3 stars I generally love Sophie Barnes so I was excited when I saw this book offered on Netgalley. Unfortunately, I found this book to be a bit derivative. The plot was more predictable than I would have preferred and I felt that the love Marcus and Louise claimed to have for one another was not supported by the relationship they had built. Their declarations of affection were saccharine and superfluous. Also, Louise’s father was almost a caricature of a villain. How would I fix it? For one, I’d have more interaction between Marcus and Louise, rather than internal conflicts about whether the other cares, and in Marcus’s case, his concern that his feelings for her were unprofessional. It was not completely lacking, as Louise shared her desire to found a school for blind children and Marcus shared his story of falling from grace and working to find meaning in his life. There was much for the other to admire about the other, but marrying for love when they hadn’t actually known each other for very long (and yes, I know it can happen) seemed a bit impulsive in light of all Louise had to lose. It was right for Marcus to be concerned that Louise was too young and did not comprehend what she was considering. I’d have also liked to see a glimmer of care from Louise’s father. When it is revealed that he actually did something to make Louise happy, it is glossed over as incidental while I felt it was significant and could have added depth to his character. Louise’s feelings about her father seemed to be based more on fear and deference than on love. Meanwhile, her mother was two-dimensional and offered nothing of value to the story. Faced with the prospect of not having either of them in her life, it seems unlikely to me that anyone would feel much of a loss. What did I like? Well, the descriptions of Louise’s eye surgeries, though they made me cringe, were enlightening and (to be honest) riveting. I couldn’t look away (pun intended). The emotions were realistically conveyed, and yet another reason for Louise to resent her parents. The aftermath of the surgery performed by Marcus was a good opportunity to highlight Louise’s bravery and fortitude as well as Marcus’s compassion and professionalism. Overall, the book was good. Unfortunately, sometimes an opinion on a book can be influenced by the book read prior to the one being reviewed. The last one I read earned 5++ stars so, in comparison, I couldn’t rate this as highly. Nevertheless, I feel it was time well spent reading it and I enjoyed it. October 17, 2021
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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