The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden brings you into the neighborhood of a small town in Massachusetts. The main characters Libby Sawyer and Michael Dobrescu are wonderfully matched, or mis-matched as the case may be.

The story revolves around the conflict of Michael coming to town with family and taking over Libby’s father’s house while it is vacant for the summer. Fleeing the war torn lands of the Balkans and leaving Romania behind with plenty of family secrets, Michael moves into the house, believing he has legal rights to be there. Many twists and turns to this story, keeping the reader totally engaged and entertained. The sparks fly between Michael, a “great big strapping man” and Libby Sawyer, a sensitive artist with little confidence in her abilities and hiding her own secret.

Cultural differences and personality conflicts bring out many rude comments: Michael to Libby – “ You dress like a man and you act like an idiot.” Also, “Take her out to the nearest lake and throw her in to see if she floats. Except I think she might like it.””

Libby – “what I would like, is to have an exorcism to rid my house of a passel of gypsies.” Yes, it sounds like they were meant to be together : )

Love a certain rooftop scene near the end of the book. Not just a romance, the author touches on the complexity of family issues. Great story with interesting subplots delving into some serious subjects with creative characters skillfully drawn.