Up Shute Creek: Rose Gardner Investigations #4

4.5 🌟 Here’s the thing.... I’m still processing because so much happened. There’s a couple of mysteries and a new character, relationships in all forms developing and changing. You have to know going into these books you need your wits about you, and I don’t mean Neely Kate’s cousin either! This books time frame is only around a week and it fits in a months worth of action. With these novels, I can’t say too much in a review because I definitely do not want to spoil it for others but the thing I have come away with the most is Rose and Neely Kate are back on track with their friendship. Not that they were fighting but there are no secrets left unturned. Rose gets a few house guest in this episode, one from out of town that has a story of her own to tell. Very interesting indeed. I feel like a protective mother to these girls and at times I want to yell a them as much as Joe, Jed, James and Mason do when they are investigating as my heart is in my mouth sometimes for their safety. But I have faith in them and Rose’s ability with her visions. This series is always told in Rose’s POV but we get enough dialogue with each character to know what the others are thinking. This is book four in the series. Could you read it as a standalone? Maybe as each book has a mystery solved but there is a bigger picture and you will need to start from the beginning to get the full picture and experience. And lastly, as I have read the previous series in its entirety, I still have hope for #TeamMason. ♥️

I have read every single Rose book and I am always blown away. I was a bit disappointed with this book. It jumped around all over the place as far as character storylines go and then left loose ends on almost every one. I was really looking forward to possibly some answers and closure to some of the drug out dramas, instead we just piled on new characters, problems and questions. The whole book just seemed really drug out and almost forced. It was a bit boring without all the action I've become accustomed to in previous Rose books.

I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again, Denise is an AMAZING storyteller. It’s been over 24 hours since I finished the book and I can’t stop thinking about it. (Extreme book hangover). What a rollercoaster ride! I experienced every emotion possible throughout the course of the book. Rose has evolved so much over the course of the series and I absolutely love her. And Team Joe fans are going to absolutely LOVE him. He really steps up in this book and tugged at my heart. And what an ending, still processing it all.