This book was hilarious and at times had me laughing out loud.

The plot was very engaging and the different backgrounds of the characters gave me a lot to learn, I really appreciated the different representations.

it did eventually become a serious story but my attention was still on the book and i was interested till the very last page.

A great read.

Unforgettable witty and heartfelt story. Could not put this one down. Refreshingly different and full of emotion

I struggled wit h The Troubles with Rose. I found Rilla to be a terribly frustrating main character - entitled, passive aggressive and self-centered mannerisms throughout the book with minimal care for her impact on others.
Her GIF, and the wider supporting characters, absolutely made up for it though. They were all brilliantly developed and brought some fantastic comedic relief at well timed moments throughout.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘The Trouble with Rose’ by Amita Murray in exchange for an honest review. I have since purchased its ebook edition. It was published in paperback in May 2019. My apologies for the late feedback.

Set in London, the narrator of this quirky novel is Rilla, a twenty-five year old woman who tells us: “In the normal course of things, on the afternoon of her wedding, a bride is not behind the bars of the local prison waiting for her lawyer to bail her out or for her extended family to tell her all the things that have gone wrong in her life. I’m not saying that this has never happened in the history of weddings. I’m just saying that it is rare.”

She refers to this extended family as the GIF (Great Indian Family). With her marriage called off she is in limbo and also is struggling with her seriously overdue philosophy MA thesis. She finds herself focusing upon her sister, Rose, who disappeared from her life seventeen years previously. In order to make sense of her current life she needs to solve the mystery of Rose.

Rather than being the hilarious tale that the publicity suggests, I would class this as a comedy-drama as it explores quite serious themes. Rilla paints a vivid portrait of her chaotic family that was heartwarming and also provided insight into Indian culture in Britain.

Overall, an impressive debut that was a very engaging read.

I thought this would be a great read. Unfortunately, for me, that wasn’t the case. I couldn’t connect with the characters and found the pacing too slow, unable to get ahead.

I've got mixed feelings about this book. It all begins with the bride being arrested on her wedding day which just didn't sit right with me at all. We don't even get to find out why she's been arrested until quite a long way into the book either. It was a loose end niggling at me all through the story.

Rilla is the central character and I just didn't understand her one bit. She is part of a very large Indian family and she is frustrated by them. It seemed to me that they should be the ones frustrated with her. They all seemed to talk common sense and Rilla just floated along not worrying about anyone but herself, and of course Rose.

I got a little bored with the book about half way through and began to wonder where Rose could have gone. I did actually figure it out all on my own. To be fair the conclusion of where Rose went and the closing of the book was very poignant. But still I couldn't reconcile in my mind why Rilla had a responsible career and yet had a very irresponsible lifestyle. Thank goodness for the GIF - that is what Rilla calls her family. "Great Indian Family" except every time I saw GIF my brain thought of an actual GIF and it was annoying and caused me to rethink what I was reading.

I didn't find the novel hilarious. It was amusing in minor parts. I really wish Rilla hadn't been so self absorbed and we had more time with the GIF.

I'm giving this book three out of five stars. My thanks to netgalley and HarperCollins for an ARC to review.

I loved this. Full of great characters, and written so beautifully that I was sad when the book ended.

Will be looking out for more from this writer.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A brilliant debut novel
I read this book with both a smile on my face and tears in my eyes.
This book has a different storyline to most books and all the characters were so likeable.

This book is a well-written exploration of a family secret and Rilla's attempt to discover what happened to her sister Rose, and in doing so, resolve her emotional blockage and really start to live her life. Her immediate and extended family were a joy to read about; there are eccentric aunts, domineering uncles, and phone-obsessed cousins.
So, why the three-star rating?
I found the pacing very, very, very slow after the first few chapters. I started to skim read and actually found it a chore to finish. For some reason, whilst I can admire the author's deft skill at handling heavy subject matters with a light tone, as well as juggling numerous characters. the book just didn't grab me emotionally.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the copy in return for an honest review.

The Trouble with Rose is a story of a woman who on her wedding day is arrested. From that point onwards the rest of her life starts to unravel, with painful memories of a lost sister coming to the forefront and with the relationships with her parents becoming increasingly strained. I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book, I liked the characters of the extended family and the way they muscled in on every aspect of each others' lives, but the main character Rilla just seemed to be ill-tempered, rude and for someone who was supposed to be doing a MA at university and an assistant to the lecturers quite immature. I found it difficult to sympathise with the character and by the end of the book when all is told it just made me think how unrealistic it seemed that the reason for Rilla's sister Rose being gone could have been kept for 17 years without being discussed. No wonder Rilla is so emotionally unstable and traumatised! My favourite character had to be Rilla's fiance Simon who seemed mature, patient and quite well rounded. There were parts that made me laugh out loud, and some that were quite emotional, it's just a shame that the main character is quite unlikable.

I liked the sound of this one and when I started it I thought it would be great. Unfortunately, for me, that wasn’t the case. I couldn’t connect with the characters at all! The premise sounded good and the writing is good but it just wasn’t for me!

Rilla and Rose, two young sisters sharing everything, until one day they weren’t sharing anything, one day there were no sisters, there was only Rilla...and what a delightful mess she turned into...
This is a story about family, the good, the bad and the just plain weird that exists in some form in all families. Filled with humour and humility, the storytelling centres around the chaotic life of Rilla and through the storytelling she shares with us the ups and downs of life as a not-so-well-adjusted adult.
I found this a lovely read that made me laugh, but also made my heart hurt a little now and again, but ultimately it is a definite feel good read that I would recommend.
My thanks to #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK and #AmitaMurray for allowing me to read and review this book.

"The Trouble with Rose" is a fantastic début by Amita Murray.

The author's character creation was sublime, especially Rose, who was so unsure of herself and really stood out for me. It was wonderfully compelling as well as being, funny, witty and highly entertaining.

All in all, "The Trouble with Rose" was an extremely worthwhile and fulfilling read and I am curious to see what Amita Murray does next.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my own request from the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I got hooked quite early on in this book, with the wedding going wrong, however as I read on I became less interested. I didn’t find it as funny as the blurb made it out to be and I wasn’t entirely sure where Rose featured in the story, yet she’s the focus of the title. I did really want to like this book but I just couldn’t get on with it

I'll start by saying that this isn't the typical book that I would go for.

But when I received the recommendation from Netgalley I thought I would step out of my comfort zone a little and gift it a go.

I'm glad I did.

The writing was both witty and emotional.

And the story itself was quite heartwarming.

It was interesting to see the dynamic of the family life portrayed, the good, the bad and the downright funny.

The Trouble with Rose will have you thinking about how you remember certain events in your own life.

Not all is as it appears through your own eyes.

We might need take the time to open our eyes a little wider, to really see the whole picture!

This isn’t particularly fast paced or a page turner but that’s part of the appeal - this is about Rilla’s long journey to find herself and her sister, and we unpick along the way how much of an impact Rose’s departure has had on every facet of her life, as a child, and an adult. I found the family dynamics fascinating, and the role of the extending ‘GIF’ family charming, frustrating and comforting, their closeness really coming into its own at the end.

I started this book and was not sure in the beginning how it would go as I felt it was quite slow to get started but that only lasted a couple of chapters and then I was hooked. I appreciate with so many characters in a book, they have to be introduced. I know from friends how Asian families work when there is trouble in the mix and how they pull together and this was so evident in this story – I loved the dynamics of the family and can imagine the Great Indian Family getting involved in every aspect of life and good for them. I found Rilla a sad soul and without giving too much away how she must have felt becoming an only child at the time in her life when it happened. I am sure the story line is true in many respects and heart rendering once you have finished the story. It did pan out as I thought so far as Rose is concerned but did not expect the ending as it was. I had her moving on. I felt heartsore for Rose and Rilla’s parents and cannot imagine their trauma over the years and Rilla did not help the situation without realising her role in the drama. A lovely story and a great ending

A charming story of culture, family, forgiveness and love, written with wonderful vivid imagery, and an insightful balance of humour and poignancy.

Rilla is in trouble, something that has plagued her throughout her young life. It’s as if she doesn’t believe she has a right to be happy, loved and successful. Her wedding day is the perfect example of this. She hides her insecurity and vulnerability behind a rebellious mask, always making fun of herself and her family. Failing at life, she finally confronts the root cause, her sister Rose, or rather her absence.

Rilla is a lovely character, complex, flawed and challenged by her family who always wants to know everything, constantly interfere and comment on her life. Well meant, or not she is frustrated by it and is forced on a journey of self-discovery to salvage her sanity. To stop being the one in the family, everyone has an opinion about. Rilla discovers a web of secrets and lies. but when she finds the truth, can she live with it?

The family are an intrinsic part of this book. their characters are believable, and so vividly written, you can see and hear them in your mind. They bring this story to life and make it such an enjoyable read. Easy to empathise you follow Rilla’s emotional journey with interest, wanting her to find the answers, but hoping she is strong enough to accept them.

The ending is satisfying, it brings resolution, love and hope for the future.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins UK - Harper Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

It was a very slow start. I nearly stopped reading it. In fact, the beginning encourages you to believe that this book is your average chick lit. But it's not. It's very introspective. There's a family secret that is slowly revealed and when I say slowly, I mean sloooowly. Rilla, the main character, is quite unlikeable for most of the book. I also found her inability to write an MA dissertation not quite believable. The way her research is discribed it sounds a lot more like a PhD. Had it been a PhD I would have understood her pain and struggle. An MA dissertation, not so much. These are the reasons I found it hard to get into this book.

But I persevered and there are some quite moving moments, the revelation of the family secret I hadn't totally guessed. I don't regret reading this book but I wish the first third of the book had been a bit tighter and better paced.

This was very different to anything I've read before. With a mix of Indian family humour, and the emotional journey of finding Rose. The ending was very good.