This is the second book in the series and I still like this series. It was an easy read and very enjoyable. ( )

Title: Under the Rose
Author: Diana Peterfreund
Pages: 352
Pub: 2007; Dell
Genre: Fiction – Contemporary; Realistic
Etc:

The Short of it

Secret society secrets are getting leaked.

The Long of it

The second in a four-part series (a quartology?), Amy and the whole group of Rose & Grave members are back again. There’s some stress between Lydia and Amy this go-around and someone on the inside is compromising the brotherhood. There’s still a little love and flirting going on, but once again it’s not on the forefront.

The Thoughts about it

I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with Under the Rose for the first two-hundred pages. Give or take. It was still a quick read; read in one night. And it was still entertaining, just a wee bit repetitive. On a side note, I thought it was sorta funny because one of the members even felt the drama in the Rose & Grave society was repetitive (paraphrased: “why can’t we just hang out and BE the society instead of always talking ABOUT the society and it’s politics). I am so with you man. Feelin’ ya, for sure!

Also, ‘cuz everyone has secret society names, it became a little confusing when people were introduced or talking in society compared to OUT of society. I had to continue to flip to the front page which listed everyone’s society name. Details, man. I’m not good with names. I assume there are others who also fail miserably at remember who people are, in books or in real life.

Moving along, though, the book WAS entertaining enough for me to read it in one night and I DID get into it the last hundred or so pages. I figure I’ll end up reading the whole series because I’ve always wanted to be in a secret society and this allows me to vicariously. I think that ultimately it probably tells a more accurate portrayal of society. I mean, it’s not as though political figures are killing people off everyday in real society life, right? Right?!?! ( )

Senior year isn't going quite as Amy Haskel would have liked. Sure, she's at prestigious Ivy League Eli University and she's also a member of that oh-so exclusive secret society the Rose & Grave, but Amy is quickly finding out balancing classes, a senior thesis, and society business is not all it's cracked up to be. Once again, the R&G seems to be falling apart as the current members receive vague warnings threatening that the society is rotting out from the inside out. What's more, a traitor, who is slowly spilling society secrets, is on the loose and has everyone up in arms and once again convinced that admitting girls to the R&G was the worst idea EVER. Amy doesn't know which of her brothers has leaked the information but she isn't about to trust any of them on her quest for the truth - hoping that it doesn't destroy the Rose & Grave along the way. Just once, Amy would like to enjoy being a part of her society without all the worry and fear.The second installment of Peterfreund's tell-all novels plunges us right back into the world of Amy's not-so-ordinary college experience. Standing out in this series is Amy with her blinding intelligence and loyalty, she is instantly likable and an unforgettable narrator. She is neurotic and doesn't always understand her worth, but she ALWAYS gets the job done. What's not to love? At times, I felt the drama and society debates dragged on a bit and rehashed the same topic over and over but there was always some witty dialogue or snarky remark that would bring a smile back to my face. A fun, summer read that hopefully continues to be just as enjoyable.Now if only I could convince my library to buy the last two books in the series... ( )

Under the Rose is the second book in Diana Peterfreund's 4-part "Ivy League" series. In the first book, we are introduced to Amy Haskell, a bright English student at Eli University who is inducted into the Rose and Grave secret society--and among the first class to induct women into the formerly 'ol boys club. In Under the Rose, Amy and her fellow female Diggers have to fight the network of Patriarchs (former Diggers, all of whom are incredibly successful and wealthy) who are against the induction of women into Rose and Grave. Threats are made against the girls (and the guys who support them) by Patriarchs who wish to destroy their future prospects (for example, Amy's ideal internship which she had all lined up is pulled out from under her) and even threaten their lives and the lives of their friends and family. Friends are revealed to be traitors when an secret society made only of men is formed WITHIN Rose and Grave by the guys who secretly agree with the Patriarchs. Etc, etc. But Amy and her fellow girl Diggers overcome their differences to band together and challenge the Patriarchs. Plus, Amy has totally hott sex with Puck--a sexy playboy Digger--in the Rose and Grave Inner Temple no less!

Diana Peterfreund successfully combines third wave feminism, typical chick-lit tropes, secret society danger and intrigue, and a wicked sense of humor in this impossible-to-put-down book. ( )

In the first book, SECRET SOCIETY GIRL, Amy Haskel is a college junior and part of the first female group tapped into the ultrasecret, patriarch-run Rose & Grave secret society. In UNDER THE ROSE, Amy is a senior, with the horrors of initiation and the previous semester behind her. She intends to enjoy herself as much as possible: hookups with her super hot (and womanizing) society brother George Harrison Prescott, hanging out with her roommate Lydia, and spending time with fellow Diggirls.

Of course, being part of the first coed Rose & Grave group is bound to create trouble. Someone within the group has been publicizing society secrets. Suspicions abound, patriarchs are more than unhappy, and it seems like Amy is going to be part of the last Rose & Grave class, two centuries of tradition and camaraderie down the drain…

…Unless she and her society brothers can rediscover the meaning of what it means to be a Digger.

It’s just so hard to find an intelligent, funny, and suspenseful series, which is why I adore Diana Peterfreund’s IVY LEAGUE novels. They contain everything I want in a series about college students: secrets, romantic entanglements, and pages and pages of side-splitting collegiate conversation.

Amy is engaging, wry, and endearingly stumbling through life as a secret society member at an elite university. She is dynamic and can hold her own in any situation. But the brilliant characterization doesn’t stop there. Every character, no matter how much or how little time he/she gets on the page, has his or her own personality. It’s not so hard for us to keep track of all dozen or so of the members of Rose & Grave, which is a remarkable accomplishment, and a sign of a high-caliber author.

Likewise, the plot is intricate and clearly shows the amount of time that went into planning and writing Amy’s world. The story weaves around the society comings and goings, delves deliciously into Amy’s “relationship” with George, takes readers on far flung adventures…and that’s in between helping us remember who’s who! The story is a complex, satisfying, and delightful concept that only an author with more than enough brains to spare can concoct.

UNDER THE ROSE is a thriller/mystery story for the estrogen-prone, chick lit for the brainy. And that’s why I love it. This book doesn’t dumb itself down for readers; instead, we’re left feeling impressed at Diana Peterfreund’s writing ability, even if the scenarios and dialogue only exist in a world where the perfect quip comes out of your mouth instantly, every time. I’d like to live there. ( )