Kellyn Roth's Blog: Kellyn Roth, Author, page 32

We’re Having an Event

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Goldfish Secrets is launching and Flowers is getting a paperback version! This is happening on the 10th of September. Soooo … obviously we gotta celebrate, right?

THE ANSWER IS “RIGHT,” Y’ALL. (Sorry for giving that away before you had a chance to think about it.) We are gonna celebrate like mad.

Well … more like I’ve got a bit of an exclusive club to invite you to. BUT … read on, because this is something pretty much everyone will be able to participate in!

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Now, for this launch, I’m doing something different. Since I’m releasing a short story that is less than 2,000 words (e.g. about ten pages), it’s not a long or tough read.

SO … I’ve decided to make a goal of 50 reviewers for this little story! How can you help? Well, become one of the reviewers!

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SIGN UP NOW!

See more in the FAQ below, but here’s the basic deets:

I will send ARCs to these reviewers.
Reviewers will read and review the book (and it’s really a 10-minute read and I’m not asking more than a paragraph, so not a huge obligation).
All the reviewers will be entered into a giveaway to win a pretty mug.
All the reviewers will be able to win other prizes.

And the before-mentioned frequently-asked-questions …

FAQ
Can Goldfish Secrets be a standalone?

It is the prequel to The Lady of the Vineyard, but it can definitely be read without prior knowledge of the characters or plot.

That’s what prequels are for, after all!

Is there a review deadline?

Yes, actually … the goal is to get the reviews out on or a week after the release date. If this can’t happen, then by the end of September will suffice.

Ooh, what kinds of prizes?

Special features, ebooks, bookmarks, journals … a limited-edition not-available-anywhere-else-for-now paperback collection with Goldfish Secrets, The Lady of the Vineyard, and Flowers.

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First draft, of course, but that’s the general idea. (Let me know what you think in the comments!) It’s quite reminiscent of my original cover design, actually, back in summer 2016. 

Big Event Postponed: Hiatus Ensuing

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That’s right … Reveries is going on a week+-long hiatus! I’m planning on returning on 27th.

Why is this? Well, Kell (me) is going to a writer’s conference in Portland with the amazing Ivy Rose, and of course there shall be no blogging!

And yes, I do realize that in the last post, I said something big way coming next week. That “something big” has simply been delayed until the first week of September!

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While I’m Gone on Hiatus, I’ll Be …

Of course I won’t just be at the writer’s conference. It’s Monday through Thursday next week, so there are a couple days unaccounted for!

I’ll also be writing and editing a ton. I’m hoping to finish Before a Fall as well as get through Once a Stratton and Beyond Her Calling each at least one more time.

It’s going to be a bit of a stretch, but I think I can do it!

Also, as I’ve mentioned before, my sister and her girls are here. That’s not really doing something, but y’know … it’s events in my life.

I’m having a birthday party today for my friends! It’s gonna be awesome!

I also want you to know …

I’ve got a new freebie for those who sign up for my email list! It’s a guide to turning plot bunnies into novels.

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I’ll probably get it up in the next couple days, and when I do, I’ll update the sidebar and other places on this site with info as well as sending out the guide to those already subscribed to my blog!

If you want to get it first, subscribe to my newsletter now!

Some Random Life Stuff

I saw Christopher Robin in theaters, and OH MY GOSH IT WAS SO AMAZING!!! WATCH IT NOW IT WAS SoOOOooooO GOOD!!!
I don’t like Beauty and the Beast‘s live-action remake. I think they butchered an amazing story. Shoot me.
I don’t care for Trolls, either … #dissingmoviesleftandright
I order bookmarks for At Her Fingertips! They’re pretty cool.

TTFN!

~Kellyn Roth~

Goodreads · Facebook · Twitter

p.s.

What are you doing for the next week or two? Any big plans? If you’re doing school, when do you start back? (I’M NOT DOING SCHOOL, MUHAHAHA!) What are you writing? What are you reading?

The post Big Event Postponed: Hiatus Ensuing appeared first on Reveries.

It’s My Birthday, And I’ll Post If I Want To

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEE! I’M A BIT OF A NARCISSIST. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEE!

POST IF I WANT TO, POST IF I WANT TO! (You would post, too, if it happened to you!) (Which is has at least a couple times in your life …) (The real question is, WHY DO NOT MORE PEOPLE POST ON THEIR BIRTHDAYS LIKE ME???)

The sad truth is … it’s not my birthday. Yesterday was my birthday. But I’m such a slave to my schedule that I couldn’t nudge this post even a weeeeee bitsy bitty bit over for my OWN. FREAKIN’. BIRTHDAY. I suck as a person.

The good news is … BIRTHDAYS LAST ALL MONTH! At least, I see all of August as a time of worshiping Kell. I don’t know about you, but it seems like a good idea …

Not for anyone else with an August birthday, though. Just me. I want all the attention on me. *is so important*

In all seriousness, though, I’m going to talk a bit about the things I have done in these seventeen years of my life.

BIRTHDAY THOUGHTS AND WHATNOT!


Published some novels.

I’m not selling copies, but hey, I published them!
(Let’s ignore the fact that I’d have to actually market to sell copies. That’s not important.)



Did this blog.

I like this blog a lot, actually.



Have four nieces and a nephew.

I like to think of them as accomplishments.
Being an aunt is sooo hard.
I think I’ve had to watch them, like, three times!
Not even joking!!



Am a princess.

I’m a level above Disney princesses in that I don’t need a man, I talk to animals only I also slaughter and eat them (numnumnum), and my parents didn’t die.
Because I was too inherently awesome for anyone around me to die.
They were all like, “Uh, dying? No! We gotta live so we can hang with our daughter!”



I’m my grandparents’ favorite.

Would I lie to you?



I have cats.

I have five now, actually.
Sparrow had another litter of three, so we have Sparrow, Sinatra, and I think Heidi (big sister, the author-y one) named the yellow kitten Auric (he’s a character in her book, Spellsmith & Carver) and I have no clue about the calico and the black/white.



DOGS!

I’ve had three great dogs now.
Spoiler alert: All Border Collies.
There was Gidget, who we had to shoot last November because she was miserably diabetic. Basically broke my heart. Still can’t really talk about it. 

A Princess At Heart by Loretta MZ (Book Spotlight)

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Today we’ve got a book spotlight for A Princess at Heart by Loretta MZ! It looks like a cute little book! I’ve read part of book 1, and it looks like it’s a sweet fairytale for middle grade readers. 

Trusting Through Trials: 3 Prayers in the Midst of Hardship (Guest Post)

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Somedays I write posts for you … and somedays (or at least today) there are amazing guest posters who give me a hand!

This guest post is actually a “post swap.” I’ve also written a little something for Anna’s blog on when God doesn’t answer prayers. You should definitely check it (and Anna’s blog) out!

And, without further ado, the amazing writer of Through Quiet Waters by the talented Anna, a fellow YDubber, tells you about trusting God through trials!

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Trusting God Through Trials

When I was eleven, my grandmother was told that her cancer had returned. And this time, it had spread. While we didn’t live near each other, we often exchanged letters and phone calls. I admired her and looked up to her, and I looked forward to every time she would visit.

She spent days and weeks in the hospital, undergoing different treatments of chemotherapy, draining fluids, and various medications.

But it wasn’t enough.

It was almost a year of battling and courageously fighting against the cancer.

And we were praying. Our family, our relatives, our friends. Our church family and our neighbors.

But one cold October morning, we received the news that she had gone to be with Jesus.

Why? we asked. She was so young! Is our yiayia, our grandmother, really gone?

It was a very painful experience, but we kept praying and praying. God, give us peace. Give us strength for the wake. Be with us through the funeral. Lord, thank you that it’s all over.

And guess what? In difficult times like these, God often won’t change our circumstances. But He will help us through them.

It often requires our most desperate times to reveal God’s greatest beauty.

That’s why it’s important to cling to Christ in the midst of them. God is molding and crafting our hearts behind the scenes into what He wants them to be.

When we look to God in the most difficult trials, He’s not going to fix everything. But when we dig ourselves out of the hole of self-pity we’ve fallen into and center our gaze on the only One with all-power and sovereignty, then we’ll find true peace.

“I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly to pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done,” Elizabeth Elliot once wrote.

When God gives us hardship, the purpose is always more than to just inflict us with pain.

How often do we learn to trust in the midst of cheerful blue skies, perfect health, and days free of anxiety, fear, and depression?

Prayer is one of the most profound ways to say, “Here, God, I’m trusting you with everything. Take my life and do what you want with it. Thy will be done.”

But often, my prayers are far from that. My pride frequently blinds me to what God’s infinitely bigger, better, and far more superior plan is. I don’t want to admit that I need a Savior.

“ ‘In the same way, I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born,’ says the Lord,” Isaiah 66:9 says.

God has a purpose in every pain.

When we pray and cling to God in the midst of every trial, we’re choosing to accept His will and trust Him when we don’t know what’s going to happen. We need to choose to trust the only One with the ability to move mountains.

Maybe your mountain is your chronic illness, your sick family member, your singleness, your anxiety or depression, or your loneliness.

And it’s hard to trust. It’s hard to surrender all of our pain and brokenness and messiness to Christ’s perfect love. But I’ve discovered three prayers to bring us peace in the midst of trials.

1. Thy will be done

It is painful to trust God with His will. It requires dying to self and taking the step of obedience we often don’t want to take. Selfishness cannot mix with faith.

But when we accept God’s will for our lives, we are filled with an often strange sense of peace. “I don’t know where you’re leading me, Father,” we’re saying, “but I trust you with everything.”

2. Give me strength

We are a weak and broken people. And it’s only when we admit our littleness and God’s bigness where we’ll find true and lasting joy.

Ask God for strength and He will give it to you. Your circumstances may not change, but your heart will.

3. Teach me to walk by faith and not by sight

I’m a planner. I like to know what’s coming next. And when my life takes plot twists that I’m not expecting, it’s often hard for me to keep on trusting.

But it is by faith that God will move our mountains.

God didn’t change my Yiayia’s circumstances. But He did change our hearts. He gave us a supernatural sense of peace. And He gave us Himself.

So if you’re stuck in an overwhelming mountain of hardship, pain, and suffering, remember to trust. Remember that God will make everything beautiful in its time. And most of all, remember that He has a plan in every pain.

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Isn’t Anna awesome? This post is so beautiful – and spot on! When I read it for the first time, I was just like, “What? This post gets to go on Reveries? *jaw drops*”

Remember to check out the post I wrote for her blog, which is “When God Doesn’t Answer Prayers.” I hope you enjoy it and will give Anna a comment, a like, and a follow! 

TTFN!

~Kellyn Roth~

Goodreads · Facebook · Twitter

p.s.

What do you think about trusting God? Did you enjoy this post? Did you hop over to Anna’s blog to check out mine? Would you like to do a blog swap some time? (It’d be fun! Really!)  What would you do if 45 people signed up to beta-read for you in the first two days and you were like, “Help?”

The post Trusting Through Trials: 3 Prayers in the Midst of Hardship (Guest Post) appeared first on Reveries.

August 2018 Dares (At Long Last!)

Apparently 9 is also too late for me to be writer-ing blog posts? That graphic is my mind spilled out onto Canva. 

A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter

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I LOVED Kristi Ann Hunter’s A Defense of Honor! But before I get into my ranting, fangirling review (I’m trying to keep it minimal, don’t worry), I’ll talk briefly about … CAMP NANO BEING OVER!

Guess what? I went over my goal of 60,000 at 76,441! (Just so you know, ~30K of those were Before a Fall, 9,400 are pages edited of Beyond Her Calling x 200, and a little over 30K are pages edited of Once a Stratton x 200 + words added to OAS.)

So … yeah! It was a successful Camp NaNoWriMo for me! Probably one of the most successful I’ve ever had.

And now the review!

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Title: A Defense of Honor

Author: Kristi Ann Hunter

Series: Haven Manor, #1

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Era: 1810s (Regency)

Setting: England, London and countryside

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Source: from the publisher in exchange for honest review

Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

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A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter

When Katherine “Kit” FitzGilbert turned her back on London society more than a decade ago, she determined never to set foot in a ballroom again. But when business takes her to London and she’s forced to run for her life, she stumbles upon not only a glamorous ballroom but also Graham, Lord Wharton. What should have been a chance encounter becomes much more as Graham embarks on a search for his friend’s missing sister and is convinced Kit knows more about the girl than she’s telling.

After meeting Graham, Kit finds herself wishing things could have been different for the first time in her life, but what she wants can’t matter. Long ago, she dedicated herself to helping women escape the same scorn that drove her from London and to raising the innocent children caught in the crossfire. But as much as she desperately wishes to tell Graham everything, the risk of revealing the truth may come at too high a price for those she loves. 

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

WHOA! If you thought Hawthorne House was good, get ready for something even more fantastic! Hunter’s Haven Manor series looks to be the most fantastic thing she – or any other author – has come out with in a while!

Let’s just get right into things before I start fangirling.

PLOT: 5/5

*incoherent screaming*

OH MY GOODNESS! This plot is so amazing that it makes all the other amazing plots ashamed of their lack of amazing! 

Does Your Novel Deserve a Sequel?

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Does your novel deserve a sequel? That’s a tough question to answer. As fiction writers, I think we’d most often like the answer to be: “Yes!” It’s hard to let go of characters and plots and worlds we adore.

However – surprise, surprise – not all novels need a sequel. In fact, some of them are better as standalones. On the flipside, there are lots of books that require a sequel.

So how do you know which your book is? Well, here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine whether or not it needs continuation.

Consider the following questions.

Is there a sequel opportunity?
[image error]I intend for this short story to be a standalone. Just wait for me to eat my words a month later …

This first thing to think about, of course, is whether or not you have an idea for a sequel.

Now, this is a rare condition* – and not something I struggle with often – but occasionally an author will want to write a sequel – even believe his/her novel deserves a sequel – but be unable to think of a plot to write.

In these cases, unless you’ve either promised a publisher to write a sequel** or your novel cannot function as a standalone, it’s best to just let the book remain sequel-less.

*which I would very much like to have from time to time.

**in the case of traditionally published authors, of course.

Can your book be a standalone?

Some books have a cliff-hanger for an ending that says, “There shall be a sequel!” Occasionally standalones will have mysterious or open-ended resolutions; however, oftentimes a story continues through the next book or even into a series.

If you intended to write a series from the beginning, that’s one thing. However, there are occasions when the ending of your book – which you intended to be a standalone – leaves you longing to write a sequel to wrap up a plot or some such.

[image error]One example of this would be with my very own The Lady of the Vineyard. I wanted it to be a standalone; however, I found myself wanting to continue the story.

I’d left Adele and the rest of the characters in more of a compromise than a happily-ever-after. And, loving these characters as I did, I didn’t feel that it was sufficient.

Several readers had also commented that they were unsatisfied with leaving Adele with so much of her journey uncompleted. I agree with them. Though it was a good place to end the book, it wasn’t necessarily a good place to leave the story!

This, along with advice from friends, helped me decide to write Flowers, the short story sequel to The Lady of the Vineyard. And I’ve yet to regret it!

Does it add to the story … or does it detract?

This is probably your #1 concern when deciding whether or not to write a sequel. Are you writing something that takes away or adds?

This applies to prequels and whatnot as well, which is good because that’s the example I’m going to use.

The Reluctant Godfather: Blog Tour Wrapup!

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Wow … that blog tour sure flew by!The Reluctant Godfather is officially relaunched, new cover and all! And I have still not bought a copy. *sobs* Oh well … soon!

Before you head off, let me tell you what this post is about. There’s going to be some giveaway winner announcements. There’s going to be some links to blog posts. There’s going to be a teaser for the next post at the bottom.

So no, you are not allowed to just leave. You must at least skim. I refuse to let y’all skip a post out of ignorance. ALL THE POSTS ON THIS BLOG ARE AWESOME. INCLUDING MY WRAPUP POSTS.

You can take my word for that … 

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Once again, let’s talk about the book we’re featuring.

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The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo

A humorous and magical re-telling of Cinderella from a unique perspective.

Burndee is a young and cantankerous fairy godfather who would rather bake cakes than help humans. A disgrace to the fairy order, Burndee has only two wards entrusted to his care…a cinder girl and a charming prince.

A royal ball presents Burndee with the brilliant solution of how to make his wards happy with the least amount of effort. He’ll arrange a meeting and hope the two fall in love.

The debut novella from Allison Tebo, ‘The Reluctant Godfather’ is a new addition to the charming fairy tale tradition of Cameron Dokey and K.M. Shea.

Buy on Amazon ~ Buy from the Author
Ebooks are not currently available from the author’s website – but you can purchase signed paperbacks from her website for a limited time price of only $9.00!
About Allison Tebo

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Allison Tebo is a Christian author in her mid-twenties who loves to write fiction in every genre. It is her goal to write fiction that appeals to many different kinds of people by writing clean, classic fun. Her desire is to provide quality stories for every age to enjoy.

When she is not writing, Allison works as a sales associate for a major transportation company or might be found singing, painting, baking, or defending her championship title as Gif Master.

Website: http://allisonteboauthor.com/

Blog: http://allisonswell.website/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16192992.Allison_Tebo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allisonteboauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AllisonTebo

Alli barely needs to defend her title, though – she’s pretty much the best in the GIF business!

Miss Serena’s Secret by Carolyn Miller (+ The Reveries Reader Group!)

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This was one of the most confusing books I read. I loved it and hated it and loved it. However, I’ve attempted to organize my thoughts in time to post this review on the US release day! Huzzah!

Now before we go any further, let me tell you about how we’re going to manage the reviews on this blog. You know I’ve got a lot of books to read and review as I’ve mentioned before. This is quite stressful.

But … when something is stressful, the best thing in the world is to take it one task – or in this case, one book – at a time! Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce the Reveries Reader Group, a way to be accountable for your weekly reading and reviewing. More about that at the end of this post!

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Title: Miss Serena’s Secret

Author: Carolyn Miller

Series: Regency Brides: A Promise of Hope, #2 (Read my review of #1 here.)

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Era: Regency

Setting: English countryside/London

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Source: from Netgalley (in exchange for honest review)

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Miss Serena’s Secret by Carolyn Miller

With devastating scars in her past, Serena Winthrop is sure no man can be trusted—especially not men like the far-too-smooth Viscount Charmichael. His reputation as a charmer and a gambler is everything she despises. And the young artist makes sure that this disreputable heir to an Earldom knows of her deep disapproval whenever they encounter one another.

Henry, Lord Carmichael, is perfectly aware of his charms to the women of the ton. He’s gambled with plenty of their hearts as easily as he does their husband’s money—it’s all in good fun to him. But lately he’s been wondering if there’s more to life—and confronting the idea that his actions might not prove worthy of the admirable wives his friends have found.

When Serena’s brother-in-law asks his best friend to protect his young ward, Henry promises to be on his best behavior and not woo her. But the more he learns of her, the more he realizes she might be his best reason for changing his character. Then the lady’s art leads her to London infamy. Now Henry must choose between the life mapped out for him as the Earl apparent, and the love of his life. And Serena’s secret may mean the end of his titled family line.

The second in a new series by internationally popular author Carolyn Miller is full of the same rich historical detail and evocative writing that readers enjoyed, and familiar characters make appearances here. The witty banter will continue to draw in fans of Jane Austen, Sarah Ladd, and Julie Klassen.

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

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I’ll give the author credit for this: even when the book was finished, I still had no idea what Miss Serena’s secret was. I’m still in the dark. What exactly is the title referencing …?

More on that later, but for now let me just say this was a book I enjoyed immensely, was disgusted with when I thought about it afterwards, and have now come to the point where I’m like, “That was fantastic … except for [insert several different issues].”

I’ll dig into each of these issues in the book – as well as present the (many!) things I enjoyed about it. You can decide whether it’s worth reading as best you can for yourself.

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PLOT: 2/5

This is where the book really failed.

I’m sorry, Ms. Miller, but I just can’t let you get away with this uncommented! I love your books, I need to read more and more of them, but I must say where the plot failed in the eyes of this particular reader. The book was “in exchange for an honest review,” after all. So here’s your honesty.

Much of the plot was based around the idea that Serena had a big secret that she can’t reveal no matter what. As I said in the intro, I still have no idea what the secret was meant to be.

We’re heading into spoiler realm, peoples. Fasten your seatbelts and please skim forward to the next section (Characters) unless you’ve read the book!

Spoilers Follow!

I was a bit confused about what happened in Serena’s backstory with the evil guy, Mr. Goode (take a moment to appreciate the irony).

I thought for the entire book that she’d been raped/forced to have sex with him … and the whole time I was like, “Girl. Why didn’t you just scream? Are you telling me there was no one in hearing of the art room in a private girls’ school for posh ladies when only a man and a girl were alone in there??? BAD SCHOOL! How do they even have a remotely good reputation!?!?”

By the way, Serena, having your reputation destroyed is preferable to being raped. #priorities

But towards the end, Catherine literally says, “She’s innocent” after Harry asks if they know Serena is infertile BECAUSE of this incident – which by the way, Harry, wouldn’t be a good gauge, but whatever. I guess he’s a guy who doesn’t know anything about all that, so I’ll let that slide.

Which means there was no sex, right? So what are we whining about? A kiss and maybe a little inappropriate touching??? Which is wrong and bad (and that guy is such a creep help why did that stupid school be so stupid) … but it’s not exactly life-stopping?

Get used to having innuendo slung your way if you’re hanging out with creeps and are reasonable attractive. Just sayin’.

I can see how that would lead to you distrusting men, yes, so back story as far as THAT particular reaction makes sense, but not necessarily to the same level of scandal and whatnot, especially since apparently you weren’t caught (???), and your brother-in-law hushed it up anyway, so it’s not a big damage to anyone?

JUST DON’T TELL RANDOM PEOPLE, SERENA, AND EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY!!!

And you absolutely HAVE to tell your future husband that this occurred? And what happened to stop Mr. Creepy from going further? Did someone interrupt? I wish I knew, but I really have no clue whatsoever.

I think the author was probably trying to be vague for the sake of cleanliness (we’ll talk about the “cleanliness,” by the way, later), which I appreciate to the depths of my innocent Christian country soul. But there’s a difference between clean fiction and fiction that doesn’t explain, y’know … what actually happened.

Please explain the events in your novel, or it doesn’t matter because nothing happened. Novels = things happening in an orderly manner. So put the things happening in and make them orderly. Or it’s not a novel.

(Dear Ms. Miller, if you care to explain this to me in the comments, I will accept your word as fact and edit my review to include your thoughts on the subject. I won’t be offended. I know it’s a big no-no for authors to comment on reviews, and I encourage that, but I don’t mind. Really, let me know, and I’ll add it to the review so readers can see!)

[Special Place Just In Case Carolyn Miller Wants To Make A Comment On This Review Because I Think There Is Probably A Serious Explanation For This Plot Hole, And I Want To See It So Bad.]

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CHARACTERS: 4/5

SQUEEEEEEE!!!

OKAY, I WANT A MAN PRETTY MUCH JUST LIKE HARRY IN THAT HE CARES ABOUT HIS FAMILY AND HE WANTS TO BE GOOD AND HE’S GROWING IN GOD AND REALLY TALKING TO HIM AND IT’S JUST SO AWESOME EXCUSE ME WHILE I FAN MY CHEEKS.

Seriously, though, Harry was probably one of the most realistic, most fun, most charming, most intriguing heroes I’ve read in a while. He was just loads of HARRY, that being the only way I can truly describe him.

Serena wasn’t so bad either. I actually like cold-as-ice characters. Lady Mary Crawley from Downton Abbey and my own Georgiana Farjon (Once a Stratton) and Isobel Selle (The Dressmaker’s Secret and Ivy Introspective) are prime examples.

Of course, what makes these characters brilliant is the fact that they usually have a reason for being this way.

Mary was mostly due to personality, but she became sooo much worse after the tragic events of Season 3 (*soft sobbing*). Georgiana lost her mother at a young age and then her father to his grief. Isobel also lost her mother and had the incredible weight of running a girl’s school (a much better one than the one Serena attended *coughs*) put on her shoulders at eighteen.

For Serena, that was supposedly her secret … but …? As I explained above (in the spoiler section of the plot section, haha), this doesn’t really hold out. So she didn’t make much sense to me.

I loved the angle with Serena’s art. That whole bit was quite interesting, and I really enjoyed it quite thoroughly. Everything about it was just so refreshing and interesting. (Apparently I don’t have dibs on the “drawing your love interest for therapy” angle, though. *Alice and I both pout*)

Melanie, Ellie, and Tom are all the best and deserve medals. I want to hug them all. Well, I want to hug Ellie and Tom all the time. Melanie was a witch for that one scene, but I forgave her.