When Theresa, a frustrated journalist with ambitions of climbing the ranks of her newsroom, gets a call informing her that she had made a major error in the obituary of a once-great Pasadena hotelier, she travels to the incredible Altadena house and garden of Adele Pearce and learns that the once debutante wants Theresa to help her settle old scores that date back to the Gilded Age ballrooms of Pasadena.
T is for two stories. This dual timeline book weaves back and forth between 1903 and 1960.
H is for Hotel. Gilded Age Pasadena society revolved around the grand hotels that hosted wealthy East Coast and Midwestern transplants.
E is for England. When Adele is called away from England to join her mother and father in Pasadena, she is determined to find a way back to London.
Q is for Quest. Adele and Theresa are both seeking their places in the world.
U is for Unsettled. When Adele first arrives in Pasadena, she finds herself feeling very much like a fish out of water.
E is for Engaged. Adele’s engagement transforms her life, forcing her to accept that she will have to carve out a place for herself in Pasadena society.
E is for Excitement. Theresa wants to break free from the doldrums of obituaries and break into the more exciting Metro section.
N is for New. It is only when Adele decides to design a garden of her own high in the Altadena foothills that she truly discovers who she is meant to be.
O is for Obituary. When Theresa receives a call demanding a correction to an obituary she wrote, she finds herself caught up in Adele’s plan to settle old scores.
F is for Friendship. Adele finds herself leaning on the friendship of an older widow as she navigates Pasadena society.
R is for Rosewood House, the beautiful home and gardens at the center of the story.
O is for Obligation. Adele feels compelled to save her family and herself, even if it means living a life she wouldn’t have chosen for herself.
S is for Secrets. As Theresa helps Adele write her biography, old secrets come bubbling to the surface.
E is for Escape. As Adele rises through the ranks of Pasadena society, she finds relief from the pressure by escaping to Rosewood House in Altadena.
S is for Sacrifice. When Adele realizes that she is living a life she is not satisfied with, she must decide what she is willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of true happiness.
THE QUEEN OF ROSES by Julia Kelly
Spanning the ballrooms of Pasadena and the sunlit gardens of Altadena, a new novel of love and sacrifice from the internationally bestselling author of The Light Over London and The Last Garden in England.
1960: Frustrated reporter Theresa Johnson’s life changes when she receives a phone call from a Miss Pearce who claims her obituary about one of Pasadena’s last great hoteliers is wildly inaccurate. Seeking the truth, Theresa drives to the mysterious Rosewood House nestled high in the Altadena foothills. Even more intriguing than the house’s beautiful garden is Miss Pearce’s proposal that Theresa help her settle old scores by writing her biography.
1903: Beautiful but haughty, Adele Pearce is reluctant to leave the London Season and her last hope of a proposal. When she arrives in California, she discovers the startling truth of why her mother has called her there: her father has squandered his fortune and Adele must marry a wealthy American to save the family.
Stifled by expectation as Pasadena’s newest doyenne, Adele’s only comfort is Rosewood House and the beautiful garden she creates with the help of taciturn gardener Alexander Macalister. However, as Adele’s feelings for Alex flourish, a fire ignites in the San Gabriel Mountains above Rosewood House, threatening everything Adele holds dear, while in 1960, Miss Pearce learns that history has a terrible habit of repeating itself.
Women’s Fiction Historical | Women’s Fiction Family Life [ Gallery Books, On Sale: October 20, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781668032756 / ]
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About Julia Kelly
Julia Kelly is the international bestselling author of emotional historical fiction about extraordinary women and intriguing historical whodunnit mystery novels. Her books have been translated into 13 languages. In addition to writing, she’s been an Emmy-nominated producer, journalist, marketing professional, and (for one summer) a tea waitress. Julia called Los Angeles, Iowa, and New York City home before settling in London with her husband.
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