NJ
3.5 starsThis book reminded me so much of [b:The Thief 448873 The Thief (The Queen's Thief, #1) Megan Whalen Turner https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427740839l/448873.SY75.jpg 1069505] by Megan Whalen Turner. It seemed a simple setup for what had the potential to be a wonderful world filled with political intrigue. However, I had doubts that any of the sequels could be as good as the [b:The Queen of Attolia 40158 The Queen of Attolia (The Queen's Thief, #2) Megan Whalen Turner https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1293505506l/40158.SX50.jpg 1124161].
This book is disjointed but it really really works for me. I'm a sucker for romances where the main characters are kind to each other and this book has that in spades. Even when it gets dark (and boy does it get dark) the characters are so unfailingly patient and vulnerable with each other that it tempers the darkness. I've personally struggled to read romances with darker themes this year because I've wanted light and fluffy, but honestly reading this felt necessary. It was important for me to read about people being lovely to each other even in the midst of all the heavy stuff going on.
Admittedly I'm not an expert on Austen but I'm confused by a few of the reviews which state that this was not an authentic Austen retelling. Many of my favourite P&P plot points are covered in this novel:
* Darcy/Wills's cutting comment after the first dance
* Elizabeth/EJ's muddy walk to comfort a sick Jane
* Darcy/Will's letter writing
* the whole Wickham saga etc...
Even when there's a deviation from the original, there's a nod to what was and it feels very intentional. For example, Will doesn't jump straight into telling EJ his feelings in this novel. However, he writes a letter to that effect but is advised against any declarations of love by his sister and Zara for very good reasons. So even though in this respect, it doesn't follow the original text, the author very clearly acknowledges the original P&P plot point.
The Bennet Women is undoubtedly a P&P retelling, it just isn't my favourite. I didn't really connect with the characters. I just couldn't sink into the storyline the way I tend to with a really good romance.
3.5 starsThis book reminds me a little of [b:The Thief 448873 The Thief (The Queen's Thief, #1) Megan Whalen Turner https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427740839l/448873.SY75.jpg 1069505]. It's a bit simple for my tastes and the characters are wooden and one-note. However, there is an interesting world and a relatively interesting plot. Hopefully, just like [b:The Thief 448873 The Thief (The Queen's Thief, #1) Megan Whalen Turner https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427740839l/448873.SY75.jpg 1069505], the subsequent books in the series are much better than the first one.As a side-note, I was not surprised to discover that the author is a park ranger. The novel was obviously written by someone with a lot of love for the environment.
3.5 stars
I'm in the minority here but this was a bit disappointing. Mostly because it seemed there was too much going on and I didn't enjoy many of the subplots that were thrown in. The actual interactions between Dom and Sylvie were swoony and had the trademark Lucy Parker banter but in my opinion, we didn't have nearly enough of those. . I find this particularly frustrating the subplot of the female intern who is hell bent on ruining/ripping of the mcs to further the cause of their male relative/partner had already been used in [b:Headliners|52069082|Headliners (London Celebrities, #5)|Lucy Parker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1569971230l/52069082._SX50_SY75_.jpg|71670067]. Why exactly was it necessary here? We already had Libby being sneaky in the show, and Johnny being stalked and assaulted, we didn't need to throw Penny's recipe espionage into the mix either. Admittedly, the final showdown between Penny and Mabel was very funny but prior to that any time that very obvious
This CCJ was not a favorite. Usually if there's OW drama in CCJ's books, she usually humanises the ex, so that her characters don't fall into the crazy ex-girlfriend trope. This was particularly noticeable because while Logan had an ex, who was trying to use her family connections he was redeemed in the end, while the same grace wasn't extended to Pierre's ex. Additionally, I didn't enjoy the surprise pregnancy. I've read much better CCJ's
For a long time, I considered Persuasion my 3rd favourite Austen. It was Pride and Prejudice first (obviously), then Emma, before Persuasion. However, upon this reread I may have to change my ranking. But to truly ascertain in Persuasion has moved up in my Austen favourites, I have to read the other two. And that can never be a bad thing :).
I wish authors would stop writing characters like Maxine who exist simply to fulfill the “crazy other woman” trope. I really dislike the trope and it's sexist origins. In the beginning, I thought Maxine and Rook's friendship would be a positive representation of a platonic relationship between a man and a woman (a relationship type I think is woefully underrepresented in romance). Instead we got whatever that was
4.5 stars rounded down.
This is trilogy has so many good lines, I have to give Mark Lawrence that. Additionally, his character work is impeccable. I wanted a lot more from the Nona and Ara relationship though. I needed so much more than the little snippet we were given at the end. The romantic in me was crying out for more!!! . The friendships are developed so well over the course of this trilogy. Every intimate moment between the characters feels earned. As a reader, I knew what they had had to get through to be there and I truly believed in the strength of their bonds. Sister Apple's death wrecked me. If Ara had died too I would have rated this 1 star
The first line of Red Sister is impossible to forget. I read it first in a review of this book and I knew, I just knew that I had to read the trilogy. It doesn't disappoint. The concept of assassin nuns is intriguing in and of itself but Mark Lawrence does a good job of executing an interesting idea.
This book is not getting five stars for a few reasons; in the beginning, I found all the nuns and mistresses difficult to keep straight. Additionally, I struggled to visualise the first half of the book (particularly the first scenes). However, when I finally lost myself in the book it blew me away.
I greatly enjoyed Nona's character and her relationships. She latches on to people and absolutely refuses to let go and I have to admire that. I think now that I know the characters and the world, I will enjoy this book so much more on a reread.
Even when I disliked the characters (which was most of the time, I couldn't help but be invested in their story). Miller did a good job of writing Patroclus' displacement and feelings of uselessness. Thus, by the time the story is in full swing and Patroclus' whole personality seems to be I love Achilles , the reader understands exactly how he got there. However, it was really lovely to see him come into his own in the last 20% of the book and develop his own self worth and ideas. Achilles on the other hand was much more difficult to like, particularly in the end, but very few people who had experienced such mass adoration and adulation would have remained level-headed
2.5 rounded to 3.
Brother's best friend/Best friend's little sister is one of my least favourite romance tropes, particularly because the obstacles to the main characters' relationship seem flimsy at best. In this particular case, I really hated that Wyatt asked that they keep their relationship secret. It led to jealousy (on both sides) and a lot of feelings of inadequacy on Andie's end, that I didn't really want them to be together by the end of the book. So much of the book was spent in what felt to me like a toxic relationship, that by the time the big reconciliation rolled around I was ready for them to end it. I usually enjoy Susannah Nix's books but this was a miss.
