2 stars I’m not really sure where to start with my review of this book. The editing was sub-par and the writing was sometimes repetitive, with awkward sentence construction, and altogether too many exclamation points!! But the story itself was fascinating. Damina was a bit slow to figure things out. She had all of the same clues as the reader, so she really should have been able to piece things together earlier. The story seemed really long, and that would have been okay if some of that time had been spent creating a real connection between the reader and the characters, but I thought it fell flat. I never really understood Damina on a deep level. I never understood her actions. For example, why was she so easily aggravated by other people saying things she didn’t like? Why was she so annoyed by the people trying to help her? I didn’t believe the emotions conveyed early in the book. We’re told how much she loves Jackson, but if anything, he sounds controlling and judgmental. I mean, he tells a group of friends and family that when they marry, she will become Mrs. Jackson Nash! What year is this anyway? We’re told how much Damina loves her cousin Dacari, but Dacari may be the most annoying character in existence. She seems so self-absorbed and so self-centered, I couldn’t understand Damina’s love of her company or why she felt guilty for taking care of her own needs, but when Dacari accused Damina of being selfish, that was over-the-top. Upon reflection, I understood somewhat, but to me, it seemed like Dacari thought the sun rose and set upon herself and was hardly in a position to make that kind of statement. At one point, Damina thinks, “Nothing she (Allyson) can say will relieve me of the selfishness I feel at mourning my separation from Jackson when my cousin needed me the most.” Damina had just gone through an extremely painful betrayal that broke her heart, but she feels guilty for not being there for her cousin. In an ideal world, she would have been there, but to feel guilty about it makes no sense. There were problems with the wrong word being used, like: reside instead of subside, sorted past instead of sordid past (twice!), dawns instead of dons, and “hardly doubt” is used, creating a double-negative which negated the intent of the sentence. Sentence structures were sometimes confusing, as with this whopper of a dangling participle: “I slip out of the parlor as everyone begins to congregate to hear him speak and head to the bathroom.” Here’s an odd dialogue tag that mixes up the verb tenses: “Dalcour says as he leans against the door and staring at me as if he wanted to laugh.” Even my spellchecker wants to correct it, which makes me wonder if it was purposefully ignored. Here’s another poorly-worded sentence: “Gratefully, the courteous bartender notices my angst and places a menu in front of me.” Since “gratefully” modifies “the bartender,” I have to wonder what he was so grateful for. There were many of these types of things, and they detracted from the reading experience. Going into it, I knew this was book one in a series, but I was annoyed by the cliffhanger ending. There are ways to motivate the reader to read the next book in a series without introducing a loose end at the end. Most things seemed to be resolved, but not enough. The problem is, I don’t feel compelled to read the next book in the series. I’m afraid it will just consist of more times that Damina will wax poetic about Dalcour’s raspberry lips and his enticing floral scent of lavender and jasmine. And if I’m being honest, she kept referring to him as sexy, but every description seemed to bely that, with his childlike giggles and innocent expressions of joy, and so on. I’m glad he was joyous, but I have a problem seeing a childlike or innocent man as sexy. The book was tedious from the beginning, but about one-third of the way into it, it picked up momentum and I found myself looking forward to reading more of it. Perhaps I had simply acclimated myself to the level of writing contained within the book. I’ll admit, the writer was skilled at describing scenes, if not emotions, and the more action, the more compelling it became. Still, I’m not sure I can recommend it without revisions. July 15, 2022
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4 stars I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, and since it’s a Pride & Prejudice-based story, I was excited to read it. It differs greatly from the original, and ties itself to its inspirations by including characters with the same names as the original. Beyond that, there is very little similarity to the original. Truthfully, I enjoyed the story and I thought the writing was good, but I'd have preferred if the Pride & Prejudice connection were forgotten altogether. It’s a good story on its own. Elizabeth Bennett is employed as a governess, since her family fell on hard times after her father’s death. She turned down marriage to her father’s heir, Mr. Collins. This would have allowed her family to continue living in the home where they’d grown up, but she couldn’t stand the idea, so her family was forced to live off the generosity of other relations. Feeling guilty, she left to become a governess. This background portion of the story sounded extremely familiar to me, since she refers to her friend who decided to marry Mr. Collins instead. There are a few other tidbits that made me think I must have read another book in this series, but if I did, it was so long ago that I didn’t write a review. At the beginning of the story, the handsy son of her employer tries to corner her and ends up falling down the stairs and breaking his leg. Naturally, his mother assumes Elizabeth tried to seduce him and immediately discharges her from her position. Colonel Fitzwilliam, also visiting the house, speaks out on her behalf, but the woman refuses to listen. He decides to take Elizabeth with him for the Christmas holidays to visit his family and tells her she can meet his family and he’s certain she’ll receive a glowing referral from his mother. Meanwhile, we meet Mr. Darcy, the widower who will be hosting the guests at his home. He immediately falls for Elizabeth, but the colonel’s letter led him to believe they are betrothed so he quashes his feelings. At the same time, Elizabeth develops feelings for him, but feels he is above her station so she tries to keep her distance. It’s actually a fun story that reminded me more of a Shakespearean comedy of errors than a Jane Austen novel. To me, it had a Midsummer Night’s Dream flavor to it. Everything that the colonel tells his mother and his cousin, Mr. Darcy only reinforces their impression that he has promised himself to Elizabeth, and everything she says serves to confirm that. Of course, the reader knows the misunderstanding that is taking place, and it is compounded by the fact that Mr. Darcy’s younger sister is enamored with the colonel, and keeps trying to gain his attention. And naturally, there’s a young woman valiantly, and annoyingly, vying to receive a proposal from Mr. Darcy. There are a few other couples with potential romances happening in the background, but it’s really about Elizabeth, Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Georgiana, Darcy’s sister. I really liked it. I just don’t think it’s a retelling of Pride & Prejudice. I thought the ending became a bit overlong and didactic, with everyone making verbose speeches, but there was one quote earlier in the book that I thought was great. Darcy and Elizabeth determine that “Together we will disprove the naysayers who do not understand happiness does not come from expectations of its arrival, but rather from the acceptance of the delight in its timely appearance.” July 10, 2022 5 stars I got an ARC of this book from Netgalley. It’s really just a novella, part of a bigger series called Siren’s Retreat. I love Erica Ridley so I was happy to receive this. This is the story of Deborah, the proprietress of Siren’s Retreat, and Patrick, man of business for Lord Edgewood. Lord Edgewood has determined that he will buy the land upon which Siren’s Retreat sits and sends Patrick to facilitate the transaction. Despite being on opposite sides, he and Deborah fall in love. If Patrick doesn’t finalize the deal, he will lose his job, but if he does, he will leave Deborah homeless and heartbroken. The challenge is to figure out a way to keep Deborah’s brother-in-law Stanely from selling the property, and for Patrick to keep his job. Stanley has received a very generous offer for the property and it would be foolish for him to turn it down. He tells Deborah that her rent will be doubled if she wishes to keep it, so she works to figure out how to make that happen. Patrick helps her because he can't help himself. He wants her to win even if that means he will lose. It’s a sweet, romantic story with lovable characters. I recommend it and would love to read more in the series. July 9, 2022 4 stars I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. It sounded interesting, but it was nothing like what I expected. Although extremely well-written, it was also extremely unpleasant to read. The memoir tells the story of a young woman named Kathy, or rather, Marina (but no one knows) who is a virgin by choice. She allows this label to define her and wears it defiantly, allowing herself to be offended by anyone and everyone who thinks differently than she does. She goes through dozens and dozens of men, kissing all of them, and from my perspective, leading them on and setting traps for them. The moment one of them wants more, she wants nothing more to do with him. There seems to be nothing that any of them can do to please her, and it got to the point where I was dreading the demise of each relationship because I thought she was totally unreasonable and self-sabotaging. Her adoptive mother is, in a word, a bitch. She’s rotten to Kathy—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually abusive/negligent. And Kathy wants her mother’s approval so desperately. It’s depressing to read. I really did feel for her, but I also wanted to protect myself. I’m glad that she finally escaped. There are some great insights and observations about misogyny prevalent in society, and as I said, it was extremely well-written, but I cannot recommend it because it’s so damned unpleasant. I have to give it four stars because of the caliber of writing, but I can’t give it five because I hated it. Nevertheless, there are some quotes I think are worth sharing. A few of the brief quotes are just so profound, while some are just so cleverly stated. Kathy thinks her virginity will protect her from the intimacy she fears, but then she realizes “...my virginity is bait, not a boundary.” Thinking about her mother Ann: “...I wonder why it is Ann who gets to mother me. Why does she get to mis-mother me?” “Time subtracts the space that separates us.” She says this about her proximity to a boy she likes. And this one is just so depressing, yet so reflective of what her adoptive mother has created. “That’s what love ends up being: barbed wire that traps and tears and hurts.” I hope she has changed her view on this. I think she has. Describing one of the boys she dates, Kathy observes, “There is an urgency in his movements, a persistence that takes me off guard and then puts me on guard.” When she stands up to her mother, she thinks, “She knows I will give in to her, come crawling for forgiveness, be the obedient girl I have served up to her each and every time I find myself invisible in her presence, trapped in the tethered and austere knots of her disapproval like a bug fastened to the sticky webs of a mother-spider awaiting to devour her prey.” And also regarding her mother: “I take it like a victim because I don’t know what else to do. Because she hasn’t seen me yet, and I know that deep down, she loves me, and one day, she will see me. She shames me because she loves me. She accuses me because she loves me.” Kathy is an excellent student and an avid learner. She wants to “...eat knowledge in fistfuls without napkins, utensils, or any kind of proper etiquette, licking my finger at the taste of what I have learned.” When she describes her relationship with John, the longest relationship she has had, and one in which the two of them love one another, she says this, “John and I have been playing a game. I’ve been waiting for him to say the words, and he’s been waiting for me. Neither of us wants to say them. He’s a coward, but I am selfish, willful. I want to force him to break up with me because I know how hard it is for him. Breaking up with a virgin because she’s a virgin. What a cad. I win.” This was a great description of how some men (and boys) see women, though it is a bit dark: “...I see how guys watch her, and sometimes I have to push them away, disgusted by the arousal I witness them licking off their lips as they fantasize about her—a girl they do not know.” This sums up the story though. It was never about her virginity. It was about her secrets and trying to find the person who would treat them with care and love her no matter what ugliness lay beneath the surface. “He doesn’t say anything, as if he knows I’ve never told a soul before. That these are virgin words. That he’s the first to receive them. And he waits, holding his breath, ready to cup them in his hands and nurture them like rare gems that have never seen the light before.” July 8, 2022 I received an ARC of this book from the author. I really thought I would like it, but it was disappointing. I loved the concept because it takes the typical historical romance and turns it on its head. Lady Julia Pembroke is a society spinster (for lack of a better phrase) and Miss Fleur Warburton has come to London with her best friend Jasper to find the man who destroyed her family. Unfortunately, we never really find out what he did to destroy her family. There are hints, but nothing is ever fully explained. Perhaps I would need to read another book int he series to understand, but because this book didn’t tell me, I’m frustrated. There were also several characters mentioned and I felt like ther reader should know who they were, but I didn‘t. I had to laugh when I read Jasper's description of Fleur after being asked if she is his fiance. “I think not. I’d rather wed a sea serpent. I’d rather wed a humpbacked whale. I’d rather wed… I’d rather wed a debutante.” Incidentally, the reason he specifies debutante at the end is because he is gay. Julia and Fleur are on a collision course for one another, both hunting the same villain and both overwhelmingly attracted to each other. The problem is, I never felt an emotional connection to either of them. The love they shared was somewhat superficial and the intimate scenes between them seemed mechanical. Still, the action portions of the plot were compelling and tense and Fleur journey (hero’s journey) was interesting. As Julia is trying to propose to Fleur, Fleur complains about the various physical discomforts associated with love. Her response to the proposal is: “If I am already miserably in love, then it’s only fair that you are as well.” I was fascinated to find that the pastor who was planning to perform the ceremony had done research and found records of other women marrying as far back as 1707. I had never heard of this history, but I looked it up and found it’s true. Amazing. Anyway, I enjoyed the other Fenna Edgewood story I read, but I didn’t connect with these characters on an emotional level. I’m still interested in reading more from this series, and maybe even finding out what exactly happened to Fleur’s family. 5 stars Read this book! I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. I’ve never read anything from this author, but I certainly want to do so again. I cannot pinpoint a single problem with this book. The pacing, the character development and character journeys, the plot, the heroes and villains, and the wisdom are all top-notch. This is a feminist manifesto and a fantasy, a vision for what we wish could be. The three main characters are Jo, Nessa, and Harriett, unlikely friends drawn together by complementary gifts and desires. All are at slightly different stages in life, having experienced similar sex discrimination but having different life experiences. All are strong women determined to make a difference and ensure that justice is served. There are some obvious unspoken references to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, but they only serve to reinforce the themes. They almost serve to display a different POV, but in the end, there’s no valid excuse for their behavior. I think one of my favorite things about this book is the multitude of quotable statements, some of which I feel I simply must share. I’ll end my review with these. “Nothing ages a person like poverty and misery.” “‘Witch’ is the label society slaps on women it can’t understand or control.” “...in case you haven’t noticed, somebody’s always killing women.” “...every recipe is a spell. And all cooks are witches.” “Anyone who needs a reward to be good isn’t good. They just like rewards. Good people do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.” There are a couple that made me laugh: “Do I know you?” Harriet asked, “her head cocked, like a cat contemplating a roach.” “Harriett greeted Chase with all the enthusiasm she would have shown a chin hair.” Nessa makes this observation about the chief of police: “Rocca was in his early fifties, with the robust physique of a triathlete and the personality of a barbell.” Another woman tells Nessa, “You’re the light that holds back the darkness… Women like you have always existed. Without you, the world would be thrown out of balance.” Discussing places where women are not welcomed, so-called ‘boys’ clubs,’ Harriett says, “Of course, we’re allowed…It would be scandalous if we weren’t allowed. So instead, we’re just not invited. Plagued by doubt because of all the failures Jo experienced in her professional life, she has a breakthrough because of Harriett’s words about not being ‘invited,’ at which point she realizes, “Jo had been good enough all along. They’d made her feel like a failure, when the truth was, they just hadn’t wanted her around. There was nothing she could have done.” Nessa, who was widowed when her police officer husband was killed, contemplates the justice system, which “was designed to punish, not protect.” Nessa, Jo, and Harriett, on the other hand, want to protect. This statement is telling: “No one teaches girls how to take care of themselves. We train them to be pretty and kind and polite right before we set them loose in a world filled with wolves. Then we act surprised and horrified when some of them get eaten…those people who wanted girls to be docile and disciplined were often the ones who took advantage of them.” And this statement is profound, and therefore, one of my favorites: “Why do you think women are designed to outlive men? Why do we keep going for thirty years after our bodies can no longer reproduce? Do you think nature meant for those years to be useless? No, of course not. Our lives are designed to have three parts. The first is education. The second, creation. And in part three, we put our experience to use to protect those who are weaker.” This is my other favorite quote: “God may have dictated the Bible, but it was put down on paper by men. And over the years, men have changed things that don’t make them look good. In the original story, Eve was the hero, and this snake was her friend… No animal is ever totally tame… They’re either too lazy to eat you or waiting for just the right moment…The most dangerous beast in Eden was Adam… He was God’s first try at humans, remember? And from the outside, he was magnificent… But there was something wrong with him—the thing that had convinced God to try again. He’d just come off making the animals when he went to work on Adam, and he forgot to change one little thing. Like the animals, Adam was driven by bodily needs. When Adam wanted to rut, all the reason God gave him went right out the window. With animals, sex is natural. What made Adam so dangerous was his desire to dominate…stay far away from those who seem driven by their desires. Don’t be one of the women who think they can feed those men. Those that do meet one of two fates. They either end up getting eaten—or they turn into monsters.” June 30, 2022 2 stars I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. It had some really good reviews and sounded like it would be quite interesting. It was interesting, but it wasn’t very well written. I finished it, only because it wasn’t too long, but I feel like I wasted my time. Perhaps I would enjoy the original writings of Isabella Bird, but I'm inclined to think not. My biggest complaint about the book is the lack of consistency in verb usage. It would switch from past tense to present tense without any apparent explanations. This was jarring every time it happened and left me beyond frustrated. It completely hampered my ability to enjoy the story. There were also so abrupt interruptions in the timeline (moving from one scene to another without clear transitions). The other thing that bothered me, although I can’t really criticize the book for this, was the violence. I admit I can be squeamish, and it bothers me more than most when I read about people or animals being hurt. Descriptions of hunting, Mountain Jim’s encounter with a bear, even the treatment of the horses by the Hawaiians… All of it bothered me. And when I read descriptions of Miss Bird’s travels, I honestly had trouble believing they were not embellished. Some of it was just too fantastical. Believe it or not, this ties into my complaint about violence, because Miss Bird was in so many situations which should have gravely injured her, but she continued to put herself in these situations again and again, with no hesitancy. To me, they were cringe-worth. As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t enjoy the book and I don’t feel I gained much from reading it, other than knowing about another feminist from the annals of history who did remarkable things. I don’t know if this book was the best source for that information, but it’s where I learned about it, so I must give it credit for that. I think I would advise anyone interested in the content to look for the original writings of Isabella Lucy Bird. And because I don’t want to leave this review without any compliments for the author, I did enjoy the phrase used to describe prostitutes: ladies of negotiable affections. June 27, 2022 3 stars I received an ARC from Netgalley. Although I mostly love the books of Janna MacGregor, this series, Widow Rules, has been a disappointment. I gave the last book three stars; this was marginally better. Aside from the concept issues I mentioned in A Duke in Time, this particular book was missing something. I wish I could pinpoint what it was. While MacGregor does an adequate job of conveying Jonathan’s inner turmoil, I never quite connected with it. Constance, the perfect name for this character, is one of the widows of Meriwether, but has always been in love with Jonathan. Not sure exactly why she married Meriwether, but it did allow a good excuse for her to be pregnant, thus forcing Jonathan to push past his hesitancies to allow love into his life. His reluctance to allow anyone to get close to him only serves to highlight the importance of sharing our burdens with friends and family. Had he done so sooner, he might have avoided a lot of pain. Of course, Constance makes the same mistake, the difference being, she doesn’t allow her conflicts to interfere with her personal relationships. Nevertheless, both could have saved a lot of aggravation if they’d simply shared their troubles. Jonathan is described as a male version of Ms. Havisham (Great Expectations). Even his study is much like I imagined her parlor—curtains drawn, everything dusty and in disarray, basically closed off to the world and frozen in time. And when Constance first sees him, after a year apart, she thinks, “He looked like a hermit who’d found his way out of the woods after being lost for a year.” Luckily, he has a busybody butler who has been with his family since before he was born, and Mr. North doesn’t allow Jonathan to wallow as much as he might like. Which brings me to my favorite character: Mr. North. He cares for Jonathan and oversteps the bounds of a servant to bring Jonathan the love he so desperately needs. The banter between them is definitely a highlight of this story, as North continually pushes Jonathan to do better. When Constance first arrives at Jonathan’s estate, North tells her something Jonathan does which the household discourages. “The solicitous hum in his voice reminded Jonathan of a teacher’s pet currying favor by tattling on another.” During an argument: “Jonathan didn’t need to point out that he was the earl and North was the butler. It never made any difference.” Later, while discussing Jonathan’s newly-cleaned office, North comments, “Everyone is aware you prefer the putrid smell of powder burns mixed with dog.” Finally, during one argument, in which Jonathan accuses North of being an ill-bred haggard: “Don't you have responsibilities besides aggravating me?” Jonathan growled. North smiled demurely. “Of course, sir. Even ill-bred haggard butlers know their duties. It's to remind the dunderheaded lords of the manor what their responsibilities are.” Jonathan There were some really great descriptions of Jonathan’s walls coming down in the face of Constance’s persistent coaxing He observes Constance and thinks this: “Constance glided into the room with her unique, brilliant smile. It reminded him of an unwanted ray of sunshine interrupting a perfect morning sleep. Neither knew when they weren’t wanted.” When she tells him how desirable she finds him (despite his gnarled, lame leg), “Her words blasted a new hole in his heart, but the fickle organ mended itself immediately and started pounding against his ribs trying to reach her.” Still, he tries to fight the pull. He petulantly thinks, “She made people happy. He didn’t like it one bit.” Some problems: Near the end of the story, the narrator mentions that Constance danced with James Sewell, as if the reader should know who that is. However, this particular character is mentioned nowhere else in the story, so some context would have been helpful. And although this phrase only appeared twice throughout the book, it was unusual enough that it caught my eye and caused me to do a word search: “Then and there, Jonathan decided…” Maybe it’s because “then and there” wasn’t really necessary to tell the story, but there was something sophomoric about it. I expect better from Janna MacGregor. Will I read the next book in the series? Hope springs eternal so, yes. June 22, 2022 5 stars After reading A Reckless Match, I couldn’t wait to read Carys and Tristan’s story. I received an ARC from Netgalley and absolutely loved this book, #2 in the Ruthless Rivals series. Carys is a force of nature, a fiery redhead with a flamboyant and impetuous nature. Tristan is pretty much the opposite of that. Plus the Davies and Montgomerys are sworn enemies, never mind that Tristan’s sister and Carys’ brother recently married. Carys is so much fun, but I think one of the things I liked most was her outrageous sartorial choices. Her outfit in the opening scene is memorable for the details described. “Her own outfit was still the most remarkable. The sheer white fabric left one shoulder bare and draped, Grecian-style, diagonally across her body before flowing in liquid pleats to the floor. The wide silver belt encircling her waist matched the quiver of arrows on her back, and the crescent moon that nestled in her hair surrounded by a galaxy of bobbing silvery stars. It was the transparency of the material that had everyone whispering behind their fans…” In short, “Her dress was as sheer as a whisper, as if Botticelli’s Venus had stepped out of her giant shell and donned a chemise made of spiderwebs.” Carys had a bad experience and decided she does not wish to marry. Rather than remaining a burden on her brother, she is considering marriage to a man who poses no risk to her, but I don't want to spoil why. Still, she wonders whether there’s any reason to want what marriage has to offer. “...logically she understood that making love couldn’t be unpleasant for everyone. Having listened to her brothers’ ribald comments on the subject, she was quite sure men enjoyed it. Then again, men seemed to enjoy plenty of unpleasant things, like chasing foxes and bludgeoning fish on the head, and getting so drunk they vomited in flowerpots, so their opinion hardly seemed reliable.” Carys is inordinately pleased whenever she can make Tristan lose control, because he is so tightly wound. She loves to taunt him, but he also enjoy teasing her. After a shared kiss “...she was pleased to notice that while his cravat was still impeccable, she’d managed to disrupt the perfection of his hair. A tiny tuft was sticking out in the wrong direction, just behind his ear. It seemed like a small but important victory.” Because they have so convinced everyone that they are enemies, no one thinks anything of them spending time alone. They’re neighbors and have known each other all of their lives. Tristan asks Carys to walk with him and she asks, “Won’t it cause speculation, if we disappear off into the woods together.” He responds, “Not the kind you mean. They’ll think one of us is luring the other into the forest for a spot of murder. Lots of places to hide a body around here.” Naturally, they fall in love, but each is determined to hide their feelings. Carys is quicker to realize she loves Tristan and decides she must hide it at all costs. Tristan takes longer to realize it, fighting it every step of the way, until he finally acknowledges that it has always been Carys who he has imagined as his wife. Then, he can’t keep it to himself. The plot is fun, the characters are interesting, and the banter is amusing. All in all, it’s a great book and I recommend it. I think Morgan and Harriett are next, and I’m looking forward to it. June 21, 2022 3 stars I think I’ve given every other book in this series five stars. I received an ARC because I’m a fan of Emma Lombard. I’ve enjoyed reading about the adventures of Silas and Grace, and their family. Peripheral characters were interesting, but I didn’t feel a burning need to read any books about them. That said, if I were offered an ARC, I’m sure I’d be happy to read such a book because I know it would be good. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for this one. As always, Lombard’s attention to historical details is impressive, and that’s part of the reason I’ve bumped my rating from two to three stars. The writing is good with some wonderful metaphors. In her attempt to feature all of the extras from the White Sails series, Ms. Lombard has included mini-stories, with a chapter dedicated to each character and where they are ten years after the last book in the series. I didn’t remember a lot of the details associated with each of them, and although Lombard did an adequate job of reminding me, it didn’t make me care a whole lot more. Worse though, there was no true resolution of their current problems. The only chapter I really liked was the one devoted to Wee Granny Mac and Old Quill, and maybe that’s because there was a resolution. There were also some great visuals. “Old Quill’s snowy brows clashed together like two ancient maggots at war.” Describing the warm night: “...hot air lay across her like a second skin, slick skin…” These two have the best banter, refusing to acknowledge their love for one another, when every action clearly demonstrates it. This one was funny. Granny said: “Ha! The last time ye flipped me in bed, yer poker barely warmed my hearth.” Old Quill’s shoulders jiggled. “I only flipped you so as I didn’t have to look at the mantelpiece while stoking the fire.” “Ye cheeky beggar!” She jabbed his forearm with her bony knuckles. “What makes ye think I fancied yer dried leather strap anyway?” The chapter devoted to Dr. Billy Sykes was confusing. I couldn't figure out what his actions and thoughts meant. If it was meant to reflect his conflicted thinking, it did, but it also confused me. This phrase was used to describe his ‘love’ interest. “She offered him the tea, her smile sucking the blood from his gut like a malnourished hookworm.” So why was he interested in her? Also, I ended up really not liking Adelia because of her judgmental attitude. Overall, I was disappointed. For anyone dying to know what happens to the supporting characters in the White Sails series, this book is for you. But you’ll only get a snippet. As for me, I’d have been happy to read about Old Granny Mac and leave it at that. June 19, 2022 |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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