2 stars I read the synopsis of the plot on Netgalley and thought it sounded worth reading so I requested an ARC. I’ll need to remember to avoid this author in the future because I really don’t like her writing.This is the second time I’ve read one of her books and my complaints this time are similar. Basically, it’s innocuous drivel. I did enjoy the plot, but that was about it and I had to force myself to read the second half of the book. The writing is clumsy and unimaginative, rife with cliches (“I wouldna want it any other way.”) and unexceptional comparisons (“Her throat was so parched it felt like it was on fire.”). I won’t call them metaphors because they do not rise to that level. Editing was sub-par. For example, defiantly was used at least two times when the intended word was definitely. There was way too much telling instead of showing. This was probably my biggest complaint, to be honest. In addition, there were plot inconsistencies and actions that just didn’t make sense. There were even a few instances of verb tenses changing from past-tense to present-tense, then back. It was primarily told in third-person past-tense. The final part of the book was the most difficult to read. Whether this was because of my impatience with the story-telling or it got worse over time, I’m not sure. When Siena met Roderick’s brothers, at their wedding, she made a comment about people needing to be judged by their actions rather than their origins (because she was English and they were Scottish). Based on that simple comment, the brother told Roderick, “I see the lass has a mind of her own.” Roderick agreed and laughed. Really? So based on one sentence, he could judge that she had a mind of her own? I considered listing all of the plot inconsistencies, but I’m not getting paid to do that, and I don’t see the point. There is one, however, that I feel needs to be pointed out. Siena’s childhood bedroom at her father’s castle had a secret passageway hidden behind a chest. “Agatha (her maid) had told her that Siena’s mother had had the passageway made without telling her father in case she needed to escape. Evidently, her mother had had doubts about her father, too.” There are a few issues I have with this. First of all, Siena’s mother died during childbirth, while giving birth to Siena’s twin. She had no way of anticipating that the father might treat Siena poorly. Okay, so maybe the “she” in the sentence referred to Siena’s mother and the expectation that she might need to escape. If that were the case, the passageway would have been connected to her room, not the daughters, and it’s unlikely it would have been the same room. Finally, how did Siena’s mother have a secret passageway constructed without the father noticing? The whole concept was ridiculous. Also, when Siena first entered the passageway, the torches were there but the flint was missing. This was mentioned as if it were important, but it was never explained. There was the obligatory, heavy-handed wise old character telling Roderick and Siena, “True love is always worth working for because in the end ‘tis the only thing that counts.” Blah, blah, blah. Close to the end, there was this passage: “A flash of lightning illuminated the glistening bodies of the two lovers as they came to know each other. Caressing, touching, sharing themselves as they never had with anyone else. Siena and Roderick were caught in their own whirlwind, seeing a release that only they could provide.” Gag me. I literally grimaced as I read this and almost stopped entirely, but I was so close to finishing. I dragged myself over the finish line and commenced writing this review. Maybe it will save someone else from reading it. January 2, 2021
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
Categories |