Rose in Bloom (The Louisa May Alcott Hidden Gems Collection)

An older and more mature Rose and Phebe navigate love and loss while coming into their own in this sequel to Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women!

Years ago, when Rose Campbell was adopted by her Uncle Alec, she befriended housemaid Phebe Moore, and the two became close as sisters—although with Phebe always aware of their difference in social standing. Now young women, Phebe and Rose return from an extended trip to Europe to make their entrance into society. Uncle Alec disapproves of fashionable society, but Rose makes a deal with him: she’ll have three months to attend parties and be courted before she returns to his way of living.

As a wealthy heiress, Rose has no shortage of invitations, and she’s quickly caught up in the excitement of the glamorous evenings. It’s not long before she captures the interest of several suitors as well. However, separating the people who like her from those who like her money is more challenging than Rose had anticipated. Meanwhile, Phebe struggles to make a life she can be proud of without always depending on Rose’s generosity.

But both friends’ new paths are derailed when their loved ones are put in harm’s way by illness and reckless decisions, and the way Rose and Phebe rise to the occasion will show them who they are and who they want to be more than anything has before.