O'Donovan's review
The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever
by Julia Quinn
O'Donovan's review
The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn
O'Donovan's review
rating:
bookshelves:
romance
Julia Quinn has a problem, and I don't know how to help her.
It's a good problem, I guess: She has created high expectations in her readership, thanks to the fantastic Bridgerton books. The down side, of course, comes when she doesn't live up to her own standard.
Don't get me wrong: The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever is a fun read, better than most regencies on the market. The characters are likeable and quirky, her heroine is warm and likeable without that annoying too-perfect thing.
In short, she amply demonstrated her talent for creating a great cast. (Can you tell how much it pains me to write this review?) Unfortunately, she gave them very little to do.
(I can practically feel your sneers, non-romance-readers. Rein it in and pick up a copy of Quinn's When He Was Wicked or Jenny Crusie's Bet Me for examples of romance novels with a lot going on.)
The conflict in Cheever, however, hangs on a flimsy thread, and I finished the book a...more
It's a good problem, I guess: She has created high expectations in her readership, thanks to the fantastic Bridgerton books. The down side, of course, comes when she doesn't live up to her own standard.
Don't get me wrong: The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever is a fun read, better than most regencies on the market. The characters are likeable and quirky, her heroine is warm and likeable without that annoying too-perfect thing.
In short, she amply demonstrated her talent for creating a great cast. (Can you tell how much it pains me to write this review?) Unfortunately, she gave them very little to do.
(I can practically feel your sneers, non-romance-readers. Rein it in and pick up a copy of Quinn's When He Was Wicked or Jenny Crusie's Bet Me for examples of romance novels with a lot going on.)
The conflict in Cheever, however, hangs on a flimsy thread, and I finished the book a...more
