Srivalli Rekha (Semi Hiatus)'s Blog, page 49

The Heiress Bride by Madeline Hunter - Book Review

Series: A Duke’s Heiress #3 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 23rd May 2023

Genre: Historical Romance 

4 Stars 

One Liner: Entertaining and easy to read 

*****

Nicholas Radnor, the new Duke of Hollinburgh, is doing his best to handle the responsibilities of his position. Dealing with annoying aunts, managing a draining estate, and trying to find out more about his uncle’s sudden death are keeping him occupied. 

Iris Barrington arrives at the last hour, demanding that he fulfill his uncle’s promise and find a rare book that could be hidden somewhere in the estate’s libraries. However, Iris is also the third heir to the dead duke and now is eligible to claim a substantial portion of funds. Iris is shocked by the developments. After all, she is a woman of trade, a rare book dealer traveling across the Continent, and an independent woman. 

Nicholas and his family are suspicious of Iris, and she sure has secrets to keep. Yet, as the two come closer, someone is determined to do anything to keep Iris away from her new inheritance. 

The story comes in the third-person POV of Nicholas and Iris. 

My Thoughts: 

Historical romances have their own charm. Lovely dresses, balls, elaborate dinners, house parties, headstrong heroines, and handsome heroes. Of course, we also get a good dose of the snobbish ton as a reflection on the times. 

Though this is the third book in the trilogy (?), it works perfectly as a standalone. The couples from the previous two books have an active role in this one and add to the entertainment value. 

The writing is easy to read and keeps things simple. It’s not overtly historical but not modern, either. That works for me well. 

The lead characters, Nicholas and Iris, are strong and independent. I wish their past is explored a little more, but we get enough to understand their actions and decisions. 

There’s a bit of mystery as well (a couple of attacks) that is solved at the end (one is left open-ended and makes me wonder if there will be another book in the series). However, this is predominantly a romance with some steam in the second half (2.5-ish). 

The vagaries of the ton are well presented, along with a desire for extravagance without any thought to practicality. Aunt Agnes and Dolores are the typical relatives who decide a person’s worth based on their birth and yearly income rather than their character. 

The book has quite a few scenes and discussions about books, though most of it is in terms of the book’s value. After all, the heroine is a rare book dealer. 

However, my biggest question is- why is there no epilogue! Why? Historical romances feel so incomplete with an epilogue. I need to know about Iris’s wedding dress, Minerva’s child, Miss Paget, and a few other itsy bits details that neatly tie up the end. Sigh! 

There’s a thirty-pound tabby, King Arthur. However, our heroine isn’t a cat lover. She is a no-nonsense woman with a business-oriented mind, which makes her worry more about cat hair on precious books (valid point!). But then, when did cats bother about trivial issues like that? 

To summarize, The Heiress Bride is an entertaining historical romance with likable main characters and well-etched supporting characters. Carry it to the beach or pick it up on a lazy afternoon.  

Thank you, NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Zebra, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #TheHeiressBride

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer - Book Review

Publication Date: 30th May 2023 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

4.2 Stars 

One Liner: Beautiful but with a few teeny flaws 

Jack Masterson, the best-selling children’s author of the Clock Island series, quit writing under mysterious circumstances. After years of silence and speculation, his announcement stirs the pot. He comes up with a one-of-a-kind game where four contestants participate in a series of challenges to win the only copy of the latest manuscript. 

Lucy Hart is a 26-year-old kindergarten teacher with too many troubles. Growing up as an unloved and unwanted child makes her determined to give the seven-year-old Christopher a permanent loving home as a foster mother. However, her financial position is messy at its best. Lucy learned the hard way that wishes don’t come true… but maybe they will.

Lucy is one of the four participants who go to Clock Island for a week to compete for the prize. She knows it’s her only chance to make things happen and adopt Christopher. However, she has to deal with dangerous book collectors, other participants, and of course, Hugo Resse, the brooding painter and illustrator of the Clock Island books. 

What does Jack Masterson, the Mastermind, have in mind this time? 

The story comes from the third-person POV of Lucy and Hugo. 

My Thoughts: 

I went into the book with high expectations after reading fabulous reviews from friends. And… luckily, I enjoyed most of the book and even got teary-eyed at a couple of places. That’s satisfying, isn’t it?

The pacing is slow in the beginning but gains momentum after a couple of chapters. Then it sustains almost throughout. There are a few scenes from the book written by Jack Masterson, which align with the MC’s character arc. I loved how this is done. 

Lucy, Hugo, and Christopher are pretty much who they are, while Jack has a bit of mystery (but is actually a teddy bear). This suits the writing, which is just as straightforward. 

While we get Lucy and Hugo’s POVs, I wish at least one chapter had Jack’s POV. It would have enhanced the story. An issue with Lucy’s POV is that she sounds like an unrealistic overemotional girl in some scenes. She knows her reality, but the impression we get contradicts this. I put it down to a character flaw as she realizes things towards the end. After all, do we project our vulnerabilities on others in one way or another? 

The book deals with plenty of themes and some of them in passing. There could be triggers, too- parental neglect, child abuse, alcoholism, running away, bullying, etc. None of it is graphic or overwhelming. 

However, the emotional quotient gets too high at the end. It feels like the author tried to create a balance between reality and HEA by adding more elements to the already-heavy themes. Also, certain revelations feel more like an easy way out to deal with a complex issue. Since we don’t get the other party’s perspective, I didn’t really connect with the whole thing.  

The romance isn’t really romance in this one. It is squeaky clean and chaste. I understand the reason for most of it and appreciate the move to keep the focus on the core plot. However, I wouldn’t have minded a bit of it at the end. 

The other contenders are also good people with issues of their own. I like this approach, though it dims the intensity of the game. But the intent of the game goes beyond winning. It’s the Mastermind’s plan, after all! 

Three things I love about the book are the role of fiction in people’s lives, our wishes can get fulfilled in different ways, and the reaffirmation that money indeed buys happiness. 

As a writer who prefers reading lighthearted fiction with HEA (I didn’t say I write it too!), I know how much hope a happy ending in a book can give a reader. We see that here multiple times, and it makes me so so happy! 

To summarize, The Wishing Game is a beautiful story about hope, loss, longing for a family, love, and the power of fiction. A book isn’t just a bunch of pages. It’s a support system that keeps the tiny flame of hope alive despite the adversities. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheWishingGame

***

P.S.: I think it helped that I didn’t read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (yes, I know!) and could be free of its influence (and avoid comparisons).  

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer - Book Review

Publication Date: 9th May 2023

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction 

3 Stars 

One Liner: Good premise with a not-so-interesting lead character 

Clover Brooks has felt a stronger connection with the dying (and death) than living people. It started in kindergarten, and as an adult, Clover chose to be a death doula. She lives in NYC, in the same apartment she shared with her grandfather since she was a six-year-old. 

Clover’s job and purpose are to help the dying pass their last moments in peace and stay with them until their last breath. Her purpose is her life, and a thirty-six-year-old Clover has nothing else to do. Until the wish of a dying old woman sends her on a trip that could change her life forever. 

It’s time Clover finally examines her life and decides what she wants. But this is easier said than done. 

The story comes in Clover’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts:

The book has an intriguing premise and a character with a profession I haven’t read before. I like that the story has many light moments despite the heavy topic. 

Thanks to many friends, I went into the book with low expectations and a good idea of what to expect. Yet, it didn’t improve my enjoyment levels (at least, I didn’t feel too annoyed, so that’s something). I did like a few quotes/ introspections. 

I think the story would have worked better with a limited third-person POV than Clover’s first-person POV. She isn’t a character to like almost until the end, which makes it hard to connect with her experiences or regrets. 

The chapters alter between past and present, giving glimpses into Clover’s childhood and life with her grandpa. We can see that he is her idol, and his loss makes her turn their home into a shrine of sorts with all his items intact and in their positions.  

There are enough scenes to show the role of a death doula. However, the novelty of the profession is pretty much overpowered by Clover’s characterization, which, let’s say, is not the best. 

I wonder if the MC traveled across different countries wearing an invisibility cloak. Even an introverted person has to interact with people when traveling, especially when it’s to learn the death rituals in other cultures. These aren’t the kind of things they share unless you ask. Thus, when Clover acts super stiff with anyone who is not dying, it feels more like she wants people to be perfect and fit into the slots she created for them rather than accept that they are all flawed humans and that not everyone we meet has to mean something to us. 

The other characters are almost stereotypes, though Leo manages to shine in his limited space, and Claudia is a ray of sunshine. Sylvia is the exact opposite of Clover, and Sebastian is the average guy we see all around us. 

There’s a love track towards the end, which seems unnecessary but throws light on interesting patterns. I don’t agree that the love interest is a way of Clover coming out of her shell or exploring the world. Instead, she is going back to the same pattern as her childhood. Hugo is much like Clover’s grandpa, and in a way, that’s what propelled her out of her self-imposed loneliness. So even the character development isn’t as good as it seems. 

Despite the issues, the book has its moments and makes us ponder our choices, decisions, and regrets. It can be thought-provoking if we push the MC to the background and focus on the lessons found in the ‘confessions’ and ‘regrets’ notebooks. 

To summarize, The Collected Regrets of Clover is a decent debut novel with interesting elements but manages to distance the reader with an irregular character arc. 

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley 

Murder at Abbeymead Farm by Merryn Allingham - Book Review

Series: Flore Steele Mysteries #6

Publication Date: 16th May 2023

Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery 

4 Stars 

One Liner: Entertaining 

Sussex 1957

Percy Milburn is an enthusiastic newcomer to Abbeymead. His plans to turn a farm into a hostel and his go-getter attitude make him more enemies than friends. When Percy goes missing, Flora and Jack jump into action. Discovering his body is a rude shock but expected. 

Now, the duo has to investigate the crime and find who the killer is. When another body turns up, they realize this case is more complex than the ones they solved. Also, someone is trying to hurt Flora by tinkering with the things she loves. 

Can Flora and Jack unravel both mysteries without getting killed? What about their slow-progressing relationship? Will they take any more steps to be together? 

My Thoughts:

The sixth book in the series, this one has plenty to offer to readers who have been Flora and Jack’s adventures from the start. It should work as a standalone, though not knowing the full backstories might dim the reading experience. 

The main plot has quite a bit of intrigue and action. In fact, we have many suspects this time and not enough clues (though I guessed the killer). I like how the sleuthing duo is not their finest best this time and even acknowledge. It brings a refreshing change to the series. 

The book also has a few subplots dealing with the side characters and their lives. Of course, this affects Flora and Jack, but how is something you’ll have to read and find out. 

Jack is working on his new book. However, here we get only little bits of details. This one focuses on Flora, just as it should (the previous ones dealt with Jack, so it’s her turn now). I love that she is resilient but vulnerable and has conflicting emotions at times. It enhances her character arc. 

My favorite part is how the most unsuspected person (not for me, I suspected them soon enough) is the criminal and the reason for their actions. It deals with core human desires and also gives a glimpse into the not-so-good side of small towns. 

The book ends on a positive note, though we can’t help but hope for a more positive development for Flora and Jack. Thankfully, book #7’s cover has been revealed, so I’m excited to read it soon. It promises more adventure and developments for our sleuthing couple. 

To summarize, Murder at Abbeymead Farm is an entertaining mystery with some introspective moments. This one has fewer laughs, though it is just as enjoyable for cozy lovers. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #MurderatAbbeymeadFarm

The Book That Wouldn���t Burn by Mark Lawrence - Book Review

Series: The Library Trilogy #1 

Publication Date: 11th May 2023

Genre: Fantasy (Historical) 

3.3 Stars 

One Liner: Great premise; meandering execution (minority opinion) 

Livira, a young girl, lives all her life in a tiny settlement in the Dust until they are attacked by one party and saved by another. Some things don���t change even as her life changes. 

Evar has been trapped in a vast library all his life. He yearns for the freedom to explore the outside world and meet people other than the other kids trapped in the library along with him. 

The world hasn���t noticed them, but things will change now. Their stories continue to revolve around each other until they merge and blur. What happens to their stories, and what about the world outside that dislikes anyone different from them? 

The story comes in the third-person POV of Livira and Evar. 

What I Like:

The premise and the cover are fab. The world-building is elaborate and easy to visualize. 

Livira is an intriguing character. She is brave, bold, clever, eager, impulsive, and ready to do what it takes to get what she wants. Her character arc is aligned with the plot and makes it easy to see her action. 

Malar is my favorite character from the book. He starts out as a regular soldier, but we see there���s a lot more to him. Even though his back story is not provided, he is easy to like and support. 

The plot is convoluted but in a good way. Things fall into place and make sense as the reveals happen. The twists are all interesting and surprising. I wish some of them appear earlier. 

Dust, the settlement where Livira comes from, feels a lot like the indigenous settlements in the US. In fact, throughout the story, we can see parallels with real-life bias, racism, wars, etc. 

A few scenes remind me of scenes from Heidi. This is a plus for me, as I could connect a little more with Livira during her growing years in the kingdom.  

The raven and dog are great additions to the plot. I love the neverending library and its description. Such a wow place to be! 

What Didn���t Work for Me:

While the setting and world-building are beautiful, there���s quite a bit of repetition in explaining the details. I don���t need the same information repeated multiple times. Hopefully, this will be edited in the final version (mine is an ARC).

The story meanders almost throughout. Though I expected this in the first half, it gets exhausting when the plot drags for the majority of the book.  

As the story progresses, Evar and Livira���s worlds overlap. That means, when one character moves from their world to the other���s, the event is presented from both POVs to ���fill the gaps���. In short, the book suffers from over-explanation.  

Despite Livira and Evar getting their own POVs, Livira gets more space. I feel like I know more about her than Evar. And there isn���t enough about Evar���s siblings (except Clovis). This makes it hard to connect with their characters. 

It gets preachy at times (more towards the end). I don���t mind some of it (expected to an extent), though it feels boring when the content is long-winded. In a way, the book deals with familiar themes, though it deals with some of them differently (not everything works well).  

I���m not sure which age group would be the perfect target audience for the book. The cuss words and a few other things make it inappropriate (not much) for MG, though YA readers might be bored by the story going in circles. 

To summarize, The Book That Wouldn���t Burn is a book I wanted to love but ended up just liking it. It has some great points and will work for some readers. Do check out other reviews before you decide. I���m a minority here. 

Thank you, NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and HarperVoyager, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheBookThatWouldn���tBurn

***

Note: The book ends on a cliffhanger. We have fewer answers in this one and a lot more questions left to explore in the other two books of the trilogy.

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence - Book Review

Series: The Library Trilogy #1 

Publication Date: 11th May 2023

Genre: Fantasy (Historical) 

3.3 Stars 

One Liner: Great premise; meandering execution (minority opinion) 

Livira, a young girl, lives all her life in a tiny settlement in the Dust until they are attacked by one party and saved by another. Some things don’t change even as her life changes. 

Evar has been trapped in a vast library all his life. He yearns for the freedom to explore the outside world and meet people other than the other kids trapped in the library along with him. 

The world hasn’t noticed them, but things will change now. Their stories continue to revolve around each other until they merge and blur. What happens to their stories, and what about the world outside that dislikes anyone different from them? 

The story comes in the third-person POV of Livira and Evar. 

What I Like:

The premise and the cover are fab. The world-building is elaborate and easy to visualize. 

Livira is an intriguing character. She is brave, bold, clever, eager, impulsive, and ready to do what it takes to get what she wants. Her character arc is aligned with the plot and makes it easy to see her action. 

Malar is my favorite character from the book. He starts out as a regular soldier, but we see there’s a lot more to him. Even though his back story is not provided, he is easy to like and support. 

The plot is convoluted but in a good way. Things fall into place and make sense as the reveals happen. The twists are all interesting and surprising. I wish some of them appear earlier. 

Dust, the settlement where Livira comes from, feels a lot like the indigenous settlements in the US. In fact, throughout the story, we can see parallels with real-life bias, racism, wars, etc. 

A few scenes remind me of scenes from Heidi. This is a plus for me, as I could connect a little more with Livira during her growing years in the kingdom.  

The raven and dog are great additions to the plot. I love the neverending library and its description. Such a wow place to be! 

What Didn’t Work for Me:

While the setting and world-building are beautiful, there’s quite a bit of repetition in explaining the details. I don’t need the same information repeated multiple times. Hopefully, this will be edited in the final version (mine is an ARC).

The story meanders almost throughout. Though I expected this in the first half, it gets exhausting when the plot drags for the majority of the book.  

As the story progresses, Evar and Livira’s worlds overlap. That means, when one character moves from their world to the other’s, the event is presented from both POVs to ‘fill the gaps’. In short, the book suffers from over-explanation.  

Despite Livira and Evar getting their own POVs, Livira gets more space. I feel like I know more about her than Evar. And there isn’t enough about Evar’s siblings (except Clovis). This makes it hard to connect with their characters. 

It gets preachy at times (more towards the end). I don’t mind some of it (expected to an extent), though it feels boring when the content is long-winded. In a way, the book deals with familiar themes, though it deals with some of them differently (not everything works well).  

I’m not sure which age group would be the perfect target audience for the book. The cuss words and a few other things make it inappropriate (not much) for MG, though YA readers might be bored by the story going in circles. 

To summarize, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn is a book I wanted to love but ended up just liking it. It has some great points and will work for some readers. Do check out other reviews before you decide. I’m a minority here. 

Thank you, NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and HarperVoyager, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheBookThatWouldn’tBurn

***

Note: The book ends on a cliffhanger. We have fewer answers in this one and a lot more questions left to explore in the other two books of the trilogy.

The Body at Carnival Bridge by Michelle Salter - Book Review

Series: Iris Woodmore Mysteries #3 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 11th May 2023

Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery 

4 Stars 

One Liner: A good mystery with some then socially relevant themes 

1922, Waldenmere 

Iris Woodmore is back home after a year of traveling across Europe. She is surprised by the changes in Walden. Constance Timpson has taken over the business and is established equal pay and opportunities for women working in the factories. Though she has support from Mrs. Sybil Siddons, not many are in favor of her ‘radical’ decisions. 

A mysterious sniper fires at Constance, and soon, one of her female employees is found murdered. Iris realizes things are worse than expected and knows they need to find the killer before more women are harmed. 

Can Iris deal with the latest developments in her life and career while solving the crime?

The story comes in Iris’ first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

Though this is book #3, it should work well as a standalone. There are enough bits and pieces of details scattered throughout to fill the gaps. I’m reading the series, so I think I did enjoy it a wee bit more. 

Set in the 1920s, the main and subplots deal with themes like women’s rights, equal pay, lady politicians and business owners, etc. The setting is an integral part of the series and is seamlessly woven into each book. 

Iris is back home in this book and has to deal with the varying responses from her family, friends, and acquaintances. I like most of what we see in the book. It sticks close to reality without exaggeration or drama. While I like the main character’s arc, I’m not sure about some of her choices. I guess it makes her appear real and flawed instead of someone perfect. The idea has merit, but maybe give her a little more stability in the coming books? 

That said, the book depicts relationships quite well. We see a tangled mess here, but it doesn’t get overwhelming. In fact, it makes the coming books more interesting. I sure want to know who will choose whom and why. 

Coming to the main mystery(ies), there is no lack of suspects or red herrings. The information is revealed in stages, giving the readers enough time to guess. I could guess the main culprit (it’s easy if this is your favorite genre). However, the conclusion is satisfactory, as I always like seeing how things are connected and tied up at the end.  

While the pacing is decent, the book slows in the middle and feels like we are going in circles (too many cozies are doing this recently). The plot picks up again at around 70% and sustains from thereon. 

To summarize, The Body at Carnival Bridge is a solid cozy mystery that blends crime and social issues without being preachy or boring. The cover and blurb of book #4 are out, and I look forward to reading it soon. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheBodyatCarnivalBridge

***

P.S.: Do check out this blog by the author about her inspiration for the book. 

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane - Book Review

Publication Date: 02nd May 2023

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction 

2.3 stars 

One Liner: Not for me… 

Malcolm Gephardt finally makes his dream come true by buying The Half Moon Bar, where he was a bartender for years. He wants to turn it into a mega-success project but faces many obstacles. 

Jess is Malcolm’s wife, a lawyer at a private firm. The duo is trying for a baby without success, and this puts a strain on their relationship and finances. She finally tells herself that motherhood may not be possible. 

The book takes place over a week as Malcolm learns something about Jess and also has to deal with the news of a missing bar patron. The town is ravaged by a blizzard, and everyone is trapped. Can Malcolm and Jess use this time to introspect their past and present to decide what they want for the future? 

The story comes in the limited-third person POV of Malcolm and Jess (the MMC’s version occupies a greater %). 

My Thoughts: 

Okay, so I knew the book may not work for me based on the varied reviews from my GR friends (thank you all for your reviews). But I already had the book and decided to go with zero expectations and see where it leads. Unfortunately, even that didn’t work this time. 

I understand literary fiction is character-oriented and slow as it establishes the character and peels the layers one by one. However, this book is just slooow and has characters who are the same despite all the peeling. 

Though I’m more of a ‘fiction for entertainment’ kind of person, I appreciate realistic portrayals of life and people. Flawed characters are more than welcome. However, they need to have some sort of personality to carry the book. Sadly, neither Malcolm nor Jess has this capacity. Two people in around 40s acting like someone in their mid-20s don’t make for a great read. Yet, it could have worked if not for… 

The narrative style is a depressing limited third-person POV that jumps from past to present to past to present to past, like a little brat on a sugar high. If this ‘high’ leaked over to cause some drama or excitement, it would have been interesting. Yet, the book has the most monotonous and boring narration I’ve read in recent times. It drones on and on and on in the same tone, irrespective of how intense or emotional the scene could be. I know some readers will love this (but not me). 

I’m not sure if I should be annoyed by the ending or relieved that two toxic people chose to limit the damage to themselves. They are a train wreck waiting to happen, but oh, well… not my headache. 

A good thing about the book is that it pretty much shows how not to have a relationship or what not to do with your marriage. It has heavy triggers for infertility and infidelity. Is it a plus that even the most intense scenes fail to make an impact in this case? Maybe! 

I wouldn't have minded most of this if the book had at least a couple of lighter moments. But nope. Even the missing person track (why is it even included) has nothing to offer.

To summarize, The Half Moon is what we could call a slice-of-life 300-page novel with a wafer-thin plot and almost no particular point. Some readers will love the book for the same reasons I disliked it, so read more reviews before you decide (tastes are subjective). 

Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley 

***

P.S.: I read a few other reviews and found that those who enjoyed Yes, Ask Again were also disappointed by this one. Seems like I picked the wrong book this time. I intend to read the other one someday. 

The Ones Who Are Hidden by Kerry Wilkinson - Book Review

Series: Whitecliff Bay Mysteries #4 

Publication Date: 15th May 2023

Genre: Contemporary Dark Cozy Mystery 

4 Stars 

One Liner: It gets better! 

Oliver and Georgia have identical tattoos behind their ears. Neither is connected to the other and remembers how they got the tattoo. When Oliver asks Millie to help solve the puzzle, she agrees to help. They find an artist who remembers the tattoo design and gives them a name to follow up. Soon, they realize that something more sinister has happened in the past, and it is far from over. 

In the parallel track, Millie happens to be in a store where a robbery occurs. She is shocked but tries her best to help find the culprit. Yet, she is unsure of the details until things began to fall into place. Of course, Millie also has to deal with her personal issues and decide if she wants a confrontation.

The story comes in Millie’s third-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

Similar to the previous books, this one also has multiple tracks going simultaneously. However, Guy has a limited role, with Millie and Oliver doing most of the investigating. 

It’s nice seeing Millie become a little more assertive and try to take control of her life instead of letting others override her. I’m relieved that she takes a small step in handling her ex-husband. Hope she continues to stand up for herself. 

The main mystery is a little predictable but has a couple of twists to keep the readers interested. The theme, as such, is something I’m not too fond of, though this one focuses more on emotions. 

The parallel robbery track is simpler but aligns with her personal life, giving her a greater insight into the issue. The track with Guy and Craig also progresses. It’s not over yet. There could be a few more reveals lined up. 

Jack and Rishi seem to be having issues, though we’ll have to see how they will sort things out (or if they will). I’m not sure about the time jump and ages (there seems to be some mismatch, which I hope the editors will sort out in the final copy). 

Staying true to the series theme, this book, too, ends with a cliffhanger about Millie’s next move (I have a guess, so let’s see if I’ll be right). The cases are solved, so that shouldn’t be a problem if you choose to read this as a standalone. Though I recommend reading the previous books to understand Millie’s character arc. 

To summarize, The Ones Who Are Hidden is a decently paced mystery with some answers and more questions left for the next book. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. This series is getting stronger, for sure. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #TheOnesWhoAreHidden

All the Pretty Places by Joy Callaway - Book Review

Publication Date: 09th May 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: A good historical drama

1893, Rye, New York

Sadie Fremd has two loves- her father’s nursery and Sam Jenkins. She has always hoped to become her father’s successor and manage the nursery. However, the economic recession pushes her into a corner. Sadie is asked to marry well to save the nursery and reminded multiple times that she cannot be a businesswoman, even if no one knows about plants, gardening, and landscaping as she does. 

Sadie is determined not to lose the nursery or her freedom when Sam reappears in her life. She also learns about the life of the poor and how a single flower can give them hope (but both the flower and hope are kept away from them). She wants to make a difference, somehow. However, life gets complicated, and Sadie is at crossroads. She cannot have it all, not unless a miracle happens. 

The story comes from Sadie’s first-person POV. 

What I Like:

The detailing and landscaping are very well done. Flowers and plants are an integral part of the plot and the characters’ lives. I love how almost every memory is linked to flowers in one way or another.

The best parts of the book are when Sadie is working with flowers or thinking about them. Even when I didn’t know what the flowers were, I could feel her emotions and love for plants. 

The contrast between the lives of the rich and poor is well presented. We also see how people abandon their ‘friends’ when they fall into tough times. 

I haven’t read a book set in the Gilded Age, so this is a good addition to my list. It’s informative without being boring, which is a definite plus. The market crash and the parts about how public parks weren’t exactly for the public provide more insights into the past. 

Sadie and Sam’s love story takes up a good chunk of the book. It’s a little typical of the class difference between them. I like love stories and some romantic drama, so this worked for me. Though I wish we knew a little more about Sam. 

The author’s note at the end is detailed and informative. Since the book is about her ancestors (Sadie is her great-grandmother), knowing more about their lives and the author’s connection with them enriches the book. Oh, there’s a picture of real-life Sadie Fremd too. 

What Could Have Been Better for Me:

Given the main theme of nurseries and flowers, I’d have loved a few illustrations scattered in the book. My knowledge about flowers is quite limited and more than 50% of the names went over my head. Yeah, I can Google, but that would break the flow. 

I love happy endings, and things wrap up well in this one. However, character development isn’t the strong point of the book. Maybe that’s because the main characters are real people, but it makes them a little flat.  

I find it a bit odd that the men were professing their love for Sadie when she was borderline rude to them. Though I understand their inability to see beyond a pretty face or even try to understand a woman, there sure would be other women if they expand their search. 

The pacing is slow and annoying when the plot gets into a loop (Sadie refusing suitors, yearning for Sam, and her father ordering her to pick a rich husband…). However, you can speed-read without missing any vital details. 

To summarize, All the Pretty Places is a historical drama based on the lives of real people. Those who enjoy gardening will love the book more. While the book deals with quite a few issues, it is primarily a romance between people from different stations. You’ll enjoy it more if you pick it up with the right expectations. 

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperMuse, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #AllthePrettyPlaces