emmasbookdiary's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
4.25
It’s so easy to get lost in Julie Klassen’s books! They’re so mysterious and atmospheric. I feel like I’m really there with the characters, living the story right beside them. And that is my favorite feeling when reading a good book!
This book was really good! I’ve found that I really enjoy books about governesses. I think that’s because I love books that have children included in the plot and the governess plot is really interesting to me. This one was especially interesting to me because it showed the lonely aspect of the governess’s life that I hadn’t thought about.
I loved Olivia’s character from the start. She had this quiet strength and confidence about her that I really admired. She was also really intelligent and kind. The way she handled the difficult people in her life *cough cough, Edward* was just well done! 👏🏼 I was rooting for her the whole time. I also liked that she wasn’t perfect though. She was just relatable!
Edward, on the other hand, was something else. I really didn’t like Edward for most of the book. He was just plain rude, and rather harsh, to Olivia for the majority of the book. But then he would do sweet things for his nieces and nephews, and when a hero does sweet things for children, it’s really hard for me not to like them at least a little. So by the end, I had softened towards him. But I spent most of the book whisper-yelling at him for the dumb things he was doing. The man had a temper. 😅 I did feel like he changed rather quickly at the end in regards to how he treated Olivia. I would’ve liked there to be a little more character development there but all in all, I liked the change I saw in him. All that being said, I did like Edward. He was just difficult. But it was kind of fun yelling at him.😂
I also really liked Croome! And loved the children!
The mystery in this one was really intriguing! I’ve decided historical mysteries might just be my favorite genre ever.
I loved the mysterious vibe to this story and it had me guessing the whole time.
This book was set around the wintertime, particularly December, so it made a perfect cozy, winter-y read!😍
I’d recommend it to older teens and up due to some more mature topics talked about a few times. Nothing explicitly detailed or inappropriate but more mature.
In conclusion, this book was really good! I enjoyed it! It gave me Jane Eyre vibes because of the governess plot and because the hero was difficult. If you’re a fan of Jane Eyre or historical mysteries, this one was good!
This book was really good! I’ve found that I really enjoy books about governesses. I think that’s because I love books that have children included in the plot and the governess plot is really interesting to me. This one was especially interesting to me because it showed the lonely aspect of the governess’s life that I hadn’t thought about.
I loved Olivia’s character from the start. She had this quiet strength and confidence about her that I really admired. She was also really intelligent and kind. The way she handled the difficult people in her life *cough cough, Edward* was just well done! 👏🏼 I was rooting for her the whole time. I also liked that she wasn’t perfect though. She was just relatable!
Edward, on the other hand, was something else. I really didn’t like Edward for most of the book. He was just plain rude, and rather harsh, to Olivia for the majority of the book. But then he would do sweet things for his nieces and nephews, and when a hero does sweet things for children, it’s really hard for me not to like them at least a little. So by the end, I had softened towards him. But I spent most of the book whisper-yelling at him for the dumb things he was doing. The man had a temper. 😅 I did feel like he changed rather quickly at the end in regards to how he treated Olivia. I would’ve liked there to be a little more character development there but all in all, I liked the change I saw in him. All that being said, I did like Edward. He was just difficult. But it was kind of fun yelling at him.😂
I also really liked Croome! And loved the children!
The mystery in this one was really intriguing! I’ve decided historical mysteries might just be my favorite genre ever.
I loved the mysterious vibe to this story and it had me guessing the whole time.
This book was set around the wintertime, particularly December, so it made a perfect cozy, winter-y read!😍
I’d recommend it to older teens and up due to some more mature topics talked about a few times. Nothing explicitly detailed or inappropriate but more mature.
In conclusion, this book was really good! I enjoyed it! It gave me Jane Eyre vibes because of the governess plot and because the hero was difficult. If you’re a fan of Jane Eyre or historical mysteries, this one was good!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
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