure. "The Brevity of Roses" is a fine read by a talented author and I look forward to Ms Lewis’s next novel. ( )