The Wild Rose: The brand new romantic historical page-turner for spring 2026, from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author

by Dilly Court

Be swept up in the unforgettable new historical novel from the reader’s favourite. Can Rosina discover the hidden secrets of Moonshadow Manor?When spirited Rosina Wills is driven from her London home by a conniving stepmother, she seeks refuge in the wild heart of Dartmoor. But Moonshadow Manor is a house of secrets—and her ailing Aunt Jane is not the only one in need.

As Rosina settles into her new life, she soon realises Moonshadow Manor holds secrets of its own. With every passing day, she uncovers more about her family. But as long-buried truths begin to surface, will Rosina find the answers she’s looking for … or something she never dreamed of?

A sweeping, emotional tale of love, loyalty and the strength of a fearless heart.

Dilly Court's book 'The Snow Angel' was a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2024-10-14.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance

477 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2026

About the author

Dilly Court grew up in North-east London and began her career in television, writing scripts for commercials. She is married with two grown-up children and four grandchildren, and now lives in Dorset on the beautiful Jurassic Coast with her husband. She is the author of eighteen novels and also writes under the name of Lily Baxter.

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from Dilly.A comfort read and love reading the victorian era.This is about Rosina bringing back memories as this is my nans name... Rosina father remarried her stepmother. They had a child together, and she pushed her out of her home... She moved in moonshadow Manor, where her aunt Jane is ill and needs her help...hidden in the Manor are many family secrets that are uncovered... a great read...looking forward to reading more of her books

[Julie Stevens]

I love this author’s books and this book had me turning the pages, quickly reaching the end. The only thing I would say was a family tree would have been useful at the beginning of the book to help understand the relationship between characters rather than just being told.

[Jeanne Grice · Rating 5 out of 5]

On par

Dilly Court never fails to keep you totally immersed in her tale. The characters, the plot, the historical content is as anticipated when commencing the book. I enjoyed every page and couldn't put the book down.

[Ali Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. How much do I want to go and live at Moonshadow Manor. Enjoyed this one much more than The Winter Belle. Eerie and atmospheric set on Dartmoor. Was lucky to find advanced read from my local library. Dillys fans are in for a treat

[Louise Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When spirited Rosina Wills is driven from her London home by a conniving stepmother, she seeks refuge in the wild heart of Dartmoor. But Moonshadow Manor is a house of secrets - and her ailing Aunt Jane is not the only one in need. As Rosina settles into her new life, she soon realises Moonshadow Manor holds secrets of its own. With every passing day, she uncovers more about her family. But as long-buried truths begin to surface, will Rosina find the answers she's looking for.... or something she never dreamed of?

this book is 477 pages long, but it does not feel like that as you get quickly pulled into the story. Rosina gets a letter from her Aunt Jane saying that she needs help. Rosina was happy to go and help her Aunt as her father had re-married, and she did not get along with her new stepmother.

Moonshadow Manor hold a lot od secrets, and Rosina starts uncovering some of them when she moves in with her Aunt. There are some lovely character in this well-written story. I loved it.

Published 29th January 2026

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction anf the author #DillyCourt for my ARC of #TheWildRose in eschange for an honest review.

[Jade aka MrsTosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful novel from Dilly Court. She manages so well to weave her characters and history together creating an atmospheric tone to her books. This was no exception set in Dartmoor. She described the setting and vastness of the place so well.

Living in London with her Father and Stepmother, Rosina is delighted when her Aunt Jane asks her to go to Moonshadow Manor to help look after her when she falls ill. Not getting on with her stepmother she is glad of the break and to get away from her.

When she arrives she realises Moonshadow Manor has a life of its own and is full of family secrets which she starts to uncover.

This book is hard to put down and draws you in. It is full of wonderful characters and I thought the plot flowed beautifully. Although it is quite long at 477 page it never felt like that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue Sykes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Rosina Wills who receives a letter from her Aunt Jane asking her to come from London to Devonshire to help her as she is unwell, this comes at a good time for Rosie as she is not getting on with her new step mother. Rosina travels to Moonshadow Manor and meets her Aunt Jane . All is not as it seems at the Manor and soon secrets are revealed and new family members are introduced, Aunt Jane’s lawyer Jack Dimond is a new friend and very supportive when aunt Jane and Rosie need help and advice.
Such a lovely storyline and great characters and another book of Dilly’s where you just want it to go on and on.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and Publisher .HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperCollins for a lovely read.

[Karen Tebbutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wild Rose is a wonderful, immersive story that completely swept me away. Dilly has an exceptional talent for bringing her characters to life – they feel real, relatable, and so easy to become emotionally invested in. From the very first chapters, I was hooked, and the story quickly became one of those books I “just had to read one more chapter” of until suddenly it was the early hours of the morning.

The plot is engaging and beautifully told, with strong characters and plenty of heart. Dilly's storytelling is warm, vivid, and absorbing, making it impossible to put the book down once you’ve started.

A truly excellent read from start to finish. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK.

[Simone McKenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-3.7 perhaps.

This was an enjoyable book, although admittedly not as gripping as other reads, with the stakes not having been particularly high. It was also a bit slow getting into the main story and felt it dragged on a bit at times. It could also get very confusing with all the different family relations/ancestors.

I did like how the romance was handled, the way Rosina and her love interest are just friends for most of the story and only admit their feelings later on, and the way they work together was nice to see, rather than it just being a cliched romance.

I knew straight away who the mysterious old lady towards the end was, which was pretty predictable, unless this was supposed to be.

[Sarah Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosina lives in London with her dad and step mother when she receives a letter from her Aunt Jane, Aunt Jane is poorly and needs Rosina to look after her until she gets better, this couldn’t come at a better time for Rosina as she doesn’t get on with her step mother and feels as if she is being pushed out from the family home.

When Rosina goes to look after Aunt Jane at Moonshadow Mansion, nothing is as it seems, and the more Rosina finds out the more mystery there seems to be with Monshadow Mansion..

This is a great story, well written, with a great mix of characters that inspire you to keep turning the pages.

[irene currie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning twists and turns

Oh my goodness Rosina is marvellous she has to make some tough decisions and being kidded by her aunt/ grandma was something I didn't see coming along with the ghosts coming back to life as always Dilly Court tells a great story weaving everything together ❤?love her books and this one is brilliant if you haven't already read it then I would highly recommend it

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been years since I've read one of Court's books and I'd forgotten just how good they were. A few chapters was all it took before I was hooked!

Sweeping and atmospheric The Wild Rose takes place on Dartmoor at the enchanting sounding Moonshadow Manor. A manor steeped in mystery and age old secrets. Court's characters felt real, were relatable and easily investible.

A page turning pleasure.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dilly has done it again with another wonderful story. The narrative flows smoothly, filled with themes of heartache and fear set in and around Dartmoor, particularly at Moonshadow Manor, where many questions remain unanswered. Moonshadow Manor harbors numerous secrets, which Rosina begins to uncover after moving in with her ailing aunt. The storyline is engaging, featuring well-developed characters that come to life on the page. I thoroughly recommend it.

[Carol Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first dilly Court book and defintly a comfort read. Rosinas father remarried her stepmother. They had a child together, and she pushed her out of her home. She moved in moonshadow Manor, where her aunt Jane is ill and needs her help, the Manor has many family secrets that are uncovered along the way, a great read, it was well written and enjoyable.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

💜 Blurb -
Be swept up in the unforgettable new historical novel from the reader’s favourite. Can Rosina discover the hidden secrets of Moonshadow Manor?When spirited Rosina Wills is driven from her London home by a conniving stepmother, she seeks refuge in the wild heart of Dartmoor. But Moonshadow Manor is a house of secrets—and her ailing Aunt Jane is not the only one in need.
As Rosina settles into her new life, she soon realises Moonshadow Manor holds secrets of its own. With every passing day, she uncovers more about her family. But as long-buried truths begin to surface, will Rosina find the answers she’s looking for … or something she never dreamed of?
A sweeping, emotional tale of love, loyalty and the strength of a fearless heart.
💙 Review -
I have read a few books by the author and have enjoyed them and The Wild Rose is no different. The place settings in the story sounded beautiful and the story was beautifully written and easy to follow and had a great cast of characters. Even though the novel is long, it didn't feel like it and I soon got through it. Overall a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other readers.
💝 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author Dilly Court and Harper Collins for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started and 70 pages in was bored. Where’s all the drama and grit and characters that make Dilly Court books exciting! Bored me so gave up. I love Dilly Court books by the way, but this one just wasn’t for me sadly.

[Joan roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wild rose

Great book as usual Dilly Court has pulled it out of the bag once again great characters great storylines easy reading thanks for the hours of enjoyment and.pleasure you have given me blessed be 🙏

[Mr Brian A Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wild rose

Beautiful story of a young lass who went to get grandmother because her dad had remarried and her stepmother didn't want her. It's a brilliant read and had a happy ending.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldnt put this down when started, another success!!

[Lynda Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book although at times I got confused as to who was who.It was nice to see all ends tied up nicely.

[Denise Garner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t find this one as gripping as her previous books.
Slightly disappointed with this one.

[Linda Hobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book

[Julie Homer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read love Dilly court books great storyline hope there’s another part to this 👍

[Sue Hickling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story love her books .

[De Beresford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wild rose

Easy reading with a happy ending. Lovely bedtime reading. Will look forward to the next novel. Very descriptive which leads you Into the story.

[Tinalong7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed reading about Rosina journey and Moonshadow Manor - a quick easy read

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very good with great characters and interesting storyline.
Well worth reading.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book

Once again a brilliant book once you pick it up you don't want to put it down.
Right from the beginning I was enthralled in it.
Cannot wait for the next one.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow another great book from Dilly Court, could not put this book down. as it was set in Devon I loved it even more as I love that part of the country.

[deborah Humphreys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, lovely story but quite predictable